Jin Jin's Noodles
The old Chef served up Guiren a steaming bowl of tossed noodles and vegetables, accompanied by a rather spicy sauce. Wiping down his knife, the Chef looked out the window thoughtfully, musing.
"Hmm, to Kyoshi? I'm not sure, the ferry from the mainland doesn't ever stop here unless it's an emergency. You might be able to find someone down by the docks to take you, though it'll cost you an arm and a leg!"
As the storm picked up once more, the Chef hurried to close the windows and latches, moving at such speed and precision that it became apparent this was a rehearsed procedure. The island saw it's share fair of bad weather, and storms like these came about the same time each year...
The Next Day
The storm had left a trail of destruction in it's wake, a trail that cut straight through Tempen. While the concrete buildings survived almost unscathed, many of the wooden shops and houses had suffered severe damage; walls broken in, ceilings collapsed; debris was strewn everywhere. As soon as the sun rose, men and women sporting red-bandanas began scurrying out of the nearby wilderness, pouring into Tempen to claim whatever loot they could...
Li
The sound of a door being shut woke Li with a start. It was light outside, and the sound of people yelling and arguing could be heard through the window. He was also now aware of voices within the building he had broken into; one, distinctly gruff and male; the other, somewhat sarcastic, and most certainly belonging to a woman.
"The others have just arrived. You ready to go Lissa?"
"Just hang on, I can't find my red shirt. Don't want them mistaking me..."
"Every year. Every year we're late because of stuff like this..."
The voices moved closer, until they were just outside Li's room, their shadows visible and somewhat daunting.
Flaming Wolf
A thunderous crash woke the denizens of the Flaming Wolf Inn. The downstairs door had been knocked through by an impressive sized boulder. Three large, grizzled men dressed in varying apparels of red stepped in, the leading figure holding another large boulder in his hand. Spitting, he addressed the innkeeper.
"Morning. You know how this goes; hand over the yuan's, and we won't have a problem."
His loud, booming voice sounded through the building, as the other two intruders began to shake down the staff.
Oktaru's Home
The sound of a whistling kettle woke those who had chosen to stay with the old man; a range of mugs was lined up on the counter, each a different size and style. Clearly, this was the home of a man not accustomed to visitors. The man's home had remained upright, though his garden was completely eradicated. Pouring the piping hot peppermint tea, Oktaru gave a deep sigh as he took a long, deep drink.
"You all sleep alright? We must have got the storm that knocked out your ferry. Haven't seen one like that in quite some time."
