Along a forested path rode a Motorrad, meaning both a two-wheeled vehicle and a vehicle unable to fly. On either side of the back wheel hanged two black boxes, and on the top rested a pipe-frame carrier, though nothing was loaded in either.

The motorrad’s driver was a young person, apparently in the early teens, with short dark hair. The rider wore a hat that covered her collar and ears, wore goggles over her eyes, and a dusty black leather jacket.

A fat leather belt coiled about the driver’s waist, and at her right thigh, snug in its holster, waited a revolver, an expensive model known throughout the land as a Persuader.

At the front of the rider’s body, one more Persuader, heavily modified to fire rat-shot, hung from a strap. Its long smoothbore barrel and the perforated heat sink atop particularly stood out.

Under the blue sky, through the verdant forest, and with the sun shining at its right hand side, the motorrad raised a cloud of dust as it sped along. The forest path ran straight, lending itself to easy visibility and high speeds, and the driver held the throttle open accordingly. Occasionally she would readjust the slipping Persuader at her front.

“Hey, Kino.”

The Motorrad often spoke to its driver, a fact that troubled its driver not in the least. The rider, Kino, answered, “if you’re going to complain about the speed, don’t bother. We need to get used to going fast and for long hours.”

“No, that’s all fine with me. Where are we going today? Shopping?”

“Didn’t I say?” Kino slowed down. They lurched awkwardly as their speed decreased and the rider countered as well as she could. Once the engine quieted down, Kino said, “school.”

“School?”

“Yep. I’m going to a certain school in this country we’re headed to. For five days.”

“Oh. Uhm... why?”

“Master told me there’re skills taught there no other school teaches. It’s a great opportunity, so go, she said. If it’s an opportunity to become stronger, I’ll do anything.”

“Hmm. So that’s how it is.”

“That’s why the next coupla days, we’re going to be moving fast and far.”

“Speaking as a motorrad, that’s fine. The weather this time of year is very nice.”

“And it makes good driving practice.” So saying, Kino twisted the accelerator again. Hermes tore off over the hard-packed earth.

As soon as they’d left the forest behind, tall walls greeted them. The walls loomed gray and large, and surrounded the country in their embrace. It was well before noon. The sun was climbing to its zenith and warmed the earth as it did so. Kino stopped Hermes before a rifle-armed sentry at the front of the gate. She popped down the kickstand and removed her goggles.

“Good morning. Nice to meet you,” Kino said with slightly exaggerated friendliness and the mandatory smile. “I’m Kino. This is my partner, Hermes. Please allow us in.” Her eyes caught a second, better concealed guard and gave him a nod as well.

Having given proper greetings to these two sentinels, Kino walked to the bag on the back wheel and produced a letter.

The elder guard, a man well into his fifties, took this letter. He opened it, read it, and then—

“Alright, understood. Come on in. However, we have very strict rules regarding Persuaders. We’ll have to hold them until you leave.”

“Understood,” Kino assented, hiding her reluctance. She removed the modified Persuader from its holster and ejected nine rounds. They and the revolver at her hip whose barrel, cylinder, and grip she quickly and expertly disassembled, she placed in the cardboard box offered by the sentries.

“You have an impressive model. I apologise for any inconvenience, but in one part of our vast country, terrorists unhappy with the government are running rampant. It’s marked on the map, be careful not to approach it. Any other location should be fine. —Oh! There are speed limits posted too. I’m afraid the fine is considerable.”

“Understood, and thank you.” Kino pushed Hermes through the gates.

---

Within the curving walls of the country, woods and fields stretched to the horizons. Sparse houses dotted the green landscape here and there. Kino spread out the map the sentries had given her, took a note from her jacket, compared the two, then concluded, “okay. We go straight for a while, and then left at the second intersection. A little bit further down there’ll be a small town. That’s our destination.” Kino flipped the two papers over and showed them to Hermes.

After a moment, “Yup. No mistake about it.”

Kino pocketed the map and note and then Hermes sped her on their way.

---

“Okay, hello everyone. Today, we’ll be having a new student in our class. This here’s Kino. Kino, this is our class, altogether, twelve people. They’re about the same age as you, a few are older. Everyone, say ‘hi.’”

“Hello,” the young woman answered, keeping her voice low and even and hoping that and her short hair would do the trick. “My name is Kino.”

“I think you can all guess, but Kino wasn’t born or raised here. There’s a big forest outside this country, right? She lives with an old granny there who takes care of her. But that’s something we all should consider confidential. Let’s get along and work hard together. Just because Kino doesn’t look like you doesn’t mean you should shun her. Every person lined up alongside you is your comrade. Clear? Okay, then, let’s begin. Kino, please take the desk and chair over there. Work hard to catch up to us, okay?”

“Oh yes. My regards, all. I’ll do my best.”