Book I Chapter 5: A Tale of Two Cities

Aurelian scrambled about his room as Red lazily hung from the ceiling, eating his snacks. Not bothering to fold his clothing, he haphazardly stuffed them into his luggage. He could only hope he had enough time.

"Red! Why didn't you wake me?"

"Red tried. Messiah still slept. Gave up."

Try harder! It was now 6:30 and he was running the risk of being late.

He had barely managed to finish packing when a voice called from the hallway. "Messiah? Are you awake?" Nervous, Aurelian rushed to open the door. He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding—it was only Yato. Leaning to the side, Yato peered into his room. "I see you just finished packing."

Laughing awkwardly, he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah…you see, the thing is, I told myself that I'd work on it last night, but then I was tired from training and then needed to get a medical exam, so I went, but then Hibiscus wanted ice cream, so I figured might as well get ice cream so we did, and then after I got called by Kal'tsit and I thought, bah, I'll just wake up early and pack in the morning and—"

"And then you didn't wake up in time?"

"And then I didn't wake up in time, yes." He hung his head in shame.

Yato palmed her face and sighed. "See, this is why Kal'tsit doesn't want you to go alone. We can't even trust you to look after yourself. Anyways, I'm here because I have something I wanted to give you." She pulled out a white object from behind her back.

Taking it in his hands, Aurelian's brows furrowed with confusion. "A mask? Why?"

"I may have…read your files and it says you hide your face for personal reasons…" Aurelian shrugged. He didn't really care if people knew why he wore his helmet: he only cared if they knew what he was hiding. "However, your helmet might be poorly received in Lungmen because of its resemblance with malevolent deities from traditional Lung folklore."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Yato, but where'd you even get this?" The half mask seemed to be made of durable, high-quality material.

"It was my father's. He gifted it to me when I left for Rhodes Island."

He immediately returned it to Yato's hands. "I can't. It must mean a lot to you."

"I think he'd rather have someone use it than have it gathering dust." She said, gently pushing the mask back towards him. He grasped it firmly.

"I—thank you, Yato. I don't know what to say. I'll take good care of it."

"Your thanks are enough."

"Let me try it on." Aurelian walked back into his room, but when Yato moved to follow him, Red fell from the ceiling, blocking her path. She shouted in surprise.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. Projekt Red is also here."

"So it seems…"

Away from prying eyes, he removed his helmet, shoved it into his duffel bag, and fastened the white mask around his head. Thankfully, the mask covered the disfigured half of his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. Aurelian had to admit, he liked how it looked. The mask allowed him to show off his silken, silver-white hair and his red eyes were easily visible without the helmet. Aurelian shivered. His new image reminded him of Dr. Warfarin. Stepping away, he returned to the door, patting Red on the head as he passed. She leaped up, returning to her spot on the ceiling.

"So? How does it look?"

"Splendid. I would have never guessed your hair was white."

"Thanks again."

Turning, Yato offered a wave as she left the room. "I'll talk to you later! Have fun in Lungmen!"

"See ya!"

Closing the door, Aurelian checked the time: 7:00. He gulped. He was officially late. Panicking, he let out a grunt as Red unexpectedly tumbled from the ceiling and onto his shoulders. "Hurry. Messiah…late."

"I know!" Picking up his bag, he shoved it into Red's hands. "It's your fault we're going to be late, so take responsibility by carrying the bag!" The Lupo opened it and pulled out his helmet. She looked it over a few times before fitting it over her head.

Aurelian was shocked to see the helmet morph to account for her ears. Everything seemed to click as the final piece fell into place: the reason it was comfortable, the reason he was able to eat, the reason it didn't overheat in the fire. It had been changing its structure to fit his needs the whole time. Red's soft voice echoed through the metal.

"Red likes helmet…feels safe." Reaching up, Aurelian jingled the dangling chin straps with a slight smile.

"You forgot to fasten your flippers."

"Red has no flippers."

Chuckling, He reached down for his luggage and summoned his staff. "That's great Red, but we gotta go. Kal'tsit's gonna be pissed if she finds out."

"Red take helmet?"

He thought for a second. "Nah, leave it here. We're just going to do office work, what could go wrong?" She nodded and tossed the helmet to his bed. He quickly left the room and ran down the hall with Red still sitting on his shoulders.

"Wait, why are you riding me?!"

"Red is Alpha. Red protects Messiah. Messiah serves Red."

That's not what I meant!

Aurelian shot into the hangar bay with his baggage in tow. Projekt Red had taken to howling softly as he zipped through the halls, alerting people of their presence. Firewatch stood next to a helicopter with her luggage by her feet. She was not pleased.

"Red, time?"

The Lupo rummaged through her coat and pulled out a rusting pocket watch. "Small arrow… seven. Big arrow… three."

"7:15! I think that's the fastest I've crossed the landship!"

Firewatch scowled with cold indifference, barely taking note of his new appearance. "You shouldn't be cheering. You two are a full fifteen minutes late. That's unacceptable."

Aurelian frowned. He didn't understand what the big fuss was about. From his point of view, she should be thankful that he wasn't later. "Hey, at least we made it."

"If that is your basis for acceptability, then I fear for the integrity of this mission."

He clenched his fists, resisting the temptation to slap her across the face. "So what now, Firewatch?"

"That's Captain Firewatch to you, operator." It was official. He did not like this woman.

"Well then, Captain, what's next on the agenda?"

Firewatch didn't hear his sarcasm, or if she did, she had chosen to ignore it. "We depart for Lungmen immediately. Luckily, despite your lack of punctuality, we will still arrive on time. Upon landing, we will be greeted by officers of the SIU, so do not act foolishly. Got it?"

Aurelian lazily waved her off. "Yeah, yeah. Got it." He smiled as Firewatch seethed with irritation at his blatant lack of respect. He found her reactions entertaining—they were funny.

"Get in the chopper!" She snapped with a jerk of her thumb. Aurelian felt a thump against his back as Red lightly slapped him with her tail.

"Behave."

"Hmph."

A grueling two hours later, Aurelian was moaning as the helicopter slowly descended. Looking out the window, He noticed a breathtaking Lung woman with a stern look on her face. Her figure was slender, yet full, with a certain softness that did nothing to detract from her aura of strength and confidence. She had pulled her azure hair into a pair of low twintails. The messy yet practical style spoke volumes of her personality—efficiency above all else. She was flanked by an Oni and a Feline.

Oh, joy, upper management. Time to make a fool of myself. He thought bitterly as the doors flung open. Using his staff as a walking stick, Aurelian wobbled off the air transport.

Put one foot in front of the other, He thought while taking a few shaky steps, and soon you'll be—tripping across the floor. The officers winced as a Lupo fell from the chopper and onto his back, rolling to the ground.

Aurelian groaned. "Ugh… how does Kal'tsit keep convincing me to get on that abomination." He asked, pushing himself to his feet.

"Is…he okay?"

Projekt Red clambered up his body to reclaim her spot on his shoulders. "Yes… Messiah… okay. Red okay."

The woman continued. "I see…well, welcome to the city of Lungmen. I am officer Ch'en of the Special Investigation Unit and this is my partner, officer Hoshiguma. We both look forward to working with you."

The group stood in silence, waiting for an introduction for the third officer.

None came.

"You bitch! Are you not going to introduce me?!" The feline snapped with a stomp of her feet.

"I believed you to be capable of introducing yourself without causing a diplomatic incident. Clearly, I was wrong."

"You're a piece of shit, you know that Ch'en?"

"Takes one to know one, bitch." The two locked horns as they traded barbs back and forth. The operators watched in bewilderment as Hoshiguma intervened.

"Please, save this for later." She said separating them. "You two are making a scene."

Ch'en scoffed.

"Ahem…I am Beatrix Schwire, but you may call me Swire. I am a junior officer under that overgrown lizard shit. You have, undoubtedly, heard of my family's name, yes?"

"Uh… no?"

"Surely you jest!"

Bitch, I don't know. Was he supposed to know everyone in Lungmen and their family? "What, are you guys plumbers or something?"

"What?! You—How dare you!"

"I mean, you were talking a lot about shit, so I thought—you know—maybe her family works with a lot of shit." Red slapped him over the head. "Ow!"

Firewatch snapped. "What did I say? Don't act like a fool! Now apologize!"

He thumped his staff against the asphalt. "No! I refuse! If every other word that came out of my mouth was 'Rhodes Island', wouldn't you think 'huh, I don't know? Maybe this guy works at Rhodes Island'."

"He's got you there, ya know."

"Shut your fucking mouth, Ch'en sir."

Shaking her head, Ch'en approached Firewatch and shook her hand. "I apologize for my subordinate's outburst, she's still in training. You must be Firewatch."

"Yes, it's nice to finally meet you, Officer Ch'en. I've heard a lot about you. And think nothing of it. It's our fault." She shot Aurelian with a look full of contempt.

Ch'en hummed. Pulling away from Firewatch, she cautiously approached him and offered a hand, expecting him to enthusiastically grasp it with his own. Instead, she found herself mystified as he simply watched her glare up at him—her red eyes meeting their kin. He frowned as they began to glow an eerie crimson in the morning sun.

"What is a good person?" He asked abruptly

Ch'en was astonished: caught completely off guard by his sudden question. "What?"

"What does it mean to be a good person? What is a good person's obligation?"

She responded without hesitation. "A good person is obligated to enforce law and order. By punishing those who violate the law, we can make Lungmen into a happier and safer place." It was a textbook definition.

He didn't believe a single word of it.

And he had a feeling she didn't either.

"I see. Sorry for the sudden question. I'm Messiah, and this is Red."

Ch'en raised a slender eyebrow. Judging by how much Firewatch despised him, she assumed he would be a despicable person. If anything he seemed pleasant, if not a little random.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She reached out and shook his hand. Aurelian's eyes widened.

"Oh! Is that what you're supposed to do? Fascinating…"

"What? You've never seen a handshake before?"

"I see…" He shook his head. "No, I haven't. I'm a mon—" Red slapped him again. "—a sage from Higashi and I'm still adjusting to life outside the temples."

"I see. Come, we have a lot to discuss at HQ. Don't worry about your belongings. We'll have our people take care of them." The officers walked away with Firewatch close behind.

Chasing after them, Aurelian shook his head. "If I had an LMD for every time someone said 'we have much to discuss'."

Red sighed.

"What's wrong?"

She pointed towards Ch'en. "Her tail… not soft." Curious, Aurelian followed her finger. He was surprised to see a lithe, azure appendage hanging from Ch'en's tight shorts, swaying with her hips. How did I miss that?

"Is that bad?"

Red paused. "Not bad…but not good."

"Is she strong?"

"Yes. Stronger than Messiah."

"Stronger than you?"

Her response was instant. "No. Red…born to kill. Name, bounty, kill. All that Red knows. All that Red needs…"

He felt a sharp tug on his heartstrings. As if begging to be torn straight from his heart, the pain burst from his chest and wrapped itself around his lungs: constricting, but not suffocating. It brought a strong desire to shed tears. Whether from the pain or from the suffering this girl had lived, he didn't know. He could only imagine her life: for her to have lost the ability to speak and feel.

He choked up. "Red, I—" he swallowed the growing lump in his throat, "I'm sorry. If only we had met earlier...maybe only one of us would be broken…"

"Messiah not bad."

"I guess there's another thing we have in common. You don't have a real name and neither do I."

"Messiah is not Messiah?"

"No."

She patted his head, mimicking his previous actions. "Same-same."

He chuckled at her childlike innocence. "Yes, same-same." Unbeknownst to Aurelian, Ch'en had inadvertently overheard their conversation. She glanced back, watching him through the corner of her eyes.

Red leaned towards him, resting her head on top of his halo.

"Circle warm."

"I don't think it can, but just in case, please don't break my halo."

She eyed the glowing object with desire, licking her lips. "Red hungry."

Aurelian began to sweat profusely as a drop of saliva trickled down his head. He blanched. "No, don't you dare."

"Messiah serves Red."

"Don't do it, I'm warning you."

"Red is Alpha."

"I don't care if you're Alpha or Omega! Keep your furry mouth away from my—"

Crunch

"Sweet mother of Astaphaios! Get her off!"

The journey to the Special Investigation Unit was short. Their helipad was conveniently attached to the Lungmen Guard Complex. They entered a brightly lit room filled with desks and cubicles. People of all races were gathered around several large tables covered with papers and photos.

"I apologize for the mess," Ch'en said as she brought them to a private conference room. "We've had a string of violent incidents recently and we're in the middle of an investigation. Unfortunately, that's all I can say at the moment."

Firewatch nodded. "We understand. We will do our utmost to assist with the elimination of these threats."

"Thank you. There are a few things we need to sort out before we split up and show you around Central. First, your temporary living arrangements. Rhodes Island has reserved three rooms at the Empress Hotel: one room each. You can check in at reception using your IDs.

"Second, information shared between Rhodes Island and the LGD is strictly confidential and must not leave our conversations or the SIU. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in severe consequences for both the individual and Rhodes Island."

That much was expected.

"Third, as the Empress Hotel is three blocks down, we will not be providing you with transportation. If the occasion arises and we need to meet on-site, then one of us will drive you.

"I believe that's all. Hoshi, do you have anything to say?"

"Only one thing. Today you will be given the day off to adjust to your new living arrangements, but we'd like you to meet us in the lobby at 20:00 for dinner. Our treat of course."

"Oy, I didn't approve—"

Swire threw an arm around Ch'en, interrupting her. "What, don't tell me you're too scared. Afraid that a boy will outdrink you?"

Boy? I'm 22!

"As if!" Ch'en shrugged her off."Everyone knows that you're the weakest in the unit. I bet you won't last a single round."

"That's rich! Who was it that Hoshiguma had to carry home?"

Ch'en was fuming at her ears. She jabbed an accusatory finger at her childhood friend. "You were out like a light! You only got home because someone drove you!"

"Not all of us are too poor to afford a chauffeur, Chenchen."

"Why you…! Where'd you hear that name?!"

Hoshiguma sighed as Ch'en and Swire's argument devolved into another fight. "I'm sorry, I'd like to say they don't normally act like this, but then I'd be lying."

Aurelian watched as the duo tore at each other's hair. "How long do they go at it?

"No one really knows. Either one of them passes out drunk, or I step in."

Firewatch frowned. "Shouldn't we stop them?"

"Yes." Stomping over, Hoshiguma grabbed Swire by the collar of her jacket and peeled her off Ch'en. "That's enough! We still have a job to do."

She huffed as the Oni set her down. "I refuse to be grouped together with that monkey. He will not step one foot inside my car. What is he even wearing?! He's a walking fashion disaster."

"I happen to like his coat." Hoshiguma smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but do you mind going with Ch'en sir, Messiah?"

"I don't really mind."

She proceeded to slap Firewatch on the back. "I guess that means you're with me. I'll try not to squish ya."

The Elafian bowed her head. "I'll be in your care."

That only left Swire.

Red frowned.

"What's with the face? Are you unhappy with me?! I can take you to places those two could only dream of visiting! Is that not a privilege?" The Lupo ignored Swire's complaints and thumped Aurelian on his head.

"Red goes down." He crouched, allowing her to climb down. "Red will find room. Messiah will behave."

"I will."

She disappeared in a blur of red.

Aurelian snickered at Swire's flabbergasted expression. It seemed like she was not expecting total rejection.

"What about me?!"

Ch'en smirked. "Get back to work." She said, grabbing a handbag as she left the room. "Come on, let's go."

"I'll see ya guys at dinner!" Aurelian waved before turning to follow Ch'en. He noticed her disheveled appearance—a result of her fight with Swire. "Your hair's a mess."

"And? Are you going to fix it?".

"Geez. You get the beautiful dragon lady, but turns out she's pissy as hell." Aurelian grumbled under his breath. Truly, it was the best of times and the worst of times

If looks could kill, Ch'en would have killed him twice over. "What'd you say?"

"Nothing, Ch'en sir."

"Better be."

Stepping out of an elevator, they entered an attached parking lot. Ch'en guided him through a column of cars, passing a particularly fancy car with slender trims and a leopard fur interior.

He gagged. "Ugh, that must be Swire's."

"Heh. You've got good eyes."

Geh! "Did I say that out loud?"

"Mm."

Ch'en stopped beside a dark blue sports car and pulled the keys from her handbag. Unlocking the door, she tossed her swords onto the back seats and slipped into the driver's side. She stared up at him as he stood silently. "You're a strange guy, you know that?"

"Huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Get in the car."

"Oh." Opening the rear door, Aurelian placed his staff on the floor before entering the vehicle.

"In the front, idiot."

"Geez sorry." Lifting himself up, he pushed his legs past Ch'en's head.

"You animal! What the hell are you doing?! " She squawked. "Just get out and walk like a normal person!"

"Just…give me a sec." He squeezed himself through the space between the front chairs and into the passenger's seat. He sat with a huff. "There!" He smiled at her.

"If I find footprints anywhere in this car…" She didn't need to finish her sentence: the threat was evident in her voice.

"I ain't gonna pay."

Her eyes narrowed. "You better pay."

Placing a hand on his chair, Ch'en leaned over to get a view through the rear window. "Those little nightlights of yours are really something. I can hardly see oncoming cars. How do you sleep with those damned things?"

"I wear a sleeping mask," he replied, "if I remember, that is. I've mostly grown used to it, so sometimes I forget. I once tried wrapping them in towels. Didn't work."

Ch'en looked at him strangely as she backed her car out of the stall. "I wouldn't have thought of that." She threw the car into drive. "Well I'm not a Sankta, so I can't say much." She drove around a series of turns and ramps before exiting the structure.

Aurelian watched through his window as the cityscape flew by. Unlike Higashi and Thrakí, Lungmen was a concrete jungle with towering trees of steel and glass. Concrete highways crisscrossed the city like giant roots emerging from the ground. Smiling, he waved at his reflections in the passing trees.

"By the way, where are we going?"

"A tea house, their green tea is good."

Aurelian didn't like that idea. The tea he drank at the temples was atrocious, so he thought it best to subtly turn her down. "Did you know excessive drinking of tea can lead to liver failure"

"Yes, and so can alcohol." She countered.

He opened his mouth to retort but found that he had none.

I guess I'll just die then…