Book I Chapter 6: War and Peace

Note: Popo is Cantonese for grandma and Zeze is Cantonese for grandfather. We have decided to help improve the pace by halving the expected word count for each chapter. Chapter 7 is 50% written. Expect lots of abuse from Ch'en lmao

Ch'en parked along the street in front of a small hole-in-the-wall shop. She pulled her keys from the ignition and clipped them to her shorts, catching him staring.

"What're you looking at? Got nothing better to do?"

Aurelian coughed into a fist. "Sorry. I just didn't expect you to come to a place like this."

"Sometimes it's the quiet places that offer the loudest service." She replied, stepping out of her car. He quickly followed suit

"Didn't fancy you a poet."

"Mm." Ch'en retrieved her swords, fastening them around her thin waist. She grabbed his staff and tossed it over the car. "Catch."

He intercepted the weapon as it flew overhead. "Usually, you say 'catch' before you throw. Not after."

"Your enemies won't give you a warning. Get used to it."

"Aye, aye Captain." He lazily replied.

"Let's go." Ch'en walked around the car, locking the door as she passed unaware of a figure lurking in a nearby alleyway.

"Do we need our weapons?"

"You never know."

The shop's humble appearance stood in stark contrast with the surrounding modernity. Aurelian felt a sense of nostalgia as they neared the storefront. Unlike the automatic doors at Rhodes Island, the tea house's push-pull door reminded him of the doors back home—simple and reliable. The words "Ma & Pa's TasTea" were printed on signs plastered across the windows and door.

Ch'en moved to open the door but stopped short of the push-bar. She turned back with a serious look.

"Don't say anything stupid."

He raised a brow but nodded nonetheless. A couple of bells rang as she walked in. The tea house had a comforting and homely vibe. It was mostly empty save for them—unexpected given the time of day. An elderly Lung woman was hunched over a sink with her back towards them.

"Welcome! What can I get for you?" The woman turned, wiping her hands on her apron. She froze as her eyes met Ch'en's.

"Little Hui-Chieh? Is that you?" She came around the counter in a flurry of motion.

Ch'en nodded with a slight smile. "Popo." The shopkeeper wrapped her arms around her.

Aurelian watched Ch'en fade from existence as she melted into her arms. Gone was the firm and austere officer of the law, and in her place stood a young girl, basking in the warmth of her embrace. Hui-chieh's shoulders rose as her grandmother's tender love briefly bore the weight of her world. For a fleeting moment, Hui-Chieh felt that all was right with the world. Closing her eyes, she beamed radiantly, wishing the moment could last forever.

But it couldn't.

And she knew.

With a final squeeze, Hui-Chieh pulled back as the sky came crashing down upon her. In the blink of an eye, Ch'en had sealed off her emotions once more.

The shopkeeper smiled. "My, how you've grown! It's been so long we thought you forgot about us!"

"Don't say that, Popo."

Brushing off Ch'en's comment, the elderly woman pulled her toward the back of the store. "Come, come, have a seat. We have so much to talk about! Oh, wait let me fetch your Zeze. You know how he is: always playing with his toy soldiers."

Ch'en gently pulled her hand from the woman's grasp. She shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't have the time today. I was in the area, so I stopped by for some tea, but I have to return soon."

"Oh you, always the busy one." The woman turned her attention towards Aurelian. "Oh dear me, I beg your pardon. I was so caught up with Hui-Chieh that I didn't see you!" She apologized as she approached him.

"Ah… an Angel. It's been many years since I've seen your kind. Still as bright as I remember. And what might your name be?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Messiah, I'm currently learning under Ch'en and her team."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Messiah. Perhaps you can help her lighten up."

"Well, at the rate I'm going, I'll probably get slapped twice by the end of the day." He winced as Ch'en ground her heel into his foot

"Ohoho! The spirit in this one!" The lady chuckled. "So, what'll it be today, Hui-Chieh?"

"Two of the usual, and 10 of your milk puddings to go," Ch'en replied, withdrawing blue banknotes from her wallet.

The old lady swatted Ch'en's hand. "Put the LMD away! It's a grandmother's god-given right to spoil her granddaughter! Don't take this away from me!" Ch'en was hesitant but eventually agreed.

"Good! Why don't you have a seat? The tea and desserts will be right over."

"Thanks again, Popo," Ch'en said, walking over to a nearby table.

Aurelian sat across from her, leaning his staff against the table. "So, she's your grandmother?"

"She's not my real grandmother, but she might as well be. I've been drinking her tea for as long as I can remember."

"Must be nice. The only tea I had was ginger. Just ginger tea, every single day for every single meal. I envy you Ch'en sir."

"Then it's a good thing Hui-Chieh enjoys her tea green." The shopkeeper said, placing two cups in front of them. She left and returned carrying a teapot on a tray. "Do be careful, the tea is still hot."

Ch'en reached for the pot, but Aurelian stopped her. "Let me. I can't drive, so if you have to amputate, we're screwed."

She snorted. "I wouldn't trust you to amputate a dead body."

"Then it's a good thing you'd still be alive." He filled their cups and set the teapot aside. "I gotta say, it smells way better than ginger water."

He took a sip. "Tastes better too."

Ch'en nodded pensively, drinking her tea. "What do you think of Lungmen so far?"

Aurelian leaned back with his hands behind his head. He felt the need to tread carefully, lest he earns her ire. "I love it. It's no Thrakí, but it's still a beautiful city. The people are kind and happy. You must be proud."

Ch'en appeared to chuckle, but he wasn't fooled. She was only going through the motions. There was no happiness behind it. "I hate you."

He was dumbfounded. "Oh, uh… I'm sorry?"

"Tch." She clicked her tongue, looking daggers at him. "If Chief Wei wants me to show you Lungmen, then I'll show you Lungmen."

Aurelian remained silent as Ch'en downed her tea. She rested her chin on her palm and glared out the window.

Eventually, the shopkeeper returned with a plastic bag filled with small containers. "Here's your pudding Hui-Chieh. You might want to lay off the sugar! If you aren't careful, you might end up like your Zeze."

"Very funny Popo." Ch'en took the bag from the elderly Lung and stood up. "But it's about time for us to leave."

She grasped Ch'en's free hand. "So soon! What a shame… do come back! We miss the sound of your voice."

"I doubt anyone misses the sound of this voice, but I will. Once things calm down."

Grabbing his staff, Aurelian left the comfort of his chair and exited the tea house. Ch'en deserved her privacy. He waited outside, counting the clouds in the sky. Before long, the two Lung emerged from the shop. The shopkeeper frowned and patted Ch'en's cheek.

"Well, take care Hui-chieh. Don't work too hard."

"I won't."

The elderly Lung shuffled over to him. "And it was nice meeting you, Messiah. Please come again. I'd love to hear the wisdom of a Sage."

Aurelian's eyes widened. "How'd you know?"

There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Hohoho. You're much too young to hide anything from this old dragon. Now run along, I'm sure the both of you have a lot of work to do." Bowing, they left.

Aurelian started towards the car, but Ch'en violently pulled him in another direction. "Hey, where are we going?" Aurelian asked, almost tripping over his feet. Her response was curt and left no room for response.

"To see Lungmen."

They walked for a few blocks, Aurelian silently watching the cars fly by. He wondered why everyone in Lungmen was in such a hurry. Life was best spent slowly, enjoying the small gifts granted to them. A tiny sparrow flew by, circling overhead. Offering his hand, Aurelian smiled as the small creature found a perch in his finger. It twittered merrily while looking around.

"Hey, there little guy. You're a cute one, aren't ya?" It nodded as if to say

"Yes, praise me more!"

"Did you say something?" The bird took sudden flight as Ch'en looked over.

"Nothing, just talking to a friend."

"I don't recall being your friend." She snapped.

"I don't recall talking to you." He countered with an irritable smile.

"Tch." Ch'en hissed as she approached a dark alleyway. Turning the corner, she suddenly stopped, causing Aurelian to walk straight into her. Her tail shoved him aside.

"Watch it."

He took a few steps back.

Peeking over her shoulder, Aurelian saw two young girls digging through garbage bins. They were dressed in makeshift dresses fashioned from old pillowcases. One of them pulled up from her dive, arm held above her head. Her dress shifted, revealing small black crystals.

"Found one!" It was a piece of bread. Shoving it in her mouth, the girl chewed with ravenous abandon. The light of his halo dimmed. Even here…

Like a lit candle, Ch'en's tail began to flick restlessly. She shoved the plastic bag toward him. "Here, hold the food."

"What's wrong?" He asked, taking the bag with his staved hand.

Ignoring him, she slowly approached the two girls. "Tyra, Gina." They looked up. Their faces were alight with toothy smiles.

"Chenchen!" The girls cheered, running towards her. They collided with her slender legs, hugging them close, their heads barely reaching her thighs.

Ch'en's face remained stoic. "What'd I say about digging through the trash?" She was scolding them, but Aurelian could tell her heart wasn't in it.

The two girls suddenly found interest in their feet. "We know…"

"What do you say?"

"We're sorry Chenchen…"

"Don't do it again." A ghost of a smile flitted across her face. "Have you two been good?" It was more of a statement than a question. Instantly, their mood improved. They nodded eagerly, digging their chins into Ch'en's thighs.

"We've been good!" Gina replied.

"We promise!"

Finally noticing him, the two girls pulled away. The shorter one, Gina, ran up with a wave. Tyra followed close behind.

"Hello, mister angel!" They greeted him with a hop and a skip.

Aurelian smiled. "Hello there."

"Are you Chenchen's friend?"

His eyes flicked towards Ch'en. Her earlier warning still echoed in his head: don't say anything stupid. "No. She's my boss."

They nodded wisely. "Mmm… Then you're a good guy! Only good guys are allowed to work with Chenchen!"

Aurelian performed his best impression of a malicious chuckle. "How do you know? For all you know, I could be…" He leaped forward with a roar. "An evil monster!" The girls squealed and ran away, hiding behind Ch'en's legs.

She threw him a heated glare. Crossing her arms, Ch'en directed her sharp gaze toward the girls. "Where's everybody?"

"They're in the garden!"

"Garden?"

"Yeah! We started a garden. Come on!"

Grabbing a hand each, the two girls excitedly pulled Ch'en and Aurelian deeper into the alleyway.

"Oy! Slow down!" Ch'en cried.

Weaving between dumpsters, tarps, and tents, Tyra and Gina lead them through the musky back streets of the Slums.

"It's over there!" Gina cried while pointing towards a dilapidated house in the distance. Aurelian could tell the front gate had long since rotted away. The children's excitement only seemed to grow once they passed the entrance.

"Come on, Come on!" Tyra shouted, pointing ahead. Their steps slowed to a stop as they entered a small clearing—the remnants of an old atrium.

Aurelian felt like they had stepped into another world. Sunlight dripped from the sky like precious drops of honey—warm and sweet. The earthy scent of dirt, mud, and rain reminded him of the forests of his youth. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Aurelian embraced the serenity provided by this brief respite of nature. Reopening his eyes, he felt reinvigorated.

Six children were hunched over a large patch of brown soil. Some watered small green plants, while others went about digging through the dirt. Tyra stepped forward and announced with joy. "Chenchen's here!"

The children looked up with excitement. They ran over in a stampede and swarmed around Ch'en, pushing, pulling, and laughing.

"Chenchen, you came! Come play with us!" A boy cried.

Aurelian smiled. It was like their own slice of heaven, right here in Terra. He turned to ask Ch'en a question but noticed a single boy curled up by himself in the corner: his head buried between his legs. Fishing out a container and spoon from the plastic bag, he handed the remaining food to Ch'en. Too preoccupied to care, she took it without a word.

Slowly, as not to scare him, Aurelian approached the lone boy. "Hey there." He greeted as he crouched in front of him, laying his staff across his lap. "What's wrong? Don't you want to greet Ch'en?"

The boy nodded into his knees.

"Are you afraid of something?" Aurelian took the boy's silence as a 'yes'. "What are you afraid of?" The boy mumbled something into his knees.

"..."

Aurelian could scarcely hear the boy's mumbling. He pulled back with a fatalistic groan. "Ugh. I'm sorry, this grandpa's getting too old. My hearing isn't what it used to be."

"…scared Chenchen thinks I'm ugly…" Aurelian felt an icicle of empathy tear through his heart. For a moment, he saw himself—scared and afraid. Instantly, he felt a bond form between himself and the young child.

"Why?"

"Because I have a funny lip."

Aurelian chuckled. "What's your name champ?" He felt a bit awkward using the word 'champ.' It wasn't in his day-to-day vocabulary, but it was a small price to pay if it could help the boy feel like he meant something to someone. Something Aurelian wished he had all those years ago.

"Mason."

"Mason, huh? You know, I have a bit of a funny face too. Want to see?" Looking up for the first time, the boy nodded, giving Aurelian a full view of his cleft lip.

"But you have to promise not to scream! I get scared easily and you might scare me. And if I scream, Ch'en's gonna spank my buttbutt."

Mason giggled at the image of a grown man crying like a baby. Aurelian placed the container on the floor and untied his mask. "Mason, help me take this mask off."

The young boy reached up and wrapped his fingers around the edges of the mask. As he pulled, Aurelian loosened his grip around the tie. For a moment, the two stared at one another in silence. Gingerly, as if in a trance, Mason reached up and stroked the plateau where Aurelian's nose once was. He placed a curious palm into the cavity that was once a cheek. He traced the hole that once housed a lip. Finally, Mason fingered the ravine that split his lip. "Does it get better?" He asked full of hope.

Aurelian shook his head. "No. It never will. You'll always feel like a part of you is missing and you'll always feel different. But that's okay. Different doesn't mean you're worth less. It's like how some children are girls and some children are boys, or short and tall." Leaning in, he pointed towards Ch'en and whispered. "Or angry and violent." Mason buried his face in his hands to hide his giggling.

"A wise man once said: 'That which expands, must first shrink. That which succeeds must first fail. That which is raised must first be cast down.

"So sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily; sometimes there is strength, and sometimes weakness; sometimes there is war, and sometimes peace. This is called the nature of all things. Your time will come.'

"I think you and I—we're more grateful for the things we have, because of the many things we don't have. Aren't you glad you have a nose?"

Mason nodded. "Mister Angel, can you smile?"

"No, I cannot. I can try to smile, but the best I get is this." The young boy laughed as Aurelian's face twisted into a half smile: left side up, right side down. "I'd better cover my face before I scare everybody. Wouldn't want that, would you?"

Shaking his head, the young boy returned the mask to Aurelian who hid his face from the world once more. Handing him the pudding and spoon, Aurelian used his staff to push himself to his feet. Offering a hand to the child, he walked Mason over to the other children.

"Mason's here!" Gina said, catching the attention of the other children. With a raucous cheer, they smothered the boy with hugs and fist bumps before dragging him off to eat their snacks.

Aurelian smirked at Ch'en's astonished face. She marched up to him. "What'd you do?" She demanded.

"Hm?" He watched her slender tail gently sway from side to side. It was hypnotic.

"He won't even come near me. How'd you get him to accept you?"

He chuckled cheekily. "A wise man once said 'give up learning and forget your troubles'."

Crossing her arms beneath her chest, Ch'en smirked with a gentle glare. "Keep your secrets then, I'll just have the Interrogation Unit break 'ya."

"I'll have you know: I'm a tough nut to crack."

"I bet you are."

Their short banter was brought to an end as a pair of girls ran up to them, bowls in hand. "Who's that?" One of them asked, pointing towards Aurelian. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Better hope Jacob doesn't find out." The other warned.

As if on cue, an older boy burst into the atrium. Zipping past Aurelian, he kicked the Sage in the knees, catching him by surprise. He looked back, sticking out his tongue in a childish taunt.

"Hah! Loser! Chenchen loves me! I'm gonna marry her!" Unable to see where he was headed, Jacob ran straight into Ch'en's legs.

Picking him up, Ch'en held him by his thick jacket. "At the rate, you're going, the only date you'll have with me is a date behind bars."

Undaunted, Jacob winked. "A date is a date!"

She dropped the boy with a sigh and gave him his pudding. "Go eat with the others." Licking his lips, Jacob took off. The two girls followed, giggling amongst themselves.

Aurelian saddled up next to Ch'en, wiggling an eyebrow. "I see you've got an admirer."

She glowered up at him. "Shut up. He's just a kid. Bigger men than him have tried and failed. In the end, they're all unreliable." Ch'en whacked him with her tail. "Just like you."

"Good thing I'm not interested."

Ch'en blinked owlishly, surprised by the blunt response. Crossing her arms, she turned away. "Hmph. You better not be."

"As I said—"

"Fight me, weirdo! The winner will have the right to Chenchen's love!" Ch'en groaned. It was Jacob. The preteen had white pudding smeared all over his face.

Aurelian grinned. The only way to get to know a kid was to be a kid. "Fine! I'll take you on! I'll take you all on! All 10 of ya, come at me!" The children chattered excitedly as they hurried to finish their snacks.

"Oy!" Ch'en moved to stop the incoming fight, but the children were already too riled up. With a scream, they simultaneously charged Aurelian and began a dogpile.

"Hold him down Tyra! For Chenchen!"

Pushing himself to his feet, Aurelian stood with a shout. "Fear my power! You are no match for me, puny finkrats!" The children laughed and screamed while they clung to his body.

Watching them play, Ch'en's stern expression softened. For a moment, Aurelian helped the children forget about their infection and let them live the lives they were cruelly robbed of.

He smirked. "I think Ch'en's feeling lonely…she needs a big hug."

Appalled, the children released the evil monster and rushed to 'comfort' their surrogate sister. The Lung lobbed a vicious glare as the children hurled themselves at her. "Hey, no climbing! Who just touched my wallet?!"

"I love you, Chenchen!"

"No. I love her!"

"No, me!"

"We all love her!" They burst into a fit of giggles.

"Watch it!" Although she appeared to be angry, the twinkle in her eyes told a different story.

One of the girls peeled herself from Ch'en and ran up to Aurelian, hugging his leg. "Mister, when I grow up, will you marry me?" His heart melted.

Crouching down, he ruffled the girl's matted hair. "Well if you're still okay with an old man like me, then who am I to say no?" She squealed and kissed him on his good cheek.

Vindicated, Jacob stomped over. "That means I get Chenchen!"

"No Jacob, there's someone else in Ch'en's heart."

His nostrils flared with anger. "Who is he? I'll beat him up!"

"Work."

The children began to whine. "Aw, do you have to go? Can't you stay a little longer, please…?"

"We can," Aurelian said. "But then we can't get presents."

"Presents! You're going to bring presents?!"

"Well not anymore, since we're staying." The children were all too eager to shove the two adults out of the atrium.

"We're big kids now! We don't need you to stay, right guys?"

"Yeah!"

Ch'en finally spoke. "Okay, then you better be on your best behavior, or else Messiah won't buy you any presents."

The children nodded. "We will!"

"Then we'll see you next week."

"Bye Chenchen! Bye Mister Messiah!"

Ch'en and Aurelian waved goodbye as they left the ruined house. For a moment, they walked side by side in silence, enjoying the peaceful environment. He turned to Ch'en. "So, I'm the one buying the presents?"

Facing ahead, she rolled her eyes. "It was your idea."

"Touché."

"I didn't know you were good with kids."

Aurelian laughed. "Maybe it's because I'm still a kid myself. I guess I kinda understand how they feel. So I had an idea of what they wanted to hear."

"I see."

"Is this the Lungmen you wanted to show me?"

Ch'en nodded, clenching her fists. "Everything has a price. Peace and prosperity are no exception. They just come at a steeper cost."

"The lives of the infected?"

Ch'en finally returned his gaze. Her red eyes burned with an unbridled passion. "It's hypocrisy. He claims to protect all of Lungmen, and he claims we're all equal." She scoffed. "But clearly, some are more equal than others."

Aurelian threw back his head and laughed. "Ch'en. Do you think you can conquer the world and improve it? You can't. It's impossible. The world is sacred. You cannot improve it." He looked her dead in the eyes. "If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to hold on to it, you will lose it. Therefore truly great people dwell on what is real and not what is on the surface. I don't know what motivates you, but if you continue down this path then you will lose everything. Your obsessions will lead to your demise and the destruction of all you know and love and it will be entirely. Your. Fault.

"As an ancient Yanese philosopher once said: Truly good people do nothing, yet leave nothing undone. Foolish people are always doing, yet much remains to be done. When truly kind people do something, they leave nothing undone. When just people do something, they leave a great deal to be done. When disciplinarians do something and no one responds, they roll up their sleeves and try to enforce order."

He knew he had crossed a line when her face contorted with an ugly, minacious rage. Any semblance of warmth and goodwill disappeared from her eyes in an instant. Aurelian didn't know who "he" was, but that didn't matter. To Ch'en, he was lower than "him".

"You should keep to your own fucking business." She snarled.

Her red sword glowed with an eerie hum.

Kal'tsit sat at her desk, pouring over the results her contact had sent. She couldn't believe her eyes. There wasn't a single record of Messiah's existence that predated his amnesia.

"It almost seems as if he was willed into existence by some higher authority." Before she could follow up on that train of thought, a certain vampire paper burst into her room, sending reports fluttering from her desk.

"Kal'tsit!"

She sighed, collecting the fallen reports. "What is it, Warfarin?"

Incoherent rambling gushed from the vampire's lips. "Warfarin, calm down."

Warfarin took a deep breath, calming herself under Kal'tsit's stern gaze. "Th-that new operator! He—uh… His Blood Originium-Crystal Density—it's practically zero!"

Kal'tsit scoffed. "Run your tests again."

"Do you take me for a fool?! This is the fifth result! I dare not run any more tests. I'm running out of his blood. I mean, if it's an order from you… if I had a little extra blood—"

"Belay that order. Give me the results."

Warfarin handed the reports over with a tsk.

"Warfarin, I keep telling you. You must include your data analysis in your reports! What's your confidence?"

Rolling her eyes, Warfarin began belting out a series of numbers. "1.5"

"Standard Deviation? Delta values?"

"0.04 and plus-minus 3.5 times ten to the negative sixth due to equipment limitations."

"Impeccable as always." Flipping a page, Kal'tsit continued to read.

"Traces of Sankta blood, but sequenced DNA indicates a lack of Sankta ancestry. Traces of heritage in and around Iberia. BOCD near zero. Race unknown…"

Traces of Iberian heritage. Kal'tsit's eyes widened. "Warfarin. This is very important. I need you to answer truthfully."

Warfarin nodded. "To the best of my ability."

"Are you familiar with the rumors surrounding the 'Walking Catastrophe'?"

"Yes… I believe so. The bounty hunter, correct?"

Nodding, Kal'tsit penned a quick letter. Folding it into an envelope, she passed it to Warfarin. "Give this to Courier on your way down. Tell him I want it in her hands as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"I think we found a person she'd be very interested in."

I kept the interaction with the children short, because they will be back