In Leon's current memory, he had not really left the confines of the Institute much although he had made visits to other schools within the Institute; the outer beast taming school, the inner alchemist school and both martial arts schools... he did once end up in the Healers Hall, but that was a different story. The only place he'd been outside of the Institute was Julip town, which could be found at the base of the Ascending Mountain Institute.
This time, they would be travelling from New Julip Town's griffin nests to a city some distance south and west. The city was named Cenapar and according to the information that Leon had read about it, it was the second largest city in East Xulaphrey. It majored in trade as it was at a central point of several large river routes, one of which was directly connected to the ocean and a massive port that had been erected there. It also boasted picturesque scenery and major tourist destination and was home to several palaces belonging to the three eastern Kings and their families, though its borders were its own and it remained neutral in any regal conflict.
It was also where Sun's ancestral home was located.
Sun actually did not have much of an attachment to his home; it was the place where his shortcomings were most obvious and it was also the residence of all of his annoying relatives. So he would have preferred to have remained at school during Winter break, had he not received a summons to return home from his father. That had ended all thoughts of rebellion and 'there's no way I'm going back to that place! Not in a million years! Not for all the Celestial Pearl Grains in the west!
He couldn't even use his Master-Teacher Corvus and his strict, overbearing training regime as an excuse; that man had left with his own older brother Teacher Corne on some secret mission or other... actually it was far less glamorous, just hunting slime ghouls from the Cascading Fungus Swamps. The swamps were home to numerous types of fungus, some quite odious and unpleasant, sticky and pungent and the ghouls even more so. The ghouls weren't even a challenging type of undead, just bred like rabbits... because they often were formed of the corpses of rabbits that drowned in the murky muds! But he wasn't about to admit this to his cute student...
So with Sun's crumbling resolve, he could only try to improve his pitiful situation and drag Jin Li and Leon with him.
"Please!"
"No."
"Pretty please! I'll do anything! I don't want to go back alone!"
"This Lord has no intention of leaving one's alchemist alone in school," Jin Li had declared. His small lover was a walking target for rogues and thieves, no doubt he'd be bullied the moment he, Jin Li, was not in the vicinity. He refused to give them the opportunity. Only he was allowed to bully his lover. His mind had wandered as he recalled the numerous times he'd tossed his alchemist to the point of tears and a satisfied expression appeared upon his face.
"Leon can come, of course Leon is invited!" With large, hopeful eyes, Sun had poured his attention upon Leon who had been watering the herbs in the courtyard at the time. Leon's garden had somewhat become fallow, with only the hardiest herbs still lingering in the beds. Had he stayed, he might have tried raise some common winter herbs, but at this point it had only just crossed his mind to do so.
"Huh?" Leon had chuckled nervously, his eyes flicking from Sun to Jin Li, wondering what it was he was supposed to say. "I thought you d-didn't like m-me so m-much."
"What are you saying?!" Sun had suddenly couldn't meet his eyes as he scratched his cheek with a finger. Actually, he'd had stupidly high expectations once arriving at the school, about adventure and heroes and said heroes' followers and harem... a little commoner like Leon had marred his previous fantastic image was all. But that little commoner had proved that one really couldn't assume that class and image were that which made a man. Having connections with Leon was a good thing, just as were those connections he fought for to proudly stand beside Jin Li!
Even the fact that this pairs' relationship blew away his three views was now a distant memory buried at the back of his mind.
So in the end, Sun's imitation of a puppy on its rear paws with front paws curled up in a pleading manner had softened Leon into agreeing to visit the boy's household with him. Jin Li, therefore had no choice but to tag along.
*****
The plan was to travel to New Julip town at take the overnight griffin to Cenapar city. Clothes, snacks, tea and greeting gifts were packed away in interspacial bags as well as meat for Li Ming and Wu Ye.
Taking the two adolescent Coeurl aboard a griffin was not as strange as it sounded. For one thing, the griffin in question was not a young buck that would ordinarily fly with less than a handful of passengers upon the cradle on its back over short distances. And it was not like the mother griffin in school, whose size ensured that she could carry around twenty passengers in the same way. This griffin was a middle-aged Beast, proud and certain of its impressiveness. It was greater still than the biggest griffin Leon had seen by at least twice and held a carriage strapped to its belly as well as the one upon its back.
The upper carriage held twenty good sized rooms, which could be reserved by people at a decent price, while the lower carriage held many more rooms, much smaller and which held narrow cots for the most part, with the exception of the large room that acted as a stable. One paid per bed, this was an overnight trip after all, and it was first come first serve.
Sun was sent to reserve three cots while Jin Li and Leon ensured the comfort of the coeurl's in the stable. They were noticed by a man of middling years, with small eyes and a weathered face. Grey hair tinged the lengths of red tied neatly upon his head and even were it not for his servant, the cut of his cloth announced that he was someone with wealth. He was currently inspecting his equine mount in the stables when he found interest in the handsome, young coal-black Coeurl and the unusual yin yang striped adolescent stabled by two youths.
"I'm somewhat interested in your beasts," he declared, haughtily. "Name your price!" His tone was cast in the arrogance of a man used to getting what he wanted and he had no doubt that the same would occur now.
The coal-Black Coeurl flattened its pointed ears against its head and growled angrily, before nudging Jin Li with its thick paw. "What?" Jin Li raised a brow in question. He'd been thinking on how to wheedle those snacks from Leon's belt, not listening to outsiders babble on.
"Sorry, our b-beasts are n-not for sale," Leon stuttered, as Jin Li retained his questioning look. With a flash of understanding, Jin Li looked over at the arrogant rich man, before his eyes fell back upon Wu Ye, with contemplation. As if Wu Ye couldn't understand what its human was about and it glared back, daring him.
Jin Li sighed and repeated Leon's words to the disbelieving Noble man. "Want our things? You cannot afford," Jin Li sneered and an equal look of disdain seemed etched upon the coal-black Coeurl's face. The wealthy man looked infuriated and cried out;
"How dare you speak to me this way!" He blustered as the servant behind him lifted his chin in reflected arrogance. "Do you even know who I am?!"
"No," came the blunt response and an arm fell about Leon's nervous shoulders and tugged at him to leave. But not before Jin Li glanced at the coal-Black Coeurl. "You have permission. But do try to not to make too much trouble."
As if I need your permission to protect myself and Li Ming, the Coeurl thought with a snort, as the two humans left them to their own devices. The Coeurl sent one more threatening look the way of the person that smelled like shiny metal, before nipping gently at the yin yang adolescent's ear. Blue eyes looked up innocently.
What's going on?
Don't worry about it. Just sleep.
Jin Li and Leon were not the only ones to experience some disturbance before their journey had even begun. Sun had deftly claimed three cots all side by side and was cleverly parked upon the centre one, even though he knew he would have to give that up once Jin Li returned with Leon. Only during school weeks, when learning new techniques and training seriously, could that overbearing Martial Artist bear to be away from his small alchemist! So many public displays of affection, thankfully, the majority was behind the closed doors of Leon's humble home or others would have to suffer glares and perhaps the sword of an angered Martial Artist! Really wasn't looking at your little lover, honest!
Even Sun and Leon's best friend, Maimai were not exempt from causing Jin Li to eat vinegar on regular occasions!
So, for now, the three cots had, in turn, Jin Li's things (which he'd forced upon Sun before following Leon like a shadow), one brown-haired youth and Sun's luggage, which happened to be a full chest in outside space.
The space within an interspacial container was just enchanted space, allowing it to be several times larger than in reality. But there was a limit, for the original space wasn't that large after all. So for increased needs, if one didn't want to spend half a country's wealth on a rarely obtainable celestial quality pouch, one needed a container that was larger and could contain that much more enchanted space. The space in Sun's chest could be measured to be the same as twice the size of Leon's house and that was due the fact that it was of average quality and expense. It was a gift from this young master's mother, who feared that he did not have enough clothing, armour, accessories, blankets and toiletries for when he attended school and that did not include the boxes upon boxes of medicines just in case he caught sick.
The room within the undercarriage actually had a total of six cots, with the space between the cots being no wider than Jin Li's thighs. It wasn't any different to any of the other rooms in the undercarriage, except that Sun had quickly claimed half of it for he and his companions. A head peered into the room and called back to others out of sight;
"This room has enough beds!"
Four youths came sweeping in and following frowns and whispers, went to sweep Jin Li's things from the cot.
"Hey!" Sun exclaimed, furiously. "Can't you see that cot has been claimed?!" The four youths turned to sneer at the boy. Collectively, they did not look much older than Sun, the youngest still having similar bloom of childhood still in his cheeks. Most likely they were also students of the Institute, but Sun did not recognise any of them, so doubted that they were martial artists.
"So what?" One, who was two heads taller than Sun replied.
"I see no claimant," another smirked and leaned down once more to sweep away those things. Actually, it was just Jin Li's overcoat and a interspacial bag about the size of a satchel. This is what Leon had packed for his lover.
The coat was fox red and midnight black, made of suede and fur from beasts Jin Li happened to hunt with Wu Ye. He usually gifted such quality skins to Leon, usually with the line that he happened to have excess and these weren't worth selling for money. Leon knew a talented tailoress in town and asked her to make them into an overcoat for his man. The result was worthy of a noble's purse, black suede made up the body of the coat with red fur about the neck and cuffs and two embroidered koi curved up the front panels.
That the youths would have the arrogance to touch such a coat indicated that they had a background that they considered couldn't be challenged. But who was Jin Li?
"Tch," he clicked his tongue as he entered the room unannounced. "Do you see this Lord now?" He strode in and stood before the cot with his things upon it, then glanced towards Sun. "Move." Sun rolled his eyes and vacated the cot he sat upon.
"This Lord?" One of the other youths sneered. Didn't see nor hear the smaller youth with yin yang hair sighing as he came to witness this scene and quietly enter the room.
"Seeing as that cot is now vacant," the tallest youth did not so much suggest as demand, "you can now move over as well. This cot is required by us."
Jin Li ignored them and proceeded to lie upon his cot. "Leon, you may serve this Lord tea. And snacks."
Leon simply rolled his eyes as he walked over to his cot, but the four youths attention was still wholly on the 'ignorant bastard' before them.
"Have you no wish to live?" The plainest of the four suddenly piped up. "Here is the Young Master of the Ibis clan and the pride of Mage School, Luchus. What are you to not give way to us?" Sun glanced over and saw said Luchus posing 'majestically' and suddenly snickered behind his hand, but said nothing.
His comrades were not, but Sun was aware of the Ibis clan which was located in Cenapar City, as was his own family. It was not actually a large clan, but it had made its presence known as a clan of mages, just that theirs was suppressed by the Cygnus clan who boasted several famous mages, enchanters and scholars throughout history. In fact, if he recalled correctly, the top student in the Mage Standings just happened to be from the Cygnus clan... so what 'pride' exactly was this young master?
"Noisy!" Jin Li muttered, giving them no face.
"J-jin Li?" Leon murmured softly, now making others aware of his presence. "Is Umber leaf t-tea alright?" Umber leaf was a purchased flavour that Jin Li had considered adequate. A soft yawn escaped Leon; it was too late to prepare any medicinal tea Jin Li had come to favour now, too time consuming.
"It will do," Jin Li declared with a dismissive gesture.
"Give it up," Sun said aloud as the four youths looked fit to explode in anger. Indeed, there were tendrils of spiritual energy wavering up and down Luchus' body as his magic leaked thanks to his tested temper. "We were here first, Young Master of the Ibis clan and the rules are first come, first serve. Hmm, perhaps your clan ought to spring for a room on the upper carriages next time?"
"Everyone needs to settle down," came a voice of a griffin attendant at the door. "We'll he leaving shortly!"
In the end, the Young Master sat down on the furthest cot and had the youngest of the four take a bed beside his, while the two others located cots elsewhere. The remaining cot was claimed by a late comer, who just nestled down in the first available space, ignorant of the tensions.
"I will remember this slight!" Luchus muttered, before turning over to sleep. But if Jin Li heard him, he made no note of it, too busy finishing his cup of tea and devouring most of the snacks before pulling Leon on top of him to rest throughout the journey.
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