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2.32% Skyfire Avenue / Chapter 21: Tang Mi

Chapter 21: Tang Mi

Editor: AtlasStudios

She moved silently through the gloom, pausing in the shadow of a building. A white figure quietly making her way.

In the distance she’d traveled from Skyfire Avenue, she’d already changed direction several times. Were someone looking for her trail, it would be almost impossible. Walking in the dark night, she’d managed to avoid all of the probes capable of recognizing her. Even the satellites far overhead had no means of detecting her.

Were it not for her wedding, she’d be wearing her communication device around her neck; enough for the satellites to get a lock. As it was she was doing everything she can to avoid detection. And all of it was for that guy.

Upon thinking about him Zhou Qianlin couldn’t help but knit her brow. The pain in her body she could endure, but the chaos in her heart was another matter.

Though she walked in the darkness, in her mind the only shadows were his figure.

Everything that happened was only over a short time, but in her heart it felt like it was stretched over a century ago.

She paused, unconsciously looking back towards Skyfire Avenue. Through the emotional tumult in her eyes arose a shimmering tear.

When she stood before him she was strong, even cold. But in the end she was only a little girl!

With tears in her eyes she slowly walked through the shadow, passing under the glow of a streetlamp. From beneath the towering buildings and yawning eaves she was revealed.

Slowly, step by step she moved on, her mind blank, unable to think.

Suddenly, a whistling blast arose, a rapid surge of air swirling past her.

Zhou Qianlin almost stepped aside, her hands pressing down her dress to prevent the air from ruffling it.

A Ferarri verti-car hovered overhead. This sort of car was best suited for high-speed movement ten meters or less above the ground, though not as expensive as a high-altitude verti-car. But considering it’s high energy efficiency, it was not expensive.

The window facing Zhou Qianlin descended, revealing a man young man with yellow Mohican-styled hair. He whistled while staring at her.

Zhou Qianlin’s white dress hugged her eye-catching figure, especially her shapely backside which moved with her gait.

Her beauty certainly didn’t just attract Zeus.

“Hey there pretty, all by yourself?” The young man ran a hand through his blond hair, pity revealed in his almond eyes.

Zhou Qianlin’s look was biting, clearly the blast of air that’d startled her was intentional. This sort of obscene behavior towards women was downright detestable.

She disdained to even speak to him, holding that hard glare a moment longer before turning to leave.

“Saucy!” The young man’s eyes lit up. Zhou Qianlin’s dismissive glare made her look all the more virginal. And to come across such a pretty lady all on her own in the middle of the night, in his eyes lady luck had blessed him.

The Ferarri deftly moved forward to catch up with the retreating Zhou Qianlin.

The verti-car slowed, and the young man opened his mouth to speak further. As he did, he got the sense Zhou Qianlin had somehow grown brighter. It was then he noticed the column of golden light descending from the skies to envelope her.

Boooommm!

Almost instantly after the light washed over Zhou Qianlin, a massive golden figure came crashing down, looking terribly mangled.

The Ferarri was abruptly smashed beneath it. The entire back half of the car had disappeared, while the front had been irreparably warped by the impact. The force of the collision had caused the young man in the driver seat to faint. Luckily, he’d been wearing his seat-belt.

The shockwave tore across the street like a gale. Thankfully there weren’t any others on the street. Zhou Qianlin was unaffected, protected by the column of light sent specifically from the golden figure.

The metallic mecha was eighteen meters tall, it’s body smooth and streamlined, coated in gold. The sole imperfection were the crumpled armor plates on it’s shoulders, traces of the damage the mecha had suffered.

“Qianlin,” a tender voice arose, followed by the hatch of the mecha hissing open. A figure arose from within and leapt from the mecha. Unfazed by the eighteen meter height, the woman turned two circles in the air as she tumbled forward. As she did a layer of golden light encased her, and moment before she hit the floor she stabilized and landed firmly.

She was a tall and beautiful woman. Zhou Qianlin herself was considered tall, but this woman stood half a head over her.

Her legs were strikingly long, seventy percent the proportion of her legs and torso, but most gripping was the sense of power her imposing figure commanded.

She wore a black skin-tight flight suit, with a head of long golden hair and jade-green eyes that glittered like crystal.

The flight suit perfectly outlined her figure, and although her long legs seemed almost out of proportion her strong and beautiful posture gave her a tameless beauty.

The golden light quietly dispersed, and the golden haired woman closed the gap between herself and Zhou Qianlin in three long steps. She looked her up and down, asking with concern in her voice, “Qianlin, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Little Mi,” replied while shaking her head.

“I’ve said it countless times,” the woman grumbled, “Don’t call me Little Mi. Say my full name, Tang Mi!”

Zhou Qianlin smiled. “You got here fast.”

Tang Mi responded, “Like I had a choice. You know after your disappearance the entire wedding site went crazy. All of Skyfire City now sees danger lurking around every corner. They haven’t officially declared martial law, but they’ve already called for four whole Mecha Battalions to search the entire planet for any trace of you. I was so worried, no one at the wedding was able to protect you. I’m a terrible friend.”

Zhou Qianlin shook her head. “No one blames you.”

Tang Mi acknowledge that with a nod of her head, her big jade eyes excited. “Of course you can’t blame me. That was THOR! And the single greatest Mecha-pilot in our Alliance, no way I could stand against him! Agh, why didn’t he grab me! If he had, I’d not have fought back, I’d have gone right along with him.”

Zhou Qianlin’s brows slowly began to rise. “What do you mean, ‘not fought back’?”


Chapter 22: His Story

Editor: AtlasStudios

“Mm, good stuff.” Lan Jue was a little drunk. He breathed in the scent of the alcohol, detecting hints of smoke and peat. His eyes looked dulled.

Before him was a table capable of seating eight and, though small, was quite magnificent with a classical style. It was composed of parqueted wood, inlayed with gold tooling and of very fine texture.

The Wine Master sat at the head of the table, Lan Jue to his left. To his right sat the Gourmet.

Today the Gourmet was clad in a fine black suit and white shirt, though differing from Lan Jue in that he also wore a u-shaped waistcoat. He was the very picture of the gentry.

The cuffs of his shirt had been rolled up. In his right hand he held a long knife, it’s blade thirty centimeters long with a sandy beige handle. Were an expert present their eyes would bulge from shock – not from the beautiful moiré pattern on the blade, but due to the fact that the handle was made from mammoth tusk, exceptionally rare even in the Former Era.

The Gourmet’s slender fingers moved deftly, cutting the Iberian ham in slices as thin as a cicada’s wings and flicking it in to the ceramic whiteware clutched in his other hand. Beneath the plate a candle burned, causing the ham to adopt an almost crystalline texture.

The Wine Master first looked to the Gourmet, then to Lan Jue. “You’ve had nearly half a bottle of Talisker already, are you ready to share your story?”

Lan Jue swirled the whiskey glass in his hand, picked up a piece of ham and popped it in his mouth. A thick, yet not oily taste filled his mouth. He took another small sip of Talisker single-malt, the fine whiskey like fire down his throat, spreading through his every pore.

“The particular thing about Talisker is the strong taste of peat, a specific trait of an island. It is an untamed and legendary vintage spirit. For those who truly love the flavor, they can’t help but partake.”

“You want to tell me a story about whiskey?” The Wine Master muttered.

The Gourmet finished heating another plate then sat, motioning with his knife as though he would bury it in the fine tabletop. The Wine Master shot him a glare, to which the Gourmet smirked and replaced the knife to it’s wooden sheath.

Reaching out, the Gourmet gripped the half bottle of Talisker in his hand, it’s golden contents shimmering with a faint halo in the light.

“Don’t give him any alcohol and he’ll tell you on his own,” he said, pouring himself half a glass. He placed the bottle to one side.

The Wine Master nodded approvingly.

Lan Jue looked disappointed, downing the contents of his glass is one gulp. “I’m a little tired, I think I’ll just go home and sleep, so…”

The Wine Master’s eye twitched. “Then go.”

“Will I be able to come back later?” Lan Jue said with a small smile.

“What do you think,” the Wine Master responded, looking at him obliquely.

Lan Jue leaned against the back of the chair, speaking calmly. “I’ve been here three years, right?”

“Three years, one month and three days,” the Wine Master responded studiously.

The corners of Lan Jue’s mouth curled bitterly. “I had a beautiful wife. She was gentle, kind, gorgeous… when you were with her it was like a spring breeze. From the moment I saw her I was lost, loved her instantly.”

“We were the envy of everyone. Everything was perfect, we enjoyed each other’s company, did everything together. It was so natural being together, so natural that we just felt happy with one another. She was my whole world. When she was with me, the entire universe seemed more colorful.”

“But they say good days are brief. Three years ago because of an accident, she left me forever. Even now, I don’t know if it really was an accident or was somehow orchestrated. According to all evidence she vanished in a giant explosion. I couldn’t find her, she left no trace. It was like she never existed in my life at all.”

“She was gone so… my heart was empty.”

“As a result I came here. I like the tranquility of Skyfire Avenue, like living here. In my early years when I’d visited here I liked it. I’d planned to bring her here with me, but she was gone so suddenly.”

Lan Jue related the story calmly, his eyes reflecting his even temperament. It was like he was simply telling a tale, a story he wasn’t involved in.

“Not long ago someone came to the shop, left me a note. It said my wife wasn’t dead. It contained a video. I believed it. How could I not believe it. Even though I knew I was lying to myself, even though I knew it was impossible, I believed it.”

“I helped them, and they told me my wife’s location. And they told me she was going to marry someone else. You are men… I think you must understand what I was feeling.”

“So I went after her. Took back my wife. I was so happy. She was like a paintbrush, bringing life and color back in to my life.”

“But I’d deceived myself. She just looked like my wife. She wasn’t… her.”

Lan Jue stopped there, the trace of a smile on his face. But the emptiness in his eyes was unsettling.

The Wine Master looked at the Gourmet, beckoning towards him with a wave of the hand. A faint light, and suddenly the Talisker bottle was in his hand.

Removing the cork, the Wine Master quietly poured Lan Jue a glass, then lifted his own.

Lan Jue picked up his drink, threw his head back and downed it. The high-proof liquor burned through him. But the burning in his throat couldn’t touch the pain he felt. He felt like he did those three years ago, when he learned of the accident.

“I’m off.” Lan Jue placed his glass on the table, and left.

Neither the Wine Master nor Gourmet asked him to say. A man’s pain wasn’t so easily resolved through talking.

Lan Jue was worn out, dispirited. He’d even lost interest in seeking revenge against the people who’d given him the false news. No matter what he said, they had filled him with a great hope, only to deliver greater despair. But at least, for those few precious moments, he’d thought Hera had returned to him.

The Wine Master and Gourmet said nothing to one another, finishing the drinks in their glass. The Gourmet finished the last piece of ham.

“I’m leaving as well,” he said.

“Mm,” the Wine Master faintly responded.

As he stood the Gourmet’s brows rose. “Eh, he didn’t pay for the whiskey did he. I thought he said he would.”

The hand with which the Wine Master held his glass froze suddenly, as though by magic, paralyzed.


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