“One stroke, two halves.”

Ayai and Miss Xiong exited the Xinggong Imperial Library as the doors flung to the sides. The sun hovered proudly in the sky as if waiting to beam them with warmth. Ayai felt her skin heat up within the chilly weather of Arvan Khoyor, relaxing her shoulders and stretching her arms. Zhen had asked them to run an errand.

Miss Xiong leaned her head forward, “Gong Dongye, how about we bring Kwa too?”

“Why?” Ayai stopped, those words intruding on her subconscious. She didn’t want to hear someone refer to the tiny human as Kwa, even when she named it herself.

“Because if I’m going with someone I despise, then you will too.” Miss Xiong glared at Ayai with a mischievous chuckle, her hand in front of her mouth.

“Tch.”

They stopped at the Yueliang Guesthouse and picked up the tiny human where Zhen had left him. Kwa was idling near the living room, beating toys and running in circles. Ayai could tell that Zhen himself didn’t know how to monitor a child.

She picked him up as Kwa raced to her. “So? How are we supposed to bring him along?”

“Leave that to me.” Miss Xiong raised her hand. “Dihu Chuangzao.”

Saharic particles lit up the room, as Ayai closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw a cardboard box flutter to the floor.

“A construct-type sahar spell?” Ayai picked up the object created. She glanced at the yet unopened box and the tiny human.

Miss Xiong lowered her arm and grinned. “Yes, that is my specialty. Now let us head outside!”

The Laoyuang Menwei pushed the entrance of the Meridian Gate open, as Ayai and Miss Xiong stepped out of the Jade Palace. Ayai held up her hand, while the cardboard box floated in the air with the tiny human. The child peeked from the top of the box, giggling as they fluttered down the steps. Sentries stood at their post and saluted them while they faced the street of ongoing foot traffic. People walked in opposite directions like a calm river, as Ayai caught a glimpse of Lāoyuàng 'Aimag, the twin city of As-Z̆onghu̐a. The familiar arched roofs she had seen for months greeted her in the cold sunlight. A few blocks ahead, the two could see Yuanmen with its lofty skyscrapers and ultramodern white design.

“Miss Xiong, what is on that list Zhen made?” Ayai reached out, as Miss Xiong handed her the parchment. She unfolded it neatly. Upon reading it, she crumbled it into a ball. “Tch… That guy…”

“Wait!” Miss Xiong exclaimed while taking the paper from her and unraveling it. “It actually says something relevant on the bottom of the page!”

Ayai looked at that last section near the footer. “He wants us to arrange a reservation for a ship to Shikot… He should’ve written that at the top.”

“Yeah, but maybe he wants us to do the things that are on the top of the list first.” Miss Xiong tilted her head. Ayai reread what the body of the list said that said one thing; to ‘have fun’ in Yuanmen. What did it mean to ‘have fun’ in the first place?

Ayai placed the list inside her blue coat and guided the hovering box with Kwa in it. Miss Xiong followed suit next to her. They integrated themselves into the sea of people, but Ayai could feel eyes on her. It was just plain curiosity she knew, that her characteristics were not of a Khoitan nor any other tribe except for the Máak. She paid no attention to them and kept walking on.

The tiny human marveled at the view of the city streets from the box’s panoramic view, gleaming at people hurrying across the crosswalks in droves. They traversed across the urban landscape, heading down ancient stone walkways and modern asphalt pavements, gabbled roofs and competing high-rises. Every turn was just as unique as the next; new neon lights and holograms flashing Renhua signage.

Eventually, they reached the lower docks, where the crowds thinned out and local markets flourished. The windmills along the coast sang in tune with the wind, and Ayai’s ponytail came eager to dance. Ayai decided to do the most important task first. They needed a vessel that would take them to Shikot. She wondered if Zhen could use his personal ships, but the outcry of using a royal ship to transport foreigners would be impeccable.

At the far right side of the docks, Ayai spotted a man wearing a Bangkaño straw hat and ragged clothing. He held a fishing rod while a large boat floated calmly in the water. Ayai with the box, along with Miss Xiong all walked over to him.

“Chào ông.” The Bangkaño’s shoulders shuttered as she greeted him in his Khoitan dialect. She turned her head slightly while still looking at him. “Are you perhaps working in transportation?”

“You’re… Gong Dongye. Yes, ma’am, I do get paid for that type of work.” The man fixed his straw hat. To Ayai, he was even more grungy up close. “What brings Gong Dongye to the waters today?”

She folded her arms. “Be grateful that I am picking you out of all the others since you know your trade. What is your name?”

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“... Yuerhtutzu Yulduz.” He fixed his hat again.

“Yulduz. I came here to plan a voyage to Shikot.”

“Shikot?” The man set his rod down and clapped his hands clean, “The trip there will be rough. How many people are you taking, ma’am?”

“Over twenty people.” Ayai answered instantly. She was well aware of the situation. The estimated count would be all Izato members along with possible associates. “I will pay you as much as needed.”

“That is right on the edge of my boat’s maximum capacity but… I can do that. When will we be departing?”

“Whenever we call you.” She handed him a pamphlet with a card inside. “Use that to lodge in at the local hôtel nearby.”

He stared at the card, as if he had seen gold. His mouth went agape. “This…”

Ayai then leaned forward and placed a finger on her lip. “However… If you talk about this arrangement to anybody… I’ll immediately know.”

“Understood, Gong Dongye!” The man kowtowed, dropping to his knees. “This gig is worth more than I’ve ever earned in my entire life!”

With that, Ayai turned around as Miss Xiong followed. Miss Xiong’s hand seemed to shake as she slowly fell behind Ayai. They made it back to the normal city before long.

“Hey, so could you really know if he told anyone?” Miss Xiong blurted the first thing since the exchange.

“You understood his dialect?”

“Uh… I just studied it when I was growing up.” It took one look at Miss Xiong for Ayai to know she was lying. Ayai sighed and lowered the floating box. She held the tiny human’s hand, who seemingly wanted to play with hers.

“It’s just a bluff. Don’t want to get other people caught up with Izato affairs, and we just need someone who can bring Izato members across the sea safely.”

Miss Xiong pouted with her hands by her hips. “Then why do you act so menacing?”

“I’m not trying to!”

Since that was inherently settled, Ayai knew that the Bangkaño needed to be evaluated by Zhen on further notice. There could be a possibility that the man was working for other organizations, including Al-Wa. But there was no way to confirm or press information out of him, at least not in her way.

Now that they had done the arrangement, they commuted down to Yuanmen, where the crowds grew even larger and the buildings became higher. The central business district of As-Z̆onghu̐a, where every stairwell would lead into a shopping center, and small parks led to the glass doors of massive corporations. Buggies passed to and from the streets running throughout the center, and crosswalks were apparent at every intersection.

“Want to eat something?” Ayai turned to Miss Xiong, who never gave an answer. She could never know what this girl would do next. They went to an udonya where they could eat al fresco, and Ayai ordered there. The sun was still bright, and the light breeze made it a perfect day to eat outside. They sat down by a table, and Ayai set the box with Kwa down. Since the udon was buffet-style, she already picked out meals for Miss Xiong, Kwa, and herself.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Ayai questioned Miss Xiong, for she never once looked down at the fresh wheat noodles in its prime.”It’ll get soggy.”

“You definitely spiked my udon with something! I don’t trust you enough to eat it, just like the Jianbing!” Miss Xiong folded her arms and looked away. If Miss Xiong didn’t eat her food, then she was a child. She was a child. “Hmph!”

“Don’t ‘hmph!’ me. I didn’t put anything in it.” Ayai sighed and continued to eat her bowl of udon while keeping watch of the tiny human still in the box.

“Why don’t you let Kwa out of the box? He’s been in there for a while now.”

“I don’t really want to hear that from you who refuses to eat.” Ayai set down her chopsticks and lifted the tiny human out. As soon as she set him on the floor, Kwa took off.

“Hey, wait!” Ayai jumped from her seat as Kwa disappeared into the ongoing crowd. She weaved through people’s shoulders and avoided stomping on her feet. If she lost him now, then Zhen would be… It wasn’t like she worried for the child. It was a part of her punishment to keep Kwa safe.

Ayai spotted the child through a sea of tall heads. Near the crosswalk. She rushed and shoved people aside, as the pedestrian light ended a few seconds earlier. Ayai closed in on the child as the toddler took her first steps onto the road. A buggy zipped through the street.

Ayai pulled Kwa by the shoulder as the vehicle clipped past their faces. Only a hand away from being hit by the buggy. But at that moment, a memory whirled into her mind. She remembered her father pulling back her shoulder and the sadness in his eyes.

“Gong Dongye, are you okay?!” Miss Xiong finally caught up to them, while people stared at them curiously. Ayai stood back up just as quickly and wiped her face. Her grip tightened slowly on Kwa’s shoulders.

“I’m fine.”

The more she supressed what memories arose from inside her, the more it tugged more on her heart.

She remembered her last words before she entered the Dineh Kazaàd. Just as he did that time, she felt an ache inside her chest. An emptiness. She didn't reject the notion that if she could speak to her father again, she would tell him how much she wished he were here right now. That she had not forgotten him. But here Ayai was, alive and free from the tournament.

The three of them returned back to their table to finish eating. Miss Xiong hadn't eaten her noodles at all, which frustrated Ayai a bit. She placed Kwa on her lap and fed him a few bites. Ayai had gotten accustomed to taking care of this child whom Zhen dumped on her, and the rest became like clockwork.

Miss Xiong took off her hat, before fanning herself with it. Her hair became undone as a ponytail trailing behind her. "Even if its Arvan Khoyor, the sun still makes me sweat."

"You should try taking your cap off more often." Ayai closed her eyes confidently, "You look better that way."

"I..." Miss Xiong paused and looked at her own hair. "I have to keep wearing so they won't know I'm a girl!"

Ayai took a deep breath. "Don't worry about it. Even if Zhen found out, he would just keep your secret."

"But… but…" Miss Xiong's cheeks reddened. "How can you be so sure?"

"He cares for anyone too much to find out. And I doubt you could hide that cute face of yours anyway." Ayai flicked her hair. "He probably knows already. So I suggest you just tell him."

Miss Xiong lowered her head, and looked up at Ayai with tears in her widened eyes. "When I'm ready to... Then I will."

“Okay then.” Ayai placed Kwa back into the box. “Shall we clean up and return back to the palace?”