Atlas blinked daylight out of his eyes, clear blue skies with no cloud in sight, Tall bamboo walls on all sides except for straight ahead, where a narrow path walked to the small, one person gate of soft orange wood. On the ground around him fresh and short-cut grass shone with pale gold shades. Calming sounds of trickling water, bubbling over makeshift rock formations and in between curated gravel through brooks in a slow, lazy pace brought his mind into focus.

Ru Shi rushed down the large cobble stones embedded into the earth, a mighty old path yet as pristine as the day it was made, not a single weed growing over the gray stones. Her feet slapped on the rocks, her fury resounding in the Zen Garden.

“Would you calm down? Noise won’t help much in trailing and stalking them.” Atlas explained. They would need a clear mind to come up with a plan to save Ru Feng, and that attitude was not helping.

“You don’t understand Atlas.” Ru Shi admonished, her eyes piercing him with hate fear, wet and red. “I NEED to save him. Right now! He needs to be safe, with me, THIS Second! And for every second he isn’t it gets worse.” Atlas did not know what that ‘it’ was exactly. It rung false and fake, almost unconcerned with Ru Feng.

“Maybe I don’t, yet I don’t care in this moment. What I want to do is get Ru Feng back safely, perfectly. There will be time to talk this through upon our successful return. So calm yourself. I can’t have you being a danger to the party, to Jean, to Ru Feng, and to yourself.” Atlas broke the conversation, he walked past her.

He went a ways, to the end of the garden and its path. A contemplative, an encouraging silence had overtaken him. The hundreds of hours he had spent sweating and bleeding for jobs like these came talking, remembered and pushing. He placed his palm on the handle, It was cool, hard, made of silver. His mother, out of nowhere, came to mind. Silver hair flowing to her naked feet. Fair skin glistening pale and of snow in the light of day. And eyes of liquid metal that pierced through the world under the soft light of the moon. Atlas shook those memories away. Glorified still images. He slapped his cheek and opened the door with force. There was not going back. No hesitation.

He walked a step out the little Zen garden and the thunderous sound of a city of millions and millions of people crashed into him and sent his thoughts and doubts clawing back as if running away from the heat and noise, the smells, the rush. Ru Shi and Carius, carrying Jean who can’t really walk, followed after him, they stood rooted in their place as all at once they were assaulted by the bustle of a city so packed you could smell your neighbors armpits. So tall you could barely see the noon sun behind the tops of sky piercers.

Hundreds of thousands of bodies as if in a live concert of the greatest song makers to exist, right in front of them. Clambering and rushing from one place to another. A boulevard as wide as half the Laertis Compound spread East to West as far as the eye could see with tens of thousands of stalls and stores, and merchants selling their wares with voices that hollered above the thunderous hubbub of a million whispers at once, the sound of wasp swarm mixed with the bellow of a cruise-liner’s horn. It was wonderful and frightening all at once, the sheer amounts overwhelmed the secluded trio.

And those sky piercers where another shock all together. Buildings so tall they looked like mountains, or swords and spears, a million million needles pointing to the sky. Hundreds of floors one upon another was the norm. Starting from the moment the market boulevard ended and continuing all the way into the city. A whole city cast in black darkness, hidden in the shadows of their enormous creations. A whole city existing without sunlight because of those that lived above them, sharing one foundation yet living in a different world.

“Everyone. I think you don’t have the time to waste. They’re coming.” Jean gurgled through his torn throat, he pointed to the crowds, across the street, and through the masses a group of uniformed hulking men carved their way to them.

“And who are they?” Ru Shi gave the uniformed men a side glance and asked, her nose perking up at every scent, her mind focused on the sweat and blood left in the wind.

“The police, in a way. And they want to talk with you about those registration cards you did not take.” Jean spoke clearer. His throat opened up a

“But we don’t have such things. Do we run?” Ru Shi continued, she pulled and folded her sleeves up to her elbows.

“Yeah. We should. They won’t be kind if they catch you.” Jean responded and the party was off as a matter of fact. They sprinted through the streets and evaded the clumps of people with expertise. They jumped over carts, and slid under carriages. They rushed under flying swords and enormous birds and skirted past mountainous turtles carrying people hidden in the shade of a luxurious parasols.

“I’m jealous, honestly.” Carius mumbled as the group finally managed to cut through the boulevard of people and reached the edge of the massive scraper line. The descent into the shadows began with a rush, as the police of this city were much more serious about keeping peace and sticking to the rules, their efforts in pushing through the boulevard of people being no less efficient and forceful than expected.

“Get, Over here! UNREGISTERED!” The leader amongst the police squad shouted after them, spittle flying, as the party took off once more. They disappeared into tighter streets with much less foot traffic, under Jean’s last moment directions they jumped into corners and climbed above dead ends, they melded into the eternal shadows covering these pathways. They went through a restaurant and exited through its supply room, they ran up a stuck of crates and hopped onto a balcony grabbed onto a coat hanger each and zip lined across streets on the metallic cable that held red lanterns, the only source of light in this part of town.

Yet the Police was hot on their heels. They cut the metallic rope and all the hundreds of lanterns smashed to the ground, a shower of color, an explosion of sparks, filled the streets as a wedding was happening on the streets. From the smoke a shout came. “You can add damage to City property to the list of Crimes you have committed, Unregistered. As a member of the Heavenly Beast Sect I will do whatever I can to capture you and punish!”

His petty words would have gotten no response if not for Ru Shi. She turned around, grabbed a hold another pile of crate and pulled. She pulled till her face turned red from the strain as the cops neared her, yet she succeeded in time. The Stack toppled over, it crashed in a massive heap of white flour and the sweet juice of citrus fruit. It plumed and washed over the streets and the cops, painted everything that slight orange color of a cake ready to be baked.

Ru Shi caught up with the rest of the group soon after. “We’re getting close. Take a right here and then it’s a straight line to the shop.” Jean said.

“You’ve been a good guide. Much better than you should. How well do you know this city? Actually.” Ru Shi prodded the injured man still being carried by Carius through all this mess, who had in turn deteriorated into a panting mess for some time now.

Jean closed his eyes, calling up the memories required. “I did not pass the Crystal Affinity test. My little sister did. I spent, weeks in this place. Always waiting for her return…. So we could go back to earth.” Jean mulled over each word.

Yet he did not comb his language enough. Ru Shi’s eyes burned Jean like the inquisition. Her brain was forming connections ten steps ahead. “How’s that sister now? She returned, right? You didn’t abandon her here, did you?” Ru Shi asked, getting closer and closer to the injured man of white hair, yet supple albeit dehydrated skin.

“She did and she didn’t.” Jean turned grim. His lips trembled as the words fought to stay within their sweet confine. It would never be the truth, unless it was known. Yet that was exactly what he had to say. His lies, and obedience, and fear had caused, and will cause much pain. “She left me behind, with the burden to do what is right.” Utter silence. Only the pitter-patter of feet slapping on hard stone resounded in the dark alleys

“We’re here. Slow down. The Shop should be right across the street.” Jean broke the silence and the party dropped their pace. They stalked up to the corner and saw the sunny street spill out before them. People walking to and from, in clothes of silk and fine cloth, in leather shoes shining of police. Large groups of men or ladies giggling away amongst each other, with the ever present poise and flirt of high society wafting in the air.

A big sign standing above the tiled roof of a one floor shop with no hundred floor building standing above it or behind it wrote the magic words. ‘Heavenly Mirage’ in big, bold letters of ruby crystal. ‘The Shop of a Thousand Crystals’ It read below in light blue, glittering paint carved into the wood of the sign.

Large window panes made of Transparent Crystal hid none of the amazingly dazzling collection of crystals refined into a thousand different shapes sparkling in the shelves and stands inside the shop.

At the same time, those spic and span windows hid nothing of the violence happening inside the shop, right near its entrance, sitting, tied down to a chair right behind the first rack of jewels was Ru Feng having his face punched repeatedly with savage intent by the Broken nosed Captain of the Crystal Palace’s Knights. He struggled against his restraints no matter how much he was punched and even laughed it off, spitting blood in the process. But he could do nothing. His muscles writhed in effort, yet they were useless against his restrains and capturers.

Ru Shi turned beet red. Her hair unfurled and danced, almost alive, as she clenched her fists so tight they went white, and blood flowed to the ground. “Give me Jean right now. I’m going to trade him right away.” A plume of cold wafted into the air.

“Wait, Ru Shi. We can’t rush in. We don’t even know if they are being serious about this exchange. If we want a fair trade, no matter how it pains me to say this, we have to appear negotiable. As if we’re not their enemies.” Gulped down his own anger as he stared at Ru Feng.

“Atlas…. You…. Fuck.” Ru Shi’s voice was still, cold. Her eyes far-away with hate and fire. She grabbed Jean from Carius’ back and marched out into the street with his bloody figure dragging behind her near lifelessly. A trial of blood appeared under his feet as his wounds reopened, yet he uttered not a single sound. He simply nodded to himself. Looking at Atlas with a pacifying smile. “I may not be able to speak the truth I found. But you can search for it, Atlas. The world is in grave danger. The Tower hides that truth in plain sight.” He spoke in his hoarse voice. Coughing blood not a second after he finished. Jean had been near death for long now.

As Ru Shi walked towards the shop, her lungs crammed with air ready to bellow, Atlas’ eyes snapped to the roof above the Store. A small figure disappeared that moment, he caught only its shape. “Hear that?” He asked Carius under his breath.

“Sure did. Two people, one small, one the size of a normal adult, both light, smart. They were there from the start. Probably having noticed the arrival of the Knights.” Carius detailed the situation, his hearing sharper than ever. “Beast Police coming from behind. They haven’t given up.” He notified and turned. He hid and waited for an ambush, he would protect the back while Atlas dealt with the front.

“HEY! PSYCHOS! I got your traitor here! Let my Cousin go from that chair and bring him here, Fair and Square!” Ru Shi shouted at the top of her lungs. He voice careening through the street, sent the nobles and frolickers reeling to a screeching halt.

“She really gives me no time to think.” Atlas whined and shook his head. He tightened the head scarf on his hair tightly and pulled up the mask built into his uniform, covering his mouth and nose, up to his eyes.