Walking down the streets of the Jifāng district is always an adventure, colorful people and mana entwined wherever you look.

But Raphael was raised in this wonderful place and he was long used to the comings and goings of this crowded maze of wings and halos.

He navigated through the crowd, shop-owners waving at him as they spotted him.

Raphael sent a smile back at all the familiar faces and hurried down a shadowed back street, ducking behind a wall to get out of sight as he followed the path he’d taken the first time he’d met a certain trouble-making ginger.

Sprinting over blackstone pathways and vaulting over weathered walls was fun, the wind rushing through his hair, ruffling his feathers, the sweat cooling on his forehead, he loved it.

So it was almost with disappointment that he’d arrived at his destination.

It was just beyond a couple of rusted fences, rubble scattered where there used to be a high wall keeping people like Raphael away but it’s far gone now.

Still, hidden beyond that rubble and crooked fence laid a beautiful sight, a courtyard, years old, overgrown with waterdrop ferns and moonstone vines.

The combination of cyan-green leaves and stony-gray vines, together with the ever changing shimmer created when Soliel’s light managed to slip through the tall buildings and walls to reach this place, it was truly a special sight.

Raphael’s tensed shoulders loosened at the sight, stepping through the final threshold before this sanctuary, he paused, reaching down to cup an out of place cobalt-gold feather which had found itself at his feet.

“Luhuo-ki…”

A chittering chuckle rang out in front of him, “Now what do we have here? A certain someone finally found time to meet up with me?”

Raphael’s head shot up from the feather in his palm, rubbing it as he greeted, “Luhuo, long time no pulse.”

They both let out a mana pulse and got close for a wing rustle before Raphael continued, “How about we sit down first? I’m afraid I didn’t come to meet just for the fun of it.”

Luhuo tilted his head, squinting at Raphael’s serious expression.

Raphael ignored his curiosity, grabbing a shoulder and insistently guiding the body it was attached to towards what remained of an old wall that was as good as anything to lean back at to talk.

“So?” The ginger impatiently said as soon as they had sat down.

Raphael stalled, he didn’t want to talk about this, but he didn’t really have a choice.

Leaning back on the crumbling wall, Raphael let out a silent breath which was almost a sigh.

“So remember what you told me when I found you hiding from your brother?” Raphael’s tone was loose, conversational, deliberately so, as if this wasn’t a topic which had Luhuo tensing next to him.

“What was it you said? Something like, “if you keep your mouth shut about this I’ll owe you a favor, a whatever-you-want kind of favor?” Well. I’m calling in that favor.” Shuffling against the wall, Raphael let his gaze wander as he avoided looking at his friend.

Voice at a subtly higher pitch and dry, Luhuo asked, “What ya’ calling it in for?”

Raphael closed his eyes, still faced away from Luhuo’s, “I- I’ve been sponsored by a noble clan-”

There was a rush of wind and cracking of bone as Luhuo’s neck and body snapped to face Raphael.

“-the Jihuǒ’àos to be exact.” Raphael finished.

It was silent. A falling feather could have been heard in that courtyard.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Even as Raphael cracked open his eyes to turn back and peek at him, Luhuo’s face was expressionless, eyes a storming sea.

A hand was laid on Raphael’s shoulder, the fingers digging in as a heavy pressure was released from the fuming, but still inscrutable, ginger.

“Wukong’er?” Raphael broke the silence.

Luhuo’s answer was steady, calm, deliberately so, “How? How did you gain their attention?”

Raphael steeled his back and got ready to answer but before he could, “Wait. Don’t answer that. The theatre, you’re a gōngzhě, of course. Of course, it would have been you.”

There was a faint crackling of static, the air grew humid, the surroundings almost screaming, ‘enraged magus here! Stay away!’

The fingers digging into Raphael’s shoulder were almost tearing skin now, but he didn’t say anything, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be a good idea.

Suddenly- Luhuo burst into laughter.

“Hah- Hah- Hahahaha-” He finally released his vice-grip on Raphael’s shoulder, instead, clutching his middle while the other hand went up to cover his face and eyes.

It was now raining. Not true rain. No, just a miniature rainstorm. Localized around the two of them.

“Why! Why you?! Why can’t that group of Arnic-winged just leave one good thing left in this sky-forsaken life?!”

Luhuo was sobbing. Raphael couldn’t see it through the heavy storm but he could hear the choking breaths and stuttered cries.

Squinting his eyes and holding an arm over them, Raphael pushed a hand through it all to grab the one Luhuo had wrapped around himself.

Shaking him as he said, “Hey! Shells-for-brains! Hey! If you don’t stop, those Arnics won’t even have to do anything to me, I’ll keel over right here! I swear to great Soliel! Lan Luhuo! If you don’t calm down- I will jinx you!”

The storm lessened. Luhuo was freezing where Raphael could feel him, they both were. Shivering together as the winds slowed and water settled.

“For Soliel’s sake Luhuo, did you have to have that big of a breakdown?”

Raphael’s question was met with a withering glare which, yea, guess he did deserve that. If it was any of the others which had told him something similar, his reaction would probably be even worse.

“Okay, yea, yea. I know. But I really need you to help me figure something out here. Ya know I only have ya as someone even remotely bright-feathered.”

Luhuo twitched at the term, “Shut ya’ beak. Ya know I hate being associated with those hypocrites.”

“Yea, but ya still a part of them!” Raphael fired back.

Frowning at Raphael’s words, Luhuo ignored him, “This is gonna be a big f*cking mess. Have you told your flock yet?”

Raphael very tellingly stayed silent at the very reasonable question.

“Ah. And there’s yet another problem.”

Luhuo pressed back into the wall, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging them.

“Any more wildly problematic surprises you have for me? You a celestial-blessed? Touched-by-Fate? Friend of the High Commander?”

The more Luhuo talked, the more Raphael shrunk where he sat.

“Right. Right. Okay. The Jihuǒ’àos. Cool. The narcissistic pyromaniacs who also like to burn wings and pluck out feathers.”

Raphael was now almost in the spawning position.

“Things are never easy for you. Are they, Little Bird? I’m going to have to ask around and see what I can do. Do you know how long you have until you have to report there?”

Raphael perked up at the answerable question, “Kestli, this Beihiln.”

Luhuo let out a frustrated groan, “That’s not enough time at all! I would be mad at you for the short timeframe but this probably isn’t your fault… D*mn- Lord Sky above- D*mn it!”

Raphael whined, he didn’t like seeing Luhuo like this, “I’m sorry. I didn’t- If I had known- I should have denied the position.”

Luhuo startled, “No! What are you apologizing for! This isn’t your fault. Blame those d*mn arnic sh*ts. Ya love dancing. That promotion was well earned!”

Raphael managed a weak smile at the praise.

“And- Even if ya hadn’t taken the promotion. It would have only delayed it. It’s my fault that I hadn’t thought about the possibility- F*ck. D*mn arnics!” Luhuo continued.

It was Raphael’s turn to laugh, “Heh- It’s also not your fault, Luhuo-ki. None of us could have thought- Thank you. For helping me through this.”

It was Luhuo who went in for a hug first but Raphael was the one who threw himself into his arms.

They stayed like that.

For a long, long time.

There were still things that needed to be spoken, plans to be made, contingencies to flesh out, a lot to do. But, for now, they’ll bask in this short reprieve, one from his future, one from his reality.

This courtyard was hidden, secret, a sanctuary. Here, they are safe, protected, invisible. No one can betittle them, hurt them, scar them. Here, they’ll keep each other safe within wings and arms.

Sunlight weaved through tall grey buildings, trickling through the overgrown foliage of the courtyard, finally settling on a pair of figures surrounded by remnants of a personal storm.

The ruby red of setting Soliel reflected off the puddled water, creating brilliant fractals of rose light which caught on the waterdrop ferns around the pair, and those ferns then contributed their cyan patterns, akin to teardrop stars, to the brilliant picture that the scene painted.

Let us hope that bright picture isn’t a harbinger to a tragic one.