Izai studied his reflection in the fountain. His new haircut and rented tux – more expensive than just buying a cheap suit – made him look better, though he felt uncomfortable. The night was cold, the beginning weeks of Nonary kind of cold that even his oversized grey coat couldn’t ward off, no matter how tightly he pulled it around him.
Around him, Kin arrived in pairs, groups, and families, all heading into the Yuna Theatre. Its façade was dressed in red and black posters for the Libri Circus. Izai stepped closer to inspect them. The Libri wore costumes like they were still in the Dominion Epoch, the poster showing a silhouette of Tatu in a temple.
‘The Cassia Varro Company Presents: The Divine Wars: A Dreamer’s Saga and Voyage into the Stars and Beyond,’ it read.
‘Kind of a mouthful,’ Izai thought.
“Great,” grumbled an old man next to him. “Another Divine Wars story.” He shot Izai a wide smile. “You’d think it’s the only time period that ever existed.”
Izai nodded. It was true. Most of the historical movies, books, and comic books he read were all set in that epoch.
“I want to see something about Arukineos falling, you know?” the old man muttered. “Anything else really.”
“Yeah, same,” Izai said, though he figured a story about a fallen nation and millions of Kin stuck in subpar conditions wouldn’t exactly be riveting. “Or maybe something from the Mythic Epoch.”
“Ehhh…” the man waved his hand dismissively, shuffling off with the tip of his cane clacking against the ground. “Too little action for me. Lots of those moronic rotten fruit you call gods…” his voice faded as he walked away.
Izai felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned, there she was – Kenai. A glimpse of red peeked from under her beige coat. He found it hard to meet her eyes for more than a second without needing to smile.
They shared an awkward hug before heading inside.
‘Tell her she looks beautiful,’ he thought as they checked their coats. He could see her dress more clearly now, but the words were stuck in his throat.
“Shall we?” she asked, and they moved toward their seats.
He debated saying it the entire walk to their row. Now it felt too late. But as they sat, and the image of the Libri girl on the Air-Canoe appeared on the curtains, he remembered how much scarier his real life was compared to this.
“You look beautiful, by the way,” he whispered.
“Thank you,” she smiled. “You look quite handsome yourself.”
Relief washed over him. The lights dimmed, and the Libri Orchestra began to tune. Slowly, music filled the theatre.
“This is… fancy,” Kenai whispered.
Izai had expected something simpler when Tai handed him the tickets. Maybe a KY fighter performance or something less serious. But when the first Libri girl floated into the audience and hit a high note, he realized he was watching a musical – just the one thing he can’t stand.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
As the performance went on, the story eventually became clearer. It was about a Libri girl wanting to join the Libri Flying Forces, only to be rejected for being just a Pusher. Cue sad music and even sadder lyrics.
She ends up joining a group of singing pirates, and they embark on an adventure delivering supplies between Arukineos and the Vas Atoro Empire. By intermission, Izai had pieced it together.
During the break, he noticed a tall Kaisita woman and a shorter Porenadi man – it could only be Olav and Laelia. They exchanged awkward greetings, drinks in hand.
“So… did you know it was a musical?” Olav asked.
“Would I be here if I did?” Izai replied.
“It’s really not that bad actually,” Kenai said, smiling.
“It’s propaganda,” Laelia chimed in, blunt as always.
“Really?” Kenai asked. “How so?”
Laelia didn’t elaborate and left an awkward silence hanging in the air.
“Wait,” Kenai squinted at Olav. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
Izai jumped in, “He’s got that default Porenadi face.”
Olav shrugged. “True, I’m as regular as they come.”
The way Olav had said that, with that brief glance, made it click for Izai. He had dragged Olav into all this nonsense, only to leave him stuck in a dead-end security gig while he got to explore his powers, paired with a future full of options.
Before he could say more, the intermission ended.
The second act was better. Less singing, more action. The pirates’ Air-Ship crashes, and the lead Libri girl is captured by a Hanu man, who belts out a song about his fallen royal lineage and current life as a mercenary slave.
“Your ancestor!” A voice rang out from the audience. Izai knew it was Olav. It was followed by immediate shushes. This wasn’t the Yanesu of the Gale-Port fame. But Ikayi Yanesu – Izai’s supposed ancestor. His father had always reminded him of it: “While the other Yanesus lived in the glory of their ancestors, we’ve had to fight for everything ever since the Red Nuns pricked our forefather’s thumb and put that talisman around his neck.”
The rest of the show was a blur. The lead Libri girl and the Hanu fall in love, of course they do, she ends up dying in his arms after a MegaFolk attack, and the show ends with Ikayi picking up his Polearm and marching towards the Sagranha Mountain to have the final showdown with his brother and sister.
In the lobby, a crowd gathered around Izai. Olav mouthed ‘sorry’ as Izai shot him a death glare. ‘Why did you have to bring that up?’
Questions came flying.
“Are you related to him?”
“Does that mean you’re part Folkling?”
“Actually, we call them Libri now! How’d you like it if they called you –”
The crowd came at him slowly like a horde of Risen until they backed him into a corner. Still hammering questions at him. And then – everything stopped.
The crowd froze, mid-sentence, mid-motion, as if they had been put in Cell-Lock.
Footsteps echoed, growing louder. Durai Li, dressed in a very expensive looking tuxedo, stepped into view. A wicked smile spread across his face.
“You smell familiar,” he said, circling Izai. “And so does your Porenadi friend. Why?”
Izai was still frozen. His confidence evaporated. Durai seemed to grow larger, looming over him like a shadow. Suddenly, Izai was back in the hangar where they’d stolen the Solar-Pearl necklace.
“There it is,” Durai grinned. “Bring back my wife’s possession. Or else.”
Everything came back to him in a rush. The crowd was staring down at him as he staggered, trying to stand up.
“Junkie. Just like his father,” someone muttered.
“Oh really? Who’s his father?” another voice asked.
“From kings to generals to gangsters to junkies. How sad,” one of Durai Li’s goons said smiling, shaking her head.
The crowd dispersed, leaving Izai with Kenai, who tried to lift him by the arm. “Are you okay?”
Izai rubbed the back of his head. “I think so… I don’t know what happened.”
“You kinda just froze for a minute there buddy, eyes wide opened, and then collapsed.”
He scanned the room. Olav looked just as confused while Laelia was trying to help him stand up. Near the exit, Durai Li held up his arm and tapped his wristwatch and smiled at Izai.