Towards the east of New Hope City, two carriages make their way westwards, chasing after the setting sun. Lively chatter fills the first carriage, occasionally breaking into full laughter. Atop the second carriage, a man with long dark hair sits cross-legged, staring at the cluster of lanterns in the distance. His heartbeat quickens upon seeing the corner of a grand lake.
Inside, a lady tends to a young girl lying unconscious at the center of the carriage. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she leans towards the corner, gazing out the window as the scenery passes by. Hearing the muffled laughter ahead, she slides the window open and sticks her head out to better enjoy their melody. Her white hair cascades against the side of the carriage, fluttering occasionally against the passing breeze.
As they make their way along the southern bank of the lake, the man gazes at the reflections of lanterns lining the tranquil water. And as the lanterns pass by, the melodic sound of giggles and laughter brings a smile to his face.
The hectic flailing of arms appears in the corner of his eyes, causing him to break his gaze away from the lake and look ahead. Hanging outside the left carriage door, a boy with short hair grins at him. Under the boy's arm, another boy–bearing striking resemblance to someone he once knew–nervously smiles, averting his eyes towards the road.
A pair of arms reach around the short hair boy, locking up before dragging the troublemaker back into the carriage. After a short moment, a girl sticks her head out the window before turning to him with an apologetic smile. Through the other window on the same side, another girl smiles softly at him as a pair of light blue earrings sway beneath her ears.
On the right side, a boy winces in pain as he tries to move his splinted arm. A pair of slim arms reach towards his elbow, supporting him in his endeavor. After a short moment, the owner of the slim arms sticks her head out the window beside the bow, grinning as her dark hair flutters in the breeze.
The man chuckles, waving back at the lively bunch.
[https://i.ibb.co/R36t1Vr/Swordand-Crownseparator.png]
Following sunset, a young lady pats herself clean upon completing her task of tidying up the store. She turns towards the woman inside the shop, smiling as she bows farewell. The woman smiles back, waving as the young lady sets off. As the young lady disappears into the night, the woman sighs, concerned about the look in the young lady’s eyes.
Despite being out of the way, the young lady makes her way towards Lake Unity. Her steps slow as she approaches a large banyan tree, cheerfully waving towards the group of elderly men playing chess. They wave back, gesturing for her to join them. She obliges, making her way towards the lanterns lining the lake. A pair of blue jade sway beneath her ears, growing brilliant as she steps into the lantern’s light.
“Kyugugu Those earrings look good on you, girl.” The elderly man comments as he resets the chess pieces before him.
The other elderly men glance over at the earrings. Their eyes show a flash of shock before breaking their gaze away. Their lips curl into a smile as they continue their match.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Come, play a match with me.” The elderly man who spoke initially gestures for her to take a seat. The young lady smiles, nodding politely before taking a seat across from him. After setting the pieces in place, his cheerful eyes suddenly grow sharp. “Don’t go easy on me now, girl. I’ve gotten much better since that match.”
“I would never.” The young lady covers her lips as she chuckles. “What will it be, grandpa Piao? Black or red?”
“Kyugugu! Just the act of offering shows how much you’re underestimating me!” Piaoyun’s sharp gaze disappears as he laughs heartily at the unintentional provocation. “Very well then, I’ll take red again.”
He places two fingers atop a Soldier and slides it forwards. The young lady mirrors his action, doing the same to her own Soldier on the other side of the board. As their match plays out, the wrinkle between Piaoyun’s brows grows increasingly deep, accentuated by the angle at which the lantern lights up his face.
After a tumultuous back and forth, the young lady smiles upon seeing victory in five moves. She reaches out towards the weakened right side of the battlefield, pushing her Soldier onto the final line.
“Bīng Pào.”
A gust of wind passes by, filling the air with the melodic rustling of leaves, as she reaches for her defeated Cannon. Upon picking up the piece, her hand floats back towards the Soldier. Just as she extends her fingers to exchange the pieces’ positions, a voice causes her to freeze.
“Lia?”
Upon hearing the voice, her heart skips. Stops.
A brown banyan leaf breaks away from its home, wandering off along with the wind. As she turns towards the direction of the voice, the banyan leaf passes in front of her. And as the leaf passes with the wind, a single teardrop escapes the corner of her eye.
She watches with hazy sights as a man leaps off the top of a carriage before making his way towards her. She opens her mouth to call his name, but nothing comes out. As the carriages continue on, she rises to her feet. Without waiting for him to reach her, she drops the Cannon piece in her hands and runs towards him.
He bends his knees slightly as she jumps towards him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. A smile sweeps across his face as his arms gently wraps around her, straightening his knees and lifting her off her feet. The world around them falls silent as they embrace each other. Amidst the silence, her tears break from their restraint, flowing down her face and onto his shoulder.
Feeling her trembling fade after a long embrace, he gently sets her back onto the ground. He places his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her up from her slouch. She fights him, digging her forehead into his chest as her balled up hands flail against his chest. As her attacks slow to a stop, he tries again to push her upright.
Fighting a losing battle, she keeps her gaze low as her forehead leaves the warmth of his chest, biting her lip as she tries to hide her tears. He bends his knee, lowering himself into her line of sight. Whilst folding his sleeve between his fingers, he gazes up at her. With the sleeve between his fingers, he wipes away her tears. His eyes curl into a crescent, smiling as she finally looks back at him.
She gasps, heaving for air to fill her absent chest. The brisk autumn air fills her lungs, helping to calm her racing heart.
With her face free of tears, she lifts her hand to hit him one more time. With her heart free from worry, she finally surrenders to the infectious smile before her.
Instinctively, she mirrors him- her eyes curling into a crescent as a smile sweeps across her face.
“Welcome home… Dummy.”
END
of
VOLUME 2: OATHBREAKER