Chapter 11 - The Stench of Blood
Sun slowly descends towards the shore below. Upon landing, Yuyu jumps free from his hands and rushes towards the water. Lia, having gotten over her fear of flight, was feeling much better than yesterday. She lets go of Sun's shoulders and lands comfortably on the sand.
Lia stands there in awe as the salty sea air fills her lungs. She gazes at the vast expanse of water before her in disbelief.
"It's more beautiful than I imagined," she says.
"It is, isn't it?" Sun smiles at the scene before him.
Lia turns to look at him. Seeing his expression, she trails his gaze towards the water. Her eyes land on Yuyu, laughing and giggling as she plays tag with the waves. Lia smiles, realizing that they were talking about different things.
A sweet dummy.
"Yuyu!" Lia calls out as she runs towards the little girl.
Sun watches Yuyu and Lia as they run back and forth at the shoreline.
"GRAHHH!" The girls growl as they chase a wave back into the sea.
"AHHHHHHHH!" They yell in playful panic as a new wave chases them back to shore.
They repeat the cycle a few times before deciding to let the waves crash into them. While splashing about, Lia pulls the little girl closer and whispers something into her ears. Yuyu nods her eagerly as she listens to her aunty.
"Aunty Liaaaa!" Yuyu calls out to Lia, flailing her arms as if the sea was trying to kidnap her. "Save Yuyuuu! Blub- uh- blub!"
"Oh no! Yuyuuuu!" Lia tries her best to maintain a straight face as she reaches out towards Yuyu.
She grabs Yuyu by the wrists and struggles to pull the little girl back to shore.
"Ahhhh!" She yells as she falls forwards into the water.
"Help us! Someone save us!" The girls call out as they flail their arms in unison.
Watching the overly dramatic scene unfold before him, Sun couldn't help but laugh. He lifts his heels and disappears from where he stood, leaving behind a cloud of sand. A split moment later, he appears in the water behind the girls. The surrounding water jumps into the sky before crashing back down, soaking the trio from head to toe.
"Don't worry," he assures them in an awkward monotone voice. "I'll save you."
Sun reaches down to pick up Yuyu, setting her on his shoulders. Yuyu laughs as she wraps her legs around his chest. He then lifts Lia out of the water, supporting her with one arm under her back and another under her knees. She laughs as he holds her, instinctively wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
***
As the sun dips towards the horizon, the trio stands side by side on the shore. They look out at the sea one last time before turning around and flying off into the golden sky. Knowing that they wouldn't be able to cover much distance before nightfall, Lia suggests looking for proper accommodation. As they approach the Emerald River, she points towards a cluster of lights, proposing to spend the night there. With no other major light clusters in sight, Sun agrees.
The trio slowly descends towards the township. They land in a dimly-lit side-road not too far from the river bank. Yuyu tries to jump out of Sun's arms, as she usually does, but Sun holds onto her. Feeling uncomfortable with the idea of Yuyu running around the unfamiliar streets, he gently sets the little girl down in front of him and pats her head.
"Mister wants to hold Yuyu's hand tonight, is that okay?" He asks while smiling.
"Of course, Mister! Here, Mister can hold this hand." Yuyu places her hand onto Sun's palm. "And aunty Lia can hold this hand."
Lia smiles as she wraps her slender fingers around Yuyu's tiny palm. They make their way out from the side-road onto a busier, brighter, street. Following the flow of traffic, they find themselves in front of a large and lively inn. Catching a whiff of the mouthwatering aroma coming from inside, their stomachs growl.
They step through the entryway and into the dining floor. Patrons chat and laugh while enjoying delicious food and liquor. Seeing the staff running to and fro with urgency, the trio waits patiently by the reception counter.
"Thank you for your patience! What can I do for you?" A young lady asks as she politely bows.
"Are there any rooms available?" Sun asks as he bows back.
"Most of the rooms are already occupied for the night, but we do have some available right now."
"Do any of them have a bath?"
The young lady flips through the book in front of her, running her finger across the list. As the receptionist scans through the room list, Lia tugs on Sun's sleeve. She leans over towards Sun, whispering to him.
"Hey dummy, that's a bit excessive, don't you think?"
"It's okay," he replies, flashing his coin pouch. "Grandpa Liu gave me extra to treat Yuyu."
"Unfortunately, we don't have any rooms with a private bath. Would you be interested in renting a normal room and using the shared baths?"
"That'll work, thank you!" Lia interjects, feeling relieved that there was a more economic option.
The trio follow the young lady as she guides them to their room.
***
The receptionist bows towards the innkeeper before saying goodbye. She picks up two bags, hanging the handles on her shoulder. One bag held her work uniform, while the other held leftover ingredients from the kitchen inn. She makes her way down the street towards the river with a lantern in hand. Upon reaching the river, she turns left, making her way with the river bank as her nightly companion. As she walks further and further away from the township, the frequency of buildings and lanterns become sparser and sparser, until eventually disappearing entirely. The lady continues walking into the night, relying on the moon and a single lantern to light her way.
Back at the inn, Yuyu sleeps peacefully in Lia's embrace. Meanwhile, Sun sits on the rooftop above them. He had been meditating ever since the girls fell into a deep slumber. His eyes flash open as he detects something approaching in the distance. Placing his hand on the ridge of the roof, he encases the entire inn in a protective barrier. Lifting his heel, Sun disappears from the rooftop, reappearing in the sky above. He observes as the three figures rush towards the inn.
The three figures stop on top of the roof where Sun was just sitting. After a short moment, they continue past the inn and into the night. Seeing them disappear, Sun lowers his guard and descends towards the roof.
As he lands, a familiar stench assaults his senses, causing unpleasant memories to flash through his mind.
Blood.