26 Sword dance?!

'What the hell did Malakhi Zero want from a place like this?' 

Jian Yu heaved out a deep sigh. Going to a place like that when the sun was still high up bounded to earn him weird looks. 

He folded the small piece of paper in his hand and slipped it back inside his pocket. Adjusting the box in his arms, his stomach decided to announce its existence by grumbling loudly. 

He hadn't managed to grab breakfast before he was hauled to do some errands and now it was past lunchtime. 

Deciding on a light meal, his legs had brought him to the center of the town, the crowdest part of it.

The central plaza. A big public square in the town, many artists gathered here to share their pieces, showing off their talent by doing attractions. 

He looked around in interest. It was packed with people and the remnants of yesterday's celebration were still there. 

And as Jian Yu predicted, the gossip about the fire was like a cake fresh from the oven. Everyone was talking about it! 

He stopped in front of a bakery shop and bought a 30 cm baguette. He hoped this small meal could fill the blackhole he possessed called stomach. 

He searched for a quiet place to enjoy his meal. Sitting down on a wooden bench placed around the gigantic fountain in the middle of the town, he watched people busied themselves while he munched on his meal. 

The sound of the roaring whitewaters cascading down into the pool-sized basin played their part perfectly as the background music. 

Enjoying the scenery, he bit onto the baguette and winced. 

'Damn, this baguette is really hard!'

He wondered if he had dislocated his jaws. He could feel his gums cursing profanities at him by now, but that didn't stop him from eating and Jian Yu inhaled the whole thing within minutes. 

He was wiping his mouth with the handkerchief when someone called him. 

"Jian Yu, is that you?" 

Turning, he saw Zeke standing across from him, his face shining bright as ever. As if Zeke was thrilled seeing him, his face lit up even more.

"It is you!" He waved and bounded over like an excited puppy. With him were several other young men and women. 

All Alphas. 

Among them, he could recognize Mika and Jeon Dong-Hyun. 

"Who is this guy, Roderick?" 

"He--"

"He is the blueballer my poor best friend is suffering from! Huang Jian Yu, the one I am telling you lots about!" Mika, the oh-ever-so-friendly human being existed, called out. 

He swung his arms over Jian Yu's shoulder as he introduced him. Zeke had choked on his saliva, his jade eyes shook. 

Confused as ever, Jian Yu could only offer a polite smile. He had no idea what they had talked about him and he didn't even want to know. 

Dong-Hyun came over to greet him personally which he returned the same way. His eyes trailed to Zeke, only to see him avoiding eye contact with a face so red that it could put a tomato to shame. 

Arms still around his shoulder, Mika leaned closer. "Hey, hey! Are you busy? Yes? No? Come and join us!" 

A hand reached over and pulled Mika's ear. "Stop badgering him! He has no time for you and what's with your choppy sentence? I bet he didn't get what you are saying at all! Cause, even I don't!" 

Dong-Hyun pulled Mika by his ear away from Jian Yu, ignoring Mika's cries of pain. 

Jian Yu sighed in relief. The strong smell of Mika's Alpha pheromones was intense, probably because Mika just has his rut. 

The smell lingered even after Mika had got off him. 

Zeke had hovered warily from a distance until he stood close enough to Jian Yu. When he was able to sniff Mika's scent coming from Jian Yu, his eyes narrowed. 

Zeke heard a low growl and it took him a moment to realize that it was coming out of his own throat. He hurriedly put a stop to the sound. 

He did not need to give people the impression that he was some kind of psycho, standing around making angry noises at no one.

"Join what?" 

He heard Jian Yu asked. 

"It's a duel tournament," Dong-Hyun explained. 

Jian Yu made an 'ah' expression which Zeke found really adorable. Jian Yu finally recalled the duel tournament. 

It was usually held here, at the central plaza. Duel tournaments were held twice a year. One had become a tradition every year after the annual celebration that every Alpha from each family would gather and have a duel. 

To prove their swordsmanship. 

Before, Betas and Omegas were allowed to join, but none of them could ever beat the power of Alphas, hence it ended up just Alphas joining the tournament. 

The other one was held by the Zariya College during graduations. 

"Would you like to join?" A man in his mid-twenties suddenly moved forward and asked. "I heard you are Lady Zero's Beta bodyguard." 

Jian Yu glanced at the man talking to him. 

Blond hair and emerald eyes. 

Must be a Llyod. 

When the man noticed that Jian Yu had yet to reply, he chuckled. "Please excuse my manner, I am Aloysius Lloyd." 

He reached a hand out for Jian Yu to shake which Jian Yu did. "Huang Jian Yu." 

'Oh, he is polite, unlike his younger sister.' 

"I am sorry, but I will have to decline. I still have to run an errand for Lord Zero," Jian Yu bowed his head, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. 

Receiving groans of disappointment especially from Mika who voiced his out vocally, he hurriedly retreated himself. 

The smell of Alphas crowding him like that was also making him uneasy. 

Truthfully, he had intended to watch. He could learn a few tricks just from watching them fight. He crossed over the stone bridge that was elegantly arched over the trail of the river. 

"Jian Yu!" 

He paused and turned. Who was calling him? "Jian Yu, wait up!" 

Zeke rushed to his side and bent over, panting. 

Jian Yu raised his eyebrows. "What are you doing here?" 

"You are running an errand for Lord Zero? Let me accompany you!" 

"Shouldn't you be… With them? What about the tournament?" Jian Yu asked. 

"That? It's not like they could win against me," Zeke puffed up his chest when he said it, looking proud of himself. 

"Aren't you quite full of yourself, Sir Roderick?" Jian Yu chuckled. 

"This Sir Roderick has never lost against anyone before!" Zeke declared. 

"Oh, really?" 

"Is that a challenge I see?" Zeke wiggled his eyebrows. 

"Let's have a duel, then," Jian Yu offered. "Well, I did owe you a game before. Let's settle with this." 

"I prefer having a sword dance with you though," Zeke muttered under his breath. 

Apparently, Jian Yu heard him loud and clear. "Sword dance? Are you trying to be a finch?" 

This time, Zeke didn't only choke, but also cough until his eyes watered. "Why… Would I be… Finch?"

He looked scandalous at that. Finches were tiny little birds!! 

"I am joking," Jian Yu replied nonchalantly. 

"I know! But still..." After calming down from his coughing fit, Zeke suggested. 

"Let's have a bet then." 

Jian Yu made a gesture for Zeke to continue. 

"Losers do whatever the winner wants."

"Aren't you a bit childish?" Jian Yu laughed. 

Zeke merely shrugged his shoulder, snickering. "Scared?"

Jian Yu twitched at that. The nerve he had to taunt him. 

"Deal." 

Zeke smirked at that. "My shoulders are all yours if you need a place to cry on."