I - A Day with Shien

"Look, Mom!"

"Yes, Shien, my Little Chickadee?"

"The chickadees love our birdhouse!" The black-haired Shien jumped into the grassy backyard, chasing the flying, chirping chickadee parents.

"That's so sweet, my Little Chickadee," Isrina adjusted her red braided hair.

Her son's brown eyes followed the tiny, round birds with black and white head stripes. Shien smiled as the black-capped chickadees carried twigs into the little blue, wooden birdhouse. He and his mother worked hard to build it together.

Isrina carried two cups of green tea, one for herself and the other for her dear only son. Dressed in comfortable kimonos, the two sat on their backyard bench. Isrina blinked her blue eyes at the chickadee couple that sang their hearts out to each other.

"Don't they look happy?" Shien drank his tea.

Isrina patted Shien's head. "Yes, they do."

The two relaxed, enjoying the sight of the diligent chickadee parents soaring within the sunny sky. Shien grabbed a small booklet and pen, journaling his observations of the chickadee family. After all, Shien is studying to be an ornithologist.

"Shien, these two chickadees have been with us for a while. Shouldn't we name them?" Isrina asked.

Her son nodded, writing possible name pairs for the chickadee couple in his booklet. "I know! I'll name the male Naku, and I'll name the female Kaku. It's Naku and Kaku!"

"That's a cute name pair for a chickadee couple."

The two finished their tea, watching Naku and Kaku build a nest within the birdhouse.

"How's Uncle Oreic?" Shien asked.

Although Oreic isn't a blood-related uncle, Shien always saw him as one. Oreic is a longtime Vulpi (fox-human) friend, one who helped Isrina care for Shien since he was a baby. He is the Master Magician of the Vulpi, teaching martial arts and magic.

"Oreic has been well," Isrina nodded. "His students love him as always. Did you like his gifts?"

"Yeah! I love the red puffies!"

Isrina watched Shien grab the small plush northern cardinals and scarlet tanagers.

Shien hugged the plush birds Oreic gave him for his recent birthday. "Uncle Oreic loves red, doesn't he?"

"Well, Oreic is a master of fire, Shien."

"True."

Shien's phone rang with a notification. "Oh, right! I'm meeting my friends today in Cyanic Odyssey!"

"Okay, my Little Chickadee," Isrina checked on her phone. "I must be going to work as well. Don't stay too long in the game, okay?"

"Yes, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, my Little Chickadee."

While Isrina went to work, Shien ran into the house to arrange the gifts Oreic gave. He organized his collection of plush sparrows, finches, warblers, and other bird types. After finishing his journal entry on the backyard chickadees, he grabbed a white virtual reality (VR) headset. Shien wore it and lay on his bed, closing his eyes to enter the game world, Cyanic Odyssey.

***

After logging in, Shien awoke on the rocky outskirts of Tetrachrome City. The game's main city was filled with colorful skyscrapers and bustling outdoor shops, where players and non-player character (NPC) androids interacted. Players in Cyanic Odyssey appear as themselves in real life instead of avatars.

Shien hopped with a smile, eager to meet his friends. He wore his favorite blue martial arts robe with a black-capped chickadee embroidery. He skipped across the noisy streets of players shopping for items and equipment, looking for his two friends.

He finally spotted his android NPC friend, Phoenicia. She was a healer droid with gray hair and green eyes, wearing a green cybernetic uniform and a gray skirt. Phoenicia was waiting for Shien.

"Phoenicia!" Shien waved.

"Now, where would that noise be coming from?" Phoenicia turned to Shien's direction, looking around.

Shien pouted. "I'm right in front of you! Are you doing that on purpose?"

Phoenicia grinned at Shien. "Oh, I had full knowledge of your presence. I have difficulty searching players lacking in height."

"Yeah, right, tin can," Shien elbowed her.

Shien's height is five feet two inches, smaller than the average male height. His friends love to tease him for fun.

"Calling me a tin can is a rather derogatory statement," Phoenicia fist-bumped Shien.

"Ow," Shien massaged his hand.

"I recommend you refrain from fist-bumping me if you feel it may result in a hand injury."

"Nah, punching metal is good exercise for a martial artist."

After teasing each other like normal, Shien and Phoenicia walked across the outdoor shops to find their last friend.

"Enshiron might be running his bar as usual," Shien pointed down the busy streets.

"That would be a logical assumption," Phoenicia stretched her arms. "Shall we drink cocktails together?"

"You read my mind."

Shien gasped, staring at a gray pigeon walking within the crowded street.

"I infer your love for birds just activated, correct?" Phoenicia smiled.

"Cute puffy! It's a rock dove!" Shien giddily hopped after the pigeon.

Phoenicia rolled her eyes, knowing Shien's love for birds. The two friends raced after the pigeon, careful not to bump into the customers. Suddenly, Shien bumped into a Vulpi girl wearing a blue tank top and brown shorts. The pigeon cooed and flew off as Shien tumbled onto the girl.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" The white-haired Vulpi pushed Shien.

"Sorry! We were chasing a pigeon!" Shien huffed. "You okay?"

"Can't you see where you're going, shortie?" The Vulpi girl with white fox ears and tail growled.

"Who are you calling short?" Shien snapped.

"You, tiny! Got a problem with that?" The Vulpi girl glared with her purple eyes, towering over Shien with her superior height.

Uh oh. This is going to be entertaining. Phoenicia held her laugh.

"Yeah, in fact, I do have a problem with that! Did your tiny brain just process that?" Shien glared at the Vulpi. "You know, big height doesn't mean big brain!"

"Are you saying I'm stupid?" The Vulpi girl swiped her finger, activating a menu tab to summon her machete. "I'll trounce you, shortie!"

"Call me short one more time, I dare you, whatever name you have!" Shien swiped a tab to equip his dark gloves.

"I do have a name. My name's Elysia! Bring it on, half pint!"

"My name is Shien! Not half pint, you dumb fox!" Shien swiveled his elbows into position.

Phoenicia was entertained by the tension, knowing that Shien getting mad for being called short is always a funny scene. Meanwhile, the shopping crowds paid no mind since street brawls weren't new in Cyanic Odyssey. The people simply moved away as Shien stuck his tongue at Elysia.

"That's it!" Elysia swung her machete at him.

Shien dodged it and clenched a fist. "Avian Form: Shoebill Thunderforce!"

With the bird-themed martial arts he learned from his mother, Shien threw a hard punch at Elysia's waist, sending her flying into a fruit stall. Elysia lost a chunk of health points (HP).

Elysia backflipped herself up. "Don't underestimate me! My blade has poison magic!"

"Ooo, I'm so scared," Shien taunted.

"Oh, I'll scare you, tiny!" Elysia slashed at Shien in a flurry of strikes.

Shien evaded her strikes, sneaking punches and kicks at Elysia to damage her. However, Elysia's blade released purple poison droplets wherever it went. A few drops stung Shien, inflicting poison that sapped his HP.

"Avian Form: Woodpecker Beak Strikes!" Shien closed his hands into beak shapes, striking Elysia many times. "Avian Form: Cardinal's Talon!"

Shien stood on his hands, swinging his leg in a helicopter kick that pushed Elysia back. Elysia retreated, noticing her HP was low. She swiped a tab to get a healing potion. Elysia drank, but her HP didn't recover.

"What the?" Elysia blinked as Shien aimed a finger strike at her belly.

"Avian Form: Hummingbird's Tongue!" Shien curled his index finger to strike a painful blow.

Elysia coughed blood as her HP bar lowered into the critical red zone. A player's HP bar changes color depending on how much HP is left. Green shows high HP, yellow shows about half HP left, and red indicates critically low HP.

"Why didn't my HP recover?" Elysia huffed.

Shien showed Elysia his black gloves. "I brought this fancy gear. These gloves inflict Anti-Heal when combined with martial arts. Pretty cool, huh?"

"No fair! You've got to be kidding me!"

The two breathed in exhaustion. Shien's HP was slowly poisoned into the yellow zone, and Elysia's HP was low in the red zone.

"You know, Elysia. Despite your lousy attitude, this has been fun," Shien smiled. "Don't you think?"

Elysia blinked, not expecting a comment. "I-I guess it was a good exercise, short stack."

"Congratulations, you nearly tempted me to finish you off," Shien's eye twitched.

Phoenicia looked at her watch. "Shien, I'm entertained by this duel, but we are ten minutes late. I don't wish to keep Enshiron waiting."

"Sure! Ow!" Shien felt the poison sting him. "Uh, little help, Phoenicia? And heal grumpy Elysia."

"I'm not grumpy, short stack!" Elysia stammered.

Phoenicia nodded, facing her palms at Shien and Elysia to activate her healing abilities. Her hands emitted green light as she pressed buttons on her wrist gear. The light cured Shien from poison, healed Elysia's wounds, and restored their HP to maximum in the green zone. Elysia gasped, impressed with Phoenicia's healing.

"You're the best!" Shien fist-bumped Phoenicia, massaging his hand afterward. "Ow."

"My pleasure," Phoenicia nodded. "Aren't you two satisfied with your care?"

"Yeah!" Shien turned to Elysia. "Aren't you?"

"Y-yeah," Elysia twitched her fox ears. "Thank you, Phoenicia."

"Of course, now we must meet Enshiron," Phoenicia elbowed Shien.

"Yes! Elysia, want to come with us for a drink?" Shien invited.

"Huh?" Elysia crossed her arms. "Why would you ask me?"

"I thought since we had a good exercise, we could enjoy cocktails together."

The Vulpi girl hesitated. It had been a long time since she had friends to drink with.

"Well, if you think you're so high and mighty, we can just go without you," Shien smirked.

Elysia tackled him. "Fine! I'll go! You know how to rub me the wrong way, shortie!"

"I'm not short!" Shien yanked her fox ears. "Bring it on, scaredy cat!"

"Ow! You're one vertically challenged brat!"

"Just another day with Shien," Phoenicia rolled her eyes as Shien and Elysia bickered toward Enshiron's bar. "What an unlikely friendship."