Hard to forget someone like her

“Mother, may I ask you something?” Lingshi hesitated in the doorway until Jie looked up at him with a welcoming smile.

“Of course, you may,” she replied, kneading a large amount of dough on the kitchen worktop. “You know how much I love your questions.”

With flour all over her hands and her hair pulled up into a messy, dull blonde bun, she couldn't have been more different from his father. The little elf smiled and climbed up onto a wooden stool opposite her.

“What happened to the other Dark elves?” he asked once he was comfortable.

Jie hesitated as she scooped the dough up and threw it against the well-floured counter but her voice remained calm.

“Have you asked your father about it?” Her blue eyes flickered towards him and he nodded. “What did he say?”

“He didn't say much.” Lingshi's ears dropped at the memory. He etched pictures of a lake and stars into a patch of undisturbed flour close to him. “Just that there was an accident and most of them died.”

“Well, we're not really sure what happened there either,” she replied. “But it sounds like it was a terrible accident.”

“What kind of accident? Father told me to stop asking about it.”

“Some say an old artefact broke and its soul-magic created a disaster during the festival,” she told him, her movements forceful yet somehow not threatening as she pressed her fist into the dough repeatedly.

“Can a broken artefact really cause that much damage?” he asked

She shook her head. “It seems like it.”

“But it ruined half of Muzai,” he insisted. “Can items really hold that much soul-magic?”

“Those made by guardians can,” she said. “But they don't pour as much into the devices we make ourselves. The materials usually can't handle it and it's safer that way.”

“What else do you think could have happened that day?” he asked, pushing her grey flour pot closer to her hand right before she reached for it. “If it wasn't an artefact?”

“I don't know how true it is but some –” Jie swallowed as her heartbeat sped up. He tuned the sound out to pay better attention to her words. “– some believe a guardian lost control of their soul-magic and nearly blew the whole place up but the other elves managed to stop it before it was too late.”

“How did they lose control of it though?” He glanced down at his powerless hands. “It's really hard to make it show up in the first place. How can it be hard to make it go away too?”

“Maybe it's not that hard for guardians who already know how to use it,” said Jie gently. “And whoever it was must have been a very powerful guardian indeed so they would have had a lot more magic to control.”

“I'm glad I don't have to worry about that happening to me.” He propped his head up with both hands. “But is there any way to stop a guardian from losing control?”

“I don't really know much about them, dearie,” admitted his mother as she placed the dough in a big brown bowl and covered it with a rose-patterned cloth. “Only that they can use soul-magic and that they're all here to protect us humans.”

“All?” Lingshi sighed. “All except me, it seems.”

Her expression softened as she washed and dried her hands, then placed one atop his head.

“You don't need to have magic, Lingshi,” she said. “There are many different ways to keep people safe.”

*

The fan was half as tall as the giant holding it and made of dark wood with golden bladed edges and words etched into its length.

The humans who had been knocked over by the strong wave of wind slowly picked themselves back up again, confused but otherwise unharmed.

“Are you okay, kind sir?” asked the giant, glancing backwards when Lingshi didn't answer straight away.

“Oh yes,” said the elf, one hand still pushed into the void-pocket of his robe. “I am. Thank you.”

“That's a nice artefact you've got there,” said the dragon lady, lifting her chin as her scent lessened significantly. “It's been a while since I've seen one wielded like a weapon by a commoner.”

“The streets aren't as safe as they used to be, miss,” said the giant lowering his semi-closed fan. “For both commoners and humans, it seems.”

“That's why I'm here,” she said. “I need to have a word with that elf behind you.”

She knows!

Lingshi drew an artefact from his pocket but refrained from whispering the word that would activate it as he hid it in his sleeve.

“If you simply wanted to speak to him, we wouldn't have a problem here, miss,” said the giant. “But releasing that scent so close to these humans is against the law.”

“Are you a Warden, mister giant?” The dragon lady's vivid stare skimmed him from head to toe.

“You don't have to be a Warden to look out for others,” he said, “Even if you're not strictly of guardian blood, you're still not allowed to expose humans to any kind of harm without a proper reason.”

“So you're not a Warden?” she asked with a faint smirk that seemed to be disguising something else less self-assured.

“I'd be more than happy to take you to them, if I have to.” He shrugged and his casual confidence was as frustrating as it was admirable. “Or I could ask someone else call them here.”

All around them, everyone else in the market was now moving so slowly that they appeared to be standing still. Lingshi's chest tightened. He didn't need to look at the giant's face to know his eyes were shining.

“A time spell?” said the dragon lady, echoing his thoughts. “You must be a fairly strong guardian blood to pull off something like that on such a big crowd. It's weird that you haven't joined the local unit.”

“Like I said before, the streets haven't been very safe recently,” said the giant. “The humans will only worry more if they think us guardian bloods have lost trust among ourselves.”

“But isn't that why you cast this spell?” She gestured at their surroundings with a hand. “Because you don't trust me?”

“I want to trust you,” he answered. “But the truth is, I don't know either of you beyond this little meeting. Luckily for us, we have the power to change that ourselves.”

“Oh?” Her eyelids half-lowered, and she rubbed her thumb and pointer claws together.

“If you have the time, why don't we take this somewhere else?” he suggested, glancing at Lingshi who nodded reluctantly. “We can even pick up something for lunch here and talk things out with each other instead of doing all this.”

“Tempting but I'm afraid I didn't come here the bond with anyone over a meal.”

“I also didn't plan to speak with the Wardens today but sometimes we have to be flexible, don't we?” The giant let his fan fall open fully, catching its furthest end with his other hand.

Her gaze sharpened and Lingshi tightened his grip around the teleportation artifact.

If I leave, they won't have any reason to fight.

But the red vapour around her vanished and she held up a hand.

“We do.” She agreed, walking towards them. “You can undo your spell now, mister. I won't harm the humans.”

“And what about the elf?” he asked, twisting to face her so that the end of his fan blocked her way as she paused beside them.

“I'll see him somewhere else,” she said wryly, winking at Lingshi. “Until then, hero.”

He held her stare but didn't say anything as she headed for the market entrance. The yellow globe-like glow that engulfed their surroundings disappeared and she, too, vanished into the crowd that began to bustle about at its usual speed once again.

Is she going to wait for me to come out there? Or will she hold off until I'm alone again?

“The offer still stands, by the way,” said the giant. The sunshine-like brightness between his blue eyes and lens of his golden half-moon glasses faded away. “I know a place that does a nice horse pie. Or would you prefer something more plant-based?”

Lingshi waited for his breathing to settle a bit more before he answered.

“Do you know anywhere that does a nice cherry blossom tea?”

*

“Here you go,” said the giant, holding the teacup delicately between his thumb and forefinger.

“Thank you,” said Lingshi as he accepted it and placed it on the mat beneath them.

His companion sat down at an angle from him within the confines of the multi-race eating area. It was less than a mile from the market and created so that dragons, giant, and other larger beings could eat together with those who were smaller than them in a mutually comfortable setting. It was busy at this time of the day but they managed to find an unoccupied spot.

“I'm Rensetsu, by the way,” The giant sniffed at a huge mug of some kind of juice. “But you can call me Ren.”

“I appreciate you stepping in like that, Ren,” he said dully, blowing on his tea until ripples ran across its surface.

“You're welcome.” Rensetsu's gaze lingered briefly on the elf's shaking hands. “And what do you want me to call you?”

“I don't mind,” he replied, fingertips grazing his lowered mask longingly.

“Even if I call you hero?” Rensetsu's malice-free smile should have reassured him but he gulped and tried not to squeeze his tea cup too hard.

“And I'm not a hero,” he said.

“Then who are you?”

“Just a stranger on his way to another realm.” He took a sip. That's all. I'm not here to cause any trouble.”

“And yet it seems to me like trouble's gone and found you,” pointed out the giant. “You didn't sound like you knew who she was?”

“I don't,” he replied.

It would be hard to forget someone like her.

“But she sounded like she knew you.” Rensetsu blinked out at him but there was no question in his tone.

“She must have mistaken me for someone else.” His throat warmed as if he were drinking a special dragon brew.

“Someone she obviously isn't very happy with,” remarked the other. “Are you perhaps someone well known around here?”

“The sun doesn't really agree with me,” said Lingshi. “My homeland is on the colder side of Shi-Kai.”

“I understand.” Rensetsu laughed suddenly, a low and pleasant sound that faded easily into the conversations all around them. “I have a friend from that side of the world. It took her decades to get used to the heat on this side. Even now, she still hides away from the sun whenever she can.”

Lingshi smiled politely and drank some more tea.

“I was on my way to visit her actually. Just picking up a few things before I caught catch the Qiu-Tiru carriage,” he continued. “Whereabouts are you headed? I'd be more than happy for you to join me.”

The elf considered downing the rest of his tea and disappearing, all under the guise of returning his white cup to the tray of unwashed dishes next to the seller, but the footsteps of person approaching him from behind thwarted his plans.

“He's probably going to Chiqiu too,” said Chi as she sat down next to them cross-legged. “But I reckon he might need to stop in a few more bookshops along the way first.”