Chapter 113: Chapter 113
As expected, there was some fuss over these newly arrived refugees, though not as much as Bran had expected. As it turned out, this was only the latest in a long stream of suddenly disenfranchised folks who, on hearing tell of the growing numbers here, came here seeking refuge. There were humans, both jianghu and not, as well as no small variety of magical creature. This latest batch even included a cultivated teapot, or at least, the person carrying it claimed it was a cultivated teapot. Like every other cultivator, it had reverted back to its pre-cultivation state.
Naturally of these people, there were also those whose allegiance was instead to The Unity and wanted to sneak into the settlement to cause havoc and win points, so a significant amount of effort was deployed to investigate, quarantine, and otherwise test each and every newcomer until everyone was satisfied, teapot included.
It made sense, was a good idea, and was important, but it also caused Bran an unexpected inconvenience: the room he and Misha had been occupying for the better part of two weeks was one of the places that normally went to housing those under quarantine meaning Bran and Misha had to move.
"I’m sorry about this," said Helen as she helped carry the single bag of items Bran had accumulated since arriving at the settlement (it was mostly Misha’s stuff from before when he was human and trying to rescue Bran from the clutches of The Unity). She paused at a point where the raised wooden platforms diverged then took the one to the left that looked to wrap up away from the rest of the town. "Should be this way..."
It was still morning and the rest of the town, barring a few early rising fisherman, were still waking up.
"It’s fine," said Bran and he meant it. It really was fine. Really. "You’re sure Yidi’s okay with us staying with him? I haven’t had a chance to talk to him." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novęlfire.net
"Don’t worry about it," said Helen with a wave of her hand and her usual jaunty manner. "He’s actually staying in an old weather observatory so there’s plenty of space for all his equipment and a few extra stranglers. You know, Zhan’s staying with him too."
Misha padded behind them, a bushel of apples in his mouth from a stranger who’d given them to him on the way. While the original village on the north of the island had been inhabited entirely by mundane folk, these people had, instead of turning aside or betraying the magical folk, embraced them as their own kin. Helen was the beloved daughter of the village with a massive appetite while Misha had become a minor celebrity in his own right.
Misha looped his long neck over Bran’s shoulder, offering him an apple he’d been careful not to puncture too badly.
Bran smiled and shook his head. "Later," he said.
Helen and Bran continued to talk intermittently as they walked along the elevated pathways and ascended the mountain but the loong found it hard to concentrate on it.
He often found it hard to concentrate since those days on the beach with the boy with the golden hair.
Sometimes he knew his own name, knew where he was, knew Bran’s name and everyone else’s, but some days that knowledge left him, like how a tide pulls out from the beach. Sometimes he couldn’t remember who he was, what he was doing, who this blond, human boy was who focused so much on him was. In those moments frightening, all he knew was that he wanted to follow that beautiful boy and that it was of the utmost importance that he keep him safe.
And he was failing at that.
No physical danger had approached, not since that incident on the beach, but the loong knew that there was trouble afoot and it worried him.
"Phew, this place’s further than I remember," said Helen.
The three of them had finally made it to the head of a set of rickety old stairs and the small platform and large door at their top. Before them stood a building that had once been commanding but now looked merely sad as it collected tears of mold down its once white walls.
One side of the pair of doors opened as they neared and a certain Xu Yidi stepped out.
"Ah! You’re here already! I thought you were moving at ten..." The brilliant but also air-headed scientist-programmer searched his wrist for his watch and, finding it bare, poked his head back inside. "Oh... it’s half-past-ten..."
"Don’t worry about it," said Bran, taking his bag from Helen. "There’s not much to move." He held the bag up.
"I wish I only had that much when I set up shop here..."
"So do I," came a voice from further within.
Yidi pushed the other door and Zhan held it open giving everyone a far better look inside the building. While it was cluttered inside, it was a lot cleaner than the exterior and suggested a certain kind of scientific method to the madness. It reminded the loong
There was a beep and Helen, Yidi and Zhan all reached for their respective phones.
"I have to head off," said Helen. "Catch you later."
Misha shuffled to the side to let Helen pass and the woman was away.
"We cleared out one of the upper rooms this morning," said Zhan gesturing to the set of internal circular stairs just visible from the entrance.
"More like you did," said Yidi. He gestured for everyone to head in.
There was another digital beep.
"It’s me this time," said Yidi. He gave an apologetic smile. "I have an experiment running at the moment and-"
Bran waved a hand. "Go deal with it. Don’t worry about me."
Yidi nodded and left.
Soon it was going to just be Bran, Zhan and the loong.
"I’ll show you up," said Zhan.
Despite the large amount of wear and tear to the place, it was made clear pretty soon that Yidi and the rest of the SSD were rather fortunate to have a building at such short notice that not only had the space for all his specialised equipment and research materials, but was also connected up to a self-sustaining, off-grid power source in the solar panels that covered all the hard, concrete surfaces. It wasn’t visible from the path leading up to the observatory, but there was a sizable patio building out the back with matching lower storage that housed the batteries.
The room the pair had prepared for Bran and Misha opened out onto that patio through a set of French windows that had to be older than Bran and Misha combined and a pair of mismatched beds in the corner. In the other corner was a combined small desk and chair set, one of those you’d only now find in school garage sales made of good old metal and wood.
"It’s not much but..."
"It’s great," said Bran. There was something familiar with the stark set up and it took a moment for him to realise where he’d seen it before: his temporary bedroom from when he’d first woken up after having his soul sundered. There’d been a spare room at the manor with a similar set up and he’d stayed there for near half a year before Aunt Yeung decided what to do with him.
Misha went over to the desk and Bran followed, running a hand over the old wood. There were the remains of someone’s name scratched into the surface.
Bran looked up and realised that the other guy clearly had someone to say. Or to ask.
"You knew Yidi before, right?"
"You know him pretty well?"
Bran glanced at Misha out of habit. "I think you should know him better than I do now. I’ve really only met him a few times."
"Oh..." Zhan nodded but Bran noted that he still stood firmly in the door.
"Is there something you want to know about him?" probed Bran.
Zhan gave a start then quickly shook his head. "No, no it’s nothing. Enjoy yourselves," he said quickly and turned away out the door, almost as if he’d delivered a guest to their hotel room.
Bran raised an amused eyebrow, waited a moment, then went to the door.
"I’d say you have a good chance," he called down the landing.
Zhan froze at the top of the stairs. "Okay," he said then continued down.
Misha padded up behind Bran and pushed his head under his arm.
"Now that’s a couple I wasn’t expecting," he said lightly.
Misha’s head shot up, seemingly in surprise, and he stared hard at the stairs then back at Bran. Are you serious?
Bran couldn’t help laughing at his reaction. "You do know more than you let on. C’mon. Let’s fix up the bed."