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Huohuo scratched one of her ears with anxious anticipation. Stelle was running late by fourteen minutes, and she couldn’t help but worry- had the Stellaron host gotten mauled by a terrifying abomination of the Abundance, or perhaps possessed by another Heliobus? Tail had managed to ease her nerves a bit, but the young girl still couldn’t help but worry. They weren’t meeting in any official capacity, nothing like their ghost-hunting operation that concluded a few weeks prior. The Astral Express crew had apparently returned to the first Xianzhou ship for its Wardance, but the event wouldn’t start for another day or two. Sushang had caught wind of their visit, and suggested that the four girls reunite (albeit under much more pleasant circumstances this time).
Huohuo’s ear twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps, and she spun around so quickly that she nearly lost balance- much to Guinaifen’s amusement. “Careful, Huohuo! It’s just us,” she teased. Stelle waved with a small grin, mirroring Sushang’s own smile. “Huohuo! I missed you!” The brown-haired Cloud Knight cried, as if it had been an eternity since they last spoke. Nonetheless, Huohuo returned the sentiment, her eyes softening as she welcomed the trio.
“Hello! I missed you all, too,” she replied. Fyxestroll Garden wasn’t exactly an ideal ‘hangout spot’, but Guinaifen had proposed something along the lines of doing a commemorative photoshoot, which was met with no objections. Plus, it meant the Foxian didn’t have to miss much work (although she doubted it would’ve mattered either way- her coworkers were oddly insistent that the girl ‘enjoy her youth’- at least, to the greatest extent possible for a Judge such as herself).
Speaking of her associates, a certain mechanical puppet was nearing the group. She gave a polite nod to the girls before turning to one in particular, retrieving something tucked beneath her arm.
“Stelle,” Xueyi greeted. “You travel with a man named Dan Heng, correct?”
The trailblazer in question gave a short affirmative, and Sushang’s eyes practically popped out of her skull. Huohuo didn’t know who this ‘Dan Heng’ was, but it seemed the two were close.
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like you to give this to him.” She continued, handing her a book. “It was found in the Shackling Prison, and I believe it belonged to him at one point.”
The young Cloud Knight made a choked sound in the back of her throat. “The Shackling Prison? You mean.. he’s a criminal?! Seriously?” Sushang gasped. Their meeting had been brief, but she truly was interested in the man’s story. He'd been enigmatic enough to earn himself the nickname ‘Silent but Deadly’- but, then again, being the bearer of an unlawful past certainly warranted secrecy, in her opinion.
“Ugh, that.. makes a lot of sense, actually.” Sushang groaned, seeming more upset that she hadn’t pieced everything together sooner, rather than the fact that her friend was an ex-convict. “Wait, so, what’s the book about?” She suddenly inquired, peering at its faded cover.
Stelle read its title aloud, holding it out flat for the others to see. “Foundational language skills for Xianzhou Natives, second edition.” It was a hardcover that had definitely seen better days but, all things considered, wasn’t very dated.
“Hey, wait a second- I remember this series!” Guinaifen chimed in. “But, um.. aren’t they for children? I only had to read them because I couldn’t speak a word of the language here when I first arrived..” She trailed off, leaving Sushang to finish her sentence.
“So, uh, why exactly are you giving Dan Heng a children’s book? Are you sure it’s his?” She asked.
Xueyi said nothing, a tense silence following the question. She eventually cleared her throat, and left with a professionally vague dismissal, perfectly befitting of her status as a judge:
“Whether the book truly belonged to Dan Heng, and what he chooses to do with it, is none of my concern. I’m simply asking that you give it to him, that’s all.”
_____________________
Stelle did not, in fact, return the book. Not immediately, at least- she skimmed through its contents, noting how the pages seemed to leave traces of dust on her fingertips. It had clearly been untouched for some time, well-preserved by whatever kind of hellish environment the Shackling Prison fostered. Dan Heng had mentioned the place in passing, usually some off-handed comment that revealed just how disturbing his living conditions had been- it didn’t come as any surprise to the Express Crew, considering how easy it was to satisfy him, but the revelation still stung.
“Oh, Stelle! I was looking for you,” March called, waving her over. She was dressed in her newest outfit, inspired by the Xianzhou swordsmen she’d been training with. Judging by the Immortal’s Delight in her hand, the pink-haired girl had just finished her practice. “What’cha got there?” She asked, craning her neck to see the book. “Foundational language skills.. Aw, don’t tell me you’re turning into a nerd, too! One Dan Heng is enough..” she sighed in mock exasperation.
“This isn’t for me,” Stelle replied, shaking her head. “It apparently belonged to him at one point. Xueyi asked me to give it back.” At that, March’s eyes widened inquisitively. “Huh? You mean Madam Xueyi, that old judge..?” She asked, cocking her head. “Weird.. I never would’ve guessed they knew each other.”
Stelle shrugged. “Yeah. Where is he?” She asked, and immediately pulled out her phone, not really waiting for a response.
Stelle 17:31
Are you still on the Luofu?
Stelle requested Dan Heng’s location
Stelle 17:31
I have something for you
Dan Heng 17:31
Oh?
Dan Heng 17:32
And, yes, I’m here. I had to take care of something in the Alchemy Commission, but I’ll be heading back soon. If you’re close, drop by.
Dan Heng shared location with Stelle
The trailblazer stashed her phone and wordlessly began tugging March towards the directions he sent, grinning. “Wha- Stelle? Where are we going?” She sputtered, not bothering to hide her laughter. “Tell me!”
And so, the pair arrived at the Alchemy Commission, panting heavily with their hands intertwined. March was the first to let go, planting her hands on her knees and bending over to catch her breath. “Are you.. sure this is where he told us to go? I don’t see him..” she asked, speaking between labored gasps for air. “Ugh.. if you took us to the wrong place, I’m gonna be so mad..”
Stelle didn’t respond, opting instead to lean against a tree for support, her back sliding down the length of its trunk dramatically. That proved to be a rather poor decision- her shirt snagged on some bark, and she awkwardly wrestled with the fabric until it was freed. March had snapped some photos that were, unfortunately, quite impressive depictions of the event. Stelle couldn’t even be upset.
“What happened?” Dan Heng suddenly appeared, startling the duo. He was annoyingly adept at sneaking up on people, especially considering that it wasn’t a conscious effort, more often than not. A slightly amused look graced his otherwise relaxed features, and Stelle couldn’t help but wonder what the man had been up to.
“Well, someone looks awfully pleased with himself,” the girl huffed. “Stop doing that! It’s so creepy..” She said, rolling her eyes- but it was clear that there was no real irritation in her tone. “Anyways, Stelle, give him the book so we can get outta here already. I’m so tired from all that conditioning..” She shuddered for dramatic effect. Stelle retrieved the book, finally handing it to Dan Heng.
“It’s from Xueyi,” she explained, figuring no additional context was needed.
She felt a slight pang of regret when she realized she was right, when she watched the way his expression turned bitter- he accepted the book with near-imperceptibly shaking hands, suddenly looking paler than before. Dan Heng licked his lips, an anxious habit he’d held onto, and swallowed thickly. “Thank you,” he replied quietly.
Stelle nodded, choosing to keep her curiosity to herself. If Dan Heng didn’t want to talk about it, she couldn’t make him. That was a universally accepted truth aboard the express, and one she’d become accustomed to quite quickly. She exchanged a glance with March, one that said ‘we should go’, and the sword-user-in-training started off for their hotel, the other two trailing closely behind.
March had considered asking them to watch her spar with one of her mentors the next morning, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with Dan Heng. He’d reacted strangely upon receiving his book. At first, she wondered if Madam Xueyi had made a mistake, and it wasn’t actually his, but she soon realized that wasn’t the case- his body language definitely pointed in a much more sensitive direction.
“Um.. You don’t have to tell me, but… what’s with the book?” March asked, eyeing him cautiously as she gauged his reaction. Dan Heng’s gaze remained fixed on the object as he contemplated his answer.
“I was held in the Shackling Prison for a very long time,” he began solemnly. “It was.. extremely lonesome. I wasn’t allowed much other than a few books, such as this one.” Dan Heng’s fingers lightly brushed against its spine, as if he were afraid of damaging it. “It was usually Jing Yuan asking the guards to give me his personal recommendations in his stead, but he delivered this one himself. I don’t know if I’m ready to look through it, but I.. can’t bring myself to get rid of it.”
March looked at him with several silent questions in her eyes, but they all went unspoken. She probably couldn’t get the words out, even if she tried.
“I’m sorry,” is what she finally settled on, but before Dan Heng could deflect the apology, she took a deep breath and spoke again. “I’m sorry that you had to live that way, but.. you’ll never be lonely like that ever again. I promise.” She laughed faintly. “You’re stuck with us,” Stelle added with a grin.
Dan Heng looked up at them for the first time, his hand still resting on the cover of the book, but his full attention was on his companions. “I hope so,” he replied, with a soft smile adorning his face.
And he meant every word of it.