CH28: The gap between human-race & human-kind

"Don't act like you don't like our bird-nest, your smell is all over the place" I say as I roll in the nest, filled to the brim with pillows and blankets, looking like a real dragon-princess-royal-bed.

Gu Yuena grab a pillow from the side, and throw it at me, but it's a pillow, so I just let it hit me.

*Sniff, Sniff, Sniff*, I smell the sweet mature charming aroma left on the pillows.

She looks madly at me, crazy mad, and I understand I crossed a line, and not the good kind, so I sit down, not moving, just shutting up, till her ration returns to control her body.

"Sorry for crossing a line there, I guess you're too beautiful, and I'm maybe a bit lustful, but I shouldn't do things to make you feel angry. What can I do to see you smile?" I apologize and ask for redemption.

"OH, I know, wanna laugh at me singing in front of an audience? I've got it in my phone", I pull out my phone and play the video.

Yuena come toward me, but the screen is so small, and she dunno how to operate a phone, so she sits next to me, watching the video together in our bird-nest.

"...You're ...sad? I mean, it's a good performance, enough to make me feel what you feel, but why you're sad?" she asks after seeing the video, and I tell her "my mother died a week after I was born, and it was in her memorial day, so I think my unspoken emotions arose, or something along those line..".

"At least you still got a family..." she says, as she remembers her own circumstances through me.

"My relationship with my father ain't much better than my relationship with my mother" *Haha*, *Exhale air melancholy*, "I wish to believe family is that close-ones who share their true and deep life experiences, thoughts, dreams, feelings, emotions, etc, with you, and the only thing they wish to gain in that relationship is the warmth we call 'human-kind', a family of human-kind" I try to explain my mind to Gu Yuena, but she seems to disagree.

"The 'human-race' is power-starving creatures who only act as a group with unity to gain more power. They gang up to win the race. Family power-struggle against the village, the village power-struggle against the country, country power-struggle against the empire, and empires power struggle against each other" Gu Yuena tell me her interference of human-society.

"But I've got the powers, yet still missing a part of me, so I'm sure there's more than a 'race' here. What keep me going is that 'human-kind' emotions, like being with my loved-ones, doing whatever" I answer her puzzled-inside-conflicting-dilemma.

"Let's agree to disagree" Gu Yuena says.

"Let's agree not all the same. Not all seek the same in life" I say.

We both *exhale air in melancholy*, lying-down the bed, and watching the ceiling.

"I... my emotions toward you... I think it's familial. I mean, you shared your powers with me, I already took it, and what left isn't power-struggle, or weak agreement or a paper-contract, it's the emotions of a loved-one wishing to share his life with" I quietly say to her.

"Well, sometime we need to float our inner turmoil, and sometime, we need to let them sink yet again, to simmer in our depths", I say, and plan to leave, missing Xiao Wu.

"I'll come see ya soon, Miss Dragon-Empress" I say, wave 'bye', and *teleport*.

-

"Wuuuu! Your husband is here, where are ya?" I shout as I enter the tree-house.

"Hey Ayn, all good here, just... Xiao-Wu said she misses her friends, and the training here is too boring for her, so she said she'll go train with the human-folks in the academy" Er-Ming tells me as I reach the lake side.

'She went back? boring? training in that lousy academy with those weak kids?' my mind ponders, as also Mia said beast-kin-who-turned-to-human need to be near humans.

I talk with the Mings for an hour, share some presents and food, update statuses, and bid 'farewell', *teleport* to the academy.

-

'No one is here...' I think, till I see some bulky middle-age man, asking him "Hi, I'm Ayn, Xiao-Wu's friend, I came to say 'hi', is she here?".

"They're on a training trip to Suo-Tuo-City" he tells me, so I ask for directions, thank him, and go.

'I should start my flight exercise' I think before I begin teleport or run. I remove my shirt, channel energy, and my wings open, plus I can control their size if I control my power well.

I try to wave the wings, as I run lightly and jump off the ground, but I glide for few meters and land back to the ground.

'How birds fly? How do I use those wings?', I think as I remember the term 'Air-Pressure', 'more under the wings, less above the wings', and I try curve the wings as I wave them, jump, and like that, I fly few meters farther.

My chest-muscles sour, like a muscle I barely ever used before, but I still continue, wishing to finally nail it.

Like that, I waste an hour.

I even start to manipulate 'Wind concept', channeling wind-energy to my wings to create air-pressure, making me float easier, and even faster if used right, till I can now stay in the sky, flying high, but bit scared to reach too high.

It's sunset when I see the city in the distance, and in the entrance I see the Grandmaster of that academy waiting, so I land, hide the wings, put a shirt, and walk to him.

"Hi Grandmaster, how have you been?" I ask.

"Oh, Ayn, hello, nice to see you, been well. How are you?" he asks back.

"Fine, mostly training, oh, I reached level 40, pondering what spirit-ring to get, attack or defense... but never-mind that, where's Xiao-Wu? I need to talk to her" I ask, and he nods with eyes-open, surprised by my power advances, like he got lots of questions, and says "they'll be here soon. Didn't you were on level 30 searching for a ring a few days ago? what did you choose?".

"Well, ice-worm, so I got an ice skill, and probably it advanced my powers?" I avert the complete truth.

Grand-master thinks a bit, before saying "before all, choose your combat-type, like attack, defense, assist, solo or group, or, in my opinion, control-type, who's like a jack-of-all-trade, and mainly needs brain, is the solution, but always demands personal route modification. I call help you with that".

'He seems to wish to guide me personally' I wonder, but really enjoy his thinking-depth.

Suddenly, we see the academy student group walking toward us, but weakly, like they're dying, super-tired, but with no injuries visible. They arrive, say 'hi', and fall-down, losing conscious, and I see they have bags filled with heavy stones they carry with them.

"Help me move them please?" Grandmaster asks, and we take a wood-cart, load them in, and walk into the city, to a hotel, where he rent huge suites, order lots of food, get help with his huge begs, and we go up, as he start fill baths with leafs and powders, shoving them in, and let a woman-assistant help the girls in.

An old-man, seemingly the principal, fly-in, making me think 'maybe he can teach me how to use my wings?', and start argue with the Grandmaster, about costs.

I pull out a money bag, which I stole from some beast-hunters in the forest, leaving them half-dead, naked, outside of it, throw all the money on the table and say "here, I'll put my share for Xiao-Wu, let her do whatever she wanna".

The principal jump on the pile with a gigantic smile, and I pull out another pile to the side and give it to the Grandmaster "I count on you too, Grandmaster, let Xiao-Wu live in comfort, no need to save money, I'll just give you more", and he half-smile-half-dead-pin-serious looking at me, saying "sure".

Suddenly, *BOOM*, the wall breaks, and when the dirt-cloud disappear, we see Zhu-Zhuqing and Xiao-Wu walk through with only a towel on their bodies, and 3 knocked-out students in their hands, saying "THIS PERVS WERE PEEKING AT US IN THE SHOWERS!".

"Hey, I get your anger, but why break the wall?" I ask, grabbing their attention, and I ask "Xiao-Wu, mind wearing something and talk with me for a bit?", and only now she and Zhu-Zhuqing notice they're wearing just a towel, and run back.

"Grandmaster, what's your next plan?" I ask, and he speaks out "fighting in the Colosseum...blablabla...", till Xiao-Wu comes in, and I say "pardon us", and take her aside.

"...." my eyes looks at her, like saying 'speak'.

Wu's face show sorry, shyness, happiness, and resolution.

"I don't mind you staying in this academy, BUT, they're looking poor, weak, full of perverts, most of them seems untrustworthy, and... never-mind, I guess that's your choice, just keep your eyes sharp?", I say and keep looking at her, waiting for response, but nothing.

"Wu? please say something? I know I'm kinda against this place, but you could at least talk to me before deciding to come here again?" I say, feeling pain from her leaving, even though it's presumptuous of me to control her, as she got her freedom to choose her path in life, and also her lover, be it me or not.

"Excuse me? Grandmaster wishes to speak with Xiao-Wu, all gathered, can she come for a moment?" the principal comes and cut our talk short, before Wu answers, or rather, not answers, as she stayed silent up to now.

I say "sure", waving 'bye' to her and walks out, as she looks at the floor, throwing short gazes up at me.

Walking out, I hear them talk about the future training, but I'm kinda bothered right now.

More at myself than at her, as it's her life - her choice, 'who knows what kind of movie run in her head' I think.

I climb to the hotel's roof-top, pull a soft-blanket on it, and lay down, staring at the stars, taking a nap.

*Footsteps on the roof*.

I wake up, look aside, and see a women-shadow landed on the roof, and recognize her.

"Hi, Zhu Zhuqing? Right? Ayn ... You also need roof-top break?" I ask, and she nods 'yes' with her head. I point at my side, where the soft blanket is, and she come and sit down.

She pull out a flute, and play a sad-tune, and I drown in her melancholy.

When she finishes, I take out a harmonica, still lying-down, and play my tune, who I play when I'm alone and sad. She also lay-down next to me, staring at the dark sky, listening.

"Love is such a ... " I mumble.

"Wu?" she asks.

"You can say a fiance, thinking maybe I did wrong, and should step away" I answer.

Silence remains for a few minutes, before she break it.

"Dai-Mubai is my fiance, but he's a playboy who go to prostitutes, and woo every girl he sees. Worst future ever" she suddenly says.

"The blond-over confidence-kid?" I ask.

"Yeah" she answers.

"You love him?" I pry.

"probably loved, childhood, not anymore, but family's traditions and decisions, since old age between our two families, so I wish he can change before the inevitable" she open up.

"I'm an apprentice-wish-fulfillment-dragon, wanna try making a wish to me?" I joke to her.

"What's the price?" she asks.

"Hmmm. A smile! BUT, only after it succeed, so it's a win-win for you here" I answer.

She look at me and show a gentle smile, with her mouth and eyes, making her cold-ice-aura turn to be warm-loving-motherly vibe, and I find her charm captivating.

"AH, please, I'm vulnerable right now, I almost fell in love with you there, that's a dangerous smile you got there" I say as I turn my head, a bit shy from my broken-out-melancholy-mood.

I ask her "So what's your wish, my lady?".

"It's okay, you can count it as fulfilled, and I already paid you" she says, and when I look again, she still got her gentle smile on her face.

Suddenly, she change the vibe to sadness again, saying "Xiao-Wu seemed in deep-thoughts after you left, she was even a bit cold to Tang-San. She...", but I cut her off, saying "Stop,Stop,Stop, no need. I wish to relax and let it sink right now, kinda wish to continue on, as a 1-sided-relationship is a death-trap to a heart".

I change back the subject, asking her "I learnt a new thing today, wanna join me for a short while?".

I stand up, and she raise her body to sit, asking "doing what?", and I answer "just stand up, you'll see".

I channel energy to my body, revealing my dragon-wings as my shirt tear off of me, and wave them a bit, prepared to fly, as she stand next to me, her purple eyes wide open, and I take a step toward her, load energy to my legs for a jump, and as I jump, I put my 2 hands on her waist, hugging her.

*FWOOSH*, we're in the sky, and as I wave my wings, we soar sky high, seeing the city turn small under us, as I hug her sideways, she seems like she's about to speak, but I speak before her.

"Is life about the endless race for power, or is it about the emotions in between?" I ask, changing the subject, not thinking about out flight, or about us hugging, as I glide high above the ground with her in my arms.

"That's a thought only permitted if you're strong, not to a weakling like me, who's just trying not to drown from the waves coming at me" she says sadly, making it evident that most lives just trying to survive, not having even the time to chase their true happiness.

"I'm powerful, and Wu is also powerful, more than all of this students-academy for sure, nothing for her to study here, but choose to hide it... so she's in for emotions? Why is she even here?" I think aloud.

Zhu Zhuqing seems shocked, mumbling "..I knew she's strong, but that much?..", and I hear her, and respond "I guess so, maybe we haven't discussed it much between ourselves, but I think she can at least compare to level 60 if she's serious... but... looking at it now... behind that endless power race... What's left? ...Why does she need to be here? With..." I hold back my words.

'I better ask Mia why beast-kin need to be with humans after they become humans, and more than that, she's her mother, so I think it's better left to her to think about such things...' I ponder about Wu, deciding to let it go.

Zhuqing stay quiet.

Her hands slowly touch my hands, staying on top of them as we glide above the city lights.

After some time flying I hear her speak "Not everyone is you, and Not every women is Xiao Wu".

I hug her tighter, as we glide outside the city, landing on the tallest mountain right beside it, and I wave my wings, control the wind, and slowly descend, till we stand on top of the mountain.

We stand there, looking at the city, and we are still hugging, as she rest her head back, on my chest, and I rest my head on top of hers.

Like that, we just stand hugging for a long time, enjoying this peacefulness.

"Give me a second" I break the silence, and the hug.

I quickly pull a simple-white-sling-bed, manipulate the tree next to us, on top of the mountain, so the branches can be strong and easy-to-tie, and set the sling-bed on it. Then, I go back to Zhu-Zhuqing side, raise her to a princess-carry, and climb on top of the sling-bed, as we now lay-down, with the sky above and the city aside.

She's with her back to me, and I slowly put my hands behind her neck, as a pillow, making me the big-spoon. With my other hand, I slowly comb her hair, not saying a thing, and so is she.

After some time, I pull a warm blanket, afraid of the night-cold, and as I cover us, I also cover her cheek with my lips, kissing her gently while covering us. She fidget a bit, but not moving.

We cuddle deeply, as I close my eyes, and fall asleep.

...

Sun rise.

The city is quietly dead, but for those in the open, or better yet, on top of a mountain, outside, the Sun rise is a strong clock-alarm, calling us to wake-up.

'She's so sweet, calm, mature, beautiful, charming, sexy. No wonder I felt attracted to her from first sight', I think in my mind as I feel the warmth of cuddling Zhu Zhuqing the whole night, and she stick her body to me like the outside world is a frozen land, and I'm the only warm thing she can find to melt her freezing soul.

'She must have some harsh life condition to create such a personality' I assume in my mind, after knowing her 2-sided-face, her outside-cold, inside-warm auras.

I quietly go down, pull under a tree shade a table, 2 chairs, fruits, food, drinks, etc, preparing a breakfast, and before I can wake her up, I see she's already come and sit on a chair, gently smiling, saying "good morning".

I smile, responding "beautiful morning, wanna hot drink or is juice okay?", and like that we enjoy our morning, till she says "I gotta go back", and so am I, so I clear everything, as there's space-tools in this world, so using space-storage ain't a surprise here, and we walk inside the city.

We almost reach the hotel, so I stop, saying "I'll stop here. I... I wish to see you again. I'll come visit at night, at the roof, at midnight, so if you wish to also meet me, please come", and wave my hand 'goodbye', and so is she.

I watch her leave as I climb a near-by building, looking ahead with my 6th sense, wondering 'should I try to talk to Wu? now? later?'.

While I'm thinking, I see near the hotel, in a food stool, the fat-kid shove junk-food down his throat. On a tree at the entrance, the grey-hair-boy hang loose, asleep, high on a tree branch. 'What a fucked up academy...' I *sigh*.

Suddenly, the rest of the academy student walks out, seeing Zhu Zhuqing coming, and Wu asking her "were where you last night?".

She doesn't answer, just looking at her, saying "Good morning to you too... by-the-way, I met Ayn yesterday night, who told me a few things... is it true?".

She then look straight at Wu's eyes, who fidget a bit, saying "It's not what you think!".

"It's not what I think, it's what Ayn think, and feel" Zhuqing tells her, *breath*, take a look at Tang-San, then back at Wu, saying "To me, it looks even worse than him" she says and move her eyes to look at Dai-Mubai, making it clear to Wu what she thinks about her.

"It's not!" Wu say agrresively.

'Does Wu got something with this Tang-San?' I think deeply, as it's the first time I see a woman I have relationship with, even if it just started, close to another man.

'For whatever reason Wu got, I don't like it, and I must solve this dilemma, and not just to Wu, rather to myself, to my future, to any relationship I'll have from now on' I think to myself, as it's the first time I feel a sense of rivalry to another man, if it even count as rivalry, as my women up to now are mature, women, who distance themselves clearly from other men, 'friends' or whatever.

'Does platonic friendship between a man and a woman can exist?' I wonder.