Chapter V: Jing Dynasty I

36 Degrees, Jing Dynasty evening.

Cuifen Chen Wu, 5th May 1894, Shonghai;

"Cheers!" A wave of applause thunders from the crowd. Drinking to their untimely deaths, the music playfully whizzing throughout the air. Sitting, I enjoy the bountiful scenery. Tables were knocked over with shouts and cheers at opposite ends. It felt like home, a feeling never like it. Shao... The light from above danced, bouncing up and down as if entranced by the music mimicking the chaos it shined on.

"To the partnership of our companies!" The dwarf sparks, sitting right beside me chugging his drink at break-neck speeds. His never gonna learn, is he?

"To the partnership of our companies!" I imitate taking an additional shot of whisky, one I realised might be too many.

"Now that hit the stuff." I slam my drink down, before I allowed myself to stay in this state I used the little focus I had left on my magic, my green ring illuminating. I felt the magic do its work, easing the stress I had caused to my liver. The bartender soon after seized my glass, clearing it in sheer seconds. His own ring glowing, black in colour. The colours and subtle design of each ring represented the kind of magic you'd be able to cast. It still felt strange seeing the foreigners here not have their own. With the ring, you'd be able to reveal the kind of affinity you have, mastering your affinity with it. Granting its users tremendous power and the opportunity to evolve their magic, even as a simple catalyst, the catch was that it became a part of you. The ring was a representation of you and your affinity, you could only cast through it and no other catalyst. Which was the alternative that almost every other nation preferred. Yet here, we weren't given a choice, by birth we're Although before I let that feeling sink in I pondered at the bartender with my hands folded up in wonder.

"Power of time, how gifted you are... Ziyuan." He pauses, taking a second glance up at me. Not long thereafter he turns back to the shelves of various drinks fidgeting amongst them. Upon further investigation, they appeared like a normal collection of red wine from the esteemed Haohua Conglomerate aside from the odd potion here and there. Just as I began to lose interest one of the dwarves who sat near me briefly tumbles off his stool. Causing a noticeable tremor to the ground, the bottles react accordingly except for an odd couple...

"Is that an illusion, if I am not mistaken?" The bartender hesitated to turn, before reacting efficiently. He turned around, masking a full sheet of paper.

"Here is the Ziyuan, sorry Cuifen Chen Wu, I should have realized it was you." The parade continued in the background with no sign of stopping. With clarity I take the sheets to my side, Orion sure is lucky he has me.

I stuff the papers in my purse as best I could, looking at the sorry guy on the ground I give in, illuminating my ring once more.

"It's fine, you probably wouldn't notice me with this chaotic crowd, glad to see you are still committed to our service." He nods with awe and returns to work. Looking at the Dwarf or rather I should say, Orion who had made a miraculous recovery. He jumped right back on his seat, full of vigour.

"Thanks for clearing my system Wu." He looked at me with a pure sense of gratitude; giving me a smile that was infectious for me to not reply with my own.

"Don't make it a habit of drinking though, I am not going to be your mini-medic."

He then bolts a cry of laughter.

"Eh, you're a funny one you are! Bartender get me another pint of beer!" Honestly one day you will drop dead;

"Well it's time for me to leave, your departure is within an hour so be sure you are sober enough to board." Before I finished my sentence he downed the whole beer... With my warning falling on deaf ears I sigh, closing my purse. I carefully stand, preventing myself from being in a collision course with whatever object was being thrown. Zig-zagging through the completely wasted set of men. Which was harder said than done... Dear Irene, I enjoy my drink but these lot are practically made of it.

"Well, anyways you guys continue on with the parade! I got a flight to be at." I wink, marching my way out to the door, the rest of them too hammered simply utter jibberish.

"Oh and bartender, I will play for the damages!" His look of sheer exhaustion and despair turns to a timid frown.

"Thank you... and call me Jade." He waves goodbye, and I share one too with the poor boy. Finally, making my way outside.

I breathe in the tempered air. The winds timidly catch a stream surfing amongst the large birds in the skies, helping tame a piece of the heat I was met with. They finally began their descent, piercing out from the clouds they once travelled with. I put further distance between me and the tavern, the only building besides the inspection lobby. It harboured itself on a little hill adjacent to the flat runways. Western in design, it eerily matched with the well-looked-after Penjing's, accompanied by a beautiful array of peonies with a pond for white cranes to drink off from. One had even come. I took a moment to watch. The thick tavern walls ensured the peace and serenity of the gardens here. No one would suspect a group of dwarves partying in there. It wasn't long before the white crane flew away, spooked by the growing roar of the propeller engines. There were five zeppelins to be exact, but the one in the middle was the centrepiece. Curtailed in prime luxury, painted in emerald green, and embellished with pink lotuses that circled themselves around the airship like a vast lake for them to settle among. Its size was likely twice in comparison to the other four, which seemed to be regular passenger ships. The zeppelins finally landed. Shaking the ground with its presence. I stand in awe, grasping at my cheongsam. The propellers a brief second honour me with a cool breeze that I lament in for as long as I could. Unfortunately, a call of my name shattered the short experience.