Situated at the mouth of a valley, the town was not very big but it looked prosperous. Standing outside the town walls, Ciel could not tell how big the town actually was without walking through it. He could see a long line of shops lining the main road and Ciel was fascinated by the people going about their day to day lives, looking at and haggling over the wares that the hawkers were selling, moving in and out of the shops all around. He stiffened when he saw the name of the town. No wonder his father told him to come here first…
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Just looking at the name of the town.”
“I can’t really read or speak the language.”
“Loosely translated it means Yellow Wind Valley Town.”
“That’s no surprise. The wind that blows through the valley seems to bring some kind of yellowish dust. Look.” Ciel looked up to see the wind blow some yellow sand through the valley. Maybe there was a desert on the other end.
“Well, that makes sense. The pattern at the bottom of the sign was what caught my attention, honestly.”
“It looks familiar.”
“Look at the spatial ring my father gave you.”
There was silence.
“No wonder your father asked you to come here.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Ciel continued to look at the town but with renewed eyes. When they passed the grey walls that surrounded the town, Ciel was sure he felt magical fluctuations. What’s more, they felt familiar, telling him that this town had ties to the valley he called home. He just never knew that the influence of the valley had extended this far. The people here now appeared different. Were they all magical?
“Don’t speculate too much. It’s faster to just find a place to get some answers.” George seemed to have read his mind.
Ciel nodded. “According to father, we’re supposed to go to the largest inn here.”
“Then let’s go.”
They continued to walk and take in the sights. Most of the people here resembled Bei, with dark eyes and ebony hair. But Ciel was sure he spotted a few people with hair the colour of mahogany. The deep red was only obvious under certain lights. His understanding of his life in the valley was being turned upside down. It seemed like he didn't know Time Valley at all. As he walked on, the sloped roofs, the brick paved roads and the paper lanterns all reminded him of home. This layout…
“Should we ask someone where the inn is?”
“Straight into the town square, to the right.”
“How do you know?”
“The layout is the same as that other place. Only it was a teahouse since we don’t have inns. But it was the most important place in town.”
“Let’s check it out then.”
They still walked at a leisurely pace and Ciel would sometimes pause and look some of the stores in an odd manner; so familiar in all this difference; but other than that, it was still a novel experience for him. They stopped at a stall halfway when the smell of steamed buns were too tempting to Ciel, causing him to stop and tug at George’s sleeve. They bought two each and sat on a prepared bench nearby to eat.
“This is so good…” he munched his bun in bliss.
“Then eat. We’ll get some more later, if you want.”
Ciel did not respond, his mouth too busy enjoying the soft bun with savoury filling. It was even better than the ones he ate at the club. Without realizing, his cheeks had bulged a little with the bun and filling as he savoured the taste; unwilling to swallow. George gave a helpless laugh and poked at his cheeks. Ciel blinked and looked at him.
“Eat properly, you’re not a hamster.”
Ciel gave a faint blush and properly swallowed his food. He then took dainty bites to prolong his bun a little longer. George waited patiently for him to finish, even offering his other bun to him; Ciel was too embarrassed and shook his head to decline. No matter how tiny his bites were, he was soon done and they rose to continue their way.
“Please come again, young masters.” The old man manning the stall gave them a smile.
“I will, it was delicious.”
“I’m glad you liked them.”
Ciel gave a nod and smile before they left the stall. He could still feel the old man’s eyes on him but he paid no attention to it. He felt no threat in that stare. As Ciel had predicted, they found a large inn at the centre of the town square. It was a grandiose building made of wood and stone with three floors, complete with ornately carved door and lion guardians at the entrance. The lacquered sign with imposing gold letters let everyone know that this was Plum Blossom Inn. At a bottom corner of the sign was a familiar pattern; they’d come to the right place. Without hesitation, the both of them entered. The man at the reception smiled at them.
“Welcome, respected guests. Would you be staying or having a meal?”
“Staying. Is it possible for us to have a room for two?”
Ciel whipped his head to look at the unruffled George. The slightly shocked man also looked at them before he regained his composure.
“Of course, sir. How many nights?”
“Two for now.”
“That will be two crystals.” Energy crystals were used as the currency here. It was versatile with more uses than just heavy old gold. George wordlessly paid. The man at the counter called one of the servants over and told him to show them to their room. The servant bowed and led them to their room. Along the way, they passed a beautiful courtyard complete with several different trees; cherries, peach, plum.
“Strange, I thought that there’d only be plum trees here…”
“That’s because I have more than one sister.”
A voice shocked Ciel out of his musings. He turned to see a man with hair a deep mahogany walking out of a moon gate towards them. In the background, the servant gave a deep bow.
“Master.”
Ciel properly looked at the man that he assumed was the owner and master of the inn. Besides the deep red hair that he had left curling about his shoulders, he had amber eyes that was rather rare amongst the people of the valley. Paired with the black stud earring on his left ear, the man looked a little roguish despite the proper black brocade suit with mandarin collar that he was wearing. The tall man was also looking at Ciel closely.
“You look like your father.”
The simple sentence floored Ciel. Not only did the man see through his disguise talisman made by his mother, he had probably met his father before to be able to see the resemblance between him and his father. Coupled with the mild way he spoke, this Time Valley resident actually did not hate him or his father.
"You know my father?"
"It's been ages since we've met but yes, I know your father." The man gave a small smile. "Come with me." He started to walk away, going back the same way he came. Ciel only woke from his daze when he felt George touch his shoulder. He saw the concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine. It's a lot to take in but he should be trustworthy, I think..."
George nodded and they trailed after the man. Going past the moon gate, they came to another garden, complete with rock feature, pond and a pavilion over it. The man was already seated at the pavilion and motioned for the two of them to join him. As soon as they sat, a servant quietly came over to serve tea and some light snacks. Then with a light bow, he left, leaving the three of them alone. The service here was on par with Sanctuary.
"Your father inspired the level of service here, actually." The man broke the silence as he raised his teacup to his lips. Ciel was still reeling with the overload of information and continued to stare at the man, unsure of what to ask. How do you know my father? What is this place? Why does Time Valley have a town here? Who are you? It was George that started the ball rolling.
"Master Gin asked us to come to you."
"I see. What can I do for you?"
"Kou and Yue haven't returned yet. When was the last time you saw them and where did they go, do you know?"
The man appeared shocked. "You're saying the both of them haven't returned? But they left here more than three months ago! According to my sources, the person they were tracking was nearby and with that man's level of power, Kou would have been sufficient, what more with Yue's help. I just thought that they were in a hurry to get back to the club that they didn't stop by to greet us before they left." The man started massaging his temples, his face creased in worry and anger. With a snap of his fingers, the servant appeared again.
"Get me the captain of the guards. And invite the madam over if she's free." The servant bowed and left.
"We'd better find your brother fast or your mother is going to kill me."
"My mother?" Shouldn't it be his father? Ciel felt George nudge him.
"He has the same eyes as Scarlet."
That was when Ciel paid attention the similarities he'd noticed earlier. Though his hair was a deeper red, but the eyes, the chiselled bone structure, there were similarities between him, his mother and Master Seki, his grandfather.
"Uncle?" He never knew he had one.
"At least your man is sharp."
"He's not..." Ciel trailed off. Technically, George was his man. He'd almost said he wasn't on autopilot. It was a good thing he managed to stop in time. Or else who knows what George might have done.
"Don't you dare say you aren't a couple when you're wearing matching jade pendants. Especially when they have a lover's knot. Even Kou and Yue didn't have one."
Ciel flushed crimson at those words. This was definitely his mother's doing. He was so excited with the trip that he hadn't been paying attention. Did his mother have to tell the world like that? He buried his face in his hands, unwilling to look at anyone. He felt George stroke his head.
"Please don't tease him like this. It's hard for me to coax him after that."
Ciel looked up at George and pouted. George flashed him a loving smile as he continued to stroke his hair. "Behave."
"You don't seem to have any problems at all." The owner's voice broke into their world of two. "But I must say, even though you look like your father, when you pout, you look exactly like my sister."
"Yes, he does." Another voice spoke up and they looked up to see a middle aged woman walking over to them. Her movements were filled with power and there was a heroic air about her. She resembled the man in front of him more than his mother but he could still see some similarities. What shocked Ciel the most was that George suddenly got up and gave that woman a deferential bow.
"Master."
A/N: It's been hectic but I apologize to the readers for all these delays... Will try to keep them to a minimum.
