June 14, 4021 12:00 [Zìyóugǎng- Central District]

Cecil and Mirai’s mouths watered, both gawking at the zongzi stall owner with watchful eyes as he mixed steaming glutinous rice with marinated pork belly and mushrooms. The stall owner deftly wrapped the dish in bamboo leaves, tying the folded packages with string before handing them to the two ravenous Homunculi. Cecil giddily took the package, delicately unwrapping the lacework and unfolding the leaves to reveal the aromatic snack inside. He sank his teeth into the sticky rice dumpling, instantly enamored with the savory delight, the juice from the pork melding beautifully with the rice and mushrooms on his palate, a strong umami flavor enveloping his taste buds.

Mirai, on the other hand, struggled to open the package, a few unsuccessful attempts provoking the ire of Aisha as she snatched it out of his hands, unwrapping the package before returning the unsealed contents to him. He meekly took the package, nibbling on his zongzi. Cecil rolled his eyes at his junior, scarfing down the rest of his own dumpling before composting the bamboo leaves in a nearby bin.

The rest of the group had already made headway towards the boat races. Indra, Vivian, and Akula had arrived early to secure spots near the waterside next to rows of incense and brass gongs. The three latecomers weaved their way through a sea of locals as they cheered in support of the boaters. The wooden boats were shaped in the form of dragons, intricate colors painted across their sprawling thirty-meter lengths, housing almost sixty oarsmen. A vibrant array of colors dotted the harbor as boats lined up at the start of the designated aquatic course. Cecil reached the water’s edge peering over the crowd to look for the others. At a height of 6’2,” he towered over most of the spectators present, able to easily pick out conspicuous individuals from the crowd. Amongst a sea of dark hair, Cecil easily identified Akula’s blinding white hair billowing in the wind. Even without his height advantage, he would have been able to easily pick Akula from the crowd since the Homunculus seemed to be the single loudest spectator at the festival, cheering his heart out and slamming a mallet into a gong. Indra and Vivian stood at his side covering their ears. Cecil led Mirai and Aisha to the others, reaching the other Homunculi.

“You guys made it!” yelled Indra over the sound of Akula’s gong. “The race is just about to start!”

“Glad we could join in the festivities this year!” Cecil answered, procuring a small cube from his pocket.

He laid the cube flush to the ground, inputting specific measurements into the device, glancing at the perimeter of their persons. Finally confirming the measurements, he proceeded to push in a small lever at the top of the cube. The lever sank into the contraption which proceeded to emit a wave of distortion over their location, enveloping the six of them. He pressed a second lever on the right side of the cube which emitted another wave of distortion wrapping around Akula.

“Good, now we can hear each other without yelling,” Cecil said cheerfully, satisfied with his work.

“Where’d you get that device?” inquired Vivian.

“Jìguāng gave it to me so that we wouldn’t have to deal with the noise of the crowd. It excludes external auditory stimuli by dampening our own hearing so that we can only hear each other.” Cecil explained.

“So it gives us heightened selective hearing?” Mirai asked.

“That’s exactly it,” Cecil confirmed.

“Thank God you blocked out that incessant noise coming from the gong,” Aisha remarked.

“Yeah, this definitely came in handy. Now Akula can beat his gong to his heart’s content without destroying our eardrums. Everybody wins!” Cecil laughed, enjoying the silence.

“Indra, here.” Aisha shuffled through her own pocket procuring a bamboo leaf package and handed Indra the wrapped zongzi.

“Thanks, Aisha.” He proceeded to unravel the bamboo leaf and sink his teeth into the zongzi.

Red bean paste oozed from the sticky rice dumpling as he smiled, seemingly enjoying the sweet flavor. Vivian eyed the dumpling, tempted by Indra’s endorsement, she tapped his shoulder.

“Let me have a bite,” she said.

Cecil and Mirai shared a knowing look, snickering.

Indra shot them a dirty glance. He extended his arm, giving Vivian a bite of his zongzi. As she bit into it she squirmed with joy having tasted such a delectable treat.

“This has to be one of the best sweet zongzi I’ve had in such a long time! Aisha, where'd you get this from?” Vivian asked adamantly.

“From the stall near the Vechnaya Merzlota Embassy, close to Central Plaza,” Aisha answered earnestly.

Vivian turned to Indra, “Indra we have to go there before the fireworks begin,” she insisted.

“Sure, we have to pick up Xiónghuáng wine at Central Plaza anyways,” he responded.

“Oh, you’re so sweet!” She pulled him to her bosom, giggling at his sudden rigidity. Cecil noticed, this time howling with laughter.

“What are you picking up realgar wine for?” Mirai asked curiously.

“It’s a cure-all for driving evil spirits and diseases away! A must-have beverage to accompany this event!” Akula popped into the conversation, seemingly tired of his gong, drunk off of the atmosphere and the energy of the crowd.

“Gah! I knew it! I thought you were going to use it for some kind of special ceremony. I should have known you bastards were just going to get drunk again!” Mirai exclaimed.

“You know us so well, buddy! Gahahaha!” Akula laughed, slinging his arm over Mirai’s shoulder and tousling his hair.

“I won’t be a part of this!” Mirai attempted to escape but his efforts were futile as he found himself cornered by both Akula and Cecil.

“TOO LATE!” they both announced, a mischievous glint in their eyes.

Vivian rustled through a tote bag she had brought along, pulling a rope out and tossing it to Cecil. Grabbing ahold of Mirai the two seniors tied him to a nearby chair, ignoring his bitter insults of protest.

“Argh! You guys, why’d you bring a rope?!” He screamed, bewildered.

“Sorry, dude. We figured you’d bail so we brought the rope as a contingency plan. Unfortunately, we had to use it,” Indra answered, feigning remorse.

“You bastard!” Mirai hurled a few more insults before Cecil pressed the right lever on the cube and muted him.

“Oh, I almost forgot, Cecil, I had these made for you. They should come in handy on your next mission,” Vivian drew a pocket-sized box from her bag, handing it to Cecil.

“Uh, thanks?” Cecil looked puzzled, opening the box to find numerous silver tags inside. “What do I use them for?” he asked.

“What’s the point in telling you? You’ll have more fun figuring it out for yourself,” she chuckled.

“Right,” he said skeptically, pocketing the box. “I’ll be sure to test these out later.” He clapped his hands to get the attention of the others. “Now then, the race is starting, I think we should start placing bets, no?” Cecil addressed them.

“My money’s on Wáng Chén. He’s been practicing daily with his team since last year’s defeat,” Akula predicted. “Man, I really wanted to see it live! But at least we have this year to see him win!”

“Wáng Chén? No way! It has to be Zhào Lǐ. His new crew is considered the underdogs this year and they show real promise,” reasoned Indra.

“Or it could be the reigning champions, Zhāng Wěi and his team. They’ve won for the past three years,” explained Aisha.

Vivian agreed with Aisha’s comment.

“Mirai, anything to add?” Cecil unmuted him for a moment only to mute him once again when it became apparent that Mirai was the least bit interested in predicting winners, too preoccupied with hurtling increasingly profane insults at his irresponsible seniors.

A giant cannon sounded, crackling through the air, launching a ball of fire high into the atmosphere. After a moment’s brevity, the clouds parted, giving way as the skies erupted in a blaze of vibrant colors cascading back to Earth. The cannon-shot signaled the start of the race, roars of passion from the crowds echoing throughout the city, directed at the competitors. The oarsmen furiously paddled their boats, intensely focused on maintaining momentum as they propelled their vessels to victory. The air was electric, a feverishly energetic crowd only served to further fuel the oarsmen who churned the water with renewed fervor. Cecil watched as the others jumped up and down in jubilation, cheering for their selected candidates. He couldn’t recall a time when they had had this much fun outside the confines of Matriarch 07.

Their previous visits to Zìyóugǎng required them to wear standardized uniforms to distinguish themselves from civilians. However, this year they all dressed in plain clothes, a testament to their dedication to embrace their new citizenship status. The ladies had donned sun hats, letting their hair down; they wore tank tops, and pleated skirts, ditching their closed-toed shoes for flip-flops. The gents had thrown on t-shirts and shorts, traipsing around in sandals. Indra deviated slightly from his other male counterparts by wrapping his right arm in bandages to conceal his tattoo. They were still riding the high from three days ago, the tension of receiving that first ding from the email sent out to them and their elation when their citizenship was confirmed still lingering in the back of their minds.

The boats had progressed to the final stretch of the race, with many teams neck and neck, frantically rowing to outpace their competitors. Three boats preceded the rest, consisting of teams led by Zhāng Wěi, Wáng Chén, and a competitor cloaked in black that Cecil didn’t recognize. Zhào Lǐ’s team followed closely in hot pursuit. The team leaders scaled the front of their boats, balancing on the dragon heads as they reached out to grab the victory flag. By this point Indra, Akula, Aisha, and Vivian had given up all efforts in regards to coherency, yelling nonsense as adrenaline coursed through their veins, excitement clouding their judgment. Even Mirai had stopped struggling, eyes fixated on the boats, enthralled by the race’s imminent conclusion. Cecil watched with bated breath; it seemed as if Zhāng Wěi would win again this year, his boat inching further ahead of the others. Victory seemed imminent for Wei as his outstretched arms reached for the flag.

In a split second, a flash appeared before his line of sight, the flag was nowhere to be seen. Glancing around for signs of the flag, even spectators seemed to be confused at what had just happened to it. Until… “There!” someone from the crowd yelled, pointing at the competitor that Cecil had not recognized earlier. Waving the flag high in the air, the new competitor flashed a wide grin. The crowd was left stunned at the inconceivable upset that had just been witnessed, still confused as to how the flag managed to elude Zhāng Wěi’s grasp and fall into the hands of this unknown participant. Cecil managed to grasp the situation, however, his perception as a Homunculus remained higher than that of an average human; he replayed the events leading up to the cloaked figure’s victory from his memory. Wei had been mere millimeters from securing his fourth win in a row. He would have won, given that the flag was taken by conventional means. This victory, on the other hand, was by no means conventional. The cloaked figure had leapt onto Zhāng Wěi’s boat grabbing the flag before he could and jumped back to their own boat in a fraction of a second. The feat would have been nearly impossible for a human, but not for a Homunculus, he thought to himself. The cloaked figure threw their head back in laughter, the motion pulling their hood back to reveal a feminine face.

Cecil squinted at the woman, something about her seemed familiar, like he had seen her somewhere at some point recently. The woman’s long locks of brunette hair tumbled past her shoulders, her eyes a dark brown like Indra’s. She looked slightly older, maybe around Akula’s or Cecil’s age in her late teens or early twenties. She was stunning, her stern eyes enhancing her soft lips. A scar ran along the bridge of her nose, joining with another scar that ran down from her left eye to her lips.

The woman noticed the stares from the crowd, the hushed silence making her suddenly self-aware as she reached around her head to check if the hood still shrouded her likeness. Realizing that the cloth had fallen down, she immediately fled the scene, jumping into a nearby crowd along the harbor, disappearing amongst a sea of spectators.

“What the hell?!” Akula was the first to break the silence amongst the Homunculi. “What’s Sól doing here?!”

The rest of the group whipped their heads around, instantly gravitating towards Akula’s mention of ‘Sól’.

“Do you recognize that woman, Akula?” Cecil questioned, curious about the new Duānwǔ champion.

“Of course! That was Amagi Sól’s daughter! Skadi Sól! She’s been all over the headlines recently, talks have been circulating about her succession of the Sól Conglomerate,” Akula explained. “It was on Yuèliàng Daily, they’ve been covering this story pretty extensively. I’m still confused as to why she would show up here though?”

“Maybe to blow off steam?” guessed Cecil.

“That could be the case, I’m sure directing a massive company like Sól Corp. is pretty stressful, especially at such a young age. It can’t be easy knowing you have to take on such a responsibility,” Vivian said.

“It also means she’ll be our boss in the future,” Indra noted.

“What I don’t understand is how she maneuvered herself in order to take the flag from Wěi,” Aisha pondered.

Cecil looked confused. “What do you mean? Only a Homunculus could do that, right? So doesn’t that mean she’s one of us?”

Vivian shook her head. “Have you guys been listening to my lectures at all? The Sól family are direct descendants of the Uturian people, the sole surviving bloodline of their kingdom’s collapse seven thousand years ago. The HTA drug is based on their genetic sequence, although compatibility is extremely limited with those that aren’t of Uturian blood. That’s why even people who are able to transition into Homunculi eventually die due to cell degeneration. Overuse is one factor, but the body rejects these proteins over time which can seriously harm your physiology. I’ve yet to see a painless Homunculus death.”

Cecil shuddered. Out of the present Homunculi, he was the oldest at twenty-one years of age. Next was Akula at nineteen and then Indra, Mirai, and Aisha. He would die earlier than anyone in the group and the thought of dying in such a horrific way, his body tearing itself apart, didn’t sit well with him. He had come to terms with his own mortality, but he preferred to die of his own volition, which is why he volunteered to fight on the frontlines in Levante so often.

“So Uturians naturally had Traits?” questioned Indra.

“That’s correct. Their Traits are what allowed them to rule for so long with an iron fist. Lunar Gate has always wanted to replicate that same military might, but they haven’t perfected Homunculus longevity yet, with the strongest Homunculi dying even faster as prolonged Trait use speeds up cellular degeneration. Virya is an acceptable substitute in terms of powering weapons to match the firepower of Homunculi units, but it’s a finite resource and we’re already seeing the effects of its growing scarcity in Yuèliàng.

Oil ran dry ages ago sending many countries into turmoil without energy; Levante took advantage of the chaos, striking a deal with Sól Corp. Using Virya from their deserts and weapons provided by Sól Corp. they were able to suppress the nations of the Middle East and unify them under the Republic of Levante. But as you know, Sól Corp. works with the highest bidder. So when the Yuèliàng government offered them a say in the nation’s policies and control over export, import, taxation, etc. the company relocated to this country bringing its wealth of weapons and technological knowledge with it.

Relations with Levante have been tumultuous, to say the least. That’s why Lunar Gate is trying to conserve its Virya supply as much as possible and pouring more of its monetary assets into Homunculus development. Ethically speaking, living bioweapons are as taboo as they get but the Oligarchs don’t see it that way. It’s ‘a necessary evil for peace’ they say,” Vivian explained.

“The Oligarchs, the Sól family, either way, we’re getting the short end of the stick. C’mon, Vivi let’s head to the plaza. We’ll catch you guys later at the center stage.” Indra left for the plaza pulling Vivian along with him.

The remaining four looked around aimlessly.

“Well, now what?” Akula asked.

“The dances and fireworks don’t start until later in the evening, so we’ve got some time to kill. How about we explore the area some more? Maybe we can get some snacks or souvenirs along the way,” answered Cecil.

Aisha nodded in agreement. “Mirai’s still tied up though,” she pointed out.

“Good point,” Cecil answered, untying his junior and turning the cube device off. “Just chill out for a bit, we'll go eat some festival food and you’ll forget all about the realgar wine.”

Mirai resigned himself to go along with his seniors’ frivolous request. “Do whatever you want, just don’t drag me into your shenanigans.”

“Right, right. With that settled, let’s head out as well!” Akula proclaimed excitedly.

The four of them strolled around Central District marveling at the towering buildings and impressive architecture, light reflecting off of the hundreds of windows neatly lined up the length of every skyscraper. All manner of flying vehicles zipped about, high above the busy city streets, honking along in traffic. Businessmen made their commute, some walking past with little acknowledgment of the festivities, others actively joining in, mingling with the locals. The city was alive and bustling with people traveling to and fro visiting various stalls to purchase souvenirs or to try some delicious zongzi. Children ran around carefree, incense bags hanging around their necks. Homes and businesses hung mugwort leaves and calamus above their entrances. The Homunculi visited a stall selling regional delicacies. Cecil looked over the stall’s offerings, picking out some jiānduī to eat.

“Do you guys want anything to eat?” he asked the others.

“Can I try the thin pancake wraps?” Aisha requested.

Cecil asked the stall owner for some thin pancake wraps.

“Can I try the eel stew?” Mirai asked Cecil after some thought.

“Isn’t that cannibalism?” Akula looked concerned.

“I’m not an eel you fucking idiot, I’m still human, and besides don’t you like shark fin soup?” Mirai retorted.

“Well yeah, but sharks eat other sharks so I don’t see the problem there. Also, is that any way to talk to your senior?!” Akula burst, disregarding the hypocrisy of his statement.

Cecil handed the pancake wraps to Aisha and ordered an eel stew.

“Cecil, I’ll just share the jiānduī with you if that’s alright,” Akula responded to Cecil’s initial question.

“Yeah no problem, they gave me too many portions of this fried cake anyways.” Cecil handed a jiānduī to Akula.

Once they had received their food, the four found a bench to recline on and savor their dishes. Aisha enjoyed her wraps, biting into the thin pancake to get at the meat, mushrooms, and leeks inside, oblivious to the sauce dripping from the side of her mouth. Mirai ravenously consumed his own dish, slurping away at the warm soup broth filled to the brim with fatty, rich, tender eel, tofu, and mushrooms. Cecil and Akula both took a bite of the jiānduī that Cecil had purchased, letting the glutinous fried rice flour balls topped with sesame seeds meld with their mouths. They spent a couple of minutes at the bench in silence, savoring their first experience with Duānwǔ Festival food. Their past experiences with food stalls had been relegated to ones hand-picked by Lunar Gate to resemble similar cuisine served in Matriarch 07. The street food they were eating now exemplified a fresh start as citizens of Yuèliàng. Cecil was confident that even a shut-in like Aisha who normally didn’t dare to leave the confines of Matriarch 07 could learn to appreciate the outside world and this city now.

Finishing their food, they decided to rendezvous with Indra and Vivian in Central Plaza where the center stage would be set up for the festival dances. Lanterns lined the streets leading to Central Plaza, illuminating the decadent tapestries surrounding the area. Throngs of people populated the plaza eager to watch the fireworks and traditional dances on display. Cecil looked around for the missing couple, but to no avail, a mix of locals and tourists made it difficult for him to spot them.

“I can’t find them anywhere,” Cecil told the other three.

“Maybe we can ask around, didn’t they say they were going to get realgar wine?” Mirai suggested.

“Yes, but Vivi said she wanted to try more zongzi. Let’s ask the stall owner if he’s seen them around. We can also ask where to find the wine,” Aisha stated.

“Where do we find the stall?” asked Akula.

“It’s near the Vechnaya Merzlota Embassy,” she replied.

The four went to the zongzi stall they had stopped by earlier in the day, asking the stall owner about the whereabouts of the couple.

“Hey, mister!” Aisha greeted the portly stall owner with a friendly smile.

“Oh, you young folk are back? You couldn’t resist my world-famous zongzi could you?” he laughed heartily, giving them a warm smile.

“Actually, we were wondering if you saw my brother around. He’s kind of short, but he looks like me. He was with another woman about three or four inches taller than him,” Aisha described.

“Hmm, I think I may have seen them. Maybe if you purchase some zongzi I may remember the details a little clearer,” the stall owner stroked his chin.

Cecil rolled his eyes, whipping out his wallet. “I’ll take a chestnut zongzi. Did that jog your memory?”

The portly man handed Cecil his order, chuckling indulgently. “Of course, now I remember! The short boy with the lovely woman by his side. She was quite adamant about purchasing my whole stall,” he chuckled again. “The boy had to practically drag her away after purchasing some zongzi. I think they mentioned visiting a realgar vendor down the street,” he said pointing them in the direction of the wine vendor.

Aisha thanked the stall owner and led the way following his directions towards the realgar vendor. It didn’t take long before they came upon the stall in question in a packed area of the street. A large commotion surrounded the stall as a crowd of people gathered around cheering, waving money in the air. The stall appeared to be a makeshift bar with a couple of tables and some shelves lined with realgar wine. Cecil muscled his way through the crowd making a path for the others only to stumble upon Indra and Vivian going head-to-head in a drinking contest. Both of them were completely intoxicated, cheeks ruddy from the alcohol.

“Y’ready t’ hicc give up?” Indra challenged, grabbing the table firmly for support.

“Not a chansh,” Vivian smirked, swaying in a drunken stupor.

They both reached for another bottle, but they were interrupted by Cecil and Aisha who dragged the two out of the stall, much to the crowd's dismay. Akula grabbed a couple of bottles from the table and followed the others outside, ignoring Mirai’s glare of disapproval.

“Do you guys know how to do anything other than drown yourselves in liquor?!” Aisha reprimanded the two.

Indra and Vivian looked at each other and giggled.

“Oh, so that’s how you want to play, huh?” she snapped her fingers. “Mirai, you want to do the honors?”

Mirai hoisted a bucket of ice-cold water over his head. “Gladly,” he said, dousing the drunken duo, the shock from the icy liquid instantly sobering the two.

Akula and Cecil watched in amusement as the two sobering drunkards screamed in surprise, interrogated by their juniors whilst sipping realgar wine. Once Aisha and Mirai had satiated their urge to discipline Indra and Vivian, they all returned to Central Plaza just as the dancers started to make their way on stage. The dancers were all female, costumed in colorful dresses, their sleeves reaching well past their arms. They adorned their temples with jewelry complementing their snow-white makeup and scarlet eyeshadow. Nimbly and gracefully, their movements captivated the audience. A backdrop of fireworks enveloped the sky, illuminating their performance in a warm glow. The dancers weaved their way across the stage as if carving through the air with a blade. Elegantly, they maneuvered their arms in sync, achieving a harmonious rhythm that mesmerized the onlookers. Cecil watched quietly entranced by their beauty. Akula eyed his friend suspiciously.

“You want to talk to one of them?” he asked.

“Definitely,” Cecil answered without skipping a beat, eyeing the dancer in front.

“Well, I’ll look around and see if they have a backstage pass,” Akula stated sarcastically.

“Mhm,” Cecil answered nondescriptly, still sipping wine.

Indra and Vivian stood to the side, still soaked, monitored closely by Aisha and Mirai.

They shivered in wet clothes as a chilly night breeze rolled over the city. The dance came to a close, the performers curtly bowing before taking their leave of the stage amidst a standing ovation from the locals and the enthused tourists. Cecil checked the time, 8:00, curfew would be at 10:00 tonight, later than usual to allow the Homunculi to enjoy their first day in the city as citizens. Now that the fireworks and performances had reached their conclusion, the only remaining activity to look forward to would be to grab dinner and return home, back to Matriarch 07. Cecil turned to the others, aiming to direct their attention to a nearby restaurant where they could unwind for the remainder of their free time, but before he could open his mouth to make a sound— BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!

The plaza erupted.