After they finished their cheese tea, Camille led the group through the bustling streets of the Main District. They passed a shoe store and took a few lefts and rights until they arrived at a dimly lit part of the block that seemed devoid of life. The only light in the darkness came from an alleyway where an entrance gate with a neon sign glowing crimson that read, "Yaoguai Market" stood.
Camille and her friends stood at the entrance, with Yin and Jin huddled together, shaking like leaves clinging to a branch in a storm. Aizhen took a few steps closer, studying the sign. She lowered her head to listen to the sounds roaring from within. Her ears perked up as she heard sinister laughter echoing inside, feet scurrying across the stone pavement, and food sizzling wafting through the air.
She felt a slight quiver swim down her spine, the ends of her ponytail began to spike, and a cold draft caused tiny bumps to rise from her arms. A spike of miasma emitted from the market, ranging from harmless to dangerous.
"I can feel a wave of negative energy just standing outside the gate.", said Aizhen.
"M-mm-m-aybe this was a bad idea.", suggested Jin.
"Yeah, can't we just go around then go through?", Yin said.
"No way! If we go around, it'll be too late, and Pigsy's will be closed. We just have to pile through, keep our heads low, and don't be Sus'.," snapped Camille.
"Camille, do you know what kind of demons might lurk around the market at this hour? HE could be in there!"
"He? He who?", asked Aizhen as she turned to her friends.
"Never mind, HE. Look- Our only shot is through this market, past the junkyard, across the bridge, and a couple blocks to the left. Boom! We'll be at Pigsy's before you know it."
"If we survive, that is.", said Yin.
"Just who is HE you guys are talking about?"
"Not important right now. What's important is getting you to Pigsy's. No turning back now, right?"
"I guess, but...I'm a little uncertain at the moment. There's something menacing about this place thats making my skin feel bumpy?" Aizhen said, rubbing her arms like a cold gust of wind had brushed through her.
"What's the matter, Scaley, getting cold feet?" Jin asked, a tiny grin forming, seeing uncertainty washed over Aizhen.
"You're not chicken, are you?" Yin teased, breaking off from his brother and sharing a similar grin.
"Chicken? Why would I be a chicken?"
Yin and Jin flapped their arms and made chicken noises around Aizhen. She watched them, confused by their antics.
"W-w-w-hy are they starting to act like chickens?"
"Now boys, don't intimidate her like that.", scolded Scorpion Queen.
"Yeah! You guys are more a chicken than Ai-Ai is! You were scared little pups a minute ago, and now you're acting like hyenas!" said Camille.
"Wait...So they're acting like chickens because they think I'm a chicken?"
"They think you're a coward and a scaredy cat is what they're implying from their antic here.", explained Scorpion Queen.
Aizhen's cheeks flared, glaring at the brothers, hands rolled into fists, throwing them to her side and turning toward the gate.
"Oh? Is that what they were implying? Do they think I, Aizhen, aka Huanglong the Yellow Dragon, am afraid of a spooky, dark market? Well, I'll show you who the 'chicken' is! I'm going to march head first into this 'Yaoguai Market' and prove to you that I am not a 'chicken'!" proclaimed Aizhen as she stomped toward the gate, steam puffing from her head.
"Wait, Ai-Ai! It's not wise to go in alone!", cried Camille running off after her friend.
"You guys can be jerks sometimes", said Scorpion Queen as she glared daggers at the brothers and gave a humph before following Camille.
The brothers let out a groan and rolled their eyes as they followed behind Scorpion Queen.
"We were just giving her a little push is all", defended Yin.
"Yeah. We didn't mean it in disrespect. Sometimes you need a little 'egging on' to get the ball rolling."
"Well, Aizhen didn't take your 'egging on' quite humorous."
"She doesn't know when to take a joke."
"Then again, she wouldn't know what 'taking a joke' means."
"Cause it's her first day among mortals. She's still learning what it's like to be...well, a 'demi-human' amongst mortals. I was the same as her when I first came to the city with Tudi." Scorpion Queen planted a hand on the side of the pillar to stop for a moment, turning slightly toward the brothers, "If I hadn't run into Camille and you guys, we'd be lost. I owe you three for giving me a place to stay, teaching me so much, but more importantly...being my friends."
Yin and Jin let the revelation sink in momentarily before their smiles faded as they exchanged glances. She was right. When Scorpion Queen and Tudi first arrived in Megapolis, they had been lost and unfamiliar with city life. They remembered running into them one summer day when the Cheese Tea stand had a buy two, get one free deal. Camille was the first to notice Scorpion Queen and Tudi sitting on a nearby bench. Observing the exhaustion on their faces, Camille took the two drinks and offered Yin the complimentary tea while Jin protested when she gave their drinks to the travelers. Since that day, Scorpion Queen and Tudi have become friends, enjoying cheese tea and Camille's homemade snacks, playing ping pong, and engaging in all sorts of friendly activities.
If it wasn't for Camille's act of kindness on that day, if she didn't see Scorpion Queen and Tudi on that bench, who knows what would've happened.
Bowing their heads and giving a slight nod, they lifted their gaze to look at the Scorpion Queen.
"I guess...We are being a bit hard on her.," Yin said, rubbing his arm in shame.
"Yeah, but for the record, she did rough up our stuff when she landed in our pad.", Jin said, only to get punched in the arm by Yin, "Hey! That cutout wasn't cheap, ya know!"
"That doesn't matter now. Listen, we came this far and we have to see this through...Even if we have to go," Yin paused as he gulped, looking up at the illuminated void before them, "Straight through the jaws of death to get her to where she has to go."
"Luckily, she has the greatest tricksters, a powerful queen, and an energetic chameleon to keep her out of harm's way.," she said, giving the boys a playful wink.
Yin and Jin blushed at her compliment. It was true that they were the greatest tricksters around, and as such, they would use every trick at their disposal to sneak away or gain the upper hand on unsuspecting victims. It couldn't hurt to offer their services to watch over Aizhen if any terrifying demon tried to harm her.
"Q-q-uite true. Okay, you've twisted our arm. We better get moving before our feet change their mind and zoom off.", said Jin, heading toward the gate with Yin.
"Probably won't take more than five minutes tops to get passed here.", Yin said.
The three demons walked through the gate together, the darkness wrapped around them. The street lights shined brighter with each step until they could make out Aizhen and Camille standing by a barrel nestled close to a light post.
At the sound of their steps, Camille turned with her tail rolled up in a ball but loosened, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank the gods, it's about time you guys caught up. We didn't want to go further in until we were all together."
"For a market, it is quite dim with only the light from these poles keeping back the dark."
"Those are street lights, we're only in the safe zone. The market is just a few feet ahead."
"The safe zone? Why do they call this the safe zone?"
"Eh. Just to give unfortunate travelers like us a chance to catch our breath before we venture deeper until we get jumped, mauled, robbed, or worse, kidnapped." Camille rattled on until she heard the chattering of the brothers' teeth. She raised her palms as she tried to calm their nerves, "Which is only a high percentage if you're by yourself, but since we're in a group, numbers in strength talk lower that risk."
"So we'll be safe as long as we stick together.", Scorpion Queen reassured the brothers.
"Okay. Now remember: We stick together, don't take anything a shady demon offers, don't eat any suspicious food, and the most important: Watch out for YOU-KNOW-WHO at all costs, or it's game over...." Camille said in a grim voice.
"You-Know-Who? Just who is this 'You-Know-Who' you're referring to?" asked Aizhen.
"I'll explain later, for now. We have to get through here and get you to Pigsy's before he closes shop.", she said, grasping Aizhen's hand as she began to walk down the road steadily.
As they walked, the market gradually came to life. Red lanterns hung on each side of the block while demons emerged from corners and alleyways, filling the street. The enticing aroma of meat wafted through the air, drawing customers in with its inviting scent. The booths appeared makeshift; tattered tents cloaked the stands, giving off an ominous vibe—boxes and crates stuffed with trinkets and knick-knacks. One merchant attempted to give away free samples of durian fruit, but didn't have much luck. Customers refused to sample a fruit that smelt of rotten onions.
Aizhen had never seen so many demons in one place. A horned demon with a red mane was engaged in an arm wrestling match against a bear demon while spectators cheered and placed bets on the outcome. Goblin-like demons laughed heartily as they clanked their mugs together, and an elderly goat demon played Chinese checkers with a wolf demon.
"Look at em' all...So many demons..."
"Yeah, they're scattered all over the city. Most disguise themselves as humans, keep to the shadows, or stick to their turf like this. Yaoguai Market is one of the places in Megapolis where demons have taken up residence.", explained Camille.
"So they coexist with humans? That's rather interesting. From what I've heard, demons and humans have been at odds for centuries. Demons wanting to devour humans for their flesh or life force, take over vast empires, or to cause trouble for the mortals...No offense to you lot."
"None taken. Yeah, we demons may got a bad rep over the centuries, but much has changed over time. Sure, we may cause trouble occasionally, but it's just out of sheer boredom.", said Yin.
"Yeah. It gets boring when ya got much time on your hands so why not go messing with some mortals and get a few kicks."
"Me? I just love hanging out and having a good time with humans. I got a handful of human pals: Mei is the top one, then there's Mister Tang, Pigsy is more a Piggy, and then there's...."
Camille continued to list off each human she's befriended, Aizhen heard a voice call to her.
"Pst! Pst! Hey, Missy!"
She halt for a moment only trying to find the source of the voice, when she turned a weasel demon in her face. Stumbling back, she reeled her right hand back-claws popping out as she was prepared for his next move.
"Woah, woah, woah! Easy there, Claw Gal! Didn't mean to sneak up on ya! I couldn't help, but notice that fancy smancy jacket ya got there. Shame it's missing some razzle dazzle!"
"Razzle...Dazzle?"
"Yeah! Razzle Dazzle! Pins!"
He ushered to his makeshift booth: Crates acting as the stand, a cartoonish sign with his mug on it and glass cases filled with pins of all shapes and sizes. Aizhen took a few careful steps toward his booth, eyes twinkling at the glittery trinkets.
"They're so beautiful...I've never seen such treasure as these before."
"Aren't they? Some of these beauts are one of a kind. Can't find anywhere. This, for example, is a one-of-a-kind Lantern City pin of the Great Lantern. Glows in the dark."
He pointed toward a large lantern-shaped pin before pointing toward the golden dragon pin holding a pearl in its claws.
"This one is the "Dragon Pearl" pin. A celestial dragon holding a pearl in its claw. Rumor has it, and I ain't lying here; this pin is believed to grant whoever wears it good luck. The poor bloke who lost it wasn't so lucky when he misplaced this rare catch."
"How can a pin bring one good luck? Is it the pearl that holds the magic of the luck within or the dragon that bestows the user with luck?"
"Ehh...I'd say it's the dragon that gives luck through the pearl. All I know is that you gotta make sure you charge it under a full moon to ensure you keep getting good luck every month."
"Hmm...I don't think I need a magical pin to give me luck. So far, my luck's been decent for far."
"Okay, okay. I see your a lady of fine taste. Let's see if there's something that might tickle your fancy."
The weasel demon glanced at the cases, searching for the perfect pin. His eyes brightened when they landed on a particular one. He pulled a key from his pocket to unlock the case, opened it, and carefully took out a beautiful pin shaped like a rose gold and pink lotus flower.
"Ah. Here it is. How's about this fetching lotus flower?"
Aizhen leaned down to get a closer look at the lotus flower. It glistened in the light, eyes twinkling at the floral brooch's artistry and detailing.
"It's gorgeous....I've never seen anything like it."
"And it can be yours today for the low cost of 250 yuan."
The twinkle in her eyes dimmed recalling she was yuanless. She let out a sad sigh and looked the weasel demon in the eyes.
"I'm terribly sorry, but I don't have any yuan to buy this enticing 'pin'."
"That's okay. If ya don't got any yuan, how's about a trade. What'cha got?"
Aizhen began to dig in her pockets, trying to see if there was anything that could be worth trading. She took out a token from the arcade and held it out to him, his face scrunched up in disgust.
"An arcade token? Sorry, that ain't worth nothing."
She placed the token back and checked her jean jacket, but the only thing in her left pocket was her stone and a piece of candy. The weasel's eyes locked on the stone quickly swiping it from her grasp.
"Ohhh~! What have we here?!"
"Hey! That's mine!"
She charged at the weasel, but he stepped out of the way as he studied the stone with interest.
"Hmm...Never seen a stone like this before. Interesting design...Is this tourmaline?! Ohh hooo~This is quite the gem you got here, Missy! How's about this! You trade me this stone in exchange for the pin."
"I'm sorry, but the stone isn't for trade!", she continued to grab the stone back from the weasel.
"Aw come on, it's just a dusty, ole shiny stone. Looks like something ya see in one of them museums. I'd be happy to take it off your hand-"
When he side stepped out of her path, Aizhen turned and swung her arm across his face! Struck by the impact, he crashed into his booth. Glass and pins scattered across the ground, boxes burst into splinters and the weasel laid spread on the floor with the stone grasped in his right claw.
A towering shadow loomed over the demon as he gazed up, letting out a terrified scream. Aizhen kept her gaze at him, her face flooded with rage. She looked monstrous with her hair spiked up, front fangs sprouting out of her mouth and her eyes glowing like the sun. She was huffing and puffing trying to contain her fury.
"I said....That stone is NOT for trade!", her voice distorted as she bent down grasping the weasel's arm tightly.
"Owowowowoww! Stop it! Stop~! You're gonna snap my arm!"
She continued to tighten her grasp on his arm, he kept screaming in pain alerting the demons closeby. They slowly began to gather around to see the scene unfold.
"Give me my stone, or I swear by the Jade Emperor, I will snap your arm like a TWIG for stealing the Yellow Stone belonging to Huanglong!"
"Okay! OKAY! You can have it back! Just don't break my arm!," he cried letting out terrifed sobs, opening his hand and closing his eyes fearing the worst.
Aizhen reached out and snatched the stone from his hand before releasing his arm. Rising from the ground, her eyes glued to the demon as he backed away from her and jumped into the remaining box that wasn't damaged in the scuffle, rolled up in a ball and bawled. Aizhen clenched the stone close to her chest like it was a baby kitten. Her relief was cut short when she heard voices rise like a choir as she turned to find a crowd gathered behind her. They heard the commotion to see if a fight broke out, only to witness a monstrous girl striking down a demon and destroying his shop.
"Who is that?", one demon asked.
"More like what is that? I've never seen anyone like her before", said another demon.
"Is she a demon?"
"What exactly is she?"
"She looks more like a monster to me. Did you see how she struck that guy down?"
"Maybe she got jibbed and wanted her money back-with interest."
"What a freak."
Aizhen stepped back as the red eyes kept their gaze on her. She felt a lump start to thump in her chest as she felt her lungs tighten. Her breath fastened as she gazed down at her clawed hands before returning her attention to the crowd.
"Hey, Miss. What kinda beef ya got with this guy, huh?"
"Did he cheat ya out of that antique you got there?"
"Looks like a pebble to me."
Gripping her fists to her sides, she tightened her eyes and charged toward the crowd. Some of the demons parted, including Camille and her friends, who tried to get through to see what the commotion was about. They watched Aizhen head into a nearby alleyway as they gave chase. Camille and the gang peeked their heads around the corner, finding Aizhen standing in the dead end alleyway. Her hands clutched her arms as she took deep breaths to calm herself down.
"Ai-Ai?"
Camille slowly walked into the alleyway as she approached Aizhen, but froze when she heard a low growl.
"Ai-Ai. I-it's okay...It's me, Camille. You're friend."
She took a couple steps closer, but her friend did not stir.
"Don't come a step closer, Camille...I don't want to hurt you..."
Camille obeyed as she took a cautious step back. Aizhen fearing she'd harm her? What was going on with her? Collecting her thoughts, she carefully chose her words by thinking back to the incident to learn what transpired.
"What happened back there? Why did you...Why did you destroy that guy's booth?"
"It was an accident...He tried to steal my stone...He tried to steal MY STONE away from me, Camille. All for some silly little pin..."
"Wait. That weasel wanted your stone for a silly little pin?", asked Camille.
"That'd be Renzhe. That guy is always trying to make shady trades for B-grade pins.", said Yin.
"Looks like he almost pulled the wool over her eyes, but all he got was panda eyes after she slugged em'.", said Jin.
"But, that didn't mean you could destroy it."
"I didn't mean to! I was just trying to get my stone back!", Aizhen turned toward Camille her face still looking monstrous.
"All that commotion over a silly, little rock!", Jin yelled only to get slapped on the head by Scorpion Queen.
"It maybe a 'silly little rock' to you, Jin, but to me this stone is more precious than anything in the whole universe!"
"Hey! Ai-Ai! Don't go lashing out at Jin. He doesn't know better about how important something is to a person."
"Yeah! Like how he doesn't know how precious my favorite toothpaste brand is to me, but a certain brother keeps using it!", replied Yin.
"Can we please get back on topic?", said the Scorpion Queen as she came up to Camille keeping her gaze on Aizhen, "Please continue, darling, what happened after you got the stone back..."
"Just when I got it back, those demons...T-t-they called me...," her voice cracked as she fell onto her knees, sinking her head down into her chest, "T--t-they called me...a monster...a...freak...If they knew who they were addressing...they would be begging for mercy to call Huanglong the Yellow Dragon...a freak..."
Aizhen can feel her face tense up, the anger she felt a second ago was replaced by a wave of sorrow and guilt. Tears dripped down her face like a steady waterfall as she let out a soft sob. Camille and Scorpion Queen gazed at each other, taking each other's hands as they approached their pain-stricken friend. Getting down to her level, Camille tried to look Aizhen in the eye, but she was ashamed to raise her head up.
"You're not a freak, Ai-Ai. Nor a monster."
"Cammie is right. No one has seen anyone like you before, but that's okay. That's what makes you 'you'."
"That's right. Don't listen to what those ruffians say, you're special, Ai-Ai. Ya know why? Because you are a demi-human. That makes you unique amongst demons and humans."
"What truly makes you unique is being yourself, and sweetie-We love you for who you are. Even when you're at your lowest.", Scorpion Queen as she spoke in a soft tone.
"Yeah, like you are now.", remarked Jin.
Yin slapped his brother in the head.
"Not helping, Jin!"
"What Queenie means is that no matter when we're at our best or our worst, friends stick together until the end," Camille said as she reached out and lifted her palm under Aizhen's chin.
Aizhen saw the warm assuring smiles on their faces. She sniffled for a moment wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Each of the girls reached out a hand to her, she stared down at her hands-her claws reverting back into fingers with her left palm holding her stone. She took a breath, pocketed her stone into her pant pocket and took their hands as she felt herself hoisted off the floor and pulled into a hug. It felt like the cozy robe back at the spa, but it was more of a toasty feeling that made her feel safe as she felt the warmth of their love wash over her like a river. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and with each breath taken her hair fluffed back down, her pupils returned and her fangs shrunk tucked away behind her lips.
"I-I'm sorry...I only stepped away for a moment when I got pulled in by his 'razzle dazzle pins.' I couldn't help but take a gander."
"It's okay. The important thing is that he didn't try to rob ya, let alone scam ya," said Camille, pulling her friend back, "Then again, after ya slugged him-he'll probably won't bother ya again."
"I gotta admit, you really showed him whose boss. You got quite the arm there.", said Scorpion Queen.
Camille pinched two fingers together and flicked Aizhen in the head.
"Ow! What was that for!?" said Aizhen, rubbing her forehead.
"For breaking off from the group. Remember like I said: We stick together when in the market especially at night when its dangerous."
"Didn't seem dangerous so far besides nearly having my stone stolen."
"That stone...It means a lot to you, does it?", asked the Scorpion Queen.
Aizhen pulled the stone from her pocket, raising it to her eyes as she saw her reflection stare back at her. A somber smile reared from her lips.
"More than anything. Losing this stone would be losing myself. It's the only thing I have that keeps me grounded. It reminds me of home, my status, and my friends...especially..."
At that moment, her somber smile twisted when her stomach unleashed a thundrous roar that could make the ground tremble at its wake. Her cheeks flushed pink as she turned her head away.
"F-f-forgive me...My stomach has a tendency to interrupt sometimes..."
"Hey, hey. It's okay, Ai-Ai. Guess you were kinda 'hangry' when Renzhe tried to scam ya back there. We haven't had anything since lunch. How's about we go and grab some kabobs before we move along, huh?", said Camille softly patted Aizhen's back.
"I guess that would explain why I'm a bit snippy. Some kabobs do sound good right now."
Camille clapped her hands together, a cheerful smile returned, "Great! We'll get some grub, then be on our way!"
"Camille, if we keep pit stopping, the only place we'll be going is to our graves if HE shows up!"
"I know, but come on~Don't pretend that your tummies are grumbling too?", she turned to the brothers, her smile shifting to a grin.
"Mine's been rumbling for quite some time", said Yin, raising his hand.
"It's settled: We get kabobs, then head to Pigsy's."
"Camille, if we run into HIM, you better have tombstones on hand."
"Again, who is this HE you keep referring to?"
"Not important right now, come on. Let's get outta here before some punks try to box us in and shake us down of our stuff.", said Camille as she headed out of the alley.
"Queenie, do you know who this HE everyone's been referring to?", asked Aizhen.
"Let's just say that HE'S somebody you don't want to cross be it day or night-especially on a night like this..Besides HIM, there are a number of riff raffs that come out of the woodwork at night and luckily, you dealt with that scammer in a..., Scorpion Queen twiddled her fingers together trying to find the right word, "In a swift, but slightly terrifying manner when you were about to snap his arm."
"He shouldn't have tried to take my stone from me, but now he knows not to try it again.", she said, pocketing her stone in her pant pocket.
"I'm sure he's well aware after you slugged em', which by the way, you got a strong arm there to send him flying."
"You should've seen what I could do with my tail...Well, what I used to do with my tail. One swing would send stardust to the next realm over.", she said, following Scorpion Queen out of the alley, "I miss my tail..."
Once they regrouped, the gang headed to the food stalls. Camille bought about six plates of kabobs to split amongst her friends. Everyone took their share and munched away, but Aizhen slowed her pace when she noticed a couple of demons glancing their way from the next table over. She looked for a moment only for them to return to their meals.
"Why were those demons looking at us?"
"Their more interested in you than us, Scaley. You did almost twist a guy's arm off."
"Or their still rattling their brains trying to see if you were a demon. Ya know if they wanted a good ole sniff test would sort that out."
"I'd rather not have anyone smell me than myself, thank you", said Aizhen, taking a hefty bite of her kabob.
"Chillax. If anyone besides yours truly tried to get a whiff of ya, I'd shock em' with my Static Tongue."
"I beg your pardon? Static tongue?"
"Yeah, it's a funny story, but a good one. Okay, it all started at the New Year's festival. I was just finishing cooking up a plate of steamy buns when I decided to go on break a little early to check out the festivities: Chat up with my pal, grabbed some festival food, took some selfies, and goofed around. I was heading to the parade until..."
She paused for dramatic effect, Aizhen leaned over her plate eyes glued to Camille's story.
"Until what?"
"Until I got very sleepy and zonked out."
"You got sleepy and zonked out?", asked Aizhen.
"Yeah, but don't worry I'm getting to the good part. Okay, so I came to and I found myself in this giant chamber wrapped up in sticky thread. There were like tons of demons hanging around trapped in a big ole' spider web-including these guys! It's practically how we 'technically' met because they were just a few strands away from where I was."
Camille pointed toward Jin and Yin with a giant grin.
"Hold up...So you were kidnapped and taken to this chamber alongside other demons including them?", she pointed toward the brothers.
"Yep. Turns out the Spider Queen was the one who orchestrated it. From what I overheard, she kidnapped us to collect our power for her giant spider mech thingy to take over the city."
"That's terrible..."
"Oh, it was. Though being electrically shocked at first was quite unpleasant, it feels like your body is getting a static massage after a while."
"How can you find being shocked over and over to be cozy?", asked Jin.
"Because it works wonder on the muscles. My arms were sore from all the bun making so those shocks really helped em' out real good", answered Camille.
"Okay, so what happened next?"
"So, Spider Queen went to host her own parade leaving us all alone. Then I heard these guys below me bickering at one another. If I recall it was something like 'Oh your half-baked son might get eaten because you were too weak to save him', she made her voice squeaky before narrowing her eye brows and deepened her voice, "I know what you're doing, simian. Now I'm gonna go find my 'half-baked son' and save him from that treacherous Spider Queen."
"From what Camille told about that part, when the simian jabbed at the other demon, he broke all the webs releasing Camille and the other demons from their restraints.", explained the Spider Queen.
"We all high tailed it outta there before the guards or anybody came around."
"Okay, but what does that have to do with your tongue?"
"Here. Let me show you.", she took out her tongue swiping the screen to take a look at the charge, "Good timing, my phone's nearly out of juice."
She lifted her phone up to her mouth, smacked her lips a couple times, and shot out her tongue into the charger port. Her tongue shined like a lightbulb as it began to energize the phone. In mere seconds, her battery was back to 100%. Aizhen couldn't believe what she just witnessed: She inserted her tongue into the port and charged it within seconds!
"No way..."
Camille rolled her tongue back and showed her phone to Aizhen.
"Uh, yeah way. Doctor was baffled when the thermometer broke when he checked my temperature. He said it's nothing he's ever seen before, but assured me that I'd go away in time or could be permanent."
"He was fifty fifty on that one, Cammie. Even we didn't believe it until you tried helping us fix the circuit breaker, you used your tongue to try to push the little button..."
"Hehehehe, then you lit up just as the power came back to our place," chuckled Jin.
"That was when I was tailing you guys after I saw you on 'Food Wars'. I was hoping we'd catch up and get some Speedy Panda swag."
"So I'm guessing after she helped restore power to your hideout, you guys became friends?"
"Well, acquaintances at first. Before Queenie, Cammie was our first friend in...centuries."
"But, if she wanted to hang with the greatest tricksters-she had to go through an initiation."
"Was eating a rancid dumpling part of it?", joked Aizhen.
"Part of it wa-hey! It was not rancid!", complained Jin.
"I'm not surprised she didn't die eating all three dumplings were it not for her uncle's medicine."
"Yeah, but they weren't that bad. Besides the dumpling, I had to go on an elaborate scavenger hunt and getting cheese tea, and do the laundry..."
"That's more of being saddled with chores to me."
"Hey! Hazing is part of the initiation!", Jin yelled slamming his fist on the table.
"Ahem, after Camille accomplished each item on the list, we officially welcomed her as part of the 'Chaos Brigade'.", said Yin.
"Chaos Brigade?"
"It's a work in progress."
"Okay, well just to clarify-don't think of trying that hazing ritual with me unless you want me to twist your ears off.", she warned as she resumed eating her kabob.
"Nah, after what we saw you almost did to Renzhe, I think we'll scrap the whole hazing ritual."
"Aizhen doesn't need to prove herself to be part of our group, she's already part of it.", said Scorpion Queen.
"Even though it's been just a day?"
"She tricked ya, survived a deadly dumpling, and nearly twisted a guy's arm off-I say she's solid.", said Camille.
"I second that.", said Scorpion Queen.
Just as Camille was about to take another bite of her kabob, a strong voice shattered the peacefulness that nearly made her drop her stick to the ground.
"Camille Zou!"
"Uh oh..."
Camille didn't want to turn around; she recognized that stern tone all too well. She prayed to the gods that it wasn't who she feared stomping past the tables, fists clenched at his sides, as a young salamander demon inched closer to their table.
"I knew my eyes weren't deceiving me when I saw you coming down this way."
Camille took a deep breath and turned slightly, only to raise her head to the demon looking down at her. Fire danced in the shadows of his pupils, gritting his fangs as he tried to keep his anger in check.
She gulped as she sheepishly waved to him.
"H-h-h-hi, Bro...."
"Bro?"
"That's Camille's brother, Jun Jie, or as we like to call him, 'Wet Blanket,'" whispered Yin.
"I didn't know Camille had any other siblings."
"Neither did we until we first ran into the kill joy.", answered Jin.
"Don't you 'hi bro' me, Camille. I was heading home after I finished with a patron when I saw you and your pals turning past the shoe store heading westbound so I tailed ya, had to drive toward the other side and snuck my way through without bumping into shady goons.", he said.
Jun Jie Zou. Camille's older brother. His ruffled black hair looked like a bird's nest that'd be welcoming for any bird to roost. His tangerine skin was covered in a milk-white t-shirt, a happy bun with the title 'Zou Bun' above. His striped tail, peeking from his tight jeans, struck the ground roughly. Camille knew he was angry when his tail struck the ground three times. This time it was five times, translating to 'he was furious.'
"How many times have I told you, Camille, that the Yaoguai Market isn't safe to traverse at night, but here you are having a kabob party with your buddies."
He shot a dirty glare at Yin and Jin before softening his gaze over to Scorpion Queen for a moment.
"Hello there, Scorpion Queen."
"Hi there, Jun. You look a little tense tonight.", she teased.
"Only because my sister doesn't know better than straying from this place because it isn't safe for her nor any of you."
"So far, it hasn't been dangerous. Except for a Weasel who tried to 'weasel' me out of a precious heirloom of mine.", Aizhen spoke up keeping her eyes glued to Jun Jie, "If you'd permit me to speak, you shouldn't be too hard on your sister. She only brought us here knowing the warnings because it was the fastest route to Pigsys."
Jun Jie turned his eye to Aizhen. He narrowed his gaze, studying her like she was a piece of artwork. Strange, he's never seen her before in Camille's circle of friends.
"And you are?"
"That's my new bestie, Aizhen. She's new in Megapolis and the reason why I had to come through here, Ju-Ju."
"Please don't call me Ju-Ju. Especially in front of your friends...Or in public...", said Jun as his cheeks turned crimson.
"Camille and her friends were showing me around the city. We were having so much fun that we lost track of time and had to use this short cut in hopes of getting to Pigsy's to meet up with her friend, Mei. She said she'd be able to help me."
"Help you? What do you need help with you have to talk to Dragon Girl?", asked Jun Jie.
"Oh, you know her too?"
"Course I do. She and her best friend, MK, stop by our family's bun shop once in awhile-well, MK drops by a few times to deliver noodles. My family loves Pigsys noodles, but a certain chameleon tends to have triple portions delivered to our place once in awhile..", he said returning his firey gaze at his sister.
Camille let out a nervous chuckle and responded, "I love em' so much that I wanted to see if I could eat four?"
"Queenie I can get, but you don't have to order noodles let alone sneak extra food for two wannabes who brought microwave food to a culinary battle.", he shook his head with his fingers glued to his forehead rubbing his temple.
"Hey! We ain't wannabes!", yelled Jin.
"Well, you're not cooks let alone good villains except when you unleashed two giant snakes on the city, then vandalized a lipstick ad on top of a tower."
"Ya mean the Golden Serpent Shears?"
"Hold up...Golden Serpent Shears, where in Celestial's name did you acquire such an artifact?!", she pounded her fist staring daggers at the brothers.
"We somehow managed to steal a bunch of doo hickeys, so we decided to use em to cause a little havoc, but then Noodle Boy and Dragon Girl stopped us."
"Done nearly used the shears to slice us in two were it not for our accoutant to come in at the last minute to save us."
"...What's an accountant?", she asked question marks popping up around her head, but she shook it off before getting back on topic, "More importantly-how did you manage to 'somehow' steal a handful of artifacts!? Those belong to the Celestial Realm and property to the Celestials! Only they can wield such objects!"
"Nevermind that, back on track," Jin said as he pointed at Jun Jie, "We ain't no wannabes! We're the greatest tricksters this world has ever known! We brought this city to its knees when we unleashed those snakies!"
"You maybe tricksters, but as chefs and villains, you tank."
"Did not! We could've won in the last match if the accoutant didn't interfere to tell us we went bankrupt!", yelled Yin.
"And we're it not for Noodle Boy's stealing our shears, we would've gotten em' good!", yelled Jin.
"Oh right, I recall the last round...Right after Speedy Panda bankrupted, your own employees turned against ya because you didn't pay em."
"How was we supposed to know we had to pay em-tradition or not!?", protested Jin.
"You always gotta pay your employees. Tradition or not. You do the work, you get the yuan.", responded Camille.
"Hold on...you guys got beat up by your own followers?"
Jun pulled his phone out of his pocket and searched for a moment until he pulled up a video entitled "Speedy Panda Throw Down", turned it around to show Aizhen.
"Yep, it got millions of views online and still growing to this day."
"Oi! Don't show her that!", protested Jin.
"That was completely staged!", protested Yin.
The brothers attempted to grab the phone from Jun, but his tail swung down to hold them back as he pressed the play button. The video started playing, showing the Speedy Panda employees jumping into the air and charging at the brothers, thoroughly beating them. Pigsy and MK watched as the host presented the employees with their medals.
Aizhen watched as the next frame zoomed in on MK hoisting his medal into the air. The moment she saw his face, it felt like her brain had been struck by lightning while being punched by a boxer. Visions began to unfold in her mind like a movie: MK and his companions traveling to the sacred temples of the Beasts; MK and Wukong nearly getting roasted by Suzaku; Genbu and Kui testing MK and Sandy; Seiryu and Byakko embracing each other; and finally, the golden sphere forming in MK's hands as he appeared in the Emperor's Throne Room, holding the yellow stone aloft.
Aizhen quickly got up from her seat, her hands on her head as her hair began to spike.
"Ai-Ai...are you...okay?"
"Woah, is she okay? Was it the volume? It wasn't up that high..."
"It's not the volume, bro. I think she's glitching."
"Glitching?"
"Yeah, she glitched back at the bros' place when I told her about the pillar being fixed and people getting powers, and now it's happening again.", explained Camille.
"Are you sure she isn't having a seizure?"
"No way! Then she'd be twitchy than fumbling!"
"So she's just having a bad migraine?"
"Exactly!"
"Then why didn't you say that in the first place!?"!
"Because 'glitching' fit the bill especially with the eye flickering!"
The siblings ceased their argument when Aizhen managed to get a sentence through her fanged lips.
"T-t-that boy....That boy...He's...He's..."
A surge of visions filled her mind: MK leaping into the shattered pillar with the stones, Nuwa acquiring the stones, and MK standing with his friends, breaking each stone as their lights soared across the globe and shot back into the sky to restore it. The last image she saw was the Chaos Beyond, with the rumbling sea of chaos echoing in her mind, but it was soon overwhelmed by a new voice... Xiangliu.
"The cage is now open..."
Her voice echoed in his mind as she struggled to keep her balance, stumbling like a newborn foal. Jun Jie and Camille were the first to react, rushing toward her as she tripped over her feet and fell toward the pavement. They lashed out their tails, coiling around her waist to hoist her up. However, just when they breathed relief, they were filled with horror as a demon approached, sipping on a boba tea. The world felt like it was going in slow motion, the demon tripped over their bound tails, sending him tumbling to the ground. The drink flew up into the air as they pulled Aizhen closer. The gruff demon lay flat on the ground, his boba tea bursting open like a water balloon, its contents raining down on him, and tapioca beads sticking to his mulberry mane. The cup landed on one of his horns, spinning for a moment before finally coming to a stop.
Gasps filled the air as demons took cover under tables. Booths quickly shut their windows, and nearby bystanders hid in trash cans and crates. Camille wrapped her arms around Aizhen, stroking her hair while keeping her eyes fixed on the demon that had just eaten stone.
"Camille...?"
"It's okay, Ai-Ai. I'm here..."
"For now, we are....Because in a few minutes...We're about to eat dirt. Six feet and under..."
"What is your brother talking about?" she asked, reeling back only to find terror spread across her friend's face, "Camille?.... What's wrong?"
"You remember when I said how we had to be careful of HIM if we were to run into him?", her voice cracking as she spoked like she ate a sour lemon.
"Yes...?", said Aizhen tilting her head.
"Well, HE just ran into us-literally.", Jun spoked as his body began to shake like jelly.
Aizhen turned to find the demon rising from the ground, a ferocious growl escaped his fangs as he wiped the bits of dirt from his face. Shaking his mane as beads flew across the air as his drink dripped through his locks like tiny streams.
"Who did this?" he said in a threatening, deep tone. "Who would dare to trip me, Tanlan, Leader of the Kongbu Yeshou Gang? Who dares to make a fool out of Tanlan?"
He turned toward the siblings and Aizhen, his eyes filled with rage as he locked onto them. They felt paralyzed, like deer caught in the headlights, frozen in terror as the menacing, gargantuan demon began to stomp in their direction.
What were they to do? What was going to happen? The only thing that escaped Jun Jie's lips didn't help the situation at all; it only instilled the horror that was about to befall them.
"We're going to die. We are going to die!"