Chapter 5: The Nether City

"The Shadow City?" Jian Li says before chomping on the newly handed, stolen, and fried cheese on a stick, which he guiltily munched on. The red hooded boy answered boringly, "Yeah, the Jian capital is really plain for me so I go here often." Jian Li looked around, then looked up. The city with no skies and only star-like lanterns, an artificial world.

"The Nether City of Jian or commonly prefered to call as 'Shadow City' by the people, Is a broad underground city under the Jian Capital land. It's is one of the underground cities in par with how beautiful the Jian Capital is up there." Spoke up the boy, Jian Li was listening with both of his ears intently.

"Thief!!!" An elder woman wearing a brown cloak screamed, pointing at a certain direction and shrieking about how a man got ahold of her pouch.

Jian Li's eyes followed her finger pointing at a very crowded alley, he doesn't know what to do.

The moment his hesitation faded and decided to take an action, the boy beside him grabbed his arm as if he just read him.

"Don't bother." He shrugs. " The soldiers will do their job." Then he crossed his arms: "Besides, if you make too much ruckus, they might notice you and me. Im pretty famous down here." Jian Li's muscle froze.

He knew that the boy meant his name circulates around the shadow city because of his crimes, and that getting involved might get the other identified. To avoid trouble for them, he only nodded and stood by the boy's side quietly, understanding the other's circumstances.

Then later on the soldiers arrived panting at the scene, their silver body armour would clank hard as they run and chase the man who stole the elderly's bag full of rudian* coins.

*Rudian is the Jian Kingdom's currency. With gold as their highest coin, silver, bronze, and lastly wood, as their lowest coin.

Heading back to the un-bothered, lively street full of colorful hanging decorative curtains and flags, the thief walked beside the concealed, beautiful Prince of Jian who was gazing to the different sizes of red colored lanterns.

The Prince was still looking at his back, wearing an expression with anxiousness and concern for the elder woman who just got robbed.

The red-eyed boy noticed this and bumped his elbow with the other, motioning something behind them. Looks like the chase was a success, the soldier handed the woman her pouch and bowed, the woman giving back the bow to them. Jian Li's chest loosened and sighed in relief, the thief beside him smiled and continued walking.

"For now, you cannot do anything but trust others." Spoke the boy with his hands behind his nape. Jian Li turned around and ran to his side, nodding as he tuck both his hand behind him.

BOOM!

A sudden loud hitting of drums vibrated inside their chest, surprising the both of them completely.

The boy motioned to him to look where the sounds came, as they went closer, they would see the crowd clapping harmoniously at the same rhythm as the drums. The soothing playing of the lute casually joined in to the band, then the vielle, pan flute, and jingly bells was played by the musicians too.

Smiles surrounded the Prince. The people, whether friends or strangers, were able to unite their joyous hearts within the sound of the musician's instruments.

The scene touched the Crown Prince's soul. Never, had he seen this many people, laughing and cooperating together. They would carelessly have fun without minding how they act, they behave, and what status they hold to be able to smile and laugh this much.

"Saying its the carnival, this celebration is for the monthly harvest, a feast has been done in the morning, now its just simple celebration down here. Its a tribute to the King and the great god of earth." Explained the boy beside him.

'A tribute to father?' His eyes brightened, his respects to his father continues to shoots to the heavens.

The people were singing along, all their voices forming a beautiful and united sound, Jian Li felt so much alive to be able to hear their songs.

Many children within the crowd danced together so happily, pulling people's hands to dance with them. Then little by little, people were formed at the center, creating a big social dance.

The loud stomps and joyful laughs of the swaying people filled the streets. Strangers linked their arms while dancing and clapped in glee towards the ring of bells. The musicians smiled widely knowing the people loved their playing, in happiness, they would play their instruments in a louder, lovelier pace.

A young woman grabbed the Prince's hand. "Little man!" She speaks to him with a wide healing smile. "Let's all dance! No use to stand ha-ha!" He sweats as he gets pulled in, Jian Li looks back to the boy that smiled so wide and proud.

Then the boy mouthed, "Go on and dance— I'll be—" cut within his words he was swiftly pulled in as well to the dance floor, joining the people who were singing and stomping their heels on the ground with the sound of the flute and drums.

Jian Li couldn't help but laugh when he saw him get pulled in, the strangers held the hands of the Prince and they spun and circled around the musicians like a cult, laughing, giggling, and cheering loudly as the vielle's pace gets faster and faster.

Children held the Prince's hand and him hop around with them with the dance.

Jian Li had completely abandoned Lady Anwir's lesson about the higher ranking's supposed-to-be graceful dancing manners and laughed loudly like everyone, he linked arms and clapped so much that his palms had went red and numb yet he lacked care and continued to enjoy the fast rhythm. As he actively dances round and round, his back bumped to someone elses and immediately turned around to see who it was to say sorry.

In his surprise, it was the red hooded boy who he came with down to the Shadow City.

Jian Li saw him wearing a very complicated face as if having a hard time fitting here and there, sweating a bit too much as well. The Prince grabbed his wrists, pulling the boy closer to him and laughed loudly but it was barely audible because of the loudness of the music.

Both boys went in circles with both their hands linked together. "You look stupid!" Jian Li laughed, the boy taking up the Prince's challenge. Both of them danced in competition, happily stomping around within the sound of the drums. Not caring whether they bump into others or be seen as strange kids. They smiled and laughed widely like reckless children they are. Their cheeks would hurt from smiling so much yet their feet continues to move.

The thief earlier who seemed to be like a complicated puzzle piece, had fitted nicely to Jian Li's world.

The pace and sound decreased, and the flute sounded so gentle, letting the dancing people catch their breath.

The Prince stopped in the middle of the dance floor and stood still in front of the thief. "Thank you for bringing me here." Jian Li smiled as he spoke, placing his hand at his chest and bowed.

The boy was struck, his eyebrows raised as his head rang with the echoes of Jian Li's voice of gratitude for him.

In thirteen years of him living in everyday hiding and suffering alone, he had never, once in his life, received a genuine and sincere thank you from others.

"It is my pleasure to accompany you, My Majesty." The boy replied and bent down one of his knees. Jian Li was surprised as the boy's voice gave no hint of sarcasm, nor joke as it always has been when he was with him. The way he said those words was full of sincerity and ingenuity that he thought he wont hear in the next five to ten years.

Getting up his knee off the ground, the music and the claps were picking up their pace again, getting faster and faster each second.

Jian Li was taken away by one of the kids to dance while women took the thief to link arms with the others, going in circles and having to clap harder.

The long street was now filled with laughs and loud cheerful music that washes away both of their worries and problems that comes next.

They danced to forget everything that comes next. Their cloaks happily swirls and flaps with the wind whilst his tired feet continued wearing the white stressed boots that carried him for more dancing.

Their once gray colored face now expressed everlasting joy and happiness. All their sadness left them and joy replaced their lonely hearts.

The Prince now felt dizziness from all the twisting and turning yet he didn't pay no mind and continued enjoying this moment. In the end, the two boys ended up in the center, their hands clasping the other and surrendered with heavy breaths, being extremely tired in the moment. They stuck close to each other and linked elbows that they would look like they would refuse to be taken away from each other again, strongly just wanting to stay together from the thought of someone separating them to dance like crazy.

Yet the music still continued, Jian Li was held by the boy and both of them danced with the music getting faster and louder.

Their eyes were shining like rubies and sapphires that their time together seemed purely magical. The folk song was ceased with a fast and high note yet silence did not occur despite the people had finally stopped moving on the dance floor. The loudest cheers and claps followed after and petals of flowers was thrown in the air.

Jian Li and the boy was tired to the bone and were taking time to get their breaths back, laughing at themselves when they found pink and white petals nesting on top of their hoods.

The musicians continued to play a more softer tuned song, the people left with their hearts in cloud nine.

Sitting down the bench, the two decided to take a breather. "Rest up quick." Said the boy to sitting Jian Li beside him.

"Are you taking me back now?" Jian Li asked which the boy answered quickly, "Yes, the dawn might break anytime soon." The boy watched the people walk in front of them busily. "Can i ask you something My Majesty?"

"Why did you come with me without thinking about it very well?" The boy was looking across the bench, waiting for an answer. Yet a moment had passed but Prince hadn't answered yet.

Deciding to check on the other, it surprised him to see the Prince had his eyes closed, obviously asleep at the bench while sitting.

The thief touched his forehead and felt slight fever, remembering that the Prince did get poisoned and that he might've not fully remembered. He flashed a quick smile and chuckled as he pulled the hood further to cover the other's face. "You... are definitely a curious case, Prince Jian Li."

The Prince awoke, finding himself lying on a soft, and body sinking mattress. His eyes blinked wonderingly around his surroundings, feeling like he just woke from a really long dream.

His nose picks up a familiar scent of sheets as he tossed to the side, the smell of flower oil flooded his nose.

His tired eyes saw which room he was sleeping on and which bed he was lying on.

He was back at his chambers, he's back at the Royal palace.

He jolted the moment he remembered and sat up his bed fastly, his eyes opened wide and was in a search for something aggressively. "THE BOY! THE BOY! WHERE IS HE?!"

His personal attendant, Aren, the blonde haired man around his loveliest age, jumped in his slumber. Jian Li found him sleeping near the bed but now widely awake due to the Crown Prince's sudden panic stricken voice.

His head was in a complete mess and his eyes looked bloodshot. "AH?! YOUR HIGHNESS?! WHAT BOY?!" Yelled Aren with a voice filled with confusion and alarm.

"The boy! He took me outside the Jian palace walls! Where is he? Did you saw him leave? How did i get in here?!" Flooded with questions, Aren's eyes went helplessly on circles.

"Your Highness, what nonsense are you saying? Outside the walls? And what boy? No noble children were present last night. You were aslept in this chambers and did not left. Plus you were poisoned by the Violet Hay. Do you remember that it may give you hallucinations?" Aren's voice was hoarse from suddenly speaking the moment he woke up and then rubbed his temples.

"What?! Hallucinations!" Jian Li huffed unbelievably, confused and upset at the same time. There was just no way all of it was just a dream inside his head.

"Your Highness, you just need more rest—" The attendant patted his shoulder and smiled.

"....you're right, im just tired, leave my chamber, and prepare my bath."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Aren bowed and quickly obeyed His Highness. "I shall prepare a tea for you to calm down for a while." He said before exiting the chamber, the Prince nods and motioned him out to let his mind think.

It would be really bad to say the matter to his personal attendant, Aren, who'd know he had already broken the law of Jian. It would cause so much trouble not only for his status as the Crown Prince but also for Aren who he cares so much for.

With Aren thrown out of his room, he tried to recall the events of yesterday. The robbing, the underground city, the dances, and... The bench? Did he actually pass out that time?

Ruffling and pulling his hair, he notice himself still wearing the same white garment he used yet the black cloak wasn't present around him anymore. Deciding to get out of bed to further investigate, he looked for his white boots. His anxiousness spiked up when he saw it was where it was placed before. A big sigh followed almost immediately the moment he saw the heels of his boots being more ragged than ever.

His eyes widened in such relief when he learned that he wasn't just hallucinating and being totally insane from the drug inside his system. He picked up the boots yet he felt something inside it crunch. Putting his hand inside his knee-reaching boots, he realized he groped a thin paper.

Taking it out, he saw a white golden bordered paper and opened it. Yet to surprise, it was written in characters, the Prince doesn't even recognize what language was it but he know to the heart that the paper and ink used was his.

His interest was so high from this one piece of foreign written paper that he will be willing to comb the entire royal library to search for what the boy might want to tell him.

Just once more, he wants to see him again.

Maybe one day, or maybe five years after.