Cold Blooded

Trouble

 Chongyun drummed his small hands on the side of the ship's railing and looked at the city that was coming closer. He had to stand on a crate to reach the railing, but the view was very pretty. The place seemed familiar, but he wasn't sure why. It was like a distant memory, but it couldn't have been that distant. He was only three years old after all.

"Are you excited, Chongyun?" Miss Saya said, walking up behind him. "We're finally getting you back home."

Chongyun nodded and smiled, but he wasn't really sure if he was excited. She kept calling this city that they were going to his "home," but how could it be his home if he didn't remember it? The only places that he knew where the cold, snowy places that he had been to with Miss Saya and Mr. Ajax. Those places and this boat. He didn't remember ever being on a boat before, but this place had the same feeling as the city at the edge of the water. Familiar, but not quite.

He looked back out to the water and smiled. He wondered if he would like having a home. He could feel something inside of him that wanted to be in this city, but he didn't really like that feeling. The feeling seemed mad about something and even a little bit sad. It also felt big. So big that it felt as if it might burst out of Chongyun's little body.

Chongyun patted his chest where the feeling seemed to be coming from. Maybe it would be happier if it knew that they were going where it wanted to go. Chongyun just wanted it to be happy and for Miss Saya to be happy, and Mr. Ajax, too. He wanted everyone that had been so nice to him on the boat to be happy. He liked it when everyone was happy, but everyone around him always seemed sad or tired or worried.

Maybe when they got to "home" everyone would get all the things that they wanted and be happy.

A few minutes later, when the boat was super close to the city, Saya picked up Chongyun and held him in her arms.

"Okay, Chongyun," Saya whispered into his ear. "I need you to be really quiet when we get off the ship. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"Of course, Miss Saya," Chongyun said with a smile. "I promise to stay quiet."

"Very good," Miss Saya said and raised a finger to her lips. "Now quiet."

Chongyun shut his mouth tight and smiled up at Miss Saya. She smiled back, but it seemed like she wasn't really happy. Had Chongyun done something wrong?

"Under the name of the Feiyun Commerce Guild," A voice called out as the boat came to a stop in the city's harbor. "I order everyone on board to disembark and your goods and wares will now be searched."

Saya held Chongyun a bit closer and slowly walked off the ship onto the dock. Over Saya's shoulder, Chongyun saw Mr. Ajax pull his hat down over his eyes and follow after her.

Everyone made their way off the ship and the people with the spears walked up the big piece of wood onto the deck. A man with dark blue hair that was cut very weirdly walked past all the people from the ship and looked them over carefully.

He stopped in front of Mr. Andrei and talked with him for a little bit, but Chongyun couldn't hear what they said. The blue haired man then continued walking down the line, asking everyone a question or two before he kept walking. Then he stopped again. This time he stood right in front of Saya.

"What's your name and who is that in your arms?" The man asked, there was something thinly veiled beneath the man's serious tone. It sounded like hope and confusion scrambled together.

"My name is Hisaya," Miss Saya said, looking down at her feet rather than at the man. "And this is my little brother. His name is... Gisei."

Chongyun almost told Miss Saya that that wasn't his name and wanted to ask her why she would say a name that isn't his and why had she called him her brother, but then he remembered that he had promised to be quiet and said nothing.

"The man beside us is our older brother, Shintaku." Miss Saya continued, nodding towards Mr. Ajax. "We're from Inazuma. Nothing more than a couple travelers."

"And why were three travelers from Inazuma on a cargo ship from Scheznaya?"

"Well," Saya looked up at the man now, "My father used to work in the Inazuman ports. He was a good friend of Mr. Andrei. After he and my mother... passed, Andrei took me and Gisei and- and Shintaku in. We figured that Liyue would be a good place for us to make a living for us. Shintaku and I know our way around ships because of our father."

"Hm," the blue haired man didn't seem convinced. He turned to Mr. Ajax. "You still didn't answer one part of my question. How about you, Shintaku, was it? Could you tell me how the three of you, Inazumans on their way to Liyue, came here from Scheznaya?"

"Of course, sir," Mr. Ajax said, making his voice sound deeper than normal. "The three of us didn't really know where to go after our parents' deaths besides Mr. Andrei. We simply stayed on his ship without really knowing where to go. We went with them on their way to Scheznaya, and it wasn't until Ms. Zyrenia suggested coming to Liyue that we considered the possibility."

"Hm, alright then." The man then bent down a little and looked right down at Chongyun. "How about you then, Gisei? You must be at least three. You can answer a question for me, can't you?"

Chongyun looked up at Miss Saya, not quite sure what to do. Thinking quickly and reading the concern on Chongyun's face, Miss Saya answered for him.

"I'm sorry, sir," Saya said quickly. "Gisei took the loss of our parents the hardest. He- he doesn't really speak at all now. We're lucky if we get a single word from him."

"Hmm, I see," The man looked from Miss Saya to Chongyun. "I still have more questions for the three of you. The rest of the crew may continue with their business, but I would like you three to accompany me back to my office."

"I-" Miss Saya started.

"That was not a suggestion, Hisaya." The man looked at Miss Saya, and Chongyun felt a chill run down his spine. It was like when Ms. Zyrenia had gotten mad at Chongyun for playing with the boxes by Mr. Ajax. They were in trouble.