Chapter 1
The bright lights of Lungmen were breathtaking. At night they glitter like stars. Bright and beautiful, but one would have to be a fool to reach for them.
Arial gently places her hand on the window covering one of the lights. A small smile forms on her face as she closes her hand around it.
“Lucy!” She yelps and whirls her head towards the bar.
“I’ve called you four times and you didn’t respond.”
Arial gives the old forte a lopsided grin before pressing her hands together.
“Sorry Frank!”
Forte shakes his head as he sprays the marble bar top.
“It’s fine. Just. Don’t make a habit of it okay?”
Arial nods and wipes her handprint off the glass.
She moves from the booth to the tables in the middle. Her arms continue to scrub making sure that each stain was removed. However, as the task grows dull and her arms grow tired, her thoughts begin to wander. She wonders how long she is going to be in the waitress position. Frank assured her it wouldn’t be for long, yet he hesitates to move her to the one position she wants despite her stellar performance as a waitress.
As her eyes move from the grand fountain in the middle to the mural above.
It is beautiful in a solemn way. The sheer devastation of a catastrophe painstakingly replicated from the smallest burning branch to the falling meteors that dotted the night sky. When Arial asked who made it, Frank would simply change the topic. And she would just shrug it off, after all, there is only one thing her eyes are set on.
The moment they land on the bar she lets out a sigh.
Her dream seems unattainable for now no matter how many times Frank tells her to be patient. All she can do now is clean, serve, and pout.
With the stubborn stain finally gone, she lets Frank know that the final table is clean. With Frank’s quick nod of approval and a small smile, Arial goes to the back and changes.
She waves goodbye to Frank and heads off to her apartment.
~
Downtown is alive, even this late at night. Teens heading out to their usual spots. Couples enjoying a stroll or looking for a place to eat. Roaming crowds of university students and singles hopping from one bar to the next attempting to celebrate the survival of yet another week. All while fluorescent and neon lights illuminate the streets.
Arial takes a deep breath and smiles. She closes her eyes and soaks in the lights, sounds, and smells. The city feels almost unreal at times. A place full of people, infected or not, living and enjoying their daily lives. Filled to the brim with wondrous tales of crime, adventure, and love happening simultaneously overwhelms her. But like so many before, it also welcomed her with open arms. Finding a place that doesn’t judge one’s past. A city where she can enjoy her life to the fullest. A home she can love.
Her smile grows as she weaves through the crowd. Her hand reaches into her pocket and she pulls out her phone plugging headphones in her ears. A new song has been stuck in her head ever since she convinced Frank to turn the radio onto a pop station for once.
She soon finds herself entranced with the smooth song. Swaying to the beat she gracefully walks into the large glass door of the apartment complex. The smile never leaving her face, she picks herself up and enters the lobby.
Arial waves to the handful of people she knew before entering the elevator.
The moment she enters her apartment she throws off her shoes, tosses her bag onto the dining table, and heads toward the fridge to grab some dinner.
Munching on her burger she absentmindedly scrolls through her phone. Soon, a reminder pops up letting her know that she must take her pills. She swipes it away knowing that she wouldn’t forget. Nightmares were never fun.
With her dinner finished she goes to the bathroom and takes out her pill planner. She frowns as the next four days were empty for one of her medications. The pharmacy should be open tomorrow. A day wouldn’t hurt. Shrugging, Arial got ready for bed.
Sinking into her bed, she smiles. The new mattress Frank got her did wonders for her back.
Very soft and fluffy. Life is good.
~
“Lucy!”
Arial yelps and drops the sprayer. Frank gives her a weary smile. He points to the back and asks if she could bring out the crystal. A curt nod later, she finds herself in the kitchen.
It is bustling with chefs cooking dishes from all over the world. Earthy roots from Ursus mix with the exotic spices of Yen. Fish from Siracusa sharing knives with the finest meat Columbia can offer. Delicious reimagining’s of Wolumonde stews are being stirred and heated to perfection before the finest vegetables of Kjerag are added. Arial’s mouth waters at the smells that surround her. What she wouldn’t kill for a good Victorian game pie.
Nimbly avoiding the twentieth chef that crosses her path, she stumbles out of the kitchen heading straight towards the bar. Lunch ended and dinner is fast approaching. And as important as the kitchen is to the success of the Mint Julep, the bar is where the magic happens. The crowning jewel of the Mint Julep, only bartenders that are deemed worthy could even hope to touch the thousands of different alcohols that Frank has collected over decades of travel. Each bartender, having honed their craft to perfection, is given the honor to use the Mint Julep’s vast collection to create their own drinks. Every night these skilled craftsmen always try to one-up each other and themselves in an endless competition to create the perfect drink. Their designs rivaling even the most brilliant works of art and the most delectable dishes on Terra.
A sigh escapes from her lips. She, unfortunately, was not one of those brilliant minds.
Arial walks through the bar dodging and weaving past the countless waiters and bartenders aiming to provide a magical experience for those who come.
Finally reaching the end she let out a sigh of relief.
“Tough isn’t it?”
Arial jumps nearly dropping the crystal. She hears a chuckle and pouts turning to face the culprit.
“Michelleee!”
“Lucyyyy!” The violet-eyed sankta whines back.
Arial’s cheeks grow red.
“I don’t sound that whiny…”
Michelle laughs and her halo shines.
“You’re right, you don’t. Your voice sounds much more beautiful.” The red on Arial’s cheeks spread to the rest of her face. She holds out the box in her vain attempt at hiding from the gorgeous sankta. Michelle smiles.
“Oh! A gift? For me? You’re too kind.” Michelle said placing a hand over her heart. Arial blushes even harder and begins to stammer. A witty comeback should do, but her brain and heart were not doing the best job at cooperating with each other. Michelle lets out another laugh before taking the box from her and slowly walks away.
Arial stands there, a blushing mess, before gathering the courage to call out to Michelle. Michelle turns around with her stunning smile. The words are caught in Arial’s throat. But, with great effort, she is somehow able to choke them out.
“Y-Y-you look good i-in your vest and! And… your tie l-looks… nice…”
Michelle’s eyes widened a little at the statement. She chuckles before flipping her midnight hair. “You’re looking cute yourself.”
This was how she is going to die.
“Lucy! Michelle!”
Arial yelps as Michelle cranes her head to see who was calling them.
Frank appears through the mess of waiters and glares at Michelle.
“Flirt with Lucy later and get back to work! The crystal needs to be put away and the shelves need restocking!”
Michelle gives a two-finger salute to Frank and winks at Arial.
Frank’s glare softens a little as his gaze turns to Arial.
“You too Lucy! The tables in the middle need to be thoroughly cleaned!”
Arial nods and scurries back onto the floor.
Tables are cleaned, plants are re-adjusted, and bulbs are checked. Tonight, much like every night, has to be perfect. After all, the Mint Julep always looks to provide their patrons with a magical night.
Which is why Arial finds herself scrubbing a stubborn stain that seems to have attached itself to the table. Her arms ache as she scrubs the stain vigorously. Yet, it won’t come out no matter how hard she tries. Her brows furrow and she scowls at the spot.
A gentle hand lands on her shoulder and she flinches before slowly turning around. A violet haired wyvern was giving her an incredulous look. “How long have you been scrubbing that spot?”
Arial sheepishly rubs the back of her neck. “Three minutes…”
The look on Chun-tao’s face did not change. “That means that spot isn’t coming out anytime soon.”
Arial shrinks at the statement and wrings the towel in her hand. “I didn’t want to disappoint Frank…”
Chun-tao places a hand on Arial’s shoulder. “You should probably move on. I’ll let Frank know.”
Arial nods and leaves.
Chun-tao puts her manicured hand on her cheek. “What do to with her…” She sighs and walks over to Frank.
“Frank the stain on table 45 won’t come out and Lucy is doing it again.”
Frank dumbly nods and mutters about replacing it as he continues to look over the guest list. Chun-tao frowns and charges up a little spark. Her fingernail makes contact with Frank’s ribs. He yelps a little and glares at Chun-tao but drops it at the concerned look on her face.
“Lucy’s doing it again.”
“Oh. I’ll deal with it.” He looks around and walks towards Arial preventing her from scrubbing a different spot equally hard.
Chun-tao, satisfied, walks back to the receptionist’s desk as her red heels click against the polished concrete floor. The moment she reaches the desk, the phone rings. She reaches over to pick it up.
“Mint Julep. This is the hostess Chun-tao speaking. How may I help you?”
“Yo Chun-tao is Frank there?”
Chun-tao sighs.
“Yeah, he is. I’ll get him for you.”
Chun-tao calls Frank over and hands him the phone.
“This is Frank, owner of the Mint Julep. Who am I speaking to?”
“It’s been a minute Frank.”
He frowns.
“Oh. It’s you.”
“Come on man don’t be like that. Where’s the love for your old brother?”
Frank sighs. He felt as though he was going to be doing a lot of these tonight.
“What do you want Emperor?”
“Nothing man just wanted to set up a reservation ya know?”
“It’s full.”
“Not according to some of my buddies down at the L.G.D.”
“The POLICE SUPERINTENDENT of the L.G.D. as well as her associate are arriving tonight to celebrate the restoration and survival of Lungmen. They made it explicitly clear that they wish to be discreet and I can assure you that your presence will cause anything but that.”
“Hmmm…”
“Yes, hmmmm indeed.”
He lets out a smug grin. Finally stumping this insufferable penguin is one of the best moments of his life. Second only to surviving his confrontation with a chimera. But definitely ahead of his brief stint with the Texans.
“Alright. Let’s make a deal. I get Eurill Pides to come and you gotta find a way to squeeze me and my posse in got it.”
“I doubt it. I have already tried convincing Mr. Pides myself multiple times and even offered him an emergency reservation request should he change his mind.
“We got a deal if I do though, right?”
He rolls his eyes. Mr. Pides would never associate himself with someone as smug and insufferable as Emperor.
“Sure. In fact, I’ll let you cash in two favors for the price of one.”
“Keep your phone handy old man.”
The moment the phone goes silent he sighs and walks over to one of the booths. He slides inside and looks over the papers strewn around the table. Grabbing a pen, he pores over the dinner menu. Soon getting back into rhythm, he is finalizing the cocktails until he notices Chun-tao running over.
“Frank! It’s Mr. Pides!”
The tip of the pen punctures the poor piece of paper. He quickly grabs the phone and puts on a smile. “Yes! Mr. Pides!”
“Ah, Frank! I’m terribly sorry about this, but about that emergency reservation, you offered me last time. Is it possible if-”?
“Yes! Of course! I’ll make the reservation right away sir!”
“Ah! Delightful! I, unfortunately, will not be attending, but my son and his compatriots at Penguin Logistics will!”
“No worries sir! We at the Mint Julep would be absolutely delighted to serve your son!”
“Of course. Thank you. I’ll make sure to let my associates know about the Mint Julep as well.”
When the line goes dead, Frank lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The phone rings again. A sigh escapes from his lips as the caller ID reads ‘Unknown’.
Before he could even bring the phone to his ear, he hears laughter.
“WHAT’D I TELL OLD MAN?”
He rips the phone away from his ear as the laughter grows louder.
“I’D PAY TO SEE YOUR UPTIGHT FACE ALL SCREWED UP! SWIPE THAT SHIT-EATING GRIN RIGHT OFF YOUR FACE DIDN’T IT?”
He rubs his eyes with his free hand and waits until the laughter dies down.
“I won’t ask how. I won’t ask why. But what I will ask is. What do you want?”
“Alright. Alright. That was a good laugh. Been a while since I one-upped you.”
“You always do.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“Alright chill. Imma just cash one in now.”
Frank narrows his eyes.
“You usually don’t cash favors in this early Emperor…”
“It’s a special case.”
Shoulders tensing, he closes his eyes and let out a breath. Whatever it was. It couldn’t as bad as last time.
“Fine.”
“Cool. Alright, so I heard there is an afterparty.”
Frank glares at his reflection as his voice drops low.
“What do you want?”
“Invite me.”
The rest of his body soon follows his shoulders.
“Fine.”
“Aight good to know. I’m out.”
When the call ends, he grips the phone with enough strength to crack the screen. He grits his teeth and lets out a breath. Turning to Chun-tao he hands her the phone and takes a deep breath.
“Alexi!”
A tall-muscular sarkaz stops ordering the other waiters and walks toward Frank.
“You need me, boss?
“Can you find a way to squeeze in six tonight?”
Alexi rubs his chin with a scarred hand.
“Mmmm… It’ll be hard, but I’ll find a way.”
Frank thanks him and as Alexi walks away, he puts his hands onto his face. Some of the most powerful people in Lungmen. Coming here. Tonight.
He groans at the thought. His belief that making friends in high places would make his life easier is being shattered very quickly. Gazing at the ceiling, he massages his temple. This was either going to end well or not.
With those two decisions laid out before him, Frank shakes his head, gathers his papers, and puts on a grin before going back onto the floor.