Wen Daiyu

Since the fight, it’s been three days. Antony is settling very well into the routine, my guess is that he has had strict schedules since he was young, I’m not sure what excuse he’s using to come home late every day but it seems fine so far.

Uvo’s doing a fantastic job of settling into the new school, if anything I’m worried about his social life, he’s working so hard he’s forgotten that there are other people in his class with him. Though I suppose I’m also thankful for that because it means he has enough time to train.

On the same note, there has been a mysterious girl coming round with Uvo for the last few days, I have not asked him about it as initially I did not care. However, it’s Friday now and she showed up early to help clean the gym… Again.

“Welcome, young lady. Might I ask what it is you are doing here? I do not pay you and I am sure neither does Uvo.”

She stopped sweeping when she saw me approach and politely waited for me to finish my sentence.

“Hello.” She said simply with a beaming smile. “I don’t mean to be rude but this place needs cleaning, especially if Uvo’s training here.”

“You care much for the boy?”

She looked at me oddly.

“Of course, the most.” She stated matter of factly.

“And to show my gratitude for giving Uvo a chance to be someone I’ll help clean this place up.”

I like this girl, she’s around Tom’s age but she has more character in her left pinky toe than he does in total. I smiled at her, continuing the conversation.

“I would like to offer you a job, it would be unpaid and relatively time-consuming but it would be something you could do for both me and Uvo. How about it?”

She leaned against the brush in her hand and smirked.

“What I lack in money I make up for in free time, and it’s all yours if you’ll take me!”

I break into a grin, I’ve needed an extra pair of hands around here for a long time. That old bot behind the reception desk can’t move anymore, let alone help with chores.

I take the brush from Tracy, my new assistant and bring her to my underwhelming office, swiping some piles of paper and dust off the surface of an extra desk.

“A few jobs that need doing. Whilst I do the filing, you need to book me an appointment with the ICT, please also remember this. Now that you are working with me, you are safe from whatever you were a part of before. Uvo didn’t say anything but I know, I even think I know who you were working for.”

Her face is dead and her eyes are set on me, gauging my seriousness and capability. I hold my ground, easily done.

She nods and says nothing more, opening one of the monitors and getting to work. I feel this may be a beneficial relationship.

Ant and Uvo are coming soon, they arrive at the same time every Friday. So when I heard voices two hours early I knew they did not belong to the boys.

I freed myself from the mountains of paperwork that had surrounded me to the point of near suffocation. Opening the door to the main gym I am greeted with a sight I would not have expected in a trillion years.

That Carnitopian man who tried to steal my business and the most dismal looking Rel’lar I’ve ever seen.

My arms automatically cross in front of my chest. Tracy, sensing my discomfort gets up to stand next to me.

The Carnitopian is the first to speak.

“Good to see you again, Lady Wen.”

He know’s my name which is odd, this is to be taken seriously, but I already knew that due to the presence of a Rel’lar.

“Greetings, what brings you here?”

Our formal language comes off as hostile and awkward, which is certainly noticed by the visiting Rel’lar, I’d better soothe my voice.

“Actually I came here to provide information, for a price of course.”

“What kind of information would I currently have need of.”

“It’s the kind that explains why I was so persistent in claiming your gym and its name.”

“You think I know nothing of the value of its name?”

“Then you should also know that nobody is going to allow something so valuable to slip through their fingers.”

“Guranahan?” I ask tentatively. Tracy shudders at the mentioning of his name… I knew it.

“He’s one of them. Luckily for you, I have his plans locked up here.” He said gesturing to his oversized head.

“The price?”

“Simple, I need guaranteed sanctuary, I was just fired from a very sensitive job, maybe you have a safe house somewhere that might extend my lifespan somewhat.”

I do, it’s not being used and there is nothing of value in it. I don’t see a downside to this deal. If it ends up that he has no information I could just turn him over to Guranahan and use him to curry some favour. I see no downside.

“Alright, deal. I’ll guarantee your safety for all the information you currently have.”

I watched him exhale a sigh of relief, whatever trouble he’s in must be pretty swampy.

At that moment I feel a tingle in the back of my head, I quickly slap Tracy across the face.

Her disbelief is not due to my slap but the fact that she had been almost unconscious since the start of the conversation.

Tracy, with her mind her own once more, looks over to greyish-bluey-man standing before her with a new expression. I had forgotten that Rel’lar had that effect on the untrained. I am also surprised that the Carnitopian is fine but I assume that is something to do with the size of his head.

“Greetings, Esteemed Rel’lar, your presence here is a lovely surprise. What does this humble establishment have that could interest such a magnificent being as yourself.”

Time to lay it on thick.

He takes a sweeping look around the room. There are a few things I can safely assume so far, the fact that he did not know he had this effect on Tracy means he is probably new to meeting less powerful life forms, and the fact that he has remained silent so far means that he is one of the good ones. Raised by Alo and not Ola.

All that aside, one look at him and I can tell, he’s something else. Ignoring the current state of his clothes and the various wounds covering his body, he is no doubt the product of a high-class family, one that spends a lot of time making sure their children are the top of the food chain. There is no doubt in my mind this man could squash me like a bug.

Tracy, on the other hand, is none the wiser. I can tell by her facial expression she’s miffed, her lack of education, in this case, could be detrimental to my diplomatic intentions. Her gaze set upon the blue-skinned Rel’lar she strode up to him, my surprise at her actions caused my reactions to falter and allowed her to approach the godly man.

Her hand moves up to her waist, the clueless Rel’lar looking genuinely curious at her actions.

“You finished with my mind, bluey?”

He looks lost, poor guy has no idea what he’s done.

“Tracy, he didn’t mean to invade.”

“Then what did he mean to do?”

She inquired, still staring him in his pale blue eyes.

“Nothing, Ma’am, I’m afraid I had not intended to do anything.”

“Had not?”

“It seems to me that you have some important information regarding one of the reasons I am on this planet. The other reason is to visit an old friend of my father’s. Do you, by any chance know of a lady by the name of Wen Shanyu?”

“She’s dead.” I say, perhaps too quickly, it’s been a long time since anyone has mentioned my mother's name. Tracy is still staring at the Rel’lar with such an intensity I’m afraid she might shoot laser beams.

“That’s a shame, I would have loved to meet her.” He paused for a moment, paying respects for someone he didn’t even know. My opinion is growing of him by the second. “My name is Monty, recently named by my friend here.” He said, slapping Jerefiah on the back, stunning him briefly. “I’m here to lend a helping hand as part of my experience gathering, and of course to deal with the aforementioned business which I am afraid cannot be revealed.”

My head moved slowly down into my waiting hands. The ridiculousness of the situation was not lost on the others in the room. In a matter of days, the gym has become the busiest it has been in years.

The poor Carnitopian hangs his head in shame, no doubt unused to being a burden. As for the blue Alo Rel’lar, I’ll use him as Tracy’s guard dog. If she’s angered Guranahan then there’s much more she has to worry about than just Uvo’s livelihood.