Dragon Hills

Lije looked up at Roque's back as he strode ahead. His back seemed utterly indifferent. She lowered her head again, shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat, and followed him with soft footsteps. And rolling along at her feet was the robot Bini, whirring quietly behind her.

That morning, after receiving the call, Roque and Lije had quickly prepared to head out and driven the Black Knight. Neither of them spoke first on the way to Philip's office. He walked ahead in silence, and she trailed behind in silence. It was as if they were playing a game to see who could stay quiet longer.

They arrived at Philip's office before noon. Now, having stepped out of the Black Knight, they were walking toward it.

"Weather's turned gloomy."

Lije snapped her head up. Roque, who had been walking ahead, had stopped and was gazing up at the sky. Lije, who had been staring at the ground until then, lifted her face to look up as well.

Sure enough, the sky that had been clear just a few hours ago was now blanketed in dark clouds. It looked like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rain could pour down any moment.

After pausing briefly to stare at the sky, Roque started moving again. Lije followed.

The two of them—and one tiny robot—soon stopped in front of a sign that read:

Roque glanced back at Lije once, then pressed the doorbell. A ding rang out.

Philip's voice came from the intercom.

The locked door ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clicked open on its own. As they stepped inside, a short hallway led to Philip's office, crammed with filing cabinets. Philip, who had been sorting through a pile of documents, stood up to greet them.

"Come on in. How've you been?"

"So-so."

Roque and Lije naturally settled onto the guest sofa. Philip pulled drinks from a small fridge nearby but froze midway. He had spotted the robot Bini waddling around Lije's feet.

"What's that? Robot dog?"

"Doesn't seem like a dog."

Roque replied nonchalantly as he took the drink Philip offered. Philip tilted his head curiously but plopped down on the sofa opposite Roque.

"Ah, you hear the rumors going around the last few days?"

"What rumors."

"Don't laugh when you hear this. Word is there's a ninja showing up in Midland's back alleys. A vigilante ninja taking down criminals."

Roque twisted open his drink with a calm expression, as if he had nothing to do with the rumor.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Where do you hear rumors? Here and there while I'm out and about. It's hilarious, right? A ninja... I thought, what kind of lunatic?"

As Roque brought the opened drink to his lips, he noticed Lije sitting on the sofa with her knees hugged to her chest. She showed no interest in the drink Philip had set in front of her.

He held out his own drink to her instead. With a blank face, she glanced between Roque and the drink, then took it and sipped.

Philip watched the two with a slightly stiff expression. Roque, still looking at Lije, sensed his gaze and spoke without turning.

"Spit it out if you've got something to say."

"...Ahem. Our little friend here might want to step out for a bit."

Lije and Roque's eyes turned to Philip at the same time. Philip just shrugged under their stares. Before Roque could say anything, Lije smoothly stood and headed out of the office. Bini followed behind her, looking somehow glum.

Roque spoke as he heard the office door open and close.

"You found the kid's parents, but you won't let her hear it..."

"There's a good reason for that."

Roque sank deep into the sofa backrest and eyed Philip. Meeting his gaze, Philip continued.

"The parents that little friend mentioned—Robert Lawrence and Hitchiko Lawrence."

"Yeah."

Philip scratched his head.

"The reason it took so damn long to find them wasn't anything else. They're from so long ago, I couldn't believe they were that kid's parents. But anyway, they're the only couple that matches her description exactly..."

"Who are they?"

Philip hesitated at Roque's question, then stood and rummaged through a stack of files on his desk. He pulled out a binder and set it in front of Roque. Inside were old documents and two faded black-and-white photos. One showed a blond man, the other an East Asian woman.

"Not sure if they're really the ones. But doesn't that woman look a lot like the kid waiting outside?"

Roque couldn't really agree. The woman in the photo had a very cold impression, while the Lije he knew had few expressions but a cute, round face. Instead of pointing that out, he asked something else.

"From when?"

"...Pre-World War people."

A hollow laugh escaped Roque's lips. It was 2049, so over a century ago.

"That's not the only issue."

"What else?"

Philip blew his nose and lowered his voice, as if afraid someone might overhear.

"...Those two were mages who received funding from dragons for their research. No records of them serving in the war itself, but they were subordinates of the dragons fighting the world. That's why I couldn't be sure even after finding their files at first."

"But you found something to confirm it."

Philip nodded at Roque's words.

"Check the last page of that binder."

Roque flipped through obediently. The final page held information about their child.

"...According to this, she died before turning five."

Philip clasped his hands and spoke in a low voice.

"I have no idea how that girl outside knew this couple's names—or their dead daughter's. But if she's really their daughter Elizabeth, she's no ordinary kid."

"I already knew she wasn't ordinary."

"Oh? How so?"

Roque didn't answer. Telling him about an Aura Master with no electronics diving into cyberspace, or turning radios on and off without lifting a finger—Philip wouldn't buy it easily.

Even if he did, it was a problem. Philip was credible in the years Roque had known him, but faced with Lije's astonishing abilities and the corporations that would covet her, who knew how he'd react.

So he asked again.

"Both of them dead?"

Philip shook his head slowly at Roque's evasion.

"Couldn't find graves. But no records after World War, so they probably died then. As you know, atomic bombs rained down on Dragonland in the final stages. Finding even these files is lucky."

People from a century ago. Even if human and survived the war, they couldn't live that long. That's what Philip meant.

Roque idly flipped through the files in silence. Brief bios of Robert Lawrence and Hitchiko Lawrence passed his eyes. He wasn't reading closely. He was recalling the first time he met Lije in the apartment. The kid making scrambled eggs with years-old egg powder, jamming out alone to music with air guitar.

Back then, he'd planned to find her real parents if they existed, or hand her to mercenary Kayla or an orphanage otherwise. Now the conclusion was clear. Contact Kayla, or if not, find a Midland orphanage.

"...Roque?"

Philip called to the long-silent Roque. He gathered the binder.

"Mind if I take this?"

"Do what you want. What're you planning?"

Roque didn't answer this time either. He stood and walked out with steady steps.

"Ah, leaving already? Take care. I'll call soon! Got a lot of work lately!"

Philip's voice came from behind. Roque waved vaguely over his shoulder without turning, then opened the office door. Through the hallway window, he saw Lije's back—arms and chin propped on the sill, sullenly staring outside.

Beyond her, the gloomy city rained down.

Roque gazed at the scene briefly.

"Let's go."

At his words, the sulky Lije whipped around, eyes wide. But Roque was already striding ahead. She blinked blankly for a moment, then hurried after him. Bini rolled along at her feet with a clatter.

Out of the building, they returned to the Black Knight parked on the street. Rain made everything damp and chillingly cold. Roque turned on the heater right after starting the engine. Lije, in the passenger seat, watched him.

After feeling the warm air for a bit, Roque turned the wheel and hit the accelerator. The Black Knight glided smoothly over the wet road.

"..."

Raindrops pattered on the Black Knight's windows, streaking sideways with speed. Lije stared blankly at the blurred cityscape and narrow sky beyond.

Then she turned to Roque. He gripped the wheel with a stoic face.

The rain-soaked Black Knight crossed Midland's boulevards for a long while. They headed toward the city outskirts. As the downpour eased, they reached a hill on Midland's east side.

Roque parked in the lot there. He killed the engine and stepped out. He hadn't said a word until then.

Outside, misty raindrops and cool, damp air greeted Roque. He breathed it in, gazing at Midland's downtown below.

A thunk sounded as the passenger door opened. Lije approached from behind.

"...Roque, where's this?"

Still facing the misty downtown, Roque replied.

"Dragon Hills."

"Dragon Hills?"

Roque nodded at her echo.

"A bit farther up is the memorial hall. For those who died in the old World War. Doesn't distinguish dragon from human."

"...Doesn't distinguish dragon from human?"

"Yeah. All of them together."

Lije whipped around. Beyond the wide parking lot where the Black Knight sat, rare green trees dotted the view—uncommon in Midland. And beyond them, the peaked top of a stone building rose, a dragon sculpture hanging at its end.

Roque said,

"Couldn't find your parents. Just circumstances suggesting they're dead. So if you want to honor them, head up there."

Lije stood silently for a long time, staring toward the memorial. Thus, the two ended up standing side by side, facing opposite directions.

"...No. Lije won't go there."

This time, Roque turned. Looking down at the top of her head, he asked,

"Why?"

"Lije's scared of dragons. And doesn't want to honor them."

Unclear if "them" meant the dragons or her parents. But Lije stood rooted, staring at the memorial. Bini waddled at her feet, looking up at her.

Roque turned back to the city. Briefly facing different ways again. Then Lije turned toward him.

"What do you see over there?"

"Midland."

Lije walked over with soft steps and stood beside him. The hazy Midland filled her eyes too.

Then, a thin ray of sunlight pierced the dark clouds and heavy moisture, shining down on Midland. Lije's eyes widened.

"...Lije likes this view way more. If really honoring Mom and Dad, better to do it facing this."

Lije closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, as if in silent prayer. While she did, the solitary beam grew, sweeping away the clouds to bathe the whole city in light.

When Lije opened her eyes, Midland stretched before her, wrapped in sunlit mist. Bathed in light and vapor, the buildings blurred into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clusters, merging into a massive castle of light. Lije's lips parted slightly as she stared in awe.

Roque was just as entranced, and they stood there until their clothes grew damp from the misty drops. Only Bini excitedly roamed around.

Roque snapped out of it first. He turned to Lije. She looked up at him.

"Let's head out."

"...Okay."

Moments later, the Black Knight they boarded roared to life and departed.

Back at the apartment, Roque shoved Lije into the bathroom first. She was soaked from head to toe.

He tossed her wet clothes into the dryer, then unbuckled his coat and revolver belt. Sitting briefly in a dining chair to catch his breath, he noticed Bini waddling at his feet.

"Go on, scram."

He shook his foot as he spoke, and Bini beeped before whirring off to Lije's room. Chuckling at the sight, Roque leisurely stood and peeled off his soaked shirt.

Then the doorbell rang. Roque debated putting the shirt back on. But it felt gross, so he flung it into the dryer and headed to the door, opening it.

"...Whoa."

A woman leaning crookedly against the entryway wall, leather jacket slung over her shoulder, whistled. She lifted her cybernetic left arm to fiddle with the goggles covering half her face. The dark lenses cleared, revealing sky-blue eyes.

White hair, tight tank top, military pants, heavy boots, and black-and-white cyberarm. Her name was Kayla.

She gave Roque a casual two-finger salute.

"Long time no see, ronin."