A Shared Secret and a Birthday Wish

There were two individuals whose first meeting was fraught with misfortune; they stumbled into trouble and narrowly escaped grave consequences.

Their second encounter plunged them into a vast conspiracy.

Their third meeting found them, once again, in such an unexpected setting.

Sophia removed her hood, her eyes meeting Iordera’s, and a palpable awkwardness settled between them.

Iordera was the first to break the silence. “You took that investigation mission?”

“Yes,” Sophia replied. “You as well?”

“I took it, but I dropped it after discovering the truth,” Iordera stated directly. “Because what happened here shouldn’t be spoken of outside.”

Sophia paused slightly. “Why?”

“I’ll explain later,” Iordera mused. “For now, come down with me.”

Iordera trusted Sophia. Their previous two encounters had revealed her to be an upright and kind person.

Moreover, the reward for the investigation mission was paltry, amounting to less than ten gold coins.

Sophia, utterly bewildered, followed Iordera into the cellar. The lights below had been re-lit.

As Sophia descended, her pupils constricted sharply at the sight of three beast-eared girls sitting by the table.

Iordera gave her no chance to speak, immediately announcing, “Don’t worry, everyone, she’s with us. We’re all here to celebrate Awang’s birthday.”

Awang’s eyes widened in surprise. “Celebrate my birthday?”

“Yes, it’s going to be fun,” Iordera announced. She pulled five small candles from her pocket and inserted them into the cake.

With a match, she lit each wick. “Alright, now you can turn off the lights.”

The cellar grew very dim, with only the faint glow of the candles on the cake remaining. The beast-eared girls instinctively huddled closer to the center, drawing nearer to the table.

Such was the subtle power of the candles; imperceptibly, they drew people closer.

Only Sophia remained utterly confused, understanding only that they were celebrating the birthday of a beast-eared girl whose origins were unknown.

Feeling decidedly out of place, she quietly sought a spot at the edge of the gathering and sat down.

“We’re celebrating Awang’s birthday,” Iordera declared, her small hand gesturing like a conductor. “Begin!”

Duo Duo and Little Pa straightened their backs, tilting their small necks as they sang in soft, loli voices:

“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~~~ Uh, happy birthday to you!”

Having only practiced a few times, their singing was still a bit rusty, with notes straying off-key.

Iordera, however, paid no mind. She turned to Awang and urged, “Quick, make a wish.”

“Make a wish?”

“Yes, make a wish, then blow on the candles, and your wish will come true.”

Awang paused, then looked around, seeing everyone gazing at her with anticipation.

“I wish that one day, we can go to the surface,” the cat-eared girl whispered, her hands pressed together in a silent prayer.

“To walk on the streets, to live under the sun.”

Having finished her wish in one breath, Awang’s small face flushed. She gently blew a puff of air towards Iordera.

Whoosh—

Iordera blinked, feeling a slight tickle.

“Ahem, Awang, you’ve got it wrong. You’re not supposed to blow at me,” she said, a wry smile playing on her lips. “You’re supposed to blow out the candles.”

“…”

“Oh.”

Awang, flustered, returned to her seat and quickly blew out all five candles.

“Alright, turn on the lights,” Iordera commanded, resuming her role as director. “Then, cut the cake.”

At this part of the celebration, the other two beast-eared girls grew visibly excited.

“The cake smells so good! And there are little animals on top, kittens, puppies, and bunnies. Do they represent us?” Little Pa asked, her keen eyes noticing the details.

“Yes,” Iordera explained. “And this little block figure represents me.”

“I—want—to—eat—the—sister’s—portion—”

“Then I’ll eat the sister’s portion.”

Duo Duo, hearing this, grew anxious. “Me, me, I want some too!”

Awang held the plastic knife, thinking that as the birthday girl, she deserved a share as well.

So, Iordera watched as the Lego figure representing her was cut into three pieces, each then placed on the beast-eared girls’ plates.

…

Well, that works.

Grandma Sharp brought out the other prepared dishes. Iordera, meanwhile, produced another small bottle of liquor.

“Come, try this. A small half-cup for everyone,” she said, pouring a small amount. “Drink it after you’ve eaten, and drink slowly. Lick it, if you can.”

“Sister, what is this?”

“This is good stuff!”

Grandma Sharp watched from nearby, not attempting to stop her.

Life in the prison was dull enough. An occasional taste of something new was quite welcome.

After pouring the drinks for the beast-eared girls, Iordera handed the remaining half-bottle to Sophia. “You’re not drinking?”

“I don’t drink… Never mind,” the blonde girl said, taking the bottle. “I’ll try a little.”

Iordera pulled out another bottle of liquor. She twisted open the cap and poured it heartily into her mouth.

She had discovered back in Juneburg, during a barbecue gathering, that this body was completely unaffected by alcohol.

She could drink as much as she pleased.

The girls ate and drank, and before long, they were a little tipsy.

“Sister is so delicious.”

“Yes, especially the sister’s head, it’s wonderfully tasty.”

“I’m eating the sister’s leg.”

“Wait a minute, isn’t it all just cream? There’s no difference.”

“It’s all cream, but when it’s shaped like Sister, it tastes especially good.”

While they prattled on, Iordera led Sophia out of the cellar. They ascended to the surface to continue drinking.

“Like you, I also took this mission from the night market, and that’s when I found them,” Iordera said, taking another sip of her drink.

“As you’ve seen, they are three beings that are neither beast-folk nor human—artificially created experimental subjects.”

“They all have severe congenital defects: one is blind, one is crippled, and another has a lifespan of less than ten years.”

Iordera took a large gulp of liquor.

She murmured softly, “If you speak of this outside, they could be dragged back to the laboratory, or even worse, perhaps eliminated.”

“I understand,” Sophia said, her expression grave. “I will abandon this mission.”

Of course, she could never bring herself to do such a morally reprehensible thing.

“So, you’re looking after them now?” Sophia remarked, remembering this detail and sighing. “Even though you’re not exactly wealthy yourself.”

The blonde girl mused, ‘Even in my youth, when I prided myself on knightly virtues, I doubt I could have done so much in this situation.’

‘Though pitiable, they are, after all, mere strangers.’

Iordera smiled, then wiped a hand across her face.

“Sophia, this is our third time working together, and our third time fighting side-by-side,” she began. “So, I’ll be completely honest with you.”

She drew in her legs, shifting into a more comfortable sitting position.

“Once, there was an ordinary warehouse manager, an elderly woman. She was employed by a merchant caravan.

“During an auction of some noble family’s assets, she discovered a girl.”

“The girl was breathless and motionless. The elderly woman felt great pity for her. She regarded the girl as her own daughter, showering her with every care.”

“Later, the girl regained consciousness and the ability to move. It was then that the elderly woman realized the daughter she had claimed was a living, breathing person, not an asset of the caravan or the nobility.”

“So, she took an enormous risk, devising every possible way to help that girl escape to freedom.”