Story Reader / Floating Record / ER04 The Floating Reverie / Story
~May the heavens stand unchanging.~
Three o'clock—up the rock face!
They're closing in!
Up there—right above us!
Strike them, strike them down!
~May fate unfold in a gentle sway.~
Back into formation!
The passage—they're destroying the wooden passage!
Watch out—
Shannai! Hold my hand!
~To spiritual peaks, may you find your way.~
I-It's so cold... I... I don't want to die!
Don't let go! Hold on!
Quick, hurry! Please... let the bleeding stop!
That won't do. Get the soldering iron! We gotta seal it off!
~May you, dear one, find well-being's embrace.~
...
My lady.
Yes?
Casualty check is complete.
Three... killed...
The two severely wounded are being attended to.
...
I see.
But Shannai...
We will find her on our way down. No, we have to.
Yes, understood.
...Let's get some rest now.
Copy that.
After giving out the instructions, Pulao leans against a wooden pillar outside the corridor alone and digs out another piece of salted plum candy from her pocket.
...
It takes her three tries to get the wrapper off with her fingers still trembling.
Is she feeling exhausted?
For a brief moment, she is on the verge of tears, but she manages to hold them back.
She tosses the candy into her mouth and falls into a deep slumber next to heaps of wreckage, surrounded by the cold mist, and amidst the verdant peaks.
...
Here, hold your hand just a bit higher... right here.
One, two, three... Keep your eyes on your hand, like this... and lift slowly—up to here.
Got it?
Um...
Here, I'll show you.
~Yearning for winter's touch. Atop snowy peaks, snow dances...~
Your eyes and hand have to move together. Except for this last line, when they have to part.
Don't look back, Yoyo. Don't look back.
The key to this dance is that you can't look back.
Hmm... let me try again.
Good. Practice makes perfect.
Huh? You guys are still here? It's getting late.
Yoyo's entrance exam is coming up the day after tomorrow, so I'm helping her with her practice.
Oh my, don't be so harsh on your little sister.
See, she's sweaty all over.
I'm not done yet! I want to practice some more.
But I mean, Hanying, we can let her in without a test if you just put in a word for her.
Everyone knows how you've been taking care of us all these years.
No, because I know she can do it if she just puts in the hard work.
That goes to show that you really are sisters from the same mother.
Good luck, then. I'll be off. Remember to take a break.
Uncle Cai saved some food for you two. Remember to go see him before you head back.
Oh, thank you very much...
...
What did the food taste like that evening?
It's the taste of... being a human.
Uncle Cai!
Oh? Yoyo and Hanying? Quick, sit down.
Sorry for keeping you waiting, Uncle Cai.
Oh, don't worry about it. I need to head out on night patrol anyway—plenty of time to save some food for you.
We've got spicy boiled fish, white-cut chicken, and eggplant with minced pork for dinner tonight.
Wow! Smells amazing! And there is a whole lot of food!
I saved a lot for you. A few hungry bears tried to ask for some, but I said no!
Thank you, Uncle Cai!
Well, kids need to eat more while they're growing bones.
Mmm... yummy!
I'm glad you like it. I'm going to head out for my patrol now. Enjoy your meal.
Bye, Uncle Cai!
Thank you.
...Slow down or you'll choke. How are you feeling?
I'm fine! Working on the basics should make anyone tired. My muscles are just a little sore, but nothing that can't be solved with a table of yummy food!
You'll feel better after taking a hot bath when we get home.
Here, have some of this.
Okay!
I've never... tasted anything like the meal that night ever since.
Ever since that night, I've never seen her smile again.
Hanying...
...
It's just... a dream?
Pulao moves her mouth around only to realize that the salty plum candy has already melted, leaving a sweet flavor with a tinge of sourness and bitterness.
Coming into sight are the same lush mountains, the same chilly fog, and a path forward that seems to have no end.
