The market buzzed with activity this particular afternoon. Hundreds of conversations blurred into one with the over crowding of the market. Foot traffic congested in tight spaces and bled out wherever there was space. Vendors called out from behind their stalls and shops, attracting potential customers. Buildings of Red and Yellow surrounded the modest sized outdoor market place, the high allitude causing a slight chill. Serena sat behind a stall safeguarded from the chaos by various sized urns and pottery. Wrapped up in a borrowed fur coat, she sat in a fidgeting as she waited for her friend to return to the stall. She would smile and wave as people passed by the stall, admiring the lively market. There was a small clamor behind her, as the beaded curtains parted and her friend returned. Serena was quickly thanked and she resumed her trek through the market place.

Before stepping into the crowd, she soothed out her blonde hair, and pulled town the tight red dress she wore. Flowers made of gold silk decorated the entire right side of the dress, small intricate patterns of gold loops and dots running down the front. Stepping out from under the stall, she harmonized with the crowd, as she headed for a less packed area. She made her way to a wider street with a thinner crowd, passing by various green vegetables and odd meat vendors. As she exited the crowd she found her self walking towards a street known for the entertainers and various game tables. There was a rumor of an undefeated Mahjong master that played these parts. It piqued her curiosty as Mahjong used to be a game she played as little girl. She was no good at it, but just to play again would be nice, and she heard the player easy on the eyes, which never the hurt. 

As the the street widened, various locales sat at tables with open seating if someone dared challenge them. A chess table caught her eye as she made her way to the table for a quick match. Before she was able to sit, the sound of shuffling tiles caught her attention. She turned on her feet and pinpointed the direction of game. She made her way down the street, eyeing the pretty game master as he shuffled the upside tiles. Serena ran a hand through her hair and made her way to the table, pulling out the empty chair and taking a seat. Her hands glided around the tiles as she looked up at the handsome man and shined a beautiful smile. "May I play a round?" She asked, her voice velvet as she began stacking the tiles.

He had set up the table early in the morning, and had waited for anyone with interest for a round to pass by. Fu Xing had gone through a few sessions already, mostly with scribes and lower level officials. Sometimes a crowd would gather, and people would bet money on occasion. He himself didn't discourage the betting, but he didn't profit off of the gambling either. Every now and then a few returning players would order dishes from the restaurants nearby and bring them over with a teapot so they could eat between rounds. And sometimes, they would treat him. In the past he had played for money, and had gotten some coin from a few good sessions. However, he soon learned winning too often would cause others to become angry, and he narrowly missed being pulled into a brawl. Thus, he learned how to space out his victories so the other players wouldn't be offended. And if necessary, he would fold. As fun as it was to win, mahjong was a game you couldn't play by yourself. If he had to yield to keep a couple poor sports happy, he didn't mind. Those people tended to be poor players to begin with.

"Good afternoon, miss. Come, have a seat. It seems you're familiar with the game already, so let us begin." He returned the smile to the lovely young woman. Fu Xing didn't have much experience playing against foreigners, but to him it was all the same. When she sat down at the table, he felt that she was here for a real challenge. Sometimes ladies would pass by just for his face, and feign interest just to chat him up. He appreciated the attention, but it was a tad disappointing. Those sort of people weren't skilled enough for a good game. Since it was only the two of them, he could skip a few formalities when setting up and dealing the stacks. Both Fu Xing and the lady set up their rows after the tiles were dealt, and they began the process of discarding and building hands. His first discard was three dots, and he had two partial chows and a peng. The former partial hands had a bamboo of five and a bamboo of six then six dots and seven dots, while the peng was three tiles of eight bamboo. He had a few scattered suits, and so far he needed either three chows with a pair to have a hand, or gain another peng with a pair while completing the two partial chows. He had no flowers or seasons this time, with a north wind and green dragon. 

He had a few options: complete a pair of wind or dragon while choosing either option from above, or discard an honor for a chance to complete a set. Honors were worth more, but sometimes holding onto a lone tile would drag down one's chances to gain a winning hand. He looked to see what the lady's discarded tile was and considered if it was worth taking. Fu Xing found himself drawn towards this woman's vibrant golden hair. He had never seen a blonde before, and to him it looked like threads of golden silk. Leaning on his hand, he gave a charming smile. "Your hair, it's as if it were woven from sunshine." The straight locks of his glossy black hair contrasted against the colored silk robe he wore. The fabric was a pale blue with a grey-green bamboo forest patterned on it. Over it was a dark blue coat of similar material, with flowing sleeves and a silver border around the hems. 

Serena smiled, stacking the tiles into four walls. She drew her hand and considered option. She wasn't a frequent player of the game, but she learned in Adeluna as the game pieces ornate and decorated pieces kept her attention enough to learn the game's rules at least. She ran her hand over the One Bamboo, a picture of a simple but colorful bird. She smiled, appreciating the fragile beauty of the tiles. She made a nervous laugh as she looked up from the tiles and onto the beautiful man. "Heh heh heeeee…. Do you perhaps have a game card? I don't know the combinations off the top of my head." She said, admiring the man's looks now that she could properly assess him. His hair lay flat and dark with femeine facial features. In fact, he didn't look too far off from her older brother. 

The man dug into his game box and handed her a folded up card. She took it, thanking him and assessed her options. She has two summers and two one bamboo's which she affectionly named "One Damn Bird." The hand lined up with a four of a kind of flowers and a quint of one's and wine's not bad, for an opening hand, she thought. The man discarded a three dot, his attention focused in on the game. Serena drew a West Wind, smiling victorious as she did so. The man would come to learn soon, she had no poker face. She picked a random tile, a seven crack and discarded. The man layed on his hand and either made an attempt to flirt or genuinely compliment her appearance. 

Either way, Serena's face ran a deep red with blush as she begin laughing. She instantly placed her hand over her mouth in an effort to stop her laugh. She dropped her hand and let it rest on her chest to still her racing heart. "I am sorry." She said earnestly. "People do NOT talk like that where I am from." She quickly held out her hands and shook them vigorously. "Not that it is a bad thing! I'm flattered really, just shocked." She added. She closed her eyes and stilled her self, as he discarded a tile she did not want. She drew green dragon, and placed it down on the table. "My name is Serena." She said, pleasantly. "I don't suppose your name is really… 'Mahjong Master' is it?

Her response to his comment was a pleasant surprise. Half-expecting a coy remark or some other variant of shyness, her frank answer was refreshing. Did his words impress her that much? The lady recovered, and began to explain while he was puzzled. "Ah, I see. Was I too bold, then? I'm not familiar with the customs outside of Karith." He motioned with his hand. As far as he knew, he had never left the floating city. When he saw the most recent tile she had discarded, he was pleased. He had gained a second green dragon since the beginning, and took the one she had discarded. "Peng." He then turned the three green dragon tiles face up and discarded a tile of five from the character suit. The golden-haired woman then spoke, "My name is Serena. I don't suppose your name is really… 'Mahjong Master' is it?" The title was enough to make him chuckle. "It would be as much as my name as yours would be Xian Nu–or 'angel' in other words. You may call me Feng Fu Xing. Mahjong is just a hobby of mine that I enjoy."

A few people passing by glanced in their direction and whispered, while a few girls stopped to watch for a little while. Most went on about their business shortly after. The sun was moving as time passed, but it was still shining brightly. The familiar sounds of people calling out to customers to come see their wares and the city folk chatting were the tell-tale signs of early afternoon. Maybe a few of those elders would come by later this evening. He typically stayed outside until an hour before sunset, unless the weather was poor. 

Serena's melodic laughter sang through the air. She ran a delicate hand through her golden hair, giving her slender neck a flick, throwing the flowing hair away from her eyes. She smiled widely at the smooth talking man who called his self Feng. "See, that's what I'm talking about, Feng. That kind of speech… is… uncommon." She said, placing down a tile. "In Adeluna, it's mostly 'Hey pretty. Why don't we get an ale?!'" She said, imitating a drunkard, mocking the men back in her home city. After Feng had played, she drew from her wall of tiles, picking up a West Wind, she smiled, slightly, exchanging the tile for a three of dots. She placed the tile down, grinning mischievously with her luck. 

"Feng, though. It's a pretty name. I assume it's Karith native." She paused, observing the tile Feng discarded. "I really adore Karith. The sights, the cultures, the colors and sounds… It's all so… lively." She sighed, resting her chin on top of her hand, her elbow resting on the table, observing her hand. She had a pair of One Bamboo, Summers, and West Winds. The hand was coming together nicely, and quickly. She nodded approvingly, before continuing from where she left off. "I'm only visiting, in the mean time. I have a dear friend of mine I'm spending time with. I've been meaning to leave eailer, but Karith is so charming. I've fallen in love with the… streets and people." She said, trying to pinpoint on what she found so endearing to her. "Maybe it's because we are in the sky. We are litteraly playing Mahjong admist the cloudes." She laughed softly, calming her self down. 

Feng laid down another tile, signaling for Serena to draw. She picked up a One Bamboo, smiling. She laid it next to pair, picking up a seven bamboo, laying it down on the table. "I learned how to play in Adeluna." She said softly. "I learned all kinds of games. But Mahjong had a special charm to it. Something about the beautifully designed game pieces. The… fragile elegance. It drew me in." She said with a shrug. She looked up to meet Feng' s eyes. Blushing slightly. "I'm blabbering, aren't I? I'm sorry, I'm just enjoying my self."

Hearing Serena explain the differences she perceived, the Karithian leaned on his right hand as he suppressed a laugh. "That's because they have no etiquette. You don't simply walk up to a woman and ask her to have a drink with you. When you see someone who catches your eye in a restaurant, you order tea or wine for their table and have the server tell them it was a gift from you.  And if she looks your way, you give her a smile in courtesy." Fu Xing could hardly imagine why those men would expect anybody to take up such a boorish offer. Wouldn't that cause the lady to misunderstand their intentions? Hearing her compliment his name made him smile. He was quite proud of it, as having an auspicious name was akin to a blessing from above. Not many realized that having a good name could shape the path of a person's life, like a prophecy given over them from birth. When you called someone by their name, you were in a sense acknowledging them in a specific way. The more someone was called a name, the more likely they would become what they were called.

"Karith has its charms, doesn't it? Not many can boast a lofty position such as this. Though the city and its people used to be much more beautiful back then…" His voice trailed off as he saw the young men and women hurrying about in the crowds, and elders taking their time as they watched them pass. Fu Xing looked young, though some of his words were more fitting for someone older. He remembered when there weren't so many flying ships in the sky, and flying meant riding fantastical, exotic creatures. Winged horses, lion-birds, and even dragons all decorated with ornate saddles and bridles showing off their ownership were the pride and joy of the nobles. He had never had the experience of riding upon one, but during special occasions they would grace the sky with their majesty. He had a moment of quiet contemplation before returning to the conversation.

He only needed two more tiles to complete the partial hands he had. Either a bamboo of four or a bamboo of seven to finish the first chow, or five dots with an alternative of eight dots. Drawing a two from the character suit, he chose to discard his north wind and take the seven of bamboo Serena had discarded. His second set out of four had been completed. "Chow." Fu Xing said, revealing the triad of tiles: five, six, and seven of bamboo. Only two more triads and he would have them all. His remaining tiles not including the partial hand of bamboo weren't enough to make a hand, as they were too scattered. A mixture of dots and characters, which he would have to mull over for his next discard.

Speaking about mahjong was just the thing to lift his spirits from that somber memory. "Is mahjong popular in Adeluna? I know different kingdoms have their variations of chess, with interesting shapes for their pieces. Some are simple, merely monochrome stones, while others have more fanciful designs like horses and crowns." Fu Xing was delighted to hear Serena regard the game so highly. "Ah yes, mahjong has always been a bit different than other games. The tiles themselves have meanings rooted in literature, poetry, and culture. And unlike most games, it allows more than a pair of players. The more players there are, the more interesting it becomes. Even if you are just blabbering, I don't mind at all. Not as many people are interested in this game for the sake of playing anymore."  

"Back then?" She hummed curiously, her left eye brow raising in interest. She listened half absent mindly, the other half of her focus on her hand. Feng had been growing a large advantage over her much slower hand. They alternated turns, the center of the table dazzling off the corners of the porcelain tiles. "Your… manner of speech. I think I've finally put my finger on it." She said, her eyes on the ornate tiles. "It's very formal. You are very proper. Almost a grace of a noble. You remind me of my brother." She said, her cheeks growing flush. An embarrassed smile spread across her cheeks, which she quickly tried to hide, answering his question about chess."I wouldn't say it's super popular. The only reason I know how to play is…"

Her voice trailing off. While she was living in Adeluna with her mother and father, a hand maiden her age taught her how to play. Serena thought it wise to hide her nobility for now. She met his eyes, smiling bright. "A dear friend of mine taught me how to play." She affirmed. She drew a five of dots, holding it in her hand, discarding a honor. "Chess though, chess is very popular in Adeluna. I can't say I find the pleasure in it, though. It's usually silent and drawn out. I've seen my brother play still as a statue for drawn out hours." She said, her eyes closing, reminiscing on the memory of the past. It was her turn once again, drawing a bird. She placed it in her hand with a victorious smile. She picked a random tile from her hand and placed it on the table. "Five dot."

Her words made him pause. His manner of speech was formal? To him this seemed strange. All this time he thought the way he spoke and acted was the norm. Nobody had ever said a word about it until now. This was fairly casual according to what he knew. Normally men like him wouldn't be so forward with their thoughts and feelings, especially to strangers. The same was doubly so towards women. Acting in such a familiar way was considered to be below one's station–improper, and out of the rules of etiquette. And here he had thought he was going against convention. He would have to give this new insight greater consideration once this round was over. "Formal, is it? I admit, you had me surprised for a moment. I was half expecting you to chide me on disregarding conventions. Have things changed so much? Or perhaps social conventions outside of Karith are more open?" 

He truly couldn't think of a time when this was so. Listening as Serena spoke more about chess, he nodded in approval when she mentioned a good friend of hers had taught her how to play. "From the way you describe it, chess sounds similar to a game we call 'xiangqi'–or even 'weiqi'. Both are strategy games played on a board, and the players are in no rush to finish rounds. Sometimes people end midway and record the positions of the pieces, then resume at another date and time. I find them enjoyable, but I prefer the faster turnover rate of mahjong. Realistically, in battle you don't have hours on hand to sit and plan moving pieces. Thinking while on one's feet and learning to adapt to unexpected changes are what makes mahjong dynamic and interesting." Perhaps he was starting to boast a little. He did possess a certain partiality towards the game.


So she had a brother? The more she talked, the more interesting he found her. Possibly since he himself had no siblings, but he found himself enjoying their conversation a great deal. "Your brother must have the forbearance of an ascetic monk. I doubt I'd be able to stand sitting like so for more than a quarter of an hour. I'd likely move a piece just to keep things going." 

He was waiting on finding a tile he could use to complete his last and final triad. The tiles he drew weren't matches, and he discarded miscellaneous dots or characters he knew wouldn't be worth keeping. He was so close now, there was no point in letting a handful of orphan tiles fill up his row. "Five dot." Serena discarded a tile, and he couldn't help but smile. Looking at her across the table, he gave a small bow. "I really must thank you Miss Serena, you've graciously bestowed upon me a stroke of divine providence." Discarding a nine from the character suit, he took the tile of five dots and added it to his incomplete triad, flipping his final set down. "And another chow. That gives me a full hand of one pair and four triads." 

With all his tiles down Fuxing had a peng of eight bamboo, a peng of three green dragons, a chow of the bamboo suit ordered in five-six-seven, a chow of dots also with five-six-seven, and a pair of the character suit– a double of threes. 

Serena ran a delicate hand through her golden hair. She listened intently to Feng's soothing voice. She couldn't help but smile as he recalled Karith's version of chess. Some where through out the game, she stopped reserving her self, and just smiled, even if she looked goofy. A light laugh escaped her lips, "Yes. Sounds exactly like chess." His comment about her brother dimmed her smile, "My brother is a dork. He lost his self in stories of shining knights ontop of mythical beasts. Chivalrous, brave, and behaved. I suppose he could've turned out worse, but he was a dork." She closed her eyes, reminiscing on memories of the past. Her smile returned, meeting Feng's dark eyes, melting into her seat. "It's been awhile since I've seen him." She said, softly.

When she discarded, Feng smiled, putting his hand up in triumph. Serena merely narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms defiantly. "You didn't say Mahjong." She jested. "It doesn't count if you don't say Mahjong. We'll call it a tie." A coy smile spreading across her face. She sighed, turning over her incomplete hand, separating the partial hand from the discord tiles. "I know how to play. I never said I was any good." She muttered, dumping the hand on the table. She began turning over the ornate pieces face down, shuffling the table.

"I don't plan to stay for another game. I should return home and tend to some matters. Though, I'll admit I had fun playing with you, Feng. If I find my self in this area. I'll be sure to stop by for a game or two." She said with a wink. She noticed the gold Noble ring on one of his long fingers. She knew what she would do once she returned home.