Dragon Phoenix City

7. Interlude

On the north-west coast of the Dragon-Phoenix city, a vast estate could be observed from a bird's eye. It was a peculiar estate in that the vast majority of it was empty; in fact, it consisted only one courtyard close to the beach. It was an open grassland from the door facing the city and the courtyard.

In the courtyard, many burly men were busy at work, shifting furniture, dusting, sweeping the floor, etc. One defining characteristic of these men was that almost all of them were crippled in one way or the other. Some were missing one of their limbs, some limped, some others couldn't see or hear.

This didn't inhibit their enthusiasm one bit, however, as they worked without any complaints whatsoever, noisily carrying out the orders.

"Oye, hawkeye, get me the biggest piece, this one ain't it. M*the*fucking bed!" An especially burly man shouted from within the centre room on the ground floor. This was also the room with the most activity.

"Don't..." The first man's voice rang out, but by then a slender man appeared outside the door with two heavy wooden pieces.

The first man's eyes widened. He had just remembered something important.

The slender man lugged the pieces towards the door. His direction... was not quite right.

Sure enough, he slammed himself into the corner of the doorway and crumbled to the ground with a clatter along with the wooden pieces. This slender man was blind.

"I told'ya to keep in mind that Ray can't see anymore. He ain't hawkeye no more. Don't keep yelling for him for every thing." The second man inside the room lectured the burly man, spit flying.

This rubbed the man on the floor the wrong way. He got up with his rapidly swelling forehead, fumbled around to find the two pieces and attempted to carry them inside.

This time he shifted too much to the right, and slammed into the other corner.

The two men watched him blankly for a moment or two, until blood dripped from his forehead to the floor. They sprang up towards the slender man.

"Fucking hell, Melvin!" The burly man cursed loudly enough to draw the attention of the entire courtyard. "What the fuck did ya mean by he ain't hawkeye no more? You trying to rile up the man?"

"I— None of this would 'ave happened if you hadn't called him!"

"We need to patch him up before 'Tonio comes." The burly man said, inspecting the cut.

Melvin gave him a dirty look. The big oaf should have thought of that before screaming bloody murder.

Sure enough, a tall man, with an extremely sculpted physique visible through the shirt, strode upto them. He looked plenty angry without a twitch in his facial muscles.

Melvin swallowed. "Sir, it was Neil—"

"Take Ray to the bathhouse." The man cut him off. "The medicine ought to there."

Melvin stood up. Despite being six feet in height, he barely reached the man's nose.

Melvin swung his arm, as if to salute, them corrected himself. "Yes, G... I mean, Sir!"

After Melvin carried Ray away — with Ray struggling on his shoulder — the man turned toward Neil.

He managed to glower without so much as moving his eyebrows. "And you, are not to ask anybody for help till you assemble this room completely."

Neil thought about about protesting, but knew well enough he'd just be asking for a beating going against Antonio. Besides, assembling the Young Master's room by himself was an honour.