The noise of the city faded along the wharfs and piers at the edge of the water and mixed with the sound of waves and sea breeze. The cobblestones seemed less dirty. She could forget the compression of so many white and brown houses that all looked the same and the crowds that looked down on her. The edge of the city brought her to the open horizon. This horizon included a ship that was slowly becoming larger and larger as it inched forward. Apart from the usual dockhands and shore traffic were Fenn in her standard green cloak and a naval officer a few lengths away wearing the usual blues and whites. Fenn was basking in the sun, and hoped nobody would ruin the moment by talking to her.

“Fair day, my lady.”

Damn it.

“Are we waiting for the same ship?” He continued.

Of course we are. There’s nothing else here.

“Good observation,” Fenn replied.

She avoided looking at him and hoped he’d roll away with the breeze.

“Not to impose, my lady,”…

Why are you still talking?

“but you seem familiar. I can’t quite place it but I’ve seen you or someone very similar to you.”

Familiar? Don’t we all look the same to you, navy boy?

“You know what they say,” Fenn replied, “if you’ve seen one Alloci you’ve seen them all.”

Fenn turned to look at the ship coming in and stepped forward. With the clear sky and the sun beginning to push past the centre of the sky it was likely a bit past noon.

Six hours of sunlight left. He gets off the ship then two hours walk from here down the north finger. Stop for a drop of tea and then back along the high harbour for another two hours and we’re home to high tower. Likely in before the dusk ritual and definitely in time for supper.

“It’s something in your horns,” the officer said. He’d taken a few steps closer. “I’ve seen horns just like those but I just can’t place on who.”

Fenn reached to put her hands over her head before catching herself.

I should have worn put my hood up.

“Likely a kin or cousin,” she replied. “Plenty of Alloci around the markets and working all over. Lots of horns look the same.”

A yell from the ship saved her from going on. They were just getting close enough to shout over the water. The officer stepped off towards some of the dockhands. Fenn scanned the deck of the ship as best as she could. There wasn’t any sign of him yet. He would make himself known soon enough but she would enjoy the sunlight for a few more minutes before the ship was fully moored and people started coming ashore.

Soon enough her basking was over and people started to make their way off the ship. Orcs and elves mostly. One looked like a dwarf. Then he showed up. Purple skin, black eyes, a broad smile. It was Jaali. He never tried to hide his horns or tail or be discreet about being Alloci. He made his way down the plank with a bag over his shoulder.

The fool isn’t wearing his cloak. He probably didn’t tell anyone he was even with the Coven while he gambled and sang with them the whole voyage.

A few fellow travellers were wishing goodbyes as Fenn approached. They all seemed suitably enamoured with him. In the midst of it he caught sight of her and pushed out from the group to meet her.

“Fenn!” He started, “You won’t believe what you’ve all missed!”

“Where’s your cloak, Jaali?” She replied.

“Right,” Jaali said. “Business already?”

He put down his bag and started rifling through it. He cursed while looking before pulling out a long green cloak. When he started putting it on some of those leaving the ship pointed at it.

Definitely didn’t tell them he was in the Coven.

Jaali got the cloak on, the front closed, and pulled his hood up over his head. His horns sat a little higher than Fenn’s and made the silhouette of the hood obviously less human. A Elf from the ship, tall with a refined dress, walked up and lightly hit his arm.

“Wurthington!” she said, “you never told us you were part of the Coven!”

Wurthington?

“I…” Jaali stammered a second. “I thought you’d enjoy a final surprise, now that we’re ashore… to cap off a good voyage.”

“You’ve always got another trick up you’re sleeve, Worthington. But if you’re an Acolyte of the Coven, surely you don’t need to hold on to the money you won these last weeks?”

Busted.

“Your money will be fine, my dear,” Jaali said. “There are so many good causes it will go towards. And you won’t have to fear it’s wasted on drinks or vices. Consider it a donation to our order.”

The elf went sour. “Your order doesn’t take donations. And Acolytes aren’t supposed to have money. And Alloci are a vice. I could report you.”

Jaali paused and took a deep breath. “Or… you and I could split the winnings with no need to involve the rest. We’re each ahead and we go our merry way.”

She side eyed the group behind them before nodding. Jaali pulled out a pouch and started counting out coins. Both of them moved to block everyone else’s sight of what was happening.

I can’t believe this is actually working.

“Seventeen,” Jaali said, “Eighteen, nineteen, and here’s an odd one. How about we make that one yours. And if you ever need a third for cards you can head to the tower and ask for Wurthington.”

Fenn looked at Jaali with disbelief as the elf walked away.

“Wurthington?” Fenn said. “You gave up your winnings easily if they only knew a fake name.”

“Half my winnings just to get us out of sight and never seen again,” Jaali shrugged. “It’s not like I can’t spend the money anywhere anyway. And although you didn’t ask, the whole village says hello and they miss you. Lomi’Resta hopes you’re able to make it home after the next winter. You should visit your poor grandmother. She sent these along with me. Baked them and shrunk them herself.”

Jaali pulled box out of his pack and handed it to Fenn. She opened it and her eyes went wide when she saw brown pellets inside. She could make out the small details of the pastries and frosting.

More than enough to go around and a few more to save for later.

“You don’t need to remind me that I’ll never get home,” Fenn said. “Let’s get going through. We can make it down to the bottom of north finger for tea and back to High Tower in time for dusk ritual if we walk quickly.”

Fenn took some steps but Jaali didn’t move to follow. He had a hand to his head to shade the sun while he looked across the rooftops of the city.

“Why go the long way?” He asked. “We’re right by the shoulder fort. And we can see High Tower from here over the rooftops. Walking down the finger will take all day. It would be like an hour if we went straight through here and cut through Copper Bottom.”

Fenn’s jaw hit the floor. “Jaali, that’s a human neighbourhood. We’re not welcome there. Have you ever even been there?”

“No,” Jaali said slowly, “But I did happen across a map of the city. The streets are a little wild but we can get through quick. We’ll move fast enough that nobody will have time to hate us.”

Fenn took a second to survey the buildings around them. The shoulder fort was right there. And she could see High Tower. The path leading into Copper Bottom looked like a narrow alley.

If we do hurry then I can share these with Imtha and Ayana before the rituals begin. And the short way is less time with Jaali.

Fenn sighed. “Lead the way.”

The first street Jaali lead her through was narrow and the next even more so. Three more quick turns and they stumbled out into what looked like a market. The open space between buildings was packed with people wandering about. Hundreds of conversations made a wall of noise that drowned out Jaali’s voice. Jaali stepped into the crowd and nearly disappeared. Fenn pushed in behind and quickly lost sight of him.

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Fenn looked around and made eye contact with one of the humans walking by. He uttered a curse about her being a witch and spit at her feet. She felt a shove from behind her and another comment, this time about her tail. A hand darted from the press of people and grabbed her arm. She looked and saw Jaali reaching out to her.

“Don’t get lost in here,” he said.

Hells and madness, this isn’t going to work.

Jaali pulled Fenn along through the market and they squeezed through the crowd to step into a side street. One corner and it was a dead end.

You’re going to get us killed.

“The map said this was a through street,” Jaali said. “Or maybe the next one is the through street.”

They darted back into the market and Jaali pulled out his map. A person in the crowd pulled the map out of his hand and threw it onto the ground.

“We don’t need you bringing your curses in here, witches,” he shouted. “Take your magic somewhere else!”

A few more people turned towards them and another spit on Fenn. A clearing in the crowd was slowly forming around them as more people stopped to shout.

Fenn scanned the crowd hoping for a solution. She could spot the very top of High Tower but it was still a long way off with most of Copper Bottom between.

Hell, madness, hell…

She caught sight of a blue naval hat a few rows back in the crowd.

Navy. They never hate us. Much.

“Navy!” Fenn shouted. “Admiralty!”

The hat turned and started moving towards them. A second later the person under the hat came into view. It was the young officer Fenn had brushed off before.

Madness. It’s navy boy.

“We meet again,” the officer said with a smile. “I didn’t catch your name before.”

Alright, maybe the mob can kill me.

Jaali stepped in between Fenn and the officer. “It seems like we have a deteriorating circumstance right now. Mind getting us through before this gets ugly for everyone?”

“Why the hell are you even here?” The officer said. “Never mind, let’s settle this down.”

The officer turned back toward the crowd and made some gestures to calm them down. Fenn felt like she was slowly circling as people were facing her on all sides. An old man in working clothes and a leather apron walked out from her left and waved at the officer.

“Third on your right will take you to the heart and get the cursed ones out of here.”

Streets and houses still all looked the same but the officer pulled them into the alley the old man had pointed out. The traffic all but stopped and the path in front of them was empty.

“Quick,” the officer said, “let’s get this over.”

He let go of Fenn and took off at a jog. She and Jaali tried to keep up with him. She was fighting her sandals more than anything else as they tried to keep up.

How is Jaali so comfortable running like this?

The alley was getting steadily dirtier and darker as they were further from the main street. The alley curved to the right with no sign of an intersection or any path crossing it. After rounding the corner, the officer’s pace put some distance between him and Fenn. Jaali slowed down a step to keep pace with Fenn as he was pulling away. Another turn to the left came up ahead of them.

“Almost there,” he said, “nearly to the Heart and it’s a quick walk in the park to High Tower.

Fenn rounded the corner and the other two had already stopped. It was a dead end.

“What the heck?” Jaali said as he pulled the map back out.

“We should be here,” he continued while pointing to a spot on the map. “We’re a street over from where we need to be, I swear.”

Jaali and the officer soon launched into an argument about directions. Fenn looked up at the houses surrounding them. All the houses around them were two storeys tall and closed in the space around them completely. The windows all had wooden panels on hinges and were shut. She shook her head with a sign as the guys were fighting over the map.

Lost, late, and cornered. Great.

Then some voices caught her attention. They were coming from the entrance of the alley and getting closer. The old man came around the corner with four others. They were all younger and larger. Fenn noticed a dagger and some clubs among them.

Lost, late, cornered, and trapped.

“Guys,” she said and tapped on their shoulders. “Guys!”

They both turned and looked up.

“Oh, we’ll get more directions,” Jaali said.

“This isn’t about directions,” the officer replied.

He straightened his hat, stepped forward, and pushed Fenn behind him. She saw him pull out his sword and point it in the direction of their new company.

“You don’t want to do this,” he called out to them. “I’m a Navy man, officer of the Admiralty. This fight isn’t worth the trouble it’ll bring.”

The old man smiled as the group kept walking forward. Fenn reached down to her pouch on her right hip and poked her fingers. She looked down at embroidered symbols on her cloak then back up at the group approaching.

“No bothers with the navy,” the old man said, “but a Coven cloak and a pinch of dust is worth the risk.”

Breathe, Fenn. Breathe. You can do this. Just like practice. Pinch of dust. The ice lance is on your left sleeve. Jaali has a fireball. Just don’t hit Navy Boy. And you probably will. Healing salve is on your right leg.

The group of men took a few steps closer. Fenn caught the sunlight reflecting off the blade of the dagger.

“Oi!” a voice came from above them. An old woman had thrown open a window and leaned out to yell at all of them.

“We don’t need any navy trouble here,” She continued. “You fools will have marines going up and down our block.”

“Right!” Another woman shouted from a window across the alley. “If you want some honest coin, I’ve got plenty of dishes here. Fix a cabinet while you’re at it.”

The old man and the men with him looked up and grumbled at the onlookers. Windows flew open and more voices joined in.

“Is that Marge’s boy? Think you’re some tough goon? Your mother will have your head when she finds out you’re trying to rough these ones up.”

“Coven witches don’t even carry good coin, you fools.”

More voices joined in and the old man shook his head and turned around. The neighbours kept yelling at them as they walked out of the alley. Fenn let out her breath and the worry of the situation caught up with her.

“Thank you!” The officer called out as he put his sword back into its sheath.

A piece of rotten fruit landed at their feet.

“Are you daft boy? Bringing those cursed horns and tails around these parts is bad enough but a Coven witch? Get them out of here!”

All the voices that saved them turned into a chorus to curse them, their magic, their green robes, and the existence of the Coven as a whole.

“Let me have it,” Fenn said as she grabbed the map from Jaali.

I guess I’m the one who’s going to figure this all out.

She unfolded it completely and found a symbol at the top right corner. It was the same black ink as the rest of the map. A square inside a circle and the outline of a bird within it. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a pinch of dust. Her fingers squeezed together to sprinkle the dust over the symbol of the bird. The symbol turned bright yellow, and a few sparks flew off it. The entire map lifted out of Fenn’s hand and folded itself into the shape of small bird.

“Oi!” a voice called out from above them again, “If you’re doing your dark magic could you conjure some bread for us while you’re at it? Dirty witch.”

The paper bird perched on Fenn’s finger. She leaned in to whisper.

“We’re off to the High Tower, little friend. On our way home. Bring us quick.”

The bird chirped and sprung into the air above them. Little bits of glowing dust were falling from it as it went. The bird started down the alley and all three took off after it. They were jogging to keep up from one turn to the next. Fenn stopped caring about buildings and crowds and just kept her focus on the bird. They all rounded a corner back into the main street. Most of the people didn’t seem to notice the paper bird or the magic as they pushed through. The occasional shout or curse came up but they moved quickly enough to avoid another altercation.

After turning another corner and past a building, the three broke through the crowd and the shift from dirty brown and white buildings to the wood panels of the next neighbourhood. Copper Bottom was done. The buildings here were taller but High Tower was so much closer and still in view above them.

A few more turns and the courtyard of High Tower was in view. The officer was far out ahead of them when he arrived and looked back to Fenn and Jaali. Her lungs were burning but Jaali seemed to be fine.

He must be keeping next to me on purpose. He’s faster than this.

The paper bird started circling and chirping at them as they arrived. She felt the bird land on her finger and then unfurl back into a map. She doubled over to start panting and tried to spare a look for at the annoying officer that saved them.

“Heavy cloak…”

Another deep breath.

“And crappy sandals…”

Another deep breath.

“And Alloci aren’t really…”

Another breath.

“good runners.”

He laughed. “Is that why you all sailed first? Couldn’t bother to walk anywhere?”

Jaali joined in the laugh while Fenn kept panting.

The first time they agree is to laugh at me?

Jaali reached into his pouch and pulled out a pinch of dust. He pushed it against a yellow symbol on the chest of his cloak near his right shoulder. The symbol began to glow red and slivers of the red light traced down his sleeve towards his hand. As the red light was wrapping around his fingers he placed his hand gently on the top of Fenn’s back. She felt her lungs fill and she straightened up. The flush in her face was gone. Her legs felt fine. Everything back to normal

“I’ve got you, Fenn.” Jaali said.

The officer watched it with surprise.

“I’ve seen Acolytes do that,” he said, “but never this close."

“The magic?” Jaali said, “We’re acolytes of the Coven. Magic is all we do. Haven’t spent much time with acolytes?”

He shook his head. “I’ve seen plenty walk across the quarterdeck now and again but we don’t often talk. You guys are usually pretty aloof.”

“Well, I’m honoured to be your first. I hope it was good for you too,” Jaali said with a cackling laugh.

The officer joined in the laugh and Fenn shook her head.

They’re children. I nearly died with children.

“I’m Jaali, by the way. And I know humans suck at Alloci names. Jay-ah-lee. Jaali’Waamas lin Ascensa.”

“Pleased to meet,” the officer said. “And my lady,” he continued, “I don’t think I got your name earlier”

I never told you.

“I’m Fenn,” she replied warmly.

“Just Fenn?” He asked with confusion. “Don’t Alloci usually have three names?”

“Just Fenn.”

“Alright, Just-Fenn,” he said. “I’m Naresh. Or Lieutenant Lorne if you prefer. Glad to be of service.”

Sure. Home with plenty of time. Enough Jaali and enough navy boy. Time to find Imtha and Ayana.