The bag rustles one final time and I tie the sealing knot, "Ok, that's that sorted."

Walking out to the front of the shop, the bag sliding behind me, I dump it on top of the pile and take a step back. There's a little more here than I thought there would be, I'm not sure if I should be impressed or concerned by how much is going. The greedy part of me can't help but think of how much money I am throwing away. However, Reason is up there with a heavy anvil ready to drop on its head.

Some of the best times for me in terms of how much I've sold is during festivals where the community as a whole encourages heavily discounted goods. If I can still make plenty of money during those times then I am not losing much if anything sending this off to an orphanage or a food station for the less fortunate. Besides, giving my greed its due, this act of kindness will give people all the more reason to come to me! I've done free samples before and this is just that turned up to full heat.

"But, still this is... A lot." I repeat, counting the amount of bags I've managed to assemble. One, two, three, four, five, six... Twelve, thirteen... Fifteen. Fifteen bags of cakes, pastries, biscuits and other baked goods.

I'm pretty sure I have a trailer or trolley out back...?

"Best not to leave it to chance." I mutter, heading to the front door and making sure it's locked before going the opposite way. Passing through the kitchen, I wait for the lock to do its thing and head out into the mucky back. Maybe I could use this week to clean this end up? It's been years since I bought the place and renovated it and some of the old, useless equipment is still out here.

I start to shake my head and push it to the back of my mind, another time, maybe. However, looking around, it does seem a lot neater than it usually is, has Nin been tidying this place up whenever he's been pacing about? He didn't have to, it's my responsibility and... I shake my head again, now smiling.

The smile changes into an 'o' and I grab the handle of what I came out here looking for. Moving my hands to the sides, I turn it upside down and let the rainwater splash out of it onto a part of the ground in need of a wash. Heading back inside, I quickly find a cloth and dry the transport's insides off and then carry it through my home. With a slight jump in my bones, I rush back to lock the backdoor and hurry back to the front.

"Hehehe... Wouldn't want that to be open." I comment, taking the front door key and catching it out of the air. Tucking it away, I move on to loading up the trolley and bring it out into the daylight. One locking of the door follows and I start my walk to one of the city's many map stations so I know which way to go. The ever-bewildering and jaw-dropping magic travel system of the city can then get me the rest of the way.

Putting a tune into my mouth, I gently hum throughout my walk, smiling and waving to those who offer me the same expression and gesture. Some of them even groan and come to a halt, their eyes locked on me and I can't help but giggle. It's one thing to pick up on and hear the praise within my shop but to see it in the streets is something else. It makes me glad that I've been able to find a place in this city I once looked at with nothing but terror.

How I ended up captured in Tobaballe's secret mountain complex is fading from me, the memory is vague and now rather meaningless. It's a little shocking, really, how something that life-changing has just vanished from me. Then again, I can still somewhat clearly recall my life as a child, before my brother gave us that video call from the front in the war. When that Smiling Jhurack killer was still around, I looked into it but could find nothing.

If Nin kept going on the way he did, I was going to head back home...

My humming stops and I slow down next to a flowerbox in the shade, a bad curve to my lips. Crouching down with a slight lean, I gently stroke one of the deep blue petals of a particular flower, its nectar like a stalk of gold. Withholding the urge to pick it for myself, I get back up and happen to spot what I started this walk looking for. And, a little to its left, I see a man calling out the contents of this week's newstablets.

It's an embarrassing memory, talking to a man like this with all the questions I can about a war with the Ddrai'och. He had no clue what I was on about, no one I've talked to has had a clue. I know it's real, though, I have the memories of where I picked up my mechanic skills, my handyman nature, it's all from the airship I lived on. I didn't ask way back then but I suppose it's clear to me what my final childhood memories mean.

Mum and Dad stayed in the light blue capsules, we kids, however, they kept taking us out, those machines. They looked after us and let us grow up within the confines of that facility. Then, we woke up a final time with everyone else and we were all lost, most of the machines had gone quiet and dead. I was able to refuel a fair few in the charging bays of the airship we had to board but once we set off skyward, we never really saw the ground again.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I suppose the growing dread of our depleting supplies should have made it pretty clear that there are no Ddrai'och nations anymore...

Shaking my head, I get back to the task at hand and approach the tourist aid as much as it is a city-dweller helper as well. My finger finds where I am and it slides about with a slight scraping noise until it finds a temple. It starts to tap the panel with growing rapidity, my doubt towards the gods and goddesses these humans have lurking all the while. I know it's the right thing to do but maybe there's a...

I look down the street as some children come running down it with ramshackle toys in their hands. Laughing and playing without a care until they run into another group with far pricier items. Whatever is going on between the groups, the quality of what they have seems to play a part. One of the seemingly lesser kids strikes a fancy toy to the ground, dealing only superficial damage to it.

Fists.

A fight breaks out and the group that ran into the other runs off, a little girl getting separated in the process. Clicking my tongue and furrowing my brow, the trolley squeaks with the force of my sudden pull and I march up to the gathering crowd of little people. One of them notices me and they scram, leaving only the little girl in front of me. A teary-eyed, scraped-up little mess.

Bending over and fighting past their fearful reaction, I pick her up and juggle her close. Urging her to be quiet with a soft voice alone doesn't do much, so, I turn to my trolley. Bringing her in close, I open one of the bags and her mood seems to pick up into one of surprise. Reaching in, I pick something out for her and she is slow to take it at first, but, she comes around and takes a bite.

I smile back at her, her cheeks puffy with sugar-dusted puff pastry.

"Do you live nearby? You're a little young to be out here on your own, Sweetie." I say and she slowly nods, pointing off somewhere down the street.

"Yah... Thata way." she goes quietly, digging into the baked sweet some more while enjoying the softness of my hair. Closing the bag and picking the trolley handle up, I get going, this little thing serving as my compass. Crumbs roll down my front and catch the breeze once they fall off. Making another turn, we eventually come across a bunch of kids scrambling out of the many alleys and corners.

Looking to the little girl, she starts to jostle and turn, her hand waving.

"Vodila!" a boy calls out as he rushes over to us and I put the little girl down. The pair meet and hug as if nothing happened and I cross my arms while Vodila seems to lose herself in the return of what must be her friends and family.

"Uh, excuse me, you're not going anywhere!" I snap, grabbing the boy by the shoulder and frightening the little girl in the process.

"LET GO OF ME!" the boy screams, whacking away at my wrist with annoying blows. The others but the girl come at me and my lungs fill.

"APOLOGISE TO VODILA FOR ABANDONING HER IN THAT FIGHT!" I roar right back, shutting him and his gang of unimpressive goons up. Throwing him to the ground with an uncaring huff, he hits his bum and rubs it on the way back up. The group look to Vodila as she slowly shifts towards my leg. I rub her little head of brown hair and continue to glare at the other kids.

"S-Sorry... We're sorry we forgot you." they manage to get out, satisfying me enough to make the subject droppable.

"Alright, good, now, we're taking you home so we can get this cleaned up. Your mummy and daddy won't like seeing you like this." I say to Vodila, picking her up and licking my thumb so I can clean some of the blood out of her scrapes. A strange mood takes over the children.

"We're orphans." Vodila barks forcefully and I blink, the mishmash of species becoming all the more relevant. Some of the kids who look human are only half-so, their feet being little hooves on furry legs. Some even have the traits of whatever Vadei's kind are and one of them, hid behind a bin far away, they seem to be reptilian and four-legged.

"Well, guess I know where I'm going, then." I mutter, a new destination in mind. I'm not too familiar with the situation of orphans in this city, but, I am familiar enough with the concept. I don't remember the details, but, back when I was a child, before I ended up in that cold machine. Things started to change, a lot more dirty, wounded people started appearing.

Thunder, they all consistently cried and wept, it came with thunder gnashing in the air.

"Are you lot able to take me to that orphanage, then, please? I have a delivery to make there and in my silliness, I've forgotten the name and way..." I lie, putting on a joyous little act while Vodila's treat catches their attention.

"Why would you be making a delivery down to the under-city!? You live up here in the light!" one boy doubts and I shrug, an innocent smile on my face.

"People don't have to live in the same place to ask for their help." I explain, thinking back to all the times I have gotten help from my friends. It's quite the group I once had, different species and from all over the world!

"Are... Are you coming to give us all sweets?" Vodila asks with a sweet, quiet voice and I nod, bringing out a gasp of joy. My eyes look into her sparkling ones and the kids start to turn rabid with excitement.

"I am." I answer loud enough for everyone to hear and cheers almost deafen me. They fight over who gets to hold a part of me and we start to head off in the direction of this orphanage. Though, with talks of the under-city, I am guessing we may be needing to take a long lift ride down into the city depths. I don't mind that, they will keep me occupied and I clearly have a lot of names to learn.

"Hey! O'Bran, come on!" one of the girls calls out to the little creature hiding away. His muggy, greenish-brown scales barely shimmer like the black-painted bin.

"Don't mind him, Ms, he's a Keda-" a boy starts to say as O'Bran comes closer.

"It's Kelbalid! I've told you this before you stupid winssargu!" O'Bran snaps, his two arms reaching for the hoof-footed boy who gallops away faster than one would expect. His trailing, tatter of a cloak-like top showing off an odd pair of feathered bones on his back. Like a pair of malformed wings.

"So, Vodila, why don't you start introducing me to your friends? I am Liadanann, but, I let my friends and special someone call me Liada." I quietly ask and explain to her and she starts to nod, an open mouth smile coming out. Putting a finger near, I tickle her cheek.