“Are… Are they really just that malicious? Why is it like that no matter where you are? People with even a little bit of authority over their fellow man being fucking piece-of-shit, corrupt cowards. Even back home…”
Sigvor crosses her arms and shakes her head.
“The guards have just always been like that. What do you think their jobs are? It’s definitely not to protect. Especially if you’re demihuman, no, they’ll outright terrorize demihumans. Their job description seems to be to mainly ‘keep the peace’ for the rich and powerful. Then, people living on the top floor of the tallest buildings can look down at this quiet, non-rioting city and claim that it’s peaceful, when it’s really just been silenced.”
Shaula looks over at Sigvor with a raised eyebrow. Sigvor has a lot of his own grievances with the city guards, it seems. The human woman smiles faintly.
“I knew there was a reason I liked you, Sigvor. We really… think a lot alike, you know?”
“...I guess that’s true. It’s really surprising though that a human would be so in line with my own thoughts. Has a modest human girl like you had a lot of bad run-ins with the guards?” Sigvor smirks. Shaula sighs ruefully.
“No, not a lot. Just a couple really terrible incidents that opened my eyes wide…” It was really two crucial interactions with the cops that made her look into the state of the police force back in New Amsterdam.
There was the incident where her parents were killed by that drunk off-duty cop, who somehow got off scot-free without even receiving a breathalyzer. She had discovered the incident while searching for information about her parents’ death a few years ago. Then, there was the time the tent city she had lived in was bulldozed by the city with the cops guarding the whole process.
They just started throwing everything away. The people there weren’t hurting anyone, it wasn’t like the place was filled with heroin needles… and even if it was, it’s not like the city government was going to offer those people treatment or safer places to live anyways. No, they were just telling them to be homeless somewhere else, any place where nobody well-off has to look at their unsightly lives.
Shaula takes a deep breath, suppressing her rage. She cannot dwell on such thoughts, not now and not here in this place. She has to figure things out for Revy and her brother, for the people she can help right now.
Meanwhile, Sigvor is having different thoughts right now. In the back of his mind, he is still processing the nature of Ajax and Shaula’s brand of strength. Considering their healing abilities and Shaula’s own mastery of light and heat that Sigvor had seen just now, both Ajax and Shaula were powerful beings.
Though, he doubts that he has seen even a fraction of their true strength. But, their martial and magical prowess pales in importance to their healing factor. That power that the two of them have really intrigues him.
Especially considering…
Sigvor clears her throat. She needs more information and she needs to be on Shaula and Ajax’s good side right now.
“Shaula, your bail plan isn’t… a bad one. There is however a flaw.”
“Flaw?”
“Well, more like a couple flaws. Actually three flaws. First off, you’re not the actual mother of those two. I’m sure you know by now that the orphans will have told the guards that they were orphans. There is a high possibility that you will be believed to be their parent or guardian at least, but… then comes the second problem.”
“What’s that?”
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“You don’t have any id, do you…”
“Right, that. Hm. You’re right, I don’t.”
“Of course, the guards might be willing to overlook that, it’s possible, sure. After all, your children don’t have id either and you don’t necessarily need id to live reasonable lives in this city. But, then there’s the most crucial problem.”
“What could be worse than not being their mother and not having an id?”
“You’re human, Shaula. Human. I don’t know if you know about this or if you’ve learned about this where you’re from, but… a human woman who has given birth to demihuman children via demihuman fathers is the most disgusting kind of whore that a human supremacist can imagine.”
Shaula backs away in slight shock at how bluntly Sigvor put it.
“W-What? But, even Jelli–”
“Yes, even Jelli has a human mother and their family has faced a lot of discrimination as a result of that. She never likes to talk about what her mother went through or how they literally couldn’t go out together as a family without being harassed or spit on.”
Sigvor clenches her jaw, before regaining her composure. Now wasn’t the time to mull over Jelli’s problems.
“Let’s not go into that, you can ask Jelli about that later. No, what’s most important is that if you want to have the highest possibility of actually getting those kids out of jail, then they cannot have you as their caregiver in any way. Even if you were their aunt or half-sister, adoptive mother, or something, if you, a human woman, try to bail those kids out, the guards will make things difficult.”
Shaula considers Sigvor’s words. What might happen in the worst case? Was it that the kids would be kept in jail? No. What if the guards decided to apply maximum punishment to those kids because of the mere fact that they had pure human female members in their extended family? They could certainly go down that route, they had all the power to do so.
“Fuck, so I can’t go in there at all? Then what, Sigvor, can I actually do? Right now, you’re not leaving me a lot of options that don’t include exercising the powers I’ve been given…”
Shaula looks at Sigvor with a predatory gleam. It wasn’t directed at him specifically but it did display her intentions clear as day. Sigvor could see that her group of friends had inadvertently accepted a wild beast among their ranks. She smirks slightly.
“No, there is a solution, Shaula. Rather than you pretending to be the kid’s mother or aunt or whatever, let me do it.”
“...You? You would do that for me? You… want to get involved in my problem?”
“Yes.”
“What, just out of the goodness of your own heart?” Shaula narrows her eyes. She can hear Sigvor’s heart rate rising. Yet, her face is solemn, composed.
“Hmph. Yes, Shaula. Believe it or not, I am not the kind of person who would let two children rot in jail when I have the means to get them out. You have the means, the bail money. Why hesitate now then?”
Shaula didn’t so easily believe that it was just about the kids to Sigvor. The beastkin had some sort of ulterior motive yet she couldn’t fathom what exactly that might be. Other than the obvious. Shaula simply sighs.
“If you need money, I can offer you some pay for your help. As long as you don’t steal the bail money for yourself, I can–”
“I don’t need money right now. If you want, just give me a silver coin for my troubles. I can tell that you’re flushed with coins and it’d be convenient to not worry about food this week.” Sigvor smiles impishly.
Shaula still doesn’t fully accept that there are no ulterior motives behind Sigvor’s offer. She cannot guess what Sigvor’s machinations could entail for her, Ajax or the kids either. She’s a wildcard for tonight.
There is the possibility that it’s just a favor to a friend, but Sigvor and Dzan had already done Ajax a huge favor today. Why would she be so keen to act after all she had already done?
Does she just not want me to destroy the precinct and cause a ruckus? No violence tonight for her neighborhood wouldn’t be a bad reason to help… Whatever, for better or for worse, I still do trust that she doesn’t have bad intentions towards either me or Ajax. Ajax accepted Sigvor as his friend.
“Hm. Alright… I’ll accept your help graciously, sorry for being somewhat skeptical about it. It’s… been a long day.”
“No, I understand perfectly. After seeing Ajax… You seem like you need some help tonight. Even someone as almighty as you can’t just handle everything on your own, right?” Sigvor chuckles slightly.
Shaula ties up the bag containing Ajax and walks back to the bar with Sigvor alongside. Compared to how it was when Shaula brought Sigvor outside, the young demihuman was walking with a much lighter step.
The night will be long too, huh…