A few days had passed since the Kitsune had been under one roof. As of right now, they were all in their different homes and shops. All except for Nahida. She usually would go for days without returning, so it didn’t worry Varun too much.

Isen was quite different. He kept tapping his fingers on the tabletop in a rhythmic hmm. Varun finished serving a young-looking, confident woman sitting alone and walked over to Isen. “You’re scaring off the other customers. What do you want?”

Isen just seemed to tap the wooden on the table hard, which annoyed Varun considerably. He pointed his index at Isen’s forehead and pushed him. Isen stumbled back, barely avoiding falling down and looking like an idiot.

“What was that for?” She asked, rubbing his forehead.

“You’re sitting here with an agitated look on your face. Clearly, you want my attention, so here it is. You’re worried about Nahida.”

“I know I shouldn’t be. But I have a feeling that Nahida is not okay.”

“She disappears for weeks on end. It’s not that much of a big deal if she’s gone for half a day.” He said, Though, I am suffering without lemons, he thought.

“I know,” Isen said, “I just have a bad feeling, that’s all.” He mumbled. Varun ruffled his hair. “Nahida would laugh if she heard you say that you worry about her.” He smiled.

Isen nodded, “Maybe you’re right.” He smiled. “Thanks for the support.” He said, leaving the chaotic bar and ascending towards his bedroom.

Varun looked back to where the woman had been sitting a few moments ago before she was gone. As he looked in front, she was sitting right where Isen was, just a few seconds ago.

He flinched slightly. “What do you want?” He asked about the kindness he showed to Isen now, leaving with every word he said, becoming more hostile.

She flicked her deep blue hair behind her back and crossed her arms. “I know where your little friend is.” She smiled.

“And where would that be?”

“Jail.” She said, “I was picking food in the stall next to her when a fight between her and an old man broke out.” She said with a shrug.

Varun sighed. That definitely sounded like Nahida, jumping into things that weren’t her concern.

Varun pointed to the antique wall clock. “In thirty minutes, this bar will close. Meet me outside when it does.”

“Sure.” she said, holding up her glass, “But for now I’d like another drink.”

>>>>>

Varun was calculated. He had to be. Every time he wasn’t, someone suffered as a result. This woman was an anomaly, someone he didn’t know, thus, someone who couldn’t be trusted.

Fifteen minutes until closing, the woman with piercing blue eyes and straight hair left. He swallowed the bile rising up his throat. Something was going to happen, something bad.

If she was telling the truth, and Nahida was in prison, then Varun would somehow need to find her, make sure she was alive, and get her back safely. All in the matter of one night. He couldn’t risk Isen getting dragged into this.

That idiot Nahida. She really can’t stay out of trouble.

The next ten minutes were a daze of serving customers and making unwanted small talk. It was only when everyone had left and everything was quiet when he decided to leave.

He told Kaiser, who was in his usual place in the basement, that he was going out. Varun took his coat, buttoned it fully, and left.

Varun noticed a familiar figure smoking beside his bar and approached her.

“I would prefer if you didn’t smoke right beside my bar, you know, in case it catches fire,” Varun said.

She smiled, “Sorry,” He extinguished the cigarette in an ashtray and tossed it. “I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I’m Aria. And you?”

“Varun.” He said, “So, where is she?”

Aria shook her head. “So quick to business, aren’t you? All I said was that I saw her get arrested. I said nothing of the fact that I knew where she was.”

“So we’re playing detectives?”

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“You could say that,”

Varun grimaced, “Great, where to then?”

He followed Aria as she led him through winding streets and canals, all the way from the slums to upstate Shareen. Where the street lights were no longer just flickering red lights, but intricately designed lanterns hanging parallel to each other on each side of the road.

“Why are you helping me? I mean, we don’t even know each other,” Varun asked.

“You shouldn’t ask a woman too many questions,” she said with a sly smile. But the question still lingered in his mind. No one does something for nothing. There’s always a catch. I need to figure her out.

They eventually stopped at an empty market. “Well, this is the place. It’s practically empty right now.” She said.

Varun glanced around, “Look at those guards over there,” he said, pointing to a pair of guards who were clearly supposed to be on duty, but were instead slacking off and smoking.

Aria nodded. “Let’s go ask them. Remember, we need information. There is probably only one jail she’s in, but we need to confirm that and something else.”

They both walked up to the guards, who were so busy talking that they hadn’t noticed Varun and Aria standing over them.

“Tsk,” she said under her breath, “So this is the future of Caprian soldiers.”

Varun was ninety percent sure that he wasn’t meant to hear that and ignored it. His suspicion of this strange woman was rising by the minute, but he decided to ignore his gut, at least until he found Nahida.

Aria tapped one of them on the shoulder, but by the look of it, it was more like a jab. “Hello gentlemen,” she said in a voice that seemed to be commanding, “In the morning, did you see a woman get arrested here?” Aria seemed to have a way with words because they immediately nodded.

“Of course Madam!” One of them said, “I was there. I even helped take her into custody.”

“Which prison?”

They looked at each other, “As of right now, she’s being held in the local police station, but if they find her crimes to be big, and she can’t get bail money, then they’ll throw her on one of those ship jails.”

Varun and Aria exchanged a look.

What crimes exactly?! Varun demanded. He felt anger rising inside of him. Just because Nahida had defended herself against a Caprian, she was going to jail?!

Varun took a deep breath. It was fine. They’re all just ignorant, anyway. “Thank you. We’ll be on our way now,” he said through clenched teeth.

The soldiers saluted.

After a fair bit of distance later, Aria broke the silence. “What now?” She asked casually.

“We go to the police station. They won’t be as helpful as the soldiers you intimidated just now, so we will have to sneak around until we find out whether Nahida is there.”

“Well, lead the way,” Aria said, gesturing towards the streets.

On the way, they passed several Caprians eyeing both of them like exotic birds. One young woman looked so startled to see someone without blond hair that she dropped the pink, puffy umbrella she was holding, bent down quickly to pick it up, and hurried to the other side of the canal via a small bridge.

“You got to love bigoted Caprians who can’t seem to comprehend that they are, in fact, not the only country in the world,” Aria scoffed.

“Don’t forget the fact that she doesn’t seem to realize that, despite the fact she’s living in a place that Capria’s lovely Hunters annexed,” Varun added.

Aria glanced at him and put her arms behind her head. “You seem to really hate the Hunters.”

“I think anyone who isn’t mad does.”

Aria laughed, “That’s the truth, though, even among the insane people, I’ve never met one that likes Lucan.”

Varun’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he felt his hands shake. “Yeah,” he said through strained breath, “The Warden is a real psychopath.”

Aria must have noticed the change in Varun’s voice as she quickly let go of the topic. “Well,” she said, “We’re here.”

Varun shook his head. He saw a small, dank police station squeezed in between two buildings. A yellowish light coming from the station. As they approached, Varun realized that there were more police than usual. Around fifteen to twenty more.

“Why are there so many police officers?” Aria asked.

“The recent attacks by The Hunting Dog,” Varun speculated, “There were supposedly over a dozen casualties. Most of them died because of being trampled.” One man in particular was even said to be killed by the Dog himself.”

Aria nodded. “Seem’s like you know a lot about this then.”

“I just read it in the newspaper,” Varun confirmed. “Anyway, sneaking past will be a lot harder now that so many extras are there. Any plans?”

“Over there,” Aria said, pointing at two officers who were leaving for a smoke break. “We can steal their uniforms.”

“Great idea, and I’m sure that no one else will realize that both their races changed and one’s gender also changed,” Varun said sarcastically.

“Do you have any other idea?” She asked.

Varun remained quiet.

“Didn’t think so. Now let’s go.”

Varun reluctantly followed. They used a back alley, so none of the officers saw them. Then they successfully knocked both guards out and put on their uniforms.

“That type of fighting, I’ve seen it before,” Aria said with their backs turned towards each other.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Varun said, sliding on his trousers. “I learned to fight on the streets where I grew up.”

They both finished changing and started walking towards the station.

“Your Sai right?”

“Yes,” Varun responded.

“Then why is your name ‘Varun’ isn’t that an Amberian name?”

“You sure ask a lot of questions,” Varun said with a forced smile.

“Sorry, a habit,” Aria apologized, “We’re here now, let’s just go in, look around, and come back.”

As they both walked past the entrance, Varun spotted a sort of police ‘guard’ checking everyone’s ID.

Well, everyone’s except for Varun and Aria, who were arguably the most suspicious. All she did was look them both up and down, give a disapproving frown, and let them in. Questions bubbled in Varun’s mind, but he kept it all to himself.

He promised himself that after they got Nahida back, he would immediately look into who Aria really was.

“Cells are usually located in the back, with the police occupied with all the casualties. We’ll be able to get in and out quicker than usual,” Aria explained.

“Good, let’s just get in and out. If we find Nahida, you create a ruckus while I break her out.”

Aria nodded.

They reached the cell division, and the officer at the door looked even more unfriendly than the previous.

But still, he let them in.

“Tsk!” Varun cursed. “No one here, not a single soul!”

Aria gave an annoyed nod. “It seems like they took out all the prisoners and already transported them off to the ship prisons.”

“Let’s just go back to the bar.”

Varun's patience was wearing thin. “Good to know that this entire trip was a waste of time.”

Aria didn’t respond.

They both quickly and quietly made their way out, switched their clothes, and hurried back to the bar.