The enormous wooden stairs felt very unsafe, only a thin decorative metal rail stood between Taylum and I falling into the thickening crowd below. Taylum and I hiked higher and higher up the winding stairs until finally Taylum stopped to catch his breath, staring at the sea of crowds below.

“Beautiful ain’t it?” He said with a wide smile.

“This is very high up. I don’t mean to complain but isn’t there an easier way up or down?” I asked, somehow anticipating the answer.

“Ofcourse there is.” He laughed.

“There’s elevators! Filled with loyalist, people ready to report anyone who remotely looks suspicious, assuming we haven’t already been reported. Especially after your circus act downstairs.” His smile quickly formed into a frown.

“It’s really not what it looked like.” I sighed.

“I have a feeling that’s the theme with you.” He said, his eyes fixated on the fox shuffling in the basket.

“Well...save your breath. These stairs go at least a minute higher.” He continued.

“So how’d you find Drocks brothers?” I asked, inching forward slowly.

“There’s a sign above the bar! It was pretty much an announcement to his location.” Laughed and huffed Taylum, struggling to climb higher.

“What’d it say?” I asked.

“Something along the lines of:

Got something to say? We’ll be waiting at the top floor.

- Management."

“Sounds a little scary.” I said nervously.

“To who? C’mon Lian! We know Drock...well at least I know Drock and he’s a good guy… I think.” Said Taylum, his voice hiding behind the pillar between the winding steps.

“What!? What do you mean I think? Do you not know him?” I said shaking my head is disbelief.

“No. no. no. no. I do! Just not personally.” His voice drifted further ahead.

“And you left the baby up there!” I shouted, my right hand gripping tightly onto the basket.

“...yes.” Said Taylum at a distance.

Everything was a twist and a turn. If it wasn’t some crazy police officer, or the enigma Evan or Eva threatening me, then it was Taylum pioneering life with nothing but impulse and good will. Personally, I don’t know if Taylum’s good will is enough to keep us from being arrested. Guess I’ll just I’ll have to keep climbing up these stairs to find out.

“We’re here!” Shouted a voice far above my head.

After climbing a couple of more steps I found myself on a relatively quieter floor. The very top. The floor echoed with the distant sounds of the bustling crowd below. I could only hear the slight murmur of a few people around me.

The floor had a few high end chairs and leather couches, even less tables and stands, and even fewer patrons. Most of the floors in the Croak N Crunch appeared to hold some sort of dining room or specialized bar but this floor felt different. Instead, the two halls directly in front of me and to my right contained a few fire-lit doors that made me feel as if I was in a school after hours. Most of the doors were largely the same; wooden doors with beautiful etchings of what appears to be initials on them. However, there is one door sitting at the end of the hall that stretched all the way towards the end. Not only was it well-lit, but it was a larger metal door with a bodyguard standing next to it. I couldn’t tell from where I was standing but the bodyguard appeared to have a long tail whipping to his left, like some sort of human lizard. He wore some sort of overalls and carried a large pipe -or vase- against his mouth. And is that hair on his head? Or a crazy hat?

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

It was a little difficult to see as this floor was much more dim than the previous ones but there was hardly anyone up here; perhaps twenty people at most. The mood up here felt different the moment I stepped into it. The few people who were up here seemed uptight and more there for business as they usually sat with one another person directly across from them with only a dimly lit candle crackling between them. Most people appeared well dressed for the occasion with expensive looking waistcoats and suspenders. Actually, it was a relief to see most people here appeared normal, outside of maybe a strange curving mustache or two.

“Psst. Lian. This way.” Whispered a shaky voice.

“What!?” I said startled, turning to my left.

“Shhh…” Whispered Taylum, his eyes widening, checking for any disturbance.

“Can’t you say hello like normal people?” I couldn’t help but comment.

“Why do you act like an electrocuted frog when your scared. That’s not normal.” He said, huffing his whisper.

“Ok. Lian. Where is the baby?” I asked, composing myself.

“Through that door. All the way down the hall. There is a person guarding the door who let me in when I said I knew Drocks brother.” He explained.

“And?” I asked anxiously.

“And the baby is in there. Safe.” He said confidently.

“How do you know that?” I asked suspiciously.

“ I was in there.” He said proudly.

“And what was in there.” I asked in anticipation.

“It was Drocks brother’s office. It was being tended by his secretary while he was away. She let me in as soon as she saw the baby. I told her it was in deep sleep. She asked if she could hold him and I said yeah.” He replied, nodding his head as if he had conjured a genius plan.

“According to the secretary Drock’s brothers should be back in a couple of minutes.” He continued.

“...OK so what happens when she says the baby has a broken arm. Or what if it wakes up screaming in pain?” I whispered with a heavy sigh.

“OK. I see your point but she seemed nice.” He smiled awkwardly, appearing to have realized his lapse in judgement.

“We should probably get moving toward that door.” I said, trudging along in front of him.

“Did you at least give her your name?” I asked Taylum, noticing he began following me.

“Yeah. I’m Oiggis now.” He replied happily.

“Oiggis? Is that name common New Dwarden?” I asked hesitantly.

“No. I got really nervous. It was like a sound that come from my voice. I was trying to say I’m great. You’d understand when you see her. She is very beautiful.” He said quietly, shifting his voice under a veil of embarrassment.

“...Oiggis..” I sighed.

“What’s my name?” I asked, fearing for the results.

“Scorples.” He said quickly.

“...I-I.” I tried speaking.

“It’s a meat snack here in New Dwarden. She got me nervous OK.” He said lowering his voice.

Taylum followed out from behind me as we began to approach the towering bodyguard down the hall. Oddly enough, there was a large cloud of fog just above his head. As we grew closer, I could even begin to smell the fog. The smell of morning dew and rain grew stronger and stronger until finally I was standing right before him. The bodyguard was an enormously tall person, I felt anxiety just trying to look up and speak. He wore long brown suspenders with a striped blue shirt and pristine brown pants. In his right hand was a large pipe he smoked out of, about the size of two baseballs. The pipe appeared far larger down the hall but I guess fog can do that sometimes; only this fog appeared to be coming out generously from his pipe. Above his head just below the fog was a sleeping animal of some kind, like a bigger racoon with more stripes. I couldn’t really get a better picture of it as it hardly ever moved from its curled positioning.

“Lian?” Called Taylum, pulling my shirt.“What?” I whispered.

“This guy isn’t the same guy!?” He said in a panic.

“You don’t smell familiar!?” Said the bodyguard with a deep inhale.