I wiped the grime from my face and tunic, standing up from the sand where I had just landed. Kate stood over me, her blunt bastard sword hanging at a relaxed angle. She was smirking, but upon a quick inspection, I could see the perspiration upon her brow, and the slightly labored breath.

“I almost had you that time,” I said.

“Keep telling yourself that,” she responded, walking over and slinging an arm over my shoulders. “But you are getting better.”

We had been training like normal, first running the gauntlet, and then sparring. Kate with her sword, and I with my battle-ribbon. Truthfully, I was not certain why I had chosen the ribbon anymore. It seemed that the additional trouble of learning to wield the battle-ribbon far exceeded the benefits of using it.

Though, it should be noted, that as I was improving with laying snaring arcs, that I was looking good. At least, judging by the few onlookers who watched me practice, and judging by the slight flush that Kate sometimes had in her cheeks while I practiced.

“You’re sure that’s it for you today?” she asked. “You’re finishing up a bit earlier than normal.”

To answer Kate’s questions, I nodded and glanced around. Now that we had stopped our spar, the passersby in the Mercenary Quarter had begun to move on, and a certain irate Instructor Blackrest was eyeing Kate and I with suspicion.

“Oi!” he called out. “Get back to it or clear off!”

Kate and I shared a smirk. Over the past few weeks, the Instructor’s threats had begun to lose their direness. “In a bit, Instructor!” I answered back. “I promise I will.,”

He muttered, but turned his attention back to the other trainees under his supervision.

“But why?” Kate wanted to know. “We were having so much fun! Can’t you practice just a little bit more?” Kate made her best impression of a puppy dog’s needful eyes, but it only ended up comical.

I snorted a laugh. “Kate, you’re far to dominating to ever make that pitiful expression work.”

She dropped the false eyes and chuckled along. “Yeah, but so what has you leaving early? Work?”

“Somewhat,” I answered. “Cook finally gave me directions to the market she uses to stock her special pantry, and she expects me to return with a few items.”

“...can’t you just get all that stuff closer to Ma’Ritz?” Kate asked. “Or send for a porter?”

I shrugged, apparently not. It has to meet her expectations.

“Huh. And where is this place?”

“A ways… other side of the Divide.”

Kate breathed in through her teeth. “That place is sorta sketchy.”

I agreed with the sentiment. It was basically the slums and industrial quarter of Southbridge. I knew that much, and I had only passed through the neighborhood once. It had left that poor of an impression. And besides, it was likely also where the gangs, or the Pit Crews, as this city called them, recruited out of. As it was, I did feel there was a hefty amount of risk travelling there. Mitigated risk, of course. I had not been training for so long for no reason, and I did bear several high quality Marks, and I did have an incredibly murderously capable false-arm. But still, one could never be too careful.

“An escort would be appreciated,” I said, dangling the opportunity to spend more time with me before the girl.

“You’re aksing me to go with you?” kate asked, arching an eyebrow and giving a lopsided smile.

I nodded. “Only if you want–” I started, but she cut me off.

“It’s a date!”

Kate and I walked side by side down the boulevards stretching through the good part of town. The roads were wide, the buildings crowded with shopfronts and glass window displays, and decorative trees stood every so often. It might not have technically been a garden district, as that would have been Blossom Hill, but it was still an uplifted area. It was the middle class stretch, where those with enough capital to escape the slums lived.

Still though, even here, I could see signs of unrest among the populace. The typical tellings of crime, though nothing terribly overt.

Under the eaves in one side street, there was a lookout of somesort, watching the people come and go. Fortunately I noticed him first, allowing me to turn my head the other way and escape notice. Of course, it was likely unnecessary, but I refused to gamble needlessly on if the lookout was an informant for any of my potential enemies.

There were other signs as well. Several residents scurried about their business, harried expressions straining their faces with stress. Either they were late for their appointments, overworked, or were on the verge of dire news. One or two people of this nature could have been the first, but after the first handful, I began to realize that the culture surrounding the city’s middleclass was hardly set in stone.

And of course, as I walked side by side Kate, as we made our way towards the Divide, the highway that split Southbridge in two, she forcefully slipped my arm around the crook of her elbow, and she took the opportunity to converse without the forceful Instructor Blackrest breathing down our necks.

During the conversation, Kate continued pressing forward nearly bowling over anyone that was too slow to clear off the sidewalk, but at the same time, she maintained enough wherewithal to continue peppering me with questions. One of these in particular was insightful, and offered me a chance to learn more of someone I had just met recently.

“Did you figure out how you’ll pay tuition yet?” Kate asked. “I asked my mom if she’d help ya, but she said not a chance, not unless you’re set on joining under her order. I asked my aunt the same, but she said just about the same. And despite our practice, I just don’t see you as that type?”

She cocked a questioning eyebrow towards me. I swallowed.

“I had not realized you were asking them on my behalf,” I said.

“Course I did!” she gave me what she probably thought was a winsome smile. “But I didn’t wanna mention it beforehand. I was gonna surprise you with the good news.”

“...but, they said no, right?”

“Well… yeah, but I did ask, and if you’re willing to sign your life away for a life of taking orders and serving in arms, then you got your angle.”

After a pause, and a momentary lapse of control where I almost showed my revulsion, I managed to answer somewhat neutrally, “I’ll have to think about it.”

“Well, it’s just an option. You’ve got to pay for it somehow, right?”

This had actually come up several times before. The answer was much the same. “Esmerelda confirmed that she’ll have enough for both myself and Marianne.”

Kate groaned in exasperation. “That’s nice of her… but are you sure you can trust her? Like, are you really, really sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I know you like her, you’ve only said nice things about her, and she introduced you and I, so that’s worth a whole lot in my books… but…”

“But?” I asked, having a feeling where she was going and already tamping down my indignation and irritation.

“She’s a whore,” Kate finally said, far too plainly.

“So?” I asked.

“What do you mean, ‘so?’” Kate scoffed. “The woman makes her living by shoving–”

I pushed a hand against Kate’s mouth before she put anymore unwelcome images in my head. “That’s none of our business. But… if you’re concerned about my tuition…”

“I don’t have any Cee. All mine is going into my Marks. Gonna get superior grade for sure.”

I rolled my eyes. It was always about Kate and her Marks. Which, I supposed did make sense, and in some senses was admirable. Still bothersome to hear about thought.

“That is not what I was going to ask,” I said.

“Oh?”

“I just so happened to receive another offer recently.”

“From?” Kate asked cautiously.

“She never gave me her name–”

“-sounds sketchy-”

“-but she was bossing around a woman named Lady Trigg.”

Kate hissed.

“Do you know her by chance?” I asked, knowing full well that Kate did.

“The only woman that can boss Trigg around is Princess Marissa. When…” Kate swallowed, and looked like she had swallowed a shard of glass, “When did you come across such an esteemed public figure?”

“At the brothel’s tavern.”

A deep laugh escaped and squeezed itself up Kate’s throat. “No joke?”

“I don’t know for sure if that was a princess, but she was sitting with a purple cloak concealing her face and Lady Trigg in a corner table.”

“Huh. Wonder what she was doing there. Wait a minute… you said she made an offer?”

“Full ride scholarship and tuition.”

“But… why?”

I shrugged, “I must have caught her eye. She never gave me a reason.”

“Were there strings? There had to have been, right?”

I shrugged, “Probably.”

In truth, just thinking back to the intensity with which Princess Marrissa gazed upon me left my skin goosepimpling, as though a cold specter were breathing down the back of my neck, whispering within my ears. In some ways, I enjoyed the attention. But in most ways, I loathed the connotations of ownership… especially after such recent events in the Waste. Events that involved that very same woman.

“But you aren’t going to take any deals from her… right?” Kate asked, sounding concerned.

“I don’t intend on it,” I answered. But before Kate finished sighing in relief, I added, “But I’m not sure I’ll really get a choice. She’s royalty…” Leaving the power disparity and tyranny unspoken.

“You should,” Kate said, but she sounded unsure. “Suppose you aren’t hiding any powerful friends or benefactors?” she asked, mostly hopefully.

I snorted.

“Yeah… I didn’t think so. Well, at least you have some connections.” She was likely referring to herself. “It’s not like she’ll just disappear you. If she would, then she wouldn’t have offered a deal. Just make sure not to sign anything. Or maybe figure out why she wants you, and get rid of whatever that is…” she said thoughtfully.

“I’m not sure that would work,” I said thoughtfully.

Kate eyed me from the side, a blush tinting her pale almost-blue skin. “Yeah… probably not.”

“I’m not even sure why she’s so interested in me!” I said grumpily. “There are tons of women in this city!”

“But how many look like you?” Kate asked.

I scoffed, but she spoke before I could.

“No, I’m serious,” Kate said. “I’ve never seen purple hair on anyone, and you have it naturally… unless you’re religious about dying your hair. And then there’s your pale skin, which isn’t that common in general. And finally, your… athletic tendencies? Yeah, I think I could see the appeal.”

I hid my face in my shoulder, facing away from Kate.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Besides, who knows!” Kate said. “Maybe she wants to recruit you for her little side project.”

“Side project?” I asked.

Kate snorted. “You’ve seen them. Her investment into Southbridge, the teenaged champions, or the so-called heroes,” she said derisively. “Like that godslicking cunt Velvetcall,” Kate growled the name. Obviously there was some bad history there, though I was afraid to ask.

As we were walking, we came across the Divide, which was a sunken highway running through Southbridge. There were only several bridges spanning it, making them the obvious chokepoints to either enter or exit the slums.

“Anyways, we can talk about all this later,” Kate said. “Best to keep a somewhat sharp eye out. You know where we’re headed?”

“I think so?” I said, suddenly unsure of the quality of the directions Cook provided, especially with the looming shoddily constructed tenement houses rising up on the opposite side of the road.

We crossed the bridge, a wooden overpass spanning the highway, and entered the cramped streets of the cheap tenement housing, where many of the less fortunate laborers homed.

This half of the city could be divided into three major sectors. To the south, nearest the chasm, was the mining operations, where most of the ‘Pits’ earned their names. In the middle, where we currently were, was the slums proper, where the cheapest of the housing was, along with the minimal services and utilities required to house the people. To the north, and wrapping around the outside all the way to the mining section, would be the industrial area, where factorums and warehouses were available.

Of all the sections, the northern section was the best policed. Likely as that would be where the most taxable income was generated.

Kate’s nose twisted in distaste as we passed a colorful and chunky stain along a wall.

“If only this place smelled better,” she muttered.

She had a point. The scent of stale urine and worse filled the air. While the city did have a sewage system, people were people.

“You sure the shop is this way?” Kate asked once again. We had stepped onto a narrow pathway stretching between two buildings that leaned into each other. The alleyway, more a cavern than anything else, was dark and unlit. “Because I can’t imagine anything edible coming from there.”

“It’s not in there,” I answered, also glancing into the shadows surrounding us. The pathway was wide enough for Kate and I to walk abreast, but only if we rubbed elbows with each other and the walls.

“Then why–” Kate started to ask again, before I followed up.

“Through here. I only have the list of turns to take. If we deviated, I’m uncertain we would ever find the place.”

Kate scoffed, “fair.” Her grip tightened on the hilt of her bastard sword and she partially unsheathed the blade by an inch.

“Expecting trouble?” I asked in an amused tone. I also had my grip on my battle-ribbon. Though, were I to use it in these tight confines, I would likely be depending on the wooden grip like a blackjack, and not the ribbon itself.

“Get ready,” Kate said as we approached the end of the alley.

It would be a perfect spot for an ambush. She paused right before the exit, and I paused just behind where she stood. It would not do to spring the trap first. She glanced at me from the corner of her eye and gave a quick nod, before jumping through the invisible dividing line between the alley and the street beyond. I readied my own weapon and prepared to follow, after I identified what threat waited beyond, that is.

However, a second passed, with Kate spinning in place, without any further steel being drawn, without any shouts or threats or scuffles. Kate let out a long exhale and grinned back towards me. “Better safe than sorry,” she said ruefully.

I snorted and followed her out, leading the way per the instructions I had received.

As we walked, Kate began giving an impromptu lecture on the various qualities of Marks. Were I in my previous world, I would have said she was ‘nerding out.’ Here, I could say that she was obsessed with empowerment.

“-and that’s why I took a caravan up to Bath. Or tried to,” she finally finished, explaining her pursuit of a superior mark to compliment the Sweord Mark she already owned.

“A shame that didn’t work out,” I said, only half paying attention as I watched our surroundings.

“Yeah. But it’s not too bad. A sacred artist will be stopping by the Academy at the start of term. If you bring your own living gem, you can get a specific attuned superior mark too. One of the reasons why the Academy is worthwhile. Otherwise it would just be a waste of time,” she grumbled.

“I can see you have your priorities straight,” I said, mostly under my breath, but Kate heard me and grinned.

“Crown knows it,” she joked.

We continued chatting as we followed the circuitous route that Cook had given. I could have sworn we had passed some of these turns more than once, though everything seemed to share the same rundown look and it was hard to tell. More concerning, however, was the prickling sensation I felt upon the back of my neck, as though we were being watched.

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Which made sense, considering my boisterous friend, and considering how out of place we looked compared to the impoverished denizens of this neighborhood.

As we took another turn, heading down another narrow and ill lit stretch, a drab shadow shot towards us, coupled with the pitter patter of small feet running across the hard stone path.

It happened fast. They had been waiting in ambush, whoever this shadow was, hidden beneath a camouflaging cloak. I tensed. My false arm’s tendrils coiled upwards like a spring, ready to act. The shadow was darting towards us, aiming towards me, but Kate stood between the shadow and I. Before I could prepare further, Kate reacted.

For as soon as the shadow began moving, she had responded without pausing, and with a single motion, Kate unsheathed her sword and slashed diagonally upward, intercepting the shadow.

There was a squeal.

Kate, now holding her sword in both hands, scanned the surroundings. A man up the street averted his eyes.

The prickling sensation continued. I assumed there were observers above us in the buildings.

When no further attacks came, Kate used her boot to nudge the filth stained brown and gray clothed figure over onto its back. Whoever it was, they were still groaning. As they rolled over, I saw a few things all at once that left me feeling a mixture of uncomfortable things.

The first, was the blood and the white tube-like things that should never be exposed. Kate’s sword had crossed the stomach, and it had bit deep, severing several of what I assumed was intestines. From the copious amounts of blood and bile, it was likely safe to assume the person was not long for this world.

The second, and most concerning, was the face grimacing in pain, with tears leaking from eyes. The person was a child, no older than eight or nine, young enough that I was unable to determine gender.

I stood there for several seconds, shock washing through me.

“So young…” I said, mostly mumbling to myself.

“Hm?” Kate asked, glancing back over her shoulder at me. “Say something?”

“Just a kid… and for what, pickpocketing?” I said, still too numb to realize what I was saying, and the potential repercussions thereof. The child’s brown eyes met my own, briefly, before blinking open and shut, as though trying to clear the pain from them.

Kate glowered, and then kicked one of the child’s arms. Something clattered across the stone, something that had been tangled in the folds of fabric near where the child’s hands had been. It was a knife, almost a stiletto.

“Don’t see many pickpockets use one of those,” she said.

Instead of answering, I kept silent, watching the dying child suffer in whimpers. My eyes were drawn away by motion and they found Kate wiping her sword clean with a thumb, a thumb which she promptly slid into her mouth.

She made a face and spat. “Unenhanced. Likely trying to earn enough to afford some low grade back alley elixir. A Marking would have been beyond their means.”

I grimaced, before catching myself and smoothing my expression. What was done was done, and I would only lose by alienating Kate at this point. So instead, I asked, “you can tell just by tasting their blood?”

She nodded as though it were simple. “Of course. Most enhancements affect the body, and blood is a pretty key part of the body, so yeah… though it might take some practice. Wanna try?” she finished asking, wiping the same thumb once again across the droplets of blood that remained on her blade, and then holding the thumb out towards me expectantly.

To my shame, a part of me did in fact want to try. My stomach grumbled. I blushed, but shook my head furiously. “No thanks,” I said.

“Suit yourself,” Kate said, before sheathing her blade and stomping down upon the child’s temple and continuing on with her day as though nothing happened. “You coming?” she called back, seeing that I had yet to move.

My eyes lingered on the child for a second longer, before I hastened my step to catch up. Attempting to distract myself from the macabre scene just behind me, and from the memory of the horrible sounds that echoed on and on and on and reverberated within my very soul–

“You don’t even know the way,” I said, quickly catching up and outpacing Kate.

“Then by all means, lead,” Kate said, before winking and adding, “the view’s better from behind anyways.”

I rolled my eyes and squashed the last of the uncomfortable memory, just as Kate had squashed that poor child’s–

“We’re fairly close,” I said. “Do you recognize where we are?”

Kate scoffed and made a show of looking around at the occasional graffiti. “Can’t say I come here often, so no.”

“You come to the slums at all?” I asked.

“Sometimes, on fight night.”

She must have caught my confused expression, as she then added, “I’ll show you sometime. Anyways, eyes sharp. Where there’s one fool, there’s another.”

Following her advice, I did keep my eyes open. The streets had widened slightly enough for a cart to possibly fit, and along doorways and exterior stairways there were several lounging persons. Several watched us, just as we watched them. One small group in particular wore similar marks and coloring. Notably, they were beast-kin of some sort, almost similar to the Kaiva, but with rounder features.

Kate also saw them, and she spat to the side, while murmuring in a low voice. “See their necks?” she asked.

Kate was referring to the leather chokers that they wore. Two of them were loose, clearly unrestrictive. One of them was missing a collar altogether, which other than Cook, I was unused to seeing in Southbridge.

“The collars?”

“Exactly,” Kate said, her voice still hushed. “Those likely belong to criminals.”

That did not completely make sense to me, because I remembered the Red Queen and the bandits had their slaves wear actual collars. So I inquired further. “Wouldn’t the criminals want to control their people? And isn’t that what the collars are supposed to do?”

Kate frowned, “There are more ways to control besides a collar.” She had a jaded tone, as if she knew something about experiencing slavery. Highly doubtful, I thought.

But still, I decided it best to let the subject drop, and instead I asked, “What type of Kaiva are they? I’ve not seen any like that before.”

Unfortunately, as I asked this, we were adjacent to two regular Kaiva with sharp ears loitering at the mouth of another alley.

“One of these ones, the furless says?” a Kaivan male said in the Kiavan tongue with much derision. Kate flinched slightly upon hearing the voice, but failed to discern the meaning of the words. The hostility still translated. Meanwhile, I could understand the Kaivan tongue, though I could hardly admit to knowing it. Afterall, why would a human know a beast-tongue.

“Perhaps these ones should explain the difference?” a female chuckled.

Kate and I both turned to address these, as the other group had taken off upon hearing the Kaivan speak to us. I doubted they had gone far, just far enough to avoid any risk of involvement in a fight.

And a fight was a true possibility. Both of the Kaiva wore a knives and whips on a belt, wore leather wraps along their feet and hands, wore metallic bracers to guard their wrists, and sported a fluid looking style of chest covering and skirts that seemed to be formed more of tassels than anything solid like a breastplate or jacket. Regardless, it was clear they were capable of delivering violence, should they so choose.

This is dangerous, I thought. Because while I had some confidence in my ability to fight, and even more confidence in Kate’s ability, I had little idea how capable the two Kaiva were, or if they had additional forces in reserve. Due to the number of unknowns, and perhaps also my own cowardice and aversion to bloodshed, I hoped to avoid combat.

Unfortunately, Kate was not on the same page. She leaned forward a fraction, centering her weight and readying her posture for either a lunge or a sidestep. Her bastard blade partially left its sheath. Her eyes grew a little too wide, and showed a bit much white, almost enough to be considered manic.

“Speak our language,” Kate demanded, “Or don’t speak at all.”

The hair along their tails rose up, along with what little fur was visible from their necks. Their pupils flickered, they tensed, and their mouths snarled, showing their fangs.

“The child thinks to order these ones?” the female asked, still in Kaivan.

“This one thinks so, but is a fight worthwhile?”

“Perhaps yes,” the female said. “These ones were insulted. Our pride wounded.”

“Our wounds can be licked later,” the male retorted. “Remember our target, sister.”

As they conversed, they took a partial step back. Kate, sensing weakness, took a half-step forward, advancing. “Shutup!” Kate yelled. “Godslicking criminals loosing their godsloving animals on the streets!” She drew her sword and lunged, but as she pressed forward, both Kavia sprung back in the air, twisted, landed on all fours facing the other direction, and sprinted down the street.

Kate took one last step before halting, letting loose an angry breath and scowling at their receding shapes. She continued breathing for a moment, calming down.

I watched her with consternation, wondering if perhaps she had been the wrong choice for company, for her actions very well put us at risk, and perhaps proved to be quite unnecessary. Enough so, that I thought it warranted to bring up.

“Kate?” I asked. “That was…”

She shook herself and turned back towards me, sheathing her blade, and forcing a boyish smile upon her face.

“Sorry about that,” she said. “I really should have attacked earlier.” She paused, watching me, and likely mistaking my disagreement with confusion, “...before they ran off.”

That was not the direction that I thought she would take.

“What?” I asked. “But… they didn’t really do anything, besides posture and speak–”

“Oh?” Kate said, some heat leaking back into her voice. “Did you see any collars? Any identification? Did you miss their weapons and armors? Whoever outfitted them needs to pay. It’s criminal…”

“There are tons of criminals here,” I said, venturing a guess. “I have not seen you engage with such… passion for any of them. Why now? Is there something I should know of?” I asked.

She grimaced for a second, tightened her fist, before releasing much tension. “No… sorry. Just had a bad experience lately. Didn’t mean to take it out on you. We almost there?” she asked.

I nodded, pointing at a small painted door on the corner of the next tenement building. “Should be there.”

“There?” Kate asked dubiously. “Is that… a corner market? We came all this way, for shitty corner market food?”

I raised an eyebrow at her, allowed her to understand there was a transgression here which I would not immediately forget, and I stalked forward, towards the door. “While I agree with you on the impracticality,” I told her, moving past her and forcing her to quickstep in order to catch up. “I disagree with the tone. We are here, so we may as well conclude our business.”

“Yes, but–” Kate started to speak, but I ignored her, reaching the white door with green leaves painted onto it, and pushed it open. From inside the shop, a wave of spices and fragrances washed out, near overwhelming me.

From inside, I heard another hiss, characteristic of the Kaiva.

“A furless? Here?” they spoke with an androgynous voice, a clear Kaivan accent.

“This one thinks perhaps not so furless,” another voice said, this time missing the characteristic accent, but still in the Kaivan tongue.

As my eyes adopted to the lowlight condition, I noticed that the latest speaker was human, a clerk, standing behind a crowded counter. As I found him, I realized there was a certain implication to what he had said, though much room for a misunderstanding remained. To ensure it was all a misunderstanding, and remained as such, I flicked a hand through my long lilac hair and smiled while saying a single sentence in the Kaivan tongue, “No, I am a furless one.”

“And she speaks!” the clerk said.

Kate finally entered behind me, swearing when she saw another Kaiva in the store. “You say something, Jackie?” Kate asked. “It sounded a bit garbled.”

“Just saying hello,” I informed her, glossing over the fact I had briefly spoken Kaiva.

“Huh,” Kate said, before her eyes fell upon the Kaiva currently shopping inside. Then, Kate growled, “Another one?!”

“Of course!” the clerk said. “This one’s store caters for its intended audience.” The clerk had spoken in the human tongue this time, allowing Kate to follow along, and likely avoiding another incident.

The androgynous Kaiva spoke up from within, “What brings humans to this shop? Is this place not meant for the Kaiva?” This time, they spoke so that Kate could follow along.

“What we’re here for is none of your business, kun.” Kate said towards the Kaiva before dismissing her and turning her attention towards the clerk. “We’re obviously here to make a purchase.”

“Are you?” The clerk asked, raising an eyebrow and shifting his gray bangs from out of his eyes.

Kate gave a terse nod of affirmation.

“Well then,” the clerk answered amused. “What have you come to purchase?”

At this point, Kate dragged me towards the clerk’s counter. However, the Kaiva who had been inside the shop first, protested with a huff.

“And this one should wait behind the rude new shoppers?” the Kaiva complained.

Kate’s eye twitched, but she ignored it. I winced at the Kaiva and mouthed, “apologies,” in Kaiva.

The Kaiva crossed their arms and chuffed. They appeared a mix of amused and offended, however, after spotting Kate’s ever present weapon, they decided to lean back against a shelf and wait.

By that point, Kat had finished dragging me towards the counter with the clerk. He pursed his lips and withheld a snicker as he watched the situation unfold. When Kate finally stopped, he motioned for her to go on.

“And what goods can this one provide?” the clerk asked.

Kaiva opened her mouth, held up a finger, and then paused. She knew the broad strokes of what I needed, but not the particulars. However, instead of simply referring to me, her eyes caught on one of the displays behind the clerk, which held different flavors of dried and cured meats. She pivoted her finger towards the jerky. “That. At least a pound of it. And my friend here has a list.”

The clerk narrowed his eyes, while the Kaiva gave a surprised chuff before shaking their head.

“Is the customer certain?” the clerk asked.

Noticeable, was that besides a sketch of the flavors and contents, that there were no other labels or descriptors. However, Kate paid that no mind, clearly recognizing the same type of jerky that providence had delivered her previously.

“I said it, didn’t I?” Kate said in a raised voice.

“So the customer did,” the clerk nodded, before using tongs to fill a thick paper bag with several chunks of jerky. The spiced aroma carried over and left my mouth watering. He weighed the bag, then put it on the scale. “Is that all for you then?” he asked Kate.

Kate shrugged and nodded, before turning towards me with a question, “unless you want to combine orders, Jackie?”

I shook my head quickly. “My order is rather larger than yours, it would be unfair.”

“Figured,” Kate said without surprise. “Then how much is it?” she asked the clerk.

“Ten Chargers,” the clerk said.

I raised my eyebrows at that, as the price was rather exorbitant.

“Really?” Kate asked, already fishing the Chargers out. “Why so much? Can’t imagine that many of the people around here can afford that.”

“The customer would be surprised, then,” the clerk said, before taking Kate’s glowing coins and trading over the bag of jerky. “And for your friend?” the clerk then turned his attention towards me.

I placed Cook’s written list down before him.

The clerk raised his eyebrows and glanced back towards me. From up close, in the dim lighting of the shop, I could see his pupils were slightly elongated vertically, almost reminiscent of a cat. He caught me staring and his lips curled up. “From the honored chef of Ma’Ritz,”

I nodded slowly, wondering how he knew.

He must have seen the question on my face, as he promptly answered. “This one recognized the writing. Too long has passed since this shop has last seen her face. Wait here, as this one assembles the order.”

He reached beneath the counter and found a gunny sack, which he then began filling with different cuts of meats, fats, and unusually colorful herbs.

As he worked, the door to the shop opened once more. Naturally, both Kate and I glanced towards the door as the entrance bell chimed lightly.

In walked a tall figure, wrapped from head to toe in a luxurious hooded robe, full of burgundy and gold. From the glimpse of their feet, it was apparent they were beast-borne, with white fur and jeweled claws. Even through the shadows of the hood, I could see enough of their face to determine they were Kaiva, with startling green eyes and lacking any coloration to her fur at all. And that fur appeared sleek and full. There was almost a magnetic pull between the new entrant and my hand, the urge to run my fingers along their skin was so strong. Naturally, I resisted the temptation. But doing so was a struggle.

Lucky Break: (6/9) +1

The new entrant looked towards the other Kaiva and spoke first in a confident feminine voice, using their own language. “Did a problem delay my honored companion? Such a wait had not been anticipated.”

“Apologies,” the Kaiva said, bowing deeply at the waist. “This one was delayed by the humans. Their order has taken precedence.”

“Why is this so?” the woman asked, glancing at the clerk. “My companion had arrived first.”

“Don’t know what your owners let you get off with back home,” Kate snorted, “But typically pets go last.”

The androgynous Kaiva who had been leaning against the wall, who was called the ‘honored companion,’ stepped away from their perch and took a threatening step towards Kate.

“Those words bring much offense,” they said, snarling.

Kate eyed both Kaiva, but upon failing to see any active weapons, she snorted. “So?”

I grimaced, discomforted by Kate’s casual disregard towards non-humans. It left me wanting to shy away from her, to put distance between us, lest her toxic views infect me as well. However, to prevent the situation from escalating, I did the opposite. I tugged at Kate’s arm and leaned into her.

“Please don’t pick a fight,” I whispered in her ear, my breath tickling her ear.

“I’m not,” Kate said. “They are.”

The white-furred woman briefly met my eyes, before rolling them. Her eyes were such a startling green, I found myself floundering for a second. In that second, she reached her own companion and hissed in their ear.

“As this one was commanded,” they said, before bowing out from the shop. “These ones shall return later.”

“Yes please,” the clerk shouted to the door. “Come again soon!”

He finished as the door shut, both of the Kaiva having departed.

“Finally,” Kate grunted. “Don’t know why you let them in here unescorted,” she told the clerk.

The clerk caught my eyes, smirking. It left me a bit paler than normal, wondering just what he knew, and if he could see through my Guise.

“Ah, young lady,” the clerk answered, “many merchants in my position would be recalcitrant to turn away custom.”

Kate scoffed but refrained from commenting further, instead watching the clerk work. She pulled out a chunk of jerky from her own purchase, broke off half, and handed it to me. My mouth salivated, and I eagerly tore into it. The clerk merely watched on, amused.

Not long after, I had paid with Cook’s Chargers and had received a gunny sack mostly full of meat. It would be deceitful to claim I lacked a certain excitement to be refilling Cook’s pantry, however, however, I had hoped to avoid being obvious about my obligate carnivorous tendencies. With Kate, that ship had somewhat sailed.

“You’ve got a spring to your step,” Kate said, amused, after we left the slums behind and crossed the Divide.

“You would too if you’ve tried some of Cook’s special dishes…” I responded.

“Are you inviting me?” Kate asked, “because if you are, that sounds like another date.”

I may have blushed slightly, but it was feigned. I glanced away.

“I’ll have to drop by later then,” Kate continued, laughing. “But not today. I’ve actually got to split here in a bit. Aunt Janet wanted me to drop by for something.”

“Oh?” I asked, hoping to get some additional details, hoping that those details were relevant in some way to Emboru.

“Yeah… some kinda meeting. Boring stuff, so I basically ignored it. If I could bring you, I might consider it, but even then I wouldn’t wanna subject you to that. Gross stuff. Besides, you’ve got your shift.”

“That is true…” I said, consideringly. I could not be too forward in my intelligence gathering, for it would be suspicious. And Kate was correct, I did need to return to Ma’Ritz on Blossom HIll promptly, my shift was about to start.

We were currently near the Merc Quarter, near the bottom of the Hill, which was where it turned out Kate’s path split from mine.

“See ya tomorrow?” Kate asked.

I nodded.

“Great!”

There was a moment’s pause, some awkwardness, before she leaned in and grabbed me around the shoulders, pressing her face towards mine with her eyes closed.

My first instinct was to recoil backwards, but I refrained, and allowed our lips to meet, though I kept the moment chaste and quick.

“Until tomorrow,” I said, only slightly breathless. Feigned, of course.

“See you then,” she grinned, waved, then hopped as she turned and left, bowling over a random passerby and showing no shame for it.

I shook my head and left, covering my face from some of the onlookers who had noticed our little scene play out.

I quickly reached the entrance to Blossom Hill, where the checkpoint stood, and where the Baron’s men stood guard. As always, I scanned them while I remained in the crowd. Unfortunately, I recognized one of the faces. They were the same that had accosted me during my night shift at Ma’Ritz.

I changed course, instead of going through the proper legal checkpoint, I circled around, following the partitioning wall. Naturally, the city had not been planned out all at once, and the encircling neighborhoods had only been divided after the fact. Alleys were walled off, and some homes straddled the line, some even having entrances on both sides of the partition. It was quick work for me to find a walled off alley, and even quicker work for me to scale it.

I climbed up the twenty foot stone wall, hoped over, and landed on the other side in a crouch. I landed in a small public park, or greenspace, that consisted of a flower bed, two trees, and a bench. The views offered a decent sight obstruction, and currently it was empty.

I stood up, brushed myself off, and headed in for my lunch shift. Already, my mouth was watering at the thought of all the cuts of meat I carried, and all the delicious dishes Cook would prepare. I even wondered if my next breakfast would be special, or if I could request something for dinner, besides the usual lack of anything.

As I walked, daydreaming, I almost missed how several eyes followed my progress up the winding main road.

Blessings: Rank (1/9)

* Body: 65

* Mind: 75

* Spirit: 49

Talents:

* Athleticism I (1/9):

* Climbing I (4/9)

* Featherlight I (3/9)

* Inversion (2/9)

* Gymnastics (2/9)

* Stealth I (7/9)

* Trackless Tracks I (3/9)

* Area Coverage (5/9)

* Alchemical Immunity (ineligible for growth)

* Eschiver I (1/9)

* Evasion I (1/9)

* Impending Sense (2/9)

* Lucky Break (6/9) (+1)

Spells:

* Illusion I (5/9)

* Touch (8/9)

* Guise of the Kitsune (5/9)

* Closed

Gifts:

* Obsession (3/9)

* Closed (0/9)

* Closed (0/9)