Alice didn't have a plan. She started to rush to the front door, but then stopped short, her fists clenched. What could she do?

Old thought patterns circled through her head, accompanied by a feeling of weakness, of helplessness. It was so familiar it was like slipping into a well-worn shirt - something comfortable, yet profoundly unattractive.

I'm just a General Laborer. I’m weak and useless.

But she wasn't a weak and useless nobody anymore, was she? Her power now resided in her dragons.

She turned, studying them. Three pairs of eyes stared back at her: Iggy with fierceness; Numi with surprising cunning, and Prim who was quietly confident.

"We need to save Tom and the other child," she said, "but we must be discreet." This last part was aimed squarely at Iggy. "Find a way to stall those false Workers until I get down there. But they mustn't know that they were attacked by dragons."

"Fire doesn't betray its source," he said, then flew out.

"I'll help," Numi chirped. Alice almost called her back, wondering how a coin-eating dragon could assist a fire breathing dragon, but Numi's tone had been confident, and Alice simply didn't have the time to argue.

She turned towards the door and stepped out into the hall. The elevator, once charming, now only made her impatient. Every second to reach the lobby felt agonizingly long.

"Calm yourself," Prim advised from Alice’s shoulder.

"How can I be calm? I don't know what I'm doing," Alice said. "I need to be there for Iggy and Numi, but I can't risk be seen..."

"Then I will help you," Prim said.

Alice looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Then, it hit her. She had just given Prim an illusion skill. "Will that work? Can you cast an illusion on me?"

"For a short period. I'm not very skilled with it, and it would probably be best if nobody looks too closely," Prim replied.

Alice nodded. "Transform me into a powerful Nobleman. Broad shoulders, rich clothing. I need to be intimidating because I don't want to fight."

Prim closed her eyes, and although Alice could still see her, it was as if the dragon had become translucent. Simultaneously, a light settled over Alice. She looked down and jumped when she saw her sleeves covered in rich, dark clothing. And her hands... They were not her hands. They were large and square, their nails finely manicured.

"This is amazing," she said, then reached for her neck.

It still felt the same—no Adam's apple or rough skin. This was merely an illusion. "I still sound like myself."

"The illusion is light only. I can't manipulate sound.” Prim sounded apologetic, but her power was still a wonder to behold.

Alice glanced over to see Prim semi-transparent and realized that she could only see the dragon because she was her own aspect. Prim was not merely using an illusion skill. She was also using Concealment on herself. This would reduce the duration she could maintain the two skills, but Alice approved.

The elevator door opened onto the lobby.

“Remember, you are a nobleman," Prim whispered, invisible on Alice’s shoulder.

I can do this, Alice lied to herself, but she didn't have much of a choice. Squaring her shoulders, she strode out.

A genuine nobleman's shoes would click on the marble floor. Her own cheap, leather-bottomed shoes did not.

The attendant at the front desk glanced up from a logbook they were writing in. "May I help you, sir?"

Trying to deepen her voice, Alice replied, "Yes, I demand to know what's happening out there!" She pointed a thick finger towards the front room door.

The man looked quizzical. "Sir?"

"Did you not hear the shouting? There are ruffians attacking children out in the streets. Why hasn't Law Enforcement been called already?"

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And, as if on cue, a golden fireball brilliantly lit up the windows outside the lobby.

"And now they're using fire magic. Rogue wizards!" Alice yelled, channeling her best Nobleman. “I pay too much to have my sleep disturbed like this!”

"Yes, Sir! I’ll call for help at once.” The Attendant sprinted to a glowing stone device she assumed was an emergency beacon.

"Do that. I’ll give those ruffians a piece of my mind,” Alice said, sweating and worried sick for her dragons. It took all her strength not to sprint to the front door.

Instead, she maintained a confident stride, as if she were a man, and threw open the door to quite a sight.

Two decorative trees and several bushes were ablaze. It seemed the culprit didn't have much control over his fire powers. The flames illuminated the courtyard well, revealing three men dragging a kicking boy, Tom, and a scruffy girl of about the same age. The children's mouths were open, yelling, but no sound came out.

Alice had heard of this in tales of Dark Magic classes —a silencing skill.

In the gloom, she caught a flash of a red dragon soaring through the dark air. But just a flash, thankfully. Iggy’s reddish hue blended well in the dark.

It seemed the men had been attempting to drag the children out of the courtyard onto the street, but the fire had blocked their path, and they were now trying to find a different exit.

"What is going on here?" Alice yelled.

Her voice sounded... somewhat feeble to her, but one of the men looked over and said, "Nothing to see here, sir. We're arresting thieves."

"You don't look like Law Enforcement. Who are you? Why can I only see a Worker tag?" Alice demanded.

Instantly, the false Worker expressions shifted from wary to predatory.

Another offered a false smile. "Truly, sir, this is none of your business."

He started to approach Alice, who tensed. If he got too close, her illusion might not hold up. And if it came to a physical confrontation, Alice would be at a disadvantage.

Suddenly, a dark, slithering shape descended from the sky. Brightly burning claws struck the man's shoulders, using him as a springboard before flying away. The man cried out, attracting the attention of the other two who were still grappling with the children.

Then another man yelped, releasing the girl to reach towards his back. As he turned, Alice spotted a lump the size of Numi crawling up his spine under his clothes.

Tom, seizing the moment, kicked the man holding him in the knee. Distracted, the man released his grip. The girl, too, managed to slither fully out of the man’s grasp.

"Run!" Alice shrilled, unfortunately in her own voice.

The children didn't need to be told twice and bolted in opposite directions.

"What the hell is going on here?" one of the men bellowed. When he turned his gaze towards Alice, his eyes burned with anger. He pulled out a club out of seemingly nowhere.

"Numi! Prim!" Alice hissed, taking a step back.

However, at that moment, the sweet sound of Police sirens echoed through the air.

"We need to run!" one of the men yelled.

“No, wait—” one of the others, the leader in front, started to say, but his companions had already left. Frustrated, he whirled on Alice. "I’ll remember you, sir!" he snarled before taking off.

Alice waited for a moment, half convinced they would return. That this had been some kind of a bluff.

They didn’t reappear, but another cluster of shrubs caught on fire. It seemed Iggy’s flames were magically enhanced. They spread too fast to be normal.

The sirens were drawing closer. Alice needed to make herself scarce.

She backed into the hotel, whose doors, previously seeming like a sturdy barrier, now felt more flimsy than ever.

The hotel attendant ran up. "I signaled for the Officers, sir."

"Very good,” Alice said, covering her badly deepened voice with a cough as if she had been caught in the smoke. “It seems that the ruffians have been chased off, but they might come back.”

“May I ask, what's happening out there?"

"It appears someone thought it funny to start fires," she snarled, transferring fear into fake outrage. "Call the Fire Brigade as well."

"Of course, sir. If the Fire Brigade has any questions, which room should I refer them to?"

Certainly not her room. Alice hesitated for a second, then the first room number that popped into her mind was the same one she had stolen from.

"E15 on the fourth floor."

The man's eyes went wide. "Yes… Yes, my Lord."

Lord? She had stolen from a Noble? Whoops.

Alice nodded, then turned for the elevator, perhaps walking a bit faster than a dignified Lord would. However, she could feel Prim straining to keep up her skills. Slim figure shook against Alice’s neck. The illusion dropped the moment Alice entered the elevator.

Immediately, she praised the little dragon, stroking her back. "You did so well."

The little dragon looked exhausted, but pleased. "I leveled up my Illusion to 3, my Concealment to 10, and I gained an entire level.”

“Good. You worked hard, love. Thank you.”

Once back in her room, Alice threw every lock on the door.

Iggy and Numi were there, having flown back through the open balcony. Alice made a big fuss over them, petting each and praising their efforts.

"Did you see where the children went?" she asked.

"No.” Iggy shook his head. “Hopefully, they'll find a good hiding place."

Alice was worried for them, but it was too dangerous to go out as herself, and Prim was exhausted.

"You did great too, Numi," she said. "Was that you under the man's jacket?"

"Yes. He smelled like horse sweat," Numi replied, looking disgusted. Then she brightened and pulled out a small bag of coins. "But I managed to snag this from his pocket."

Alice laughed despite herself and opened the slightly damp coin purse. Several coppers spilled out, along with a single, gleaming silver piece.

Feeling generous, Alice let Numi eat the silver.