“Come here, boy,” Malak whistled, hands in xir pockets and hair in xir eyes. Gu came trotting to xir side, tongue out and shaggy black fur bouncing with each stride, his white paws muddy and gray. He was a massive dog, big enough to be a wolf with keen eyes and a narrow snout. The crowds on the cobbled sidewalk parted to let the beast past, clutching their children close. Malak only smiled, scratching him affectionately behind the ear and patting the top of his head. The sinking sun cast an orangey glow over the city as the pair walked side by side down the winding streets.

Xe had just finished a semi-successful med run for the Order and was now on xir way back, just crossing the bridge to the southside of the city. A few years ago xe would have robbed the large Brothers Pharmacy in downtown which was owned by Carwyn Tech, but after Estelle’s near capture on such a raid, xe had decided to play it safe. The herbal pharmacy tucked away on the southeast corner of the railway had shelves half empty due to the new high taxes imposed on registered, independent businesses. After collecting just a few bottles of stomach curing pills and valerian tea for their more anxious members, xe went to the midwife of the slums. She was a muscled, but soft person practicing out of her own home as an unregistered business. From there xe was able to buy bandages, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, as well as teas and tinctures to fend off infections and fevers for a fraction of what Brothers would charge for their man made pills.

It would have been faster to take the trolley back to the Order’s headquarters, but animals were not usually allowed on Carwyn Tech transports so they were forced to go on foot. Ducking into an alley, Malak avoided the busier streets which were congested with last minute shoppers and peddlers cajoling the evening crowds with coffee, candied nuts, and knock off smart glasses. Keeping xir head down, Malak passed bussers throwing out the garbage, housekeepers hanging up the laundry, and cashiers using their five minute break to smoke a cigarette and scroll through ChitChat.

“Hungry, Gu?” xe asked the dog who did a little jump in response, his front paws brushing xir shoulder before coming back to the ground.

“Me too, bud,” Malak replied, chuckling at Gu’s enthusiasm. “Let’s get home.”

Rounding a corner Malak caught a glimpse of a figure in a baseball cap a few yards behind xem in the reflection of a hat shop window. It could be anyone, it could be nothing. But Malak could have sworn xe had seen that cap before and that black denim jacket too. Without changing xir pace or adjusting xir course Malak scanned xir brain trying to place the person that may or may not be following xem.

While members of the Order were prone to coming and going, Malak made it a point to learn all their names and faces and the figure was not one of them. They also did not match any description of any assassins or hitmen Malak knew of, and xe was more than familiar with Bardo’s most notable offenders.

Testing xir may be pursuer, Malak turned a corner onto the busy Grand Boulevard and crossed the street. The city consumed them. A few blocks from Market Square and the streets were thronged with peddlers, shoppers, and office workers packing up and heading for home. The air here was thick with last night’s rain, mixing with the smell of food and the sweat of too many bodies. Overhead the trolley whirred disconcertingly.

Malak clicked xir fingers twice to notify Gu of a possible danger and immediately the dog’s ears perked up and his nose sniffed, scanning the area. There was a confusing array of smells and sounds, but the tension in Gu’s stance and the subtle raise of his hair put Malak even more on edge. Xe was right to worry.

Xe crossed the street once more and turned a corner. This street was narrower and half the shops were already closed, their doors and windows locked behind metal gates. Malak dared a glance back and found the figure in the cap gone. Xe took the opportunity to shoot Estelle a message with xir rough position. Just in case.

Gu nipped Malak’s hand sending a jolt of adrenaline through xem. Shoving xir hand into xir coat pocket xe shuffled through the deck and pulled on the heart cards for strength wishing xe had more. There were too many people to fly or use xir speed and xe did not have the King of Clubs to teleport. In case of a confrontation, xe pulled out the Queen of Spades for telekinetics as well and concentrated on the buzzing in xir fingertips and the heat in xir chest.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Xe couldn’t lead an enemy to The Order’s headquarters so Malak was forced to turn back to Grand Boulevard. Xir boots rang annoyingly loud against the cobbles. Before xe had even exited the quiet street, however, a second figure emerged onto the street ahead of xem moving straight toward xem. It was then that xe heard footsteps coming up behind xem. Gu snarled.

“Easy boy,” Malak murmured. The last thing xe needed was another night in prison for disturbing the peace. Xe could not be the one to attack first.

Malak turned around to find the first figure in the cap, who was now identifiable as a stocky woman about xir height, a mere ten feet away. Turning sharply to the left, Malak broke into a run down a narrow pass between two buildings, hardly wide enough for a single person. Laundry billowed like a tent ceiling overhead. Xe could hear footsteps echoing behind xem, but xe did not dare look back. Gu sprinted at xir heels.

The pass opened up onto a side street adjacent to a gated park and Malak headed straight for it. Cars honked and brakes squealed as Malak and Gu dashed across the street, their running feet sprinted inches from the smoking tires and Malak’s hand brushed the hoods and fenders as xe passed. There was a loose board in the tall fence that ran the perimeter of the park, a good ten yards from the nearest ticket gate. Xe pulled the board out and Gu slipped through, Malak following close behind, pulling the board back in place after xem. It felt counter intuitive not to leave it hanging open and just run for it, but experience had taught xem that taking the time to cover your tracks almost always paid off.

The sound of xir pursuers momentarily died as Malak and Gu sprinted up a small hill dotted with trees. There was the occasional jogger outfitted with smart tech to monitor and track their vitals, but otherwise the park was abandoned in the growing darkness. Still, Malak did not slow. Sticking to the shadows, xe and Gu wound their way through the underbrush making for the opposite side of the park.

They were nearly out of the park when Malak saw a shadow in the trees move. A branch snapped underfoot. Xe spun around to find the man in front of him. More footsteps crunched in the underbrush, slow and purposeful. Gu barked sharply and then growled, baring his fangs.

“Fancy meeting you here,” the man said, turning just as his partner came to his side so that they were both facing Malak.

Xe did not recognize the pair, the man was wide shouldered and the woman had a nasty scar across her cheek. Malak assessed for weapons which could easily be hidden in the man’s puffer jacket and in the back of the woman’s jeans or even in their boots. Xir fingertips crackled with potential energy.

“You know, it’s a pleasure, but I really must be going. Terribly busy today.” Malak made to leave but the man grabbed xem hard by the upper arm and twisted. Gu launched himself at the man at the same time that Malak dropped all xir weight to the ground, pulling the man down with xem, Gu on top.

The woman pulled a gun from the back of her jeans, aiming not for Malak, but Gu. Panic clenching xir heart, Malak used xir queen of spades to push every bullet in the gun backward into the barrel. Xe did not have enough numbered spades to make it explode, but it was enough to keep the weapon from firing. The woman blinked in confusion as the gun malfunctioned.

White exploded across Malak’s vision as the man clocked xem across the face. Gu snarled. The man screamed.

Through a shower of stars Malak saw the man kick Gu in the ribs and throw him off. Before xe could get up the man rolled on top of xem, straddling xem, hands reaching for xir neck. Blood dripped from his shoulder where canine punctures had torn through jacket, skin, muscle and sinew.

Feeling for the invisible strings connecting xem to xir cards, Malak tugged on the hearts, wrestling with the man to keep xir throat safe. A stone was digging painfully into xir shoulder blade and there was dirt everywhere. Despite their obvious size difference, the cards proved their worth. Using xir free hand Malak threw a swift uppercut, dislocating the man’s jaw and allowing xem time to roll to xir side. Malak attempted once again to get to xir feet, but the woman kicked xem in the ribs and then came down beside them and began pulling at xir coat, trying to get to xir pockets.

Desperation and adrenaline took over and Malak thrashed violently. A fist connected with xir face again and the man managed to grab hold of one of xir wrists hitting it hard against a tree trunk. Gu returned to the mele, jumping on the woman and raking his claws down her back. She collapsed instantly with a guttural groan, the earth instantly soaking with her blood. Using the moment of distraction, Malak pushed with all xir strength, kicking with both legs into the man’s stomach and throwing the man off xem so xe could come into a seated position. Reaching into xir pocket Malak threw a box of dried mullen from the midwife into the man’s face.

A cloud of gray-green dust erupted between them. The man howled as the irritating power blew into his eyes and seared his airways. Hives immediately began spreading across his face and neck. The herbs would not stop irritating his skin until he washed it off with a good soap. Malak coughed as xe scurried backwards with xir eyes shut tight.

Gu barked loudly and Malak felt his wet nose nudging xir back. Scrambling to xir feet, Malak turned to xir dog. His mouth was covered in blood that matted the soft fur around his muzzle. Without waiting to see what happened to their attackers the two took off through the trees and out of the park.