Barbara watches her friends make their way back into the open desert. Pepito finally arrives next to Barbara.

"Good folks, them. Ready?"

"Yeah, lead the way."

Pepito leads her back into the city, talking her ear out as they make their way to the bridge. He excitedly talks about how he ran away that night to look for Alex, knowing he could calm Ruth down.

"That fight between you and Ruth is the talk of the town." He says.

"I think people were more impressed by your friend's magic ability."

"Keep it down, stupid." He whispers looking around to make sure no one heard what she said. "Magic isn't illegal here yet, but the people are doing everything possible to make it against the law."

"I keep being told to be careful with that. I came here because I heard there was a lot of support for the resistance. What gives?"

"The south side of the bridge isn't as fussy about that sort of stuff, so don't worry too much about people down there, unless you have to. There's a saying that there are no traitors in south Pillotlan."

Unsure of how to respond, Barbara keeps her mouth shut. They cross the bridge, allowing Barbara to get a ground level view of this part of town that she’s heard so much about. To her dismay, there isn’t anything that would distinguish one side of the river from the other.

“I was told this was the rough side of the river. I don’t see much of a difference.” She states.

“The police.”

“What about them?”

“The police are a lot rougher on this side. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a ton that actually want to help, but telling them apart from the ones that have been bought out is difficult.”

“What makes them rough?”

“If they stop you in the street they’ll most likely just want to shake you down, take some of what you have, talk down to you, and that’s if you’re lucky.”

“What happens if you’re unlucky?”

Pepito stops in his tracks, up ahead, police officers have set up a checkpoint, asking for some type of identification from the citizens passing by.

Barbara is about to ask Pepito how they should approach, she feels a brush of air as Pepito hops up from one wall to another to the rooftops, getting herself into trouble wasn't on her list today, she smiles and follows.

When they reach the top of the buildings he ducks back to cover for them both before leaning over the roof. He shakes his head at Barbara, pointing to the police officers below.

“They're questioning everyone for information on what happened the other day.” Pepito huffs, shaking his head as if disappointed with himself. “If you can communicate with spirits, you have to register yourself at the town hall."

"Why?"

"I don't know. These guys," He motions towards a patch on the officer's shoulder, an emblem of a golden bull. "They're under Don Sinven's payroll. Woah-"

The ledge Pepito is leaning on crumbles, letting pieces of plastered adobe to drop to the floor. The two officers look up, immediately aware of the kids on the rooftop.

"Come on!" Pepito is already jumping over to the next building.

Barbara follows, she turns back, startled by the loud thud behind her, one of the officers leaped up to the roof and begins to pursue them.

"Get back here!" Demands the officer.

They don't, but Pepito isn't as fast as Ruth nor Barbara, so she picks him up under one arm and ramps up the speed.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Tell me where to go."

"Lose him."

Even with Pepito's added weight, Barbara deftly moves through south Pillotlan's rooftops. The crowds below point and stare at the kids being chased by the police through the city’s rooftops. Barbara notices a temple a few blocks away, changing her course towards the crowds she's sure to find down there.

As expected, the area around the temple is full of busy people making their way home, to work, or working in the stands they set up at the base of the steps that lead up to the shrine. Barbara drops Pepito, he bounces off the cloth tent of a fruit stand, and runs into the crowd to lose himself, Barbara follows close behind.

"I think we're in the clear." States Pepito, looking around.

Barbara stares at the shrine on top of the steep stone steps, an uncanny nature to the structure mesmerizing her.

"It doesn't have any shadows." She states in amazement.

"Not at this time of year." States Pepito.

"How?"

"Forget it, let's go."

Pepito leads her to a neighborhood near the center of the city, two story homes built for multiple families. Arriving at their destination, Pepito pulls and pushes the door, opening it. She goes through and finds a plain room with a rug in front of a closed shuttered window. On the table are dirty plates and clay jugs of water.

"You live here?"

"For now." He sits down, offering her a jug of water.

"Where are your friends?"

"They should be-"

"Come out, little mice. Come out!" A voice yells from outside.

Pepito runs to the window to peer through the curtains, Barbara joins his side. Outside, the officer that was chasing after them, along with reinforcements, push and berate the locals, expecting any one of them to know the whereabouts of the kids they’re after.

"They don't know where we are." Affirms Pepito.

"What's going on?" Alex appears behind them, looking out the window to see a mob begin to gather. “This won’t end well.”

The locals have begun to confront the police, demanding an explanation for the commotion, the officers look like they wouldn’t mind if a fight breaks out. An older man gets too close to an officer's face, hoping his age would exempt him from any type of abuse. He drops to the floor, holding on to his chest. The crowd responds in anger. The officers take their batons out and start swinging.

“We’re going to have to relocate.” Suggests Pepito.

“Ruth hasn’t returned, and we can’t just leave the people- Where’s the sword master?”

“Enough!” Barbara appears out of an alley on the other side of the street. “You guys were looking for me?”

“Indeed we were.” A smooth voice resonates above the commotion.

A young man, a few years older than Alex, dressed in a more elegant officer’s uniform approaches Barbara.

“Sir, she’s the one that tried evading the check.”

The young man waves the comment away. “I remember seeing you come in and out of the cattle ranchers guild. Specifically, the lodge where the giant fire demon appeared.”

“What?”

“Silence!” The young man swings his baton at Barbara, hitting nothing but air thanks to a simple step back.

The crowd laughs, the young man grits his teeth, adjusting his uniform. “I believe the penalty for evading an official checkpoint is three lashes.”

“That’s bullshi-” Someone in the crowd attempted to protest before being struck in the stomach with a baton.

The young man turns to the angry crowd. “What we do here is for your own good. A fire shaman is loose in the city, the destruction they could bring is immeasurable, and I will not allow the safety and integrity of our city rest on the whims of a demented fire worshiper.”

“Give me your lashings and fuck off.” A defiant tone in Barbara’s voice.

Silence from the crowd, a cocky grin appears on the young man’s face.

“You heard her.” He extends an open hand, receiving a whip from one of his accompanying officers.

Two officers grab Barbara by each arm, dragging her to the center of the street, pulling her shirt up to expose her back. The young officer warms up, making the whip crack as loud as possible.

“Ready?”

“Just get on with it.”

Before she could finish her sentence, she received the first lash. Barbara attempts to empty her mind, failing to separate herself from the intense pain in her back. Before she could gather herself, she receives the second lash, she drops to one knee. The officers holding her up laugh. She receives the third lash before she could get back on her feet, she drops back down on both knees.

“Now fuck off.” Demands someone from the crowd.

“Hang on a minute.” Abjects the officer that had chased them down here. “There were two of them. I think she should take her friend's lashings while we’re at it.”

An uproar in the crowd, their anger is met with swings of batons from the officers.

“You’re right.” Jeers the young man. “Another three lashes are in order, unless the other culprit comes to claim them.”

A side glance at the window reveals Alex struggling to keep his hand over Pepito’s mouth.

“Hey, asshole!”

Every single spectator’s attention is turned to Ruth, appearing next to the young man. She swings her fist with all her might, smashing the cocky grin off his face, hurling him back.

“Get her!” Yell the officers.

The two men holding Barbara let her drop back down to the floor, unconscious.