Barbara gets back up and brushes the dust off. Leaping back up from one wall to another, making it to the top again, ready for a fight. The young boy and the girl about her age are gone. She curses the skies. Once out of her system, she assesses the situation, she’s got a great view of the city up here. She looks around, some buildings taller than others. The ledges are riddled with broken glass for wall security, separating their respective residence or business from the rest of the adobe architecture. A mere inconvenience, perfect for darting through, reminiscent of the course master set up back at the mountain.

The city streets continue as they were without a care in the world, bustling about, unaware of the girl jumping through rooftops. Gaining speed, she jumps from one side of the wide street to the other, rolling to soften her landing she keeps her balance, almost lost in the motions, her purpose of finding either the twins or the thieves blurring out as she continues running, high on adrenaline she slides under tented clothes lines, jumps over glass spiked walls, climbing up to higher structures with a leap and a push, rolling as she lands down on lower buildings, lost in the flow of her movements.

A booming familiar voice rings her back down to earth. "Kelak!"

Demitrio waves his meaty arm side to side, drawing the attention of the crowd as they look at the giant strange man yelling at the sky. Barbara spots him amongst the crowd immediately. She points at the alley next to the building she’s on. Jumping down, she greets the man with a hug.

"Subtle way of calling me a desert lizard?"

Demitrio smiles, a distant look in his eyes, far too obvious for Brenda to read.

“Is Celso okay?” She asks.

“Come.”

They leave the market behind them, walking through narrow streets where the only people seen are either making their way to work, or getting back home.

They arrive at what seems to be a regular house, nothing about it stands out above the other homes other than the sign reading ‘doctor’ in front. Demitrio invites himself in, Barbara follows behind, entering a room full of shelves lined with glass bottles, all full of some type of powder in varying shades of white.

“Never been to a doctor’s before.” States Barbara, looking at a sketch of what a person looks like if they were carved open and propped up as a display. “Is that what we look like on the inside?”

She hears a modest chuckle behind her, a man a bit taller, with darker skin than her, a thick, unkempt mustache under his nose, wearing a pair of bronze framed glasses, and a long white coat.

“Not my best work, I made that while I was studying at the university.”

“Hey, doc. I found her.” Demitrio turns away, hiding the tears. “So brother can say his goodbye.”

The doctor forces a smile, turning his gaze back at Barbara. “Celso’s gonna be fine. He’s just a bit hazy from the medication I gave him. He just needs some rest.”

Barbara turns to the emotional twin, puzzled, then back at the doctor, he shrugs.

“I tried to explain, I’ve treated so many infected wounds at this point, I almost feel insulted."

“Can I see him, anyway?” Asks Barbara.

“Sure. Doctor Chavez, by the way.” He replies, leading Barbara down the hall.

“Barbara.”

“I know. I heard you are skilled with a sword.” He smiles, opening the door.

Celso lies asleep on a spring mattress, sunlight from the window reflecting off the white sheets covering his legs. Barbara takes one of the chairs placed against the wall, sitting at his bedside.

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“Hey.” She nudges him gently.

Celso lazily opens his eyes, smacking his lips as he becomes more aware of his surroundings. The doctor gives them some privacy, Demitrio hangs back, next to the door.

“Desert lizard. I’m so glad brother found you.” He whispers.

“How are you holding up?” Asks Barbara.

“I’m dying.” He states, Demitrio snivels, Dr. Chavez releases an audible sigh from the other room.

Barbara shifts in her seat, wanting to change the subject, she recounts the day's events leading up to her sword getting stolen.

“Those little shits.” Whispers Celso.

“That’s what I said.” Concludes Barbara.

“Brother, as a dying wish, get the desert lizard her fancy sword back.” Demitrio sobs loudly upon hearing this.

“You’re not dying.” Yells the doctor from the other room.

“I saw them, the people we killed.” Continues Demitrio.

“Oh, no-” Barbara tries to clarify, but Celso is not listening to her.

“Their blood on the temple steps, the smell of the incense and blood mixing in the air.” Tears run down his cheek, still whispering. “I can hear the flower girl's screams. It makes my bones shake.”

Silence as Celso stares off into space, lost in a memory. Demitrio’s weeping continues after a moment. Barbara remains silent, Lupe’s words from last night echoing in her head.

“We should let him rest.” Suggest the doctor, appearing behind Demitrio.

Barbara and Demitrio walk back into the street, they take exchange galences, no words need to be said. Demitrio leads Barbara towards the various pawn shops and weapon traders he knows about in the city.

“What did the doctor do to make Celso act so strange?” Asks Barbara, exiting another arms and weapons vendor.

“Said he gave him some ‘painkillers.’ Looked more like mindkillers to me.”

“Do you know what Celso was talking about, before the doctor asked us to leave?”

Demitrio continues leading Barbara to another shop, her question giving him pause as he walks ahead of her.

“When you’re old enough to drink, I’ll tell you all about it.”

The shop they visit next was unable to help either, what the shopkeeper did offer was a suggestion to try south of the river. Demitrio grunts, leaving without another word. Barbara follows him out to the street.

“Hey, that wasn’t a bad idea. There’s a whole other half of the city we haven’t looked at yet.”

Demitrio halts in front of a busy plaza. “You ever been south of the river?”

Barbara shakes her head.

Releasing a sigh, Demitrio explains. “This side of the city could easily be considered one of the safest areas in the entire continent. The other side of the river is another story, and not just the city, the rest of Aztlan south of the Pillotlan river is like stepping into another world.”

“How so?”

“The further south you travel from here, the closer you get to the remnants of the Old Empire. Pillotlan is known around Aztlan for being where the influence of the northern settlers ends, and the settlers that landed in the gulf begins. Because of this, they have become very territorial, distrusting of outsiders, and prone to violence.”

Barbara briefly remains silent as she digests Demitrio’s words in her head. “I didn’t know a single river could divide people like that.”

“I don’t doubt that the kids that robbed you are down there, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were, it’s just that I was hoping we wouldn’t have to actually go.”

“Are you scared, Demitrio?” Taunts Barbara.

“I know you want to find your sword, kid. I am completely willing to help you, I owe that much to you, but don’t confuse my caution with fear.” He growls, once again leading the way.

He leads them to the northern edge of the river, giving Barbara a view of the other side of the city.

“Looks pretty much the same to me.” She states.

Demitrio snorts out a laugh. “Just you wait.”

Up ahead, Barbara can see two wide sturdy bridges, one meant for people heading north, the other, south. Before they come close to either of the pair of bridges, her attention is drawn to a pair of overly dressed men. They seem to be lost, looking around nervously, hoping someone could answer a question they’re dying to ask. A boy approaches them, Barbara can’t hear what the boy says to them, but assumes he’s promising to help the pair find whatever they’re looking for.

“Hey!” Barbara runs towards the trio, before Demitrio realizes what’s going on.

The boy turns, recognizing Barbara from earlier, he does as before and darts towards the alleys. Anticipating this, she hops up the narrow walls to the roof, keeping an eye on the boy as he keeps running without looking back, or up. After a minute of solid sprinting, the boy slows to stop, a false sense of security as he catches his breath. Above him, perched on the ledge of the building, Barbara watches him, expecting him to reveal the whereabouts of her sword there and then. Instead, a group of four kids, much bigger than the boy appear from the shadows

“Find anything good?” Asks the oldest boy, patting the thieves pockets.

“Back off.” The thief attempts to shove away the much bigger kid, only pushing himself back.

The bullies have a laugh at the thieves expense. Wanting to intervene, Barbara observes the interaction, her goal of getting her sword back a priority.

“You just gonna stand back and let those four beat on a defenseless kid.” Says a voice behind her.

Before she can react, the girl behind her leaps down from one window ledge to another, landing in front of her accomplice, drawing Barbara’s sword from her waist, she points it at the four boys.