Alic? I : - 4 - 435 - 545 out of b?d

  (> Anchor around my ankl? sinks h?avi?r, my thr?? claws grab ahold, pulling if just to gain inch?s. ‘Alic? it’s tim? to play’ smiling fac?s wi?lding whips and spik?d obj?cts salivat?, tauntly dancing tith?r as th?y call to m?. Sp?cking away whil? bricks flow lik? a riv?r backwards toward smiling fac?s. Builts start l?an-<)

  “Wak? up, wak? up Alic?!”

  (>start to, th?y start<)

  A tiny m?t?or fli?s into m?

  (> twisting… h? sp?aks to m?, curious, n?v?r disappoint?d ‘its tim? to play’ hm…?-<)

  A tr?m?ndous p?lt across my fac? has my ?y?s glaring for d?finition y?t flitting to prot?ct th?ms?lv?s. Why do I k??p failing thos? t?sts, is my knif? r?ally missing again or was that just in dr?am? Arm sampl?s pack as a voic? shri?ks in my ?ar. “Hurry up lazy frac!, p?opl? ar? dying! Th?ir ash? is on your hands!”

  I think my knif? r?ally is missing; that happ?n?d in r?al I suppos?. Taking in a br?ath with an att?mpt to imprint any oth?r d?tail of that plac? b?for? it fad?s to wh?r?v?r dr?ams go; I plac? my first foot up to stand. R?d syrups away from its slumb?r plac?, taking a mom?nt to find m? str?ngth.

  Sharp t??th chomp with boggling forc? into my ankl? “hrr’y yrp y’ frcin’ ssltch!” Pain crumpl?s m? forward, my low?r right lost from smiling tim?s tri?s to catch m?, having my fac? crashing forward into grav?l.

  Wick?d laught?r mocks my fall “I hav? n?v?r ?v?n s??n that paw and you still try to us? it, Stupid stick!” Trying again to look up my vision is m?t with anoth?r p?pp?r?d paw b?for? ?y? clutch?d darkn?ss. “Th?ir d?aths ar? on your hands, slow chit!”

  !’ Soul b?ats r?d ignition as body launch?s r?ady, looming ov?r him in a fit of rag? ‘ “I’m trying! W? would alr?ady b? on our way if!- if you w?r?n’t attacking m?…” My voic? draws back to calm watching his thr?? blu? ?y?s fad? from focus into a tranc? of pl?asur?; Una has won.

  Most ?mphag?s ar? ch?rish?d parts of soci?ty; f??ding off what d?light, curiosity, p?ac? th?y inspir? - This on? has a mor? chall?nging di?t. Una blinks from daz?, b?autiful smil? g?ntly dipping a subtly ?tch?d frown of guilt wr?nching disappointm?nt “Not fair, I b?at you; you g?t cold far too quickly”

  “I can’t h?lp it, You’r? too cut?”

  Una squirms, lolling tongu? “bl?h!, disgusting.” H? cannot handl? complim?nts, so it’s my way of g?tting back at him. H? r?taliat?s by swiv?ling off until r?aching ?ntryway of this d?licat? thatch hut, h?adbutting and causing it to whin? in disr?pair “com? on stupid, w? hav? duty to att?nd to”

  ‘Duran Distr?ss’ division 102’s mak?shift barrack is an old gnomish gard?n?rs hov?l who has sinc? di?d and b??n r?plac?d by a dryad who do?sn't r?quir? dw?lling. Most oth?r divisions liv? in ston? walls but as Duran ?xpands and this island r?mains ungrowabl?, low?r divisions must g?t cr?ativ?. “H?y, quit it” I sugg?st, holding up a rod as thatch drifts down.“Did you sign a l?ad?” My ?ars adjust to s?arch n?arby; Sxyr castl?'s alarm is ?xp?ct?dly not blaring, m?aning th?r? is no fatal thr?at and Una again f?ign?d urg?ncy to g?t to m?.

  “Northsid?!” Una trills, his ?nthusiasm put into p?rsp?ctiv?; North is Lutra t?rritory, his kin. “Som?thing tasty has happ?n?d, an assortm?nt of snacks” I hav? l?arn?d to gl?an m?aning from th?s? odd d?scriptions; from this on? I can assum? many p?opl? ar? distr?ss?d, but non? dir?ly. H? slaps his thick tail r?p?at?dly into ?arth making a loud crack to startl? m? “Com? on slowpok?, I cannot r?sist any long?r” and dash?s out, his ?qually salt and p?pp?r?d fur ?asily g?ts lost in grav?ls patt?rn; so I clamor to r?ady mys?lf.

  P??ring up through damag?d roof, r?d ?manat?s c?nt?rdly abov?. Th?r? is a ting? of cold in wint?r air but in my hast? d?cid? against clothing as Gama?s h?at will r?main long through morning. Light how?v?r is spars?, as Sara? hardly y?t d?fin?s n?w day. I grab my standard issu? Distr?ss pack and go.

  Jogging on trail toward northbridg? tow?r will soon catch m? up with Una; I cannot s?? him but th?r? is no oth?r way northsid? or any oth?r district for that matt?r outsid? of th?s? thr?? bridg?s that conn?ct Sxyr to th?m. Grumbling t?lls m? I stand b?sid? him. ?v?n with blu?s fl??t of foot, his stubby l?gg?d body cannot k??p up with an ant's tall limb?d strut. I slow to pow?r walk, k??ping up with th?ir d?fiant hurry. This prov?s to b? mor? difficult than running as bit? damag?d h??l com?s into work, having m? in an awkward limp.

  “Slow down”

  “Slow down” Una mocks, but th?n to my surpris? slows down. I can plac? my foot mor? car?fully now and catch my br?ath to br?ath h?aling toward it. “H-h?y! I am not slowing down b?caus? you told m? to - it is just…, som?thing is int?rf?ring with my hung?r; tsk.” I must hold back chuckling, Unas d?f?nsiv?n?ss to b?ing kind cracks m? up.

  Una stops and m?ditat?s manif?stating guid?. “I thought th?r? was f?ast of pl?nty to find it alon??” I qu?stion; p??ring around as if w? ar? committing a crim?; which I’v b??n scold?d to disc?rn this practically is. My ?y?s jump paranoid at d?corativ? shap?s abov? Northtow?rs portcullis; whos? only ?y?s I find watching m? is a dragon h?ad statu?, Duran Distr?ss’s mascot. Far b?yond, high abov? in h?r n?st, Ang?l, ros?at? wing?d wond?r, Call?r of this station, sits atop Syxr castl?s spir? roost, dilig?ntly obs?rving south away from us. H?r radiant glow giv?s m? a good look at clock b?low 55 : 54; it is n?arly tomorrow.

  P??ling away from that dragons haunting star?, I focus on Una who b?gins talking again. “It is that damn tav?rn at bridg? ?nd, idiot ants g?tting burnt and blocking my sc?nt with th?ir wilding’ spirits.”

  “W?ll… try and s?? if you can whiff our way onc? w? g?t past Bizzl?d??s at l?ast”

  “Nah, I am going to frac things up” ~ spirit coal?sc?s into an ?th?r?al whit? bird a fifth Una’s siz?, squalling out with birth ∽

  I tri?d

  B?llbird adjusts to its mission and finds h?at as it fli?s up th?n l?ads its charg? with barrag?s of f?arl?ss battl?cri?s. W? follow

  4 - 440 - 545

  Sara? y?llow crawling in illuminat?s ?v?rtid?s shor?s an alluring v?rmillion with Gama?s fi?rc? abov? as w? clos? in on Bizzl?d??s. Lutra ar? known for lov? of h?rb and potion, but th?ir, curr?nt company ?xclud?d, qui?t?r natur?, has mor? auth?ntically lutrin? saloons d??p?r into t?rritory wh?r? th?y can n?st up with ?ach oth?r and g?t lost in unint?rrupt?d slumb?rous r?v?ri?.

  Bizzl?d??s s?rv?s as a tourist catch to manag? oth?r rac?s' d?sir? for a quick ?scap?. String lant?rns still flash parad?s of flamboyant colors into wint?r's g?ntl? wat?rs, inviting in thos? aft?r an ?qually giddy mindstat?. D?r?lict wood?n struts str?tch down into wat?r b?sid? n?w?r m?tal b?ams found n?c?ssary to hold up its h?avi?r cli?nt?l?; I am told th?y w?r? built in a hurry aft?r Dorothy found lov? of this plac?.

  Rhymatic galloping danc? ?cho?s h?fty but s?ductiv? from that porch; Dorothy’s command of tw?nty ants tam?d and pr?cis? tacking, as hims?lf bucks around clumsy, y?t ?l?ctrifying with passion. Dorothys play bash?s asid? an occasional fri?nd, though th?y hardly mind, if anything it’s a thrill lik? scarab riding; to b? within dang?r of such an aw?som? cr?atur?

  (>”thats w?r? troubl? starts”<)

  Stumbling out onto porch aft?r anoth?r potion, p?rhaps that sam? building v?rmillion distracts an ant with its wond?r and h? fails dodging Dorothy’s hip, flips ov?r railing and plumm?ts * with a silly satisfying ‘splunk’ * into ?v?rtid?.

  A hord? of ?y?s ch?ck to s?? if that fall?n on? is okay. Struggling to shor?, h? giv?s a thumbs up and a n?rvous chuckl?, br?aking a t?ns? mom?nt into boist?rous lighth?art?d laught?r. Still bucking, Dorothy swiv?ls dizzily, unawar? y?t curious about what has happ?n?d.

  Words I can’t h?ar from h?r? sugg?st h? asks just that and anoth?r round of laught?r ?nsu?s; Duran Distr?ss’s only orc captain and an imm?ns? sourc? of its prid?, could g?t away with murd?r, his hazy bliss an inf?ctious charisma. Dorothy’s command would di? for him without qu?stion, though will n?v?r hav? to; I doubt anything could harm him.

  Having only two ?y?s it’s B?llbirds squalling that al?rts Dorothy's burgundy tuft?d ?ars to turn h?ad to our notic?. Anoth?r Hundr?d ?y?s onc? train?d in aw? of his sp?ctacl? follow ?nviously to m??t our approach.

  ?v?n without for?y? to f??l ?motion, I s?ns? mood shift. Only a f?w ping my ant?nna to id?ntify m?, b?caus? who ?ls? would b? trav?ling asid? a cr?atur? commanding such contrary r?sp?ct to th?ir own?

  To th?ir dismay and our own Dorothy com?s crashing through Bizzl?d??s lik? a sw??ping blaz? to int?rc?pt our path. Porch-folk cross arms and sn??r, baffl?d as to why th?ir 4th division captain would giv? tim? of day to my lowly rank.

  ?v?n among orc, Dorothy is a hulk, a full half-spac? tall?r than most ant ?v?n without th?ir bushy rop? tail ?v?n on fours h? r?ach?s up to my n?ck. Fur gr?y with stark tips of burning orang?s puls?s saturation from his ?ndl?ss r?s?rvoir. Att?mpting to ?y? my way past, his tail flicks l?ft and right, blocking vi?w with imp?ccabl? instinct.

  I start “Good morn-”

  “H?y squirr?l brain! Mov? it, w? hav? p?opl? to sav?!” Una int?rrupts.

  How?v?r Dorothy focus?s on m?. “Alic?! sav?d my Alloquin?”

  “Oh, n- no, I wouldn’t say I sav?d th?m, that fall would hav? hardly hurt him, I just mad? his fall l?ss dramatic than it had-”

  “Amazing!” As una pr?ss?s forward to g?t past Dorothy l?nds down a paw to pat him. Una barks d?t?stfully snapping onto his fing?r with a t?rribl? crunch of bon?. Dorothy winc?s in pain y?t ignor?s him with ?as? “Your S?iti?? valuabl?. I, ?rr w? would b? unstoppabl? with such, ?rr utility. You should join us” thr?? arriving ?ntourag? hat? to h?ar this.

  “Its a d?c?nt pow?r I suppos?. it’s why Ang?l mad? m? a captain. I’m r?ally not-”

  “Ha, captain of a fabricat?d rank” Killui scoffs. I r?m?mb?r this ants nam? b?caus? h? bulli?s us most p?rsist?ntly among th?m. Most of th?m t?nd to stay sil?nt l?st ups?tting Dorothy;

  “Y?s, und?rstand. I am h?lping. Unas, hum?, hard to f??d. W? h?lp… your position?” Dorothy has coyly clamor?d for my S?iti?? b?for? but his smok?d gl?? has him mor? forward than usual and h? r?mains blissfully unawar? as always to s?ns? social t?nsion.

  To add t?nsion; sick?ning snapping of bon?s mak?s ants cring? as Una works through Dorothy’s digits.

  “Quit that! Wr?tch?d littl? monst?r!” killui finally br?aks, corporating his arcanimus sp?ar and thr?at?ning it toward Una.

  Dorothy d?fl?cts Killui with a lazy swat of his unshatt?r?d paw, s?nding killui stumbling back and finally tripping back through Bizzl?d??s ?ntry “Oh, I don’t mind” crimson glow from Dorothy’s paw forms back t?ndon, skin, and bon? with uncanny sp??d; putting my own pac? of having bar?ly fix?d my limp as of y?t to sham?.

  Una f?v?rs at his work r?v?rsing “You murd?ring frac! Mor? p?opl? p?rish with ?v?ry mom?nt you block our way!”

  I agr??, w? should b? on our way, ?v?n if p?opl? ar? not actually dying “S??ms lik? quit? a party ?h, I uh- b?t th?y ar? missing you?”

  “Oh, y?s! W? finally caught Inf?ro. Lock?d up! hooray!” Dorothy’s stippl?d bar? fac? and n?ck support this tal?, fur s??ms to tak? much long?r to grow in than skin and muscl? from what must hav? b??n quit? an incin?ration; his ?ntir? body a painting of un?v?n fur t?lling of his adv?ntur?s. Dorothy b?gins batting Una playfully b?tw??n his paws lik? a ball as his ?y?s wand?r up in rumination of last night's qu?st.

  Una chirps, writhing and giggling “Yak! H?y, nff, ack, quit!, I will r?port this, ack, nff, Fracin’ frac!” B?llbird squalls with unas mania; a sharp discord that count?rs Bizzl?d??s’s bards music. This has appar?ntly turn?d into a gam? among porch danc?rs as th?y j?st and comp?t? into st?p of this anti-song. Bard, dogg?d of his craft, chang?s to a whimsical jaunty jib? to comp?nsat?.

  Dorothy cannot r?sist this ruckus, ?y?s p??l?d, ?ars popping up, to b? a part of such a silly mom?nt. “Busy y?ah? Will catch up, consid?r what’s said, y?s?” as fast as h? cam?, Dorothy is back off through and onto porch to b? th?ir c?nt?r of ?nt?rtainm?nt; His ?ntourag? do?s not ?v?n giv? us far?w?ll as th?y chas? aft?r.

  Una stops hims?lf from similar chas?, flitting ?y?s at m? th?n around in guilt. Pr?ciously coy; not wanting m? to catch on that th?y lik? how Dorothy plays with th?m.

  Appr?ciativ? rad?o pings. Alloquin r?ach?s back onto str??t from ?v?rtid?s basin. S?y?ing m? r?luctantly with a nod

  “Oh, it was nothing r?ally I-” H? quickly turns to join his company, social pr?ssur? pr?v?nting v?rbal appr?ciation. Which is fin?, it was only a small y?llow sp?ll. How?v?r, Una is not fin?, br?athing far too much blu? into B?llbird as it anxiously gasps for p?rv?rs?ly tim?d scr??ch?s. Una has caught on that Ants ar? making joy of his dissonanc?; h? pac?s back and forth, consid?ring ?nt?ring Bizzl?d??s, on? of many plac?s h? is bann?d from ?nt?ring. I d?cid? to int?rv?n?. “Una, p?opl? ar? dying, r?m?mb?r?”

  Una shoots m? a hat?-fill?d glar? and tsks “Y?ah, p?opl? ar? dying…” Scraping away back north. H? pouts and fits, mind toiling d?f?at. Rocks g?t kick?d into dw?llings, bask?ts b?com? smash?d.

  I don’t know what to do wh?n h? is fuming. “Una?”

  “Shut it chitt?r”

  “I- I was just wond?ring if you can s?ns? our distr?ss targ?t y?t” B?llbird continu?s to scr?am, an un?asy f??ling as w? ?nt?r this p?ac?ful ar?a rich with lutrin? a?sth?tics, p?arl?sc?nt sh?ll coatings upon winding b?ams ov?r artificial str?ams calming to th?ir kind. A d?c?ptiv?ly d?ns? city district camouflag?d by its att?ntion to natural cr?ak-riddl?d vib?; moss thriving as a promin?nt facad?. Thr??-?y?d h?ads dip in and out of ?v?ry burrow, barking with disapproval of ?arly morning squall.

  “Y?s”

  “W?ll- …B?llbird isn’t n?c?ssary anymor?-?”

  “I lik? B?llbird” Th?r? is truth to that, Unas fur frills to catch ?cho?s of B?llbirds fuss, calming him. So I br?ath? my body through blu?; m?ditating towards p?ac? of our disturbanc?.

  ~ shimm?r pi?rc?s through familiar sp?ll ∽ mid shri?k B?llbird go?s sil?nt

  sighing out r?li?f that can’t b? h?ard, I thank this cast?r I hav? n?v?r m?t. Som?wh?r? within this ar?a ?xists on? with S?iti?? susp?nding sound. Una notic?s it too; th?y turn and mouth words to m?. I talk back, t?lling him things h? would b? disgust?d to h?ar and r?citing po?ms I l?arn?d during smiling tim?s.

  I s?? us snick?r as w? play our silly gam?. Unas ?y?s narrow d?vilishly, I can t?ll what th?y l?t loos? from thrill?d lips is catharsis of v?rbiag? too vil? ?v?n for him. Y?t within it, his smil? is a stunning tr?at. I wish h? wouldn’t hid? it wh?n?v?r h? notic?s.

  Unas for?y? wid?ns and star?s away to its calling. W? ar? clos? and I sink to follow wh?r? I know w? must go, Dolos’s Saloon. Th?r? glowing in a radiant mound of sh?ll gift?d patronag? - A plan? r?nown?d lutrin? d?n of h?rbal cultur?.

  “-to go th?r??” my voic? fad?s back in as w? r?ach past sp?lls ?dg?. “Why do?s it hav? to b? h?r?” I r?p?at.

  Una, how?v?r, is k??n. “L?ts catch som? p?rds!” h? dash?s in to find our qu?st, conjuration in tow.

  Now it is I who pac?s at an ?ntryway; though I am not bann?d from ?nt?ring, I wish I w?r?.

  I should hav? b??n mor? st?rn with Una to put B?llbird away.

  Forcing mys?lf from pac? to b?st k??p ah?ad of Unas wak?, I duck, n?arling crawling through tiny lutrin? ?ntry. Standing insid? isn’t much b?tt?r; imm?diat?ly gr??t?d with a four?d run lin?d with n?sting d?ns.

  Unlik? Bizzl?d??s, Dolos’s do?s not comp?nsat? for tall?r rac?s; strang? for a s?rvic? of such an int?rmix?d city; I susp?ct it is int?ntional

  Distr?ss app?ars to b? much furth?r in. I r?sist crawling, trying to k??p som? s?ns? of prid? about m?. My ant?nna catch?s on a jutting sh?ll roof-til? pulling my h?ad back painfully as that sh?ll clatt?rs to floor. “S- sorry” I whisp?r b?tw??n B?llbird shri?ks.

  Wak? and bak?rs ar? spars?r than ?v?ning partak?rs, filling only ?v?ry t?nth vasrat p?lt?d d?n. Lutra do th?ir b?st to ignor? m?, rolling ?y?s, h?ads turning away b?for? I m??t gaz?s.

  On? angsty custom?r barks at m? b?for? his partn?r pulls him back with “Not worth it” and lights anoth?r l?af for th?m.

  My kn??s finally g?t r?li?f as I r?ach Dolos’s magnific?nt atrium mad? from a carapac? of a gargantuan d?mon crab, I can stand, alb?it bar?ly. Discov?ring why w? ar? h?r? tak?s only a mom?nt “Oh d?ar” claws tap tog?th?r n?rvously knowing th?y’all must b? soulbrok?n.

  H?rb? T?mpa lay dismantl?d into tidy pil?s of cogs and scr?ws b?for? Dolos’s far wall bar as Lutra scrambl? to mak? s?ns? of a gnom?'s g?nius. Una strid?s around, annoying with barrag?s of qu?stions, in rar? form, dilig?nt of duty to solv? this cas?.

  Though I f??l out of plac? to pr?ss, I mov? forward to g?t a clos?r id?a of this situation.

  “Alic?! … And?rs!”

  spin? tingl?s to fr??z?, slowly turning to fac? him, of cours? h? is h?r?. Dolos XI, or as locals call him, Mama Dolos, or simply Mama, patt?rs wasplin? toward m?.

  Lutra strongly t?nd blu?, but this on? is r?d as th?y com?. Alik? Dorothy, an outli?r of ?normity for th?ir rac?, but conv?rs?ly m?an as Dorothy is affabl?.

  H? r?ach?s my tr?mbling fram? and stands on twos, h?ad surpassing my hip, hardly craning up to lock his glaring ?y?s into my f?arful. “I’m sorry” I pr??mpt with a gulp. I sit up against a banist?r to submit my gaz? down to his l?v?l.

  “B?llbird scr??ching for mil?s into ash?y morning! It ain’t ?v?n 100! Oh, and that I do not ?v?n know b?caus? I hav? had to d?al with ol’ T?mpa h?r? t?aring its?lf apart!”

  “W- w- w?ll t?chnically you would’nt know anyways… T?mpa do?sn't actually t?ll tim?.. corr?ctly”

  Mama's star? of d?ath s?nds dagg?rs into my soul. “Com? h?r?” h? r?lays in d?c?ivingly calm and ?v?n ton?.

  “Moth?r I-, I- pl?as?”

  “Com?… H?r?. Now. If I hav? to ask a third tim?.” H? holds out a paw, palm up.

  Shaking, I crawl forward and plac? my h?ad in h?r palm, closing my ?y?s.

  A sl?dg?, worlds diff?r?nt than what I wok? to,

  / ! slaps ! \

  m? into this horrid plac? of in?scapabl? agony,

  (> “Anything to k??p dr?ams from nightmar?” <)

  Finding mys?lf a minut? lat?r kn??ling at Moth?rs f??t sobbing and grinding for?h?ad into ?arth as this blinding whit? of pain wash?s ov?r lik? molass?s and back into appr?ciabl? r?al. “I’m sorry Mama-”

  Dolos grabs my h?ad, pulling up my limp body and stroking undamag?d ch??k with paw h? had just struck it with. “I gav? you that not b?caus? of your smart mouth, but- h?y! Look at m?!

  ?y?s shoot op?n from w??ping; my vision fram?d by his thickly folding wrinkl?s and rows of ?tch?d gr?y of ag? b?tw??n fi?rc? patch?s of vibrant brown; ?y?s focus?d and rip? with t?nd?r conc?rn “y?s moth?r”

  “-But b?caus? I n??d you to do b?tt?r. Una do?s not r?sp?ct you. W? ar? b?yond grat?ful that th?r? is on? willing to ?nt?rtain his ambition as an Ag?nt- sit down” I sit back into a pil? of p?lts “But Una is still a child, you must guid? him. Find courag?.”

  “Th?y… g?t so hungry, I don’t I don’t know how to h?lp th?m, and… also… I- I don’t, I don’t”

  “Find a way, do b?tt?r” I fr??z? into burd?n b?tw??n frustration and f?ar. Trying to find an answ?r to ‘do b?tt?r’. “-Anyway” Dolos continu?s “What brings you in today”

  “Oh… Distr?ss call, th?y task?d us this l?ad.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “You ar? our call?” h?r cont?mpt hurts “Typical, Distr?ss do?s not giv? vas tail about northfolk”

  “I am a captain, I can-”

  “Y?ah? -and I am a dragon. I know you can not f??l it, but this plac? is fat with harsh vib?, and th?y s?nd Distr?ss?s fin?st? Ha! W? ar? not valuabl? to this, this ‘coming ?conomy’ to Ang?l's vision of Duran. H?l, what I would do to g?t my paw on h?r. I b?t you if w? cut off supply to Bizzl?d??s th?y would notic?; Lutra ar? a jok? to Distr?ss.” His paws r?ach for his clos?st tabl?, ?v?ry on? rich with pip? and l?af. “Look at Una” I look, Iv rar?ly s??n him so Coz?. “kid is sw?ating fi?rc?. This vib? is giving m? a h?adach? and th?y cannot ?v?n s?nd top hundr?d.”

  I hav? n?v?r s??n Dolos smok? so ?arly. H? do?s not ?v?n grab a torch, impati?nt to a point of lighting up with a tith? of orang? from clawtip. “How can I h?lp?” I pr?ss

  “I Do not s?? how you can, any ?ngin??r worth a damn is gild?d up into Thunroar. W? would hav? to rais? a fortun? to nab on? out for this r?pair. Got any gold?”

  “No- ill talk with Distr?ss, try to figur? som?thing out”

  “I will not hold my br?ath. P?rhaps if w? can find who?v?r sp?lt T?mpa apart th?y can r?v?rs? it?”

  “Dismantl?r!” Una chim?s in with B?llbird shri?king in b?hind.

  “Una d?ar. If that thing of yours mak?s on? mor? sound.”

  Una dissipat?s B?llbird at onc? “Sorry moth?r” Una grumbl?s.

  “What was that?”

  “Sorry moth?r!” Una ?xclaims.

  “What is this Dismantl?r?”

  As captain I cut back in “Th?r? hav? b??n s?v?ral instanc?s th?s? past f?w w??ks of m?chanical obj?cts s?parating into pi?c?s; th?r? ar? no r?cords of anyon? with S?itie? to do that within Duran so w? think its-”

  “Insp?ctor casp?r Past?l!” Una conclud?s with prid?

  “N-no, Past?l has b??n int?rvi?w?d about this matt?r and th?ir S?itie? only turns back obj?cts to th?ir position hours, mayb? ?v?n a day or two but-”

  “Casp?r ?h?” Dolos int?rrupts m? this tim?, hand on hip wagging fing?r in air, fac? grinn?d with a bon? to pick “Sh? is a Thunroar ag?nt, no doubt flying in h?r? t?aring our ?ngin??ring apart and forcing our hands into th?ir mon?tary trap!”

  “Sh? could… pot?ntially fly across Vasum and b? back in l?ss than a hundr?d hours, its just not lik? Apollan to b? d?vious and-”

  “X?rx?s!” Una shouts

  “P?opl? would notic? if a Chiran g?n?ral l?ft Chiro. Additionally X?rx?s’s fir? is far mor? ?xtr?m?, T?mpa would not b? in pi?c?s, it would b? or?.

  “Additionally, blah blah blah, I am a stupid ant” Una mocks.

  Mama has anoth?r id?a “1st division captain Huc? is partial to Chiro and has b??n trying to tak? Ang?ls position for y?ars now. Has anything turn?d up brok?n southsid? in Ant t?rritory.?”

  “W?ll, y?s actually, most of th?s? cas?s originat? Southsid?”

  An oddly rotund pup dips its h?ad out from Dolos’s kitch?n b?hind Mama.

  “Must b? that bird th?n” Mama com?s back to

  “Bawks ar? always m?ssing things-”

  ‘Slap!’

  “No sir!, I will not h?ar that hat? in my hous?!” I shudd?r with ?mpathy as Una lays sprawl?d out clutching th?ir ch??k, ?v?n unsp?lt as min?, it stings.

  “Sorry Mama…” una whin?s

  Mama shoots dagg?rs to m? making m? painfully awar? ?v?rything with Una is of cours? my fault.

  “It is most lik?ly a n?w spark playing with th?ir pow?r” I att?mpt to conclud?.

  “Who?v?r it is, bring him back h?r?, h? n??ds to r?v?rs? this! I am not paying that criminal mon?archy a bit! I n??d T?mpa fix?d b?for? n?w y?ar” I h?ar Mamas words but ?y?s wand?r captivat?d by this ball of a child n?rvously padding toward us. Having r?ach?d a tiny s?t of stairs, h? has turn?d around, s?arching a back paw in a tr?m?ndous struggl? to bas? down. I n?arly sp?ll as th?y fail, rolling lik? a wh??l down ?ach st?p.

  “I uh, hm, oh. I will do my b?st Mama”

  “Do b?tt?r than that.” Mama d?mands, h?ad tilt?d, th?n tracing back my gaz? to m??t this tiny bal? waddling toward. “Toma! What did I say about coming in h?r??”

  “Do noot?” Toma r?pli?s dr?arily, limp ov?r lik? a dry flow?r “But I am sooo huungry maama, staarving…” H? pulls at Mamas fur

  Mama

  / slaps \

  at air cl?aring surrounding h?rb smok? “Smok? will damag? your young mind, n?xt tim? I catch you in h?r?! What happ?n?d to fish? I fish?d two bask?ts for you ?l?v?n!”

  “Damn Toma got fat!”

  “Una!”

  Toma shudd?rs th?n curls his h?ad b?tw??n paws, tucking his tail and b?coming an orb. “Scravy at? it all, Scravy is a bad on?, Scravy stol? ?v?ry fish” muffl?d sp??ch ?mits from und?r sph?r? of fur.

  “Littl? Scrav’ at? all that fish ?h?”

  “Scravy did it, Toma is innoc?nt”

  Mama

  slaps

  this sph?r?, it jiggl?s unaff?ct?dly. “That was not for ?ating; it was for lying to Mama!”

  “Toma is innoc?nt, Toma is innoc?nt” Toma whimp?rs d?spit? app?aring unharm?d.

  Mama sighs, “Kids usually up in app?tit? during th?ir sparking but this on? is ridiculous. Looks lik? I hav? anoth?r Una on my hands. It is obvious what th?ir S?itie? is and I can not g?t through to th?m without fir?; but I hav? n?v?r sp?lt a pup.”

  Mamas absurd conundrum irks m? which roars out as f?ar att?mpts to stop m? “you, y-, you could- umm, you, w?ll… w?ll you- you could try- not-… -slapping orphans?”

  Our ?y?s lock, his wid?ning, min? squinting back. Soul thrums int?ns? in a prolong?d mom?nt,. A paw com?s toward m? and I winc? into darkn?ss. Mama’s paw pats my hip, aff?ctionat?ly? “Th?r? is that courag?, K??p chasing it”

  “Y- y?ah? -what?”

  “W?lp, kids ar? waking soon, to ?mpty bask?ts from what it sounds lik?. You two b?tt?r finish up h?r? so I can h?ad fishing.”

  “You could pick up som? bricks-”

  “How Chiran of you” Mama sn??rs “do not push it. Chiro do?s not car? about us, I do not trust th?ir food; ?sp?cially for my kids” Mamas gaz? turns to Una who I’v just notic?d has gon? from sp?ar ?ar?d p?rd hunting gl??, to an ?ar back h?ad turn?d curl “What has gott?n your kipp?r ?h?”

  “Nothing, frac off’ Una gaz? r?mains down.

  “Nothing ?h, gu?ss I will hav? to giv? th?s? books to som?on? ?ls? th?n” Mama stacks thr?? books from his bubbl? into r?al

  Una p?rks only physically “I will tak? th?m, I m?an, I will run out soon and n??d-” This stack is thrown into Unas paws, who bri?fly scans th?m, ?nticing ?xcit?d tail thumping. H? tri?s to put th?m away into his own bubbl? but struggl?s to cram th?m in.

  “Still got pink t?chnics? I hav? a pup who could us? it’’ Mama sugg?sts.

  “Lyuk?” Una gu?ss?s, r?tri?ving it along with anoth?r “oh, I think Toma might lik? this on?”

  Mama tak?s th?m, ?xamining cov?rs “H?h, I b?t, that is if I can g?t this bould?r to r?ad”

  “Do not mak? Toma r?ad, Toma hat?s to r?ad” furry sph?r? complains

  Una fits th?s? n?w r?adings car?fully in th?ir bubbl? and l?ans towards ?xit. “Thanks Mama, s?? you around” Una is antsy, tapping th?ir tail against my l?g to hurry m? along

  “On? mor? thing Una”

  “Y?s Mama?” P?rhaps I r?ad too far into this and una is simply happy to g?t out of h?r? without anoth?r slap; sp?aking of which h?r? it com?s.

  ~ Slap ∽

  sp?lt of blu? ash drag b?hind claws through ?mpty air, missing Unas duck?d body. Cigar?tt?s rak? across Dolos’s wood?n boards in wak?. “If I catch you pulling this thi?v?ry again.”

  Fascinating, I didn’t know Dolos could do that. I don’t know much about Lutrin? bubbl?s.

  “I turn tw?nty n?xt month” Shouts Una, pounc?d back into frill.

  “W?ll you can com? pick th?m up th?n!”

  “I am not a child!”

  “You ar? not a child w?ll w?ll! I was not awar? that adults-” This s??ms lik? it will g?t ugly. I st?p away to st?al a look at T?mpa.

  Taking out a pag? of foil, I b?gin to photograph, though anoth?r Lutra is alr?ady drafting this sc?n? and my tal?nt do?sn’t compar?. Twisting lights into forms that stand out to m? burns imag?s into pag?; littl? is brok?n, only T?mpa’s b?nt fac?plat? numb?rs 20 through 2 wh?r? it must hav? tumbl?d ov?r. Consist?nt with dismantl?rs n?at d?tachm?nt of pi?c?s; only what has m?t gravity is damag?d, showing a lack of conc?rn in that asp?ct.

  Slap!

  Som? organs r?main in clocks housing sugg?sting it's not pull?d apart, only s?parat?d. * A scan of y?llow finds my ?y?s on a strang? whit? lin?; l?aning to pick it up, I notic? its r?lation to a pair of scatt?r?d wood?n trim. Twisting this tacky strip through my claws confirms; Fascinating; this is a pi?c? of glu? d?tach?d from its hold. * A truly m?ticulous s?paration of parts. But what ?xactly d?fin?s a pi?c??

  “Com? on” Sniffling, Una bats my ankl? with firm r?solv? to g?t us on our way “l?ts g?t out of this h?lhol?”

  Pausing s?aring foil, I follow. Mama is rolling Toma with som? difficulty up a ramp toward backdoor. “Bring m? that dismantl?r; you hav? two w??ks” H? d?mands with a nod as I dip back und?r from atrium “I’ll do my b?st” I li?; bringing in P?rds isn’t ?xactly our post.

  “Do b?tt?r”

  —-

  Back into air, Una is in anoth?r bask?t thr?at?ning, rock kicking fr?nzy.

  “Una, una!” A young voic? calls aft?r us

  “Lyuk! H?y” Una gr??ts, conc?aling rag? lik? an ill?gal knif?

  Lyuk is fun to look at, whit?-pink fur, or what?v?r that color would b? call?d- Uncannily bright and whimsical lik? a fa?ri?. “H?y, Hi, I-”

  “Uwna, una” A spott?d pup slinks sickly from orphanag? downhill toward us, only two to thr?? y?ars, still an unspark?d blank slat? of uncolor?d fur.

  “Is that Vic? H? is g?tting so big!”

  “Y?ah, not has big as Toma, hav? you s??n-”

  “Toma is hug?!” Th?y both chirp with laught?r. Lyuk int?rc?pts Vic and cradl?s him with difficulty in two arms. Lyuk is ?l?v?n, I think, old?st orphan, I b?li?v?, and though larg?r, h? s??ms l?ss larg?r than b?ing r?d should grant him, slightly larg?r now than Una, which I know has chang?d b?caus? last I saw th?m tog?th?r I think I thought ‘th?y ar? sam?ly siz?d ?xactly.’

  I blink finding mys?lf daz?d in this run of thought. I must hav? gott?n burnt from standing in Dolos’s atrium wh?r? smok? coll?cts; and I am thinking about siz?s so much b?caus? my y?llow d?signation points m? to noticing things.

  “Una cub, una cub” I hav? miss?d s?v?ral lin?s of dialogu?.

  Lyuk bats Vic “H?y, shut it.” Which is surprising b?caus? I hav? always known Lyuk as a g?ntl? pup. Vic grunts and pouts.

  “No hitting!” Una d?mands firmly.

  “No n??d to y?ll; H? call?d you a… cub, not v?ry nic? is it?”

  “It do?s not matt?r why; no hitting.” Una is h?roically firm with this.

  “Y?ah, got it”

  Una dips h?r nos? in to nuzzl? at Vic. “Una!” Vic shouts.

  “H?y baby” Una purrs with a tight-paww?d squ??z?.

  “Una clu-uck” Quickly pulling Vic away, Lyuk int?rrupts r?union.

  “I gotta go h?lp Mama catch mor? fish; ?v?rything w? caught in twilight disapp?ar?d, s?? you by?” Th?y dash off as fast as a Lutra carrying som?thing a third h?avy as th?ms?lf can. “Com? around mor? oft?n Una” Lyuk shouts back

  Una is sp??chl?ss, staring with shrugg?d disb?li?f at Lyuks bad mann?rs and swift r?tr?at. “Wow, ‘Sh?’ is b?coming a punk” Una conclud?s turning and h?ading back toward Sxyr.

  It tak?s m? a mom?nt “Sh??”

  “Y?s, Lyuk says th?y ar? bright and ?l?gant lik? an Apollan so th?y want to b? call?d ‘Sh?’”

  “H? do?sn’t hav?-”

  “Sh?”

  “...Lutra don’t hav? thos? organs”

  “I know how it works, chitt?r. H? has this h-”

  “Sh??”

  “‘Sh?’ has this whol? thing about it.”

  “Sh? c?rtainly did not s??m ?l?gant to m?”

  “Som?thing was up, ‘sh?’ was worri?d about som?thing.”

  “I Don’t n??d for?y? to pick that up.” I j?st. “That littl? on? s??ms fond of you, how many z?nith ar? th?y, two? Th?y wouldn’t hav? b??n aliv? wh?n you liv?d th?r?. How did-”

  “Vic is almost four.” Th?r? is surprising s?riousn?ss to Una's ton?.

  “Oh.”

  “Vic n?arly di?d wh?n th?y w?r? abandon?d, His soul is h?aling and has troubl? g?tting ?nough r?d”

  “My mistak?, H? could Hardly form words y?t so-”

  “H? do?s not-” Una claps back, furiously d?f?nsiv?. “H? has troubl?-...bringing tog?th?r his blu?, h? is r?ally smart if you g?t to know him” Una is tipto?ing; som?thing sh? hardly do?s ?v?n with Ang?l.

  hmm…

  That I insult?d Vic dawns on m? and I f??l bad. I wond?r-

  Hmm.. what am I wond?ring? I wond?r- “Una ar? you burnt?” Did I ask that just to chang? subj?ct?

  “What? I wish. Ar? you?”

  “I think I might b?”

  “Smoking on Duty? Mayb? Mama ‘can’ knock s?ns? into p?opl?, hold up” Una morphs into a kind of sn?aking around cr?atur?, blocking hims?lf visually from both Sxyr and Dolos’s by hiding in an all?y. H? pulls a stub from a thick patch of fur b?hind his ?ar and starts to try to cast blaz?.

  “Wait, You can’t smok?”

  “You can’t smok?” Una mocks “what ar? you talking about punknugg?t? You did” H? continu?s working at burning this tiny ?nds last half puff, th?ir orang? is not… b?ing ?nough. I would b? surpris?d if th?y could. Oh, th?y got it. Una blows a piff of smok? into my fac?, th?n tri?s for mor? as stub unkindl?s.

  “I got burnt on accid?nt”

  “Fic, you can not g?t as blaz?d as you ar? on ‘accid?nt’”

  “I’m not, th?r? was this- this- Mama’s Dolos Saloon th?r? was smok?, and I usually don’t stand in it for so long, or go in at all r?ally. It coll?cts in that giant sh?ll, I m?an carapac? wh?r?…”

  “You can g?t that burnt from that?” I s?? Unas mind r??ling this in.

  “Wait, don’t g?t any id?as!”

  Una snick?rs th?n continu?s on his stub “H?lp m? out would you, I suck at this, you ar? clos?r to orang? than I am”

  “No, n-no! You Hav? to stop this, I am putting my foot down in fact. Throw that out.”

  “Oh r?ally?

  “Y?ah?”

  “Y?ah?”

  “Y?ah?” una mocks. “Is this you ‘doing b?tt?r?’ I saw Mama sp?ll you, I know what you ar? doing”

  “H?, w?ll-, Mama slapp?d m? b?caus? of B?llbird. H? ?xp?cts m?, ?v?rything you do wroo- not, w?ll; not grac?fully, it is my fault. I g?t that I am not r?ally a captain but- w?ll w? ar? a t?am and-”

  “Oh gods, shut it, this is painful.” His voic? is jovial at my ?xp?ns?.

  “I'm trying to do b?tt?r is all”

  “Oh y?ah? ‘B?tt?r?, I hav? h?ard about that; how is it working out for you?”

  “I’m doing b?tt?r”

  “I think its working, n?arly dropp?d my cig, th?r? is som?thing to it. -But now I am doing b?tt?r? What will you do now?”

  “Gosh, gu?ss i'll hav? to do b?tt?r”

  “W?ll now I am b?tt?r than that”

  “W?ll I’m b?tt?r”

  “I am b?tt?r”

  “B?tt?r”

  “B?tt?r”

  “B?tt?r b?tt?r”

  “Do b?tt?r”

  “W?ll I am b?st now”

  “Damn ‘b?st?’ Not ?v?n Mama knows that t?ch. I will hav? to do b?tt?r som?how.” Hardly abl? to k??p it tog?th?r, Una bats my kn?? ” Com? on dumb stick, I cannot focus my r?d wh?n you ar? making m? laugh”

  “Sorry, I’m r?ally- atl?ast not h?lping on this.”

  With wid? grin h? shak?s his h?ad “You ar? so flimsy… got it!” Anoth?r f??bl? poof ling?rs.

  …

  Aft?r a long sil?nc? Unas voic? jolts. “Thank you for standing up for slapp?d orphans”

  “Oh, it was nothing, I could bar?ly-”

  “You w?r? a wr?ck my guy” H? giggl?s. “But I still appr?ciat? you trying”

  I chortl? back, ?njoying this mom?nt alon? with him.

  (> “orphans mak? gr?at charact?rs” H? t?lls m?. Smiling fri?nds sit on ?v?ry ?mpty crat? and back against barr?n walls, th?ir sharp impl?m?nts glinting<)

  “Thanks una” I try my b?st not to look around as if som?thing w?r? th?r?. Una, smiling too, f??ls saf?, though looks up into my ?y?s p?rpl?x?d by my sudd?n coz?.

  (> “Som? impossibly tragic thing you cannot h?lp sympathizing with wh?n you can’t afford that m?rcy for yours?lf”<)