“So what’s my role in all of this?” I ask Shaz as we climb up a ladder out of the sewers. “Also, I can’t wear this mask for long, I have to take it off—“

“You’re pretty decent with controlling Anku right?” Shaz interrupts me in an extremely purposeful way.

“That’s quite rude, do you not care about my wellbeing?”

“If you’re going to act like a smug asshole, then I get to act like one too, it’s only fair.”

“Man, if you want to be like me so bad don’t say it out loud, just gonna stroke my ego if you do that.”

“That ain’t gonna make you any less likable than you already are.”

“I’m just confident, don’t get jealous!”

“Look, all I need you for is as a bodyguard for if things go south out in the city. I also might ask for some help figuring out the Anku side of the Kekta. I might even let you sleep on the ground if you behave.”

Avery giggles from underneath us.

“Thinking of a funny video you saw?” I remark at her.

“A video huh? That another one of the future’s inventions?” She says. “But, I’m just thinking about my little brothers, always fighting like you guys are.” She continues chuckling.

“Hear that Shaz? We’re as close as siblings according to her.” I call out to him.

“Is someone talking to me? Damn, the wind can get kinda loud in here.” Shaz says, annoyed enough to start ignoring me.

I zip up my coat as we arrive in some musty old room, containing a set of stairs that lead high up into the building.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“This is the bell tower, built one right over a sewer exit unknowingly, people only found out about the hole when the floor collapsed after moving some furniture around, pretty much abandoned, but this is how we’ll sneak into the city.” Shaz says.

A small hawk then out of nowhere flies down from the top of the tower, landing on Shaz’ arm. “Hey buddy, how you’ve been?” Shaz takes out a bead of corn from out of his pocket, flicking it into the hawk’s mouth.

“This is little fellow here is Toastie. He’ll fly above us and squawk if we’re heading towards a bunch of soldiers.”

“What about the Iquen? They won’t have any distinguishable uniforms, how will we know if they’re attacking?”

“Avery can tell us if anyone is following us and… Your job, is to watch our backs, incase an individual person tries to sneak up on us. If things go badly, or we’re being followed.” Shaz puts his hand in his pocket. “I’ll cause a little panic, we’ll surf the crowd out of there, and if things go really badly.” Shaz takes a small short sword and scabbard from his bag and hands it to me. “Well then, you’re good with this thing right?”

I take the short sword and sling it over my back. “How long are we going to stay out here? More than six hours with the mask and I’ll probably be coughing up blood.”

“Will you die?” Shaz simply asks me.

I click my mouth. “Come on man, if you knew how it felt you would spare me.”

“Chew on a fiscus root or something, I’m not a doctor; what do you want me to do?”

“Just… go light on the hours.”

“Well Mr. Pussycat, the more pain, the faster you’ll get to doctor Huley and we can never see each other again. How about that?”

I shake my head and wave him off, knowing that it was going to be an un-winnable argument in the first place.

“If you uh, want another Flimi, I can do more of them.” Avery says to me.

I stare at her for a couple of seconds, causing her to drift her gaze away uncomfortably, before then reaching out to her, causing her to flinch. I rest my hand her shoulder. “Thanks, you’re the nicest person I’ve ever known.” Before turning to Shaz waiting by the door.

“No more questions? Great let’s go.” Shaz opens the door to the clock tower, throwing the hawk into the air and then closes the door. He then forages through the back of the building, bringing out a large empty wooden cart.

“Push it for me, will ya? You know, cause you’re the strongest.” Shaz says before walking outside.

“Cool, cool, cool, asking a deaf blind disabled person to carry your luggage, how sweet of you.” I say before I affix the mask to my face.

The three of us walk into a busy street, my bringing up the vanguard, pulling the cart behind my back. I flick my eyes from one passerby to the next.

“Do you guys have to do this every time?” I ask.

“Sorta, though we usually have to avoid the busier streets so we can’t get snuck up on.” Shaz says.

The hawk squawks, and Shaz stops moving. “Right, let’s take this detour.” He says before turning into a well concealed sub-path through the buildings.

We make our way through the city without incident, twisting and turning to avoid any soldiers on our path, till we were eventually standing in front of a warehouse.

“Shipment #44652, Name: Nelton Kulinsky, Code 34-250-56.” Shaz walks up to a bored looking attendant by the entrance. The attendant then flips through a couple pages on his book.

“Sounds correct, your shipment should be on shelf #3.” The attendant says before getting up with a key in his hand. The attendant unlocks the door and the three of us step through into the warehouse along with the cart.

“What? how…” I murmur.

“It isn’t very hard to forge an identity around here.” Shaz whispers to me.

“No, that’s not what I meant, how did you scrap together all the money for this?”

“We’ll uhh, make the money.”

“How??”

“No, we’ll literally make the money.” Shaz points to the big crate full of un-smelted metals along with a separate one full of charcoal.

…

Ohhh.

The two of us grunt as we load the raw materials onto the cart.

“Uhh, I don’t know a better way to say this, but…” Avery speaks up for the first time since coming outside. “More than thirty people just walked into my radius all at once.”

“Time to go.” Shaz immediately leaves the materials behind without hesitation and begins walking briskly for the door.

“Are you leaving it?!” I drop my crate and jog up to him.

“What? Do you wanna drag a barrow full of iron with you while we run away from a bunch of thugs? Use your head.” Shaz says.

“But…” I take one last look at the iron and click my tongue before following him.

“We’ll get it another way, I know a guy from out of the city.”

Shaz jiggles the handle to the door, finding it locked. “Damn it.” He whispers. “Hey! Sorry, something came up, can you unlock the door? I’ll pick up the shipment later.” He then shouts to the attendant outside.

We wait for a couple seconds to no response. I then look around and grab a small ingot lying on the table. Right, guess it’s my turn.

“We’ve been had. We’ve gotta bust throu- “ Shaz jumps back as I slam my shoulder through the crack of the door, running straight through the fragile wooden build. I instantly turn right to a very surprised attendant desperately trying to draw his sword. I throw the ingot forward and run at him, he swings his head to the side, managing to dodge it, but not before I get in to the range of his sword, drawing my own and parrying a clumsy panic swing.

Off-balance, I print my fist right into his nose as Shaz and Avery run out from the warehouse.

“Where are they coming from!?” Shaz looks left and right as he shouts.

“From the Southwest!”

“Alright, follow me!” Shaz begins running.

The three of us run off to an empty street. Those two… Need to exercise some more. I watch grimly as the two of them lag behind.

“Status?” Shaz says breathlessly.

“They’re catching up! I don’t know how, but they know where we are!” Avery shouts.

“Shit! Alright, screw it! Avery! Use your Tetsu! Taiga! You better start running your heart out.” Shaz says as he climbs on Avery’s back.

Avery suddenly exhales, leaving a cloud of mist drifting through the air, she lowers her head and faces forward in focus, before jetting forward as the ground beneath her is covered with a combination of water and ice.

I lower my head as well and dip down to the ground like a professional athlete building up acceleration. Pumping my arms up and down, we fly off the street like two race cars side by side.

“LEFT!” Shaz yells. “RIGHT HERE!” “GO THROUGH THE TUNNEL, AVOID THE BUSY STREET!” It was like Shaz knew this city like the back of his hand as he shouts out instruction after instruction.

“Slow down a bit, Avery how are we looking?”

“There’s still one person that’s managed to keep up with us all this time.”

“Alright, turn right over here then.” The three of us run into an abandoned tunnel that went through a hill.

“This is a dead end, what are you doing?!” I shout as Shaz.

“One Iquen rat shouldn’t be too much for you to handle. You take them out, then we’ll be free. We’ll help if things go badly. Good luck!” Shaz says before running away.

“Wha-“ I turn my attention towards the entrance of the tunnel drawing my short sword confused. This is an absolutely horrible idea, what the hell is Shaz doing?

“That’s strange… The person just stopped moving, actually they completely disappeared!” Avery then says in a panic.

“Wait what? That’s impossible!”

“I-I don’t know, I can’t seem to find her anymore.”

“No, no, no they must have been-“

I smash a wall next to me with my fist, my anger boiling over. “Fuck! Both of you!” I shout over both of their voices. “We get out of this tunnel right god damn now.” I shout at them before beginning to run forward.

“What are you scared to fight? You aren’t the leader, don’t get it twisted.”

I turn back. “It’s obvious you don’t got any street smarts so I am the leader you prick, if Tetsu girl over there just used her power in the public the police are about to be searching every nook and cranny of this place, on our asses immediately. We don’t have time for this one vs one duel.” I say before turning back.

“If we let that person go they are going to follow us back to the hideout, we have to take them out now.”

I take a deep breath. “Has it ever occurred to you that the reason water girl can’t detect the rat is because we stopped moving? And what do you think they’re stupid? That person is just gonna run blindly into all three of us alone?” Shaz opens his mouth ready to respond but I hold up my fingers. “No, no, no, whoever it was that kept pace with us is probably chit chatting with their buddies calling for reinforcements, and we’re just sitting in a literal corner letting them corner us for free.” I spread my arms sarcastically. “So what do you say, wanna be surrounded by dozens of government and criminal lackeys in a couple minutes, or drop your ego a bit eh? It’s a bit too early for a last stand.”

“You…” Shaz says frustrated. “Once we get back we’re going to have a little talk.” He says before shoving past me, I press my lips tightly together and watch him as he walks out the tunnel.

“Sorry about… stuff.” Avery hesitates as she follows Shaz.

“No… You’re alright, some people just can’t get along with each other.” I whisper as I run after them.

The three of us begin running once again, this time at a much more human pace.

“Right, can you detect where the tailer is now?” I ask Avery.

“Yea, I think… I can trace the presence again, yea I think I know where they are.”

“Can you freeze their legs? Or you know, do something that’ll make them stop chasing us?”

“Sorry.” Avery presses her palm to her head in apparent discomfort. “This stuff has limits, I can make them a little cold, but I don’t think I can freeze them from that far away.”

“Then, can you… Think you can show me where they are?”

Avery looks at me for a couple seconds then nods.

“Cool, on a count of three, show me. Don’t stop, keep running, get right back into the hideout, I’ll join you guys shortly.” I say.

“What? Do you know the way back?” Shaz asks breathlessly.

“Aw, worried about me? Don’t worry, I’ll do better without you two dragging me down sorry Avery.”

“No offense taken, I don’t really want to be good at this kind of stuff.” Avery says.

“Right then, what am I looking for when you do it?” I look over my shoulder.

“Follow the mist. It’ll lead you right to them.” Avery says as her breath begins to come out icy.

“Good luck to you. Three-” I begin to slow down, lagging behind them.

“Two.” I come to a full stop, turning around.

“ONE!” Time slows down to a walk as I focus all my Anku into my eyes, watching as the air begins to condense and shimmer into tiny crystals, the midday sun reflecting beautifully off the ice. All… Pointing…

Right…

There.

I dig my feet into the dirt and spring off, rounding and flying past a corner, leading into an adjacent street. My eyes dart quickly to a figure hurriedly retreating into a random shop, a trail of mist coming off of… what looks to be a her.

I draw my sword to panic of the citizens around me and follow her into the shop, kicking down the door with my feet.

“What the fuck! What’s going on?!?” The shopkeeper yells, he was already cowering before I even came into the shop.

“Where did she go.” I ask calmly as I survey my surroundings.

“Sh-sh-sh-she went upstairs, that Shesuan girl. Right there.” The shop keeper shakes as he points to a staircase hidden in the back of the shop.

“Thank you.” I say out of habit before approaching the stairs. Wait, Shesuan. He just said a Shesuan girl. Didn’t he?

“…Fuck!” I silently curse to myself. You better not be who I think you are. I slowly walk up the stairs. The building was dead quiet now, no sign of any sort of movement, which means that she’s still here. Just. waiting for me. This annoying little bug that I can’t seem to get rid of.

“Got yourself involved in another Tetsudo didn’t you?” Polly says as the mist fades from her body. She was leaned against a window facing the entrance of the stairs.

“I thought you moved on, weren’t going to use me for your revenge anymore?” I ask her tightly lipped.

“Never said anything like that, nah, but I’m waiting, I’m waiting for the moment you do something that’ll give me a reason to do it.” Polly says casually, her golden eyes glowering straight into my face.

“Do whatever you want.” I wave her off as I turn away, then I turn back. “But, uh, one thing. Are you involved with those Iquen losers? How did you find me?”

“Yes, I heard that they were looking for a masked figure so I used them to find you.” “Aren’t you… you know, an Agate, supposed to be an arbiter of good and justice?” I ask hesitantly.

“Right, right, then I think I should start with the thief in front of me shouldn’t I?”

“You know what, forget I said anything.” I instantly turn away upon hearing this.

“Good luck, I’m eager to see what that thief persona you described is all about.” Polly stays in the room as I walk down the stairs.

“Who the hell are you two?! You can’t just barge into my shop like that!” The shopkeeper had passed his surprise phase and was now in his angry phase.

I glance to the side, something interesting catching my eye.

“How much for this cloak pops?” I ask him as I walk up and inspect the material.

“I’m not fucking selling anything to you. I’ve already called the guards, get the hell out of here!” The man angrily walks up and shouts at me.

“Your words not mine.” I shrug as I sling the cloak around my shoulder and walk out the door.

“HEY GET BACK—“ He’s interrupted by the sound of glass shattering on the top level. “Did she just—“ I walk out the shop as glass falls from the sky, Polly having broken and jumped out the window.

“Follow me if you can piss eyes.” I whisper before disappearing into the city crowds.