A small mouse-like rodent hops and skids through the sands, looking for something to eat. Finding a small hole, hoping to find some type of insect, it sticks its head inside, sniffing, hoping to find something. Lying in the wait, the Kelak takes its opportunity, striking with its spiked tail at the rodent's head.

“Look at that.” Says Lupe, pointing over to the desert lizard devouring the small mammal.

Barbara snaps out of her daydream, looking through the vast desert until she finds what Lupe was referring to.

“Good eye.” She compliments Lupe.

That morning, they got up before sunrise, passed through the tall dry gorge, found the cows around a reservoir, and continued their journey. Out of the gorge and back into an open desert, one a bit more humid, with more vegetation, not as barren . Lupe had said that Barbara was capable enough to look after her and the herd, Demitrio and Celso would surely be waiting for them near the entrance to Pillotlan.

“The twins call me desert lizard.” The wagon seat beneath her creaks and wobbles.

Lupe burst out into boisterous laughter, Barbara regrets having mentioned this to her.

“In this language that arrived here on those ships long ago, they simply call them swordtail lizards. My grandmother taught me our language, said the Kelak are a noble species, humble servants of our Lord Sun.”

“Was your grandmother the one that taught you magic?” Asks Barbara.

“Yes.” She laughs. “Despite how much my mother protested, I begged my grandmother to teach me. She was just a humble healer, unlike the shamans that led armies in the south before the ships arrived.”

“Why didn’t your mother want you learning magic?”

“Said there was no need for that in the new world, that technology would bridge the gap between Gods and humanity better than the greatest, most spiritually attuned shaman kings and queens of old ever could.”

“My master would say that technology is essentially magic for those too lazy to speak to spirits. I don’t know why he said stuff like that, he doesn’t know any magic, or any of the modern sciences.”

“Sounds like my mother.”

“A few months after Master took me in, I got sick, I contracted a powerful spirit.” Barbara stares at the horizon. “I thought I was going to die, kind of wanted it too.”

Lupe looks over at her through the corner of her eye, waiting for her to continue.

“He took me to a small village north of the mountains where we lived. The healer there, I don’t know what he did-”

“Did you see it, the realm of spirits?”

“How did you kno-”

“There’s a divide between those that reject the old ways, and those that see the importance in conserving them. We country folk can talk about that kind of stuff, but it unsettles people from cities.”

“There’s no reason magic should be outlawed. I get building schools for science, I’m not against progress, but there’s room for the old ways in the new world.”

“Oh, my.” Sighs Lupe.

“What?”

“You’re driven by an ideal. That never ends well for anyone.”

“I’m not looking to topple the current government to bring back the shaman kings. I just don’t think that foreigners from across the seas should be dictating how we live our lives.”

“Then you will be fighting against those that believe that they too are fighting for the greater good.”

Barbara rolls her eyes, scoffing. “Here we go again.”

Lupe finds her attitude amusing. “What do you have against moral relativism? Your master was not as foolish as you think, you know.”

“I don’t know, what I saw from Master, I think that sort of thinking leads to inaction, which is worse than any war, in my opinion.”

“When used properly, inaction can be a powerful tool for change.”

“He’d say that too. In those exact same words. What’s with old people all thinking the same way?”

Lupe nearly falls off the side of the wagon in her frenzy of laughter, a contagious laughter that grabs hold of Barbara as well. Not wanting to argue, Lupe changes the subject.

The sun reaches its peak high above them, they notice the streams of smoke coming from the other side of the hills ahead.

“Nearly there.” States Lupe, turning to Barbara. “Quite the journey you had.”

“Glad I took the first steps.” She answers.

Upon seeing the nestled town of Pillotlan spread below them, everything feels different, although at first glance it appears to her she's always known the city. A wide river cutting the city in two, right down the middle, the second floors of many houses extended precariously on top of the sidewalk. Small wagons, some led by horse, others by people, the decorative displays on shops windows, people everywhere, creating a hum in the atmosphere. Despite the lively ambiance of the entrance to the city, Barbara can't help but feel something is off.

"I don’t remember it being this crowded?" Mutters Barbara.

"Yeah, people come to trade during harvest season. It's sort of lively, I guess. Probably some sort of festival today since Don Sinven can’t help but flaunt his wealth."

"Who's that?" Asks Barbara.

"Sinven's one of the richest men in town. He owns many of the city's manufacturing plants, a large amount of farmland, livestock, and comes from a distinguished line of early boatlanders of Aztlan. From what I’ve heard recently, he’s been pursuing politics."

Taking the peripheral road south lies the cattle ranchers guild, a huge field divided into small groups, each attached to a white painted house. Lupe's herd files into one specific plot, separated from the other herds.

"They're so obedient." Marvels Barbara.

"They're good to me, and I them." Lupe jumps off, letting the horses pulling the wagon join the herd for feeding. "You said you know the city, right?"

"Yeah." She replies, jumping off the wagon to help Lupe.

"Good, I got to take care of some business. Why don't you go look for the twins. I'll be staying in that house, I'd love for you to keep me company while I'm here."

Barbara fastens her sword around her waist. By noon, she crosses the three main roads that cut through the city and wanders aimlessly along alleys and side roads, staring at the statues of men and women with weapons in hand, or bows pointed straight at the crowd passing by. Just about every fifth statue seems to lack eyes, a product of possible vandalism, thought Barbara. After wandering around the outskirts of the city without finding the twins, she enters the center square, crossing the wooden bridge that cuts through the town center, she listens to the sounds of the marketplaces bustle, glad to be away from the deafening silence of that lonely mountain.

"Hi, you must be from out of town." Says a small voice, next to her.

"Um, hi." Greets Barbara

A sandal-clad boy a few years younger than Barbara, wearing a cap with stringy hair running down his face, stares at her, uncomfortably close. "Do you need help finding something?"

"Yes, actually. A pair of twins, one wounded, the other must have been tending to him. Big guys, the both of them, a real mean look on their faces."

The boy thinks for a moment. "Can't recall anyone like that, recently. If they were wounded they probably went to a medic, right?"

"Do you know any medics office?"

"I know four in the area, follow me!"

Before Barbara can respond, the boy runs ahead of her, running right through a clutter of pedestrians passing by.

"Come on, follow me." Shouts the boy.

Barbara tries to make it through the crowd, bumping and pushing, losing sight of the boy.

"Where did he-"

Surrounded by people, her center of gravity shifts, her sword no longer at her side, and unable to spot the boy that was guiding her.

"Everyone, back off!" She yells.

A few startled pedestrians actually stop, staring at her, giving her the opportunity to get a better glance at what's around her. She spots the boy's dirty face a few paces away staring back at her, attempting to blend in.

"You little shit." Barbara pushes past the crowd, trying to get a hold of the boy.

The boy darts into a back alley, looking over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner. Barbara makes haste, finding the boy cornered in the alley's dead end. Holding Barbara's sword in both hands, he turns to face her.

“Nowhere to run.” Barbara slowly closes the distance.

The boy takes a quick glance up at the sky, lowering his gaze back down he smiles, thrusting the sword upwards. Barbara’s eyes follow her blade with her eyes as it's grabbed by someone on the roof of the building Barbara and the boy stand under. The boy jumps from one wall to another, deftly making his way to the rooftop.

Gritting her teeth, Barbara jumps from one wall to another, just as the boy did, save the finess. She makes it to the top, barely keeping her balance on the ledge of the roof, she finds the boy and another girl about Barbara’s age waiting for her.

“Nice moves.” Says the boy.

“Yeah, not bad.” Adds the girl, blue fiery eyes under blonde hair. She punches Barbara in the face, pushing her all the way back down to the ground.

Barbara falls on crates full of trash, only able to hear the laughter of the thieves as they disappear with her sword in hand.