ʟɪꜱᴋᴀ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴀ ᴅᴀʏ ᴏꜰꜰ.

As one did. There she was, complaining on her couch as normal. People streamed into the portal room of the inn, heading to multiple destinations these days.

Liscor, Esthelm, Celum, Pallass, Invrisil, Riverfarm, that place north of Invrisil that Ilvriss wanted—you know, places. And Liska was talking nonstop as she herded them into their doors. Well, complaining really.

“I’m just so tired all the time, y’know? I wake up? Tired. I clock into work at, like, 7 AM and I’m tired. I need a break!”

Asgra stopped mopping the floors and gave Liska a look. The Cave Goblin had been up at 3 AM. The night shift ended around then and you got to spend the morning tidying up or just keeping an eye out. However, despite the platter of snacks in front of Liska, she did appear…tired.

Not physically, but she was all slumped, like someone had added a few bones to a fur slime. Asgra shrugged.

“You is paid, none of us dead. That good by Goblin standards.”

Although…that was a tired line she used to motivate herself when, in fact, Asgra sometimes wanted a bit more time off to go into Liscor with, more days off, or to just go visit Goblinhome and meet some nice Goblin…

She got worried because she felt like she was getting weak. No longer as used to hardship as her old, Cave Goblin self. But she reasoned she was still okay because Liska was alive, and it was hard to be less tough than Liska.

“I dunno, Asgra. I’m just so sleepy…”

Liska had the misfortune of yawning when someone came in for an inspection. Namely, the Demon Queen, the Mistress of Woes, the Chairbreaker, Lyonette du Marquin. The inn’s staff liked coming up with names for the [Princess]. The Rheirgest [Necromancers] also loved joining in. Actually, they took it a bit more seriously than the inn’s staff…Asgra had heard someone had made a shrine to Lyonette in Rheirgest, and there’d been talk of commissioning a portrait of her. Not for any religious reasons, but because it would really be ‘dark tyrant decor’ that would improve any area it was put in.

It came to something when regular Humans could outdo even Gothica. Well, Lyonette heard Liska and saw the full-slump Gnoll with her feet up on a cushion and put her hands on her hips.

“Liska, is this how you’re serving our guests?”

“Uh oh, the fuzz.”

Asgra began mopping furiously as Liska sat up.

“Er, Lyonette, I was just, um—”

Lyonette had this friendly-pushy way about her. She came over, eying the charcuterie snack tray that Liska got each brunch. You know, just your regular platter of meat, cheeses, silkap, fresh bread, flatbread, dips—Calescent liked to put on vegetables too. Roasted bell peppers, celery, just enough that Liska would eat the good stuff first, then notice she had some dip left and snack down on the rest.

He was probably the one reason she wasn’t overweight given her sedentary lifestyle. That and the fact that Liska was young. Eighteen this year. Lyonette would be turning twenty, but the difference between them? Liska shrank back as Lyonette smiled at her with that patient, pushing attitude.

“If you’re tired, Liska, that’s understandable, but we must be professional on duty. I’m sure you understand? When did you last take a vacation day? If you can put in some effort today, I’ll make sure you’re on vacation as soon as you’re allowed, deal?”

Here it came. Both Asgra and Liska groaned as the latter sat up and the former began to actually check her mopping, moving in deliberate patterns and cleaning all the cracks just like she’d been taught.

[Flurry of Efficiency]! Lyonette’s [Princess] class had a few Skills that helped with the inn and they were powerful. Her people would put out stellar results—but they didn’t have to like it.

“Sorry, Lyonette. I’m doing my job! It’s just—y’know—I haven’t had a day off in like…”

Liska began counting on her fingers as Asgra began mopping near a line of people. Drakes from Pallass waiting to be sent off. Mostly to Invrisil or Liscor. One turned to look at her.

“Is that a—?”

Before they could express some old-fashioned Goblin racism, they hesitated, glanced around at the silent, bored people in line, and Asgra’s Skill activated.

“[Hey, I Just Work Here].”

The Pallassian Drake dropped it. Because…they really didn’t want to cause a scene. Asgra’s Skill was probably why no one had tried to attack her for, well, being Asgra.

Liska had no such protections. She shrank under Lyonette’s friendly gaze.

“When was your last break, Liska?”

“Um…I dunno. When did I last take one?”

That drew Lyonette up. And she hesitated. A few people were following Lyonette around; they always did. The Calanferian staff, Ushar…Lyonette turned to Ushar.

“Ushar, when did Liska take a break last?”

“Er, it would have been before the Goblin King, Your Highness. When would she have taken it? Not since before the Winter Solstice…”

“Wait. Liska works each day of the week. She has to in order to run the [Door of Portals]. She hasn’t taken off a single day since then?”

Liska was sitting up on her couch, calling out.

“Everyone to Liscor? Door opening in three, two, one…all travellers wait for people to exit! [Form a Line]! Thank you. Oh, yeah, I haven’t taken a break since then, huh?”

Lyonette was growing increasingly anxious but trying to downplay the issue as the employer who realized she was in the wrong often became.

“Let’s see. Liska had to have been taking a break before—no…”

Here was the thing. Liska had to have taken a break because she was, well, Liska! Lazy! Complained all the time! Didn’t do anything but the door!

But she did manage the door, and she had to because she’d pretty much taken it over. So when had she last taken a break?

No one could remember, and so someone was called for. Ishkr.

Ishkr took breaks. Not often, and he was the inn’s 2nd-in-command, the fearless leader who managed the disparate groups, hero of cleaning and crowd control. When he came into the Portal Room, his first reflex was to scowl at Liska and assume she’d done something wrong. But when asked…he hesitated.

“Liska? She takes breaks all the time. Her lunch breaks are far too long. And she clocks out too early.”

“Are not! I work hard here, Ishkr!”

Liska shouted. Her older brother, who spent most of the day on his feet, gave her a flat look she couldn’t quite meet. But he had to admit, he didn’t recall her taking any days off this month. Or last month.

“I—well—this is distressing! Liska, you have time off!”

“Yeah, but I just didn’t know when to use it. And then we were busy after the Goblin King thing and…I know I took days off earlier on. I guess I just forgot to later.”

Liska was embarrassed, now, scratching her head. A few people in line were turning to stare as they heard the ‘Goblin King’ being referenced as a casual marker of time. Lyonette shook her head.

“Well, there’s nothing to it. Liska! Take tomorrow off. You might as well take longer, but at least tomorrow! Schedule your days off, and we’ll figure out how much you’re owed…and please, I know you’re tired, but a bit of effort?”

She smiled, and Asgra and Liska nodded and pretended to be busy. Ishkr flicked two fingers at his eyes and at Liska. I’m watching you; stop causing trouble.

Liska’s roll of the eyes and middle finger was her reply. Eat shit older brother.

But like that, it was arranged. Liska was on break the next day, possibly for longer. Lyonette decided she’d have Xinthe and two Calanferians take over the [Door of Portals] for the day. They were solid, hard-working, and the least ‘controversial’ members of staff. That would train them up for Liska taking more breaks and maybe allow for backups if Liska was sick or lazy. She was, after all, sort of a legacy hire since Ishkr worked here. They couldn’t just fire her, but sometimes, Liska did fail to pull any weight.

That was that. A day passed. The inn didn’t explode. Yelroan, who managed the staff roster, processed Liska’s day off and handed her some money she was due so she could spend it early. She nodded at him, then ambled back to the apartment she and Ishkr shared; he had already teleported in and was asleep. She lay down and realized she could sleep in because tomorrow was her day off. That was the most Liska or anyone thought about the matter.

The consequences were not apparent till the next day.

——

Liska was a Level 32 [Portal Guardian] with a class consolidation. Xinthe was a Level 24 [Clandestine Servant] with other, lower-level spy classes.

They were not the same. Nor did Liska leave any documentation about her workflow—nor did anyone ask, because, well, it was Liska. Managing a portal-door.

How hard could it be?

Within the hour, Xinthe, who was capable, eager to impress, and smart enough to realize when she had a problem, especially in this unique work environment, had documented a few issues with replacing Liska so suddenly:

Item 1. [Door of Portals] cannot be changed remotely; requires someone constantly to be at the door to manipulate the dial.

Item 2. People waiting to be transported do not form into lines; no such system is in place. They must be manually directed or a Skill used or chaos ensues.

Item 3. Door schedule is not written down. Each group expects prompt checking every ten minutes. Requiring constant cycling.

Item 4. Proper passports and documentation for each city are not guaranteed by checkpoints on other ends of the door. Leading to returned visitors and refunds.

Item 5. Visitors seem to be consuming more mana than door can hold in huge bursts. Door failure leads to waiting periods to recharge after 400 passengers; can hit this within the first hour.

Item 6. Rain or other dirt tracked in rapidly turns waiting room into a sty. How did Liska keep this clean???

Item 7. Everyone is asking too many questions, and we are getting behind on help. Some people just try to walk through any door they want. High levels just ignore all the rules and don’t want to pay.

Item 8. I hate it here. I hate people.

One hour. Lyonette wasn’t even up. The Portal Room was a mess due to the rain in multiple cities leading to mud being tracked in. People were slipping, forming into queues for the wrong city, arguing, pushing, and the [Door of Portals] had run out of mana already and needed a recharge.

Hilariously unfortunate for Xinthe and the staff being called in to help. A model of why a high-level individual who knew her job was essential. Little more than that, you’d say, right?

Wrong.

——

The day-workers in Liscor, Pallass, and Invrisil were late to their jobs. Day-workers, a concept largely invented via The Wandering Inn.

With the [Door of Portals], someone in Esthelm could wake up in their home city, have a hot breakfast, walk over to the door, wait for ten minutes, then be in another city and walking to work with such minimal loss of time that they were actually faster than someone who lived across the city from work.

Oh, it was not always ideal; the cost of using the door and wait times were a consideration, but Liscor and other cities had negotiated for bulk-discounts on such workers, and the inn offered monthly or even yearly passes.

Liska knew most of these people by name, and she could tell when someone was faking such a pass because she had [Filtered Entry]. They knew the system well enough to time their arrival so that they wouldn’t be late to work…under the Liska system.

When they were an hour late, most of the employers raised hell about their lazy workers calling off without being sick. The conscientious ones checked to see if there was an accident or holdup on the streets; they quickly realized there was a commonality between the workers not arriving.

As the few people who’d fought through the deadlock at the inn began to arrive, complaints were issued to the Watch, who in turn issued the complaints to The Wandering Inn. The Watch of each city were told they could shove those complaints back up their own asses—there was an issue with the portal door. Get lost.

The Watch turned around to complain back to their Watch Captains, who brought it up with civic leaders. The civic leaders put it down to ‘that damn inn’ until someone, a Merchant’s Guild representative, brought up how many day-workers weren’t going to work.

As in…there were jobs in the city that should have been filled by day-workers that didn’t have anyone overseeing them because they were so reliable.

The [Butcher] of Hoss’ Meats was still waiting in Esthelm to get to work. Half of the builders of a construction team for Liscor’s 3rd District weren’t there. Five separate [Enchanters] working for Pallass hadn’t made it out of Invrisil.

And that wasn’t counting regular foot traffic, people transporting items, important business deals or people who’d arranged to be in another city tomorrow. All of it, all of it, frozen.

At first, people blamed the inn or suspected an Ancient Creler had emerged beneath it or something like that. But when they realized Liska wasn’t there—a fact that the checkpoints on the other sides of the door had already picked up on—the tenor of the conversation changed.

For, you see, it became less about ‘that damn inn causing trouble again’ and more about ‘hey, what if this service we have taken for granted disappears or stops working as well’?

And that? That was gold. That provoked a response.

——

There was a rhythm to the dynamics of power that one could trace. Not in such prosaic terms as net profitability or income per capita between cities, but in more esoteric means.

For instance, between Liscor and Pallass, there had always been…bribes. Not that anyone called them that. They had been gifts. A basket of cookies here, a free hamburger there.

8th Floor, Pallass. The checkpoint that Captain Kel oversaw had changed from a single-squad operation to a full building that processed hundreds or even thousands over the course of a day. It was practically a second Watch House for the 8th floor, and it had gone from a miserable post with some Human that caused trouble to a place that had, well, perks.

And one of the perks had been, according to the old veterans, free cookies. That darn [Innkeeper] would come by with some posters to plaster on the walls, or with a favor to ask, and you’d have to chew your tail and deal with her. But…she left gifts.

Such as food, which she regularly fed the checkpoint [Guards]. For all they had complained, more than one had come away with a bag of cookies, gratis, or went through the door to buy some hot food, cheap and discounted, and considered it, well, a perk for having to deal with her.

Such was the currency Erin Solstice had greased the wheels of Pallass with. When she had died, when she had gone off to fight wars and left her inn, the free food had stopped—but by that point, the 8th Floor Door Checkpoint had hawkers waiting for people to come through, a lounge area for important guests to wait for the ten minute window, and the [Guards] got other perks of the job like any contraband they confiscated from people going through the checkpoints. It hadn’t been the same, but some of them, especially Kel, had missed the days when he could get a free cup of tea, a snack, and chat when Erin Solstice was around.

Of course, he denied that vehemently when anyone brought it up. Yet those days? They’d come again. Just not as you expected.

——

“Hello, Miss Lyonette!”

“I’m terribly sorry, Watch Captain. But the door’s having issues; our regular [Doorgnoll] is out on leave, and we have some delays.”

Lyonette du Marquin recognized Watch Captain Qissa coming through the door and instantly apologized, but the Watch Captain, a female Drake, had a strained smile on her face.

And—a basket of goodies, including snacks, a cold-potion tonic, bath soaps, scented candles, and a second basket filled with Liska’s favorite snacks from the hawkers outside. Qissa hadn’t even had to pay for the second basket; the hawkers had tossed it in, gratis.

“Not at all, Miss Solstice! Not at all! This is just a gift in recognition of The Wandering Inn’s hard work. And, uh, how is Miss Liska? Not sick, I hope? We have [Healers]…I could see if Healer Demerra is free.”

Lyonette blinked as she tried to accept the basket; Xinthe and another member of staff rushed over to take them from the fragile [Princess]. Behind Lyonette, there were no less than eighteen employees trying to organize guests, clean, and recharge the door all at once.

“Healer…Demerra? I wouldn’t want to bother such an important Gnoll. Liska’s just having a day off.”

“Ah. Er, of course. Common, are they?”

“Well, as common as anyone taking a day off, Watch Captain.”

Qissa was no idiot. She’d been through this door before, and she’d heard about Liska from her reports. She and Lyonette both glanced at the empty couch where Liska was normally lying about. Neither one wanted to say it, but Qissa had her orders, and Lyonette had a problem. They smiled toothily.

“Well, I’m sure a day off is understandable. Er, one. How many days off does she have banked?”

“Er…quite a lot.”

Lyonette replied slowly. Qissa’s eyes shifted to the door, which changed to Esthelm. Instantly, half the crowd surged forwards, even if it was the wrong location, and the other people tried to run through. The door went dead, and Peggy threw up her hands. Qissa licked her lips.

“I see. Well, I’d just like Liska to know we in Pallass miss her, and we have some coupons for after she finishes work, you know? Shops, the bathhouses?”

Qissa edged back towards Pallass’ door with a note to say they needed a third gift basket to remind Liska why she loved her work. Only to realize…she was stuck here. Qissa stared as Asgra slapped some magicore on the side of the door and watched the runny, magical stone oozing down the side. Asgra turned.

“Hey! Where Liska? This not working, Lyonette!”

The [Princess]’ mouth was pressed shut, and she peered around for Ishkr. He was just standing there, and he glanced at Lyonette and shared a thought with her.

Liska was essential. More than anyone realized.

But they’d be damned if they wanted Liska to know that. It was so—well—when you thought about it, she had faced the Goblin King herself. She hadn’t been here as long as Ishkr, but she’d worked as hard as he did. They were related.

Yet surely—

If they just improved their processes—

“We’re late for work! Get that Gnoll back, you idiots!”

Someone screamed at Lyonette the moment the [Door of Portals] reactivated, and Lyonette recoiled. Ishkr began trying to take charge, and Lyonette raised her hands, working to restore order. It was just a day off.

Who could have foreseen this?

——

The Wandering Inn, kitchen. Calescent was grinding his patented death spices up. A new blend. He had on gloves and goggles over his eyes; noseplugs in. He was also flirting for all he was worth.

“Eh, more habaneros? More?”

He was elbowing an embarrassed half-Elf, who had just dumped forty-six more habaneros into a grinding bowl. She was reducing the peppers into a paste, and her name was Elia Arcsinger.

SLAYER OF THE GOBLIN KING. ANNIHILATOR OF GOBLIN TRIBES. NEMESIS OF GOBLINS.

Currently being elbowed by a Goblin [Spice Chef] as she helped him work on a new spice mix which he’d promised to whip up into her favorite spicy dishes. She elbowed him back, professional.

“I just think it’ll taste good. And something sweet? Chutney?”

“Oh, yah. For flavor.”

None of that bad spice stuff for them. They liked it hot, but Calescent had standards. Most ‘spicy’ stuff made for the sake of being spicy was just heat without flavor. He wanted your tastebuds to explode with flavor and heat.

“Maybe we should make some fancy flatbread with the scraps. Is very in these days. Flatbread.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. Imani told me. Everyone can make fancy rising bread. So what’s new? Flatbread. You, uh, want to make some dough with me? Great snack.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m going to gain weight, and I have work—”

“This is important work! C’mon, you can show me more half-Elven bread. Is pretty good.”

“Pretty good? Only pretty good?”

That barbed Elia slightly, and Calescent grinned.

“Well, what you showed me is ‘pretty good’. You want ‘great’? Show me more.”

“I could do that! I haven’t even baked half the recipes I know! But see here, Calescent, I have to work! And to practice my archery! I can’t take too much time from my morning. Let alone to—to try Dreamleaf in the lounge for hours!”

“Oh, sure. No Dreamleaf today. That was just for fun. We’re not Palt.”

“Of course not. We’re professional.”

“Very professional. Say, you want to watch a movie tonight?”

“A movie? Calescent, I’m—well, which one? I swear I’ve seen all the ones everyone talks about.”

He waggled his eyebrows as he ground more of his deathspice up.

“There always another movie Kevin has on his laptop. He stole a bunch.”

“Is it really theft? That’s so…dishonest. Not that I’m complaining, but how does that work in his world if you can just copy anything?”

“Dunno. Sounds like Goblin stealing. If no one notices it, is it really a crime?”

“Calescent! Okay, how’s this for a base?”

“Let’s add some chutney and taste. Say ‘ahh’.”

He was trying to coax her into taking a bit of the devilishly hot mixture when someone kicked the door open to the kitchens. Elia instantly tried to professionally leap into a corner of the room, but it was just Asgra. She was panting, muddy-aproned, and glowering.

“Hey, Calescent! You got any free bread? Lyonette wants to feed the pigs. It going real bad in the Portal Room, just like you said.”

Calescent hunted around for his bread as he grabbed a basket and put a cloth in it, sighing. Elia appeared from out of nowhere and began to nibble at the new spice mixture as Asgra gave her a wary wave. Calescent shook his head as he opened a cupboard and began tossing little pieces of bread in.

“Thought so. You want butter?”

“They don’t deserve it.”

Asgra muttered darkly. Calescent added a pot of butter anyways and a knife.

“Which pigs are these? The Watch?”

“No. People. They tracking mud in, squealing about being late, and now they pooping. The outhouses. How they not pigs?”

Another wise nod from the [Chef]. He’d seen this coming.

“That’s because Liska sends them away too fast to use restrooms. Maybe Lyonette is nicer to her after this.”

“I’ll be nicer. This so nasty. Thanks for the bread. Hey, you making more spices? Can I try?”

Asgra stared greedily at the newest spice-paste which Calescent was thinking would go down like a treat on some pork belly and pickled cabbage. Spread that on some rice and you’d die—but happy.

“Sure is. I’ll give you some after work, huh?”

“Why not now? I get a break in forty minutes.”

He shooed her towards the door.

“Later, later. I’m busy perfecting it.”

“Oh, with your girlfriend. Sure.”

Asgra glanced at Elia, and the professional Named-rank adventurer turned red and began uttering denials at the top of her lungs. Asgra just strolled out, and that left Calescent and Elia. She spluttered.

“Asgra is the most insane Goblin I’ve ever—she’s just so—I’m sorry Calescent. It’s just…”

She waved her hands at the door, and Calescent pretended to be busy over the chutney he was marrying to the spices.

“Oh, she’s very silly. You never mind her, Elia. Who’d want to date a gross, ugly Goblin, anyways?”

For a moment, he thought of Hekusha, and his hands slowed as he stared at his chopping board, for that had hit a bit too close to home. Elia Arcsinger was silent for a long minute as she ground more habaneros up, then muttered—

“That’s not what I meant. You’re not gross or ugly, Calescent. I mean, I don’t know Goblin aesthetics, but…”

His ears twitched under his chef’s hat, and the [Spice Chef] smiled. He bent back to his work with a will as Elia continued trying to explain her position, not realizing he had gotten it already. But perhaps she didn’t understand her position. Or didn’t want to admit it.

——

Strange.

Strange how the inn changed you.

Or perhaps you were always able to change or not what you thought you were. Which was scarier, that there was a mystical building capable of altering your very destiny or that you could always do it…if you had only tried?

From Lyonette to Asgra, everyone had levelled and become someone important. Everyone, of course, except Liska.

Liska was the normal Gnoll just phoning it in. She was lazy, and she knew she wasn’t that smart or good at her job. She was there because everyone liked Ishkr, and she hadn’t changed. And there was something comforting about that, y’know? No great expectations.

Not for her.

When Liska got up after a long, long sleep in, she sat up in her little bed in the three-room apartment that she and Ishkr shared, with two tiny bedrooms next to each other. Not enough space for either Gnoll, really, but it beat sharing a room.

It was a cramped apartment. Neither she nor Ishkr liked it here; not the drips that came through the cheap floors, the permanent smell of cat pee they’d never gotten out of the floorboards, or that they’d been burglarized three times—but it was home. He’d paid for it with his first job when they’d moved out of their mother’s house.

There was always cereal with water in the cupboards. Of course, Liska could and did usually go to the inn for breakfast, but she was off-duty, so she reminded herself of that and ate some stale cereal with staler well-water and stared at a wall; there was one chair in the kitchen/livingroom/entryhall. It faced the wall, and there was no table.

“Someday, I’m gonna get my own place. Ishkr better wait and see. Just as soon as I have enough money.”

There were better places in the city, right…? Liska didn’t know. She hadn’t ever really had a job. Well, a really well-paying job, that was. She did odd-jobs for work, but Ishkr was the one with all the money, and that was only relative.

They both knew they were poor. Some Silverfangs who’d come to the city were rich like Krshia, but Ishkr had to support their mother, and their dad had run off…at least Liska was helping with grocery money.

Maybe in like a year or two she’d have enough money. Actually, the inn had unlimited gold. But…Liska squirmed. She couldn’t steal money from Lyonette. Take some for snacks, and stuff, but not just…that much. Not to buy a house! That was real theft. Drat. It was really tempting, but that’d be wrong.

Actually, she and Ishkr both had rooms at The Wandering Inn, nice ones. But this was where she lived, if that made sense. She and Ishkr had paid for this apartment—well, Ishkr had. If she stayed at the inn, it’d be like staying at the place she worked at; she’d never get a break.

“I’ll get some nice apartment someday. All to my own. And bring over all my friends. Heh. And Shashi…”

She smiled for a second at the thought, then grew pensive because it didn’t fill her with excitement or joy anymore. Shashi had been weird of late. Always complaining Liska didn’t have time anymore or wasn’t cool. No, wait, Archmage. Just because Liska had a job—

“I bet she’s hanging out at Hariett’s again. I can get something fun for us to share. Like, a bottle of wine.”

Could she afford that? She didn’t know where her [Dreamleaf Dealer] was—it’d been ages since Liska had bought some for them. Liska anxiously checked her money pouch. Then she stopped, stared, and pulled something out of it.

“Hold on a second. Did Yelroan make a mistake? No way. What’s this all doing in here?”

By ‘this’ she meant gold. As in, a lot of gold pieces. When had this appeared in her bag of holding? Well, when had she had a bag of holding?

She’d just gotten it one day when Lyonette had decided everyone on the staff needed one. And that was so big Liska had been so pleased about being able to hide snacks and stuff in there and bragged to everyone about it. She’d forgotten she kept her money in here.

Like…

A lot of money.

Gold pieces and pieces. Liska’s eyes went rounder as she pulled out more and more. By the time she’d counted to fifty, she shouted.

“I’m rich!”

The highest-class wine she’d ever eyed had been a gold coin per bottle! She could buy fifty bottles for her and Shashi! More! Dead gods…she could buy like a fancy restaurant meal for breakfast, not these stupid oats! Liska stared at her coins. She stared at her half-eaten bowl of cereal.

——

Liska walked back and forth in front of one of those trendy new cafés she’d wanted to go to six times before the [Waitress] asked her if she wanted a seat. Then Liska refused, ran off, and bought breakfast at a Gnoll market stall.

It was great. Fresh silkap, some bread, and a piece of sausage she cut up with her belt knife was a feast. Liska imagined having a cool latte or something at the café…but it wasn’t her style. Plus, she’d been too nervous to spend her money.

She never had this much before. She kept her paw on her bag of holding, worrying about [Thieves]. Did Ishkr have this much money? Were they being overpaid? She had to ask Yelroan about this.

I’ve never had so much money. I bet Ishkr isn’t used to it either, that idiot. Unless…he spends all of it on Mom and the apartment and me.

This was a lot of gold, wasn’t it? Shouldn’t she go to the Merchant’s Guild to put it away or something? Liska worried. She didn’t know how to do responsible stuff. She wasn’t used to a steady job. Life had been simpler before Ishkr got her the job at the inn.

Go out, have fun with Shashi. Avoid the Watch or give them a bit of what they deserved and sit in jail for a day or two. Stay up to date on important stuff like who was in a relationship with who and what the latest gossip was. Keep yourself fed or go back home and argue with Ishkr. If you got caught by the Watch, well, hope Ishkr or someone you know had the coin to bail you out and keep your nose clean for a bit. Work a shitty job for a while until you had some coins, then quit and celebrate with Shashi…

It was why Liska glared at [Guards] on the street before they did anything to her. She was used to one of them shouting at her or getting arrested for public indecency.

In other words, kissing other girls, like Shashi, in public. Or telling someone shouting at her and calling her names to stuff her own tail up her unused, baggy, spider-infested—

Liska was so used to being in trouble she felt antsy in the Merchant’s Guild when she walked up to the desk. The [Receptionist] raised her brows when Liska mumbled her way to the front of the line.

“Um, hello, I’d like to open an account or something. I can put gold in here, right?”

“That’s right…Miss. We do offer accounts, but we have a minimum five gold requirement per account. Your name?”

“Liska. Liska Silverfang.”

“Well, Miss Silverfang, I’d like to help you, but unless you have the gold and a certification from an employer or person in good standings, I’m afraid we can’t just open an account. You could ask someone you know who has an account for a letter of reference, and we do have fees if you fail to keep your account open or overdraw from our lending services.”

She produced a long brochure, and Liska’s head hurt as her heart beat too fast, trying to figure out what it all meant. She almost turned around then and there, but the [Receptionist] was sighing.

“Um, I think my brother has an account here? Ishkr?”

“Let me just look it up. Ishkr Silverfang? I wish you people would take different names. Do you know how many entries we have under ‘Silverfang’?”

The Drake [Receptionist]—she was a Drake, of course—made Liska’s stomach hurt. She was pretty much the reason why Liska hated places like these. You people. As if Liska had asked to be a Silverfang or live in a city where everyone else had stupid last names like Yasstail.

This was a side of Liscor that Lyonette didn’t have to deal with. Sure, she was a Human and also a different species, but she was sort of lucky because she was a Human. Not a Gnoll. Drakes and Gnolls knew each other. Humans were outsiders. But Gnolls and Drakes had done this dance for ages. As for being a Turnscale…well…

The annoyed [Receptionist] had been pulling open a big filing cabinet at the back and searching for names. She paused and pulled out some papers, then double-checked it and then showed it to a co-worker at another desk. Then she hurried back and rather flusteredly sat down.

“Er…Miss Liska Silverfang? Do you have any other identification?”

“That’s me. Other identification?”

“Like…a card from the Merchant’s Guild?”

Liska blinked at the Drake woman and then reached into her bag of holding. She pulled out old snacks, loose change…then a shiny Merchant’s Guild card in brass.

“Hey, where’d this come from?”

The [Receptionist] snatched it, stared at it, and gave Liska a weak smile.

“Er, my mistake, Miss Liska! Your account is in good order! Were you looking to withdraw or deposit today? I do apologize for the delay!”

“My what? I have an account?”

Liska stared at the woman, and then, when the [Receptionist] showed her the file with her account in it—and the money banked—her eyes popped.

“When did I get this? I never had an account!”

The suddenly very-friendly [Receptionist] checked a few records.

“I believe yours is registered via The Wandering Inn? They put money in weekly. A ‘Yelroan’ is our point-of-contact for the inn. Would you like us to send a Street Runner to him?”

“Yelroan? No, I know him. Wow. Is this real?”

“Yes, Miss. Would you like to take out any gold…?”

Liska stared at the number on the paper. Then peeked around. And it hit her.

She was rich. Well, she’d sort of known she was being paid like that or something, hadn’t she? She vaguely remembered being given this card by Yelroan, come to think of it. But who paid attention to all the lectures you got at work? Not Liska.

“Uh…maybe I’ll come back later. Thanks.”

She wandered out of the Merchant’s Guild as the [Receptionist] shouted she was welcome back anytime, and then…well…

It occurred to Liska she hadn’t taken time off work in a long while. Certainly not long enough to investigate her finances. She went home every few nights, of course, but she usually didn’t have much time to do more than try and find where Shashi was and listen to her girlfriend complain she was never around before having to sleep. Now, it hit her again.

She had a job that paid well.

“Oh no. I’m an adult!”

——

Shashi Slisfang was a 5’5’’ Drake who was eighteen years old and had a spicy flash of red scales over her bright yellow pattern. It made her look like she’d been kissed by a fire, in her own words, and she was a Level 7 [Malcontent], a Level 4 [Thief], and a Level 3 [Kisser].

She always wore the same iconic, too-long leggings with frayed cuffs and a jacket, even when it was too warm in the spring, made of Corusdeer leather and cracklingly faded. She’d stitched an emblem on the back, which people thought was a rose but was supposed to be a Dragon spreading its wings.

She was always hanging out with a crowd, the coolest people Liska knew, trying to get the attention of Adrerni or Liffe, or just bumming a swig of a drink or Dreamleaf off the people who had it.

She was a Turnscale, Liska’s girlfriend, and she was put out.

“Why shouldn’t I date Adrerni? He’s single!”

She was arguing with some of her friends, who were her age or younger, the group of Drakes and Gnolls who weren’t in apprenticeships or who skived off. Rebels, even if none of them had the class. People who didn’t fit in. People who hated the Watch and who were openly Turnscales, or at least friendly to them.

She was arguing with Thaheart, a Gnoll, who had his arms folded as he posted up against one wall in the Antinium district. They were all standing around, bored, waiting for something to happen, and talking. They barely had a gold coin between them all, but they were independent. Free. Thaheart growled back.

“Well, because you’re dating Liska.”

“We’re only dating because she’s not around enough for me to break up with her. I’m telling you, Thaheart, she’s changed. She doesn’t do anything anymore. She just works all day for that inn.”

“Like her brother? He’s a real Miner. So not Archmage.”

Someone else in this group tried the slang on for size, but it didn’t really fit the, uh…group. Here was the thing: they were in their advanced teens. Seventeen was the youngest here. A lot of the old guard had quit. Gotten jobs or gotten into trouble with the law, real trouble. Shashi and her friends were a dying breed.

At the same time, though, they weren’t young enough to be running around with the real kids, who were hip with the new lingo and went around saying ‘Archmage’. Which Shashi and her friends had sneered at—until they realized everyone was doing it.

So they were too old to be young and too young to be adults. Trapped. Maybe—in the future—they’d need to get a shitty job. But not this year. Not right now. Liska, though…Shashi grumbled as she shoved her claws into her jacket.

“She’s never around to hang out, or if she is, she can barely do an hour before she just—has to sleep.”

“At what time?”

“Like, 11 PM. She gets up at 6 AM.”

“What? That’s crazy. She was so cool. Remember that time she kicked a [Guard] into the sewer grate for fun? She was arrested for three whole days.”

Shashi hung her head.

“She used to be fun. Then her brother got to her. He’s an asshole. And anti-Turnscale.”

Thaheart frowned as everyone peered at Shashi.

“Really? Ishkr, right? I don’t remember him, but he didn’t like us when we were hanging out at Liska’s place.”

“That’s because he hates me. Anti-Turnscale. Probably.”

Ishkr had glared at her a lot whenever Liska brought her over, which was the basis for Shashi’s take on that. And if you were anti-Turnscale, you were dead to her. Which was most of the city. She went on, angrily kicking pebbles across the street. She was aiming for a fancy glass window of a Drake version of a [Barber] shop; they clipped your neck-spines, removed dead scales, sharpened your claws, and so on. The [Barber] was glaring at her whenever she hit the window, but he knew better than to come out; the group might decide to toss a rock then run, and the broken glass was not worth the hassle.

“He got to Liska. Now she’s just another brain-dead worker.”

“She comes by. Didn’t she show up last time with some dough-nuts? I couldn’t believe she got them! They were new!”

“Yeah, like a year ago.”

Shashi grumbled, and another Drake put in. His name was Ulte, and he wasn’t a Turnscale; he vehemently denied that. His dad was some bigshot Drake in Liscor, but everyone knew he liked staring at attractive Drakes and Gnolls of the same gender. Shashi just bet he was crushing on Thaheart, who had amazing black chest fur all ruffled up—he was a [Flirt]—but Ulte was too shy. He also was the one who often had coins to share for something to eat or drink.

“I, um, I remember her being all shaken up about that. Remember? She was talking about that Goblin King thing?”

“She didn’t see it. She’s just making stuff up. Liska lies all the time about the inn. She says that [Innkeeper] can walk through walls or fought with Guildmistress Tekshia herself. She’s just trying to make it seem like she’s still cool.”

Shashi waved this off. Thaheart frowned.

“Wait, isn’t Liska working at The Wandering Inn? That place is crazy. I heard they once fought off a Creler attack then served them for breakfast!”

“I heard their [Head Server] threw claws with Facestealer, that monster that came out of the dungeon.”

“Everyone hears weird things about the inn!”

Shashi snapped, growing royally annoyed by all this. She was mad at Liska, and she complained to Thaheart.

“Adrerni just broke up with his latest girlfriend. He’s pining! Why can’t I flirt with him?”

“I mean, because he’s too hot for you?”

She kicked at him, and Thaheart retreated.

“Yow! Don’t get mad at me just because you don’t have a chance! Liska or not, he wouldn’t look sideways at any of us. Even me!”

He fluffed his fur up importantly as Shashi glowered, but she knew he was right. Adrerni was one of the most popular Gnolls in the city for anyone her age who had eyes. He was one of the top new servers at Wishdrinks, and he had a spot over one eye and a smile that could melt butter.

“I think he’s going to a party at Hariett’s tonight. Anyone got any alchemical makeup? C’mon!”

“What about Liska?”

Shashi was drawing breath to say what she thought about the Gnoll when someone called out.

“Hey, there you guys are! What about me? Hey, Shashi…how’s it going? Look what I’ve got!”

Liska! Shashi jumped and flushed under her scales as Thaheart bit his tongue and gave her a significant gaze, but there came the Gnoll of the hour. She appeared…

Well…

Decent.

There was something about Liska that had changed. She’d put on casual clothes today; just a loose two-layer tunic of green and beige that seemed like it came from the Great Plains and long leggings with faded silver wolves on them; her best clothing, Shashi knew.

She’d even combed her hair back, but it wasn’t that—that was just Liska standard. No, she seemed…more official? More formal? More stooge-like, Shashi decided. Like some kind of worker at a Guild.

She scowled at Liska as the Gnoll waved something, and everyone greeted her with hoots or insults.

“Hey, Liska! I haven’t seen your tail in ages! What, you afraid of all this rain?”

Thaheart teased Liska, and the Gnoll scowled.

“I was working, okay? I just got a day off today, and—hey, beautiful.”

She went to hug Shashi, and the Drake embraced her back, but she didn’t feel the spark they’d had earlier last year when they’d finally gotten together. Shashi felt a pang, but that was how it happened.

Liska’s not who she used to be. I’d better break up with her so neither of us gets hurt. It wasn’t really about Adrerni. Liska seemed to sense it too, because her hug was short, and she gave Shashi a questioning, sheepish smile.

“Sorry. I really was working.”

“Hey, someone has to make all the gold. Got any to share?”

A Gnoll broke in with a grin, and everyone laughed. Liska hesitated, then brought something out from behind her back.

“Well, actually…here’s a peace offering. Feast your eyes on this.”

She brought out a fancy bottle of wine, and Shashi’s eyes popped. Thaheart crowed as he snatched it from her,

“No way, this is the good stuff! Wait! It’s got a wax stamp on the cork and everything! Liska, did you steal this?”

Shashi got worried for Liska immediately; they stole things of course, but an expensive bottle of wine got you a lot of time in jail. But Liska put her paws in her pockets.

“Nah, I got paid from work, so I thought…it’s a really good bottle too.”

“It’s at least a gold piece.”

Ulte remarked quietly, and Thaheart paused as he was about to pop the wax seal. He stared at Liska, and she glanced at Shashi.

“I thought we could share it. Um, you know, because I have a day off. Go and pop it, Thaheart. Anyone got a cup?”

No one did, but they were used to taking a swig and passing it on. The wine tasted fancier to Shashi when she took a huge gulp, or maybe it was just knowing it was a whole gold coin. She stared at Liska.

“How much did you spend on this?”

“I mean—some money. But I had a lot of backpay, and—how’re things? Where’s Orrell or Lizze and Vakki?”

Liska stared about, naming some old regulars she knew, and Shashi’s stomach churned. She forgot the pleasant feeling of the wine in her veins. She began to get angry at Liska all over again, and the group went silent. Liska cast around, and it was Thaheart who replied shortly.

“Lizze’s family got her engaged to some Drake down south. She’s going to get married. Vakki’s in jail; she got arrested for trying to claw Lizze’s father’s eyes out. Orrell’s gone.”

Liska’s ears flattened.

“Lizze? What, to some Drake…guy?”

“Yep.”

Shashi answered flatly, not-quite-glaring at Liska. She stared at the Gnoll’s feet as Liska looked around.

“Vakki? When’s she getting out of jail?”

“Never. Or they’re going to exile her or put her in an involuntary work program. She’s not paying the fine; it’s set at twenty gold pieces, and her parents can’t pay that.”

“Dead gods. But Orrell? What’s he—?”

Thaheart snatched the wine bottle from Ulte, who was examining it, and took down nearly a tenth of it in one go, ignoring the protests.

“No one knows. One day, he was gone, and when I went to check, his family told me to get lost. Everyone started throwing rocks at me. The entire neighborhood found out Orrell’s a Turnscale. He left the city; didn’t even say goodbye.”

Dead silence. Liska peeked around, and she wilted, that tentative smile gone. And that—that was why Shashi was mad at Liska, though it wasn’t Liska’s fault. It was what they were.

Not all of them Turnscales, but none of them were ‘good kids’ with safe jobs and prospects. Ulte didn’t want to join the family business. Thaheart refused to be another Silverfang, and both he and Shashi were Turnscales. Seeing friends vanish or get into serious trouble? That was life.

And Liska had left it all. Chosen the safe way out. Good for her. Shashi was mad at Liska, her girlfriend, and when Liska went to put her arm around her shoulders, Shashi muttered.

“Liska, let’s talk.”

——

Sometimes, being in Liscor sucked. Only, it sucked in ways even other people didn’t get. Erin had seen how bad Liscor could be, but she had never seen it like this. Ishkr always argued with Liska about the Liscor he knew and the Liscor she knew.

He liked the Watch. He didn’t mind them. She associated them with trouble and danger, or at least, she had before working at the inn. She didn’t trust to the goodness of strangers, and while he probably didn’t either—at least, Drake strangers—he was still a member of the Silverfang community.

As far as Liska was concerned, the Silverfangs hadn’t done much for her people either. Not as much to harm, but this was the familiar suck she knew.

The only difference was…

She was different.

She kept checking her bag of holding. What was that Thaheart had said? A twenty-gold fine? That was insane. Vakki was a hothead when it came to her [Lover]. She was meek as could be any other time. She must have done damage or…or…

“Liska, hey. You know—it’s good you came out today. I never see you. You’re always busy.”

Shashi leaned into the dry shelter under the eaves as the rains poured down. It was still raining, damn it. Liska folded her arms.

“I know. I’m sorry…”

She wanted nothing more than to kiss Shashi and catch up, but the vibe was all wrong. Shashi kept glancing away, and Liska—

Liska didn’t feel that crazy urge to jump Shashi, the heady, ridiculous excitement pulsing in her veins every time she saw her girlfriend. It had been there when they’d first met. But recently…

No, even the last few times they’d met, it hadn’t been there. It’d been fighting and arguing about whether Liska was too busy, and—

Liska had a bad feeling before Shashi checked her nails. She never did that when she was being straightforwards.

“You know Adrerni’s single again.”

“No way, whaaaaat?”

Liska…was trying to put some energy into the usual gossip but she didn’t feel it. Adrerni? From Wishdrinks. Really handsome Gnoll. Not her type, but Shashi appreciated both…types. Liska remembered thinking he was the coolest person ever—both someone who had a job and was important and worked at the most popular bar, but also someone who could still hang out and be real all the time.

But she just thought of Normen, one eye blazing in his face, or Saliss of Lights pointing at the ground as they stood before the shaking inn as the Goblin King prepared to break through, and—

I’ve changed. Shashi was still super cute and beautiful and…and Liska stared at the [Malcontent] and said it before she knew what was going through her brain.

“I think we should break up, Shashi. I’m sorry.”

“I think we should—huh? You’re breaking up with me?”

Shashi recoiled, and Liska flinched. She scuffed a foot on the ground as some of their friends glanced over, then talked louder, pretending they couldn’t hear the relatively commonplace occurrence.

“Sorry. I just—I know I’ve been a really bad girlfriend. And you were complaining last time we met. I just…yeah. So, um, I think it’s not working out. It’s me, not you.”

“It—but—it is you!”

“Yeah.”

“You’re never around! You’re working that silly job at the inn!”

“You wanted to work there, Shashi, remember?”

“Well, when I needed coin, but not when I realized you never do anything but work! Why did you even stay?”

It pays well. Liska didn’t say that out loud. Shashi’s tail swished in the street. She kicked a stone, and Liska winced as it cracked into a window of some shop.

She could break the glass. Doesn’t she care? Wait, I am being an Ishkr. Oh no. Shashi went on.

“You and I haven’t gone on a date in ages! You’re so inconsiderate—of course we have to break up! I was going to do it, but I guess you figured it out!”

She glowered until Liska hung her head. She heard thumping—an Antinium group was walking down the street, fast and noisy, talking as they hid their antennae from the rain.

“I’m sorry, Shashi.”

“You should be! You—! I’m done with you! No offense, but yeah. It’s not working. I’m sorry, Liska.”

That hurt. It really did. And yet, Liska had gone through a lot of relationships like this, and somehow, she felt relieved. She stood there awkwardly with Shashi, who took the moment to kick another stone. This time, it sailed past the group of Antinium, who stopped, and then one spoke.

“Excuse me.”

Shashi jumped and froze as a Worker lifted a hand. He turned from the group of seven and approached her.

“I believe it is considered bad manners to kick or otherwise maneuver stones at high velocity in the city. I had observed you striking the window there.”

He pointed at the barbershop window where the Drake was eying the Antinium. The Worker waved; the [Barber] waved back after a moment. The Antinium went on.

“It is dangerous to kick such stones, Miss Drake. You might hurt a pedestrian or damage the windows. As a person who replaces windows, I am very distressed to see glass in jeopardy. That is Ailendamus glass, you know.”

“I, uh, I—”

Shashi was backing up from the Worker, but Liska broke in.

“Hey, we’re really sorry about that! It won’t happen again!”

“Oh, hello, Miss Gnoll. Thank you for this clarification.”

The window-setting Antinium smiled at her and nodded. He stepped back, and Liska smiled at him.

“Thanks and sorry.”

The Workers marched on, and Liska stared at them. So they were random Workers on a stroll. How—

“That was crazy. Did you see that, Liska? They were threatening me! I heard the Antinium were getting worse, but that one was mad!”

Shashi clung to Liska’s shoulders when the Workers were halfway down the street. Liska half-turned.

“What? No, they were just worried about the windows.”

“Liska, they’re Ants!”

“…No, they’re just Workers. I work with them all the time on the job, Shashi. That one was smiling at us.”

Liska was nonplussed, but Shashi was shaken. So were the others. When Thaheart saw them come over, he tossed the empty wine bottle down.

“Let’s get out of here. They might call for the Watch or some Soldiers or something.”

Liska stared at the wine bottle as it rolled down the street. Was no one going to pick that up…? She saw everyone hurrying off and joined them after a second. Again, Liska realized—

She was different. Not them.

——

Adrerni was hanging out at Hariett’s, which was a bar that was far less clean or upstanding than Wishdrinks was—but which catered to a certain crowd.

Namely, Turnscales. He was at the center of the most popular people their age in Liscor, and Thaheart was fluffing his fur for all it was worth. He did have [Fluffed Fur], incidentally, but he wasn’t sure it was going to do the trick in this competitive room.

Well, he was also trying to get away from Shashi, but it wasn’t working. She was hissing at him and Ulte.

“Can you believe Liska broke up with me? Is she dating someone?”

“I don’t know. Dead gods, it’s Adrerni and Liffe!”

Liffe was a Drake with amazing neck spines in this swept back look that had each spine subtly dyed differently on the edges, so it slowly ran a gradient of colors—deep blue to purple today. Everyone wanted to talk to the Drake and Gnoll. Everyone wanted to be them.

However, Shashi was hung up on Liska.

“Do you think she spent all her pay on us? She’s never good with her coins. She’s always complaining about Ishkr being on her back—if she had money, she should keep it for herself!”

Thaheart rolled his eyes.

“Sounds like someone’s still acting like her girlfriend. Maybe she stole the bottle.”

Ulte muttered.

“I don’t think she did. That was a real bottle from a wine shop. They’d have it spelled.”

Both his friends turned to eye him, and the Drake flushed.

“I tried to walk out with one one time. My dad was there, so I didn’t get arrested; he just thought I was an idiot. It’s at least a gold coin.”

“Dead gods, how much money is she making at that inn?”

Thaheart was astonished, and Shashi’s tail swished.

“Not enough to justify her never coming to hang out! She’s changed. Do you think she’s seeing someone?”

Thaheart rolled his eyes again. He was working up the nerve to say hello to Adrerni and a group of Gnolls, some of whom looked like real Silverfangs from the tribes who’d stuck around the city, when Liska walked past them.

“Whoa, Hariett’s is hopping! I haven’t been here in, like, ages. Where’s Hariett?”

She meant the old Drake who ran the place, a busybody that sometimes got on people’s nerves, but who didn’t call the Watch—much. Thaheart sighed.

“Liska! C’mon, over here!”

He waved her over to their table where they were having cheap ales and water, and Liska sniffed and eyed the drinks.

“What? Aren’t we talking to Adrerni and Liffe?”

“Not like that! You can’t just walk over!”

“What? Oh, yeah, right.”

Liska had lost all her social instincts! She had nearly gone over in the middle of the dancing and partying to the table with the most popular Drake and Gnoll and…she seemed out of place here.

No…Thaheart glanced at Liska twice and realized she wasn’t out of place in the bar. She was bouncing on her feet, glancing at the dance floor, still excited, eyes sparkling. She was just out of place with his group.

It was like she’d lost some of that fear that she’d had. That kept Shashi being the one who led Liska around and egged her on. Was it confidence? Or just—a lack of worry?

Thaheart was so distracted he didn’t realize Shashi was arguing with Liska.

“You can’t go out there! You don’t have anyone to dance with since we’re broken up!”

“Aw, well—that’s okay. It’s a free dance floor, and you only die once. Or twice at most, I’ve heard.”

Liska wanted to dance. In defiance of protocol, a general movement onto the dance floor with a great song from a song crystal, or even a partner, she left the table, hopped out, and began to dance.

Horribly.

By herself.

Her three friends watched in horror. Ulte put a claw over his eyes. But Liska was just flailing her arms around, and worse—

“Hey! Is this the Ksmvr dance? I think I’m doing it!”

She was doing the Ksmvr dance! The one where you shook your fists out, shook your hips from left to right. It wasn’t a hard dance, and Liska was doing it well, but—that had been popular months ago.

Thaheart was drinking deeply from his well-watered ale, trying to pretend he didn’t know Liska. But heads were turning, and people were pointing and laughing at the Gnoll dancing there.

Of course, the [Doorgnoll] noticed. But she just blushed, then grinned and kept dancing.

“Thaheart, Ulte, c’mon! This is my only day off! Please? I’ve been sitting for, like, weeks! C’mon!”

She waved at them, and the Gnoll and Drake were hesitating. Shashi was gulping down her drink.

“Someone’s got to rescue that idiot. C’mon, you two—”

She was working up the nerve to rescue her ex when there was a laugh. It was loud, infectious, and it came from the high table in the center of the room where they sat. Adrerni stood up.

“Is someone doing the Ksmvr of Chandrar dance? That’s Archmage. Am I doing that right? I’ll join in!”

He appeared from behind his table so fast it was like a Skill—which it probably was. Adrerni was a high-level [Host], Level 25+, one of the greatest in the city for his age! He began to copy the dance as Liska jumped, and his moves were fluid. Then she grinned, stuck her arms out, and they were both—

“Oh Ancestors. It’s him.”

Shashi was about to faint, but then Thaheart was getting up, disbelieving. He began to leave the table—too slowly. Because, suddenly, there were dozens on the dance floor, who wanted to do the exact same dance move.

“Hey, wait, we’re with her—”

Thaheart, Ulte, and Shashi and their group tried to get to Liska, but they were suddenly slow to join in. A Drake girl practically teleported ahead of Thaheart. She smugly stuck her arms out, dancing with the room. She winked at Thaheart.

“[Follow the Trend]. Too late, loser!”

Damn, she had a Skill that let her copy what was going on faster than he did! Thaheart debated pushing past her, but there was no getting to Liska. He lamely copied the dance, wondering how Liska was pulling this off without cringing to death. And how she’d gotten so lucky.

Perhaps…it was that change in Liska. Because she didn’t even keep dancing long with Adrerni. She and he seemed to lose interest in the dance when Thaheart would have danced until he dropped to keep hanging out with the male Gnoll. But when Liska stepped off of the dance floor, and everyone went to follow her—she was the one talking with the Gnoll.

——

“I think I’ve seen you around. Do you hang around here often?”

“Oh, I mean—I used to all the time. Then I got a job. I’m just here to celebrate for a day or two.”

Strange. Liska was sure she should be having a panic attack from speaking with Adrerni. But he was a bit sweaty, grinning, and he was just—a handsome Gnoll. Because he felt like a person, she wasn’t stuttering or blushing.

Erin was scarier. Yelroan was higher-level. Even Mrsha was more important. Liffe, the Drake [Hostess], did make Liska blush with embarrassment, but the Drake was friendly.

“I think I’ve seen you around! I’m Liffe. I work at Wishdrinks with this airhead.”

She nudged Adrerni, and Liska smiled.

“I knew that! I’m Liska. I work at The Wandering Inn.”

The two Wishdrinks [Hosts] were half-turning to their table when they froze. They slowly spun back to Liska as she went searching for her friends.

“Wait, you work at the inn? The Wandering Inn?”

“What? Yeah. I mean, just as the [Doorgnoll]. It was nice meeting you two.”

Liska didn’t have any thought the two had more interest in little old her, but to her shock, Adrerni spun.

“Wait, do you have a moment? Come have a drink with us! No one from the inn ever comes to Wishdrinks! They went once or twice, but I didn’t get a chance to serve—this is crazy. Hey, clear a spot for Liska here!”

Liffe was on Liska’s other side, ushering her forwards.

“Do you want something to eat? Do you have time to talk? Some of our seniors got to work at the inn! When they had that beach thing? We have so many questions. Our boss, Mister Valiet, would love if you had a chance to ever come by. Drinks and food on the house! Any time! He’s been hoping someone comes by, but you guys don’t need us.”

“Wha—really? I mean, I’m with my friends. But I have time.”

“Bring them over!”

That was how Liska found a petrified Shashi, Ulte, and Thaheart sitting with Adrerni and Liffe and their friends as they grilled Liska with questions. It was strange, surreal, but at the same time…

Sort of felt like being back on familiar ground, if that made sense. Because it was the inn, and the wide-eyed [Host] duo were asking questions Liska knew the answers to.

“So that wasn’t an illusion, the beach?”

Liska waved a paw airily as she glanced at Shashi, whose eyes were bulging. She took a sip of some nice beer, not watery at all.

“Oh, no, that was part illusion, but real sand and stuff.”

“Ancestors, I heard it was nice! The [Innkeeper], she let all the staff party after they were done.”

“Who, Erin? Yeah, she’s like that. Everyone was dying to get in—it was a real pain. I had to wait until after work to get in.”

Liska scowled, remembering the crush of people demanding to get into the beach, but Adrerni gave her a second stare.

“Wait, you were there? Can you get in anymore?”

“The beach? No…it’s gone. It went in the Winter Solstice.”

Liska’s ears drooped again. That amazing moment would never reappear. Liffe stared at her.

“So you’re not a new hire?”

“Me? No, I’m new. I’ve been there only, like, half a year or something. Well, and this year.”

“That’s ages! No one’s able to get a job there—I mean, no one’s applying because it’s crazy. But…we’ve heard there are Goblins and Antinium there!”

“Oh, yeah. They’ve been there longer than I have.”

“And it’s not dangerous?”

“Not because of Goblins or Antinium.”

For some reason, that provoked something like a profound silence, and Liska sipped from a straw, uncomfortable, until Adrerni looked at Liffe.

“Well…if the inn ever wants something from Wishdrinks, they could come over, any time. Seriously, we have orders to let anyone from the inn stay, even the Antinium or Goblins. But, uh…is the inn hiring?”

Liska blinked at him.

“You want to work at The Wandering Inn? Why? You work for Wishdrinks! It’s like the most famous bar in Liscor!”

The Gnoll [Host] was smoothing his fur with one paw, and whatever Skills he had, they outclassed Thaheart by a magnitude.

“Yes, in Liscor. But The Wandering Inn? I could gain, like, ten levels in a year if I worked there.”

“If you lived.”

Liffe put in, face concerned. Adrerni rolled his eyes.

“I’d risk that. I’m just not sure I’m qualified. I’m a Level 25 [Host of Parties]. I know that’s not great, but if you mentioned me the next time they’re hiring…do you think I’d have a shot?”

This time, the [Doorgnoll] hesitated, because she didn’t know if Lyonette was hiring at all.

“I could ask Lyonette about that, sure. I mean, no promises…I levelled pretty fast myself, I guess.”

“Really? What’s your class?”

“[Doorgnoll]. I, um, work the magic door at the front of the inn. It’s nothing special.”

Liffe was resting her chin on her hands and giving the impression she was hanging on Liska’s every word. Her eyes flicked to the door.

“Wait, really? That’s important, isn’t it? I heard that the inn was having door problems all morning! There was a huge queue in Shivertail Plaza!”

Liska blinked.

“Really? I wonder if they’re having an incident. The door’s not that hard. You just swing it open, shout at people, change it, and repeat all day. Anyone could do that. Um, but don’t steal my job.”

She grinned, and everyone laughed at that. Liska peeked around.

“Shashi hates my job. She’s always telling me to quit.”

“What? I do not!”

Shashi jumped and broke out of her trance. She began refuting the truth as Adrerni grinned. Then one of the other Gnolls who’d been largely silent at the table sniffed. He was muscular and, Liska realized, wearing tribal gear.

A Plains Gnoll.

“If you’re from the inn, do you know ‘Mrsha the Great and Terrible’? She’s the most important Gnoll in the whole of Izril, to hear our Chieftain and [Shamans] talk about it. Some little Doombearer. I bet she’s just a crying brat.”

He grinned and got chuckles from other Silverfangs sitting with the two [Hosts]. Adrerni hesitated, but Liska frowned.

“Mrsha’s young, but she’s pretty important. Everyone likes her at the inn unless she plays a prank.”

“Oh, come on. She’s some child who wandered around and started that mess at the Meeting of Tribes. She’s got to be an obnoxious cub.”

“She’s pretty brave.”

Liska shot back, getting annoyed at the dismissive Gnoll’s attitude. The Silverfang teen growled.

“She’s got some Human for a caretaker, and her entire tribe got killed because of her.”

Liska took a deep drink from her mug and pushed it across the table.

“The Stone Spears tribe and Lyonette. Neither event was her fault, and she’s done more than you know. Don’t be rude.”

“Are you serious?”

He stood up abruptly, and the table went silent. Liska stared at the angry Silverfang.

“Yeah.”

She met his eyes as they narrowed, and he growled at her. Liska sat there, uncomfortable as heck for forty seconds, until, abruptly, the Silverfang Gnoll whirled.

“Ridiculous. Where’s the privy?”

He went striding across the room, and Liffe leaned over when he was gone.

“Dead gods, Liska! You stared him down! Are you crazy? Is that, like, mandatory for employees at the inn?”

“I did? He was being obnoxious. Plus, what was he going to do?”

“Hit you? He’s a [Warrior] from the Silverfang tribe! He’s going north with their people!”

“Oh. Well…I’d probably survive.”

If she’d been around her door, she’d have been fine. Here, Liska realized she might have been in trouble, but she watched the angry Silverfang Gnoll pulling at the handle of the restroom door. He growled, heaved—

It popped out suddenly and hit him so hard he fell down. Liska took a sip from her mug and hid a smile. She promptly lost the smile when said Silverfang warrior sprang up, stared at her, and put two-and-two together. He came striding back towards her.

“You—!”

“Aw, poop. Where’s my emergency wand?”

Liska began fumbling for her bag of holding. She had one somewhere. Adrerni got up, and so did Ulte and Shashi. They were trying to block the furious Silverfang as his buddies got up. Liska leaned back.

[Forcewall]. Use the [Forcewall] or—

Before she could draw the wand she’d just found in her bag of holding or do anything, someone got in between the lunging Silverfang and Liska. A short Drake blocked him and spoke.

“[Eject Patron]. Out of my bar.”

She grabbed the surprised warrior who was twice her size and tossed him down the length of the room. The door blew open, and Hariett, the [Bar Owner], watched as the Gnoll tumbled out the door.

“Alright, everyone sit! I don’t want the Watch being called! Settle down! Down, I said!”

She shoved the Silverfangs back, and with the help of a bouncer who’d appeared out of nowhere, the situation defused. Liska blinked, let go of her wand, and Hariett the old and, Liska recalled, curmudgeonly and bossy owner was there.

“No fighting in my bar with Skills, understand, Miss? And you lot—talk to your friend. If he growls at anyone in my bar again, he’s out. I want respect, understand? If you can’t have that towards each other, you will be banned.”

“Of course, Miss Hariett. We’re very sorry.”

Adrerni nudged Liska, but she just ducked her head.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have used my Skill.”

Hariett eyed Liska.

“I may want a word later, Miss. But let’s consider this settled. Agreed?”

She was rather agreeable, especially for someone who’d nearly had a fight started in her pub. Lyonette would have chewed someone out and spat them into pieces.

Liska apologized repeatedly, and when they went back to the table, she sat there with Adrerni, Liffe, Shashi, and the others, and she felt it, that odd feeling that had come over her all morning.

Change.

——

It wasn’t that Liska was utterly reborn. She was sort of upset about Shashi. Mostly that they hadn’t gotten in one last smoochfest before breaking it up. Shashi was a great kisser.

And it was, y’know, hard to be a Turnscale in Liscor. Which is what Liska was, and had always known she’d been, ever since she was little. Whenever she and Ishkr had run out of their home when their mother was fighting with their father or using the Hazyflower, Liska had gone to different places than her brother.

How did you figure out you were a Turnscale? To Liska, it had been as simple as seeing a pair of Drakes stepping into an alleyway to kiss and realizing, with a jolt, that they were the same gender, and realizing that was something she could do.

Of course—she was a Gnoll. It was easier for her.

That’s what Shashi always said, and most of the other Drakes that Liska had dated had the same philosophy. All very well for her to live amongst the Silverfangs who were new to Liscor. Drakes had families, relatives—they were the ones who’d invented the word.

Turnscale. Someone who was wrong in the head.

Liska didn’t like to argue on that point because, well, she wanted to keep kissing pretty Drake girls, but sometimes it annoyed her. That had been her life until Ishkr told her she had to get a job at his stupid inn, and they’d made her sit and watch a door all day.

Running around to have fun, clashing with the Watch, trying to stay out of sight and trouble when ‘respectable’ citizens got mad at them.

And…dreading getting older and having to get a job. Feeling aimless, unwanted, and unloved, as if Ishkr and her parents were ashamed of her.

Worst of all, watching as friends vanished or had what Vakki and Lizze had gone through occur.

It wasn’t great.

So yeah. Maybe Liska had forgotten about Shashi and her life in the inn where she got paid, had respect, and got to sit on a couch all day.

It wasn’t like Liska was unimportant. She got that Erin was doing good things. She liked Mrsha and knew Lyonette was a real life [Princess]. She felt important there! Plus, she got to see things occur, like Valeterisa square off with Amerys, and say, ‘yeah, I opened the door for Valeterisa. Tons of times. Relc too.’

Well, it wasn’t much, but Liska felt like that was the best someone like her could dream of. Getting to touch cool moments. And sometimes, see super attractive ladies walking in. Like Ieka, Onieva, or the beach garden—that had been great for Liska’s morale. It was just, again—in the inn, there were no Turnscales except Rose. The Wandering Inn did important, great things.

Just not for the people Liska knew. For everyone, not specifically…her kind.

——

“So, uh, Liska. Are you free the rest of today? I was thinking we could hit the city. You know, cruise around like the old days? You could come too, Adrerni, Liffe.”

Thaheart was as obvious as the sun. Liska rolled her eyes, and she bet Adrerni knew what the other Gnoll was trying, but he grinned and nodded because he wanted to get on Liska’s good side.

That was…obvious to Liska. Normally, she didn’t get this kind of thing, but maybe it was because she was older or not trying to impress Shashi or something? It was like working her job at the door and realizing someone was buttering her up to try to avoid the fee or get her to do something.

It was nice at first, but after, like, a hundred times it just got annoying and obvious. All that to say that Liska suddenly felt like she was seeing everything in a new light.

“I could hang. What do you all like to do? When we’re not at work, we like to catch a drink here or hit up The Drunken Gnoll or Barehoof Kitchens.”

“Whoa. You are rich. I mean, the Gnoll’s great and cheap, but you can get into Barehoof Kitchens? With that Imani and Palt? Does he sell you smokes?”

Liffe winked at Shashi.

“On the sly; if you ask for it when you’re eating there, you get in trouble. But Palt’s cool, and that [Innkeeper], Timbor, he has really cheap plates.”

“I know! The Yellat-fries are awesome. Only two coppers for a basket! I mean, sometimes they’re all crunchy and don’t have enough salt, but…”

Ulte shook his head.

“Crunchy’s the best.”

“You weirdtail. It’s better when they’re all floppy and hot!”

The, um, level of conversation wasn’t high. Shashi rolled her eyes self-importantly as she turned to Liska.

“We like hitting bars. Or playing a street-game like lleroller. But the Drunken Gnoll could be fun. Liska, you like shopping down Merchant’s Way, right?”

She was playing up things too. Lleroller was one of the games you could play in the city where you tossed a ball down the street—it was an old game, pre-soccer, and caused tons of trouble. And they didn’t usually have the coin to do more than get water and a snack at most places, let alone buy anything in Merchant’s Way.

Well, Liska had money. But she didn’t quite feel like doing any of the things mentioned. She was actually looking for Miss Hariett, who was standing behind the bar, talking to the [Bartender]. She felt like she should apologize, but everyone wanted to talk to her.

Especially her ex-girlfriend, who seemed to be trying to reverse their breakup in real time. Though she was also making eyes at Liffe…

Liska wasn’t sure Liffe was actually a Turnscale in the sense that she was into other women, though. Not that there were hard and fast rules, but she wasn’t checking out Shashi’s back or responding to the little hints.

How did you explain it? It was like Thaheart reaching for a new round being served to the table, Adrerni taking it, and when their paws brushed, grinning at Thaheart in a way that made the other Gnoll blush and go all stammery.

Liska supposed it was like flirting between non-Turnscales, but she didn’t care for that. Too many guys, Gnolls, Drakes, Humans, all trying to talk themselves up when they smelled like desperation and bad body hygiene.

“I’m, uh, gonna talk to Miss Hariett. I feel bad about that thing before. I’ll come with in just a second!”

Liska got up and walked away from the table, conscious of all the eyes on her back. She clearly heard Thaheart speaking loudly behind her.

“Let’s figure out which bar we should go to first. I mean, we should celebrate, right? Plus, Hariett’s is a dump.”

Adrerni nodded as he gulped a drink and grimaced.

“Bad swill. But we always end up getting a drink here. I guess it’s because everyone comes here.”

Hey, that was right. Liska glanced around the pub. She’d been coming to Hariett’s for a long time. Ever since she’d been a Turnscale, really. It wasn’t the cheapest, and Hariett got mad at you for being too loud. Liska had badmouthed her a lot in the past too.

So why did it feel like, if she was going anywhere, she’d start at Hariett’s? And, Liska just bet, every Turnscale in the city around her age probably knew the pub?

Well…Liska stared at Hariett as the Drake woman saw her approaching and realized Hariett was wearing long, black trousers with a tail-hole and a high-cut shirt of the same color with that slightly-ragged sleeve look that was trendy with people Liska’s age in the city.

A bit like Gothica’s outfit, but Hariett had added some fake glass sequins to her shoulders and sleeves, in the pattern of a Rock Crab and Razorbeak. Plus, Liska noticed just now, she had a glittering topaz gemstone at the end of each shoelace, replacing the aglets. They flashed a bit and were super cool.

Add in a worn, but wide belt with blue waves on it and she was actually fairly stylish! Like real style, not Nanette-style. Now, how did Liska never notice that?

In her mind, Hariett was some frumpy old Drake who yelled at everything, but she smiled when she saw Liska come over.

“Liska, right? I haven’t seen you in a while. Need another round? No more fighting, I hope.”

“No, um, I wanted to say sorry about that, again. And thanks.”

Hariett blinked at Liska and eyed the young Gnoll woman up and down.

“It’s no trouble. Just don’t let it happen again. Those Plains Silverfangs like to throw their weight around. Like Bronze-rankers. I chuckled when that fellow fell down, but you’re way too obvious about using your Skill. What was that, some kind of holding Skill?”

“Um, just door-stuff. I’m a [Doorgnoll].”

“Really? Which inn?”

When Liska told her, Hariett’s eyes widened.

“You don’t say. That’s fascinating! But The Wandering Inn—did the Goblin King really come through there? Here, have a seat for a second. Do you want another drink?”

Liska took a juice happily since it was early, and she’d already had one and a half ales. This was familiar. The incredulity, the skepticism, the inn being, well, crazy—until Hariett flipped the usual script.

“It sounds dangerous.”

“I mean, yeah, but I wasn’t doing anything. I just got in the way, and Saliss had to save me. It was all over by the time I woke up.”

The Drake woman was glancing at the [Bartender] and her staff, who were busy running the pub, as more young people that Liska vaguely recognized came in and out.

“But it’s far too dangerous for…if you need a job, I could use someone minding the doors. We have bouncers, but I could hire you or talk to some other owners I know.”

Liska blinked.

“What, quit my job? Nah, I like it at the inn.”

“You’re sure? You’re not in danger or that hard up for money? I’ve heard it has…[Necromancers] as clientele.”

The Drake woman was scrutinizing Liska hard. The younger Gnoll squirmed a bit. Hariett was oddly worried for someone Liska barely had spoken to over the years.

“Who, the Rheirgest [Necromancers]? They’re funny. I’m fine, really, Miss Hariett. I, uh, I really like your boots and shirt.”

That threw the [Pub Owner], and she blinked and then smiled.

“Thank you! I’ve got probably fifteen different shoelaces, each one with a different gemstone. And far too many shoes, come to that.”

“What, really? Do you just re-lace them every time?”

“Yes, and it’s such a pain, but it makes an impact. Not that you lot ever notice.”

Hariett’s teeth flashed, and Liska protested.

“I noticed your shirt! That’s really cool too. Someone’s got to pay attention.”

“Oh, now and then, I’ll grant you. But if I was dressing to impress people at my pub—so you’re sure you’re fine?”

Liska thought of her friends and wilted a second.

“I am. But I didn’t know Vakki was in jail and Lizze was married off. Sorry, you don’t know them, they’re—”

The [Pub Owner] glanced at Liska sharply.

“I know them. It’s tragic, of course, but Miss Lizze’s family is her family. And Vakki—it’s a twenty gold fine, you know.”

“I know.”

Liska had enough to pay for it. She was fumbling at her belt pouch when Hariett sighed.

“We’re about eight gold pieces short. I’ve had a fundraiser going on this week, but it’s just a lot of gold. There’s a get-together later…don’t worry, she’ll get out, but I’m more afraid she’s going to land herself back there the moment she’s out. Or worse. She’s desperate for Lizze, but she needs someone to sit her down and talk sense—but she won’t listen.”

That sounded like Vakki. Liska was nodding along before she frowned.

“You have to actually shake her if she’s all honed-in on Lizze. But wait, you’ve been fundraising?”

It was Hariett’s turn to bring out a jar filled with mostly copper coins, but some silvers and even gold pieces. Liska’s mouth opened.

“Thaheart never said!”

“I haven’t seen him all week. Nor your other friends. If you had anything you could contribute, it would help.”

It was Hariett’s turn to go silent as Liska pulled out eight gold coins and plonked them into the jar without a second’s hesitation. The [Bartender], a Gnoll with a mustache—it was somehow visible despite the fur on his face—turned and eyed Liska.

“Well. I’d keep a hand on your moneypouch, Miss Liska. They must pay you well enough at the inn.”

Hariett managed after a moment, and Liska shrugged self-consciously.

“I haven’t had a break in, like, ages. So I never spent my pay. If it gets Vakki out…”

“I’ll bail her out this night. However, I still need to have a word with her. It’d be easiest, actually, if I could get someone to pay the Watch for me after I change this all to gold.”

“Oh, you could get Ulte to do it. He’s used to the Merchant’s Guild.”

Hariett swivelled and glanced at the Drake that Liska was pointing at.

“Ulte. That makes sense. He’d have money, so no one would be that curious about him bailing out a friend either. Hey, Shamre, go get Ulte for me, would you? That Drake there.”

She flagged down a [Waitress] and pointed. Hariett was so…organized. It occurred to Liska she was throwing out a lot of names of her friends, but Hariett knew everyone. Weird.

So weird, but Liska’s instincts, which were admittedly not in high demand most of the time, were nagging at her. Right up until the door opened and someone walked into the pub.

“Adrerni! I knew I’d find you here. Wishdrinks is throwing an after-hours party! Come on!”

More of the [Hosts] from Wishdrinks appeared, the older employees. Who were—Liska turned her head, and her jaw dropped.

“Drake’s Ancestors.”

Do you remember the beach day from The Wandering Inn? The grand hour of relaxation, surf, and fun?

For some, it had never ended. The [Hosts] that Erin had hired to serve food and help out her staff at The Wandering Inn had taken their lessons from that time and decided to make it core to their identity.

Or how else did you explain a pair of Drakes wearing swimsuits walking in out of the rain as if that was normal apparel? Both had glossy scales like they had suntan lotion applied, and the female Drake had on a bikini top and bottom, Earth-style, in bright blue. Her co-worker had on a pair of swimsuit trunks and his hands in his pockets.

And a six-pack. Liska gave his stomach exactly 0.1 seconds of attention. Her eyes were on the [Hostess], who was waving at Adrerni.

The entire table shot to their feet and practically dashed over; Thaheart, Shashi, Ulte, the others no one was going to miss this. Liska took a huge gulp from her Prelon juice drink.

“Pull my tail, she’s got scales for days.”

There were visible muscles under the swimsuit hostess’ scales, and she grabbed Adrerni. Liska could see all her back muscles moving as she towed him to the party. Hariett muttered behind Liska.

“She’s got to be cold in the rain and this weather. But you won’t catch me complaining.”

“Mhm. I’d go swimming with her even in Liscor’s waters.”

“Or apply that suntan. I’d fight for that honor.”

The [Bartender] murmured. All three of them watched the group heading out the door in a chaos of laughter and excitement as a crowd followed, clearly trying to win themselves an invite too, and Liska realized two things.

Firstly—her friends had utterly forgotten about her and left her behind.

Secondly? She turned and saw Hariett staring at the [Hostess]’ tail as it vanished out of the door, and Liska realized the obvious. Hariett was a Turnscale. Her jaw dropped, and the [Pub Owner] gave her a frown.

“What? Oh, drat, Ulte’s gone! Argh, I’ll do it myself. What, am I drooling?”

She wiped at her mouth, and Liska burst out.

“Miss Hariett! You’re a—you’re like us?”

She glanced at the [Bartender], and she saw him blink, then grin. Hariett’s face went blank as her eyes flicked around Liska, then she leaned forwards and smiled.

“Miss Liska. Do I look like I run this bar with you silly little kids just for fun? You don’t pay that well, you know. And I hear those comments about my ale!”

Then Liska saw her, and the world seemed to open up again. What she had taken for granted became something deeper. And with respect to very attractive people wearing swimsuits and free drinks and a party—

Far more interesting.

——

Hariett and Liska sat at a corner of the bar and talked as younger folk came in and out of the bar. Gossiping, trying to scrounge money together, arguing over this fad or that, talking about what they’d seen on television or the latest trend—and paying no attention to the owner or Liska, really.

Some had on black makeup in the new goth style. Others were flashing autographed cards or the latest things from Pallass, Invrisil, which they’d paid to visit.

One was an Antinium with a backwards baseball hat with two holes for an antennae and a posse of very protective teenagers who were thirteen to fourteen. Liska stared at them all and realized she had never paid attention to the fact that it was this place where they came, and it was Hariett who saw it all and made so much happen.

“Of course it’s mostly just younger people here, at least in the day. At nights, I get an older crowd.”

“And they’re all Turnsc—”

Hariett put a claw on Liska’s hand.

“We don’t use that word here, Liska. Ever.”

“What? But he’s cool, right?”

Liska glanced at the [Bartender] and most of the people here…but Hariett’s face was friendly, eyes glancing around, and warning.

“We don’t do it. Hasn’t anyone ever given you the talk?”

“Um, well, maybe? About being a…us?”

Liska vaguely remembered, and Hariett sighed.

“Maybe someone has, but it’s all more informal here. And I don’t have the time nor do I have perfect eyes for it. My pub’s just a place where young people gather, and if there are more than most like—us—then it’s because of my Skills. [Advertisement: Safe Space]. So long as I keep it active, people know to come here. I do my best to make sure it’s true as well. Hence how I dealt with that Silverfang back there and sometimes other matters. I do fundraisers for people like Miss Vakki and try to help out. It’s never enough, but here we are, Liska. I’ve run Hariett’s for nine years now, ever since the last Antinium War.”

Oh! Was that why Liska always thought to go to Hariett’s? Certainly, she’d never felt unwelcome for being a Turnscale. She blinked at Hariett, wide-eyed.

“But why are you doing all that for us? I mean, it’s great, but we don’t pay really well, and I know you get mad at us.”

The question seemed to perplex the [Pub Owner]. She sat back at her bar and then smiled, rueful.

“Why…? Because everyone does their part, Liska. No one gave you that talk about community, did they? No, you’re old enough that maybe it was when we were rebuilding after Az’kerash. And as I said, Liscor’s far less organized than other cities. It doesn’t need to be.”

She sighed.

“Well, it’s so huge these days I don’t know who’s with us. When I hear about Pallass, I get nervous. It reminds me of Hectval.”

“Hectval? The war?”

“Hm? No, I moved from there. Hectval is far less pleasant for us, Liska. Believe you me.”

This conversation was a wealth of information. Liska’s head spun.

“So…you’re doing this for us, and you knew about Vakki, and—”

“It’s not just me. I’m one of a community. Just like I said, Liska. You kids get to run around and have fun, mostly. But I think you’re someone I’d better catch up to speed. When you have gold, influence, or levels, it’s important to understand how to help.”

“Who?”

Hariett waved her foreclaw around in a circle.

“Everyone like us. Or do you think this kind of a place springs up without a lot of work?”

Liska didn’t know what to think. In hindsight, it made sense there could be adult Turnscales. But Hariett was describing an actual community, and Liska burst out, upset.

“I don’t remember anyone bailing me out of prison when I was in trouble, just Ishkr and my friends! And this pub isn’t that safe or great!”

To that response, Hariett’s face was pained, and she took a deep breath before replying.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but we don’t have unlimited amounts of money, and being careful is very, very important, Liska. We older folk try to keep our noses clean. It’s easier to be young. And, well, again. If you think this isn’t pleasant, believe me, it’s far worse in other cities.”

That, Liska could believe.

——

People didn’t talk about Turnscales. It was a dirty topic, a dirty word.

Someone called you that and you had to walk over and punch them. It was worse than being called an idiot, slow-witted, weak, a coward. It was worse, in a way, than being a deviant.

Just what a Turnscale was? Liska wasn’t sure if other people knew, but if someone thought you were one, then they got unpleasant. It was one thing for someone to shout at you, call you names.

When multiple people did it, you were almost relieved to see a Watch officer coming your way. And the fear was that they’d remember you and you were marked. Like a tattoo, a blemish. For being wrong. Disgusting.

There were rules for being a Turnscale in Liscor. Ones that Hariett had reminded Liska of.

-Never say you’re a Turnscale. Never admit it, never use the word in public. It’s just ‘us’, ‘the community’, ‘our perspective’, and so on.

-Under no circumstances should you ever reveal someone is a Turnscale to a non-Turnscale. Even to other Turnscales, only do it if you’re very, very sure and for a good reason.

-Always know at least three people you can turn to in times of trouble. Check in on them at least once a week, covertly.

-Support one another as best you can. Someone gives you something? Pay it back. Nothing’s for free with us. We have to contribute.

-Be careful.

It was a different world. When Liska left Hariett’s and wandered past Wishdrinks, she found Shashi, Thaheart, Ulte, and the others all drunk and having a great time. They were inviting her to keep the party going, but she just mumbled something about having to go and check on her dishes.

There are more of us? Hariett had sworn there were, but she’d refused to even tell Liska names.

“Just come back tomorrow around this time, alright? I’ll invite someone.”

“Can I bring someone with me?”

Hariett had hesitated.

“…Of course. Just as long as they’re sensible and discreet. And thank you for helping with Vakki. I’ll do my best to get her out tonight and make sure she understands how things are.”

How things are. As in, Lizze was getting married in another city, and that was that. The two [Lovers] were never going to see each other again. And…some male Drake or Gnoll would be leaving with Vakki, and she’d have to have babies and pretend that was normal.

That made Liska feel physically unwell. She went back to her and Ishkr’s apartment and lay down in her creaking bed.

Six minutes later, it began to drip on her head. Liska sat up and groaned. Then eyed a bulge in the ceiling.

“Great. Leaks.”

When she hammered on the [Landlord]’s door and he poked his head out and she told him there was a leak in her room, and probably the apartment above, he grumbled about low rent and told her to make space for him. So she had to clear her and Ishkr’s bedding and help him shove the bedframe aside, and he had to see if the people above were even in to fix whatever was seeping the water. By that time, Liska had had enough.

“Just lock the door when you’re done. I’m gonna go…somewhere else.”

Lacking a bed here, there was only one sensible option, right?

The Wandering Inn. She did have rooms there, and they were a lot nicer than her apartment. She didn’t know why she and Ishkr even kept the darn thing. Now that they had gold…Liska felt at her money pouch, but she didn’t know what to spend it on. So she just went to what she knew.

——

Shivertail Plaza was a mess of people waiting in lines, shouting at the Watch, and so backed up Liska stared.

“Hey, what happened to the door?”

It was never this bad. Had it malfunctioned or something? She wanted to push past the lines, but the Watch officer snapped at her.

“No cutting the line, Miss! The door is broken; the inn is working to fix it, but it will take some time! Please step back!”

“But I work there. I’m the [Doorgnoll].”

The Drake [Guardswoman] didn’t recognize Liska, but someone else did. Guardswoman Jerci was waving her arms and shouting, and when she saw Liska, the Gnoll guard practically dashed over in the rain.

“Liska! Why isn’t the door working?”

“I don’t know. I’m on break!”

“You’re on—can you fix it?”

“Um…maybe?”

They watched as Liska stumped over to the door and put a paw on it. It wasn’t set to Liscor, so the door was just an empty patch of air. Liska shrugged.

“Someone’s on the other side and using it.”

“You can tell?”

Jerci was around Liska’s age, but she was a [Guardswoman] and had on leather armor, a baton, sword, and all kinds of gear on her belt, and looked, well, adult-like. Liska in her casual outfit felt like a kid, but she shrugged again.

“I mean, sure. It’s not my door; it’s Erin’s Skill. But you can sort of feel where it’s connecting to. Like, there are a bunch of openings all over, and you just have to connect it to the right one. Obviously, the real [Door of Portals] is at the center. Looks like it’s in…Pallass.”

It was far enough away, and she recognized the direction, even though when she used her senses, there weren’t any cardinal directions. Jerci stared at Liska.

“Well, if we wait for it to open…”

“What? Oh, no, I figure I could open it. I’m just waiting for them to finish on Pallass’ side. No, wait, I forgot! Silly me.”

Liska smacked her forehead with the palm of her paw.

“[Door: Doubled Gateway]. Let me just—oh wow.”

She opened the door to The Wandering Inn and recoiled at the press of bodies. The door split in the air, and Jerci and the other [Guards] leapt back. They could see…people walking through Pallass’ door on the left side! The Pallassians recoiled as Liska split the doorway in half, but she just hopped through.

“Hey, Xinthe, hey, Asgra, what’s going on here?”

Twenty members of staff were in the portal room, shouting, placing down wooden stands and connecting them with pieces of rope to form lines, and no one was lying on her couch. Liska saw a harried Calanferian woman whirl.

“Liska? Oh, Eternal Throne—help!”

“What’s wrong with the door?”

It felt fine. Liska didn’t sense anything wrong with the wood or framework, and the magic was running a bit low, but she didn’t see why it was so backed up. Xinthe pointed desperately.

“We can’t funnel people in and out fast enough! They keep getting in each other’s ways, and we have to collect the fee or they can’t enter, and the door keeps running out of mana, and—”

Liska blinked in astonishment as the litany of complaints ran on and on. Then she held up a paw.

“Um, what if I just help for a second? It’s pretty easy for me. Like…you have to line them up by city, see? Hey! Who here is going towards…Invrisil?”

Liska shouted, and the long line of people revealed multiple hands scattered around. She pointed.

“Stand there!”

“But we’re first in line for—”

Ah, here was the problem that Xinthe had dealt with. Liska demonstrated the optimal technique by covering her ears with her paws.

“Shut up! It’s too loud! Stand over there or you won’t go anywhere! [Form a Line]! [Get in Line]! Shut up! [Orderly Conduct] or I’ll have Asgra eat you!”

The power of her Skills activated, and people left the line, ducking under the ropes to form a line to Invrisil. Xinthe’s jaw dropped, and Asgra held up a hand.

“Liska. I don’t wanna eat him. He look pretty unhealthy.”

“Sure, Asgra. Line to Celum there! Door to Invrisil—open!”

The dial spun, and the door opened, revealing a very angry crowd who began to push forwards.

“We’re late for—”

The people in front slammed into a [Forcewall], which Liska used to shove them back. Then she conjured a second on the other side.

“Everybody to Invrisil—get out! Wait your turn until they exit! You don’t wait, you don’t get in! And have your money! No, I don’t know how much it is, read the stupid sign!”

When the people began to file in, Liska turned to Xinthe.

“Okay, where’s the money go?”

She was pointed towards a bowl, and Liska nodded. Then she began waving people in, and they strode through, fast as could be.

“But the fee—”

They were tossing it in the bowl as they came without missing a beat. [Collect Fee]. One person clearly tried not to pay; they ran into an invisible wall at the door, and Liska shouted.

“Get out of line if you can’t pay! [Filtered Entry], dumbasses! Next—Riverfarm on the left, Celum on the right!”

The door split in twain. [Door: Doubled Gateway]. Liska sighed as she had to remind the idiots, again, which side was which. After a moment, she dragged over one of the poles and slung a rope between it and another, creating a dividing line.

“I guess we do need signs and waiting spots. We could do that one for Liscor, that for—”

Rather to her surprise, her vague ideas of organization became reality as Xinthe and the others ran to get ladders and hammer the signs up. Asgra herself came sprinting back with paint and began marking the floors.

“Hey, this place is gross.”

Liska realized there was mud everywhere and stuff. She kicked at an actual mud-slime someone had tracked in on their boot. She pointed, and something appeared in front of the [Door of Portals].

“[Doormat of Cleanliness]. Who got rid of…oh, wait, that’s my Skill. Wow, how do you do this without Skills, Xinthe?”

She turned, and the panting Calanferian had no idea. Even with organization, there was no beating Liska’s Skills.

For instance, without [Door: Oversized Transportation], getting a wagon through the [Door of Portals] was all but impossible unless you deconstructed it and hauled it through piece-by-piece. The portals to Celum and Riverfarm were draining mana rapidly. Liska yawned, then slapped the doorframe.

“[Item: Replenish Charges]! Right, I think that’s doing it.”

She went over to her couch and lay on it, sighing. She hadn’t even had to enchant the door with her new Skills. Liska cleared out all the people waiting for service, and after thirty minutes, things were back to normal, more or less. Only then did Lyonette come striding into the room.

“Xinthe, I think I’ve solved the mana crisis. I managed to get Valeterisa to agree to lend Montressa to recharge the door with Magus Grimalkin. They’re not happy, but—what happened here? Liska?”

“Oh, hey, Lyonette. I heard you had problems and…”

Liska sat up on her couch, and Lyonette stared at her. Then the Gnoll remembered.

“Aw. I’m supposed to be on break!”

Xinthe and the other employees shrank a bit as Lyonette exhaled. Then put on a strained smile.

“Well, you’re due at least another day. Why don’t we get you something to eat, Liska? Thank you so much for helping clear this up. And, er, let’s talk about organization.”

——

Liska did speculate about how to make the portal room more efficient with Lyonette over some very lovely lunch. Then it was evening, so she wandered back to Liscor, stuck her head out of the door, and stared at all the damn rain.

“Um…maybe Pallass?”

——

The [Guards] at the checkpoint asked if she had a passport or day-pass. Liska gazed at them and turned.

“Okay, Invrisil?”

Belatedly, one of the Pallassian security guards recognized Liska. Captain Kel nearly kicked his way out of the office, but she was already gone, so he chewed out the guards on duty for ten whole minutes.

——

Invrisil was nice. Dry. Busy. Liska walked out of their checkpoint and peered around. She felt at her belt pouch, eyed the gold in her bag of holding.

“Huh. Wow.”

——

That night, Liska came back to the inn loaded with souvenirs and considerably less gold. She had gifts for all her friends. A trendy parasol for Shashi, some really good fur cream for Thaheart, some awesome boots for Ulte since he hated anything from his father’s Guild in Liscor—

And for her friends in the inn!

“Hey, Nanette, look at this awesome hat I found.”

Liska handed Nanette a hat shaped like a cartoonish lightning bolt. Nanette instantly put it on. Mrsha eyed her sister, but accepted the latest installment of Tales of Adventure and Woe with alacrity. Inkpaper, the Goblin [Librarian], rubbed his claws as Liska gave him a second book.

“This is from Heartslayi…”

“Ugh, Inkpaper, that’s trash!”

Nanette complained as she checked out her hat in a mirror, and Inkpaper grinned.

“Yah, but is good trash.”

Asgra got a gigantic sugar lollipop she gleefully bit into; caramelized brown sugar and black sugar from Noelictus and just…sugar…in various colors. Liska had eaten two, and she felt vaguely sick.

It was a fun time out! Ishkr rolled his eyes, but accepted a random apple she’d bought him.

“You have some money left after all that, I hope, Liska?”

“Yeah, tons! I didn’t even use the money in my guild bank account. Which I have. Did you know that, Ishkr?”

“Yes. I told you about it.”

“Oh, well…good for you. Idiot.”

The [Doorgnoll] did feel a bit empty after all that despite the fun she’d had. She wished she could have gone out with Shashi.

Now how am I gonna find a girlfriend? That was her usual life goal when she’d broken up with someone, but she had work, and it was going to be hard to date…

Oh, right, I have tomorrow off. And she’d go to Miss Hariett’s. Liska searched around for the person she wanted to talk to.

“Anyone know where Rose is?”

Rosencrantz was trying to figure out how to use the yoyo she’d bought him.

“Pallass. She’s always there these days.”

“Darn. Do you think she’d be back tonight? And, uh, is my room open? Because I don’t wanna sleep in the apartment. Ishkr, there’s a leak.”

He groaned.

“Did you at least tell the [Landlord]?”

He seemed shocked when she assured him she had and even had arranged for it to be fixed. Rosencrantz, in turn, guaranteed Liska her room was all made up, but opined that Rose might be in late.

Well, Liska had only been going to go out to find her friends again and apologize for going off like that. She went to the bar and ordered a drink.

“Can I get a…Velrusk Claw and some peanuts?”

Peggy served her the drinks, thanking Liska for the bottle of perfume, and the Gnoll sat there, sipping on her drink and munching on her snacks. Another night at the inn where she was content. Even if her thoughts strayed towards Vakki.

Orrell…could she help him? But no one even knew where he was. How could you…?

What about the [World’s Eye Theater]? Liska’s eyes strayed towards the door to that room, but before she could make up her mind, she heard a pair of arguing voices.

“Listen, Lyonette, this is a genuine crisis if the door doesn’t work tomorrow.”

“It was temporary, Zevara! I know it was an issue, but we can’t always be perfect, and given the amount of people we transport daily—why are you being sent to harass us about it?”

Watch Captain Zevara herself followed Lyonette into the common room of the inn. The Watch Captain raised her claws.

“I’m not accusing you. I’m just asking if it’ll happen again tomorrow. Is Liska sick or something?”

She peered around and spotted Liska. When Lyonette explained it was Liska’s day off, Zevara muttered.

“I’m going to write to Venim and say that’s a ‘yes’, then.”

Lyonette bristled.

“We have systems in place for tomorrow!”

“Uh-huh. Thank you for your time, Miss Marquin. Oh, come on, Lyonette. That was a joke! I have to do my job, and this was a legitimate issue! Don’t be sour; I know I let you down with the choir thing, but I don’t sing. You don’t want me smogging up everything when I cough…”

Strife was had. Liska watched with urbane amusement as Lyonette went to check on Tessa, and Zevara ended up taking a seat at a table. Asgra sidled over, the go-to for the ‘interesting’ guests.

“Hey, Watch Captain, you want food?”

“Well, as long as I’m here, I might as well. I’ve got half a loaf of moldy bread in the cupboard.”

“Hmm. I can see if we got some here?”

“…No, no. Give me a Boar’s Dinner pizza, would you? And, uh, what’s an Apista Buzzkiller?”

Asgra brightened up as Liska grabbed the drinks menu.

“Oh, that. That my invention! It one shot tequila, one splash of flower wine—not Faerie Flowers, we out of those forever—peach juice, and a little cigar stick you light and it smokes. Very fragrant.”

“Huh. Give me a Firebreath Whiskey, would you?”

The full scowl that Zevara got made Liska laugh so hard the Watch Captain looked around. Liska waved at Asgra.

“I’ll take a Buzzkiller, Asgra!”

The Cave Goblin beamed at her and ran off to get her patented drink. Liska sat at the bar and realized she could eat an actual dinner despite all the snacks she’d had in Invrisil. After a moment, she saw someone come to sit at the bar out of the corner of her eye.

Watch Captain Zevara put her pizza down and glanced at Liska before clearing her throat and accepting her whiskey. Asgra put down the very odd drink, and then someone buzzed down and nabbed the fake spliff.

Apista landed on the bar and smoked on it next to Liska and Zevara as Liska asked for a Golden Hamburger. And then the three were sitting together.

“It was a rainy night in Liscor. But then, what night wasn’t? I was sitting at the bar with a pizza loaded with most of a boar’s insides in front of me. Prettier than the crime scenes I’ve had to wade through. The dame next to me was some kind of door-person. She liked to make people disappear. Since they reappeared in other cities, she wasn’t on my list. But then again, maybe I had a reason to talk to her.”

Liska stopped sipping on her drink and vaguely felt like she should be wearing a bowler hat and that Apista’s smoke was a hazy cloud wafting through the bar. Zevara stopped gulping down her drink, and her eyes narrowed. She turned.

“Noiraid, do you frequent this inn?”

A certain Antinium with a new purse, and a cigar of her own blew a smoke ring as she sat at a table with a bunch of other Workers and Bird.

“I locked eyes with an attractive lady of the insectile kind at another table. We were meeting in a half-decent place, for once, not my office or the streets, dripping with tension. I told myself tonight was the night I bought her a drink and we saw what happened from there. But maybe I didn’t have the courage. The last time I’d seen her, I was flat on my back, and she gave me a moment to remember.”

Everyone turned to stare at Zevara, and the Watch Captain’s face went flat.

“You healed me with a scroll after I was run over. I realize, factually, you’re close to the truth, but I resent the insinuations.”

Liska was giggling nonstop into her drink, and the Watch Captain clearly realized that the best way to survive this encounter was to ignore Noiraid and pretend the Antinium wasn’t narrating things out loud.

“Er, hello, Liska.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

Liska automatically replied, and Zevara exhaled some smoke.

“You’re not in trouble, Liska. Quite the contrary. This morning was a mess. Proof of how essential you are in your job. Nevermind that; I was just here to inquire, and Venim can sort out the rest. He’s in charge.”

She smiled at that thought, and Liska nodded. She did like being the person not in charge when the poo hit the windstorm spell. She saw Zevara chewing down on her pizza.

“Um, how’s the new job? Sorry again about letting Moass and Hissl through the door.”

She felt vaguely bad about that, but it had all worked out, and Zevara shrugged.

“So far? Nothing worth talking about. Lots of paperwork, setting up how things will work. Everyone wants me to investigate crimes in their city, but we need to sort out jurisdiction, how things will work. Lots of passports and documents. But I have a few offers already.”

She appeared better, excited about the future. Liska nodded a few times.

“Great.”

“Mhm. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you gave any thought to my request.”

“What? Sure, absolutely. No problem. Uh…what was it again?”

Zevara sighed.

“The request where I asked to see what your…what the, uh, what Turnscales were like?”

She lowered her voice, and Liska’s fur prickled as she recalled. The Gnoll hesitated.

“Oh, darn. This was my day off, and that would have been perfect…”

Zevara wore a pained expression.

“I can look into the matter myself. I was just hoping you had some insight.”

Well, maybe Liska did. But she felt annoyed by the request, uncertain, just like she had when Zevara made it last time. Plus, she no longer had a girlfriend, so she snapped.

“Maybe you should have asked me that all the times you had me arrested.”

A huge sigh from Zevara.

“I know it’s not ideal, but Liska, I’m pursuing my investigation—”

“Investigation to decide if we’re criminals?”

“Alright, it’s touchy. I’ll leave off. Sorry.”

The Drake lifted her claws, and Liska felt bad for snapping at Zevara—until she thought of Vakki. Then she frowned.

“One question. If someone has a big fine and they’re in jail, and it gets paid off, can they get out without trouble?”

Zevara’s eyes flickered.

“…Depends on the fine. If it was levied, it sounds like someone committed a crime but it’s within range of being a monetary offense as opposed to a jailable felony. In that case, you pay it off and maybe you have a mark on your record, but you walk free. If it’s murder or a serious crime, you can’t get out of it with money. So yes, pay it off and it should be fine. Someone you know?”

“A friend of mine. I don’t suppose you can help with that?”

Zevara instantly shook her head.

“I can’t compromise the law for any reason, Liska.”

“Yeah, sure. Then you can eat my tail.”

“Liska…”

The Gnoll girl got up and headed over to a separate table. Asgra, who’d gone over to the bar, threw up her hands.

“Stop moving around!”

Liska sulkily ate the gold-themed burger with mustard on it, then cleared out of the common room. She went to the [World’s Eye Theatre].

“Show me…Orrell.”

It revealed a Gnoll sweeping up at an inn with mostly Humans around. Liska perked up, and she tried to stare around the inn. Then she made the Skill zoom out and realized the inn wasn’t even that far away.

Wait a second, this is Invrisil! I must have let Orrell through and never saw him! The inn was called Hoplic’s Stand. It didn’t seem like a great part of the city, but Liska was excited. She could go get him or…

No, wait, she didn’t know what to do. Didn’t his family know he was a Turnscale? She had to talk to someone.

Liska hurried back into the common room and wrote down the name of the inn. Then she saw a young woman enter the room and turn everyone’s head.

“Whoa. Is that you, Rose?”

For some reason, the young woman was super attractive tonight. Maybe it was the Drake illusion she shed or the fragrance she was wearing, and she had a pretty-revealing outfit on, but one that looked classy. She threw herself down at a table.

“Hey, Liska! I had a big night. Didn’t get drugged out of my mind this time, so there’s that. But there’s this Garuda who keeps harassing me, and the other girls keep calling me ‘rookie’…Inkpaper said you wanted to talk. What’s up?”

She smiled at Liska. They didn’t really know each other, but Liska leaned over as Watch Captain Zevara sat at the bar, nursing her drink.

“Well…I met someone cool in Liscor today. And she said she wants to talk to me and introduce me to, y’know, people like us. The community?”

Rose’s slightly drunken expression turned sharp at once. She scooted her chair forwards.

“The community? I don’t know Liscor’s at all. I mean, I know you know.”

“Not much. I just know people my age, but—can you come with me? Please? It’s at lunch, Hariett’s pub.”

“Lunch? Sure. Absolutely. In fact, I’d love to make some inroads. I’ll see if I can invite them to meet some people I know in Pallass.”

Rose was instantly excited, and Liska exhaled. She sort of wanted to know what the Earther thought of Turnscales anyways. Rose smiled, and that was that. Liska stretched and then went up to sleep, happy. She had something to do on her day off after all!

She’d only made one mistake. Relaxing in The Wandering Inn, which was currently impossible to find by anyone not on the guest list, and surrounded by friends, Liska hadn’t kept her guard up.

Be careful. What Hariett had warned her of still hadn’t been hammered home to Liska, for all she’d seen. The next day proved that, indeed, things could be worse.

——

At first, it went well. The moment Hariett saw Rose enter the pub and turn every head, her brows rose.

“Excuse me, Miss? Whatever you’re doing, I need you to turn that down at least two levels.”

Rose blushed.

“Sorry, Miss Hariett. It happens if I don’t concentrate. Rose. Lovely to meet you.”

She was very respectful to Miss Hariett, and the Drake shot Liska a glance.

“Someone else from that inn?”

“She stays there, yeah. I thought she could hear whatever you wanted to tell us. And meet…whomever we’re meeting.”

Liska felt awkward as she sat and was served some juice again. Hariett nodded, glancing around the pub. People were coming in and out as per usual, though Liska didn’t see her friends. Knowing them, they were nursing hangovers and not rich enough to buy a hangover cure.

“Do I need to give you the same talk I did to Liska, Rose? Where are you from?”

“Oh, I’m from out west, Miss Hariett. I was pretty naïve when I came here to how things were, but believe me, I’ve had a talking to. A good sentry and an excellent architect took me in hand.”

Rose spoke casually, and Liska tilted her head. Sentry? Architect? She didn’t think Rose was referring to the classes, but Hariett’s eyes lit up.

“Very good. From here?”

“No, Pallass.”

“Pallass. That’s…far higher stakes over there, I’ve been told.”

Rose took a breath.

“Oh, yes. It is. I’m doing my bit, but I’m a rookie, and I’d love to hear more about Liscor’s particulars. In fact, I think the guy who mentors me would love to know. Even meet you?”

She floated that one out, and Hariett visibly hesitated.

“Now there’s something I didn’t expect. I may actually accept so I can report back. Not my friend, though. He’s very shy. And I trust you two are being discreet?”

“I didn’t say anything to anyone but Rose.”

Liska defended herself, and Rose nodded. Hariett focused on their faces, then smiled.

“Good. You’re understanding. Well, it’s because you two are at the inn that I’m making this introduction. Remember, this is life or death. Understand?”

She got their nods before she walked them to a backroom behind the bar. After heading down a tight corridor, they opened a break room and were introduced to the new contact for Liska and Rose. Who turned out to be—

“Councilmember Elirr?”

The Gnoll [Beast Tamer] and member of Liscor’s current Council smiled as he hugged Liska and Rose. He grinned at her expression.

“Not for much longer if I lose my election, yes? It might make it easier to be helpful, though.”

Hariett instantly objected as she closed and locked the door.

“You’re the most helpful where you are, Elirr. No one else can advocate for us! I wish I’d known last election or I’d have gotten more people to vote for you. Not that you needed it. But this election, everyone in your district who knows what’s what is coming out to vote.”

He nodded to her.

“One wishes we could do a citywide election instead of districts. Ah, well. Sit, you two. I am not someone who often introduces themselves to young people as a mentor or point of contact. But for you two, it is needed, yes? I should have reached out to you, Rose. But you were a bit…”

“Loose-lipped? Unserious? Too casual about matters of life-and-death?”

Rose grinned and adjusted her seat as she sat. She had, Liska noticed, a rather big butt.

As in…bigger than normal. Almost like Rose had something hidden in her posterior region. Like…Liska frowned.

A diaper? That’d be a terrible thing. Liska shook her head as Elirr smiled gently.

“Well, yes to all that. I feared you would learn the hard way. Not that Liscor is particularly bad there, but…let’s start from the beginning. I can see someone’s had a word with you, Rose. But Liska, no one ever talked to you?”

Liska shifted as all eyes fell to her.

“I mean, maybe? I was thinking, and maybe some adults wanted to talk to me, but I probably thought they were hitting on me or trying to rat me out for being a—a you-know-what. Elirr used to help bail me out but I thought that was just ‘cause we were both Silverfangs and he’s nice.”

Elirr was slightly amused by the comment. He coughed.

“Liska, I do not wish to embarrass you, but we did meet during the beach event at Erins’ inn. She made an entire…place for people like us. Did that not clue you in? We even had a passphrase for anyone like us to go through.”

Hariett blinked then gave Liska an accusatory look. Liska hesitated and her mouth dropped open.

“I remember that! I just thought it was super-cool people like that Onieva and Mirn. Erin did that for us? I…”

Rose slapped her forehead and Elirr grinned, and that made Liska stare at her paws, embarrassed. Because that was the Liska experience alright, that her brother sometimes complained about. Liska didn’t pay attention. She didn’t ‘get’ important things going on because she didn’t pay attention.

Well, she was trying now. Hariett sighed as she nodded to Liska.

“Young people missing the community is all too common. Clearly, no one’s spoken to Vakki either. She was going to haul off and try and break Lizze out. Or stab Lizze’s father to death.”

Elirr winced, but nodded at Liska.

“Thank you for helping pay for her fine, Liska. I would have put money in to cover it before the deadline, but it is hard.”

“I’ve, um, got more gold. I can give it whenever there’s a problem. Tons!”

Miss Hariett’s brows rose, but she held out a claw.

“Give me what you can spare, Liska, and I’ll put it away for moments like these. I won’t squander it, I swear.”

Liska all but emptied her coin pouch, and Rose eyed Hariett.

“No offense, but do you have any bona fides, Miss Hariett? I want to trust everyone, but I’ve heard of there being predatory members of the community.”

Liska bit her tongue. That was a heck of a thing to say to Hariett! But Elirr just nodded approvingly.

“Good. I vouch for Miss Hariett. And she’ll report what Liska did to the others when we meet. No names; we try to avoid knowing too much. But we do keep records.”

“Oh, good. Sorry, Miss Hariett. It’s just that my person says…”

“He sounds like an excellent Sentry, Miss Rose. No offense taken.”

Liska stuck up a paw.

“Excuse me, what’s a Sentry?”

Everyone re-focused on her, and Elirr nodded and smoothed his greying fur out.

“Let me start from the beginning, Liska, with apologies. The simplest way to say things is that in Drake society, people who find themselves outcast or who cannot share who they are easily…form communities. They must, to survive. Not just for fear of being found out, but because it is hard for us, yes? Community provides comfort, monetary help, assistance in many forms. But we must be secret and organized. So there are ranks within our communities.”

Hariett put in quickly.

“Nothing so fancy as how the Watch or military does it. Most of us are just…people getting by. But there are three types to know. Masons, Sentries, and Architects. Someone who builds up the community by helping individuals out—that’s a Mason. I’m one of them. Someone who protects people from harm, who takes the big risks to protect people in active danger—that’s a Sentry. We don’t have many of those in Liscor. The last is the person who’s trying to advance something for us as a whole. Big picture stuff. Ever since Elirr became a Councilmember, that’s him.”

The Gnoll nodded as Liska’s jaw dropped, trying to process all this.

“Not that I can do much overtly. We must be careful, cautious, and unified. But that is what we are, Liska.”

“So you adults have been looking out for us?”

But where were you when the Watch was after us? As if she could read Liska’s mind and the hurt on the Gnoll’s face, Hariett hung her head.

“We can watch out, but we’re afraid to trust young folk a lot of the time, Liska. You do talk—and if a scared kid is forced to confess by their family or the Watch? We have to be careful. For you, it’s an arrest and fine. For us? We lose everything if we’re found out. It’s being shunned, exiled, or worse.”

“Lynch mobs. I thought that this world couldn’t be that bad, not with so many species and monsters and stuff. Not with all this magic. Why’d it have to be the same as Earth in this area? Worse.”

Rose murmured. Elirr’s brows rose.

“You come from a third community we don’t know, Miss Rose. I would like to hear of this, yes? But first, Hariett said you were in Pallass?”

“That’s right. I know one of the top Sentries there. I’d like to invite Hariett to a party he hosts regularly. A moving bar.”

Hariett whistled.

“Risky. Do they not have a permanent place…? No, I heard the Watch raids them. It’s far, far worse than Liscor, isn’t it?”

Rose nodded, jaw set, but miserable.

“They hate people like us there. It used to be better before Chaldion lost power, I heard. I mean, it’d still get bad at times, but right now, it’s all General Edellein, that bastard. He’s super anti-us. Because they know the bar is running, they want to find it and arrest everyone.”

Elirr rumbled as Liska stared at Rose in horror.

“I cannot go. But if Hariett goes and reports back, we’ll try to make contact. Safety is the watchword always. Now, Liska. You know Liscor well enough. And I know your friends are mostly like us. If we think we can trust them and you vouch for them, we will consider having introductions made. But as someone who was not in this community, tell us. How can we help, and where were we missing as you grew up? After Az’kerash, the entire city was chaos and the Silverfangs were just coming in. But now we have something like a community, and with all these people…”

They were getting into it and treating Liska like she was an important new member of this…this community. Liska was so confused, so oddly gratified that this even existed, she didn’t notice anything else until Rose half-shifted in her chair.

“Someone’s coming.”

Elirr fell silent at once. Hariett hooked her thumb-claws in her belt.

“I told them to leave us alone. Don’t say a word…”

Someone hammered on the door as she rose, and Liska’s heart hammered too. But the voice was from the [Barman] from yesterday.

“Hariett! Hariett! Trouble.”

“What kind?”

The Drake was tense, and the Gnoll replied, breathless.

“Watch Captain Zevara just walked into the pub. She’s wearing a cloak, but it’s obvious it’s her! She sat down, and she’s looking around! Is there a crime happening or is it…?”

Elirr’s fur was standing on end, and Rose blinked.

“Zevara? Is she hunting for us? She—she wouldn’t, right?”

It was Liska who felt a pit in her stomach open up. She cleared her throat as Hariett began asking questions.

“Oh no. I think she’s following me. Maybe she overheard us last night, Rose!”

Hariett and Elirr spun. The [Pub Owner]’s face was suddenly filled with betrayal. She staggered away from Liska.

“You brought the Watch here?”

The young Gnoll woman waved her paws frantically.

“Nononono—I didn’t! But she knew I was a you-know-what, and she wanted to know more about us. Do you think she could have overheard…?”

Hariett half-spun to Elirr.

“Elirr, you need to get out of here now!”

“I’m going, I’m going.”

He put a hood up over his head, and Hariett hissed at Liska.

“If she’s here for you, then we’ll go out there and distract her while Elirr slips out the back.”

Rose was on her feet.

“Hariett, I am so sorry, I had no idea—”

The way the others were reacting had Liska’s stomach in her boots. Hariett shot Liska a look.

“It sounds like you didn’t know, and this is exactly the thing we worry about. Liska is the one in danger. I’ll…Zevara must think you’re here to learn something. I’ll put myself out there. Have a conversation with her.”

Elirr whirled.

“Hariett, you will not!”

The Drake was hyperventilating a bit.

“She never sniffed us out before. She might just think Liska’s here to meet someone and not pay much else attention. But we can’t have her take a close look at the children. Elirr! I’m turning off the [Safe Space] Skill. That’ll keep everyone away. I’ll feel her out. Got it?”

He gave her such a grave look that Liska began to feel more alarmed. It was just Captain Zevara. She was a good person. But Hariett was trembling, and Elirr…he just took her claws with his paws.

“Cities of hate turn on your scales, Hariett. I’ll watch for you. I’m sorry—”

He moved towards the door, and Hariett stepped back, taking huge breaths.

“I’m really sorry, Hariett. I can try to get rid of Zevara. What can we do?”

Liska got up, mumbling. The [Pub Owner] shot Liska a worried smile.

“Just…hope, Liska. Not every ‘normal’ citizen wants to expose us or kill us. But they don’t understand. And we Drakes hate what we don’t understand. Just…if it goes bad, Elirr, Vakki’s at my apartment. She’s got nowhere to stay.”

She took a deep breath, and Elirr stood there, face shadowed, as Rose and Liska turned from Hariett to Elirr. And then how it was hit Liska.

This is not better for adults. It’s scarier, worse. Rose seemed like she understood. But she seemed sick. Like a nightmare she’d been told as a kid had come back and become reality.

They left the backrooms, and Elirr put a paw on the doorknob to the back entrance as he watched the three women heading to the inn. He stared out the peephole drilled in the back door, then froze.

“Oh no. Oh nononono—”

He backed up fast. Then turned and dashed after Hariett. This was far worse than they’d thought.

He feared none of them were going to make it out of here safely.

——

Hariett’s Pub. Interesting. Watch Captain Zevara wore her raincloak over her head, sitting and sipping at a cheap ale and being unobtrusive as possible.

She felt bad about this, but she had to know. Turnscales were an issue she had to settle in her mind if she took on this new role. She had weird hints she was missing pieces of the puzzle with them. She was just re-investigating the facts, here, like a good [Detective] should.

She was uncomfortable, of course. Turnscales. Deviant acts. What was the difference between arresting someone for exposing themselves in public and a Turnscale…?

I have to gather information first. Liska’s a good kid. She’s been violent towards the Watch, but she faced the Goblin King. Listen to your gut: there’s a story here.

She just hoped she could eavesdrop on this conversation she’d heard Rose and Liska talking about. Another Turnscale?

Odd. From Zevara’s memory as a [Guardswoman], Harriett’s Pub was not a bad joint at all. It wasn’t the best, but it had a younger crowd in the day and a very polite, adult one at night.

She’d never had a problem coming from here. Which, in hindsight, was a bit odd. No drunk fights, even once? No calls for the Watch for a petty [Thief] or anything else? Every establishment that served alcohol that Zevara had ever been to had needed her help at least once over the years.

But not Miss Hariett. Indeed, when Zevara saw Liska, Rose, and Hariett stepping out of the back rooms, she casually sat back in her chair.

Liska and Rose are pretty young. If Miss Hariett’s a…could she be dragging them down into something nefarious? Criminal types did that all the time. Corruption classes and Skills. Nasty stuff.

Of course, Zevara knew Turnscales. Everyone denied being one; you’d get someone admitting to being in a gang before that. They were low on her tail-kicking list, but that was just because she’d grown up battling Soot’s gangs and the like, who did kill people.

Turnscales. Senior Guardswoman Zevara could have given a lecture to some rookies on the subject. Turnscales were all racketeering. Trafficking too.

Old, predatory creeps—either gender—who you had to catch dragging some innocent kid into a life working as a [Prostitute]. She’d arrested a decent number of those. Could Liska be in danger? This was why it was important for Zevara to follow her; she might just be a kid who liked kissing other girls, but there was danger here, Zevara knew.

But Hariett’s bar. Could Hariett be…? No, Zevara had no proof. And she didn’t want to believe nefarious things about anyone. She just didn’t know what this all was. However, she watched out of the corner of her eye as the three whispered, and then Liska strode over. Act natural. Keep your cover. Wait, was Liska—

“Watch Captain, what are you doing?”

Liska grabbed Zevara and began shaking her repeatedly. Zevara rattled around in her chair.

“Argh. How’d you find me? I was just—I’m just investigating, Liska! I had to! You’re my only lead!”

“You’re as obvious as Apista stealing a burger! Everyone can see a [Guardswoman] a mile away! Look, everyone’s leaving!”

Actually, Zevara had wondered why all the young people were giving her the side-eye, and there had been a definite shift towards people waving for the bill. She protested.

“I’m not trying to arrest or get anyone in trouble! This is a fact-finding mission, Liska. If you’d cooperated—”

“Wow. So we’re in trouble because we’re not bending over backwards to help you? Also, who investigates people without anything to hide? I’m beginning to think Kevin’s stance on cops is right.”

Rose was just as hostile as Liska as she slid into a chair at the table. Zevara hesitated.

“I’m just…educating myself.”

“By spying on people? Is that lawful?”

Somehow, the Watch Captain felt like she’d stepped on a landmine spell. Why the hell are you being so defensive? She wanted to snap that at the two young women. People who weren’t guilty shouldn’t act like they had something to hide! She bared her teeth.

“Listen. If things were all above-board, you’d be willing to sit down and give me a basic run-down on what I need to know. Why are you so paranoid and hostile?”

“Possibly, Watch Captain, because both young women are aware of what happens when things go poorly. And I might add, the Watch does not have a history of being kind to people like us. Like me. You wanted a conversation? You’ll have it. But please, leave my two friends alone.”

Pub Owner Hariett stood in front of the table, and Zevara looked her up and down, incredulous. So this was a Turnscale. It wasn’t just a kid-thing. She didn’t look…

No, Zevara had met people who ran tidy businesses and had all kinds of dark secrets in the back. Zevara held out a clawed hand.

“Watch Captain Zevara, Miss Hariett. I’m just here to get my perspective straight.”

Rose winced.

“Yeah, you’re as straight as a ruler, Zevara.”

That sounded vaguely like an insult, but Hariett just flicked her eyes to Rose. Then she turned to Zevara, and she didn’t smile. She put her claws on her hips, and whatever Zevara had expected, or even Liska or Rose…the look of pure animosity that came from Hariett made Zevara’s claw twitch towards her sword handle.

“I’d prefer to have a conversation in private if we must, Watch Captain. And let me be very clear: this is my pub. Touch either girl here or anyone of my clients and I will scream bloody murder to the streets. I would appreciate you walking out the door, but your kind never does, do they? I just hope you don’t end up getting anyone killed…today.”

Even Liska seemed vaguely shocked by Hariett’s tone. It certainly put Zevara on the back foot.

“Whatever you think I’m here to do, Miss Hariett, I assure you, I’ve just come as a private citizen.”

“Oh, in that case, get out of my pub.”

Hariett jerked a thumbclaw towards the door. Zevara hesitated.

“Let me rephrase. I’m conducting an inv…I’m fact-seeking without any actual suspicion of a crime being committed.”

“So when you find one, it’s a happy accident? You respecting my private domain was too much to ask for. That is the Watch for you, Liska. If they don’t wedge a boot in the door, they kick it in. Boots all the way down.”

Ancestors! Zevara had known friendlier people in the Corused Steer! And boots—that term put her back up.

Sounds like Miss Hariett here does have gang connections. However, Rose jumped in, all passionate anger, which neither woman really wanted. She waved a finger in Zevara’s face.

“If you get Hariett hurt or in trouble or tell anyone, Watch Captain, I’ll call the full wrath of The Wandering Inn down on you. I’ll erase your Watch House, I swear it.”

The threat made Zevara’s blood run cold, then hot. She snapped back.

“I’m not here to hurt or threaten anyone! I just want to know! How the hell can I decide if you need help or—or I’ve been misguided if you won’t talk to me?”

Rose opened her mouth, and Hariett pulled her to one side. She stood there, glaring down at Zevara in her high boots.

“Misguided. You’ve been Watch Captain near a decade, and you have the gall to say that to me? Your Watch has killed more innocent people than any gang, even Soot’s, and you want to come in here now and ask questions? A decade too late?”

Zevara recoiled. She got angry at once. Killed innocent—! Smoke began to come from her mouth, but it didn’t make her cough anymore. She growled.

“My [Guards] have always maintained the highest standards! If any of them step out of line, I come down on them like the High Passes themselves! I don’t recall any moments where I—”

Then she hesitated, because her mind had run to the place where Hariett’s burning eyes were already waiting.

“Strange. For a woman whom everyone seems to love for backing the Antinium, you don’t count all those Drakes your Watch hauled off for public indecency. Exiled, fled, beaten to death by family or neighbors. I suppose it’s not as bad as other cities, but then, I always liked you being bad at your job in this area. So if you think you’re coming in and—”

Hariett was on a tear. She was poking at Zevara, who backed up a step or two, until Liska caught her.

“Hariett! Hariett, what’re you doing?”

Even Rose was whispering.

“Zevara’s on our side! Or she thinks she is! C’mon, Hariett, let’s take this to the back.”

A good place to be ambushed and knifed, although Zevara wasn’t sure any assassin wouldn’t do a better job than Hariett’s tongue. Where had that come from? The Drake [Pub Owner] caught herself, breathing hard, and then…

And then she appeared afraid. Terrified. Of…Zevara? She backed up a step.

“That’s right. Not here. Let’s…you wanted to find someone to talk to, let’s do that, Captain.”

She motioned towards the bar and led the way. Zevara waited a beat and then muttered at Rose and Liska.

“Have I arrested her family or something?”

“I dunno. She really didn’t like you following me.”

Liska seemed just as confused. Rose? Rose just glanced at Zevara and sighed.

“You actually don’t get it. Do you? I guess you did do the right thing for ten years as you saw it, Captain Zevara.”

“I always have.”

The Watch Captain snapped back. Rose shrugged.

“Seems like some people don’t see it that way.”

That shook Zevara. She suspected Hariett was affiliated with the underworld, but there had been that righteous edge in her tone. Sometimes, you got indignant criminals, but…the vibe was off.

Her [Guardswoman] senses told her she was missing part of the puzzle. Zevara strode forwards, hoping to get to the bottom of this, but Hariett hadn’t gone into the back rooms. She’d stopped at the bar, then gone over to the front door, and now…she stood there. Her scales had gone from pale to almost whitish as she turned to Zevara.

“Funny. I knew you’d be trouble, but I actually believed Liska for a moment there. Well, Watch Captain, for a woman just ‘looking for information’—what kind of goodwill and honesty brings two full squads of the Watch down on my pub?”

Zevara turned, confused, and then she realized the people trying to leave had flooded back into the inn. There was a deafening silence, and she turned to Liska and Rose. The Human had gone white.

“What? I didn’t—”

No one believed her. They all backed up a step, and Zevara was striding for a window when there was a rap on the door, a banging of a fist, and a loud voice.

“Liscor’s Watch! Public decency inspection! Open up!”

Hariett exhaled, and Zevara’s mouth opened as Liska closed her eyes and Rose moaned. But the Watch Captain’s first thought was—

“Public what?”

She’d never heard of that before. Hariett opened the door slowly, and a bored-looking [Guardsman] walked in and saluted.

“Excuse me, Miss. We’re conducting a routine inspection for public decency in the name of safety. It won’t take long.”

“What—what is this about, Guardsman? I’ve never had one of those in my bar. This is an upstanding establishment! We never have issues that need the Watch!”

Hariett breathed, and her clasped claws were visibly shaking as well as her tail behind her. The Gnoll saluted.

“It’s a new protocol, ma’am. It’s very simple. We just come in and sweep the premises for anything problematic. Drugs, high-stakes gambling, crime—we have a truth stone, and we’ll just ask a few questions. If anyone’s witnessed a crime, is in fear of their life, if they’re a Turnscale, and so on.”

Zevara stared, and she felt her back-scales prickle as Liska grabbed Rose’s hand tight. Hariett’s voice was faint.

“That’s…very reasonable. But isn’t it against the law to ask if someone’s committed a crime on a truth stone?”

The Gnoll chuckled, though he was eying Hariett’s face and the very silent room. He had instincts.

“Oh, that is against the law, and you’re not the first establishment owner to say that, Miss. But this isn’t asking if someone’s committed a crime. Just if they’re witnesses to one.”

Or a Turnscale. The Gnoll gestured at the squads.

“We just post a squad around back so no one can slip out—plenty of [Sneak Thieves] and [Pickpockets]. We won’t arrest most unless they’re actively committing a crime. Just a fine and note. I understand it’s an inconvenience, but it really won’t take much time. Watch Commander Venim has instituted this to raise confidence in the Watch. It’s a Pallassian practice, Miss.”

“I know.”

Hariett was staring at Zevara. And the Watch Captain? She was cursing Venim under her breath. Of all the times…! And a Pallassian policy? She saw Rose searching for a window, but she knew the Watch had every exit covered. She’d trained them to do that, even the sneak exits.

Someone had to do something. In that moment, the [Senior Guardswoman], no, the [Smokebreath Detective] in Zevara told her who that was. She strolled forwards, threw back her hood, and spoke.

“That’s the stupidest damn protocol I’ve ever heard of in my life, Guardsman. Name and rank! And you’re lucky you didn’t try this Creler crap in The Corused Steer or you’d have every table in the inn taking shots at you. You walk in with a squad and take cover or not at all! Who taught you?”

The Gnoll [Guardsman] jumped and reflexively saluted.

“Guardsman Briv—who the hell is that? Oh! Watch Captain Zevara!”

His entire squad poked their heads in, and everyone in the pub turned as Zevara put her hands on her hips.

“That’s right. I was just having a lunch break here. Now Watch Commander Venim’s having you doing public decency inspections? How many establishments have you covered? When was this implemented?”

Briv was completely confused, but he answered automatically.

“Uh, just yesterday, Watch Captain. Our patrols have done twenty-four establishments so far. It’s slow because it’s new and we get tons of objections. And people who run for it. We, uh, he wants six patrols on permanent rotation once we get up to speed. Two per district.”

There was a moan of fear in the background. Zevara’s scales crawled, and she knew Rose and Liska were staring daggers at her back.

So perhaps Turnscales do have something to fear. She was more used to Liska being arrested for public indecency or attacking a [Guard] lecturing her.

This…this was new to Zevara. This felt like going on the offensive, and she had never considered Turnscales an issue worth fighting. You just swept them up where you found them or got tipped off—

Then exiled them or imprisoned them and—she saw Hariett staring at her out of the corner of her eyes. Zevara cleared her throat.

“I see. Well, Guardsman Briv, you remember what I said about how you enter a building. Now, I want you to take your squads and return to patrol. Have Acting-Captain Relc reassign you and spread the word to stop these inspections.”

“Us, Watch Captain? But Commander Venim said—”

“Commander Venim’s never seen a room full of [Rogues] lining up a [Splintershot Volley] on him. The Watch has the backing of their armies in Pallass. Not here.”

That’s how I’ll argue it with him, at any rate. Zevara jerked her chin around at the pub.

“This pub’s fine. If I’d seen anything illicit, I would have called it in myself. Let’s get back on the streets dealing with some real crimes, huh?”

Briv hesitated, but then he stared at her and clearly saw her riding after Moass and Hissl. He saluted with a grin.

“I should have known you’d beat us to the punch, Watch Captain. We’ll do that. I wasn’t keen on doing my first dive bar or hell bar either.”

She gave him a wry smile.

“No, you really wouldn’t be. Guards? As you were!”

“Let us know when you need backup, Watch Captain! And when you’re doing your next big chase!”

Someone shouted from outside. She glowered at a Human woman, and they spun on their heel and began marching back the way they’d come. She heard a few of them whispering loudly.

“That was her! She’s shorter than I thought!”

“I trained under her, you know. And Senior Guardsman Relc. I didn’t know she drank here.”

“I hear she pops up where you’re working, and if you’re not doing your job right, she thrashes you. One group of rookies did a patrol wrong, so she attacked them in the night and took out three squads by herself!”

Zevara was red-faced, but when she turned, she saw Hariett visibly collapse into a stool, and Rose let out a huge breath. Liska glanced around.

“Is…is that it?”

“That’s it. Everyone out!”

Hariett spoke after a second and turned.

“We’ll settle your tabs later. I’m closing up.”

People went for the doors at once, and Zevara saw a hooded figure slipping out the back. She frowned.

“There’s no need for that. I’ll go and talk to Venim now—”

The [Pub Owner] glanced at Zevara, and there it was again. Fear. Real fear, so sharp and present that Zevara felt her instincts chiming at her.

They’re terrified. Hariett turned.

“We’d be very grateful for that, Watch Captain, but even if I stayed open, I don’t think anyone would be in the mood to drink. We…I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. Later?”

She sounded like she’d rather swim a lap in the Floodplains, but Zevara calling off the raid seemed to have won some kind of trust. The Watch Captain nodded as she backed up a step, and Rose gave her a grudging thumbs up.

“Thanks, Captain Zevara. I guess it was good you were here.”

“Yes. Er, sorry about that. It’s just—Pallassian standard operating procedure. The Watch was just doing what they were told.”

She felt like she was trying to justify something, and she saw Rose, Liska, and Hariett all turning to her with that same expression on their face. Guarded. Secretive. Wary.

“We know.”

——

Watch Captain Zevara was a fool.

A well-meaning fool, but a silly Drake nonetheless. Most law enforcement officers were, insofar as they believed in something called ‘laws’ and that these things should be enforced to the letter. Sillier were the ones who thought the law was something that could never tarnish, give, or be altered.

In that sense, Zevara wasn’t that stupid, but she was a fool.

Venim was a weak man, a spineless father who served dessert first at dinner. And, most would agree, a Watch Commander with his heart in the right place, who tried to do the right thing.

None of that mattered. Zevara’s explanations about Watch Captain procedure trailed off in the face of Hariett’s polite smile. She cleared her throat.

“Of course, I’ll be discreet. Absolutely. I’m no fool.”

“Naturally, Watch Captain. I’d expect no less in matters of life and death.”

Rose and Liska were watching, both vibrating with the anger of youth. Injustice, as they saw it, ready to give Zevara a piece of their minds. But Hariett was older. She had better knives. Zevara hesitated, then closed her mouth and nodded, eyes flicking to Hariett, around her emptying pub—

The [Pub Owner] moved ever-so-slightly to block Zevara’s view of the people streaming out the front doors, though she wasn’t that tall. The Watch Captain bit her lip, losing that imperious, all-or-nothing authority that she wore like a cloak at times, the mantle of someone Protecting the People, Doing the Right Thing, Enforcing the Law.

She cleared her throat and exhaled a bit of smoke upwards.

“I just—the squad was following orders, Miss Hariett. That was new to Liscor.”

“I am well aware, Watch Captain, and the Watch always follows orders.”

A longer pause, and now Zevara was trying to be a [Mind Reader] along with Liska and Rose. This was a new street to the [Watch Captain], a new beat, but it had only blood in the paving stones. Old sins. She felt like she’d walked into the Corused Steer by accident after all. But she couldn’t find the person she was supposed to arrest, which made her uneasy.

She defaulted to what she knew. Her back straightened, and she looked Hariett dead in the eyes, that ruler of a Drake [Guardswoman], and saluted her.

“I’d just like you to know, Miss Hariett, that if that squad had tried to press matters, I would have removed them first. I am not here to have a—a mob form or to get anyone hurt or killed. If trouble ever threatens your establishment, I will be the first one in line to defend it.”

Liska’s flattened ears rose a bit. That she believed. Antinium, Gnoll, Human—Watch Captain Zevara of Liscor would defend them if they were innocent in her books, and pursue them to the ends of the earth if they were guilty.

They believed that. Rose nodded grudgingly. And Hariett? She smiled gently at the earnest Watch Captain and spoke like someone trying not to hurt a child’s feelings.

“I’m sure if that moment came, it would make you feel better, Watch Captain. But this isn’t a theft from Antinium, and the Watch has never been helpful in my books.”

Liska and Rose’s heads swung to Zevara, and the Watch Captain hesitated. Grimaced, then saluted again, schooling her face to impassiveness.

“—I see. I may return with questions, but I believe I need to have an urgent meeting with Watch Commander Venim. Would that be acceptable?”

“I suppose it must be. If you could be discreet, Watch Captain?”

“Of course. Excuse me.”

The Watch Captain turned on her heel, put her hood up against the rain, and walked out the front of the inn. Hariett walked over to the door, watching through a window as the Watch Captain splashed off. Then she turned.

“Tell, send a Street Runner to everyone who should know about the Watch’s new inspections. We should have a get-together.”

“Your place later?”

The [Bartender] glanced up as Hariett gazed towards Elirr, who’d poked his head up from behind the bar.

“That might be…”

“My shop. We’ll talk—later, Hariett.”

“Catch me up, and try to keep things calm. Sounds like this will stop. For today, at least.”

She forced a smile and then turned. The Drake woman took a huge breath, then forced a grin.

“I have time for this meeting, Miss Rose, if it’s acceptable. You might want to check in, first.”

“Oh, no, I already cleared it with—um, them.”

Rose began, but Hariett took her arm and squeezed gently, nodding at the door.

“You may want to re-clear it, Rose.”

Because the Watch Captain of Liscor knows who I am. Liska saw Elirr striding into the rain, followed by Tell, the Gnoll [Bartender]. And then…Hariett stood there, alone. Her claws were trembling, but she hid it by putting them in her pockets.

“You two scat. Nothing like the Watch to scare off all the kids smoking Dreamleaf or skiving off their apprenticeships.”

Rose nodded and backed up.

“I’ll just—come to the inn tonight. We can get you some free food and drinks even if—um, sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. I really didn’t know…”

Liska began, but Hariett just shook her head, a far-off look in her eyes.

“That’s why we’re cautious, Liska. I doubt you’d have been able to shake the good Watch Captain even if you tried. Just…it’s quite alright.”

Rose went for the doors, nothing left to say. And Liska?

She felt like she always did when Lyonette and Ishkr put their heads together. Or how she normally felt. Like a fish watching bigger events passing by her. Vast shadows of uncertainty and stress she liked to ignore. She had the intense desire to grab a bowl of chips, sit on the couch, and watch the television and not know what was…

It was her day off. Hariett was straightening a few chairs when she realized Liska wasn’t going for the doors.

“Anything else, Liska?”

“Um—I—”

Liska had nothing to say. No wisdom. She really didn’t know what was going on.

She never did.

——

“Liska?”

Miss Hariett prompted her again after six minutes of clearing up tables and chairs. Not that she didn’t have help, but it was settling her nerves. Or she was pretending it was helping. She turned, and the young Gnoll was still standing there.

“Um, I…um—well, that was bad, right?”

Where did you begin with her? Hariett opened her mouth and then, with practiced deftness, avoided snapping and put herself in Liska’s boots. She nodded as she found a mop.

“It wasn’t good. New protocols in place. Even if Watch Captain Zevara puts an end to it today, it’s a change in Liscor. We’ll be fine. We have our own protocols.”

“Your claws are shaking, Miss Hariett.”

The [Pub Owner] scowled.

“When did you become so observant? It’s fine, really. I’m just going to clean up and check on Vakki. Poor girl. I’ll have to leave her with someone. Tell, maybe, though he’s got a one-bedroom apartment. I’ll sort that out, see if Rose’s friends want me, and my schedule’s cleared.”

Her voice was light, airy, and she glanced at the door. Tried to motion Liska out with her [Nudge Customers] Skill.

It bounced off Liska’s fortress of obtrusiveness. The [Doorgnoll] was pressing her chin against the inside of her thumb and forefinger, doing a bit of deep thinking.

“…You’re free because Zevara knows your identity. And—and Elirr didn’t invite you to the secret meeting because everyone’s worried you’re going to get arrested?”

Hariett’s stomach flip-flopped, and she glowered.

“That’s only a remote possibility. You heard Zevara.”

“But that’s what’s going on, right? I don’t get things, normally, but that’s what that was? And you were so—mean to her! You were chewing her out!”

Annoyed, Hariett stopped mopping mud. She’d lost her head, honestly. She’d expected Zevara to arrest her on the spot, and then to see her call off that patrol…even so, she wasn’t going to let that lie.

She snapped at Liska.

“If you’re going to stand there and natter questions at me, grab a mop and help, would you?”

Liska did, and as they swished on the floor, Hariett spoke, heart still racing.

“I did lose my temper there. I shouldn’t have, but—Zevara deserved everything I said to her and more. I nearly decked her since I thought she’d haul me off like…”

“But she’s Watch Captain Zevara! Didn’t you see her arresting those stupid idiots from Fissival? She defends Antinium! Heck, she’s always fair!”

Liska was astounded. Hariett spat, then had to mop it up.

“Fair. Liska, she’s fairer to Antinium—Antinium—than she is to us. You think I was exaggerating? It’s true her Watch isn’t as hard on us as most cities, but I have known friends who have been exiled or killed because she had them arrested. Public indecency. Being a…she’s got our blood on her claws.”

“She doesn’t. She’s only arrested me a few times, and I hit Watch officers—”

Hariett spun. She grabbed Liska’s arm, and the young woman was bigger than her, taller, but she flinched, and Hariett wished she could turn off the look in her eyes. Years of fear and hurt and—

“I know you like her, Liska. And I hope she stays friends with you if that changes her. I’ll try to be nice, for all our sakes. But when you see how many lives she’s torn up by enforcing the law she thinks is so shiny and perfect—I hope you can keep smiling at her.”

That shook Liska. The young [Doorgnoll] kept mopping, but there wasn’t any real point; it was a mess, and Hariett couldn’t focus on cleaning. She tossed the mop down with a grunt.

“My floors are a mess. I’ll need to get Silveran’s Cleaners in here. Damn Bootheads stomping in here—the Watch never uses welcome mats.”

“Oh, um, should I get—?”

Then a new voice interrupted, a familiar drawl that made Hariett’s scales creep.

“Terrible things, those boots. I could get a fellow to do the cleaning cheap, Miss Hariett. ‘Scuse me. Just thought I’d drop in to apologize for the surprise.”

She swung around as Liska jumped and saw a Drake with oily-yellow scales standing there. Unlike whatever look Noiraid or Zevara liked to play into, he didn’t wear a stupid trenchcoat in the rains, just lightweight, black clothing that was oiled and shed water onto her floors.

Of all the things—she motioned for Liska to get back, but Liska just blinked at the intruder.

“Lable. I thought I was supposed to get warnings about trouble?”

He coughed into a fist, looking uncomfortable.

“The Watch moved fast. We were getting our own people out of the way…they didn’t exactly announce where they were going. All’s well that’s ended well. What was Watch Captain Zevara doing here?”

Oh, so that was it. Now they were in trouble, but Hariett been in trouble before, and she spoke with a casual briskness.

“A lucky break for us all: she was following Miss Liska.”

The Drake blinked, recognized Liska, then nodded to her. He didn’t have a cap to tip.

“The [Doorgnoll]. Hallo, Miss.”

Liska tilted her head. She recognized Lable for what he was, too, but she was confused.

“You’re not a Brother. They have hats.”

He stiffened at that, and a snarl crossed his mouth, revealing a scar on his gums running up his upper mouth.

“I’m not a damn—right, right, you know them from the inn. ‘Scuse me. I’m just having a word with Miss Hariett here. So it was just a coincidence?”

Hariett put her hands on her hips.

“She’s after me, Lable. Me and my people, not yours. Tell you what; how about we cancel our little arrangement for a month or two? She’ll be back, but I’m just going to have to explain my peculiarities.”

“Oh. Uncomfortable. But she’s not arresting you?”

“She’s curious.”

The Drake made the same face Hariett did.

“No such thing as a curious [Guardsman]. Just one that hasn’t decided to arrest you yet. But if you’re discreet—”

“Do you think I’m stupid? Go into the back and get your things. I’m no fool, Lable. Or did you think she’d walk away and tell that patrol to walk out if she’d found your things?”

He sucked on his teeth, not quite pleased, then jerked his head.

“We’ll do that. Just you remember to keep your lips shut, eh? And once we do get back to business, we’ll keep everyone informed in case the Watch decides to do that again.”

“For an extra silver per month?”

He spread his arms theatrically as two more Drakes stomped into the pub out of the rain.

“Money don’t rain down like…rain, Miss Hariett.”

“Odd how you think we have so much, then!”

He didn’t respond, and she grabbed Liska and towed her aside.

“Alright, we wait for them to go, and then you and I split, got it?”

“Who were they? They were criminals! You work with criminals?”

Liska was wide-eyed, and Hariett hissed at her.

“Don’t look at their faces! Lable’s just checking because the Watch spooked him. Damn idiots. I pay them so I don’t get trouble, and this is what I get?”

She shot a glower at the trio carrying boxes out, and Lable paused at the door.

“Oh, and just thought I’d mention one thing. If you, ah, get another offer from a competing gang, just remember how good we’ve been to you. You don’t want trouble, and them hat-boys can’t be everywhere.”

“It never crossed my mind. Liska’s not involved with you lot.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

The [Rogue] eyed Liska, who waved at him.

“I just send people places.”

Lable spat on the floor.

“You mind sending less men with hats into the city? Forget about it.”

He slammed the door, and Hariett debated scolding Liska about the smart comments, but she was actually impressed; the girl had a lot of poise, and she might have unnerved Lable’s crew. She sat back against a table.

“At least I won’t have to pay them off for a bit.”

“So you do work with—”

Hariett glowered.

“Yes, Liska, I do! Because my pub needs to be safe, and because we are not friendly with the Watch—who do you think I turn to for help?”

“But he was all shady! And not the cool kind like the Brothers—”

Liska protested. Hariett sighed.

“He’s a snake, but he knows who I am, and he’s not stupid enough to ruin a good thing. That’s how it works, Liska. If I were to suddenly want to stop paying money, he’d probably put a worm in some [Guard]’s ear to investigate me. At least he doesn’t know anyone else. Our distinguished friend you met is an upstanding citizen as far as Lable’s lot is concerned, and we’re keeping it that way. It’s not fun being…us.”

Watch breathing down your necks and gangs plucking from your pocket. That was just life, but Liska’s glimpse into it left her so stricken that Hariett felt guilty. She pushed Liska gently.

“Look, it’s fine. This has been a bad day by any standard. Just go home, please?”

So saying, the Drake woman strode off. Hariett locked the back door, flipped the sign to ‘closed’, and was closing up. Only when she turned and saw Liska standing behind her did she jump.

“Liska—what are you doing?”

“I dunno. What happens next?”

“What…I’m going to go about my day, pretend things are fine, and so are you. If something happens, it won’t be now.”

Hariett snapped. Liska stared at her.

“Can I see Vakki?”

“I—well, she is your friend—don’t you have things to do?”

Hariett spluttered, and Liska looked around. She scratched her stomach as rainwater dribbled down onto her shoulder.

“It’s my day off. And I’m worried about Vakki. So, like, what happens if Zevara does something bad?”

Hariett went striding off, motioning for Liska to keep her voice down. And she realized, belatedly, that Liska’s lack of any kind of involvement with her might have been a blessing over the years. As Liska’s girlfriends or Ishkr could tell you, she did get obstinate when she focused on something.

——

Vakki and Lizze, the [Lover] duo of Liska’s friend group, were a year younger than Liska. They were an interesting couple. Lizze was the one who looked like she’d stab someone, not Vakki. She was tall for a Drake her age, slightly overweight, and often smelled like dust from her part-time job powdering Corusdeer horns or processing monster parts; she was a [Grinder], only Level 11.

Vakki was the slimmer, shorter Drake who got catcalled and hissed at by Gnolls and Drakes alike. She was also the sweeter one of the two—

Well, normally.

She had a knife. She hid the knife when she heard the two voices coming up the stairs to Hariett’s apartment.

“—then I’d leave the city before trouble got me.”

“Leave? Just like that?”

“Yes. I know it sounds radical; plenty stay. But when you’ve seen how bad it gets…you leave. Liska, it’s fine. I doubt Zevara will tell anyone.”

“But what if the inspections continue?”

“…Well, then, we’ll have to take countermeasures and it’s bad. We hope that the gangs will make it so unpopular they stop.”

“So Pallass has them all the time?”

“Yes—hold on. Vakki? We’re coming in, dear. Are you in there?”

“Yep!”

Vakki had put the knife down the back of her pants. When the door opened, she blinked.

“Liska?”

“Hey, Vakki! I, uh, I had a day off, and I just heard about the thing with Lizze. Sorry. I mean…sorry.”

Liska perked up and then wilted at once before blurting out everything obvious. Classic Liska. But she seemed…older? Vakki didn’t know. She glanced at Hariett. Both seemed worried about something.

“Everything okay? Shouldn’t you be at work, Miss Hariett?”

Vakki had just been about to slip out, having thought the pub would be open all day. Hariett glanced at Vakki.

“We had a situation at the pub. Liska, close the door, would you?”

“Oh, right. That’s like my entire job. Um…so, Vakki. How’s Lizze?”

“Crying. I don’t know; they said they’d arrest me if I even got near her again. How do you think?”

Liska lifted her paws as the door closed by itself. Vakki and Hariett stared at it.

“Hey, I’m—like that’s really bad. Really bad. I only heard you were in jail yesterday. I’d have helped bail you out, I promise.”

Hariett walked around Vakki, into her kitchen.

“Liska’s the one who got the rest of the gold together to bail you out, Vakki.”

“You what? That’s way too much. I can’t pay you back.”

Vakki was astonished and horrified. It had been twenty gold. Liska shrugged.

“I, um, got all my backpay for like, months. It’s no big thing.”

“I’ll…I’ll pay you back.”

The Drake [Lover] lied. That was her main class. Oh, she had [Scribe] as her work-class, but she only did that for a job. She was who she was.

[Forbidden Lover]. Level 15. And she knew Lizze was crying. She could [Sense Emotions]. She knew Lizze was locked in her rooms, and no one was feeding her so she lost weight for the wedding before her fiancé came.

She wondered what Lizze felt from her. Confidence, Vakki hoped. Calm.

All she had to do was save Lizze from the worst. Then…she’d get out of the city, with Lizze if possible. But she was doing this for—

There was a wiggling sensation along her back, near her tail. Vakki whirled, and Hariett plucked the knife out of her trousers.

“Yep, there it was.”

“Give that—”

Hariett deftly stepped backwards and fended Vakki off.

“I swear I got rid of every blade in my apartment! How the hells did you get that?”

“It’s your neighbor’s. I borrowed it.”

“Vakki, I have told you again and again, this is not how you fix the situation! Leave it to us!”

Hariett cursed as she held onto the knife. Vakki glanced away, ignoring her. Adults said plenty of stupid shit, and Hariett was nice…but she had no idea what was going on. You could buy a knife anywhere in Liscor. All Vakki had to do was…

She turned to Liska.

“Hey, sorry about that. Want to go out?”

Liska had gold. Maybe she could—

“Vakki reset chop!”

The Gnoll hit Vakki on the forehead with her paw as hard as she could. Vakki sat down hard, and Liska rubbed at her paw.

“Ow.”

“Ow. Liska, what—”

Hariett blinked as Liska lifted her paw again.

“Are you going to listen to Miss Hariett or do I have to reset your brain again? She always gets like this when it’s about Lizze. You have to hit her first. Vakki, stop trying to stab people!”

“I’m not stabbing people. Just Lizze’s father. He’s the one who’s arranging the marriage. I’ll just stab him through the heart then leave the city.”

Vakki pointed out reasonably. Liska folded her arms as Hariett groaned.

“Vakki, you’re stupid.”

“You suck Shield Spider eggs.”

“Thaheart’s fur has more brains than you do.”

“Ishkr got all the brains in the family and you got all the fluff in that head. Lizze needs me.”

“Yeah, and she doesn’t need you dead! Did you really stab her dad once already?”

Vakki gritted her teeth.

“I tried, but he had a healing potion.”

“Well, there you are then. You’re terrible at stabbing. If you were any good at it, he’d be dead. Trust me, I work for an [Innkeeper] who’s great with knives. No one ever gets up after she stabs them.”

Vakki and Hariett eyed Liska, and the Gnoll glanced around.

“Why don’t you, um, like not stab people and wait for Hariett to do something? Is Lizze getting married this week?”

Despite herself, the [Lover] shook her head.

“Next month is when her fiancé is coming up. But she needs me now! What—what was that about your boss stabbing people?”

“Who, Erin? She stabbed the [Prince] and other people. I swear she’s good at it.”

“…Wait, from the television? Where do you work again?”

Liska turned and gave Vakki a huge frown.

“I work at The Wandering Inn. Don’t you listen to me?”

The [Lover] opened her mouth and retorted.

“You never tell us anything about work, just complain about Ishkr and ‘Lyonette’! I didn’t know you had a new job for three months!”

“Oh. Right. Well…I work there now. It’s pretty nice.”

At some point, Hariett had to pour herself a drink of Amentus juice because this really was like listening to the average conversation at her pub. But then, Liska’s eyes lit up.

“I heard about Orrell too. He’s alive. In Invrisil.”

Vakki blinked. Hariett twisted around.

“What? How do you know that?”

—-

Some people were like puddles that were deep as oceans. When you assumed they were shallow, easy-to-read, they had depths.

Liska was like a bucket. She was, mostly, exactly like what you assumed, and she was the one who thought that the most. It just turned out that, at times, she was a Bucket of Holding.

Neither Vakki nor Hariett had ever been to Invrisil. They insisted on dressing up in their finest; Hariett swapped out her bootlaces for two plainer ones, but added a scarf while she removed the jacket; it was warmer there without the ever-present rain.

Vakki just had her streetclothes since she’d lost her apartment after being arrested, but Liska loaned her a shirt. It said, ‘I Survived Liscor Hunted, And They Gave Me This Shirt’, and Vakki had cinched it and Liska’s baggier trousers up with her belt.

“You never survived Liscor Hunted.”

“Yeah, but Menolit gave me the shirt. Invrisil’s not that big a deal. C’mon.”

They skipped the line at Shivertail Plaza by virtue of Liska marching up to the door, which was still processing too-long lines. She opened up a side-door for them, and both women stared as she waved.

“Hey, Xinthe, how’s it going? Need a hand?”

She took seven minutes to clear the backlog, then went through to Invrisil. Hariett murmured.

“What—what level are you, Liska?”

“Um…Level 32?”

“Level 32?”

Vakki thought Liska was lying; Hariett blinked rapidly, and Liska glanced around as they walked into Invrisil’s busy, bright streets. There were so many people crowded around, walking about, that Vakki nearly shrank back, searching for Lizze.

This was a big city. She stared up at the buildings, mouth open. They were made of wood, and so bright! Glass and paint where Liscor was still smaller and the rains made everything drab and dreary. A huge poster was advertising the Players of Celum, performing tonight at the Season Theatre.

The Players of Celum present: Sir Balthinad, a tempestuous romance by Andel the [Playwright], the same author as Lady Elisial! Now on stage in the Season Theatre and being performed by Sir Wesle in Pheislant! Buy your tickets now; shows are sold out for this week next week the month!

*Tickets for sale at the Season Theatre, Merchant’s Guild, and Mage’s Guild only! Any other ticket sellers are not authorized for resale! Please ensure you have an authentic ticket!

“The Players of Celum are in Invrisil? There’s a new play? Ancestors, those prices!”

Hariett was startled. She knew of the Players of Liscor, of course, but Liska shrugged.

“They’ve got this really fancy theater here. I heard Temile once saying to Lyonette that they put on all the new plays here and Pallass first.”

“What? But Liscor had the Players of Celum for ages! Wait, you know Temile? The Temile? I’m a huge fan of plays!”

Liska scratched at her stomach as she stared around.

“Where’s…Hoplic’s Stand? It’s down Carroway Street. That’s where Orrell is. You like the plays, Miss Hariett? They used to perform all the time in the inn. I dunno why Liscor gets them later. Because it’s not so big? Apparently, it’s a rule from Emme, the manager. Temile didn’t like it, but…c’mon, Vakki!”

The younger Drake jumped then rushed after Liska. Without Lizze to give her courage, she was nervous.

“This city’s so big!”

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve only been here a few times. But I see it a lot. Pretty cool, right?”

So many Humans! And even other species like Selphids; Vakki saw Hariett striding after them, hooking her claws in her belt.

“I forget that inn started it, Liska—I really should have talked to you before. However, let’s focus. This isn’t our city. I don’t know where this inn is; let’s ask around, but keep together. No wandering off.”

There was danger in foreign cities. Liska and Vakki scoffed; they knew all of Liscor, but their confidence visibly dimmed when Hariett got directions from a passing Stitch-woman.

“Carroway Street? You’ll have to head that way. But it’s not a nice part of town. I’d stay clear if I were you.”

Hariett took a huge breath.

“Wonderful. I’ll go by myself.”

“No!”

Liska and Vakki chorused, and Vakki pointed out the obvious.

“Orrell ran away because he was worried people would come after him, because, you know…he’ll run if he thinks you’re there to bring him back. He needs to see us.”

The [Pub Owner] grimaced.

“We should get more people, but—it’s not good to be seen together right now. Argh. Fine, let’s go. But do not draw attention to yourselves. If it looks dicey, I’ll turn us around. I’ve heard how many gangs Invrisil has.”

They set off, and Liska saw Vakki perk up as she peered excitedly at all the shops.

“This is amazing! I just never had the coin to afford to go here and back—since it’s, like, eight silver all the way.”

“I’d have let you go through for free, Vakki!”

“Liska, I didn’t know you were working at the inn.”

“Oh, right.”

The two were arguing. Now that she knew Liska was working at the inn, Vakki was annoyed and fascinated.

“So you were there at the Winter Solstice? And the other events?”

“Um, I missed a lot of them, actually. Ishkr’s the crazy one who was there plenty. But yeah.”

“…You’re lying. You always lie about doing cooler things than you do. Lazy Liska getting to Level 32?”

“Hey! I found out where Orrell is.”

“Sure. I don’t even believe that. There’s some magic all-seeing room in that inn?”

“I’ll show you afterwards. Well, maybe not; you get in trouble for bringing in outsiders, but I swear—!”

Vakki was excited, happy, then gloomy.

“What’s the point? Orrell can’t go back home. And what’s she going to do?”

She jerked her head at Hariett, who paused to glower at her. They were definitely getting to a seedier part of the city. The crowds had receded, and a few people eyed the passing trio speculatively. Sizing them up.

Especially Liska’s bag of holding, which the Gnoll had hold of. Liska hesitated.

“Well, Hariett got you out, right? Hey, Hariett, what do we do with Orrell?”

Hariett sighed.

“We see if he’s well. We talk to him, and then…he might not want to come back, but there are ways to change his identity. If he wants to, we’ll try to make it happen. Find him a job in Liscor.”

The [Lover] scoffed louder.

“How?”

“Hariett’s got friends.”

“Friends? Friends who’ll help a T—”

Liska nudged Vakki, hard, and whispered.

“Hariett’s cool, Vakki. All her friends are. Super cool.”

The Drake was faster to catch on than Liska. She peered at Hariett as the [Pub Owner] sighed louder, adjusting her belt. She kept glancing around, pausing as a few fellows with hats strolled down the street. She took them left.

“I’ve never heard of anyone older than us who’s…cool.”

Vakki muttered darkly. Liska shrugged.

“They don’t talk to us, and we never talked to Hariett.”

“So there’s more of…?”

For a second, Vakki was hungry, gleaming with interest and a bit of hurt, but Hariett just glanced back and put a claw to her lips.

“Later, we’ll explain. But yes, I hope to help both you and Orrell, if you don’t go and get yourself in deeper trouble, Vakki. I said that to you—”

“You gotta reset-chop her first. Otherwise, it goes in one ear and out her tail.”

Liska helpfully added. Vakki was drawing breath for a slew of questions when Hariett took them down another street seemingly at random and cursed.

“Vakki, Liska—someone’s following us. We might have to run for it.”

Both young women stiffened. They glanced around, and Hariett jerked a thumbclaw over her shoulder.

“Men with hats. Four of them. I don’t like the looks of them. My [Detect Weapon] Skill is screaming they’re all armed. I think we start moving faster, and if we have to, I’ll start shouting for the Watch. We run back to the city, got it?”

Vakki glanced over her shoulder as the quartet came around the corner, strolling casually, but definitely the same four that had been following them two streets prior. Liska? She frowned, glanced over her shoulder, and sniffed the air.

“Men with hats? Are those Brothers?”

“Liska! Don’t draw attention to—”

Too late. To both Drakes’ horror, Liska turned, waved a paw, and shouted.

“Hey! Are you Brothers of Serendipitous Meetings?”

All four casual Brothers glanced up, and several people walking down the street took one peek at Liska and hurried somewhere else. But Liska just waved and shouted.

“I’m from The Wandering Inn!”

That, to Hariett and Vakki’s astonishment, was like a magic word.

——

“Oh, the inn, Miss! Here we was about to pickpocket you—I do beg your pardon. It weren’t nothing but a simple bump n’ swap. But when someone comes into our district loaded with coin, as it were—you’d best not walk around with so much!”

“Oops. Sorry.”

Liska was getting gently scolded a few minutes later. The four Brothers were standing in the street, and another added as he puffed on a cigarette.

“We were also treatin’ it like a fee, Miss. Protection and whatnot. Three young ladies from Liscor come in, all flash, into a bad part of the city? Bad things might ‘appen. Unless we were here.”

He glanced pointedly at Vakki’s t-shirt and Hariett’s good clothing, which gave the [Pub Owner] reason to blush. But she was wary, thumbs hooked into her belt, and one of the Brothers gave her a respectful nod.

“Leastwise the adult in the street’s got a bit of spike to her. Still, you got proof you’re from the inn, Miss?”

“Whuzzat? Proof?”

Liska had finished shaking hands and gazed blankly at the Brother. He was a sandy-haired man in his twenties; few Brothers were very old, and thirties was often ‘old’ for them. Crimshaw had been in his forties and a full veteran. The young man with a battered hemlock hat laced his fingers together, all eight of them.

“Well…proof would be required, Miss. Just on account that we’ve heard that line before. Plenty of folk claim to be from the good inn with the wondrous [Innkeeper]. At first, it was no bad thing, but it’s gotten a bit old of late. Not that we’d be unpleasant about it. Just stern.”

“I gotta prove I’m from the inn? I’m the [Doorgnoll]. Liska. Me. Um…how do I prove it?”

Liska panicked. The Brothers exchanged glances.

“What if you gave us the badge what all staff has?”

Liska panicked harder.

“We have a badge? I never got one! Ishkr never said!”

The Brother with the cigarette nodded at the other three, and Vakki and Hariett understood that Liska was passing the test even without realizing it was one.

“Say, is there something in the inn that only you’d know about?”

Liska gave the Brother a big, earnest stare.

“No…definitely not anything important or secret. Nope.”

He gave her a dubious look and coughed.

“I mean anything of the stony persuasion, Miss?”

“…Um…do you mean all the Chemath Marble outside the inn?”

“The what now? Something else stony, Miss. Rather impressive in a heartbreaking way, as one might say?”

She was supposed to say the statues to validate her inn-credentials, but the Brothers had already gotten some confirmation she was more than hot air. They were trying to confirm it when they heard a shout.

“Is that Miss Liska there?”

She turned, blinked blankly, then brightened up as an older man with a limp strode towards them, holding a hand out.

“Hey! Hey, it’s you! Um, um—Mister Amel?”

She waved as all four Brothers whirled, then doffed their hats hurriedly. For who should it be than none other than the oldest member of the Brothers’ headquarters in Invrisil himself?

And the last person you expected to see on the streets. Amel, or rather, the [Doorman] who held the Brothers’ headquarters, slowed, massaging at his ankle.

“I thought I felt you about, young lady. What are you doing on these streets? You four—you had better have minded your manners.”

The glare he gave the four Brothers had them instantly shuffling their feet.

“Of course, sir.”

“Polite as could be, just going for a stroll.”

“Thought these ladies were a bit far out of their area, so we—”

“Is she really from the inn?”

The [Doorman]’s hand twitched, and they backed up a step. Whomever this was, he had Hariett’s scales on edge, but he shot a smile at Liska before giving the others a death-glare.

“She’s the [Doorgnoll] of the inn, and you’d jeopardize all travel if you gave her a hard time. To Liscor, and all the way to getting our lads to Oteslia! What’d you do?”

“Nothing, sir! Just, er—”

The sandy-haired Brother held something out, and Amel snatched it, then sighed. He handed it to Liska without a word. It was her bag of holding. She gasped, then saw the one at her waist go melting away into sand.

“Just a finder’s fee, sir. We’d have given it back if she’d proven she was actually from the inn.”

Amel glowered further, then turned to Liska.

“These are not the streets to walk down without some tact, Miss Liska. Lucky you ran into these four, even if they were a bit rude. What brings you here? And…when did you go ignorin’ my advice?”

He gazed at her with a mix of odd pride and sadness, and Liska ducked her head.

“Oh. Right. Um…we met after the Goblin King, right? Sorry. It’s all blurry after that.”

Everyone was staring at Liska as she fumbled for words, but Amel just put a hand on her shoulder.

“I didn’t expect you to do it all right away. You’re looking less shaken up, now.”

“I still have a few nightmares, I guess, but yeah. Yeah, it’s been good.”

“You didn’t die. That’s all that matters. You hold that door if it matters, let it break if not. As I told you, it’s just a damn door. But you protect yourself too! Whilst I’m here, I’d best walk with you. You four, with me. Where are you going?”

Liska gestured aimlessly, still hanging her head.

“Oh, to find a friend. He’s down Carroway Street. Um, Hoplic’s Stand?”

Amel nodded, then grimaced.

“That’s a rathole. Your friend must be in hard straits if he’s there. This is the wrong way to see him, even so. Let’s walk and talk. With the lads, you won’t have trouble.”

What he didn’t add was that with him, they’d not have trouble. Amel wasn’t quite a Face, but he was a high-level fellow employed by the Brothers. And he had Liska’s class.

——

For all the amazement that Liska threw Hariett’s way, the reverse was true now as the four Brothers whistled up twelve more, and Hariett and Vakki found themselves with a kind of honor guard.

Not for Liska or the inn, but old Amel. Him leaving his post seemed to be a rather big occurrence. But they were all listening to Liska talk with the old man with that incredulity that the Gnoll had learned to ignore.

Could it be true? Was what half of what she was saying possible? They had that earnest skepticism of people living in the real, sensible world who’d never had it shake and flip under their feet. The Brothers were a Gang, and they were still innocent like that.

Vakki and Hariett, as Liscorians, had a bit more tolerance to huge earthshaking events, but Liska was a realm they didn’t dream of. But Amel…

Amel didn’t even blink. He just spoke with that friendly wisdom.

“Done any practicin’?”

“On my off-time? This is like my one day off, so no…I was trying some of what you said, but I don’t get how my class is supposed to be powerful outside of my door. I mean, Erin’s door. Sure, I can hold it, but wouldn’t you just go through a window instead?”

He chuckled at that.

“You hold the area around the door. I’m sure your Skills let you do that.”

“Oh, yeah. And I had this really funny thing where I can [Apply Basic Enchantment] and…”

She wanted to talk about her Skills, but Amel was actually less interested in Liska’s new and mostly untapped Skills. He shook his head.

“I told you, it’s not the kind of thing that matters as much with us. Oh, it makes a door fancy. But that ain’t useful. Look at me. Where’s my door?”

He spread his arms out.

“I’m a sharp fellow with it, but walking the streets like this, am I any good or do I need all these young bucks with me?”

He nodded at the sixteen lads, and Liska frowned.

“…Right. So what’s the answer?”

She turned to him, and he sighed. Liska wasn’t exactly a student to come up with answers on her own.

“Perspective, young Miss. Just perspectives. The higher you go, the more it’ll matter for you. And I have faith you’ll go high if you’re dancing like this at your age. What is a door? What is a key?”

Liska’s head tilted as everyone else exchanged glances. But her eyes lit up slightly, as if there were a door in her head she was opening. Amel glanced about.

“Is that window a door, there? I think it is. Unconventional, but it lets a fellow go in and out. Is a door that sewer grate? Is a door that fence? Do I have a door on me, right now?”

He smiled, and Liska peered at him, then stared at his belt for a long moment.

“…How’re you doing that?”

“Preparation, practice. Perspective. You should’ve brought a door with you, but—ah, well, here we are. Just remember that a door’s more than a door. It can move and change, and it’s all metaphorical. As it were.”

He winked at her, and Liska, mindful of her new class, thought about Amel’ wisdom. She wondered…if her class was [Portal Guardian], what counted as a portal?

She actually didn’t know what a portal was, not the precise definition. She really should have gotten a dictionary or something. But then she saw a young Gnoll sweeping out the front of an inn, ears flat, looking miserable and unkempt. Liska shouted.

“Orrell?”

He froze, whirling, eyes wide, and she ran at him with Vakki. Liska tackled him into a hug, and he gasped. Amel stood back, smiling slightly as the Brothers chuckled, and Miss Hariett exhaled. Orrell hugged his friends, then burst into tears as they began to babble questions and talk.

Sometimes, one forgot what it was like to be young. Innocenter. Not innocent, but just…Amel tipped his hat at Miss Hariett.

“Nice young lady, there. Forgive me interruptin’, but I was worried. Miss Liska, she acts like she’s never even been mugged before in her life.”

“I don’t think she has. Liscor’s safer than it used to be, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Hariett’s voice was cool, but she favored Amel with a smile. He had knife scars, magic burns, and he couldn’t see Hariett’s scars, but he nodded after a moment.

“Very fair, Miss. Very fair. Though, begging your pardon, you seem a bit wiser to the streets’n I’d expect, even from someone used to Liscor’s less-pleasant sides.”

She shrugged tiredly, eyes on Liska.

“You have to be. I’d love to be some fine, upstanding citizen who never has to do anything risky or break the law. But I can’t be. It’s not a choice I get to make.”

“I reckon that’s also very true.”

——

All things considered, it was a good moment.

Not only did Liska meet some friendly people like Amel, she got Orrell. The Gnoll appeared thinner, and he’d been having a hard time. He didn’t even have a fur comb; he’d run away the moment he’d been found out.

“I saw you in the portal room, but I had to go, Liska. I just…I can’t go back.”

His eyes were huge in his face, his fur was a tawny brown, but Hariett took his paw.

“Yes, you can, if you want to, Orrell. At the very least, I think you shouldn’t be working at this inn. It’s not safe.”

He sniffed and wiped at his nose.

“No, it’s not. Someone got stabbed last night over cards. But I…I can’t go back.”

“We can dye your fur or scales. And believe me, after a while, people searching for you will give up. There are illusion spells, Orrell.”

“But where will I go? I don’t have any money—”

“I have gold. Here—”

Hariett forestalled Liska, and she spoke to Orrell in that kind, matter-of-fact tone of voice.

“I have friends, Orrell. They can give you work if you can’t find any, and we certainly can find a place for you to sleep. No matter what happens, you won’t be penniless.”

“Why’d you run off, Orrell? Your family are Silverfangs, just like mine. They’re not…bad, are they? Not like Vakki’s.”

Liska wasn’t sure. Her parents didn’t really factor in her life anymore. Her mother was a Hazyflower addict, and her father was in the army. He never came back. Orrell rolled his eyes at her; he was actually a [Server], though he’d worked at a restaurant instead of an inn, but it was probably how he’d gotten this job.

“Liska, someone found out I’m—I’m—they were shouting, telling everyone. Everyone’s going to know, and they’ll burn down my home or—or find me and deal with me.”

“Who said that?”

The very words chilled Liska, and he averted his gaze.

“Someone. The—the guy who found out.”

“Not your family, was it? Mine kicked me out. But they haven’t told anyone because it’s shameful.”

Vakki was twisting the little ring she and Lizze had bought for each other on her finger. Her tail was thrashing, and Orrell stared down at his feet.

“It was just—I met him after work, and I thought he was flirting with me. I was so sure.”

“Oh, Orrell. You idiot.”

Liska closed her eyes. Orrell had always done this. Find people he thought were like him and talk them up in his head. Then put out a few feelers. For every correct guess, there were ten wrong ones. And this time…

“He didn’t react well. And I thought that was it; I ran off, but he followed me home. Then he was shouting in the street, and so I just ran.”

Hariett’s expression was grim as Liska and Vakki turned to each other.

“No going home, then. We’ll discuss it, maybe see about getting a letter to your family, but Orrell is right, Liska. He might bring down a lot of trouble if anyone thinks he’s still at his family’s house.”

“But Orrell’s parents are nice. They wouldn’t…”

“It’s not about them. If that Drake—he was a Drake, right? If he causes a huge scene, then everyone knows. And then you get a mob and…”

Vakki drew a line across her throat. Liska knew that was true too and hung her head. It wasn’t common, but it made her stomach churn. And then Orrell dropped the final [Fireball] into the conversation.

“He wasn’t a Drake. He was a Gnoll. I thought…I really thought he liked me.”

He was crying again. Liska held his paw until Hariett came over and gave Orrell a huge hug. Then she urged him up.

“Let’s get you something to eat. Do you have anything you need to take? I’ll talk to the [Innkeeper] for you.”

“No need, misses, sir. We had a little word, all polite-like. The fellow’s used to it. Shall we take you back to Liscor now?”

Amel smiled down at them, but Liska was no longer in a good mood. She trailed after Orrell as he talked about surviving the first week in Invrisil.

“I was on the streets for a week until I got work, and it was—pretty bad.”

“It happens quite a lot. You’re lucky you found work.”

“I know. I—there were other jobs I was considering.”

Liska frowned at him.

“What kind of jobs?”

“You know…red lantern district jobs. I’ve heard there’s money there.”

Liska laughed at him.

“You? Thaheart would do it for fun if he worked up the courage, but—”

Then she realized Hariett wasn’t laughing, and Amel, who was walking with them, gave her a side-eye and shake of the head. Not in denial—and Liska walked on.

“They have people like us working in…?”

“Oh, yes. Orrell’s lucky he didn’t turn to that either, or it would have been far, far harder to get him out of there. Liska, let’s wait until we’re out of public for this.”

That silenced the [Doorgnoll], and Orrell tried to force a smile at her.

“I don’t know how you found me, Liska. But thanks. Vakki, where’s Lizze?”

“Locked in her rooms. Her family’s marrying her to some Drake down south.”

“What?”

Explaining that to Orrell took them the rest of the march out of Invrisil. Liska thanked Amel again, and he nodded to her.

“A fellow in Liscor would know how to get in touch with me if you ever wanted a word. But remember, that was a favor. We don’t give out many for free, or get many chances.”

Chastised, she bowed her head and then saw Hariett leading Orrell into Liscor.

“I’ll be back tonight. Liska, keep an eye on Vakki for me? Don’t let her go anywhere. I’d take you two with me, but this should be as fast and secret as possible.”

She left the two in the inn, and Liska nearly went to sit on her couch until she realized it was occupied by an exhausted Peggy and Inkpaper. They brightened up when Liska waved at them, but Vakki just tugged on Liska’s arm.

“Let’s go somewhere we can talk, Liska. Your apartment?”

“Nah. It’s probably still leaky. Let’s just stay here. The inn has free food, and we can sit and talk.”

“The inn? Where?”

Vakki turned around, and Liska realized that thanks to the [Vault of the Mortal World], Vakki had no idea that the inn was actually through the door. She yanked it open, and Vakki gasped.

“Wait, the inn was here all along—?”

Getting Vakki into the inn, giving her a tour, and doing the old spiel about Goblins took some time. But soon enough, they were at a table in one of the private rooms. Liska hadn’t known if they were allowed, but when she’d asked, Calescent had told her of course, and arranged for a hot pizza to appear before they had even gotten themselves seated.

Vakki scarfed the sausage-and-mushroom pizza with the spice crust, and Liska picked at her food. She came out with it after a moment.

“It’s not fair.”

“What? Lizze? Orrell?”

“All of it.”

The Drake [Lover] licked her claws and went for another slice of pizza.

“This is great. You eat like this all the time, Liska? No wonder you look like you’ve put on weight.”

“Vakki, I’m being serious.”

Annoyed, the other Drake jabbed her chest with a claw.

“I’ve been living serious, Liska. You think I didn’t know what would happen when I tried to gut that bastard with a knife? Orrell’s an idiot. He always talks attractive people up in his head, and then—he should have known it’d go bad one day. He’s stupid.”

Her face crumpled up. She stopped eating, and Liska stared at her.

“Vakki, you’re so thin. Eat more. Didn’t they feed you in jail?”

“I mean, yeah, but I wasn’t hungry. There’s nothing to do in there. You get let out sometimes for a walk and stuff, but…mostly it’s just drunks or real criminals. They like to stare and make comments. They had weights inside too. Apparently, they had some prisoner, the Minotaur, who was there for ages, so they started doing stuff like letting you out.”

She’d been in a cell most of a month. Liska sat there, trying to imagine it. Vakki gulped down some juice.

“…You’re lucky, you know. You said you broke up with Shashi? It was always going to go like that.”

“Hey. I loved her. I used to.”

That hurt Liska’s feelings, but Vakki gave her a superior gaze.

“It’s not real love. You just want to have fun. Lizze and I got married and everything. We’ll die for each other. And now she’s going to have babies and have to live a lie unless I do something about it.”

Her fingers stole to a knife that had come with their plates, and Liska grabbed her claw.

“Don’t. Hariett’s going to help. I had no idea she knew people or they…you know, were like us.”

Vakki frowned darkly.

“Me neither. You heard her say how many there were? Why didn’t they do anything before this?”

“They’re worried.”

Liska murmured, remembering how scared Elirr and Hariett had been when the Watch came. Vakki gnashed her teeth.

“I mean, why don’t they fix this? Why do we have to run out of the city when someone shouts a word? Why is it our fault we—what’s wrong with us, Liska?”

Then she was crying as she ate more pizza. Crying, and Liska knew this was familiar too. Misery and sadness and—she hugged Vakki, and the Drake girl whispered in her ear.

“I levelled twice in prison, Liska. I promised myself I’d die before I let anyone take Lizze to that altar. Just help me save her. Please.”

Liska almost shoved Vakki back.

“Don’t say that! I don’t want to lose my friends!”

The [Lover] gave her a soulful look, all gentle kindness and remorse.

“It was really fun, Liska, but no matter what, we’re gonna have to go, Lizze and me. I mean, if I get out of here. I’ll be wanted by the Watch and—and we had a really good time. Nearly twenty years old. That’s as long as you get when you’re us. Then you have to hide, someone finds out, or it’s just over.”

Liska wiped at her eyes furiously.

“No! Hariett’s still there. And she’s…one of us.”

“She’s not really one of us. She just says she is. I’ve seen her for years at her stupid pub, and she’s never hanging out or, you know, finding people. If that’s our future, I don’t want any part of it.”

The two were bickering as they glared at each other over pizza, debating how to help Lizze, what’d happen to Orrell, and whether Shashi had really been into Liska, when the door opened.

Rose poked her head into the room and smiled. Both young women turned and stared.

Rose had changed her appearance. She’d changed her hair. She had fiery-orange hair she’d sheared short and given a wavy look with a comb and some hair gel. She was wearing a bloodred vest over a white, long-sleeved shirt and matching pants with a golden belt buckle. She winked at Liska as the Gnoll’s jaw dropped, and Liska swore Rose even had freckles; had she had them before?

“Hey, you two. I got the all-clear to bring both Hariett and Vakki over. You’re coming too, right, Liska? To the party in Pallass?”

“Party? Pallass? Who’s this, Liska? She’s awesome.”

Vakki blinked, and Liska sat up as Rose put her hands on her hips, mischief and excitement and something else in her eyes. Something bright.

Turnscales in Pallass. Liska was curious, so she nodded and rose—and then the young woman saw a different side to the world she’d known, and orderly, stuffy, lawbound Pallass. The City of Inventions as only a Turnscale saw it.

——

Mirn’s bar was on the 6th Floor for once. The rich district, in a pub whose owner was on vacation for the month. It had actual tables, chairs, and tonight was a special night because they had guests from out of the city.

So the [Protector] had invited more than the regulars. There had to be over a hundred people jammed into the dance floor alone, and—Liska kept gulping water with ice cubes in it—

It was hot. Spring heat and excitement filled the air, and it smelled like hormones and sweat, spilled drinks, fear, and fun. But it wasn’t like any party she’d expected.

The kind of party that Liska knew, the ones that Thaheart and Shashi had probably gone to with the others, would be drinks. Taking down shots of cheap Firebreath Whiskey, drinking until you forgot your nerves, and kissed someone you weren’t supposed to. Loud conversations half-shouted over someone playing the Singer of Terandria’s music.

And Mirn’s bar had elements of that, certainly. But it wasn’t all noise, drinks, or loud, rapid fun. There were plenty of people who sat at tables, away from all the action where the younger people were gathered, and just…talked.

Okay, talked and flirted and enjoyed themselves; Liska saw games of cards, even a chess match, but many were just sitting together with great familiarity and speaking, not always with pleasure, but with a weird energy to them.

As if almost everyone here was instantly, on the merits of entering, a friend. An ally, a conspirator on your side.

The same as you.

Turnscales.

It was strange and more intoxicating than the drinks that Liska hadn’t actually touched—neither had Vakki—because she had never, ever had someone like her for being…her. But when Mirn, the eponymous, blue-scaled [Protector] of his moving bar, leaned over the counter and offered her a beer, he was smiling at her with nothing but amused affection.

“Need a drink, dear? First time in a Turnscale bar?”

Liska jumped. Hariett had insisted on them not using the word! But here—she turned, and tried to smile at Mirn as she waved a paw around.

“I…yeah. This is crazy! I had no idea a place like this could exist!”

The Drake bared all his teeth and laughed.

“That’s probably because you didn’t know the right people in Liscor! Though I like to think my bar’s one of the best places in any Walled City.”

“Not for the drinks! Hey load ‘em up, Mirn!”

That was Rose. She came over with her hands full of empty tankards. He swatted at her.

“You wretched brat. See what I’m dealing with now that Onieva’s gone? If you didn’t pick it up, Rose is my little helper. She’s my acting waitress.”

“No class.”

“Which is why you suck at your job almost as much as I do mine!”

Mirn shouted as she grabbed the mugs he was refilling and took them back out. He leaned back over the counter.

“You two need anything, you holler. But remember—not a word of this leaves the bar. No names. Everyone knows me, because I’m the Sentry. If anyone starts asking where you live or what you do, you tell me. Got it? There are always rats.”

So there was danger here. Vakki and Liska nodded seriously, but then Liska went back to staring at Hariett.

“Hey, Vakki, remember how you said Hariett wasn’t like us? You’re dumb.”

The [Lover] said nothing, because she’d probably never seen Hariett as anything other than the annoyed [Pub Owner] yelling at them before now. Because that was Hariett’s job. Her cover. And right now, she was a person.

Namely, a Drake woman with bright, ruby-red gemstone laces and that stylish vest grinning at a Dullahan woman a head and a half taller than her, who was holding her head lower to talk. The Dullahan woman had the most bright and colorful armor that Liska had ever seen: swirls of color completely unorthodox to the regular paint schemes and more traditional armor that Dullahans favored.

She looked like a seashell’s pattern of colors in purple, yellow, and fiery red on her steel armor, and her dusky skin was slightly flushed. But then—Hariett was blushing too, and unless Liska was blind—

“Is she flirting?”

She whispered to Vakki, and the [Lover] whispered back.

“I think she is. But she’s, like, old. And that’s the most awesome Dullahan ever. Can she do that?”

Mirn overheard them as he filled more glasses.

“What, flirt? You young people, don’t make me hit you. Miss Hariett, right? She’s not even old!”

“She’s, like, forty!”

Mirn stared at the two teenagers, raised a piece of ice, and bounced it off both their heads with a single toss. That at least got Liska out of her chair, and she edged over to Hariett. The Drake glanced at Liska as she showed the Dullahan her boots.

“…these gemstones laces? I came up with them. I’ve never seen anyone else wearing them.”

“I am entranced. That jacket of yours—are they rhinestones? May I touch them?”

“Of course. They’re not fragile. Go ahead, and that armor. It’s so magnificent, but how do you wear it without people asking…questions?”

The Dullahan woman smiled.

“Go ahead and touch at it and see if you can tell.”

Hariett gingerly touched the armor, and Liska saw that pieces of the Dullahan’s woman were oddly segmented. The [Pub Owner] frowned—then gasped.

“Wait, do they—?”

The pieces of the Dullahan’s armor slid together and covered the designs on her plate metal body. They hid the colorful artwork with some golden insignia that the Dullahan woman gestured at.

“This is just Pallass and Invictel’s regalia. Very respectable. I had someone do the actual colors myself. They lock into place so there’s no chance anyone sees what’s beneath. Unless I were in combat, but I’m into armor.”

“Oh? Altering Dullahan armor? Very respectable. I do something like Mirn’s job, myself.”

That was as much as they wanted to share, and the Dullahan woman nodded. She glanced at Liska.

“Hello, and you’re new! Are you from Liscor too?”

“Um, um—yeah. I’m L—”

Hariett elbowed Liska, and the Gnoll remembered not to give out names.

“This is my friend who works in the service industry. She’s new to all this. Very new.”

“Well, this is a welcome place, and Mirn is always very careful. It’s been hard to get together of late, so we’re all cutting loose, a bit. Watch pressure.”

Miss Hariett rolled her eyes.

“We just had some in Liscor. I know we’re going to talk later, but do you…dance? Or did you want to try some darts over there?”

She nodded to a dart-board that had just been vacated, and the Dullahan woman chuckled low. She put down her head on a table, and her body walked towards the bar.

“Darts sounds lovely. I could get a drink for us. You have to wait because Mirn can’t make anything decent. His one flaw. At least he got food this time instead of making any…oh, would you take my head over with us to the dart board?”

She casually flicked her eyes over to the dart board, which made Liska think the Dullahan woman had put her head down on purpose. Hariett kicked Liska in the shins.

“Liska, why don’t you check on Vakki?”

“But I like d—”

Another kick. This time, Liska got the message and backed away. She sat back down at the table with Vakki.

“Vakki. Did you see that? She’s not just flirting, she’s Tier 7 flirting.”

Vakki wasn’t paying attention. She was sitting with a Garuda maybe five or six years older than they were. He was rolling his eyes, and he’d painted his beak, Liska realized, like someone else might apply lipstick, but not just on the tips; there was a lightning-like design all over the beak, very cool-looking.

“If you think this is a party, believe me, Mirn’s all straight-laced. He’s the best Sentry, though. No one ever gets picked up. There are plenty of other parties between us younger people.”

“Really? How dangerous?”

He grinned.

“Very. Sometimes, you get the Watch busting in—then you just jump out the window, even if the hotel’s on the sixth floor! Not a problem for me, but…”

“No way, that’s so crazy. Hey, you know I’m taken, right?”

She flashed her ring at him, and the Garuda didn’t miss a beat as he laughed.

“Miss, I’m not blind. I’m just inviting both of you! As for the jumping out the window thing—you have to. Here you get arrested, and it’s noted down as ‘indecency’. Once you have a record…you can sort of argue it, but the more times the more obvious it is. All the olds tell us not to be risky, but you have to live, right? We have one night where anyone who wants to, y’know, find out comes to the party and sees how far they want to go. No pressure. And if you just want a safe place to be with someone—you should take your [Lover] sometime! I can give you a list of dates…”

“She’s locked up in her rooms. Her family’s marrying her off.”

The Garuda’s wings bristled. He produced something and flashed it between his clawed fingers.

“Locked up? So what? Need a lockpick? Damn, you’re Liscorian, right? Otherwise, I’d say just let me fly down, unlock the window, and grab her. But old Mirn would never let us do that in another city. Too noticeable for a Garuda.”

Liska sat down at the table and was introduced. The Garuda casually produced something: a little rack of bottles and a brush.

“Want me to do up your scales or claws, Vakki? It comes off in a wash very fast. No traces.”

Vakki instantly stuck her claws out.

“Can you do something on my cheek? Like a heart with an arrow in it?”

“Vakki! You’re not supposed to do names!”

The Drake shrugged. She gazed around the bar, eyes a bit moist.

“I know, but it doesn’t matter. I won’t be coming back anyways. I just wish I’d known this place existed before, or that Liscor had one. It’s so…beautiful.”

The Garuda slipped a second, and had to clean off Vakki’s claws he was dyeing like a blooming flower. He and Liska turned to Vakki, and before either could speak—

Mirn bopped Vakki on the head, demonstrating that he too knew the Vakki reset method. But the [Protector]’s fist was as gentle as his voice.

“None of that now. I hear you two are in some trouble, kid. Well, Miss H over there says her people are working on the issue, but if they can’t do anything, we’ll help too. And believe me, no single stubborn Drake family is a match for Pallass’ Turnscales united. So watch your damn mouth, and you, Loverbird, better keep your beak closed on anything you hear!”

‘Loverbird’ blew a kiss at Mirn and waggled his feathers.

“I’ll do it for a kiss, Mirn.”

“Hah. Kiss someone else’s ass, you brat.”

Mirn flapped his hands at Loverbird, then sat down. Vakki’s face was hungry, but doubtful.

“How can you do anything? Lizze’s getting married in a month! It’s already arranged!”

The [Protector] sighed, then whistled, and another Drake came over and pulled up a seat; he looked very posh and official in a suit, but he’d stuck a blue rose into the side of his spectacles. It made him completely different from the stuffy Drake that Liska would have dreaded to talk to. Mirn caught the other Drake up to speed, as well as a few other adults who’d drifted over.

“Plenty we can do, Vakki. A month? That’s enough time to work on both sides. Either you have someone put a word in the family’s earholes that, hey, this marriage is too sudden, why are you pressuring your daughter into something she’ll regret? Or if they’re too stubborn for that, you ruin the other side. Put some rumors out that this is just a ploy for money, that your [Lover]’s family are affiliated with the gangs.”

Vakki and Liska blinked. Do all that? Vakki protested.

“But how? No one would believe us!”

The Drake with the blue rose snorted.

“Not you two. But respectable gossip? And even if they get to finalizing the marriage, as Loverbird says, there’s a lot of time to get someone out who doesn’t want to be there. She doesn’t want the marriage, correct?”

“No! We’re married! We’re the ones in love!”

Blue Rose smiled at Vakki.

“Child, we’re not doubting, just making sure. In that case, she won’t make it to that altar. We promise. I wonder how Liscor wants to swing it?”

Mirn glanced around the room.

“Once Miss H stops dancing with Seaswirl, we’ll ask. But the simplest thing would be to forge two Grade 2 passports for them. Just in case.”

Blue Rose grumbled.

“Simple, you say. Getting ahold of the official paper and stamps isn’t easy.”

“I’ve got some from Onieva. I’ll work up two if Liscor needs it. You just watch that young, young Miss. And try not to let Loverbird sucker you into ‘fun’ with his friends. You lot play too fast and loose. You’ll all have Yellow Rivers in a month if you’re not more careful.”

Loverbird lost his smile and hunched his shoulders.

“We’re careful, Mirn!”

“Careful? Do you actually use protection?”

“Mirn—”

To Liska’s astonishment, the frank and graphic conversation actually made Blue Rose appear more uncomfortable than Vakki. He shifted to her instantly.

“I’m Pinrose, Miss. Your first time here? Are you from Liscor?”

“Oh, I thought it was ‘Blue Rose’ or something. I’m, uh, I’m—me.”

He grinned at her and shook her paw.

“Don’t let me keep you if you want to have fun, but I was actually going to ask if you knew anything about recent events in Liscor. There’s always something new, and odd, there. First that Shield Spider glue, next…? Do you have anything I should keep abreast of?”

She blinked, confounded by the question.

“New stuff? I mean, Valeterisa’s doing her academy, and I guess the New Lands is big, but…”

“Hold on, hold on. What about the Archmage of Izril and an academy?”

He was fascinated and took actual notes in shorthand as she talked. Pinrose knew more about Liscor and the north than Liska did!

“So you actually see the Order of Solstice?”

“Yep. Sometimes. They’re always on quests; why?”

The Drake blinked at her.

“Because…they’ve been fighting. I heard it was fourteen [Knights] against four. They fought the Order of Clairei Fields. It was a minor incident in the newspapers I buy, along with Taimaguros being in the north.”

“Really? Are they okay?”

Pinrose could only shrug.

“It sounded like both parties retreated with injuries, but it’s this business about…Vampires. It worries me, really. And Antinium in Liscor! Eugh, how do you function with them about?”

It was odd. He had all the foibles and misconceptions of any Drake. Liska began to correct the score on Antinium and Goblins to Pinrose’s frank incredulity, but she caught herself after a second.

“Wait, wait. Just one question. You are a…Turnscale, right?”

She hesitated on the word, and she saw his face freeze up before he smiled toothily. Liska flushed under her fur and sipped her beer.

“Sorry, I just…it’s so weird. I know Drakes and Gnolls who like other men. I do. It’s just…”

You’re old. But she didn’t mean that as rudely as Vakki. Liska meant it in the way that she sometimes didn’t think that adults were like her. As in, they had…sex…but it was weird to imagine them getting anything out of it other than children.

As if adults were another species, but it would only be a year or two before she was considered a full adult. She technically was.

However, to her, Pinrose seemed a world away, even more than Asgra or the Antinium. And perhaps he sensed that, because the Drake brushed at the flower in his spectacles, then turned his head.

“Like them?”

She saw more little flowers braided into his neck spines. Liska had never seen anyone with the look before.

“Oh, whoa. That’s so pretty.”

It was like he had ‘hair’ blooming, it was so subtle. And it wasn’t an expensive look or anything. It was literally flowers, cheap, fresh-for-a-day ones, attached with nothing but thread and a bit of wire artfully hidden.

“It takes nearly an hour to do with a mirror. It’s faster with help, but I want to look right when I come here.”

“An hour? I don’t do anything for an hour! I can’t even use the toilet for more than thirty minutes when I’m reading a book on break.”

Liska burst out, and Pinrose began chuckling as she turned red again. Then he sat back, nodding.

“Neither do I, really. My job is…well, I can’t say, but it pays well enough I think, and it’s important. But you’d never catch me working on a file for an hour as hard as I do with a little mirror. Then I come here under illusion spells, even though I’m sweating through my costume, and I’m terrified. Because it matters that much to me. All my friends are here. It didn’t use to be that way, you know.”

He had pale grey-blue scales, and he brushed at the flower again, then plucked it out of his spectacles to stare at it.

“I…haven’t ever been with someone in the community. I haven’t worked up the courage, and I don’t—am I a Turnscale? It sounds like such a dirty word, even now. I’m ashamed to say it. But it started with this. Flowers.”

“Flowers?”

She didn’t follow. For Liska, the path to Turnscaleness had been like stepping into a pit. She’d fallen into it the moment she wanted to kiss another woman, and that was that. But Pinrose? He murmured.

“I was a lot younger. Practically your age, but maybe a few years older when I was passing by a boutique. And I saw a flower just like this one, and I thought, ‘it would look dashing if I put it in my spectacles, just like this’.”

He glanced up, and Liska saw it, then. Pinrose added.

“I never did. It was this treacherous little thought I had for years. I passed that damn boutique every day after work, and I’d see a new flower and imagine this amazing way to add it to clothing. My neck spines. This concept? You like it?”

“I do. It’s awesome. My girlfriend…my former girlfriend would love the look, because it wouldn’t cost much, right?”

“Nine coppers if you buy the right flowers on sale. I have illustrations. It became a sickness. I learned to sketch—me. Everyone at work thought I was developing a [Sketcher] class to make myself better at my job. Instead, I had booklets of designs. Clothing. Not all of it good, but…years.”

Pinrose sipped from a straw and gazed around the club, and when Liska turned her head, she saw more art on people’s bodies, like Loverbird, the dancing Dullahan and Hariett’s apparel, Rose—

“I tried just once. I put the most handsome rose I could on a suit, and everyone thought it was fine. Fetching. I was asked who I was seeing and who put it together. I tried it the next day and got an odd look and comment. Into the trash went the flower! I lied and said it was someone I was seeing who just had to put flowers on me. Burnt half my artbooks and sat up vowing never to do it. Ashamed, wondering if I should find a [Healer] for what was wrong with me.”

The Drake sipped at his cup again, and Liska didn’t know what to say.

“But it’s just flowers.”

“For a Drake? A male Drake, Miss? You know how ridiculous it would be to wear them. Especially like…”

Pinrose shook his head out and the neck spines flexed, and swayed, almost like he had hair made of flowers. Vakki turned, and Rose, the Human, sighed. Liska saw it. It was a design she could only imagine a female Drake being allowed to wear. Pinrose lifted the flower again and smelled it.

“That’s all.”

Liska waited.

“Wait, what happened then?”

The Drake peeked up and smiled ruefully.

“Oh, I came back to it, of course. I swore not to, I’d ‘dally’, regret it, and then one day I must have taken a turn or seen someone wearing something provocative, something they shouldn’t wear. And someone said, ‘look at that Turnscale’, and I thought, ‘well, if that’s me, maybe I could wear that there.’ It took months to work up the nerve, let alone find this place. But Mirn finds you. That’s all I am. So tell me. Am I a Turnscale?”

He gazed at her with sharp green eyes, as if cut from the very gemstones Hariett wore on her shoelaces, and Liska faltered.

“I…I don’t know.”

“Neither do I! Mirn has a philosophy. If I don’t fit out there, I’m welcome here. So, over the years, I found I made more friends here than at work. I share my latest fashion tips here, I help out where I can, but mostly? I dress up once a week—or less if it’s dicey—and I come out here. It’s the most exciting, important moment I’m waiting for. I feel alive here.”

Pinrose sipped from his drink again and sighed. Then he eyed Liska, who sat, thinking deeply.

“But I’m still afraid of going further. I swear, but for the obsession with looking better than an idiot in typical Drake clothing, I wasn’t a Turnscale in any way. Now? Sometimes I wonder…but I’m afraid. Like I’m standing on the edge, and if I let myself try anything more, I’ll fall completely in.”

“Why not? I mean, you don’t hafta do anything. It sounds like you sort of want to try…”

Liska was curious, and Pinrose shuddered.

“Why, because it’d ruin my life, Miss. Not in the sense that it’d change anything, but I’d be—tainted. I’d be the deviant, the monster. Everything that I’m told a Turnscale is. I’m embarrassed by the thoughts, but they work. Someday, I’m sure, I’ll have a moment when I say to Rhir with it all and take a risk.”

He put his claws together, smiling with something beautiful and fragile.

“I hope I’m not too old, by then, to regret it.”

After a moment, he turned to Liska and coughed, then flushed.

“I am sorry, but that’s my little speech.”

Liska didn’t know what to do, but Rose had heard and applauded gently. She wasn’t the only one. Several others had listened, though it seemed they had heard Pinrose’s tale before. He stood up, flushing, and took a theatrical bow, then sat.

“We do get asked, us olds. And it helps to explain who we are and how we got here. Mirn’s story is far better and simpler.”

“Ah, Pinrose, you’re the one who makes people think. Too many kids or even newcomers come in here thinking they know what a Turnscale is. There’s no room for other definitions.”

They’d clearly had this little discussion before; Pinrose’s entire speech had the air of practice, but the Drake still bowed his head and looked at the roses. He couldn’t meet Mirn’s eyes.

“I know all that. I’m a good object case. I just…I’m embarrassed to look younger people in the eye, like Miss L here, and tell them I can’t even go further than this. I’m ashamed to be me.”

He seemed to shrink in his seat, and once more, Liska didn’t know what to say. She turned to Mirn, and the [Protector] said:

“I’m not ashamed of you, Pinrose. Or of anything that’s in me, or any one of us.”

He poured refills for Pinrose and Liska and sat with his hip on the table. Mirn turned to Liska, and he grinned.

“Rose, for all she’s a pain in my tail, has been good about talking members of the bar up. She’s what I want more people to be. Unashamed. Everything the cities tell us makes you feel like you’re doing something wrong. The cities are wrong. They get in your head, and I know how easy it is to hate yourself: that’s the most Drake thing in the world.”

He nodded at Liska, tapping his chest and growing serious. Then he nodded at Pinrose.

“Whenever you feel that, just look at someone you know who’s a Turnscale. And ask yourself: are you ashamed of them?”

“That’s such a good idea.”

Liska blurted out, face lighting up. Mirn snorted.

“I know. I came up with that trick. I’ve heard people say they wish they’d been born not being Turnscales. Me? I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Imagine if I were that less interesting or Pinrose didn’t have his style. Without it, what’s he got?”

“Hey, you [Rogue]. Don’t go buttering my scales up.”

Pinrose tried to jab at Mirn with his claws, but he was smiling. Mirn slung an arm around Pinrose’s shoulders and squeezed hard.

“Just keep showing up with your lovely self, and we’ll have you loving yourself like we love you, our more beautiful ‘Rose.”

Pinrose blushed, and his tail curled around Mirn’s for a second.

“You flirt. Watch out for him, Miss.”

“Oh, if you think I’m bad, let’s introduce Liska to Roseblush next. See that Drake singing karaoke? Ugh, he’s a menace with the microphone.”

Liska turned, and a Drake with rose scales that were definitely painted was singing bare-chested next to a Dullahan, dancing around. She grinned before Mirn looked to her.

“So, what do you think, Miss?”

Mirn topped up both’s mugs. Liska turned to the [Protector].

“What do I think about what?”

“Pinrose’s story.”

Liska was silent.

“I—don’t know. It sucks to not be able to wear flowers. It’s silly to have to want it for years and years and never get to do it because you’re afraid of what people think.”

Mirn winced, but Pinrose was smiling. Liska, flustered, raised her paws.

“I don’t mean that against you, Pinrose! I just mean it sucks because it’s like that.”

“Exactly. It bothers no one except, I suppose, if they have to look at me. But I am keenly aware of what would happen if I wore this in my day-to-day life. Let alone anything more.”

Pinrose put in, and Mirn swabbed the table with a cloth.

“Got a story to share, ‘L’? No pressure.”

Liska hesitated and then shrugged.

“Me? I dunno. I saw two male Drakes kissing in an alleyway one day and I thought I had to try that with a girl. That’s all.”

Everyone laughed at that, but Mirn just hugged Liska, grinning.

“That’s about my story, with a bit more running around trying to find someone to kiss. And being in the army. Good job, kid.”

“For what?”

“Getting a girl to kiss you! Unless Liscor’s so deprived that all eight Turnscales just take turns with each other!”

The [Doorgnoll] grinned.

“Oh, right. I’m great at meeting new girlfriends. I haven’t managed to get anyone like, um, V and her [Lover], though.”

Her face fell as she thought of Shashi, but Pinrose just chuckled and shook his head.

“That’s common, Turnscale or not, Miss L. Believe me, I’ve attended enough of my normal peers’ weddings only to have them divorce in a year or two—but we’re keeping you from the fun.”

“Oh, right. Go wild, kid. Anything goes here, except hard drugs. No Hazyflower, no Selphid Dust, but anything light—you can try it as long as you’re not bringing trouble getting it. Get drunk, kiss someone, but ask first. I don’t care if it’s embarrassing. Also, protection if you need it.”

“Protection? What kind?”

Mirn rubbed at his forehead and showed her an object she definitely wouldn’t need to use any time in her life: a little goatskin condom.

“We had a scare with the Yellow Rivers when it was running around. Not bad, and we got the cure fast, but it had us sweating. Rose was very insistent. Me, I’m more worried about inappropriate relationships.”

“What, here? What kind?”

Mirn gave Liska a level look.

“Anyone who can’t take ‘no’ for an answer, or who gets pushy. Anything you hear about in the fine, ‘normal’ folk—it can happen here. Only, in our community we’re all stuck together so sometimes we tolerate bad behavior too much. Most of us are lovely, decent people. However, there’s always bastards in a group, and I’m the one who deals with them. So if anyone treats you odd—you tell me. Got it?”

She nodded, and his warning made her feel better Mirn had said it. Mirn really was a Sentry, someone who protected a community. Liska turned to Pinrose.

“And are you an Architect, then?”

Pinrose choked on his drink.

“Me? Hardly! Those are big names in the communities, Miss L! I just do tasteful designs and help out here and there.”

“Not everyone’s got to be one of the three, L. It’s hard, dangerous work, and if you’re someone everyone knows, at some point people will come searching for you. I get by because I have the right Skills and I have a system. Miss H over there occupies my role.”

“But she doesn’t do this for us.”

Liska had a plaintive note in her voice as she waved a paw around, and Mirn shrugged.

“Each one to a different style. She does what she can, and anything is better than nothing.”

Liska thought of Hariett’s, which was always open for people and where she went and had met so many girlfriends and friends alike. She sighed.

“I guess. But…”

There was something beautiful about Mirn’s bar, even though Rose had told Liska that it would be torn down after only one meeting, how much work it was to set up. It was so—

Reassuring. As Liska got up, she found that plenty of people her age did leave the dancing or chatter to come to the side. And then they’d wave at someone they knew, or approach an older Turnscale, and…talk.

Sometimes, ask for help. She overheard one Drake younger than she was talking earnestly with a Gnoll who couldn’t be twenty or more.

“I just want to tell my sister.”

“Don’t. You have to be absolutely sure, Necky, and even then…

He had a kiss mark on his neck scales. He hunched over.

“But I just want to—”

“Think about what happens if you’re wrong. Hey, hey, Mirn, can you talk with…?”

The Gnoll waved over Mirn to have a word with Necky, and he was stern, but gentle as he laid out the potential downsides and contrasted it with the upsides. At another table, a Gnoll had a problem, but it wasn’t something so convoluted as her identity.

“I just can’t do this dance routine for school!”

She wailed, and she was almost in tears, apparently a student in, well, school. Half the people at the table turned.

“Hey, Glideclaw, can you give our friend a lesson? You’ll like Glideclaw. She’s the best dancer you’ll ever meet.”

Another Drake who was Liska’s age bounded over, and she moved like something fluid and graceful as the Gnoll girl stood up, in awe. Liska eyed the beautiful [Dancer] and peered for somewhere to put her drink down, because suddenly she wondered if she could buy a drink—for Glideclaw.

However, before she could edge over and turn up the Liska charm, Liska saw Pinrose sitting with Hariett, Rose, and a number of the more responsible, elder Turnscales, and she had to slow to listen in.

“It is getting harder in Liscor. Mostly, it’s the Watch. They’re asking questions. Pallassian doctrine.”

“That’s our fault. Though if you think it’s bad here—the raids have been ten times more frequent than under Chaldion.”

A male Dullahan coughed.

“Under Chaldion recently. He used to be just as bad, if not worse, Pinrose. But it is true. I was told you were low on funds?”

Hariett blushed.

“I…we do well enough, but it’s more of a get-together among older members of the community. The kids run around, and we’re not exactly able to pool our gold. We put money together, but the fine for Miss V, there, that was high.”

“Let’s see if we can’t help with whatever you’re doing. We should have made contact ages ago. But take this, if you need money for bail.”

A Drake pushed over a bag, and Hariett blinked as it opened and gold spilled out. She hesitated, studying him.

“You’re sure?”

He had ostentatious pink scales that were clearly dyed or illusory for the night. And he winked.

“We’ve got a big Architect that can help with this. We don’t waste gold, but our best member is high-level.”

“Anyone seen her lately?”

“She might be laying low. Let’s not talk names yet in front of Miss H.”

“Still, I’d love to attend a meeting in Liscor. But the risk of going through the door…they keep logs.”

“Who can find an excuse that can keep them there? Pinrose?”

“Oh, no. I could never represent us.”

“Why not? What would they do, shame you for not being Turnscale enough? Then they’ve got a problem with all of us—”

Hariett assured Pinrose no one would find anything wrong with him as they gabbled, and he blushed again. So she kissed him on the cheek.

“If you teach me how to do those roses, I’ll put you up in my apartment!”

“I—oh, you flirt. Look at her, she’s trying to sweep me off my feet.”

“Foul! Pinrose is our precious flower, and we won’t have some Liscorian come in and drag him down into degeneracy when we’ve been trying for ages!”

Good-natured laughter, and Hariett snorted.

“This fellow? He’s no shrinking violet; I can tell. As I told Mirn, we don’t quibble over who’s a Turnscale and who’s not. I’ve seen it in other cities, and it’s ugly. Big E, our leader, didn’t want any part of it either.”

Satisfied nods, and Pinkscales nodded as Liska was drawn back over, helplessly, because she wanted to know. Pinrose saw her hovering and pulled out a chair. She sat down, and the adults glanced at her, but no one told her to get lost or that this wasn’t for her. They let her stay.

That meant something.

“Excuse me, um…what do you mean about being a real Turnscale? Like who’s going to ban Pinrose? Sorry if that’s a stupid question.”

Liska mumbled, but the others just nodded at her, and Pinkscales explained.

“I’m Roseblush. Don’t laugh at the name; I chose it twenty years ago.”

“You’ve been here twenty years?”

He flashed a grin at her.

“Oh, yes. This community is centuries old, didn’t you know? One of the longest even in the Walled Cities.”

“Though no one knows how long we’ve been around in one form or another. I speculate from our records it could be thousands of years. Tens of thousands.”

Another Drake put in, and the male Dullahan rolled his eyes.

“You want to believe it. You’ve got no proof, Quilly. To answer your question, Miss. Sometimes, certain members of the community are not…believed like the others. Such as Pinrose, who isn’t as obviously Turnscale as, say, Roseblush.”

“Or anyone who takes both sides of the scale. Flipscales, they’re called. But I think that’s splitting hairs. Is it any less dangerous or makes you less of what we are to want it all ways?”

“Makes it easier to hide who you are if you can just turn it off.”

“But you can’t turn it off, you’re just staying on the safe half that people tell you to! It’s not fair. As for those who feel all switched up inside—Switchscales, they’re called, young woman—”

“Shh, don’t confuse the new girl with all the politics. That’s the saddest part of communities fighting. We’re all open-minded at Mirn’s bar. Other communities in Pallass? Less so.”

Liska turned from face to face.

“No, I want to know! What’s a Switchscale? There are other communities?”

The Dullahan, who looked like a big, stereotypical Dullahan aside from how he talked, winked at Liska, and his face was more animated and friendly as more people scooted in. Roseblush instantly sat on the Dullahan’s lap and wiggled around innocently. Several of the adults rolled their eyes. Pinrose pinched Roseblush.

“Behave in front of the kids.”

Liska was as wide-eyed as Vakki, who’d come over with Glideclaw of all people. Liska instantly got distracted and shyly waved at the [Dancer], who smiled back. Vakki winked at Liska.

Vakki was awesome. Liska’s best friend. The Dullahan, who just called himself Bigarmor, explained.

“Switchscales confuse me, and I’ll let Mirn explain that. But other communities? Certainly. We know for a fact there are a few of the high-ranking members of Pallass who know each other. Whether or not they meet, they have an arrangement. Nothing to do with us.”

The other Turnscales glowered. Liska ventured a guess.

“Because they’re important and it’s risky to talk to them?”

“Because they do nothing. They’re content to pass laws that harm us or let the Watch arrest and beat us, so long as they’re safe. And other groups just can’t stand the risk of meeting like we do. Don’t trust new, young members to keep their mouths shut. It is risky. We have to fight to keep our bar alive. We’ve had to fight more and more. It’s feeling like the old days under younger Chaldion again.”

That comment from Roseblush made everyone go quiet. Liska couldn’t believe her ears.

“You fight? The Watch?”

“The Watch, soldiers—it’s not us. It’s our Architect. She can clear…”

“I still think we shouldn’t escalate. If we just cleared out faster—”

That came from Pinrose, and Roseblush pointed a claw at him.

“Respectfully, lovely ‘Rose, the Watch is a bully. They never stop. I was a kid growing up in the old days, and when the Watch hauled you in, everyone ran because they’d get names out of anyone they tortured. Tortured. These days, it’s different because we pushed back, but if it comes to getting caught or running, you fight. Because it’s all over once they parade your name out; even if they let you go…”

Pinrose touched something on his belt.

“I know. I know, Roseblush. I guess I’ve just been in denial. I don’t want it to get worse.”

Roseblush embraced Pinrose and spoke, burying his head against the other Drake’s shoulder.

“Me neither. I’m not brave as she is. I don’t want it either. But we can’t let them think they can just bash their way in and grab us all. Because they will. They have to think twice. If the rank-and-file boots don’t hesitate, they’re a minute faster to storm a bar or run down some poor kid on the street. And then they catch more of us.”

Everyone was nodding. Another Garuda turned to Liska and Vakki, not quite changing the subject but trying to lighten the mood.

“It’s not all fighting with the Watch, kids. We’re just the biggest group, so we’re the nail that stands out. There might be dozens of groups like us in Pallass alone.”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Is it? How many Turnscales are there in a city? One in a hundred? One in a thousand? For a city of so many millions—”

“How many Turnscales are out there and never know who they are? Or are too scared to admit it?”

Hariett murmured into her drink, and everyone fell silent. Liska was glancing at Vakki, and both of them shared a thought.

I wish I had come here years ago. If Liska could have come to a bar like this, once a week, to just…ask questions or meet people, somewhere where it wasn’t embarrassing or—or strange.

That was it. Even with her friends, if she was too obvious about flirting with Shashi in public, someone would warn her, or they might give each other samples of the latest trends, but no one was like—Roseblush.

Or experimental like Loverbird painting nails or claws. There was something else here, and Liska didn’t know the word for it. Rose did.

“This is real gay culture, Liska. Like the old speakeasies in my home, but—different. Fewer good drinks, for one.”

Everyone chortled at this, and Mirn came over to slap one of the pub’s menus on Rose’s head.

“You ingrates! Rose, go relieve Bouncer, would you? She’s been standing watch for hours; she should have asked to trade off. Who’s volunteering to watch the door?”

“That’s me.”

Glideclaw leapt up, and Liska half-rose.

“I could, um, help too. I’m good with entrances.”

Pinrose raised his brows, but Glideclaw smiled at Liska, and the Gnoll followed. Rose was speaking louder as the others heckled her gently.

“No, see, this is what I’m talking about. You don’t think you have it, but you do. We have to organize! Liscor’s the first step!”

“Rose, we’re all for meeting other cities the door can connect us to, but we have to be careful. Especially now. You say you’re from somewhere where Turnscales are out in the open. Well, where?”

“I, uh—argh, it’s a long story.”

“I’ve heard this one. Miss Rose, I’ll buy all your terms, but the story’s far-fetched.”

Rose turned to Mirn, desperate. He was polishing a mug as he leaned against the bar.

“Mirn, vouch for me.”

“Nothing doing, kid. You want a war, and we’ve seen how wars are fought. Get Onieva on board.”

“But—!”

Liska followed Glideclaw away and over to the door, and the other voices and noise overwhelmed her ears’ ability to selectively listen in. She knew Rose was an Earther, but the other Turnscales didn’t. Glideclaw was brushing at her neck spines at the doorway.

“We take turns with Bouncer to make sure only people we know are let in. We have a passphrase, or we ask questions if we don’t recognize who it is—we get spies a lot, you know. Glideclaw. You’re from Liscor, right? With Miss V? She told me her name, which she shouldn’t have.”

“R-really? I’m, uh, L. Vakki, I mean, V’s desperate.”

“I heard. I’m a [Dancer]. Everyone knows that. What’s Liscor like? We’ll just tell Bouncer she can step inside; she’s scary, but trust me, she’s so sweet.”

“I, uh, well, you know. Liscor. Antinium, Goblins, a war or two. Nothing big. I saw the Wyvern attacks on Pallass, so you know what it’s like. We get monster attacks all the time.”

Liska rubbed her claws on her fur, trying to appear casually cool. Glideclaw eyed her.

“I hid in my dance hall with everyone else when that happened. Do you really have Antinium on the streets?”

“Sure do. I know tons. Hey, you could visit if you ever wanted to. I’d give you a tour.”

Glideclaw’s eyes lit up, then her face fell.

“I’d love to! But…I don’t know, it’s risky.”

“Hey, I happen to, uh, know the doorperson who operates the [Door of Portals]. I could get you in and out, no problem. Plus, it’s rainy in Liscor, you know. Floodwater season. It’s always wet, and the water rises up to the walls.”

Glideclaw shuddered.

“I read that in a book on Izril’s strangest cities! How could anyone live like that? Raining nonstop? I get depressed if it rains for three days straight! I can’t imagine months of it.”

Liska cleared her throat as they stopped by the front door, which was actually a very cool, revolving type. Mirn had pasted a bit of wood on the glass panes so you couldn’t see through if it was closed. She leaned against the revolving door, casual.

“Well, I think it’s great, actually. It’s kissing season in Liscor right now.”

“Wh—kissing season?”

Glideclaw did a double take, and Liska waggled her eyebrows.

“Definitely. It’s in the air and stuff. And because it’s so rainy, no one can tell, even if you’re kissing in the street, who’s who.”

“Oh. Oh. That’s…so risky! I’ll have to try that.”

“Anytime you want to visit—I know a great set of lips.”

“Really? Whose? Rose’s? Miss H?”

“Huh? Miss H!?”

Liska leaned back in outrage and nearly went tumbling out of the revolving door. Liska went stumbling around the turnstile, swearing. Glideclaw was giggling nonstop as she bent to help Liska up, which was a good sign, or so Liska hoped.

“Sorry, Bouncer. We came to relieve you.”

The Drake was grinning around the actually well-illuminated streets with hanging [Light] spells on the lovely 6th. She was speaking to a huge Drake woman leaning up against the pub entrance. Not that she was needed; the shuttered pub had been altered to appear empty from the outside and had soundproofing spells laid on it. Bouncer was indeed huge. As Liska got up, she put out one claw and grabbed Liska.

“Wh—hey. Sorry, I—”

“Get back inside, now. Glideclaw, get Mirn. Tell him we’re surrounded. I count at least four squads.”

The low, taut voice from the Drake took Liska out of her giddy mood. Glideclaw stiffened, and they realized Bouncer had put an arm out. Shielding their faces from…Liska tried to peek up, and Bouncer half-swivelled.

“S-surrounded?”

“I wasn’t sure. I had two busybodies walk up who I think were [Guards]. They’re sneaking up this time. Get Mirn, Glideclaw. Go!”

Glideclaw moved for the turnstile. Liska glanced up. She saw Bouncer turn, and the Drake’s eyes were wide with fright. Silently, Liska backed up into the second slot of the turnstile. Bouncer squeezed in with her.

“The Watch…?”

“Yep. Keep your head down, don’t use any names, and follow a senior out. Don’t go back home until you know you’ve lost them. Got it?”

“Y-yeah, I know.”

This wasn’t Liska’s first time evading angry [Guards], but never had she been at a party of Turnscales and they’d known she was…her stomach suddenly constricted. Liska glanced over her shoulder and swore she saw figures in the darkness. Or maybe it was her imagination. Crouched ranks of silent watchers—

Surrounding the pub.

Glideclaw had already said something when Liska and Bouncer popped into the pub; the Drake woman found a chair and wedged it in the turnstile, but there was an actual door right next to the revolving door in case it jammed. The room had gone dead silent, the fun, jovial attitude gone. Everyone was silent.

Fear in the air. Mirn stood on a table, voice calm, not loud, but audible.

“You know the drill, everyone. [Emergency Exit]. Go in waves.”

Someone was already prying up the door to the cellar larder. What should have been just a storage area apparently contained something Mirn always had with him: a way out. Liska saw people slipping down the hatch as Bouncer put a chair under the doorknob, then strode over.

“Mirn, there’s four squads—”

“I know. Out, out, out. Everyone, grab everything you can see. I’ll douse it all in de-scenting liquid. Keep going for the doors!”

Mirn was sweeping the bar, grabbing everything. Pinrose was hunting for his flowers, and Glideclaw was looking around for someone she’d come with. Liska was trembling, eyes wide, as Hariett and Vakki joined her. They were heading for the cellar when someone came back up, fighting against the bodies pressing downwards.

“Back up—back—Mirn! Miiirn! They’re at the back entrance!”

Mirn froze. He whirled on his heel.

“You saw them?”

“My [Advanced Dangersense] went off just in time.”

It was the young Gnoll who had wanted help with her dancing. She was shaking as more bodies heaved up the ladder, people climbing up, now white with terror.

“They’re outside. I see them skulking in an alleyway. Two squads, Mirn. T-they found the—”

Mirn’s voice was calm.

“What about the third exit?”

“They’re at both [Emergency Exits], Mirn. Both of them.”

The [Protector] went still. He stared down at the floor.

“Someone told them. Or they figured out that the [Emergency Exit] has to connect to the pub and they just put squads everywhere. Okay, silence.”

No one said a word. Now, the stink of terror was worse than Liska remembered with Skinner. She felt sick, nauseated, and she turned to Mirn. Waiting for him to unveil [Emergency Exit 3, Fooled You Suckers].

Silently, the [Protector] pulled something up from underneath the bar’s counter. He spoke to Roseblush.

“I’m barring the [Emergency Exit] Skill. If we have to go out that way, I’ll lift the seal. Break through them and don’t stop running. Everyone, listen for my voice, Roseblush’s, or a senior’s. We’re going to make a hole. You get out and start running. Assume you’re being followed. Don’t go home. Go to a safe spot. If you think you’ve been identified, get out of the city.”

Liska’s head snapped around. She saw Glideclaw go dead white. Pinrose was clutching his shaking claws together, and Roseblush was grimly glancing around, trying to count heads.

“Mirn—”

“They’re going to come through those doors with Tripvine Bags and smoke and flash spells. Everyone get clear of them. I can neutralize most of the first wave of alchemy. Anyone who can fight or has a combat class, step forwards. Kids, get back along the wall and pick up anything you can swing.”

—He wasn’t joking. He wasn’t—Liska looked for Hariett, and the Drake stepped forwards with Bigarmor, Roseblush, and even Pinrose. Liska heard a sound like a sob.

Then Bouncer bent down and snapped the leg of another chair off. Tossed one to Loverbird, who caught it and held it, pointed end out, and began throwing more pieces at other people in the inn. Rose stood there, panting.

“How’d they get—? Mirn, we have to get everyone out.”

“They’ve got my back door, Succubrat. No names. Remember, deny everything. This was the first time, this was a party someone invited you to…don’t speak in front of a truth stone. Don’t run until I tell you to go. They’re going to be waiting for runners.”

Mirn had a club in his claws. That was all. The [Protector] yanked something out of a bag of holding. A potion. He drank half, tossed it at Roseblush. Yanked another potion out, set it in his belt.

“Where’s Onieva? Where’s—?”

“Not here. She can’t always be here. Everyone back against the wall.”

Liska was searching for Vakki. The Drake [Lover] had gone for the bar, looking for a kitchen knife. She jerked back as someone came out of the kitchens. Loverbird.

He had—all the knives the pub had in the kitchen. He handed her one, and Vakki stared at him. Then he handed one to everyone. When he offered one to Liska, she showed him her belt knife. But she—

Was this a dream? It was like a beautiful dream, a bad one. She saw every Turnscale in the front, save for Glideclaw and Loverbird, were older. They were all afraid. They stank of it. Some were visibly trembling.

But they were also drawing weapons. Not clubs, not like Bouncer who was actually standing near the back with the terrified mob of younger Turnscales. Mirn glanced around.

“Don’t let them drag you out. Watch each other’s backs.”

“How do we tell who’s who?”

Bigarmor growled.

“Hit anyone wearing Watch or 1st Army armor. Mirn—”

“I know. They must have been preparing for this. If we make it out, I’ll do better. This is my fault.”

A few headshakes, and Roseblush snapped.

“It’s General Edellein’s fault! Is this what’s worth all this time, money? After 2nd Army died in the High Passes? Is this what—”

“Silence. We have to hear.”

Silence again, and now Liska could hear dozens of lungs panting for air. It was hot; the spring heat made sweat roll down her fur, and she heard shuffling outside. A scraping sound.

Mirn’s voice was too loud. He called out.

“Window detonation satchels. This is private property! You have no right to enter, nor will this go unsanctioned. Do you think you can blow down the walls of a pub on 6th Floor and not have every respected member of the community on you for that?”

The shuffling sounds stopped a second, and he shrugged.

“They might go through only the doors. Sounds like they think they have a reason.”

“They always have a reason.”

Someone muttered, and Liska wondered out loud.

“Am I dreaming? It was so pleasant. It really was.”

Hariett turned to Liska with an anguished expression in her eyes. It was Glideclaw who glanced over her shoulder and snapped back, no longer friendly or amused.

“It’s beautiful because they try to take it from us. Focus, L. When you hear someone say ‘run’, run! Until then, you fight.”

“That’s right.”

Mirn was walking down the room, and tables and chairs had been moved to the entrance, piled up in front of the doors when Liska hadn’t noticed. One of his Skills.

[Prepare Battlefield: Anywhere You Come for Us].

He paced up and down the line of Turnscales.

“No one runs. We hang or get out together. But also—don’t look back. What we know is that there are suspicious, unidentified people outside our legal gathering. We are going to defend ourselves with appropriate force.”

Another localized moment of silence caused by his words. Liska peeked over her shoulder, and she saw every Turnscale in the room was armed. Clubs, knives, chairs in the back.

Fight the Watch? She’d done that now and then, attacked them for being bastards, but this wasn’t punching or biting a single Watch officer. This was something bigger.

They’ve done this before. Liska drew the belt knife and saw the worn steel glinting. She almost sheathed it, then saw Loverbird nodding at her. He had two knives in his claws and…

“This is the Watch. By order of the Assembly of Crafts, we are investigating the premises under suspicion of violating Article 1 of Law 8. Public Decency. Put your weapons down and stand against the wall. Resist and you will be treated like criminals.”

A harsh, loud voice through the barricaded door. Mirn waited as the hammering of Liska’s heart grew louder, then called back.

“Anyone could say that. I am in fear for my life and those in my company. Have you drawn blades, officers? For a simple investigation.”

Silence.

Mirn bared his teeth.

“Sounds like a gang. Come on, you bloody boots. Do you think this is a good idea? There’s a purple-scaled Drake in here with us.”

“…You’ve been given your warning. Do not resist.”

Mirn sighed. And then his knuckles cracked on the club’s handle. They were coming. No one needed to tell the people inside that, but Liska could have told you exactly how many were outside.

Sixty-four, leaning against the windows they’d taken the detonation satchels away from, most clustered around the two doors, ready to burst through both. Someone had picked the lock. They did have weapons drawn.

Clubs and batons. And nets. They were wearing heavy leather armor and chainmail. Like they were on riot duty. Someone in the front had plate armor on.

She knew it. She was, after all, the [Portal Guardian]. Liska’s voice rasped; she babbled when she got nervous. Thoughtlessly, spilling what was on her mind. Like Erin; it was why she liked the [Innkeeper]. Because everyone respected Erin. She wished Erin was here.

“I—I thought there’d be a miracle. Bad things happen, but I never died or got hurt until now. I think that’s how it works. You always think, ‘it’s not gonna be me’. Until it is. And with us…it always is us.”

Some of the Turnscales near the front half-turned. Glideclaw opened her mouth, and Mirn glanced at Liska. No one said a word.

“I thought this was different. But it’s worse. Even if you get older. I thought it was just us—or that it was easier. But it’s not, is it?”

No.

They were so close to the 8th Floor, but Liska couldn’t form a connection to the [Door of Portals]. Anywhere else, maybe, or she’d be able to maybe do something with the door. But in Pallass, it was like a lead weight on any connections.

Anti-teleportation wards. The young Gnoll woman had tears in her eyes.

“When they come in, they’re going to beat us up, then arrest us. And then…if we’re lucky, they just exile us. Otherwise, you try and go home and there’s a mob. Or you just vanish. That’s why you run, right?”

She looked at Miss Hariett and remembered what she’d said to Zevara. Life or death. The [Pub Owner] said nothing, but the soft click was Liska’s answer.

Miss Hariett put her claws in the wide, ornamental belt buckle she wore, and two pieces of the metal belt slid outwards. There was a flash. Then two blades shot out of the handles.

[Flickclaw Blades]. She adjusted her grip, and they slid back into their sheaths. Hariett held her claws out, the hidden daggers almost invisible. She was preparing, readying herself for the moment someone got close to the unarmed woman to slash across a throat. Stab through an eyeslit or armpit.

Vakki twitched, eyes on Hariett and the blades even the Brothers of Serendipitous Meetings respected. Then she heard a click. It was the sound of the Dullahan woman, the one with swirls of seashell color on her armor.

She had popped up a section of her armor on her arm. An inbuilt crossbow had clicked out, and she was loading it. Next to her, one of the older Drakes had put on brass knuckles. There was a sigh and then a faint hss of sound.

A glowing light split the dim pub light. Painful in its intensity. A beam of agony and death, silent as Pinrose ignited the kaalblade.

Mirn’s head turned, and he held out a claw. He mouth-whispered.

“Stow it.”

“What for?”

Pinrose held the kaalblade in his claws, and Mirn met his eyes. He stepped over, and Liska’s ears picked up the barely audible breath.

“They’re using clubs. When they go down, they’ll go to blades. They’ll ask who in Pallass bought one of those. Draw it then.”

Pinrose nodded and deactivated the enchantment, but he held the piece of innocuous wood in one claw. A weapon like Ryoka’s faeblade, which would cut through…

Well, they were ready. They had been ready. Was the Watch? Did they hear their [Dangersenses] ringing, ringing with such sound to tell them how bad an idea this was?

Liska’s voice was a whisper.

“I guess I didn’t think about it. I’m sorry. I don’t really think about things. I’ve…never really tried hard most of my life. And this is the first thing that matters to me. Really matters. Is it okay?”

Pinrose’s eyes slid back to her, and he closed them. The only place I feel alive. Liska went on, tears in her eyes, and she felt them tensing, outside and in.

“This matters. But I’m really afraid. I want to do something. But am I—am I allowed to do my best? To try even if it kills me? It’s easier if nothing matters. Is it okay if I care?”

Tears were matting the fur of her cheeks. Her shoulders shook, and she could barely stand. Voice wobbling like a cub’s.

No one looked at her. Every eye was fixed on the doorway. She didn’t even know if anyone had heard her until Mirn rasped one word.

“Yes.”

It was a weird kind of permission. Liska was glad he said it, because even if he hadn’t said it, she would have tried something anyways. But he said it like he needed her help.

Rose was shivering, holding a table leg, and there was a creak—

Then the Watch slammed the explosive vials, and the liquids inside detonated like thunderclaps as the first squads rushed forwards for the doors. They shouted as they came.

“On the ground! Hands up! H—”

They hit the unbroken doors and piled into one another. Inside the pub, Mirn lowered his claws from his face. He stared.

The explosive vials had gone off, but the doors hadn’t been breached. Instead, the vials had detonated outwards, hitting the armor of the squads. There was a cry.

“Guard down! Spell attack! Trap—”

“Failed breach! Failed breach! Get the ram—”

“Mirn. What kind of doors are…?”

Roseblush breathed. Everyone had flinched when the vials had exploded. Mirn shook his head.

“I didn’t do anything to them. I—”

His head came up and turned. Rose was twisted sideways. Vakki and Miss Hariett slowly peered over. Liska was staring at the two doors. A paw was raised. And she was whispering.

“Stop.”

Confusion outside. She could feel them milling around. Then someone brought something up. A hand-ram. Two took the enchanted ram and began to slam it into the door; another squad reset the explosive vials on the turnstile. Detonated them.

Whumph. Heavier.

Liska flinched. The ram swung with soft thunder. Enough force to break a steel door inwards with a few swings.

The doors shook.

Neither one opened. Liska was breathing harder. Her stomach hurt. Her arm shook, and she felt them pushing on the turnstile that refused to move now. A dozen claws, paws, and hands yanking. Grunting, cursing.

The ram swung again. And the doors cracked. Mirn was staring at Liska.

“Are you…?”

“No door lasts forever. Sanctuary ends.”

She looked at him, a dreadful certainty and memory in her eyes. He nodded.

“There’s no way out of here. We have to get through them.”

Oh. Okay. Liska concentrated. The ram was swinging. Again and again, and now—the Watch could see into the pub. Mostly darkness, as they pulled at pieces they’d literally smashed off the wood and found that the slivers of door seemed glued to each other. But then they were shouting.

“One, two, three, FOUR. One, two, three, FOUR—”

The ram swung with six arms combined, and Liska rubbed at her nose. It began to bleed the second time. She saw Rose reaching out.

“Lis—”

“—three, FOUR—”

The squad outside saw the door give way as the ram smashed through. It slammed open, and the surprised [Guards] stumbled into the pub, shouting.

“Breach, breach!”

The first squad rushed the gap. The second charged after them, abandoning the turnstile. A Gnoll [Patrol Captain] blew a whistle, charging after her buddies.

The door slammed into her face so hard it tossed her head-over-heels onto the street. Dazed, she lay there and heard the rest of her squad ramming into the door.

[Quick Doorslam]. And—when the second squad tried to get up and breach it—

It wouldn’t open. The broken-looking door was as hard as steel!

[Fourfold Reinforcement]. The [Patrol Captain] snarled.

“Get in there! Get in—”

She had heard nothing but deafening silence from inside the pub, the sounds of massed breathing. A single voice mumbling something. But now, she heard the shouting of the squad. And then—a single male voice, howling something.

The silence turned into massed shouting, screams—and the [Patrol Captain]’s blood ran cold as she heard a panicked voice from her linked speaking stone.

“Backup! Backup, where’s our—”

Sixteen members of the Watch entered the pub instead of the multiple squads ready to flood the building. They halted their charge as thrown Tripvine Bags and Smokepowder Satchels hit the ground and failed to activate.

When they didn’t hear more buddies at their back, they tried to retreat. The oldest Turnscales charged them before the squad could retreat half a dozen steps.

“You’re under arr—”

Mirn’s club struck the chin of the [Patrol Captain], and the Drake folded up. A Dullahan swung his club and gasped; went white.

A crossbow bolt was sticking out of his knee. He went down on one knee, and Roseblush swung a club down.

“[Oblivion Hit].”

“Squad 1 under attack! Reinforcements! Re—”

Half of the sixteen were down, and one went for a sword. He tried for a stab at Roseblush, and Miss Hariett grabbed him.

[Flip Throw]. She hurled the [Guard] head-over-heels, and they slammed onto the ground. When they went to get up, Loverbird kicked them in the helmet, and two more hit them with clubs. Mirn pushed them back after three blows.

“They’re out. Back up—back—”

Shouting from outside. Then the turnstiles swung, spinning in confused Watch officers. The door opened again, and there was a roar.

“Breach the building! I don’t care how! Breach both exits, now!”

This time, the Watch came in hard. Whatever Liska had done to block the door the first time, it was fighting against the bodies holding it open. Armored bodies pressing into the pub, but staggered. Mirn saw the turnstiles abruptly stop, then heard a curse.

He saw Drakes, fighting to keep the doors open, recoil as, suddenly, the front door burst into flames. The turnstile slowed; it was clogged, he realized. With spiderwebs. Huge ones.

Magic enchantments. He grinned.

The [Doorgnoll] holding the entryway was doing it all remotely, ignoring attempts to break the entryways fully. She was holding the windows too, he realized. Even his [Emergency Exit].

The Watch was trying to breach the Skill-based door, but a glowing seal had appeared over the basement entrance, and it—would not—give. They were deploying [Breach Fireballs] against it, and the glowing sigil refused to give.

But they were coming through the main doors. They had to. And the girl was no soldier, but her instincts were good.

Funnel them in waves. Don’t let them come in at once and crush us. They came in staggered and vanished.

A [Protector] swung his club into heads and legs, kicking down the Watch, fighting with brutal, economical grace learned on a battlefield. He wasn’t enough by himself, fast and hard as he hit, but there were dozens of Turnscales behind him, and they tangled with the Watch hard.

They were—fighting with the [Guards] and not giving ground.

——

Liska’s eyes widened as she gnawed on her lip, concentrating. Trying to keep them from coming in too fast. But it was a fight on the ground, and she saw Rose snarling, slashing a clawed hand at a Dullahan’s armor. She barely cut the leather before the angry Dullahan tried to tackle her, but five teens jumped him from behind, shouting, swinging—

That was the brawl closest to her. The highest-levelled people in the pub were at the front, and Liska was screaming, wishing her big brother were here, Bird, anyone from the inn—

Then she saw Miss Hariett throw another [Guard] across the room. And Roseblush hit another attacker who folded up and just dropped. But it was Glideclaw who was fighting with a swinging Garuda who came at her with a sap and buckler, striking nonstop. But she—leaned out of the way of one blow, which passed in front of her chin an inch away, ducked a swing, backstepped as he tried to bash her face with a buckler, stepping around him as he kept advancing, flowing from step to step as she swung a table leg with far less impact, hitting him on the face, arm—

But he never tagged her. The pattern the Drake [Dancer] wove through the fighting was hypnotizing. Incredible. She was dancing.

[Flowing Footwork]. [Phantom Grace].

She led the attacking Garuda straight into Pinrose, who tripped the Garuda up, and then they were kicking as he fell. And past them staggered Loverbird, whose beautiful beak was red with blood. He had it on his tunic and feathers, but it wasn’t his—

[Dire Peck]. Blood from a surprised Drake guardswoman’s chest, staring at the armor he’d gouged through in one blow. Liska’s head turned. Flashes—Vakki leaping past her to slash across another [Guard]’s face.

“[Agonizing Cut]!”

—A Gnoll boy diving under a thrown net.

“[Evasive Roll]! [Sand Throw]!”

Skills. Everyone was using Skills. Not normal ones, either, but combat Skills. Powerful Skills. Liska turned to Glideclaw, Loverbird, and realized they’d downed their opponents.

They were all…like her.

High level. Higher level than anyone their age. The reason Mirn hadn’t been that shocked by her level. Because he was used to it.

Turnscales. People who had learned to fight. The Watch was falling back again. They weren’t used to this. Liska gritted her teeth as she felt the turnstile sliding—the front door opened again, and another squad poured in.

Mirn turned, and someone walked through the doors in plate armor. A Drake wearing the insignia of 1st Army. He had an axe and shield in hand, and he snapped.

“Hold your ground, soldiers! [Hold the Line]! You—I recognize those moves, traitor. We’ll find you no matter if you’re active or retired.”

Mirn, panting, raised his club.

“Lot of former soldiers, brat. You think you’ve got a chance?”

Without a word, the [Captain] charged. Mirn hit his armor, shield, grunting, as he tried to batter down the Drake’s guard, but the [Captain] slashed with his axe, and Mirn barely dodged a cut to his chest.

He had no armor—the [Captain] had all of it and advanced, ignoring the heavy club blows. Mirn backed up as the Turnscales’ furious defense faltered. Higher level they might be, but they didn’t have training, weapons, armor. Liska saw Vakki go down, screaming, as someone tackled her. Bodies around her.

She was trying to hold the windows, the broken scraps of the doors. Liska saw Mirn stagger, glance down at a leg cut open despite having dodged the slash.

“Got you.”

The [Captain] shoulder-charged as a squad poured towards Mirn, and Liska’s eyes opened wide. Amel’s eyes met hers. She saw the Goblin King charging down the corridor and screamed.

“[Lesser Forcewall]!”

The [Captain] stumbled as he slammed into something; he began to hack at it, maneuvering around it, and Liska—pushed.

She shoved the door made of pure force into a wall, and the [Captain]’s back hit the wall. He gasped, tore free of the Skill, shouting.

“[Explosive Reposition]! Rally! Rally—”

He twisted and saw a wide-eyed Drake staring down at him. The [Guard] was pinned to the wall like a fly, rippling air flowing around him. The [Forcewall]. She’d pushed it at—

He saw the Gnoll, arms raised, and charged her before she could do it again. Her nose was bleeding as she stood there, panting, as he raised his axe.

“Never.”

He’d forgotten about Mirn. Mirn swung his club into the back of the [Captain]’s helmet. The Drake staggered and came around slowly, swinging wildly.

The club came up under his shield and slammed all the wind out of his stomach. He went over, and Mirn rotated. His final blow tossed the armored Drake back onto the floor. He lay there, gasping up at the ceiling like a fish, and Mirn put a foot on his chest. Bent down, yanked something up.

“Your field commander’s down. Unless you want the death of a [Captain] and every [Guard] in here on your claws, fall back.”

There was a pause, and Liska, gasping, lowered her paws. She gaped around, and the [Guards] she’d slammed into the wall hit the ground. Then she realized no one else was flooding into the pub.

They’d…won?

——

There was a pause when Mirn issued his threat to whomever was on the other side. Liska half-expected the Watch to attack again, but the ones inside were all down or playing dead. Not that she thought many were dead.

But there was blood everywhere. Vakki’s face was all bloodied, and Rose had a huge scratch down her cut shirt. Hariett was patching up someone who had a faceful of glass, but the Turnscales had won.

“They’re falling back. Everyone, get ready to run.”

Mirn called out, breathless, still standing on the [Captain]’s chest. Liska stared at him.

“What? What if they send reinforcements?”

“They’re getting reinforcements, but I told them I’ll slit everyone’s throats if they get within a thousand yards of either door. We’re going out the back. Then we scatter. Roseblush, take these and detonate them; they’ll fill the air with smoke. It’ll take away scent and won’t linger. Everyone, make sure you dispose of any clothes, cover any injuries—got it? I’ll find you; don’t come back next week.”

And then…then he was telling them to get ready to run, and Liska was waiting for the shoe to drop. She was last, with Miss Hariett and Vakki, and she panted as Mirn took his foot off the [Captain]’s chest at last. The Drake had passed out or something.

“Don’t run to the checkpoint. We’ll put you up for the night at my place. When I run, you follow, got it?”

He hissed at them, and she breathed.

“But how’d we win? They’re the Watch.”

He grinned at her, just once.

“You think this is the first time we’ve beaten them? They’re not as strong as they want you to think. Even we outnumber them. Go!”

Then they were running through the odd, scentless smoke that seemed to take all the noise, chaos, and smells of what they’d been through and stumbling onto the street blocks later. Mirn caught them and made them walk, even double back so they could point at the smoke and pretend to be confused, before stepping away. And Liska—

Slept.

[Portal Guardian Level 34!]

[Skill – Create Hidden Door Obtained!]

[Skill – Protect Identity: Doorguests Obtained!]

——

The next day, Liska returned to The Wandering Inn, and no one really noticed. Or rather, they all noticed she returned. Lyonette herself came by to remark on Liska looking wonderful and asking if she’d had a good break.

“Um…yeah. What’s all this for, Lyonette?”

Liska had gotten little sleep, her body hurt from running, and she stared blearily at the huge table of her favorite foods. She picked at it as Vakki and Miss Hariett hurried into Liscor.

“Liska, I was thinking you deserved a treat. I do hope you feel like you’ve had enough days off—which you do need more of, by the way. I was hoping to talk with you about your schedule, if you don’t mind? And Ishkr says your apartment is all but flooded; some huge leak. Why don’t you move to your rooms here permanently? I don’t see why you have an apartment in Liscor when this is so much more convenient. Ha, haha.”

Liska didn’t get it either, but she supposed that was the way things were until you asked yourself why they were different. She sat there.

“I guess that’d be good, Lyonette. I’m, um…quitting.”

Calescent dropped his ‘happy you’re here’ cake on his way out of the kitchen. Lyonette’s face went waxy. Ishkr whirled and went to scold his sister. But when he saw her face, he stopped. Liska was wiping at her nose, which still smelled like her blood, but she was determined.

——

Mirn laughed himself sick and chopped Liska on the forehead as he and Rose cleaned out a cellar in a nasty place on the 2nd Floor. Liska held her forehead.

“Ow. What’s that for? I’m serious.”

“Liska. I appreciate you being serious, but I don’t want you in my bar. I don’t need you; yesterday was bad, but it was me not being careful. We have Onieva; we don’t need you. And frankly, you’re a bit too noticeable. More importantly, you’re needed in the inn.”

Rose poked her head up, gloves full of trash. They were converting a ramshackle building into a new location for the bar. It’d be far less nice, but safe; the Watch had no idea there was even a cellar here.

“That’s right. Sometimes you do all you can, all the time. But most people give where they can, right, Mirn?”

He eyed her, then nodded.

“You’re learning.”

“But they were after us, and I—I want to help. I’ve never seen anything that matters more. They’re…my people.”

When she said that, she knew it was true. Mirn’s eyes softened, and he put a claw on her shoulder.

“I know, kid. And I appreciate it, but the Ancestor’s truth is, you’re too noticeable. You’re an amazing spark of brilliance, but you can’t do this. They’ll find you in a moment.”

That hurt. Liska hung her head.

“I guess. Lyonette was really upset and told me to think about it.”

“I just bet she did. But you know, Mirn, it’s not like we don’t need Liska’s help at all. That was bad, yesterday.”

Mirn grunted.

“Damn Edellein and damn the Watch. I’ve seen worse. We’ll buckle down. It’s Liscor I’m worried about. You want to help, Liska? Go there. Venim’s a stickler for the rules, but I don’t know if this is his idea or…something larger.”

He sighed, leaning against what might be a bar or just a bunch of crap piled up in the same shape, and Rose turned to face Mirn.

“Mirn, this is what I’ve been saying. Look around you. You can’t keep doing this same thing over and over. Hiding doesn’t work. They’ll never accept you. Onieva tried it for ages. She became their attack dog, and she gave herself away and for what? A compromise that ended as soon as Chaldion lost command. Do you want to live like this forever? Please…”

He leaned on the counter, seeming older, tired, less beautifully amazing, but Rose’s cheeks were flushed, and Liska turned to her.

“You talk like there’s something better, Rose.”

The Human threw a glance at Liska, and then she took a breath and closed her eyes.

“I thought I knew what I was. I thought I understood what the word meant, but I guess I grew up too safe after all. All the olds of my world told me stories, and I thought I got it, but if this is what it was like…Liska, you know I come from another world, right?”

“Well, yeah, sure. Everyone knows.”

Rose nodded at Liska.

“It sucks in so many ways. Racism and pollution and horrible wars we don’t need to have and corruption in government—”

“Everything we’ve got. She just says it’s worse.”

Mirn leaned on a broom, and Rose glared at him.

“But we have one thing that’s ahead. Even if it’s not perfect. Even if they keep trying to walk it back, make us illegal again, we can never go hiding in the closet. It’s like what Turnscales have, Mirn, Liska. Only, it’s not hiding anymore. It’s not just a community or a name for something bad. It’s…pride.”

Pride. The word jerked Liska’s head up. It was like the thing she’d felt in the bar. Belonging to something. An idea that if she wasn’t alone, maybe—just maybe—

“We’re scattered, Rose. We’re not like your world. If there’s a war, it’s not one I think we can win. We’ve tried.”

Mirn was rubbing at his face, but he spoke hesitantly, like he no longer believed the words he was saying anymore. Rose threw up her arms.

“After last night, what could be worse? No—I know it can be worse, Mirn. But at the very least, we need to organize.”

He stared at the ceiling, cursed.

“Ancestors. You’re right. Damn it, shut up, don’t speak.”

He threw out a claw, and they waited. Mirn’s lips moved.

“You’re right. I need a permanent bar. But there’s no damn spot in all of Pallass that can handle us.”

“What about the inn—”

“No.”

Rose and Mirn chorused, and he turned to Liska.

“With respect, I’d lose my [Protector] class if we held the bar there, Liska. I’ve seen what that inn attracts. It’s why me and Onieva have turned down the generous offers for help, even if we trust the inn. We need somewhere else. Liscor needs help, too. But how…?”

He was staring at a wall, and Liska was imagining a nice place. A bar, a secret location with all the awesome things Mirn had—even good drinks. Like a beach room. Like Erin’s inn, but…

“What if…what if you went through the [Door of Portals] and it took you to a secret place, Mirn?”

“Well, it’d look pretty damn obvious, Liska, no offense.”

He sighed back at her. Liska frowned.

“Okay then, how about not a secret door. You just walk through the door and go to Liscor, like you’re on holiday. Only, no one knows where you go. So you walk up to this secret door in the city, and when you open it…that’s how you get to a bar?”

Mirn glanced up at Liska.

“…Sounds nice. But you’d need a hiding Skill.”

“And a good [Doorgnoll] who can manage that kind of thing on her day off. Or after work?”

“You couldn’t do it nightly.”

“Why not?”

Rose turned to Mirn, and the [Protector] hesitated.

“The danger—”

“If they can find the door, and if someone tells, I bet the Watch will be a problem. If. But, Liska, how hard would it be to make a door that doesn’t lead to the same spot? Like a mini [Door of Portals]?”

Liska was rubbing at her chin.

“I mean…I think I can do it?”

Mirn was glancing from face to face. He leaned on his counter, pointedly scrubbing.

“That might be something, but it’d only work for Liscor. You need someone here, running a pub. But maybe…plenty of people travel these days. If the Pallassian version only opened every other week—we’d have to get Liscor on board. And test this thoroughly. Liska, you would have to be absolutely sure. This means everything. Are you sure?”

She swallowed hard.

“N-no. But I’d try my best, and if you don’t think it’d work—”

Mirn met her eyes. Then he smiled and tossed his dustrag down.

“To hells with cleaning today. Let’s at least take a look. At the very least…we owe Liscor some help.”

Rose turned to Liska, excited, but the [Doorgnoll] felt curiously wary, even a bit stressed. Because it was her idea, and if she got things wrong, people were gonna get arrested, hurt, just…vanish.

But that was how it started.

——

Miss Hariett had to come in and out of the door three times and walk around the building where Liska had put the door before concluding it really didn’t lead to any place on the inside. She stood in the empty room, frowning.

“If we pool our gold, we can buy this place.”

“The inn can help with that! And we can have drinks, real cocktails, a lounge—”

“Safety.”

Mirn put his foot down, and Rose stopped dancing in delight. Liska frowned as Hariett turned to her. The Drake inspected Liska, then smiled.

“I have some experience running a pub. If you want an apprentice-level Mason…I’m nowhere near Mirn the Protector, but I’ll gladly take help. I’d just need a good Sentry and an Architect with a vision.”

“I’ll be the—”

Mirn pushed Rose aside and sighed.

“Damn it, I never thought I’d be an Architect. Too much responsibility, I told Onieva! But someone needs to do this, and I know what it should look like. A high-level [Doorgnoll]. I’ve never had one of them. But say we do this, Miss Hariett. There would need to be changes. No disrespect to Liscor’s community, but they need to agree or we’ll have to think about doing this ourselves.”

Hariett hesitated and seemed to tense a bit.

“What kind of changes? Pallassian leadership?”

Mirn waved that off instantly.

“Nothing like that. What I mean is…Liscor’s getting way bigger. So many new Humans, Gnolls, Drakes, but your membership hasn’t skyrocketed.”

“We don’t know who’s—”

“I know, but there will be more of us. If I help with this, it has to be a place for everyone, even if that means risks. And there’s a requirement from Liska too, which I agree with.”

He nodded to Liska, and the Gnoll gulped as Hariett turned to her, but she gestured around.

“I, um, this—I want to take my friends here. Shashi, Thaheart, Orrell—”

The [Pub Owner] blinked, but nodded.

“Of course.”

“Not just them, Miss Hariett. I mean…everyone our age. Everyone who goes to your pub.”

Then the Drake woman did hesitate. Rose and Mirn watched Hariett’s face as she adjusted her belt.

“That’s…risky, Liska. I know it makes sense; I saw Mirn’s bar, and it was truly something, but that might have been why it was found so easily. You’re asking a lot.”

Liska’s heart was beating hard, but she faced Hariett, made herself speak instead of give up.

“I know, but…but they need it. I needed it, Miss Hariett. Even if we have your pub and it’s nice, that’s not enough. I never knew there were other people like me. Vakki didn’t. If she’d known that, she might not have stabbed Lizze’s father. Orrell wouldn’t have run away. We—we need something more. We need to know we’re part of something bigger. Otherwise, we’re just going to die before we get old, and the old ones aren’t going to trust anyone because no one was there for us. You have to trust us. We’re miserable and lonely, and we need to know we’re not alone.”

It spilled out of her, earnest, heartfelt, and Liska clenched her paws as Hariett stood there. Mirn leaned against one wall, waiting. Hariett looked to Rose, then Mirn, then to Liska. Then she came over and hugged Liska gently.

“Oh, Liska. You weren’t ever alone. But I’m afraid—we’re afraid too. We’ve been cowards because so many of us have seen what happens when it goes bad. We’ve lived through it.”

Liska hugged her back.

“I know. I know, but—it’s like being someone, when I knew I wasn’t by myself or just my friends. It’s what Rose said. Culture.”

“Dead gods, though. If we really all know each other, if we make this bigger—if we don’t all get found out and lynched, what will this be, Mirn? The biggest conspiracy ever? There might be as many as a thousand of us in Liscor!”

Mirn just turned to Rose, and for once, he nodded at the young woman. Rose’s eyes sparkled.

“There might just be, Miss Hariett.”

“Oh my. But we’d be a little town unto ourselves.”

“Try a nation. Try a—a people across the globe, if only we can find each other. Safely, secretly, but help each other out, Miss Hariett.”

“A nation!”

That dismayed the Drake, but Rose saw it. She lifted a hand up.

“Yeah. That’s what I can teach you. What we could be. No, what we are. We are a nation, a people even if we’re born in different countries, Hariett, Mirn, Liska. We recognize each other, we look out for each other. We have to be a community because apart they’ll pick us off. Why not? We even have a flag.”

Liska’s ears perked up.

“We do?”

“Oh yeah. A flag, colors, icons, and we shall stan for our own glorious queens and—and—”

Mirn chopped Rose on the head.

“That reset-chop is a good idea. Carefully, kid.”

“With great caution and attention to detail.”

Hariett added. They turned to Liska and waited. Liska glanced around and then shrugged, smiled, and said—

“And with a cool door. I’ll do that part.”

Mirn nodded to her, and there it was. No skepticism she could do the job or that she’d be able to keep their secret. No feeling like she was some idiot who was too dumb to do the big stuff.

“I’m counting on you, kid.”

Okay, she was still a kid. But Liska’s head rose, and Rose grinned; she was experimenting with a new hair color today. She’d decided to dye it like a rainbow, which looked cool…but was hard as heck to maintain. There was just one last thing that Liska felt like everyone was missing.

She kept waiting for Rose to bring it up, but then, she realized Rose might not ‘get it’. So Liska was deciding to do something about it. Wasn’t that weird? She was like…an Ishkr or something. Liska decided to be nicer to him; she hadn’t known how hard it was to do things without people telling you to. Mirn was speaking to Hariett and Rose, hands on his hips.

“I think this is it. I just need a good cover story. I reckon I expand my warehouse work here, and this just happens to be a place I buy. Bury it in papers; Pinrose can do it. We’ll get the gold together today, then. I’m still checking on everyone. Liska, you have work tomorrow, right?”

“Yep! But I’ll get time off in the evenings.”

“You sure?”

“Sure! Lyonette will give it to me.”

Liska felt very confident about that. But she tugged on Mirn’s and Hariett’s arms.

“There’s just one thing we gotta do before that. I want to introduce you to some people.

“Your friends? I could do that.”

Mirn and Hariett exchanged a glance, but were surprised when Liska shook her head.

“No. You all have, like, your secret groups and cool stuff, but so do I. If I’m one of you, you gotta listen to me, okay?”

She was nervous, waiting for one of them to tell her to shut up, but Mirn just raised his brows, and Hariett smiled.

“Of course, dear. And who are we meeting?”

Liska winked at Rose. Everyone turned to the young woman, and Rose hesitated.

“Um…”

Liska rolled her eyes. Rose really was new to the inn.

——

It was probably not the first time that any of them had seen an Antinium. Bird had stood on Pallass’ walls, and Mirn had been to the inn. But the [Protector]’s face said quite clearly that he had never talked to an Antinium.

Let alone a Goblin. And he was super uncomfortable. So Liska poked him.

“Mirn, you’re like Lizze’s parents meeting Vakki for the first time.”

The Drake jumped, then glared at Liska.

“How dare you. That’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard! Ancestors! It’s just—”

He fell silent as someone walked over, and the Antinium offered a hand to shake.

“Liska, thank you for introducing me to prospective clients. It’s good to see you—have you been eating well? Now, sir, don’t mistake my country accent and fine mustache for me being some hoity-toity Antinium. We here at Silveran’s Cleaners pride ourselves on being hard-working, down-to-earth sorts.”

The Antinium waggled his huge, bushy silver mustache as Hariett blinked rapidly. And she was Liscorian and knew Antinium; she’d seen all the new ones, but she was like Liska’s friends.

She didn’t know them. Any more than Mirn. The Drake gingerly pumped Silveran’s hand.

“How do you do…Silveran?”

“Oh, I’m not Silveran. I’m Silverstache, manager of this here establishment. Miss Liska said you might need help cleaning?”

Mirn wasn’t the best cleaner, any more than he bartended, since he moved from place to place. Hariett’s pub had needed a good mop, and there was no one better in Liscor.

“Are you sure I can, ah, afford your prices, Silverstache?”

“‘Course you can, Miss Hariett! We do very reasonable pricing, and our team of Ace Cleaners can deal with sewage backups, dirty wells—I’m getting into construction too.”

“Construction?”

“Nothing like levering up a floorboard to realize you have to fix a few joists. Now, when Miss Liska called me up she said she wanted to introduce two friends who didn’t know much about Antinium?”

“I mean, I’ve seen the new Painted Antinium march around all the time. We have no problem with Antinium, right, Vakki? Vakki?”

Hariett had to nudge the frozen Vakki, who jumped—Liska grinned as the second newcomer bared all of his teeth.

“T-that’s—Liska. That’s a—”

A little Goblin copied Silverstache by holding out a hand, and Vakki froze up again, but Liska nudged her. He grinned at the Drake, who slapped his hand with the fastest handshake of her life.

“Hi. I’s Picker. Here’s your money bag.”

“Picker? Is that a—a descriptor?”

Of all the Goblins to introduce, Liska really would have preferred Peggy, but Peggy had been working, and between Asgra, Sticks, and Picker, the little Goblins she hung out with…would you believe he was the best candidate? Picker nodded.

“Oh yes. I pick all things. Noses, locks, pockets. You got anything you want me to pick? Miss Lyonette never wants anything picked. Except trash.”

He beamed at Mirn, and the [Protector] shot him a very wary smile. He backed up a step and ran into Liska. When they exchanged glances, Liska beamed and shoved him forwards.

“Picker’s great.”

“Liska, why are we speaking to these two? They’re not under my protection.”

He drew her aside, and she gazed at him.

“You’re speaking to them because you gotta know Goblins and Antinium are people, Mirn.”

“Yes, yes, I’ve read the sign at the inn. I know Erin.”

“No—”

She made him stop and looked him in the eyes. Liska patted her chest as Vakki and Hariett turned. Rose was screaming; Silverstache was ‘cleaning’ her hair and removing the hair dye.

“No, Silveran, no, I worked so hard on—oh my Devils, my hair is amazing. Is that shampoo for sale?”

Liska just grinned, then spoke to them all.

“You gotta know Goblins and Antinium are people because I like ‘em. This is my community. It doesn’t have anyone you know—except Bird, maybe. We could invite her. In fact, we should! But even if they’re not all like us, you have to get it. I’m gonna bring everyone here.”

From Pinrose to Thaheart. Hariett just blinked at Rose.

“Bird. Bird the Hunter. You want to bring them to—?”

“She switched genders. Doesn’t that count?”

Mirn was having a small existential crisis. He slapped Picker’s hand away from his pocket.

“Ooh. You good.”

Mirn had to laugh at Picker. Then he sombered and squatted down. He glanced at the Goblin, then away.

“Look, this is hard for me. Picker, right? I don’t know how Saliss did it, and he’s got way more history than me with both species. But I’m…a [Soldier]. I was. I killed Goblins. I get what Erin Solstice is saying, but this is hard. You understand me?”

He gave Picker a level look, and the Goblin sombered. Liska held her breath, and Picker nodded.

“I get you. Me too. Sometimes I feel guilty. I killed Drakes too. Bad sleeps. Peace in the inn is better, yeah. Got to be good, make friends, so it doesn’t happen again. Even with Elia Kingslayer.”

Mirn stared at him.

“You killed Drakes? You?”

Picker was not a Cave Goblin. He sighed gustily.

“Oh yeah. Sneak up, pick pockets, put in boom flask. Then boom. I past that all now. No more wars. Too many friends die.”

He grinned, a pained smile, and Mirn sat down. Two veteran soldiers of completely different kinds eyed each other as Hariett exhaled.

“Well…after seeing Silveran’s prices, I don’t think I can afford not to take his work! Dead gods—Silverstache, do you have any time today? My pub is a mess.”

“A mess you say? Well, my good friend Silveran might be here—”

Silverstache whirled around excitedly and then hurried behind a curtain. He re-emerged minus the mustache.

“Hello! I’m Silveran! May I introduce you, Miss Harriett, to [Waterproof Coating]? Free application with every clean!”

Liska was grinning as Hariett hesitated, and Vakki stood there.

“They’re sort of funny, Liska. And I’m real glad everyone’s alright and helping. But d’you think—? Do you think Lizze’s going to be okay? Her fiancé’s coming to check her out, like today! Or his family is!”

She wiped at her eyes as Picker and Silveran turned. Liska hugged Vakki’s shoulders as Mirn got up from his chat with Picker. And then Silveran produced a handkerchief.

“Excuse me, Miss.”

He handed Vakki the handkerchief, and Rose put her hands on her hips.

“Can’t we do something? Or is it just going to be pressure and subtlety, guys?”

“Liska, what is this about?”

Silveran, a former employee of The Wandering Inn, gave Liska a concerned look. She told him some of the details while omitting the bad bit, but the Worker just scratched at his head.

“This reminds me of my time in The Wandering Inn. Sometimes, I miss the crazy. I am sure there is a sensible, logical solution. But have you considered crazy?”

He smiled as they all regarded him. And then Liska saw him wag an antenna at her and grinned.

——

Shashi, Thaheart, and Ulte were sitting in front of Lizze’s family’s apartment, a bit bored, a bit coinless—wishing they were more hungover. Liska had vanished, and Adrerni had been really upset that they didn’t know where she was.

They were waiting to see Lizze with the vague idea they could help…somehow. Or just throw a rock at her fiancé. And arguing.

“I’m telling you, I saw Orrell. His fur was changed, but I know that face!”

“Spidercrap, Ulte. He left the city, I’m telling you.”

“He was hanging around his home. If it was him—”

They all went silent as a carriage rolled up. The rain was coming down, and Lizze’s fancier apartment that her entire family lived in was aglow with lights. Lizze’s room on the top left window was boarded up.

“Oh shit, it’s him. Let’s get a—”

They fell silent as a cluster of Drakes emerged. They looked disgruntled. One audibly cursed.

“Does it rain forever in this city? I don’t think I can live here. Let alone with—”

They shot a glance down the street. They were definitely outsiders, because one look at an Antinium sweeping the street and they all shuddered. One of the Drakes spat.

“Asses. Look, is that him? Give me a rock.”

“Don’t be stupid, Lizze’s parents know you. They’ll arrest you too, Shashi!”

“But we gotta do something—”

Shashi was going for a loose cobblestone, and Thaheart and Ulte were wrestling with her when someone touched their shoulders.

“Hold on, you kids. Let a master work.”

A blue Drake pulled them back gently, but with incredible strength. They jumped, and Shashi nearly shouted at him to get away when Liska settled down next to them in the alleyway.

“Liska! What’re—”

“Shh.”

Liska, the weird Drake, Miss Hariett, and a really attractive Human all were watching! Thaheart’s mouth dropped open as a young Gnoll with dyed fur appeared.

“O-Orrell—?”

What were they doing here? All of them were waiting and watching the Drakes milling around in the street. One had knocked, and the door was thrown open, and Lizze’s father strode out.

“Hello, hello! Come in! Apologies about the rain—was the trip via Pallass smooth?”

“The door was all delayed. Some kind of staffing issue. And we saw a damn Goblin—er, hello. We have gifts. Where’s the bride-to-be?”

“Just upstairs. Dear? Our guests have arrived.”

There was a scrum at the door as the Drakes tried to get in with some rather large gifts. The fiancé was checking his clothing as someone held an umbrella out over his head, and then he froze. He recoiled, and the Drakes at the door all whirled.

“Dead gods.”

“Ancestors!”

One reached for a belt knife, and Lizze’s father froze. Because an Antinium, the one with the broom, had just walked up. A small group of rather smartly-dressed men and women of all species were standing behind him, all with the same uniform.

“Hello, sir. I’m here for your scheduled cleaning? Silveran’s Cl—”

“Antinium! Get it back!”

The outsiders screamed and tried to run into the apartment or just flee. They backed away in horror as Lizze’s father shouted.

“No, no, it’s just—Silveran’s Cleaners? I didn’t hire you!”

“Did you not, sir? I have an appointment on the books, right here. Oh dear, this happens now and then. I’m so sorry, let me just get my appointment book out.”

Silveran, the titular cleaner and hero of cheap cleaning everywhere, smiled, then noticed the frozen fiancé.

“Oh, hello, sir. I’m Silveran. Do you need anything cleaned? I’m delighted to offer cheap—”

He held out a hand, and the frozen Drake lashed out.

“Monster!”

It wasn’t a great punch, more of a panicked flailing motion. Silveran recoiled in shock, mandibles open, and he probably would have been fine—if he weren’t standing a bit precariously on the steps. And he must have been hit hard because he went tumbling down the stairs.

“Oh! Argh! My shell! My spleen! Aiieee—the pain.”

He landed, and his cleaning team shouted in horror.

“Silveran, sir! Boss!”

“Speak to me! Oh, Ancestors, that was a bad fall!”

“[Healer]! Someone get a—call the Watch!”

Lizze’s father panicked as the rest of his family rushed to the door, and other people began staring at the altercation.

“Wait, wait, it was an accident!”

He turned to the fiancé, but the Drake was backing away.

“Get away from me! I touched it! I need soap! This is the city everyone wants to move to? It’s a nightmare! Are you all insane?”

He began shouting as Silveran’s Cleaners clustered around their fallen leader, who was speaking weakly.

“Pass…my broom on…to the team. Do not weep for me. Tears stain terribly.”

Shashi was open-mouthed. The altercation grew louder, and she realized Orrell was laughing. Laughing? Then she saw Mirn’s grin.

“Unorthodox, but there’s no way to trace that back to us. Just the inn. The other bit’s crazy, though.”

He glanced upwards, and Shashi saw Liska’s eyes were on the apartment. On the boarded-up window. Odd. The light there had gone dark all of a sudden. And…Shashi narrowed her eyes.

They’ve got a back entrance to the apartment, but it was definitely locked. You’d have to have a key to get in.

Or…be good at picking locks. She stared as a little Goblin with pointed ears scurried down the alleyway, then levered something up. Picker dove into the sewers, and a pair of Drakes hesitated. But Lizze leapt in almost as fast, and Vakki was the one who clambered down behind her.

That wasn’t the power of Turnscales. Just The Wandering Inn. Community, wherever you found it. Liska was beaming right up until she groaned.

“Those two are gonna stink like heck. Glad I’m not sheltering them.”

Hariett mock-glowered, then rose.

“Let’s get everyone inside and make some proper introductions. Do you think they’ll be alright?”

She meant Silveran. Liska glanced at him.

“Nah, he’s having a blast. See him smiling?”

They were bearing him through the streets on their shoulders, and he had crossed his arms over his chest. The [Cleaners] were having a lot of fun, and Liska just grinned. She owed Silveran one. Picker too.

Then she took Shashi’s hand. She wanted to show her the new bar. And to see a certain [Dancer] in there. It was going to be awesome, and Liska just hoped Shashi took this as seriously as she did.

It would change her life. Liska began to run towards that place where she felt like she belonged, and she could see amazing things. The [Doorgnoll] wouldn’t work there all the time. She’d just take some evenings off her job at the inn…for her other job.

Lyonette had agreed instantly, and she’d told Liska that the Gnoll would get underlings. Maybe even some Drakes and Gnolls who’d worked for the inn before, or whomever Liska wanted.

Maybe Adrerni could use a job! Maybe. But it was that second door that Liska was thinking of.

Not magic. Not Erin’s door. It’d have to be a good one. Reinforced. Maybe with a sliding hatch and magic. Her door. And it would be Liska’s job to make sure it held, even if she wasn’t there. Preferably no one would find it, but that was the job.

To open that door and to guard it. This door, Liska swore, no one would ever get through unless she wanted them to. And if Rose’s grand ideas didn’t work, if the magic of Erin’s inn couldn’t do it or Mirn’s club or all the adults, then maybe, just maybe—she had the crazy idea that if she got to, like, Level 80, maybe she could fit them all behind that door and solve it that way. She didn’t say it because everyone would laugh at her, but then, Liska began to want to level as she never had before.

She decided working harder in The Wandering Inn was worth it after all.

Author’s Note:

Hello, hello, did you see the fancy new banner on top of the page? I’m not actually sure how many readers aren’t caught up, so hopefully more people see the link and pre-order the books! I’m not going to talk on it long, but if you’ve seen my appeals, you know it’s an important thing I do need to ask for help for, and people are really turning up. I appreciate it greatly.

My life’s a bit busy of late, incidentally! I still have that backlog, but I’ve been fighting to keep it with some mondo chapters coming up—the poll chapters are gonna be big.

Darn, I haven’t even done the Oteslia one…ergh! Well, this interlude splits up the final chapter for the New Lands because I felt like it’s a good aside to see another fast-levelling individual.

Liska and Ishkr…is their family just built different? Or, I guess, it’s the employment being so tough. With this, I think we enter the Turnscale plot I’ve been working on fully.

We’ve taken passes at it, thrown a few jabs, dipped our toes, and set up groundwork—I talk of it like it’s some great challenge because it is. Not the subject matter; I think that shouldn’t be too challenging in this day and age, but it probably is for some few readers I see complaining now and then.

It’s a part of this world, and ours, which seems to me to suggest this is a timeless story in some ways. Sadly. But it’s a great obstacle for me because I want to do it right. So I’ve been nervous. As nervous as writing a Rickel chapter, or other plotlines which I know are hard for various reasons.

We enter with a silly [Doorgnoll] and a naked Drake, and out of context, it makes little sense, but I hope it’s been, if not perfectly accurate, pointed, and mind-opening in some way that advances the literature and thoughts on the subject—entertaining and heartfelt.

Real enough, even if the fantasy is anyone who wants to work at their job as much as Liska. I hope you enjoy, and I’ll try to take down the frenzy of my life for my own sake! However, writing always awaits, and with the book launch and other stuff, it’s just a busy time. Not that you’d know it from looking at me. It’s just me sitting and typing. Often with bad posture.

My hands move fast. Keyboard sounds like a machine gun sometimes, I’m told. Anyways, that’s all! See you next chapter!

Previous Chapter Next Chapter