FSE

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Tanya leaned back against the railing of the fishing vessel, its sails full, the soft rolling waves disappearing beneath the keel. The morning sun cast a soft, yellow glow into the fog, making the voyage feel dreamlike, as if the horizon were invisible.

She and her father woke up early, he had multiple destinations to reach beyond Smolderash. Tanya packed a large rucksack full of clothes, bread, dried meat, grinding stones for her sword, and other supplies. She donned a light, leather tunic and trousers over her cotton garments and tucked the buckler between her back and the rucksack. Her shiny new sword swung ominously from her right hip.

While Tanya stood near the bow of the ship, her father was in the captain’s office to the back, checking routes and receiving reports from his first and second mates. This was not her first journey on one of her father’s ships, so she knew not to disturb him while on duty. Some of the crew recognized her, asking questions about the new sword and why she was needed in Smolderash. Her canned excuse was looking for bodyguard work, but she did not elaborate.

Three hours later, the fog dissipated and Tanya saw the dark, ominous, looming presence of the southwestern coast stretched out before her on the horizon. Nestled within a large, wide bay was the city of Smolderash. The full city hugged the coast, sprawling for several miles north and south, with stone walls surrounding the inner city for protection. To the far north lay a vast network of mines. Closer to the southern end was the dockyards, where Tanya would disembark and her father would deliver an enormous shipment of fish. “It was a big catch,” he told her. “Your mother and I will do quite well after this.”

An hour before docking, Tanya’s father joined her on the prow. “Almost there, Tanya.” He stood next to her, leaning back on the railing. “What are your intentions?”

“I’ll start at the cathedral, like I said. Depending on what they have to say, I’ll go from there.” She paused. “How much would it cost to book passage from here to Suraut?”

“More than what you have. Tanya, you may be in Smolderash longer than you think. Take your time, don’t rush. After you visit the cathedral, you might try looking for work and finding somewhere safe. Well, as safe as this city can be.” He looked over the sea, watching the mining capitol of the land draw closer, as if tempting his daughter to her doom.

Knowing that her father will be busy soon, Tanya wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close. “Will you and mother be alright?”

He chuffed and smiled, resting a hand on her head. “Of course, kitten.” They stayed like this for a few minutes before the first mate, standing at the helm, whistled loudly. “That’s it, then. Good luck, Tanya. I love you.”

Tanya smiled. “I love you too, father.”

Ten minutes later, with her father barking orders at the crew, Tanya disembarked without hassle and walked across the dockyard, heading into the city. The dock sat lower than the main street, so she crested the stairs leading up. Tanya was struck by just how many people there were. Crowds of people and market stalls lining either side of the wide-open boulevard.

She avoided looking around too much, knowing that would put a target on her as a true outsider, but it was a struggle. ‘I wish I had four pairs of eyes right now.’ Tanya walked with purpose despite the multiple groups and crowds of passersby blocking or bumping into her. ‘Many different species. Mostly canines. Least it smells like it.’

Tanya continued north along this main boulevard, but the noise and the crowds weighed her down, the din of thousands of people with so much variation in species, and therefore style of speech, became a burden. ‘Father said the cathedral was northeast of the docks, if he remembered correctly. I need to get off this road.’

She only bumped into five people as she cut north to get into a side street. Only one of the people she bumped into, a jackal, barked at her. Tanya examined the street before her. It was much narrower than the coastal boulevard, but still wide enough for four adults to walk side by side without discomfort. The buildings were still awfully tall, though, and Tanya willed herself not to start looking up, for fear of someone snatching something from her. Tanya tied the coin purse to her belt, tucked it behind her back, hidden under the rucksack.

A few eyes glanced at her or, more accurately, her sword. Tanya kept her thumbs on the straps of her rucksack, head facing forward, her green, feline eyes darting around at every person she passed. ‘Stay vigilant. Attack can come from anywhere.’ Working on the assumption she was headed in the right direction, Tanya allowed herself to look around a little as the crowds thinned out and she saw fewer people out and about. ‘Still midday. I reckon most people are still working.’

Tanya passed by a small shop at a corner with a warm, pleasant, earthy smell wafting from the windows. It was unfamiliar, but it smelled nice. ‘Worth a shot,’ she thought.

The cheetah steps inside. The aroma was stronger and felt cozy and comforting. It appeared to be something akin to a bar, roundtable seating all around and a rail, but no stools at it. There were no patrons inside, but an opossum male stood behind the counter. He barely looked up as Tanya stepped inside. “Can I help you?” his voice was thin and reedy.

“Pardon me, but what’s that smell? It’s lovely,” Tanya asked.

“Coffee. You ever had coffee before?”

Tanya approached the rail. “Can’t say that I have.”

“I still have some leftover from this morning. Can’t guarantee it’s any good.” The opossum glanced at the sword on Tanya’s hip. “You don’t look like a soldier.”

“I’m not. Just a traveler.” Tanya placed a gold coin on the counter.

The opossum picked it up, examined it, then put it in his pocket. He disappeared away from the rail for a minute before bringing out a stone mug with a thick, black, steaming liquid inside. “Here.”

Tanya looked at the liquid inside the mug. ‘It looks worse than the ale,’ she thought. She brought the mug to her lips, taking a careful sip of the hot drink. It was bitter, but immediately warmed her up after the long journey from Edgewater. As the coffee cooled, Tanya took bigger sips, wincing as she felt coffee grounds crunching between her teeth.

All the while, the opossum leans over his side of the rail, a few steps away, checking his ledger. Without looking up, he addresses Tanya. “You’re a traveler coming to Smolderash for cheap coffee?”

‘Cheap?’ Tanya shook her head. “No, I came to see the cathedral. Can you tell me where it is?”

“Down the street, six blocks, turn left, keep walking. Can’t miss it.” The opossum answers, his paw vaguely pointing in the appropriate directions, all without looking up from his ledger.

Tanya raised an eyebrow. “Uh, thank you.” The cheetah left the café. Following the man’s directions, Tanya kept on this main street and made the sixth left. This new street was even narrower than before. With the buildings around her still two or three stories tall, the sun barely reached the street. Tanya kept her eyes moving and her head stationary. She fetched only the occasional glance or whisper from the people she passed, but no one gave her trouble.

Minutes later and the cathedral’s grand bell tower became visible over the tops of the houses. The row homes opened to a large courtyard in front of the church, which towered high and proud over the surrounding buildings. The church itself was mighty and grand, with stone brick work giving the structure a distinctly tapered look, far cry from the boxy and dingy homes around it. The courtyard contained the only greenery Tanya had seen since arriving, with foliage and small trees decorating the four corners. A tall, bronze statue of a man wearing a rube and crown with hand outstretched stood in the center. ‘No doubt King Cid,’ thought Tanya, disdainfully.

It was quiet, too quiet. ‘Everyone is either working or at the dockyards. No need to worry, yet.’ Tanya remembered Baron’s advice to always add a ‘yet’ or ‘hopefully’ to any statement like that. “Keep you from getting disappointed all the time!” he said. Tanya approached a pair of large, rich, mahogany doors with carvings embellished with gold paint. She pushed open one of the doors and it made zero noise.

Inside, the stone and brick work was adorned with colorful, gleaming gemstones. A trio of archways before her guided visitors forward into the main chamber. Two stone stairways either side of the foyer ascended to the upper-level halls. In the center of the foyer sat a large, wooden box behind glass, the box half-full of gold coins. There was an opening in the top of the glass for coins to fall through.

Tanya looked around. Inside this church, with the doors closed, the silence was deafening, almost suffocating. “Hello?”

Nothing.

“Anyone here?”

Nothing.

She peeked down one of the archways, into the main chamber, and neither saw nor heard anything. Her gaze returned to the collection box. ‘I wonder…’ Tanya fished a coin out of her purse, lined it up with the slot at the top of the box, and dropped it. The coin landed with a metallic “clink” as it hit the other coins inside.

Mere seconds later, a male sable appeared at the top of the stairs. He wore a luxurious robe, blue and silver, and a gold necklace with a medallion. Some sort of insignia was on it, but Tanya couldn’t see it from that distance. The sable smiled. It was the type of smile that was well-practiced, almost fine-tuned, to be as offputtingly inoffensive as possible. “Greetings, my child. Welcome to our humble church.” His voice was quite prepared, the words flowing smoothly and gently from his mouth, the same words that had been repeated countless times for countless years.

‘Humble?’ thought Tanya as the sable descended the opulent staircase before her.

“I am Father Nathaniel. Thank you for your kind donation. How may a humble servant of the creator help you today?”

With the sable standing before her, Tanya noted the insignia on his medallion: a cube engulfed in fire. “I’m here seeking knowledge. You see-“

“Of course, my lady. We are more than happy to provide knowledge and guidance.”

Tanya ignored the interruption. “Quite. You see, the church is hardly present on Edgewater, so my understanding of doctrine is patchy. My father had a favorite story he liked telling me, claims he got it from a church-going fisherman from here.”

“You’ve come here to seek the true and complete tale?” Nathaniel asked, his voice and smile unwavering.

“Indeed. The story of the phoenix feather,” Tanya said.

Nathaniel paced the foyer slowly, in a circle, hands folded in front of his chest as he told the story. “Generations ago, this land was ruled by an evil Phoenix. For countless eons, this immortal bird lorded over us weak and starving creatures with an iron talon. Men were worked to death, women had little home to tend, and children went sick and hungry.

“From these horrendous conditions, hope came to one young man from the future city of Sailend. His name was Cid. He found guidance in the form of birds, unrelated to their tyrannical, pseudo-cousin that was the Phoenix. Wild, proper birds as we find in today’s woods.

“While hunting a meager meal for his many brothers and sisters one day, a flock of birds, many birds, all of different feathers and colors, led Cid to a clearing in the forest outside the city. There lay a sword unlike any other before or since. This was a sword whose blade froze solid all that could be cut by it.

“With this sword, Cid had the power to finally end the tyranny of the Phoenix. The people of this land rallied to his side and marched on the northern castle, where to Phoenix always waited for her servants to feed and entertain her. Many fell in the battle against that evil fire magic, but all aided Cid’s mission.

“Cid finally entered the castle and just before the Phoenix could scorch his body, he threw the sword at her. It flew end over end, plunging straight into the heart of the vile avian. She froze instantly.

“Overjoyed, the newly-freed people named him King Cid, the first in a lineage that continues to this day. The sword has been kept safe in the castle; none but the king are able to wield it. However, one lone feather of the Phoenix fell from her before the freezing. If burned, this feather could bring back the Phoenix and threaten our precious freedom. Should it be found, it must be brought to the King at once. The one who does this shall be handsomely rewarded.”

As Nathaniel finished, Tanya nodded, pretend to be lost in thought. “Interesting… I never knew the Phoenix was so cruel.”

“Some have altered the story over the years. It has been corrupted by negative influence.” Nathaniel gestured broadly towards the main chamber. “Here, there are no lies.”

“I have no doubt of that, sir,” she replied. “But surely a mere feather would be lost to the ages by now?”

Nathaniel gave a slightly dramatic sigh, hanging his head. “One can only hope. But, if it does exist, it must be brought back to the castle for safe keeping. The return of the Phoenix… I shudder at the thought.”

“Well, thank you very much for your time, Father Nathaniel. That was a lovely story.” Tanya bowed politely and Nathaniel returned it in kind. As she crossed through the courtyard and returned to the streets, Tanya chuffed with annoyance. ‘I might be inclined to believe him if he wasn’t so creepy. Humble? My fluffy white ass they’re humble. All that gold, all those gems, and all the dark alleys I keep passing full of sickly people.’

With the admittedly tenuous prospect of gaining information lost for now, Tanya pauses as she returns to the main street with the café further south. She thinks about her father’s advice. ‘Surely someone in these dingy streets needs a bodyguard, but could they afford one?’ Not wanting to stay still for long, Tanya angles northeast down a new street. She walks deliberately enough to not appear lost, but not so fast that she can’t scan the buildings either side of her for potential leads.

The longer she walked, the darker and dirtier the neighborhood became. The buildings lining the massive boulevard along the coast were clean, pristine, and well-kept. As Tanya walked further away from the coast, the cleanliness quickly went out the window. No royals, dignitaries, or even casual visitors were going to end up back here unless forced, so no need to bother.

Tanya kept a sharp eye. The people she passed by on the street looked haggard, some lacking shirts, a few looking shaky and frail. ‘I probably look out of place now. I’m healthy and having a pack of supplies,’ she thought, her heart rate increasing. ‘A café, an inn, something to slip into.’

She spots a corner establishment with a single, open door. It appeared dark inside, but Tanya saw a bar on the far wall. The faded sign on exterior identified it as ‘The Coal Pit’. Good enough.

Tanya stepped through the open door. ‘Huh, looks a lot like Seagull’s, actually.’ Counter seating facing the walls, stools at the rail, and roundtable seating in the middle. Very simple, nothing fancy. Many of the tables and chairs look rotted at the edges, a few pieces of furniture missing chunks. Two old wolves sat in opposite corners, nursing from tall glasses of clear liquor. The place stank of alcohol and Tanya’s nose instinctively scrunched up.

Still, she was out of the street and away from prying eyes. Tanya approached the rail, taking a seat. Behind the counter was a short, portly, raccoon male. His fur was matted in several places and he wore an eye patch. “What’ll it be, miss?” he asked, his voice sounding like he had successfully inhaled several barnacles.

Tanya hesitated. ‘Oh no, I need to fit in and that means more ale.’ The cheetah fought back her body’s attempt to wince and said, stoically, “Mug of ale, please.”

The raccoon grabs a mug and fills it up. “Awfully early for a drink, is it?”

Tanya pretended to heave a sigh. “It was a long journey.” She reached behind her back to pluck another gold coin from her purse and dropped it on the counter.

The raccoon looked at the coin closely. A sly smile spread across his features, a twinkle in his eye, and he looked at Tanya with a smug, condescending expression. Tanya noticed, but said nothing, taking a short sip of her ale. ‘This is even worse than Edgewater. How do people drink this stuff?’

As she drank, Tanya remembered what her father said about how expensive another sea voyage would be. The only route from Smolderash was to the southern port of Suraut. Too expensive. Either she would have to wait for her father to make another delivery to Smolderash and return home empty handed or…

After a few minutes and a few sips, Tanya cleared her throat. “Sir? Could I ask for some directions.”

The raccoon looked at her quizzically. “Directions? Ma’am, for a full gold coin I’d let you tug on my fur and play it like a fiddle. Where’re you headed?”

Tanya cringed at the botched metaphor, but kept a stoic face again. “Where’s the nearest exterior gate?”

“What?” The raccoon’s expression became even more dubious. “A gate? As in out of the city?”

“Yes, is that going to be a problem?”

“Unless you’re a guard or a farmer, no one leaves through the gates. You should know that. Farmers are only allowed through the north gate anyway. You don’t look much like a farmer now, do you?”

Tanya looked at the raccoon, perplexed.

“If you want out of this city, go to the docks and find a boat. Can’t afford one? Go to the mines.” He looked up and down at the cheetah. “Or the brothels.” The raccoon snorted and walked away, disinterested.

Tanya bit back her disdain, casting a smoldering look to the raccoon, who either doesn’t notice or care. She sips at her ale, contemplating her next move. ‘This was a waste of time and money. But, why aren’t they letting anyone out of the gates? He mentioned farmers, but I haven’t seen any farms. Are they outside the walls?’

Tanya took her drink, found a seat at one of the round tables, and sat facing the door as she slowly sipped at her ale. Between the mug of coffee earlier and now this vile attempt at an ale, her stomach couldn’t decide whether to relax or tie itself up in knots. Still, the energy she felt from the coffee helped far more than the ale hindered.

As time went by, the streets outside grew darker and more patrons found their way inside. Before long, most of the seats were taken and the bar was full of conversation. It wasn’t quite as loud or boisterous as the Seagull’s Brew, but still crowded. Tanya finished the last of her ale and pondered whether to get another. In that moment, Baron’s voice appeared in her head again, reminding her that being a warrior is as much about action as it is about inaction. “Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing,” he said.

Still, Tanya noticed that nobody was sitting at her table. ‘Are they avoiding me because of the sword?’ She decided to test that theory. Spotting a single empty seat at the bar, Tanya grabbed her empty mug and walked up to it, straddling the stool to sit down. To her right was a young coyote male, his tan and grey fur stained with black splotches of coal.

“Do you mind?” the man said, annoyed.

“Just getting another ale.”

“Well, wait your fucking turn, lady. There’re ten other guys up here.” The coyote drew his arms in closer to his chest, leaning over the rail, ears flicking.

Tanya noticed a large chunk missing from the man’s left ear. She said nothing, holding onto her empty mug, silently grateful that she didn’t get a refill.

“Why sit here, anyway?” said the coyote.

The cheetah looked around the room. Gratifyingly, her table was already occupied by a group of people. “Nowhere else to sit. Why do you care? I’m just here for a drink.”

“Why do you have a sword?”

Tanya tilted her head. “For protection?”

“That’s gonna make you a target once all these guys get drunk.”

“Let them try. I’m a trained warrior,” she answered, eyes narrowing.

The coyote chortled. “That’s also gonna make you a target. These boys love a good challenge. And you being a lady makes it more fun.” He paused for a moment. Without looking at her, he asked, “Are you a bounty hunter?”

Tanya looked genuinely confused. “No. Do I look like one?”

“Yes,” he replied, bluntly.

The cheetah lowered her voice. “Are you expecting one?”

The coyote’s fur bristled, but he replied by saying, “You ask a lot of questions. Bit frowned upon.”

“Not that it will stop me.”

“Are you a death seeker, then?” the coyote looked at Tanya in the eyes, frustrated and angry. It’s the first good look that Tanya got at his brown, canine eyes. There’s fear there, but also a resolve, a strength.

Tanya shook her head. “No, warriors are never taught to think like that. Hard to fight if you already wish for death.”

“Then why the fuck are you here, lady?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

The coyote growled. “Don’t get smart with me. You’re lucky I’m a nice guy. Alright, so you’re a warrior, what are you fighting for?”

Tanya leaned in a bit closer. “The Phoenix feather.”

He blinked a few times. Utter disbelief. “…How much ale have you had, lady?

“I mean it. I know it’s real and I’m trying to find it. But I must get out of the city.”

The coyote nodded in the direction of the door. “Dockyard’s that way, hitch a ride.”

Tanya chuffed. “Don’t have the money.”

At that, the coyote chuckled and seemed to genuinely smile for the first time. “Man, you have no idea where you are, do you…”

“No, I don’t, but I know I need to keep moving. I was told the exterior gates are impassable. Is there a way to get through somewhere else?”

The coyote’s eyebrows raised a bit. “Wow, you’re serious? I mean… if you really want to you could try climbing it. I doubt you’ll get far.”

“Fine, since you seem to know what you’re doing, I’ll pay you to get me out of here.”

“The fuck do I look like, a merchant? And why would you want me to help, of all the dogs in this bar?”

Tanya smiled a bit. “You’re the only one talking to me.”

Before the coyote could answer, a new voice joined the conversation from behind them. “Long time no see, Alex.” The voice was deep, rumbling, and came from a tall, muscular bear male. Behind him were two other bears, a bit shorter but still just as powerfully built. Their fur was various shades of deep brown, with clumps matted or missing all over. The first bear glares down at the coyote, at Alex.

“Time to say goodbye to your lady friend, Alex. You still have three years left,” he said.

Tanya looked at Alex. “Three years of what?”

“Labor… in the mines…” The coyote looked down at the floor, dejected.

‘So he was hiding after all.’

“Every second you keep me waiting, Alex, I add another month,” the bear growled.

Alex snorted loudly and spat a thick glob of yellow-green mucus directly onto the bear’s right paw. “Piss off.”

The bear growled loud enough to shake the tavern walls. The patrons quieted, but the conversation continued. A few stopped to watch the free entertainment developing at the rail. “You want to repeat that, boy?”

Tanya spun around in her stool. “Step back, sir,” she commanded.

“Shut up, bitch.”

Tanya had her blade out and ready before anyone else could react. Alex stared in disbelief and worry. The bears looked up and down at her. The one in the middle chuckled. “Drawing down on an unarmed man? That’s a one-way trip to the mines.”

“If you’re unarmed, then I’m a three-headed crab. The knife on your wrist? Drop it and we can be civil again.”

Alex’s eyes glanced over the leather gauntlet on the lead bear’s right paw and the small knife handle jutting out from the side of his wrist.

The lead bear hesitated for a moment. “No need!” He swung with his left fist, slow enough for Tanya to deflect the blow using the steel handle of her sword. She followed that with a swift elbow and handle strike to the bear’s nose, breaking it, sending blood pouring all over the floor. The bear on the left helped his mate while the bear on the right growled and charged at Tanya. He found himself wheezing and curling up into a ball on the floor, his stomach caved in by a powerful kick from the cheetah.

With full chaos on the menu, the Coal Pit falls into a maelstrom of fighting, punching, kicking, and glass breaking. Multiple fights break out and it’s all the raccoon bartender can do to drag drunk patrons out of the door to fling them onto the street unceremoniously.

The third bear, seeing both of his fallen comrades, pulls the knife from his leader’s gauntlet and charges at Alex, drawing up and preparing to strike down. Suddenly, Alex thrusts his palms forward. A bright flash of steel-blue light flared into brief existence, a pearlescent shield slamming into the rampaging bear. The big brown ursine cried out in pain as he flew backwards through the air, toppling over several patrons and landing on top of two others.

Someone yelled, “He’s a mage! GET HIM!”

Alex grabbed Tanya. “RUN!”

Both tear past the crowd and burst out the front doors, into the burnt orange evening sun. Alex steered right, sprinting ahead of Tanya and bolting into an alley. She followed, hearing the swelling crowd behind her, full of mob rage. Alex pelted down the alley, crossing a thankfully unoccupied street into another alley. Tanya catches up a second later. “Climb, lady!”

Using gaps and protrusions in the wood for leverage, they climbed up onto the second story roof, then up to the third story of the adjacent house. Alex reached down and pulled Tanya up onto the flat roof to avoid being spotted as the crowd dispersed throughout the neighborhood. Though she couldn’t dare to take a look, Tanya suspected that they would find an angry and drunk bar patron at ground level no matter where they landed.

She looked at Alex, eyes focused and determined. “You did tell me to try climbing.”

“You told me to get you out of here. What’s your name, anyway?”

“Tanya.”

“Alright, Tanya, the exterior wall is two blocks that way. These alleys are narrow; think you can make the jumps?”

Before she can answer, Tanya is on her feet and running across the roof tops. Even with her rucksack on, she leaps across the gap between the buildings. The sound of an impact behind her tells her that Alex is keeping up. She makes a second leap, panting heavily, feeling the leather of her armor and pack rubbing against her body with every step.

The last jump, the one to the exterior wall, looked trickier. Wider gap and the top of the wall was nearly even with the top of the roof Tanya stood on. She unclasped her rucksack, swung it around in circles above her head, and threw it clear over the top of the wall.

Alex got a running start and, with a grunt of exertion, leapt from the roof and barely made it to the wall, dangling down by his paws for a moment. It was enough time for someone at street level to shout in alarm. Tanya focused her energy, narrowed her eyes, got a running leap and cleared the gap, pulling herself atop the wall. She crawled over to Alex and grabbed his arm, pulling him up. “Come on, come on!” Tanya jumped down to the ground outside, rolling to absorb the damage. Her rucksack sat in the grass a yard away. Behind her, Alex fell clumsily from the wall, splaying to the ground with a comical cloud of dust and grass blades around him.

The angry mob inside the walls could only hurl curses and threats, but there was nothing they could do. The nearest exterior gate was many blocks away and inaccessible to them. Tanya put her rucksack back on and turned her attention to the area just outside the walls: a wood, not dissimilar from the one on the south end of Edgewater.

Alex panted heavily, brushing dust and grass from his ragged shirt. “Phew… that was close.”

“What did you do? What was that flash?” Tanya asked, approaching Alex.

The coyote hesitated for a second before finally answering. “Magic. I’m a mage, I guess. I learned how to do that accidentally when I ran from the mines. It’s hard to explain; it’s like tapping into my own energy or something.”

“Is that why they chased us?”

Alex tilted his head. “You didn’t know? Magic is illegal.”

Tanya looked back at the wall, then to the ground, then forward through the trees. “Seems I have a lot to learn.”

“Never been off the island?” Alex started walking through the woods.

Tanya followed. “I have, but never made landfall. Still, this won’t stop me from pursuing the feather.”

Alex stopped, bringing a hand to his face, rubbing the bridge of his snout. “Fuck, lady, you’re persistent… so how do you plan on doing that?”

“I don’t know, but since Smolderash is no longer an option, I need to find somewhere else with information, knowledge.” She looked at the coyote. “Any ideas?”

“If you’re looking for info, the next best bet is Sailend, but that’s on the other coast. You’d have to sail from here to Suraut, Suraut to Fyger, then Fyger to Sailend.” Alex looked at the cheetah, brows furrowed.

“I see,” Tanya looked through the trees, walking up to Alex. “I could use your help. You know this land better than I do and you’re strong, fearless. I’d like your assistance.”

“You’re just now asking me that?” Alex looked back at the exterior wall of the city. “Not like I have anywhere else to go. If I show my face anywhere near this city again, they’ll do worse than stuff me in the mines again.” He sighed heavily. “Alright, fine, count me in.”

Tanya nodded in a silent thanks, checking her rucksack and equipment. Her scabbard remained secure on her belt, nothing in the pack could really be damaged, but then she jolts. “My coin purse!” She grabs at the spot on her back where it used to be, now gone. “It must have fallen back at the inn.”

Alex snickers. “Yeah, ‘fallen’, sure. Well, I doubt we’ll need it, girl.”

“Why not? And don’t call me girl.”

“The only other way to Sailend is over land. There’s a desert between here and there. Nothing but vagrants and monsters out there.” The coyote stretched his arms to the heavens, groaning, a few audible pops and cracks in his spine.

Tanya looked at him. “What do you mean monsters?”

Alex resumed walking, his paw pads snapping the occasional twig as he moves. “I’ll explain later, but let’s keep moving. We still have some daylight left to burn.”