Alliance

After many minutes of pacing the halls and waving her staff-lamp around, she found it. Finally. She dismounted Xapi with great care and grabbed her stationary from the satchel handing from the pibi's long neck. It was getting hard to see. The cavedog eyes were getting dull, having been out of saline for such a long period of time. She'd forgetten to return the eyes to their bowls for healing before she left, and thus, they had been sittting on her dresser, drying out for the better part of the day. She would have to copy this mural quickly or else, wander around in the dark.

Her work was sloppy, but good enough. Xapi sprinted the entire way hoome, and she returned to the palace satisfied, sneaking the bird back into the coup and removing the reigns, stachel and muzzle. She wished she could ride Xapi all the way to her bedroom, but, unfortunately, she'd have to make it on her on two feet.

As she suspected, Lazina was waiting by her bedroom.

Jailui sighed. She had hoped she would atleast have a chance to sit before dealing with her older sister's antics.

"Did you get it?" asked Lazina as she followed Jailui into her room..

"Hello to you too, Lazina. You're welcome for going through all that trouble."

"Where is it?"

Jailui handed her the bag and reached for the ointment on her nightstand.

"Aren't you cheating when you do that, miss perfect?"

"Look who's talking. How'd you even get the guards to go away?"

A proud look distorted Lazina's round face.

"I just paid them off."

"With mother's money?"

"I've got my own."

Of course she did.

"Do I even want to know how?"

"Let's just say, I know from experience how profitable the wrangling business is. /but let's keep that part between you and me."

Aside from the colonies, wrangling was the only system Ptupuam implemented that was still legal. Originally, this was used as a way to eraticate the cultures of the people his army conquered. All children under three were spared and sold to Nuande nobility under life contracts as symbols of status, later to be used as servants. Besides them, only women who were sixty and older were spared, and given twenty-five year contracts. Most died before their contracts were up. Modern contracting was different, but the history behind the practice was enough to leave a sour taste in many mouths. Jailui opened hers to speak, but before a word had a chance to pass her lips-

"I can already feel you judging me. Relax, I only deal with life contracts. They're all babies so they won't remember their parent's. Only the wealthy can afford them so they end up living decadent lives. It's almost a charity."

"I don't care," said Jailui, annoyed, sleepy, and in pain. "Just make sure no one catches you, cause if anyone finds out you're involved in buying and selling people, your chances at the crown are done. And if you tell the public what you just told me they'll hate you even more."

"You seem to think you know what goes on in everyone's head, without even checking the polls. Contracting is common amongst the poor now. It guarantees them them work and shelter for seven months or seven years at a time. Almost half of them have done it. I doubt anyone would care."

"Right. That's why you're keeping it a secret."

"I know what I'm doing Jailui."

"Of course. I'm going to bed now. Goodbye."

Lazina took it upon herself to return the cavedog eyes to their saline and cover the container with a cloth. This was too little too late.

"Goodnight," said she.

"Just leave," sighed Jailui, genuinely exhausted. Why had she promised to support Lazina again?

"I love you too."