17 Ramshackle Labyrinth

Zagiha was a man of many words.

… Too many words.

But aside from his "creative" speech pattern and abrasive personality, he was the living equivalent of the tax code and watching grass grow all wrapped up in one sarcastic little package.

That is to say, boring.

His existence was mired in his work, only speaking with the other High Judges when needed and locking himself in his office anytime else, doing whatever it was he did (it definitely wasn't anything fun). The closest thing he had to a hobby was balancing his checkbook, and he didn't engage with amusements of any sort, not even the newspaper. The only things he liked were expensive suits, referencing obscure law clauses within clauses within clauses, and a good cup of coffee made with 2% milk.

Zagiha was divine in origin, but he wasn't shrouded in mysticism at all. He accepted neither offerings nor prayers, and didn't have a Temple of his own. In fact, religious life made him uncomfortable and he preferred a secular lifestyle, living like a wealthy human.

Other Gods were flashy, with impossible hairstyles in wacky colors and glowing eyes that defied the laws of nature. Although good-looking, Zagiha was plain in comparison with his generic brown eyes and tousled shoulder-length brunet hair fixed into a tight rattail.

He was over two thousand years old, but only recently did he pursue romance of any sort. He married three times. His first wife was Molly. She only wanted his money, and made out like a bandit in the night with alimony. The second wife was Celia. People muttered rumors about her being a mail-order bride. Zagiha neither confirmed nor denied this. She peaced out as soon as she got naturalized. And the third wife was Astrid. She was his High Priestess, although that was her title in name only, and a lawyer. Zagiha worshiped the ground on which she walked. He adored her, but Zagiha being Zagiha, with his never-ending fountain of insults for every occasion, was never able to tell her his true feelings, and he signed the divorce papers without much of a fuss.

Zagiha was generous and did nice things without provocation, but also quite materialistic, and sometimes acted entitled. On the outside, he was calm and composed, but on his own, he broke down into the nervous wreck he really was. He turned his snobby nose up at any sort of fuddy-duddy display of affection, but he was deeply sentimental all the same.

He owned two corgis. He liked posh things, so it made sense he wanted posh dogs. He claimed he liked corgis because they were so intelligent, but the real reason he bought a couple was because one time he saw a corgi trying to scale the stairs with its little, stumpy legs, only for it to fall onto its back, and that caused him to laugh like a maniac for twenty minutes straight.

And now that at the current moment Zagiha had no way of performing his job duties, he was using his newfound freedom to play detective, and apparently that was going buck-wild by his standards.

Hana didn't think an ancient deity could be summarized in a few paragraphs, but here she was.

But she still couldn't think of what to say when her parents called.

Hana picked up her Message Crystal and tapped it. It projected a small screen, showing the faces of Téo and Eliza Sabatka.

"Good morning, Hana!" said Téo.

"Hi, Dad," said Hana.

"Hello, älskling," said Eliza, "how are you doing this morning?"

"A lot's happened in the past week," Hana answered. She hesitated, and that gave her parents time to butt in.

"It certainly has!" said Téo. "Erm, I suppose we should get to the chase. There's a reason we sent a request to chat last night."

"Why didn't you pick up?" asked Eliza. "Your father and I were very worried."

"I had a lot of work to do," said Hana. That work, of course, was attempting to teach Zagiha how to use a clothes iron, which nearly resulted in yet another fire.

"We kind of figured. You're very hardworking! We're proud of you for living on your own for the first time! But, we've been keeping up with the news, and…" Téo pursed his already stern lips.

"Do you feel safe, Hana?" asked Eliza.

"Safe?" Hana crinkled her eyebrows.

"The prison break, and the fire at the courthouse… it's been all over the news. The restaurant you've apprenticed at, we looked at the address, and it's… it's awfully close to the Continental Court, isn't it? Were you affected by it at all?"

Hana didn't have the heart to tell her parents the truth, that she WAS caught up in the blaze, and she was taken to hospital. They'd put a tracking spell on her for the rest of her life if they found out.

"No," she said. Her face crinkled up further. She understood her parents' objective right away, but she needed to hear it right from the land slug's mouth first. "What are you saying?"

"I've gotten some information back at Caershira Police Station that the courthouse was attacked," said Téo. "Of course, Modrica's police force is mainly handling it, but we've been working on support all week."

"This is the first your father's been home!" Eliza wrung her hands. "I don't want you to feel alarmed, but… you know, those guards who were murdered… a possible terrorist on the loose, and a government building being targeted? Maybe Modrica isn't such a safe place for a girl your age to be right now?"

"So you're telling me to come home." That wasn't a question. Hana folded her arms.

"We know you're concerned about your apprenticeship," said Téo. "But Caershira has plenty of restaurants! And it's safe! I'm sure you could get another job back home. It's just that Modrica's a big city, and it's crawling with Unforgivables… teenage girls shouldn't be alone. Please come back home, Hana. Your mother and I just want what's best for you."

"Uh…" Hana guessed she had to break it to them. "About my job at the restaurant. I… quit it?"

"WHAT?" Eliza jumped out of her seat. The crystal's image projection glitched with the sharp crack of her voice. "You quit your job? We help pay for an apartment so you can follow your dream, and you QUIT YOUR JOB?"

"Easy, love, easy." Téo patted Eliza's hand and slowly brought her back onto the living room sofa. "This is a good thing! Now there's nothing stopping you from coming back to Caershira."

"There kind of is." Hana gulped.

"What do you mean?"

"I got another internship. It's… prestigious. The thing is…"

"Oh? You did?" Eliza's countenance immediately shifted from anger to delight. "Where at, älskling?"

"… The Continental Court."

And just like that, Eliza deflated. "Oh," she said. "Oh."

"What? Government?" asked Téo. "I never imagined you to be interested in government. I mean, congratulations! That's amazing! Eliza, that really is the opportunity of a lifetime. We couldn't possibly have her quit."

"She won't get anymore opportunities if the Court is being targeted," she hissed back at him. "Hana, any other time we'd be over the moon for you. But, you know, we're your parents, and we want to protect you. And what do you do at the Continental Court anyway if it's destroyed!"

"--Hana, look who's back from the vet!"

And just like that, Zagiha burst through the bathroom door, an uncomfortable-looking corgi in a dog dress tucked under his arm. He waltzed up to where she sat and took the dog's paw, waving it as if it was greeting her.

"It's baby Buttercup!"

I guess he's just barging in now, Hana thought.

"Who's that in the background?" asked Téo. "Is that a boy? Are you dating? You know what we told you about focusing on your apprenticeship…!"

"Hmm." Zagiha put Buttercup down (who immediately turned to a fruitless attempt at chewing off her dress), and peered into the Message Crystal. "Who's the overprotection patrol?"

"Th-These are my parents," she stuttered.

"Mmm-hmm. Tell me, Hana, are human parents usually so smothering over their progeny?"

"He's rude!" Eliza sharply whispered to her husband.

"Young man, you do not talk to your elders that way!" said Téo, scolding him.

"Are you aware of the meaning of the word 'elder'?" asked Zagiha.

"Is this your taste in men?" shouted Eliza. "I thought I raised you to have a good head on your shoulders!"

"Oh, you seem to be mistaken." Zagiha cleared his throat. "Hana and I are not an item. You see, Fru Sabatka, I only date attractive people."

Hana wanted to die.

"WHAT? HOW DARE YOU--! You take that back! My daughter is beautiful! A stunner! Are you bloody blind?"

"What's your name, son?" asked Téo.

"Zagiha."

"What kind of stupid name is---fweh?"

"Are you really…?" stuttered Eliza.

Zagiha sighed and picked up the daily newspaper. On the front page was printed his panicked face, the article detailing his impromptu press conference from when they were trying to get to the Archives.

"Yep."

Téo sputtered, lip quivering with pure terror. "Please accept my apologies for our disrespect, Your Holiness. We didn't intend to…"

"Yes, yes, I'm rude. I've been told that before." Zagiha crossed his arms. "I don't need any apologies." He frowned. "I'm not going to smite you or anything. It takes a lot more than that for me to do that."

"Th-Thank you," the Sabatkas stammered.

And then Eliza turned back to Hana. "Hana, älskling… why do you have a God in your apartment?"

"If you haven't noticed, my home got burned down." Zagiha adjusted his tie. "So now I live in an awful studio suite connected to this one. We're, ah, what's the slang for it these days?—a sambo!"

Hana gagged, waving her hands as her mother shouted into the Crystal. "Roommate! Rumskramrater! That's not the word you were looking for, Zagiha!"

"I'm not exactly hip with the kids!" Zagiha snapped. "What does that mean, then?"

"It means, uhhh…"

"This girl is my intern. I hired her to carry my stuff for me. The internship is for teenagers, which your daughter is. The fact I ended up in the room next to hers is pure coincidence. Don't worry. Our relationship is platonic, as I would rather heavily pet a cactus."

"Hana, we don't approve of this arrangement!" said Eliza. "God or not, you are not going to live with an older ma--!"

"Well, Sabatka parents, it's been lovely to meet you," said Zagiha, "but I need to take Hana to the slums, goodbye!" And with that, he snatched the Message Crystal out of Hana's hands and cut off the call, hyperventilating.

"That was a disaster!" squealed Hana. "They're going to come here! They're totally going to come! And now they're going to call back in…"

The Message Crystal vibrated. Zagiha glanced down at it, puckered his face, opened the window, and chucked it out with such force it flew over the skyline, disappearing like a dot into the clouds. "Problem solved," he said.

"Gah!" She held her head. "Why did you do that?"

"I panicked," he sputtered.

"They're going to force me to come back home for sure!"

"Don't get your knickers in a knot! I'll handle it."

"I don't trust you to handle things!"

"Just trust me, will you? I'll get them off your back." Zagiha reached into his pocket and pulled out a little package. It was concealer makeup. He opened it up and dabbed some onto his hand.

"What are you doing now?" asked Hana.

"They don't look favorably upon Sorcerers in the Unforgivables' slums," said Zagiha. He showed her his hand. His Sorcerer's Mark was covered up. "But they might be more receptive to Workers. Our skin tones are about the same. Let me see yours." He took her hand and rubbed some more concealer over her Mark. When he was finished, he took out a folding baton from under his cloak and gave it to Hana. "But keep this staff on you, hidden, just in case. Only use it if there's real danger."

"But won't at least some of them recognize you…?"

Zagiha put on a hat.

"… Really?" she said.

He shrugged. "It worked last time." Zagiha reached for the door, apparently forgetting his dog was still in her room. "Just stay by my side. I'll protect you." He paused, and walked to her desk.

"What's wrong?"

Zagiha cleared aside a few papers. "A pen can also be a good tool for self-defense," he said. Then he paused, scrutinizing a notebook bound in leather. He opened it up to the first page. "… Hana, what's this?" he asked.

Wow, she also had a question! It was "why was he snooping?"

"That's a copy of Rirasiru-sa's diary," said Hana.

"Where'd you get something like that?"

"From his Temple? Where else? A few years back I did a school project on him and the priests gave me all his writings."

"Huh. They just gave away his diary like that? And you read it? Hana, that's incredibly voyeuristic! … Let me see it." He opened it up to a random page and skimmed the contents. At a certain passage, his fit lit up red like a tomato and he slammed it shut. "… They gave material like this to a twelve-year-old???"

She didn't answer. She knew which part he read. She didn't want to relive it.

"Hana, do you mind if I borrow this for later?"

Hana was surprised he actually asked. "Sure. But why?"

Not finding a suitable pen, Zagiha exited the room, beckoning for her. They climbed down the steps and exited into the bustling streets. "Curiosity," he answered. "You know that currently, eight Gods project their physical forms in Gesmaura, right?" He unwrapped a pendulum and held it in front of him.

Men's pockets really were bottomless, weren't they?

Hana nodded.

"Which way should I turn to get to the slums?" he asked. The crystal on the end of the string swung to the right, and he turned after it. "Every so often we get together, to talk about our alliances, our concerns for our worshipers, things like that. But at these conferences, only seven seats are filled."

"… Because Rirasiru hasn't been seen in years, right?"

"Yes." He took them down a creepy alleyway. "Not all Gods choose to put an avatar on Earth, but you know they exist. They're in the Celestial Realm, though, and they always show up when all or many members of the pantheon are needed. I'm not too interested in the Celestial Realm, so I only go there for business, but if Rirasiru had merely chosen to dissipate his physical form, he'd be up there. But he isn't. His personal realm is abandoned, too."

"So you're saying he's still on Earth?" Hana asked.

Zagiha nodded. "It's the only explanation. I doubt a godling such as him has the power to fly to another planet. I mean, I can only travel as far as Mars before I'm out of energy! Us Gods can usually suss each other out when we're close by, but I haven't caught a whiff of him. Here's the thing… I need an alliance with him."

"Why?"

They jumped over a drunkard, collapsed on the street.

"Gods only have a tentative peace with one another. We all have our territories… except Erisa, but it's not like she cares. Isaana has Komouruska, Nimhr has Tyressa, Eleora Hakalai Pass, and so on. We stay on our own turf unless we're going to a friend's territory. Our enemies, we leave alone. For example, Kaatsche and I don't get along at all, so I don't dare step foot in Somnambashna. Except for me. I got the most important part of the country, the capital region, but in exchange, my area has to be a neutral zone where we can meet, and where they can go without me knowing. Nobody's allowed to attack one another here, but they can get up to any nefarious business they please."

Hana didn't understand his words.

"Conversely, we steer clear of Minumna out of respect for Rirasiru, and that we don't know how he thinks of us. We only have an idea of what his magic is like. So, here's what's up." The buildings became seedier and seedier as they walked. A few questionable pawn shops here, an obvious money-laundering front there… "Recently, Isaana made a major accusation against me that severely damaged my reputation. The only people I'm not hostile with at the moment are Erisa and Nimhr. But the girl who has no territory and the guy who slept through the whole damn meeting aren't exactly helpful! So here I am, gridlocked, while she runs circles around me and takes MY resources as she pleases! I think she's making a power-grab for the capital."

"So what does Rirasiru have to do with this?"

"A couple years ago, Sorcerers lost control in Minumna valley, and now most of Gesmaura's magical stones are in the hands of Workers. Isaana is a Goddess worshiped only by Sorcerers, while I have clout with all three castes."

"Oh! I see!" Hana understood his strategy now. "Isaana controls magic, so if you have the means to cut her off from its most powerful source, you can sway her to fulfill your demands."

"Bingo." He smirked. "You've got a pretty decent mind on you, do you know that? I should help you train it. Once I've got her on a string, I can get her to retract her lie and do damage control against what she did to my name! So I guess that's another thing we have in common. We both have a bone to pick with Isaana."

"I don't want to engage her," said Hana. "Turning my brother into an Unforgivable wasn't the merciful thing to do, but it was her job…"

All of a sudden, Zagiha stopped. Crossing his arms, he addressed her. "That's a lie. She did something else, didn't she, and you're hiding it from me?"

Hana squirmed in her skin. So he could detect lies by omission, too. But she was caught, so she laced her fingers and spoke to the ground. "… She tried to kill Silvio," she whispered.

Zagiha nodded. His expression was inscrutable.

"I was there when it happened. I saw her take out a knife, and she—she was going for his heart. But then Eleora-sa showed up and saved him. I don't get it… why did she try to murder him? He never did anything to her personally."

Zagiha furrowed his brows. "Hana," he said, "that woman is a serpent. She takes on the guise of a quirky headmistress to throw people off, but in reality, she's bloodthirsty, ruthless, and deceptive. She's a sociopath. Isaana has the blood of many people on her hands. Even if they're just a child, she wouldn't hesitate to kill if that would benefit her schemes in some way."

Hana paused. What Zagiha said was serious, but she didn't doubt him. With his explanation, certain aspects of Isaana started to make sense.

"I still don't want revenge," she said. "But I'm angry at her. I don't know if I could ever forgive her. But… how could I face a Goddess? I'm scared."

"The best revenge is hoisting her by her own petard, which you are more than capable of. So we're going to find Silvio and expose her to her followers for what she really is."

Hana nodded. Zagiha was quite ruthless, too, but he didn't need violence. She counted her lucky stars he was on her side. Hana wanted to know what Isaana accused him of, but if he wanted to talk, he would. Zagiha was open with his feelings, so if he wanted to keep something under wraps, there was probably a good reason for it.

A peregrine falcon soared through the sky. Hana marveled at the beauty of the little bird, even though urban falcons were a common sight.

By now, there were no more buildings.

Well, there were structures that counted as "buildings" in the loosest interpretation of the word.

Hana and Zagiha crossed into a shanty neighborhood. Flimsy houses built of rotting wood and sheet metal layered on top of one another, sprawling for kilometers on end. The streets were unpaved and filthy. Garbage decorated every corner, and the awful smell of raw sewage permeated the air. Zagiha gasped in disgust as a rat ran across his shoe.

And there were people everywhere. There were groups of skinny children playing with a tattered ball in the street, women hanging rags on clotheslines, and men sitting about, drowning their lives away in bootleg snaps. Markings similar to burn scars covered every citizen's body.

This was the Unforgivable Slums of Modrica.

Hana and Zagiha drew looks wherever they went.

"Would you like to buy a shoe shine?" asked an old man with no teeth.

"Er, thank you, but I'll pass…" said Zagiha.

"No, no!" He shook his head and got in Zagiha's face, staring him down. "You buy a shoe shine, yeah? For you, only five kronora!"

"Get lost." Zagiha circumvented around him, pulling Hana close to his side.

"Awful nice suit for a Worker to be wearing, yeah?" said another scalper, approaching them. "Where do you work? Are you one of them fancy government secretaries? Care to toss a few coins this way, pal?"

"Your daughter is very cute! How 'bout you give me a few hours with her and I'll get you some Sorcerer's jewelry, yeah?"

Zagiha wheeled around. "If you dare lay a filthy hand on her, I'll…!"

"Easy, Zagiha," Hana whispered. "Don't start a fight with them. Just ignore them."

"How can I?" he hissed back. "These people are the lowest common denominator of society! If they talk to you like that, I don't care if they lose the last teeth they've got!"

Hana just pulled him away and led him further into the slums. They were unending, twisting and turning like a squalid labyrinth.

"We shouldn't have come here," he said. "Let me take you back right now…"

"No!" She shook her head. "We need anything these people know! And you promised to protect me, right?"

"I…"

Zagiha shook like a leaf, taking in the filth and misery before him. "I… I can't believe they live in conditions like this. Don't they have any pride in themselves?"

Hana had the distinct impression he was more naïve than she was. It made sense for a God who never left his courthouse to not encounter the real world. A child brushed past Zagiha, grabbing something from his pocket.

"Look out!" cried Hana. "He's got your…"

Zagiha held up his wallet. "Amateur pickpocket. No sleight of hand at all." He put it back in its rightful place.

"Should I be concerned you know how to do that…?"

But they were silenced as a large din drowned them out. The two rushed across the street to see what was going on. Dozens of Unforgivables stood clumped together, chanting something. The few literate ones held up makeshift signs scribbled on rubbish.

UNFORGIVABLE RIGHTS NOW

EQUALITY FOR ALL

ENOUGH TYRANNY, OPPRESSORS!

And those were only a few slogans the signs boasted. Hana listened to the crowd, figuring out what they were chanting.

"END DISCRIMINATION! GIVE US LIBERATION!"

Hana and Zagiha gave each other a look. Both of them wondered what the fuss was. Hana approached the least intimidating Unforgivable she found, a teenage girl working on another sign.

"What's happening here?" she asked.

The girl looked up at her in surprise. "What's it look like?" she asked. "We're marching for our rights!"

"Rights?"

"You're a Worker, right? Aren't you tired of being treated like crap by those rocksuckers?"

Hana assumed that was a pejorative term against Sorcerers.

"Uh…"

"You should join us," said the girl. "We're fighting for equal rights. Unforgivables, Workers, and Sorcerers. Equal housing, equal job opportunities, equal legal protections! We won't be silenced anymore!"

"You're staging a protest?" Zagiha cracked an almost amused smile, as though tickled by the absurdity of it all.

"Yeah!" another Unforgivable chimed in. "We're marching straight into the capitol district. We won't leave and we won't work 'til they fulfill our demands! Good luck not havin' anyone to clean the sewers, or catch the rats, or clear rubbish from the roads!"

"I see," said Zagiha.

"We have to band together," he continued. "Workers shouldn't lick the boots of their oppressors."

"The old way of life must end. We need a new age of justice," said the girl.

"Justice?" Zagiha repeated.

"Most Unforgivables ain't never offended the Gods, anyway. It's not our fault we was born this way! Why should our ancestry dictate our lot in life? No fair! We have to abolish prejudice!"

"Aren't you scared of being arrested?" asked Hana.

The girl shook her head. "The pigs can blast us with spells, pour water on us, arrest us, beat us. For everyone who goes to prison, five more will join the cause. And if I die, it's to protect my family's future."

"Geez," said Zagiha. "Maybe you could fill out a petition instead? Or at least apply for a protest permit?"

The people around them burst into laughter.

"Buddy!" a guy howled with mirth. "You been livin' under a rock or somethin'? Ain't no Sorcerer gonna be fair to an Unforgivable like that. The only way to get them to notice is to take action now!"

"Why now?" asked Hana. "Who's got you so fired up?"

"Leader!" The girl with the sign beamed.

"Leader?" Hana repeated.

"You haven't heard of him?" She cocked her head. "Leader is the one showing us the way. We used to be in such despair. We resigned ourselves to our lot in life. After I was turned into an Unforgivable, I wanted to die, but then he came to us and gave us hope! That we don't have to live this way! That we don't have to tolerate this! That we're worthy!"

"Leader's really cool," added a little boy. "He was arrested and beat real bad, but he escaped jail and came back to us. He can't be defeated! He's a hero!"

At that, Zagiha raised an eyebrow. "Where is this Leader?" he asked.

"Leader's really clever," he replied. "He lives in a top secret base with his best friends, but he's always here when we need him. He's going to make the bad Sorcerers stop being mean to us!"

"Wow, he IS really cool!" Zagiha put on the corniest smile imaginable. "Young man, I'm interested in joining this movement of yours. Why don't you tell me everything you know about Leader, all right?" He pulled a ten kronora coin out and pressed it in the child's hand. "Let me get you some sweets, and then we can talk."

He shuffled over to a sweets stand. The cakes were probably fried in sewer water and the rock candy dyed with dead bugs, but it looked surprisingly good. He waved Hana over.

"Hana!" he squealed under his breath. "That's the guy! That's the suspected terrorist who escaped. These people have intel."

"What are we supposed to do?" she whispered back.

Zagiha bought a few pieces of candy, adding a tip as well. "Keep pretending to be Workers who want to join up." He looked around. "… But we still need to ask about Silvio. Why don't you do that, while I wring this kid dry? Don't go too far, though. Keep me in your sights."

She nodded, and they split up. Zagiha returned to the boy, all gifts and smiles, and Hana walked around, looking for somebody who might be willing to talk.

"Have I seen you around before?" A woman approached her. She rubbed her eyes. "No, no, you're a girl… Oh, I'm blind as a bat!"

Hana tightened her fists, trying to hide her excitement. "You've seen a boy who looks like me?"

"Have I?" She grinned and held out her hand. "How 'bout you give me a little alms, and then I talk?"

Hana sighed and gave her five kronora. The woman flipped it and pocketed it.

"Yeah, I've seen a boy around here with your face. Around your age, too. But he's an Unforgivable, not a Worker like you."

Hana's heart pulsed with adrenaline. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Not so long ago. Why? He owe ya money or somethin'?" She looked at Hana once more. "Ohhhh! I see! You must be a relative of his!"

Hana nodded so vigorously her head might fall off.

"That's a rarity. Usually when people get turned into Unforgivables, their families abandon them, and they get forgotten."

"Is he here now?"

The woman held out her hand.

Another coin.

"No. He comes and goes. Mmm… what's his name again? Starts with an S?"

"Silvio!" Hana gasped.

"Yeah, that's the guy."

Silvio was alive! He was alive, and he was well!

"Do you know where he is?"

"Hell if I know. I said, he comes and goes. He ain't settled down in any shantytown."

"Are there certain times he comes to Modrica?"

"Two questions cost five kronora. Pay up." She held out her hand. Hana had no choice, but she was starting to get low on change.

"No real pattern I can see." Hana deflated. "But tell ya what, doll? I can't stand a young girl's sad face. Next time I see him, I'll tell him you're lookin' for him. Maybe he'll stay around, but it's on you to come back often. And bring money!"

Hana beamed. "Thank you so much, ma'am!"

"Ma'am? Aw, don't flatter me. Thank YOU for your patronage!"

With a spring in her step, she ran back to Zagiha, but stopped when she heard talking from behind one of the ramshackle house's paper-thin walls. Hana paused and listened, joy slowly being replaced with dread as she eavesdropped.

"… They aren't expecting us. When the cops come, open fire before they get anyone."

"What about civilian Sorcerers?"

"All Sorcerers are scum, but Leader forbids it. Kill every cop you see, but if someone gets tangled up in the crossfire, that's their fault. Surely Leader would understand casualties, eh?"

"Haha! Accident, got it! They don't know what's comin' to 'em."

Now in panic mode, she sprinted back to Zagiha. He was still chatting the protestors up, gleaning every nugget of information he could.

"We need to talk," said Hana.

Zagiha turned around. "Can't this wait? I'm having a conversation with these lovely people."

"No, no, we need to talk now! I want to consider joining the protest, but I've got to work out some stuff with you first."

Perhaps it was the urgency of her voice, or that he detected her lie, but Zagiha caught on. "Excuse me, folks," he said, rising from his seat. "My daughter here is a nervous nelly. I'm gonna calm her down, and we'll be right back!"

The Unforgivables gave them a chorus of farewells. Hana marched Zagiha through winding streets and tunnels of clotheslines, until they came across an abandoned street. In half the houses, the windows were boarded up and they were on the precipice of collapse, but the other half was burnt coal black.

"What is it?" asked Zagiha. "What's the emergency?"

"It's not a peaceful protest!" she said, cold sweat running down her face. "They have some sort of weapon. I overheard. When they get to the capitol, they're going to kill people, Sorcerers!"

"What?" His jaw dropped. "You're telling the truth… We need to leave and evacuate everyone from the Capitol District, right now!"

Hana pulled out her collapsible staff. "I'll teleport us—"

"A little bird told me you were talking smack about me, Ziggy."

Zagiha froze, his muscles growing rigid. Gritting his teeth, he turned around and faced Isaana, wearing a wolfish grin on her face and a peregrine falcon on her arm.

"Long time, no see, Girl Sabatka," said Isaana. "Let's have some tea, shall we?"