Chapter 4: Tigers Among the Foxes

They paused outside the airship docks, watching as others came in and out. Families held hands and pointed in every direction, smiles adorning their faces and children laughing in excitement. A tall steel barricade wrapped around the perimeter, with soldiers pacing back and forth. They would periodically stop to talk, huddled together and voices low. The cerulean blue uniform they adorned stood out amongst the crowd. A gold pin of a fox on their chests reflected the sunlight, the symbol of Fioma for all to see.

"You guys have a plan, right?" asked Jaycee. With so many guards patrolling, one wrong move could be the end. The docks were huge compared to the houses they had passed in the city. The grey buildings towered above. It looked as if they could touch the clouds.

Leon swept his brown hair to the side, long locks falling back into place. "Kyla will distract most of them while I sneak you in. We have friends on the inside that can let us on board. The actual issue is keeping the rest of them from recognizing you. By now, they must have put out a warrant for your arrest."

"If we're lucky, word hasn't reached here yet," said Kyla. Her voice sounded chipper, as if she had no worries. It wasn't as if one small step would be their heads or anything. "Ready, Leon?"

He nodded and then Kyla was off. They watched as she walked through the front gate and right up to a soldier. Her arms wrapped around the soldier's shoulder, and she whispered something in his ear. He pushed her away almost immediately, face enraged.

"Will she be okay?" The situation didn't look favorable. Fioma's military was known for arresting those with or without proper cause. They had gotten aggressive in the past couple of years. Around the jail, people passed around stories of those who had similar experiences.

Leon ignored the question. If he wasn't worried about Kyla, then it would be pointless for him to be. He neglected the small voice in his head, telling him otherwise.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"I guess." Would it matter if he said no? The coward in him would have rather become a nomad, living out the rest of his life in nature. Getting caught by Fioma's military was a death sentence. One he was lucky enough to escape.

"Let's go." Leon grabbed Jaycee's hand and pulled him forward. He took them through the gates at a quick pace, past the guards, and straight into the building. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kyla surrounded by soldiers, hands waving back and forth. A crowd was forming around them. Was she really going to be okay?

A blast of cool air hit them upon entering. The doors slammed, the sound reverberating, and multiple fans whirred above their heads. Inside stood steep ceilings and a long line that wrapped itself by steel pillars, where it disappeared behind a wall. Soldiers patrolled the area, emblems shining under the light.

"You can let go of my hand now." Jaycee was uncomfortable. The sweat from his own palm was embarrassing enough, and he didn't need the indifferent man next to him to catch on to how nervous he was. If anyone knew the real him, there would be no doubt in his mind they would have changed his name from Sicarii to Ignavus.

"Not yet." What did that even mean? Jaycee was sure his face turned a shade or two of red. Did he miss something? And why did his companion seem so unfazed by this? Nothing about this situation was normal.

"Hey, you two." They paused in their tracks as a deep voice called out to them. "What are you doing?"

Jaycee froze as a soldier approached them. He couldn't even find the courage to look at the man. He didn't know what they were doing, so how could he explain it? Not to mention, he was a terrible liar.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Leon. He intertwined their fingers and held their hands up. "We're dating. If we don't hurry, we'll miss our flight for our vacation."

Jaycee glanced over at Leon, dumbstruck. What did he just say? Wait, this was their grand plan? Fioma may have been the richest city, but it was far from the most accepting. They would be lucky enough to walk out with their lives.