Battle of the Gente Animali

Mammifero

The day was cloudless and the sun was beating down upon the travelers. 

"Are we almost there yet," complain Passerie in a tired voice.

"I don't know" responded Anne in an equally tired voice. Beads of sweat were running down Canis's neck. The slow trot and the heavy breathing showed that the horses were tired as well.

"Maybe if I just flew ahead and saw -," suggested Passerie but Anne cut across her.

"No," said Anne firmly "we can not risk getting caught we a bird with us. A sparrow flying ahead of us might raise suspicion and we can not risk getting stopped by authorities.

"Fine," said Passerie in a defeated and annoyed tone "I hope it's not long, though."

"Not long now," said Ferre in a matter-of-factly tone.

"How do you now?" said Canis both curiously and suspiciously. 

"Because it's just over there," said Ferre pointing at the horizon. Surely enough high stone walls of Mammifero were visible on the horizon. Canis kicked his horse under the shoulder blade and the horse went from a trot to a gallop. Ferre followed suit with his horse and within a quarter of an hour, they were at the entrance to the city.

"State your names and business in Mammifero," said a burly security guard in shining armor, a lion engraved on his breastplate, the mark Mammifero. He was carrying a pen in one hand and a clipboard in the other, he had a sword strapped to his belt and a bow and quiver slung over his shoulder. 

"We're here to look at the records and catalogs in the great library," replied Anne. The guard scribbled something down on his clipboard. 

"To enter Mammifero, you need at least two Mammal Gente Animali in your party," the guard continued in a bored tone. Canis looked at his mother, she gave him an encouraging nod. Canis and Ferre dismounted their horses' and morphed into their respective animals. The guard muttered something about sufficient mammal Gente Animali.

"Do you have any weapons with you today," continued the guard.

"Two swords one with enchanted properties, one dagger, one bow and quiver and a knife," said Anne anxiously. The guard whistled then spoke.

"That is a lot of weapons,"

"We on a long journey,"

"I see. Well, the last thing is, is there any Gente Animali that are not of mammal origin in your party." Anne was about to answer but before she opened her mouth the guard interjected. "Be warned if found with a Gente Animali, not of mammal Origin the punishments include permanent banishment from the city, lifetime imprisonment in a cell with no chance of release or death.

"No, definitely no non-mammal Gente Animali with us," said Anne in slightly higher voice than her usual. 

"Okay then miss you and the girl will have to wear these bands. If a guard in the city asks you to show your animal form just show them the band to prove your just a regular human." The guard then placed a band around Anne and Passerie's right wrist. He made some weird hand movements to his fellows on the wall and the giant wooden gates creaked open. They walked into a busy street bustling with people trying to get from A to B. Buildings were set out in no set pattern. There were wide streets, thin streets, short streets and long streets. People weren't the only thing It wasn't just people walking around the were people on horses, camels even people riding elephants. A cat chasing a mouse was running towards Canis but just before they reached him they turned into a pair of children. The smells of food, perfume and dung reached Canis's super sensitive nose. Then he looked up and saw a castle with many turrets and towers towering over the smaller buildings.

"This is pandemonium," called Anne over the noise of the crowd, "Let's find that business man the Katie women was wanting us to deliver the parcel to."

"What was his name again Simon?" asked Canis

"No, I think Sima," Ferre objected

"She said his name Simia you idiots," said Passerie bluntly.

"Wow, what's ruffled your feathers then miss cranky," asked Canis.

"Oh, I wonder what could be making be so edgy how about the fact I'm the most bird-hostile city in the land," said Passerie in a hiss like whisper just audible over the crowd. "Plus the city is huge it could take forever to find this guy,"

"Think again goldy locks, cause I think that the place just over there," said Ferre pointing at shop with a sign saying, 

Simia's store and trading post open 8-9.  

" You were saying," asked Canis with a smug look on his face.

Passerie rolled her eyes at Canis and said "C'mon, let's get this over with," and stalked into the shop the others at her heels,"