Kavik is Dead

Chapter Three

The January air was bitterly cold, something Hasa did not in any way appreciate. She buried her face into her jacket collar in an attempt to stave off the cold. Her heels clacked loudly against the broken streets of Energy and civilians threw her strange looks as she walked by. She was obviously out of place with her horns, dark skin and nice looking clothes. A few had tried to grab at her, but she had learned from a man on the train that the best thing to do was the keep your fingers in your pockets and manipulate them to look like a gun if someone came close. That had worked mostly.

Hasa's destination was a squat, aging building near the heart of Energy, tucked into a narrow alleyway filled with garbage and rodents. She almost gagged as she hurriedly avoided piling boxes of discarded electronics and torn bags spilling their putrid contents. She threw open the building's screen door, relieved to be met with warmth and a somewhat pleasant smell.

"Ms. Nabare!" Lauren Carrien emerged from one of the many doorways that lined the entrance hall. "I'm so happy you could make it!" She had been smiling, but stopped when she noticed the expression on the older woman's face.

"This is quite a city you have," Hasa said with a bit of venom.

"If this city was as wealthy as yours we would not be needing your help," Lauren said steadily.

"You put me under the impression that this building was somewhere secure. That is why I brought no security."

Lauren laughed. "If you brought security you would have been shot dead. People here are desperate, angry and depressed. If they see someone who could possibly have money or any sort of way to assist them, they will stare at that person like a lion staring at a fat gazelle."

"You do realize the trouble you could be in if I am murdered here, correct? Try thinking things through a bit more."

Lauren didn't reply to that. Instead she grabbed the Kavikan a bit too roughly by the elbow and steered her down the hall. "Harrison will throw a fit if we spend any more time chatting."

Lauren lead Hasa all the way down to the end of the hall where a worn wooden door was located. Above it was a plaque that read Principal. Lauren knocked and Hasa noted the way she seemed to shake a bit, as though she feared awakening a terrifying creature on the other side.

"Come in!" The voice sounded tired and worn. Upon opening the door Hasa saw that its owner looked much the same. Harrison Verendix hadn't shaved in a few days and his hair was a tangled mess. Hasa could see gray streaking through his dark blond mane even though he didn't look any older than thirty.

"Ah, Ms, I mean, Raku-Hasa," he stood, coming around the desk to extend his hand. Out of the corner of her eye she noted that Lauren made a face of annoyance at the term Raku. Hasa took his hand and shook it, forcing a smile.

The office was a cluttered mess, but Harrison had cleared away enough space for two chairs. Lauren sat in the one to the left and Hasa blindly sat in the one to the right. She yelped and stood right back up, realizing she had sat on something hard. It was a toy ambulance.

"Goddammit, Fox go put that away! The Hell did I tell you about leaving toys all over my office?" Harrison scolded, seeming to talk to someone behind his desk. A small boy crawled out from behind it, mumbling about how his father was 'too not fun'. He took the small ambulance from Hasa's seat and placed it into the front pocket of his overalls.

"Now go, we have adult things to talk about," Harrison waved his son away, returning to his desk.

The boy stuck out his tongue but left, letting the door shut behind him. Hasa sat down again, smiling faintly. "Quite a handful," she remarked.

"I apologize. He likes playing in here for some reason," He sighed, shuffling through a few papers. "So, I see you've finalized your choices."

"For sponsors? Yes. I believe Nahana and Jimak are very good at leading. They are my vice president and leader of security, respectively speaking. And Saelus is a very willing man. I believe he can do a lot for you and for the Fae." Hasa stopped abruptly. She had been gushing, and Lauren had that look of annoyance again.

"I see that," Harrison mumbled, mostly to himself, shuffling through more papers. "I think they're fine sponsors but they have no towns to protect as of yet."

"Towns? I thought this was for the whole country, was it not?"

"Raku-Hasa, the West is huge. Three Crews cannot protect an entire country. At the moment we will start small, then if the Crews are a success we will begin an expansion on the program."

"I see. What cities will you start with?"

Lauren perked up. "Well I ran a couple reports and figured out which cities currently have the most crime! Energy City, Daegon and The City Commercial are the top three."

"That sounds accurate," Harrison agreed.

"So it will be those then?" Hasa asked.

"Yes. Hopefully we can get the sponsors in soon. From there they can pick a minimum of fifteen members for their Crews and begin training." Harrison set down his papers. "I really do appreciate the help you're giving us, Raku-Hasa. Your people are truly as generous and good-hearted as others say they are. Never have I seen a country so willing to help another."

Hasa smiled. "Thank you." She stood to shake hands and Harrison flowed suit. She smiled more at how familiar she was becoming with these foreign customs.

She tried to ignore the fact that through the whole exchange Lauren had that look on her face, except this time Hasa could've sworn the annoyance was replaced with disgust.