Outlanders

Chapter 31: Invasion

The cloth door puffed to one side, and a limber figure stepped into the tent and stood at attention. "Scout Maita Cuchi reporting as orders, General."

"Very good," said Qasikay. "Show me what you've found." She pointed to an unfinished map of Textile Town unfurled on her desk.

Cuchi, unused to desks, awkwardly leaned over it and examined Qasikay's map. "It's impassible from the west, General. I think they dump their wastes here. It's one wide, marshy pit around a sixth of the entire city's perimeter. It will never do."

"Good find, Cuchi, but I will be the judge of that."

"But... General? You can't possibly be considering any movement through here. Their guns will tear us apart."

"I'm well aware of their capabilities. What else did you see?"

"I believed in you," said Astrapi. "How could you do this to me?"

Qasikay looked back. Astrapi was not there. His voice had been just another lie rattling around in the ruins of her mind.

"General?" said Cuchi. "What's wrong?"

Qasikay closed her eyes, hating herself. "Nothing. I thought I heard someone." The only one who still cares. She straightened her stance and took a deep breath to clear her voice. "You were, saying, Cuchi?" Her voice caught, and she coughed to clear her throat, but it only turned into a sob.

"General," said Cuchi, "are you alright?"

"That's irrelevant. Continue."

Cuchi resumed her report, but Qasikay was no longer listening. She turned away so no one could see her wipe away tears.

* * *

Vladimir limped down the street, draped against Ellis' side. The pain of his overused spells still burned in his chest.

"I'll be so glad when we can get a bath again," groaned Ellis.

"We all will," said Vladimir. "You were amazing, staying on Kovacs' tail."

Ellis smiled weakly. "I just wish I could have been the one to catch her. Chasing the mark into a lynch mob doesn't look good."

Vladimir kept his disagreement to himself. Then something caught his ears. "What's that up ahead?"

Down the street, six people in green robes stood around a doorway, where a grim old shopkeeper faced them down. Harsh words flew between them.

"It looks like a party," said Ellis, chuckling to himself.

"Summon spell: Drain. Life energy set: -45 drops..."

"Don't strain yourself. This doesn't look like a fight."

"It will. Look at those clothes; they're clean. They must not be from around here."

"You're right..."

"And their timing is right for them to be enforcers. Someone on the corporate ladder must have gotten a telegram out."

"Wait... do those look like Inti to you?"

Vladimir went silent.

"The Inti..." Ellis' jaw hung open. "Come on, Vlad, we should look at this."

The two strode up to a green-cloaked group as their argument with a shopkeeper grew heated.

"Hey," Ellis cut in, calm but firm. "What's going on here?"

"You!" demanded a woman in a mauve cloak and hood, shoving her way between two green soldiers. "Where is the leader of this town?"