Chapter 30:

The stretching alleyways we walked through showcased the dereliction of the church, a stark contrast to the dazzling streets of the city proper. The air, still tinged that purple glow, seemed not to reach as far into the darkness as it should; the light halted midway, as if those who dwelled in the alley had been forgotten by more than their people. Their faces were weary and listless, clothes ragged, and I was certain now that the rumors I’d heard in Shortleaf were exaggerations. We drew attention, though far less than before, due largely in part to the ostentatious nature of the outfit Mira wore. She glowered at Draven. I giggled, though silently, so as not to be heard. 

The journey to the third layer was more of a walk than I was accustomed to, but after so many desperate sprints, it seemed a nice stroll. Draven halted us at a staircase that lowered into a section beneath.

Gale looked at him. “What is it?”

“Checkpoint,” He said, “Looks like the Church is searching for the two of you.”

I smirked. As if they could find us. Our disguises were so brilliantly idiotic that only a genius would be able to pick us out from a crowd. I looked over us. A newspaper boy, a farmer, a middle class worker and a—

My eyes twitched. Right. Mira was dressed as a glorified bunny girl. Actually, wasn’t this group of unrelated individuals, matching the number of missing persons, incredibly suspicious looking? I looked at Draven. Was this whole thing a ruse, a prank? I imagined him turning us over to the church in such ridiculous outfits. Surely not…right?

I would have to trust he wasn’t fucking us over, and take him at his word. He looked suspicious, acted suspicious, felt suspicious, but maybe he was a pretty stand-up guy? He was funny, at least. I did have a weak spot for funny. Maybe a duck wasn’t a duck just because it quacked.

I peaked over the railing and looked downwards. A crowd of people were worked through, inspected by a group of church knights. The men were equipped with scary looking armors and weaponry, a far cry from the attire they adorned during the ceremony. If we were to fight them now, without our armor sets, it could be a harrowing experience. Besides, a part of my brain lit up with joy at the thought of stealthing around the city like the protagonist of an old game series I’d played. 

“Let’s sneak on the rooftops,” I said. 

“Are you dumb?” Draven asked, “Why would we not just walk?”

Gale rubbed my head. I looked at Draven in offense. To think I had just defended this guy in my head! A duck wasn’t a duck, it was a glorified bastard, or failing that, my dinner! I pushed down the urge to slap the back of his head. I wouldn’t be able to stand the smug looks of each of the three if I were the one who got us caught. I pictured the scene in my head, vivid as a nightmare. 

“Oh,” Draven said, “Little rabbit can’t walk in a straight line without getting caught.”

Mira sighed. “I thought you were better than this, Lady Aria.”

Gale smirked, no words needed. That damn smirk. 

I clicked my tongue, and pinched Gale’s arm. His face, aggrieved, questioned me. Was the mark of a best friend the ability to piss each other off without words? I believed so, for the idea of him mocking me, even in a daydream, boiled my blood. Make fun of me, will you?

I didn’t answer his asking visage, instead ignoring him entirely. I had an idea for a punishment later — they were really stacking up. We walked down the steps, before disappearing into the crowd. Draven led us to the edge, our tight footwork and close directions taking us through their vision without incident. How had he done that?

I asked him when we entered an alley on the third floor. He grinned in response.

“When you live poor,” He said,”And starving, you learn how to walk without being seen.”

I frowned, looking at Mira. There had to be something more to it. A casual stroll through a crowd followed by a bunny girl was bound to draw attention, yet nothing came of it. She shrugged at my questioning gaze, clearly having no clue. 

Mira looked at him, eyes narrowed, voice dry. “We would applaud you, were the situation not entirely your fault to begin with.”

Draven laughed. “You’ll have chances in the future.”

“I sincerely doubt I will feel the urge.”

He stuck his tongue out at her as he walked us towards our destination.

The third layer had a different feel to it than the second, which was mostly artisanal works. The houses were dull, with some few exceptions, and the people that milled about in them appeared to be younger on average than those above. 

“What’s with the kids?” I asked.

“They’re attending Greyspire Academy,” Draven said, “Students who’ve earned in-layer housing.”

“Really? Did you attend?”

He stopped. His head looked everywhere but at me, before a brilliant smile flashed over. “We’re almost there.”

I frowned, but didn’t press the subject. There was a bitterness I hadn’t noticed until further introspection, a bad habit of mine. My mouth had a tendency to let things slip before I meant to say them. We stopped by a large building. 

“This is the group,” Draven said, “Who stabbed you, Aria. Mercenaries. Lowlifes.”

It was a building that reminded me of warehouses in media I’d seen. Large, with some clear space surrounding it, the residential area of the layer behind us. A feeling creeped over me that I couldn’t explain.

“What are we doing here, exactly?”

“Gathering intel.”

I looked at Draven. “You’re not going to kill people are you?”

“Why?” He asked, “Is that a problem?”

“Of course it’s a problem. Those are people.”

“You didn’t have an issue killing Atrax, did you?”

“He was a demon!”

“So is your friend,” He said, “And so am I. Going to kill me?”

My mouth froze. I looked between Draven and Mira, the latter of which looked at me softly, before intervening on my behalf. Gale said nothing, but glared intently at Draven.

“It was I who killed Atrax, and he was his main body when I did so. I doubt they have seen a death in person.”

She paused, taking a moment, before continuing. “And it is a very different thing to kill one’s own people.”

Draven smirked at her. “You didn’t seem to find it an issue.”

“Can you stop being a dick for two minutes?” Gale asked.

Draven looked at him in surprise, before his face turned softer. He scratched the back of his head. “Sorry.”

I blinked, shocked. Draven had an off switch? As expected of the Hero, to find such a thing on a person like him. I examined Draven closer. The tips of his ears were red, and he was avoiding eye contact. Could it be… maybe he wasn’t a duck, but a duckling? Kinda adorable. Like a kitten, its only defense small claws and sharp words. 

“Look,” I said, “I don’t care about all that stuff. I just wanna find out why they stabbed me, no killing, okay?”

I couldn’t go on an edgy slaughter streak, I hadn’t been rejected by the Church! Had I been tossed in some dangerous dungeon and discarded as trash, my glorious return as an agent of chaos would have been sick, but as a goodie two-shoes, I couldn’t justify killing indiscriminately. And Draven had a point. I had focused so hard on demons being the enemy, I’d forgotten one of them was a close friend. I suddenly hoped the Demon Lord was a very bad guy, before discarding the thought.

Things for future Aria to worry about. Another added to the pile.