The tea shop wasn't quite what Jin Hanlon had expected. The place was two stories, squat in structure and much of its footage extended back with two other buildings hugging to either side. It was mostly timbered with some stone foundation in contrast to the dominantly off-color brick of its neighbors.

A vibrancy exuded from the array of flowers lining the porch area that made the place stand out even more.

The district itself consisted of mostly refurbished structures no more than a few stories. The cobblestone roads were broken and raised in places, as if created by some persistent gophers. When the sun rose in the east, most of its light ignored the district thanks to a large chunk of the area hugging the city's great wall.

The subconscious push of the demihumans to this part of the city was not an extensive conspiracy, but one of natural pressure for amenity. There were people like nobles that thought about such things: where their lawn would have the most sun, how much light filtered through the window of a study and other points of comfort. When the city-states merged to form Tevilandis, and Forgedalk became the capital, the individuals who stayed behind during the war got first pickings on whatever was left to claim when the original owners never returned.

The demihuman district had undergone renovations at the expense of its inhabitants with little to no assistance from the city itself. But these resilient people had built a sustainable life.

The caricthmian crystals in the street lamps were fully functional and were clearly maintained on a daily basis. Buildings were scrubbed, shattered windows replaced and shingles mended.

The demihumans remained firm. Jin always thought the forcible confinement of social and political pressure was a debilitating mistake for Forgedalk's infrastructure. But the citizens' negative views of demihumans had reemerged with the conflicts in the villages to the west. People had heard stories about the destruction of these villages. They'd heard that a demihuman militiaman had killed a soldier, which then led to the mutiny of Devolio Malkin's men. More stories were then woven with thick threads of embellishment.

Jin had fought alongside demihumans at the battle of the western border around twenty years ago. He had even considered some of them friends.

Friends... he thought.

A brief memory flashed across his vision. He thought for a moment that he smelled the smoke and iron of the battlefield. An olfactory hallucination. Even after twenty years his mind and senses recalled it with near-perfect clarity. The cane he was using to support himself was now a spear planted in mud rather than stone. One of his former comrades was standing about five feet away from him, but he was in the form of something like a phantom – just standing there in the middle of the demihuman district. He was a demihuman – a beastkin – and Jin remembered his name was Asur.

The realistic scene from his memory ended abruptly as Asur's head disappeared from his shoulders.

Hanlon lurched forward on his cane as the memory dropped from around him. He clapped a hand over his mouth as he felt the hot bile build in his throat. His shoulders raised a bit as he took deep breaths through his nose and swallowed the acid back down.

He looked at his palm and relaxed a bit when he noticed it was still clean.

Fucking hells... he thought. You'd think twenty years was enough time...

He couldn't remember when he last had an episode. It might've been five years ago. He wondered if being at this certain place and reminiscing at this certain time was enough to set it off.

I'm fine, he thought. Unfortunately, the stinging sensation in the back of his throat disagreed.

Hanlon tapped his cane a few times and tossed it lightly between his hands to regain his composure. He looked to his side and saw a pair of beastkin staring at him from a stoop across the road. One of them sat forward in a slumped stance with his elbows propped on his knees and hands hanging loosely. The feline ears of his comrade next to him flicked from a mess of curly black hair as he leaned back into the railing. They didn't display any outward hostility or concern, but their wariness was plain.

Hanlon was debating whether to give them more of an acknowledgment when the door to the tea shop suddenly opened. A stern-looking woman with light brown hair and a matching fluffy tail maneuvered out onto the porch. She carried a tool box in one hand and a single gardener's glove in the other with her arm held up in a cast brace. She didn't even spare him a glance as she moved to the other end of the porch.

Hanlon maintained a neutral countenance and made a show of using his cane to ascend the stairs. He stood on the porch and rested his hands on top of the cane. He stood slightly angled to observe the fox woman and was able to see the other two beastkin on the stoop sit up straight.

“Excuse me,” Hanlon said.

The woman had her back to him and was in the process of working the glove on with her injured arm's limited movement. Hanlon stood patiently like a fisherman waiting for a bite on the line as the woman adjusted her green apron and undid the clasps on the toolbox. After giving the contents a cursory look she finally addressed him.

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

Hanlon had expected her to make a comment about him being a human, but she merely observed him with her side profile as she procured a cutting tool from the box. She inserted her fingers in the loops, separated them and made the exaggerated snipping sound as the tool's blades slid together.

Hanlon cleared his throat involuntarily. “A good friend of mine recommended this tea shop. Unless there are others in this area,” he added quickly.

He considered making a comment about her injured arm but thought better of it since she clearly wasn't the type for casual conversation.

The fox woman shrugged. She lifted a strange plant that looked like a miniature tree and rested it on the table. She stepped around the table so that she was facing him fully. She clipped portions off with a steady hand as she answered, “You won't find another in this district.”

“Are you the owner?” he pressed.

“I am.”

Jin suppressed a sigh. This woman is more difficult than that old fart, Bevka. At least the spellcaster had a sense of humor, even if it was demeaning most of the time.

“Wonderful,” Jin said. “My friend has never steered me wrong.”

“Uh-huh,” she mumbled noncommittally.

Jin pressed on. “He recommended the ripepev nouir.”

There was a barely discernible pause in the woman's trimming. Hanlon wondered if it had been there at all as she reached for another tool.

“The girl inside will take your order,” she said with finality.

Hanlon feigned a slight wince as he bowed to her. “Much appreciated.”

He moved to the door, but before entering he noted the two beastkin on the stoop who leaned towards each other in whispered conversation. It might have been nothing, but he made sure that their faces were molded into his mind.

 

 

The interior of the shop was much closer to what he expected compared to the exterior, but at the same time not quite.

A window on the ceiling let in plenty of light with a few of them overlooking the demihuman district. There were some tables randomly placed throughout the area, but it had a sense of uniformity with the space between. Piled in a corner were random chairs and other knick knacks that didn't seem to belong, but it added a certain charm to it that a person couldn't get in a place that demanded symmetry and theme. The place was actually clean – immaculate even. This accompanied with the dichotomy gave a coziness that couldn't be found anywhere else.

Shortly after Jin entered the tea shop he received a greeting that put him back on his heels.

“Welcome to Ash's tea shop!” an enthusiastic voice said.

He looked to the far side of the room where a pair of beastkin sat languidly sipping their tea. The third individual who was standing near them had been partially obscured by a support beam and was now making her way around to greet him. She wore what appeared to be some sort of waitress outfit with frills near the collar. Her thick black hair hung far past her waist and equally black ears protruded from her head. When the owner, Ash, mentioned a “girl” Jin had assumed someone around their teen years, but this person was most definitely a woman. A very attractive woman who seemed to be around her mid-twenties, perhaps a little younger than the fox woman. The wolf beastkin bowed to him, and Jin averted his eyes when he briefly glimpsed through the deliberate chest window of her outfit revealing prominent cleavage.

He pictured Evelyn's reaction if she had been present. She would have surely given him a solid smack on the back of the head for taking in the view. Jin was getting on in his years, but not nearly enough that he couldn't appreciate the assets of a younger woman.

Nothing gets past Evelyn, he thought bemused.

Hanlon didn't miss a beat. “Thank you very much,” he said with a bow. He made a show of observing the shop. “What a cozy spot. A nice, serene atmosphere.”

The wolf woman gestured to a table. “Of course, sir! That is what we always hope for. My name is Kureha, and I will be taking care of you today!”

Jin noted that there wasn't a bit of hesitance. She didn't view him as human or beastkin. He was just another customer to her. A person like her was a rarity nowadays, like a fine vein of diamond in a dark place.

Sweet girl.

Jin limped to the table as he momentarily forgot about his cane. He briefly noticed the young wolf woman reach out as if to steady him, but at the last second he maintained his composure and sat down.

Yup, a sweet girl.

“Would you like some suggestions to start out with? Perhaps something sweet, bitter, tangy?” Kureha asked.

Jin rested his cane on a neighboring chair and let out a soft chuckle. “Ah, I know exactly what I'm looking for. My good friend told me that the ripepev nouir is absolutely to die for.”

The wolf woman beamed with an unmistakable sparkle in her eye. “Of course! That's actually one of my own design. It is-” Her words cut off as the realization dawned on her. The sides of her mouth curled downward for the briefest of moments before she was back to her usual cordiality. However, she did look to the other two beastkin in the room who now had their ears up at attention.

The tense atmosphere was gratefully lifted as Ash entered the shop. She shouldered the door open and let it collapse behind her. She first looked to Kureha, who bowed to Jin quickly and scampered off to take care of his order. She then glanced in the direction of the two beastkin at the other table. The two patrons stood up, thanked her for the tea, gave Kureha a wave and exited the shop. Ash watched with her healthy arm hugging underneath her breasts as the two beastkin crossed the cobblestone road. They waved to the other two on the stoop, and the response was in the form of wide grins and slaps on the back.

Jin nodded to the window. “Quite a show you put on.”

“A precaution,” Ash answered immediately. She slammed the toolbox on the table and the sound muted around them in the packed space of the shop. She pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. 

Ash eyed him for a little longer before saying, “Ripepev nouir. Your friend has unique taste.”

Jin gave her a genuine smile. “He's very particular.”

“I wonder about that."

It didn't take long for their tea to arrive. Kureha had the courtesy to make one for her employer, and she set the two cups down in the middle of the table. She backed away with a bow and waited with the tray clutched nervously in front of her.

Jin looked down at the curious tea and noticed the circular splotches of light brown on the surface. They were evenly spaced and complemented the swirling green within the clear liquid.

“Interesting,” Jin commented. He took a sip of the tea and made sure that the floating portion touched his tongue. His eyes widened as the soothing fluid went down his throat with a slight hint of bitterness that followed the sweetness. It canceled out what remained of the lingering taste of bile from earlier.

“My friend most certainly did not steer me wrong.” Jin looked to Kureha. “This is without a doubt – and I assure you it isn't just flattery – the best cup of tea I've ever had in my forty years.”

The wolf girl shifted on her feet at the compliment, and a tinge of red blossomed on her cheeks.

Before she could say anything in response Ash interrupted, “How is our mutual friend?”

Jin returned his attention to her and took another sip of the tea. “My source tells me that he has acclimated to La'abrine rather well.”

The fox woman let out a visible sigh of relief, and she sipped gingerly at her tea as well, as if the confirmation was needed before she could take part in any self-indulgence.

“Did you ask him about this place, or did he provide the suggestion on his own?” Ash asked.

Jin mulled the question over for a moment before he answered, “I'd say a little of both. My work is rather stressful, and I needed a good place to organize my thoughts. Perhaps even share some of my gripes with willing ears.”

Ash nodded. She looked to Kureha and motioned towards the door. The wolf girl moved to the door, engaged the lock and slid the deadbolt in place. She turned the hanging sign around so that the word “closed” faced the street.

“Don't worry. It's safe to talk here,” Ash said.

Jin took this as his cue to start, but the fox woman raised a hand to interrupt him. “Let me say first that I don't appreciate those field investigators of yours loitering around. I've seen them snooping a few blocks from here in the alleys every so often.”

Hanlon frowned at this new information. While it was true that he had some of his people following a good distance behind Evan McCarthy at times, that wasn't the case for this far into the demihuman district when he wasn't present. His men were explicitly told to back off once they confirmed McCarthy's location in the district. The "loitering around" she mentioned would make them painfully obvious in a place like this. Either his men were being brazenly stupid or someone else from the Field Investigation Office was under orders to keep an eye on him as well, and they were being aggressive about it. He trusted only a few people to keep watch on himself and McCarthy, but he didn't necessarily confide in them enough to give specific reasons for why they were tailing the latter since part of it was to watch for Altham Volkest's people as well. They just needed to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and report back.

My little bit of trust might be misplaced, Hanlon thought grimly.

He had always considered the possibility that some of his people would become double agents for the wrong side.

“Are you certain they were field investigators?” Jin asked.

“Beastkin are permitted to walk around outside this district,” she answered.

Ha! So they followed them to the Field Investigation Office, Jin thought. Very nice.

“I think you and I have similar goals,” Jin said.

Ash arched an eyebrow at this. “How so?”

“Well, for one, we both have an interest in Evan McCarthy's success.”

“That's a fair assessment. But you said 'goals.' Plural.”

Jin nodded at the observation and took the final sip of his tea. He was unmistakably disappointed that the cup was empty, and he watched Kureha wordlessly retrieve the cup and disappear to the back.

“The other thing,” Jin said. “Is that we want the Adventurers' Guild Union to succeed in its endeavors across Tevilandis's borders.”

Jin allowed himself a grin as the fox woman leaned forward on the table. There was no denying her interest as she narrowed her eyes.

“Explain how you came to that conclusion,” she said slowly.

Jin raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Don't worry. I'm not working under the assumption that you're a spy for the eastern kingdom or anything. You must know that a number of interested parties have been keeping tabs on you and Evan McCarthy for some time now. This is due to a conflict of interests. I can tell you that it is because one side wants to establish friendly economic relations with the eastern kingdom, while the other wants to stop any potential trade agreements at all costs. The best option for the former becoming feasible is the Guild Union.”

Ash gulped down the rest of her drink. She brought her arm down a little faster than intended, but she slowed up just before it reached the table. She set it down carefully and laced her fingers together.

“I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved with Evan,” she said simply. “But my damn curiosity...” She waved her hand dismissively before saying too much and lowered her voice a bit. “Well, I knew this would happen, eventually. I should just be glad it's someone like Evan that brought all this together.”

Jin nodded in understanding. He hated what he was about to do, but it was necessary for all of them.

“You've been involved with him,” Jin said. “These interested parties I mentioned have some powerful people. They will be as discreet as possible to hide their involvement, but if Evan continues to thwart them, well, that discretion goes straight out the window.”

Jin had anticipated the guarded look she gave him.

“They will eventually come after everyone he's associated with.” Ash concluded the statement for him.

Jin made his best attempt at an apathetic gesture as he shrugged. It felt unnatural to him, but he didn't know this woman like Evan did. She would use him as readily as he would use her; however, she needed to understand that he was on her side. He didn't like it any more than she did.

“The High Council has people keeping an eye out,” Jin said. “Bribes and blackmail are a part of politics. It's common knowledge that nobody speaks outwardly about. As their positions become more unstable they get aggressive and begin to forgo subtlety. They will poke around where they shouldn't, break policies, cash in on prior debts and even target the ones closest to their competition.”

There was the slight twitch of Ash's mouth at the mention of the last method.

Jin continued, “One way that high-ranking officials gather important information without due cause is to access the Citizens' Archive. The archive has information about all of Tevilandis's citizens, and they especially make sure of this for anyone who has a crucial occupation, holds land or lives in any of the major cities.

“However, these documents are usually kept confidential unless the actual citizen retrieves them for a future employer or some such. The only other way someone other than the citizen can procure them is if this person is suspected of being involved with certain crimes: spying, treason, embezzlement. I'm sure you get the idea. But if you have enough influence and power like a High Council member, then you can skirt these rules using some of the underhanded methods I mentioned.”

“Which leads us to the important question: Do you have citizenship papers?” Jin asked, already knowing the answer.

Ash's fingers curled into fists on the table. It was answer enough.

“Our enemies will look into the humans that are associated with McCarthy,” Jin explained. “I'm certain they won't find anything to hurt them. Not permanently, at least. The outworlders had a delay with their citizenship due to the massive influx and desperate need for adventurers. But you, once they dig deeper and find out that a beastkin working with Evan is a non-citizen –" Jin gestured to the interior of the tea shop to emphasize his point “ – they will take all of this from you. Best case scenario: they will have you and that sweet wolf girl booted out of the city. You will lose everything you've built.”

Jin immediately felt a pang of regret as he saw Kureha's face drain of all color. Her hands gripping the tray in front of her visibly trembled against the folds of her waitress uniform. He hated to take this direct approach, but it was the only way to make sure his words pierced through Ash's walls of skepticism. He couldn't expect her to trust him just through association with Evan, but if it was clear that they had a common goal, then just maybe he could enlist her. He also needed to play off her desperation to protect Kureha.

Jin reared back in his seat as Ash's fists unexpectedly came up and she slammed them on the table. The tools inside the metal box on the table rattled and the cups sloshed some of their contents. She raised her fists again, seemed to consider bringing them down once more, but halted halfway as she reconsidered. That cold demeanor of hers returned.

A long silence followed. Her eyes bore into the table.

She glared at him. “Fuck you for saying that in front of her.”

“It's best if she knows the gravity of this situation. Words from me are necessary. You would just try to lessen the blow with reassurances,” Jin said. “I did some searching on you just because I was in the know. Our enemies don't know where to look yet and are going about this with only the necessary manpower. But again, once McCarthy becomes a major threat, they will go to greater lengths. I don't think they would resort to anything physical. That would bring too much attention. But they will find other means. They will use everyone under their employ and anyone who owes a favor to find information that can destroy you in other ways.” Jin winced at the pain in his leg and leaned forward on the table so that his eyes were level with hers. “I can get you those citizenship papers, but I need you to do something for me as well. It will be to both our benefit.”

Ash rested her hands flat on the table and sat up straight. Her mouth twisted in a multitude of directions. In the end, she took a long breath and composed herself.

Jin looked to Kureha who was trying to match Ash's expression but clearly failing, as evidenced by the wetness brimming in her eyes.

Yes, they truly care for each other, Jin thought. Of course they do.

“I'm sorry,” Jin said. “But I am your ally in this. We both want Evan to succeed for our own reasons. I know you would prefer to distance yourself, but this problem involves more than just us. This could determine the fate of beastkin in this country, and it will also determine the fate of people like Evan.”

Ash nodded to herself and came to terms with what he was saying.

“Disappearing was never an option,” Ash said. “I've just been prolonging all of this. Meeting Evan just hastened me towards what I knew needed to be done in the first place. I think...a part of me knew that all along.”

Jin looked to Kureha as he answered the fox woman, “That's right. It was only a matter of time. There are those on the High Council who want nothing more than to make your life as difficult as possible. Some of them would prefer to see you out of the country. Right now you have an opportunity. This is your best chance.”

He noticed Kureha's expression suddenly shift. Her arms were no longer shaking, and her face didn't show despair, but total conviction.

“Fine,” Ash said abruptly. “What do you need me to do?”

“I need information,” Jin answered. “There is a piece left to this puzzle that is out of my reach. It will confirm one of my theories.” He paused for a moment and raised a hand to his mouth and considered how much he should tell her. After a few seconds, he ventured that Evan would have given her at least close to this much if he was willing to lead him here in the first place.

“I'm convinced that it is a councilman that wants Evan McCarthy out of the picture,” Jin said. “Evan left me a message concerning some adventuring reports. After reading them, I'm certain that foul play was involved with the deaths of two outworld adventurers. It would seem like a coincidence at first, but during a High Council meeting I learned about other scouts that were killed over the past few months. Turns out that the vast majority were outworlders.”

Jin noticed the reaction, or more the lack thereof, on Ash's face as she considered his explanation. It seemed he had guessed right. She knew about it. He glanced at Kureha and noticed that she had done a better job of hiding her emotions this time around. However, there was something else there that Jin thought was probably anger.

“I get it now,” Ash said. “You want me to infiltrate the Citizens' Archive. I place mine and Kureha's falsified papers in the archive and retrieve the information you need. Both parties accomplish their goals in one go. But what makes you think I can pull something like that off?”

“I don't,” Jin answered immediately. “Remember, I only have my information because I am currently in the know. I can only base this off some assumptions and the company you keep. You can only keep secrets buried for so long when someone is actively looking for them.”

Ash heaved an exasperated sigh and fell back in her chair. The pose was unbecoming for a woman of her usual calm collectedness.

“So, you know about my two tenants then,” Ash said. “If you know, then there are others who will start to connect the dots.”

“Exactly,” Jin said. “Like I said, 'It was only a matter of time.'”

Ash looked to Kureha. The wolf girl stared back at her and nodded with her lips tight together in the most intense expression she could muster. It only made her look more adorable though in Jin's opinion. But the affirmation brought a smile to the fox woman's face.