“Finally, I thought you’d gotten caught by that big fella!”  After leaving the building I surveyed the street for those guards, then ran to the meeting place Acou and I had agreed upon after seeing it was safe.

“I almost was, luckily I had some help.”

“Help?  And why’re you barefoot?”

“I’ll tell you about it in a minute.”  That strange figure that had pushed me in the right direction was still on my mind, as well as some other things…

“Well… okay, after you then!”  He gave me a hearty smile and stretched his arms to guide me into the factory we had stopped at.  In the Wharf, factories were an everyday part of the scenery.  One could spot them from the smoke plumes which fed into the gray blanket above so long as they aren’t obstructed by any buildings.

This one in particular was an old factory, one that was active when we were still kids, but which had gone out of business many years ago.  Now it’s only use is as a shelter by the people to stake their claim first, like most of the empty space in the Wharf.

“Hey!  You kids got something for me?”  As soon as we walked through the door we were immediately confronted by a grisly looking Abyssian, “How ‘bout you slimeskin, I know you got somethin’ on ya.”  The man flashed a smile at Acou, revealing his brown and rotten teeth.  He must be looking for something to trade with a dealer so he can get his fix.

“I-I don’t got–"

“C’mon I know you’re holding– HEY!”  Quickly, I grabbed Acou’s arm and brushed past the weirdo into the factory’s shantytown while the man muttered to himself, “Shitty kids.”

Inside was a smelly complex of scrap shelters and blankets.  The windows above the brick walls were left only as frames, as all the glass had either been scrapped or busted out.  The people here spent their days sitting around and drinking, recounting tales of when they were young: Canis, Ovi, and Abyssians all laughed and chatted amongst themselves recalling their days as slave hunters, enforcers, soldier’s of fortune, and other odd jobs for stalwart men; their tattoos revealing their storied past.  Outsiders like us weren’t usually welcome in these kinds of places, but since we’ve frequented here so much, most just give us an eye and let us go about our business.

There was no order to the makeshift town they had created.  These old vets had packed themselves together in tarp tents held together by pipe and an assortment of wooden planks; some rotten and splintered.  When they weren’t drinking they were enjoying some cheap mystery meat packed in blue plastic cups.  The more complete shelters had plywood walls while others were just small tarp mats that some unfortunate man would curl himself in when night came and the drinking stopped.  Both of us stepped carefully, making sure not to trespass onto anyone’s plot as we headed for the far side of the factory where there was a staircase leading into what was once the factory’s office.

“This– Acou?!” Instead of sticking close to me,  Acou had joined into the middle of a circle of men who laughed and drank, with all their attention stolen by a mighty Ovis who held his arm– or what was left of his arm, above his head,  “Acou, c’mon.”

“Ah, okay okay.  Say Mackie, have you ever heard of a Bone-Snout?”

“A what?  Forget about it.”

 

Reaching the far side we went up a staircase bypassing a line of men, some of whom looked surprised to see us two.  At the top was a guard who ran his eyes up and down the two of us.

“It’s three guin for–”

“They’re cool, let them through!”  A friendly voice rang out from behind him, and he soon obliged it, letting us pass without paying.  Entering where the offices once were, we came to an overlook of the factory’s interior through the windows on its side; although, just like the others, these windows were also missing their glass.  

This small office space was sectioned off by curtains–

“Nnnh…” 

“Uhn~”

And from behind each were the sounds of dull moans with the occasional grunt or gasps for air.  At the front of these curtains was a chair where my eyes met the familiar stare of a stern looking man.

“Hey kid!”  The head of this racket knew our faces well as his eyes lit up upon seeing me, “Need up?”  I nodded my head, and the man led us to the ladder at the end of the office.  At the top was a chained hatch which he unlocked for us, leading to the roof of the factory.  As we passed, he gave one final glare at Acou, to which Acou instinctively lowered his eyes.  Lowering himself to meet Acou’s lowered eyes, the man spoke into Acou’s ear. “Don’t get too cocky wart-ass, the only reason we haven’t skinned you yet is because you have friends.”  The man jumped to his feet then left to attend to his clients leaving Acou dumbfounded.

“Hey, don’t worry about him, man.”  I tugged at Acou’s shirt, but it seemed like he was too shaken to notice until he spoke up.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m used to it.”  He gave me a wide smile to reassure me, but it was clear that what was said had gotten to him.  I don’t know how much longer “having friends” will protect Acou.

I ascended the ladder first and pushed open the hatch.  On top was a private place, a place I had come to when I was small, back when this factory was still a factory.  Just on the outskirts of the Wharf, one could see where the city ends and the plains begin.  Grass and a few sparse trees marked a mysterious land obscured by smog where things became uncertain to myself, someone who’s spent their entire life between buildings and with people.  Behind me I could see the hazy outlines of towering spires that eclipsed this factory, creaking all around.  Finally, below us was a chaotic world of ants; all were individuals, but they moved and acted as one.  This place has never gotten old, in all the many times I’ve been here.

“So, what happened?”

Reaching into my pocket I grabbed the sweet wrap I had saved from before.  The mess I pulled out was covered in lint and dust, and as the wrap had unwrapped itself it looked more like a mangled cloth used to clean a floor; nevertheless, I smiled and handed it to him.

“Uh, thanks… I guess?”

“Don’t mention it.”  Acou wiggled the treat in his hand while I stepped to the ledge to look at the busy bodies below.

“You know, it was really something seeing everyone again.”  

“It’s not like you had gone far from here Mackie, you just never bothered to visit.  I can’t tell you how many kids wanted to come with me every time we would meet up.”

“Hah~ I suppose you have a point.”  Acou, who’s sweet wrap had disappeared while my back was turned, came to join me at the ledge,  “Remember Simone?  At Canyonsteeba’s place when he walked out with a handful of wafer sticks in his mouth!”

“Didn’t Candor tell him to do that?”

“Eh~ maybe, I just remember how nervous he looked walking past those burly guards.  His face was filled with tears when he got back to us, haha!”

“Yeah, and I remember you eating one of the wafer’s he stole, even after it had been in his mouth.”

“Pfft, If I recall, you also ate one…”

“I-I may have had a bite… but it was only after everyone else had eaten their share!”

“Heh, whatever you say, man… the old clique used to get into a lot of trouble didn’t they?”

“And Candor was always there to get us out of trouble.”

“Yeah… where is Simone anyways?  I didn’t see him at Trash.”

“Gone.”

“Hm?  What do you mean by that?”

“One day he was there, and the next he wasn’t.  It happens to a lot of kids: Iola, Hechen, Noiry–"

“They just… disappear?”

“Things around here have been getting worse lately; surely, you’ve noticed?”  He had a point.  The number of failed projects in this city made it apparent to even kids like us that something was wrong.  This factory, and many others are just shells of what they were.   “I think what I miss most are the festivals we used to have.  Back then the streets would be lined with lights and filled with music, and even kids like us could eat treats and play games.  No one celebrates anymore; it makes me want to go back just to see our old friends like Simone, and Candor.”

“Hmph.  You think our friends are leaving the Wharf?”

“Leaving? To go where?  Think about it.”

 

I looked up from the street and past the many buildings to glimpse the Wall, a barrier so endlessly tall that only the sun and stars can overcome it.  No tool or weapon can scratch it, and no great ladder can match its height.  As far as it went into the sky, it dug into the ground; so fathomless that a man could never find its bottom no matter how deep one delved.  

One could leave their home behind and go into a world different from all they ever knew, but once they’ve reached the Wharf, where else was there to go?

“...Is someone taking them?”

“...”  Acou went silent for a moment, and stared over the ledge with me, sharing the moment of quietness that I’ve always come here to find, “I just wish our friends could look up to someone again.  They might seem as easy going as they’ve always been Mackie, but as things stand I don’t know what the future holds for any of us.  I don’t think it’s lost on you how important Candor was–"

“Why do you keep talking about him?!  Can’t you see I don’t want to talk about Candor?”

“Because I miss him… don’t you?  Don’t you miss your brother?”

“No.  I don’t miss him.  Why should I?  He didn’t disappear like Simone or Hechen, he left.  When our mother was sick he– goddamnit, he abandoned those kids in Trash, Acou.”

“I never saw it like that–"

“Oh to hell with how you ‘saw it’.”  I brought myself closer to Acou, who then retreated slightly.  I could feel a strain in my neck as I thought more about my mom, “When he left she couldn’t lift herself out of bed.  What am I supposed to think about him when he couldn’t stay long enough for her to die before packing up and moving on?  I don’t even know where he went; his own brother doesn’t know where he is!”

“Okay! alright!  I’m sorry, let’s not argue about it anymore.  I won’t bring him up.”  It wasn’t until he said sorry that I had felt the warm streak of a tear that had flown to my cheek.  Turning away from him I wiped my face and tried to cool down, looking back to the streets below.

“Why didn’t Mei come with us?”

“Mackie… she really hasn’t been herself for I don’t know how long.  At least two years by now, but things got really bad when she got that notebook.”

“And she got that a year ago?  You never told me when we met up.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to hear it.  You never want to hear about the others.”

“Yeah, I-I don’t but, if our friends are disappearing or… changing for the worse then maybe I should hear about it.”  Acou clicked his tongue, “ When did she first become like that?”

“I couldn’t say, but it was right around when she started living with us in Trash.”  My mind wandered.  Something about Mei and our Candor conversation brought me back to the slave sisters I had met, “Hey, you okay?  Your eyes are a bit scary.”  As he said that I brought my eyes back into focus, “Ever since we met up after the chase you just haven’t looked like your usual self.”

“It’s nothing, just–" I took a moment to collect myself, and thought back to the person I had ran into on the road, “Back on the street, I ran into someone that helped me escape.”

“They helped you?”

“Well, not really helping; more like, they pointed me in the right direction.”

“Did you know them?”

“No– at least, I don’t think so.”  I thought back to the music box in my pocket, sure that it had been the one I saw before in the trash pile when… when what?  What had happened to it? To me? 

“How did you escape?  There were quite a few guards chasing after you.”

“I got into an open window of an old building.  It happened to belong to a 1088.”

“Woah~  Someone working for Uncle Mauz, huh.”

“More than that, they knew my father.  A Canis by the name of Pyoni.”

“Pyoni… never heard of him.  Why’s he got you acting this way?”

“He doesn’t, but…" My mind trailed off again, “Have you ever thought about… a slave?”

“Thought about a slave?  In what way?”

“Like–" I struggled to find the words as not even I knew where this line of questioning was going, “Have you thought about why they’re slaves or what it means to be one?”  He pondered my question for a moment.  

“I think I know just about as much as you do, but the way I see it, slaves are like having a pet, except the pet uh… does things for you, I guess.  You house and feed a slave, and even care for its bairn should it have any.  In return, it works.  Cooking, cleaning, everyday chores, or plowing and harvesting elsewhere, any kind of labour.  They’ll struggle for you, care for you; really it’s like they’re family.”  Acou gave another wide smile, the only smile he was capable of giving.  He seemed satisfied with his answer, but it did little to settle my stomach when I thought of Joran and Fria. 

 It really is none of my business; after all, someone like myself could never afford a slave.  So why is it that even now I don’t feel for the many I’ve seen sold on the streets, and yet something about those two sisters still spark this thing within me?  They keep me thinking.  And if I were ever stabbed, I’m sure the twisting of the blade would make for a similar pain in the pit of my stomach.

“And the ones down a level, behind the curtains?”  He bumbled for a moment, coming to terms with the lewd imagery I’d just implanted in his brain.

“I-I wouldn’t know anything about those!”

“Haha… and what about when a slave is freed?”

“Hm?  You mean manumission?  They become a freedman don’t they?  When someone frees them then that’s what they become.”  Right, not that I needed an explanation on what a freedman is, though I suppose there’s not much else he could say.  This was starting to become a scandalous conversation for the two of us, but I haven’t been able to ask the question that’s been bothering me.

“What about when they escape?”

“Mackie, that’s a dangerous subject.  Especially here in the Wharf?  You know you should never talk about something like that–"

“I know more than anyone, Acou.  Just hear me out for right now.  Escaped slaves come to the city most of the time don’t they?”

“They only come here because there’s nowhere else to go.  A hunter can smell a slave’s scent from quite the distance away after all, and pick them out of a crowd of hundreds.  Any slave coming here is coming here to d– you know… they won’t be free for long is what I mean.  Even if they’re hidden well and their scent is faint, a hunter always finds his prey”

“But is that right?”

“Right?”

“Is that all a slave has coming to it?  If yesterday someone was normal, like you and I, and the next they were captured and sold, what’s the difference?”

“I don’t understand–"

“Other than their owner, what makes someone a slave?”  Acou paused once again before answering.

“They were unfortunate.  Maybe they were born to the wrong mother, or maybe they strayed too far from familiar faces.  It’s… natural, you know?  That’s the order of things.”

“Slavery is natural, hm…”

Acou nodded his head as best he could, struggling to overcome his bulbous neck.  What he said was true; in fact, I’ve known it from when I was a small.  There are some not meant for this place, some not meant for this world, and these types are easily exploited as the fools they are.  To that end, what he said makes sense.  Slaves aren’t just unlucky, they’re the fault of their own failings.  Even those born into it have no one else to blame other than their parents.  

They’re supposed to be tools, the same way one uses a hammer for a nail; though I don’t think most people see them as pets.  Acou is sometimes too soft for his own good. 

 

In some ways, Joran and Fria aren’t different from any slave I had ever met.  And still, I knew what they were, yet I struggled and argued with them in that room like I would any other kid.  I can’t help thinking about those two for some reason; I’m stuck on what it is about those sisters that makes them so different from all the others?

“Actually, there is something about that building I forgot to mention.”

“Oh?”

“There were two Cuni inside.  Sisters around our age.”  I felt an odd anger swell within as I spoke of them, a feeling very unlike me,  “They weren’t there to just cook and clean though… I think they were being used to comfort Pyoni and his friends.  The youngest wasn’t nearly old enough to sweep, scrub, or whatever else–"

“What?!”  Acou, who had been attentively listening until now, contorted his face into an expression I’d never seen him make before, “They were using kids to-to–" His large neck began pulsing rapidly.  A side of the two sisters had struck a nerve with him, just as it had with me.  “What should we do?!”

“What do you mean?”

“Well we have to do something!  Those are children for fuck’s sake!  You have to tell your uncle!"

“We aren’t going to do anything.  Didn’t you just tell me that slaves were–"

“This is something else entirely!  If Pyoni did that to one of us, wouldn’t you be just as outraged?!”

“They’re not one of us!  They're his property!”

“They’re children!  Children like us!  What would we do if one of our friends got picked up off the streets and taken to Pyoni?!  You asked me that didn’t you?!  If one was normal today and a slave tomorrow?!”

“That’s completely different–"

“How is it different?!”

“Acou, shut the fuck up!”  I snapped finally, that pain in my neck finally shooting up into my jaw.  I could feel the heat on my face that had surely turned red.  My outburst had frightened Acou who flinched, promptly averting his eyes toward his feet until he was sure it was okay to speak.  “They were unlucky!  That’s the end of it!  That’s what we agreed on!”

“I-I’m sorry Mackie.  Maybe I wasn’t the best person to talk to about this...”  Acou’s head retreated into his neck as it sunk away from my voice.

“No… hah, it’s alright.  You helped me clear my head, but you should remember where we are before speaking that way; you said that yourself just a moment ago.  You don’t speak about this to anyone but me, okay?”

“O-okay.”

 

I looked around to ensure we were still alone.  The man downstairs shouldn’t have let anyone up here, but if he did we’d be in deep shit.  No one, absolutely no one, talks about freeing a slave, and for good reason.  Hunters are always looking for lost property, and when they find one they’ll get paid regardless of the slave’s condition; even its death will only reduce the price of repossession.  Hunting is a lucrative business, and hunters are all over the plains looking for an easy mark to enslave while also searching for any escaped slaves.

Most hunters are Canis.  Their powerful legs are like springboards when they run, and their stamina is nothing to scoff at either.  Ruthless and greedy, they don’t recognize any authority other than the highest bidder looking to safekeep his property or find some new merchandise to sell.  You can see them in the Wharf pulling carts of slaves or patrolling the streets sniffing the air for anyone with a smell they’re hunting; their thick bludgeons that swing from their hips are easy enough to spot.  Acou and I knew best not to speak a word, and yet the two of us still spoke out of line.

“Sigh, I wish we could come here everyday…”  Acou had faced towards the edge to look over the ledge again and I turned to join him.  I too wish we could come here everyday; although my mind is busy now.  Being up here in a space of our own was tranquil.  “Huh?  What’s happening down there?”  Acou pointed to where the crowd of people had awkwardly stopped and divided.  The people on either side of the split murmured and brimmed with excitement, as I felt my own excitement spur within upon witnessing the procession.

“Oh my– Oh my!  Acou, those are Storks!”

“Look at that insignia!  They’re from Starlight!”

Two rows of Storks draped in cloaks walked behind another at the head of the procession.  They wore a dark gray cloak with golden stitched gears on the back; a representation of Starlight, and of prosperity.  The one at the front wore all white, and its beak was veiled unlike the others.  They stepped in unison with a graceful stride appropriate for their long orange legs that peeked out from underneath the cloaks.

As they moved through the crowd some people fell to their knees and bowed, while others reached out to touch the cloak of the one leading.

“Mackie!  We have to go down there!”

“Wait a minute, look at where they’re going!  Isn’t that–"  The Storks being in the Wharf was rare enough, so rare in fact that not in my lifetime had I ever seen one, only hearing stories about them from my brother.  But now, I’ve seen seven in the flesh, and they were all moving towards the 1088 Barrio, “They’re here to see Uncle Mauz?!”

Swiftly, I sprung for the hatch to the ladder into the factory.  This was the chance of a lifetime, and there’s no way I’m going to miss it.

“W-wait for me!”  I jumped down into the offices, ignoring the ladder and Acou screaming for me to slow down.  The offices were empty, curtains open, and the man who let us in was nowhere to be seen.  It must be that the entire factory had cleared out to see the Storks.

Finding my way to the stairs I rushed down them to see that my suspicions were true.  The place was empty, and some of the shelters we’d seen when we came in had been trampled from the rush to get outside.  I paid no mind to the plots I had carefully maneuvered around before, stomping into rubbish and knocking over the drinks left behind, I ran for the door knowing I could easily slip past the crowd and into Uncle’s place.

 

“Hey brat!” Though as if to extinguish my excitement, standing in the doorway was the bum from before who had hassled us.  He shot me a nasty, rotten smile, and flashed a shard of glass he was hiding behind his back.  “Empty your pockets and while you’re at it, take off the scabbard on your belt.”

“N-no!”  My legs felt wobbly as the man approached with the shard in hand.  Maybe I could rush him and run past– shit, Acou is still behind me.  “W-wait!  We can work something out.  My uncle has money–"

“Empty your fucking pockets before I rip you open!”  The man held the shard to my chest.  Blood ran down his hand from where he was gripping it too tightly.  With shaky hands I turned out my pockets and the music box dropped out, plopping into the floor.  Still holding the glass to my chest, he reached down to open and find it empty, “The hell is this?  Is this really all you got?”

“T-that’s it!  I swear!”

“Hmph, worthless roach… now take off the scabbard–"

“No, please!  It was my–"

“I don’t give a shit whose it is, it’s mine now!”

“M-Mackie?”  Acou had finally caught up to me, unsure of what was happening.  The man grabbed me by the back of my shirt collar and dragged me from behind as he stepped towards Acou, nearly lifting me off the ground.  

“You too slimeskin!  Turn out your pockets!”  I struggled to breathe, having to force the air in and out while his powerful grip pulled my shirt around my neck.  It felt like everything from my chest to my neck was on fire.

“I-I don’t have much- '' The man pressed the edge of the shard into Acou’s neck.  I hit the ground hard as he released me, reaching his hands into Acou’s pockets himself while Acou stood frozen.  The man pulled out a short string of some yellowish beads, snapping their connection and letting the beads fall to the floor.  “A few clay beads?”  Confused, he turned his attention back to Acou,  “Are you fucking with me kid?”

“That’s it!  That’s really it!  I don’t have anything else!”

“Tsk.”  He pulled the shard away from Acou who let out a breath of relief as he did.  “Of course a Frog and some fucking street rat wouldn’t have anything.”  He seemed disappointed as he walked past Acou and further into the factory’s interior, wiping his hand on his pants as he left.  “Shitty fuckin' twerps…”  

In a twist of good fortune he had forgotten the scabbard on my belt, but he could still come back for it if we aren’t quick.  Acou scampered to collect his beads as I strained myself to stand.

“Acou, come on!  Let’s go!”  I lifted myself up and pulled Acou by the arm to the door, stopping down to pick up my music box which the man had left behind.  

“W-wait, stop pulling!  I didn’t get them all!”  Barreling into the outside, both of us ran like the wind into the crowd, bumping and shoving our way to the other side of the street where I stopped to catch my breath.  My heart was beating out my ear.  

“Mackie, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah!”

“But you’re cryi–"

“I’m fine!”  I turned my face away from Acou’s.  I can feel the stream of tears running down both of my cheeks, and that’s the last thing I want him to see.  “L-let’s– hah, go see Uncle Mauz.”  I couldn’t stop them now that they started.  My vision blurred, and a part of me let out a small whimper I had tried to suppress as Acou solemnly followed me from behind.  Nothing would stop me from seeing the Storks, nothing.