Chương 10: The Star

"Out! Out!" Atzi felt a thumping, both in and on her head. She cracked open her eyes, looking up just as a cane whacked her in the face again. Atzi rolled to the side to avoid the next strike.

"Eh?!" She stood up, seeing the old woman across from her. She was small, hunched, and wrinkly, with her hair pulled back into a bun. She wore patched up robes and a sour expression. Atzi addressed her, "D-didn't you see that? Any of that?"

"What are you on about, girl?" The old woman spat on the ground.

"Blocking the path of an old woman… you must have drunk too much!" She waved her cane above her head, threateningly. Atzi pressed up against the side of a building to make room for the old woman. She peered up in confusion. It was daytime, about early morning. So she'd spent the whole night unconscious? The old woman muttered under her breath as she hobbled by. Did I collapse and have a nightmare? It didn't feel like one, and it hurt like hells beforehand. I feel fine now, but… am I sick?

Did someone put a curse on me? Is this V's doing? Atzi realized, having been passed out, it was possible someone could have stolen her money. She quickly checked what she still had on her and sighed in relief: sixty-five bronze, exactly what she ended the night with. She made her way to the inn. Along the way, she noticed the streets were sparse, with the people who were out mostly heading up the market street, in the direction of the temple district. When she got there, Hemm was sweeping.

"Hey, is something going on in the city? Where is everyone?" Hemm looked up in surprise.

"Oh! I thought you already left. They rang the temple bell, so there must be another big announcement." She set her broom against the wall.

"I was just about to head there myself. Want to go together?" Atzi yawned. She still felt tired and wanted to sleep. But… I'm already wandering about, so why not.

"Sure. Maybe good news this time."

"Great. Ah, real quick, could you help me move this back?" Hemm motioned to a large ice-chest she had moved to sweep underneath. Atzi moved over to the ice chest. Looks cold… She tentatively tapped it, then jerked back her hand with a little yelp.

"Cold-blooded… I can't…"

"Ah, I'm sorry!"

"Stuff that's cold makes us pass out, it's real bad." Hemm nodded.

"I'll get Marco to help me with it when we're back, then." She put up her broom.

"He already went out. Apparently it has something to do with the Ancestor?" Maybe he's run for it, too. Asshole.

"Yeah… I dunno much about that stuff, that's probably it." Hemm walked alongside her. It was a bright and sunny morning, with barely a cloud in the sky. Atzi sighed in relief. Oh, to have a warm rock… The temple district was already packed when they arrived. Atzi tried to squirm forward, but she was thoroughly stuck in the back of the crowd. A woman stepped out on the balcony - not Malus or the Saintess, but a short blonde woman with wild hair, and markings across her face like the Ancestor's.

Atzi didn't recognize her. She looked extremely nervous even from a distance. Atzi could see her mouth moving, but couldn't hear a word. She was too quiet.

"Can you hear anything?" she asked Hemm. Hemm shook her head. The blonde haired woman atop the balcony headed back inside. Everyone in the crowd murmured in confusion, until the woman re-emerged a few moments later.

"Um!" she shouted, and the crowd quieted down a bit.

"A-ah! Sorry!" Her words had no confidence, entirely shouted rather than spoken clearly.

"I-I have an important ann… ann… thing to say!" Atzi heard the confusion from the crowd, matching her own. Wow, she's awful at this.

"L-last night the prophet of the Ancestor" - she took a deep breath - "passed out! Away! T-tragically passed away!" There were gasps from the crowd. Atzi muttered, "Wow… Novae can't catch a break." The blonde woman stood there awkwardly, saying nothing as the crowd murmured. Some people, believing the announcement to be over, even began to leave. She shouted again, "W-wait! I-I have been bl-blessed by our Ancestor. I am J-jewel, the new…" she trailed off, her final words unheard by Atzi.

From the reactions in front of her, Atzi could guess. Prophet?

"That shrimp? Gods have the weirdest taste, huh?" Hemm gave Atzi a strange look.

"Thank you!" Jewel squeak-yelled before running back inside as quickly as she could. It was the worst bit of public speaking Atzi had ever witnessed. The crying and wailing from ahead of her agreed. As the crowd dispersed, Atzi noticed some people glared at Hemm, angry and hateful.

"Let's head back," Atzi said, quickly moving along. There were no incidents on the way back, but there were more glares. Phew. I'm not built for fighting. I'm built for the higher pursuits in life. Like sleeping. And sneaking. I'm great at that. Atzi quickly went upstairs to sleep more. She only awoke to a knocking on her door.

"Dinner," came Hemm's voice. Wow, I was really tired… Atzi headed downstairs and ate a meal as she pondered how to spend her time that evening. Wait, the festival should be ongoing. Yeah, I could go party! Atzi put on her shiny orange party dress and headed out. This festival was the big one, way bigger than any Atzi had been to before. All the gods set to show up throughout the week had everyone putting forward their best. She had spent most of the previous years partying in the slums, but this year?

On her way up in the world? She was heading straight to the main residential district, where she knew for a fact some crazy parties would be going down. She noticed on her way how few guards there were. That's what you get! The street was no longer made for travel - everyone moving through had to squeeze through gaps, or make them. A group of bards played catchy music from atop a sturdy makeshift stage. Big groups of people were laughing, dancing, and drinking.

Atzi scanned her eyes over the groups, looking for a good one to slink into and join. Especially ones that had drinks laying out to partake in. She spotted one almost immediately. A group of people surrounded a very talkative, very attractive woman telling a story. The short, bubbly woman had bright pink hair and curves that made Atzi drool. Everyone surrounding her laughed. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Atzi wandered up, grabbing a drink and joining in the circle.

"-and then, because his pants were around his ankles, he tripped!" the bubbly woman jovially said. Everyone's only laughing 'cause they like how she looks, Atzi thought as she did the same. Another girl in the group slinked herself around the woman's shoulder.

"Yurr so funny," she slurred. Atzi took a sip of her drink as she stared at the spectacle unfold. The woman smiled and then, in a single smooth motion, grabbed the girl and spun her, unfurling her into a dance. Despite the drunken girl looking like she should barely be able to walk, under the guidance and steady hand of the bubbly woman, she managed to keep upright and in sync. When they finished dancing, everyone clapped. Atzi downed her drink and clapped too. Man, festival season is the best.

"Man, festival season is the best," a guy next to Atzi said.

"Psh… everyone knows that." Atzi went to grab another drink, before rejoining the group. The woman began inviting the circle of party-goers to dance with her, one by one. Atzi stuck around, thumping her tail to the music as she eagerly awaited her turn. When she finally got the chance, she slinked over without asking. The woman took her claw-in-hand and spun her. Atzi found herself tapping and moving with extreme grace, somehow performing dance moves she never had before as the crowd hollered and cheered.

"You're a great dancer," the woman complimented her.

"I'm really flexible," Atzi said with a laugh as she swished her tail around. The woman got a gleam in her eye and reached towards Atzi's tail. Wow, in public? But she let it happen. The bubbly woman grasped it and pulled with a strength Atzi didn't expect, causing Atzi to fall into her chest. She then wrapped her arms around the lizard and leapt, disorienting Atzi as the world turned upside down, before righting itself again. Did she just do a backflip while holding me?

"Wow…" Atzi reluctantly pulled her head up from the woman's chest.

"I'm Atzi, by the way."

"I'm Alana," she said, and giggled.

"You from around here?" Atzi asked.

"I'm from Mediolanum!" Mediolanum sat on the eastern coast of the empire. Atzi had never been there, but she heard it was warm. If Mediolanum girls are like this, maybe I need to take a trip after the job.

"Nice. Betcha can guess where I'm from." She swished her tail. Alana stared at her with a blank expression.

"Um…" Oh, she must not be able to tell lizards from serpent-blooded. Psh, humans.

"... Pomaria? You don't see tails like this everywhere." Alana erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Of course I knew that!" She slapped Atzi on the shoulder. Ow! What are they feeding her over there? Atzi rubbed her shoulder.

"I'm staying at the One Eye Open, if you wanna get together when you're done dancing," she shot her shot. Alana lit up.

"I'd love to…" Wait. What if she sees how cool I am and falls in love with me right before I meet Cory again? Ahh, a crisis that I'll simply have to weather. She looked around.

"... but would it be right to deprive everyone else of me?" She grinned.

"Oh." Atzi cursed internally.

"They have to leave sometime, right?"

"No we don't! The party doesn't stop! Wooooo!" a man shouted from the sidelines. Atzi whined. Alana giggled again.

"Tell you what. Come back here" - she turned her eyes upward in thought - "the night of the thirteenth and we can spend some time alone."

"Yea-" Wait, that's the night of the job.

"Uhh… any other night work?"

"Nope! Sorry!"

"But I'm busy that night…" Atzi's tail drooped. Alana let out a long whine and gave Atzi a lip quiver.

"I'll… if I finish early, I'll rush right over!"

"Okay!" Alana brightened up immediately.

"Nice meeting you, Atzi!" She hugged her.

"I'm looking forward to it." She gave Atzi one last spin, back into the circle, before going to dance with someone else. Atzi wandered off, wondering if she was having great luck or terrible luck. She interacted with other groups as the party headed into the night. Then she overheard a conversation.

"Ah, the Star is arriving. Want to…?"

"Bah, it's not like he ever shows himself." Star? Oh shit, that's the god of Mediolanum. She briefly thought of Alana. Maybe I'll go watch. Atzi wandered her way back to the market street, slinking down it until she found the procession. A slow carriage pulled forward. Walking behind it were several priests and priestesses of the Star, each with one or two stars tattooed under their left eye. They wore black robes with white accents.

In front of the carriage was a singular woman, her head held high, three stars under her left eye. The prophet of the Star. Her robes were far more ornate, and the glowing star shaped halo floating behind her head further proved her position. Atzi had never seen anything like it before.

"We welcome the Star to the city!" the Prophet announced, and the priestesses echoed her.

"As now he is here, we shall now be having service at His temple. Please, faithful, join us." Oh I'm not getting dragged into that. That's like… cheating on the Water, maybe? Also those sermons are bad enough. Atzi made herself scarce, trodding back to the inn. === Come afternoon, she slipped downstairs for breakfast. There she found Marco, but not Hemm. He was cooking something that didn't smell half bad.

"Grats on the new prophet. Or sorry, maybe," she said as she sat down. Marco looked like he wanted to say something, but remained silent.

"What? Spit it out."

"Ah, that girl is…" Marco trailed off.

"Who is she?"

"... Vance's sister." Atzi slammed the counter.

"No way, she's got a brother like that? No wonder he ran off, guess he's moving into some fancy temple room now."

"... Maybe." Marco shrugged.

"Anyway, Hemm is out shopping, but she said I was good enough to try cooking on my own. She said if you didn't like it, she'd cook for you when she's back." Atzi hummed. If I say this sucks, I get free food? Tempting. He dished the meal and served it to her. Rice and chicken, simple, and not even burnt. Atzi took a bite. It was dry - not bad, but dry. Hmm… do I put his work down for free grub or not? Well, he actually stuck around so maybe I shouldn't chase him out with a bad remark.

Besides, maybe it'll get me even more free food.

"Kinda dry." Marco freaked out, grabbing the dish from in front of her.

"Sorry, sorry, I messed up!"

"Hey, I'm finishing it! Just leave it."

"... Really?'

"I've eaten way worse. Better than the shit Parish serves. Just get Hemm to show you whatever she does to make it nice and juicy." Marco looked down at the plate, then back up at her. Then, he smiled, and set the plate back down, before heading back into the kitchen. Atzi scarfed the rest down. At least until I get my mansion, this'll do. She headed out.

"The Shapeshifter's arriving!" someone announced, but she ignored it. Instead, she had a plan before the meeting. Atzi climbed her way over the fence and into the rich district once more, slinking her way over to Branek Bank, careful to stand a good distance away. Been a while since I've been here. She observed how things had changed since then- how much harder the job would be. All the damage from years ago had been long since repaired. Where there used to have been windows, there were none.

Some things were the same though; the entire place was built out of bright red bricks, notable in comparison to the carved limestone that made up the typical stone building in Sostra. It was only a single story, but tall. The biggest change, however, was the amount of security. Outside, two Braneki guards stood motionless in intimidating obsidian armor, which pulsed with red veins of visible heat. Scary… Branek wasn't part of the Empire.

It was a neighbor to the west, inhabited by Braneki, 'lava people' whose red skin was always hot to the touch. They weren't literally made of lava, Atzi was pretty sure. For reasons she didn't understand, they ran the biggest bank in the Empire. If Branek had been part of the Empire, then Atzi wouldn't have just been thrown in jail when the job went wrong. She'd have been killed. Of all the places to insist on going for again… I wonder if V is just mad about how it went. They really could never let stuff go.

Atzi stalked around the building, but couldn't find a single weakness or point of entrance besides the front. This job… how exactly do they plan to pull it off this time? She couldn't figure it out, but the meeting was tonight anyway, so she quietly left. But what to do? She wondered while moving up the market street. She looked up at a wall covered in paper posters. Ignoring all the ones about a missing spellbook, she glanced at the ones about the big Arena fights. I could go bet on those!

She scampered in that direction, prepared to win.