Raea staggered out of the collapsed stall, shoving aside the slightly plump stall owner who was blocking her way. She wiped away frosting that covered her eye and flapped her wings, shooting various pastry bits into the crowd. “What the hell was that for?” Raea shouted at Palan. “You didn’t have to attack me if you didn’t like it!”

“Mommy, is that a demon?” a child asked his mother, tugging on her hand and pointing at Raea.

“Hush,” his mother whispered and grabbed his hand. “Don’t point at people—it’s rude. Let’s go, honey.”

“But I want to watch,” the child said and resisted his mother’s pull. He stared at Raea with wide eyes as she stomped over to Palan. He let out a gasp of surprised when an orange, scaled face appeared in his vision, covering everything.

“Hi,” Cleo said and blinked at the child. “You shouldn’t call her a demon.”

“What are you?” the child asked and furrowed his brow as he took a step back.

“Don’t talk to the halfling,” his mother said and pulled him to her side, sending a glare at Cleo. Her gaze swept over the collar around the lizardman’s neck, and she let out a snort before looking at Elrith. Clearly this disrespectful halfling belonged to him. Elrith was talking with the stall owner, handing over a pouch to pay for the damages. The crowd was avoiding him and his companions, but sticking around to watch. “Come now,” the mother said and pulled her child away.

“But Mommy,” the child said as he saw his mother’s wallet flash through the air from her purse. “She—“

“Be quiet and listen to Mommy,” his mother said and continued pulling him away without letting him speak.

“But your wa—“

“Didn’t you hear what I said, honey?” his mother said and picked him up, lifting him to her chest. The child turned his head to look over his mother’s shoulder as she walked into the crowd. He saw Cleo grinning and waving at him before his view was obscured.

A group of angels dressed in golden robes brushed past the woman and her child, heading towards the destroyed pastry stall. “The guardians will take care of them,” the woman said to her child as she continued to hold him, walking away. “See? I wasn’t lying to you. If you do something bad, they’ll take you away like they’re taking those people away.” The boy pursed his lips as his mother rounded a corner.

As for the golden-robed angels, the angel at the front blew a whistle as the group jogged towards Palan and Raea. The crowd parted to let them through, and more people were attracted by the sounds of the whistle, gathering around. Everyone loved watching someone else’s misfortune—it reaffirmed their beliefs to be virtuous. The six golden-robed angels stopped in front of Elrith, standing in a triangular formation. The lead angel’s brow furrowed as he stared at Elrith. “Do I know you?” he asked.

Elrith sighed. Was it time to play his general card? “It’s possible,” Elrith said slowly, “but unlikely. How can I help you?”

The lead angel rubbed his chin before staring at Raea and Palan. Raea was cleaning herself with Cleo’s assistance while Palan was crouching on all fours like a cat ready to spring. His tail hung in the air, swiveling back and forth with its base scrunched up like a compressed spring. Sally stood in the crowd, attempting to fit in with her head lowered but keeping her eyes focused on Palan. “We were nearby and heard a disturbance,” the lead angel said. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Elrith said and saluted. “I apologize. My demon…s are not accustomed to such a large crowd of people. I was not expecting their reactions to be this harsh. Everything has been taken care of, and I already paid the stall’s owner for the damages.”

The lead angel looked at the plump stall owner who nodded, confirming Elrith’s words. “You belong to the military?” the leader asked Elrith as the archangel lowered his salute.

“Yes, sir,” Elrith said. “I was tasked with transporting these demons.”

The leader grunted. “I see,” he said and relaxed. “I’ll give you a verbal warning this time, but if it happens again, I can’t guarantee the next guardian will be as kind. Do you need assistance in transporting those demons? They don’t seem very domesticated yet.”

“No, thanks for the offer,” Elrith said. “I don’t want to keep you from your duties. I should be capable enough to manage—my superior wouldn’t have sent me otherwise.”

“Alright,” the lead angel said and nodded, ready to leave.

“Wait,” one of the golden-robed angels said. “You’re not going to id him?”

The lead angel smiled wryly at Elrith. “I seem to have forgotten that part,” he said. “Do you have any form of identification?”

Elrith’s stomach dropped. “Y-yeah,” he said as he opened the pouch hanging on his waist. It wouldn’t be good if he pulled out his military badge—that he conveniently forgot to give to Michael—because they’d know it was him. He didn’t know if Michael had reported his desertion yet. His brow furrowed as he rummaged through his pouch. What was he going to do? The lead angel stared at him before crossing his arms over his chest.

Elrith inhaled. Fine, he was going to take the chance. He untied a rope, revealing a hidden pocket. His eyes widened as his hands froze. “It’s gone,” he said and blinked before jamming his fingers into the empty space. There was nothing there. His heart jumped as he looked up and around himself, staring at the crowd. He looked at the ground. When did he drop it? “It’s gone,” he said again and looked at the lead angel.

The lead angel frowned. “You seem like the honest type,” he said. “You’re sure you had it when you came into the city?”

“Yes,” Elrith said. “I’m positive.”

“Pickpocket?” the lead angel muttered, but the people in the crowd still heard him. They began to check their pouches as well.

“Ah! My bracelet!” a woman shouted. “It’s gone!”

“My wallet’s missing,” a man said in disbelief.

“Someone stole my keys!”

The crowd burst into a cacophony as they checked their bags and shouted out what they were missing. The guardians’ jaws dropped as they looked around. Nearly all the bystanders had something missing, and they surrounded the guardians to report their losses. Elrith was pushed aside by the crowd, and he ended up next to Raea and Palan who had distanced themselves from the mob.

“I think we should use this chance to leave the city,” Sally said in a soft voice.

“I agree,” Elrith said. He could worry about his missing identification later. “Let’s go.” He looked at Palan, checking to see if the demon was willing. Palan stiffly nodded and stood up, sending glares at the few angels who hadn’t had anything stolen. Sally’s heart warmed. For the first time ever since her mother died, someone agreed with her thoughts.

“Wow,” Cleo said as she followed after her companions who were rushing towards the exit. “Such an amazing thief. I wonder who it was. They should give her a medal.”

“Forget it,” Elrith said as he looked at the lizardman who was walking backwards to watch the crowd of unsatisfied people. “Just keep looking forward and try not to attract any attention.”

“Fine,” Cleo said with a pout before turning around. “Well, that situation could’ve easily been worse. No one died.”

The five approached the city’s exit. “Leaving already?” the old man with the peg leg asked and stood up as Elrith walked past him. He was sitting with his back to the wall, and hadn’t been visible. A snake’s head flashed through the air and smashed the guard’s head, splattering blood and brain matter over the wall.

Palan exhaled. “Damn. That surprised me,” he said as he recalled his tail. “It’s hard to discern between smells and heartbeats when there’s so many people.” His head swiveled as he looked at his companions who were staring at him with strange expressions. “What?”

A bystander who witnessed the scene let out an ear-piercing scream that attracted the attention of everyone in the nearby vicinity.