103

--The Enclave--

“So basically, you think that he’s lying about what his job is and you want to find out why,” Stella asked, skeptical of this whole interaction in general. “Sounds more like serial murderer material than dating material, Das. This is not what I meant when I said I wanted you to be impulsive.”

“It was stupid,” she said.

“Easy solution: don’t go,” the young woman told her as they walked through the pedestrian streets of the university hex. Easy for you to say, Dassah sighed internally.

Dassah hadn’t told her everything, of course. She hadn’t mentioned anything about Merlyn Jace, or Varier Co., or the man in the jackal mask. It all seemed very superfluous, and if there was something behind it all, she didn’t want Stella to be involved.

“Easy as that would be,” Dassah said. “At least someone knows who I was with if I turn up dead in an alley.”

“Don’t even joke.”

“It’s just dinner. I’ll go, I’ll see what I need to see, say what I need to say, and then I never need to speak to him again.”

“You don’t need to speak with him again as it is,” Stella said, incredulously. “He’s not entitled to your presence, and you aren’t obligated to do as he wishes. End of story. Up for coffee and a snack? It’s not our usual place but there are a few good street vendors in the central square and I’m feeling a bit peckish.”

“I could go for a little something. Especially the coffee.” It was already later than Dassah had intended to be out, but she had to admit she was enjoying the company. It also made her feel better to not be alone. “And I know all that,” she added. “Still, I feel like it’s all kind of a waste if I don’t at least try.”

Stella grunted and took Dassah’s arm as they walked. “Why do I get the impression that I’m not getting the whole story, here?”

“Isn’t a girl allowed her secrets?”

“All I’m saying is that I had better get the whole story later,” the young woman pouted.

Every hex of The Enclave was set up in a similar way. Every hex had buildings of its assigned purpose — residential, educational, commercial, utility, ect. — and certain amount of cross over to provide jobs and conveniences for its denizens. Most had a central square that provided access to various transportation stations, a park, and/or a few places to stop and get refreshments.

Though Dassah hadn’t yet spent a lot of time in them, she hoped that she could manage to drag herself away from work and games and cocooning in her house long enough to enjoy it. The fresh air did her good — especially now.

They stopped at a small crepe stand where Dassah got a small fruit filled crepe, and an even smaller coffee from a vendor, and sat over by a small, square, water feature. The crepe was good, though she wasn’t really sure what the fruits in it were. Her coffee was a bit too sweet for her tastes. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t Grim’s, either.

In between sips and bites, Stella asked, “When are you meeting him? Jake.”

“Tonight,” Dassah said. “Around 7.”

“Few more hours,” she said after looking at her watch. “You want me to stick around and help you get dressed?”

Though she was touched, Dassah shook her head. “It’s alright,” she said. “The makeover you just gave me was about one hundred times better than what I would have done as it is.”

“Alrighty.”

It didn’t feel like they were on a block, floating in a wide, open ocean, Dassah thought as she looked around. It wasn’t like Central Park, where there was a whole forest. Instead, it reminded her of the community parks between buildings that she would pass by in Seoul or Kyoto. Smaller, more modern feeling areas that were built to accommodate the more pedestrian lifestyle their culture and infrastructure allotted. There were a lot more benches and tables, though. And trash cans. Dassah appreciated the number of trash cans.

Smiling a bit to herself as she reminisced, she wondered if Elric ever came to these parks and thought the same. She wished that they lived closer to one another; then maybe she wouldn’t feel so lost. There were some things that Stella simply couldn’t understand, even if she tried.

Across the water, a young jikak was playing an instrument and singing a tune to a small group of onlookers. All around were groups of people — real people — chattering happily as they held hands, or studied, or ate crepes and drank coffee like Stella and Dassah were. It was a different view of life and living than what Dassah saw in the game. The streets of Miala De’Ri were full of chaotic energy that was passed on to the players for their adventuring. Here, it was a calm, serene energy. It wasn’t all that different from the feelings that she got from looking out onto the ocean from her apartment.

Beyond the young jikak was a small, covered area where several people sat studying — and an earar woman leaned against a pillar. Is she looking…?

The woman’s ears twitched as Dassah’s eyes met hers. She looked away. Her mouth moved ever so slightly, but enough to give her a sinking feeling. She looked around again, this time, looking for something. Someone. As much as Merlyn Jace and Varier Co. had been on her mind, she’d nearly forgotten that there was a chance — however unlikely — that her life was in danger.

“Stella,” Dassah went in a quiet voice. Stella wiped a bit of cream off her mouth as she looked up. “I-I think we should leave, now.”

“Leave?” the young woman blinked. “Why? And why do you look so spooked.”

Shaking her head and quickly collecting her things, Dassah said, "Not now, let’s just go, please.”

“A-Alright…”

Dassah took Stella’s hand and led her through the park and towards the monorail station, trying to watch out for anyone who didn’t sit right with her. And then she noticed that the earar woman she had seen earlier was now standing in front of the station.

Pulling Stella behind her, she froze.

Think, Dassah — what would Guin do? Guin was much better in situations like this. Of course, if she were Guin, she could simply teleport away from danger, or defend herself at the very least. She may have taken a few martial arts classes, but she’d been so focused on things for TheirWorld she really hadn’t learned anything useful for herself.

“Dassah,” Stella pulled on her and nodded to their right. Two valkyrians were watching them with slight smirks on their face. “What’s going on?”

“I think… I think we’re in trouble,” Dassah said, her heart plummeting. To her left were a couple of other humans, and a garule that that were casting suspicious glances their way. “Shit,” she said, trying to call Grim again. “Pick up, you useless —” she went, the changed the number to the EPD.

The various groups of people around them started signaling each other. They weren’t trying to hide it; it didn’t seem like they were worried being found out. But what could they be doing? Were they going to kidnap them? Kill them then and there? They wouldn’t do that, would they? In broad daylight?

It didn’t fit.

“118, what’s the emergency?” someone on the the other end of the line answered.

“I-I don’t know yet,” Dassah told her in a panic. “There’re people… watching us —”

“Dassah!” Stella cried pulling her down.

“Ma’am?”

Wide-eyed and fearful, Dassah watched as the valkyrians drew out — “Guns?” she went in disbelief. “There aren’t supposed to be guns on The Enclave!”

“Ma’am, please stay on the phone while we trace your location and send a squad over. Are you in a position where you can tell me —”

The rest of what the dispatcher said was lost in a flurry of gunfire as they opened fire into the air. At first, no one in the area quite believed what was going on — and then the screaming started. The screaming, and the running, and sheer chaos broke out around them. Stella and Dassah held onto each other for a moment before they started running away from them. But watching Stella’s back as they looked for cover, Dassah let go.

“What are you doing?” Stella cried.

“Run!” Dassah commanded. If she was right, if they were after her, then it was very likely Stella would be safer the further away from her she got — so Dassah swerved away to another path. The dispatcher was saying something, but Dassah wasn’t hearing any of it.

A rustle of leaves, and the earar descended before of her.

“Hello, my dear,” she purred, a semi-automatic pistol — that Dassah suspected wasn’t actually the kind of semi-automatic she was thinking of — pointed at her face. “I can’t have you running away. You’ve been summoned.”

“U-Um,” Dassah went. “I don’t — I don’t think… I want that…”

“You don’t get to choose, pet,” the earar told her. “If the Hollow man summons you, it doesn’t matter what you want.”

“H-Hollow man?” asked Dassah, trembling.

Another rustle of leaves, and someone grasped Dassah from behind, covering her mouth. Dassah twisted and struggled against him — then paused as the black muzzle of a jackal mask appeared over her shoulder.

The earar woman frowned. “Where did you come from?”

“What does it matter?” the Jackal asked. The woman hesitated as he drew his own gun. “Run along back to your master and tell him that he has no business doing this shit. If he has a death wish, I’ll be happy to grant it.”

“Don’t get involved, dog,” she sneered, but the Jackal chuckled.

“‘I’ve been involved since this world was created, mortal child,” he told her, tilting his head. “But it’s not too late for you to leave with your life.”

“What an infuriating manner you have,” the earar woman said in a low voice. An earar with a valkyrian mask? Ludicrous. You’re nothing but an obstacle — and obstacles are to be eliminated.”

A loud bang! echoed next the Dassah’s ear, and then, nothing.