They walked together back towards his home. He felt embarrassed showing another person his shack in the Slums. Something told him she didn’t live in such squalor. Still, he was a little excited to see her. His heart had not yet calmed down from her surprise appearance.

They walked inside. Alsace’s face shifted from a wife’s disappointment at her husband coming in late, to a slight hint of worry when she saw the Guard uniform, seamlessly into a proud defiant glare. Her eyes burned at the Guard who had invaded her home as though she would set her alight.

“Everything’s fine. This is a friend.” He reassured her. Alsace’s face shifted a little, but he knew she was still on high alert. He chuckled a little inside.

Nara looked at him. “Is it safe to talk here?” She looked around the room. She looked at Alsace and smiled, “I don’t mean you. I mean there’s no guests, wanted or unwanted?” She asked.

Alsace opened her arms and gave her a mocking look. “What? In all this space? No, there's no one else here. If you speak too loud though our neighbours might hear, but they’re probably too busy dealing with their own problems. Unless you gave the street something to talk about?”

Jano could see where this could go. “No we weren’t followed.” He stood up, trying to calm his wife. “Would anyone care for some tea?” He began preparing some water to boil and prepared the pot. He wished that he had more space, a better place for such a rendezvous. He had what he had. He might as well be useful.

“What is it Nara?” He asked. “Is something wrong?”

Nara was sitting down, surveying his home as he prepared the tea. Her face was neutral, giving nothing away. “Have you seen or heard from our mutual friend?” She said in a nonchalant tone.

“Darrel? No, I haven’t heard anything. I assumed he was done with me and he moved on. Trying to lay low, from the whole…” he considered his words. “Well you know.”

As if remembering something. She grabbed Jano’s wrist. She sighed and her shoulders sagged. “Well if you’ve still got the - his power, at least he should still be alive.”

“Alive? What do you mean?” He asked.

“There’s rumours in the Guard that the Emperor sent word for a Mage to be captured. A raiding party of Mages descended on a large house in the Middle. Apparently it was a rogue Mage. Someone from outside the City.” Her eyes met Jano’s on the final point, she was obviously trying to hint that it was Darrel.

“...Outside? You mean we helped an outsider? Oh.” He said, shifting in his seat. He glanced to Alsace who still looked calm and collected. “The Emperor sent word himself?” He watched his hands shake as he placed the now full cups of tea down on the table.

Nara gave him a strange look. “Do you know what’s outside the City?” She asked.

“Everyone knows.” He said as a matter of facy. “Past the plains and fields that the Criminal Class tend, it’s the Empire’s Marshes and then the rest of the Empire. The cities of Oberin and Eradinium. To the west of here and to the east of the Empire lie the barbarian lands.” He said.

She nodded as she listened to his words. “Well, that’s not what our mutual friend told me.” She looked at the exposed brown skin on her arm, as though looking for a trapped hair or blemish, and not really paying attention to the conversation.

“The Empire is much smaller than we’re told. We’re hardly the centre of the world, we’re only a tiny part. Qursa is set up only to serve the rest of the Empire with products made by our factories. The rest of the world is bigger than we could imagine. Our friend… showed me.” She said.

“Anyway, I didn’t think that they had caught whoever they were after, but they’re on the hunt. I just thought….” She didn’t finish her sentence, but she looked at Jano hopefully.

“Perhaps it isn’t him?” He replied.

She looked down at the table. The cheap wood splintered at the sides. He had mended it several times, but there was only so much that could be done.

“Perhaps it isn’t. But I wouldn’t count on it. The Emperor is arriving in the City tonight. He hasn’t returned for years so I'm assuming he's back for a reason. It will be formally announced in a few weeks and a formal procession will be held. They’re keeping his presence contained for the time being.” She said. “They know something.”

Worry lines appeared across her face. “Our mutual friend told me that they came back to the City because of the Emperor. But wouldn’t tell me exactly why. Or what they planned to do.”

She drained her cup and slapped her knees. “I’ll keep my ear to the ground. Thanks for the tea.” She got up to leave.

“Nara. If you hear anything which suggests he may be in danger. Or you find out where he is and either of you need help. I’m more than willing.” He said.

A small smile appeared on her lips. She placed her helmet back on her head with a thud, adjusting the straps underneath her chin to fit her hair in place. “Thank you. Next time I’ll try not to scare you so badly.” She disappeared into the night and the door shut gently behind her. Jano moved to lock it.

“She looked genuinely upset. I thought you had only met her once.” Alsace asked. She was no longer angry or disappointed with him. Only curious. He could hear it in her voice.

“I did. But she talked to the Mage in such a familiar tone. Perhaps they were old friends.” He said.

“I think they could have been more than that.” His wife replied.

Jano felt his eyelids pulling. The drinks, the cold and the scare of a lifetime was enough to drain the last of his energy. He had to be up to work the next day, so he began tidying up the cups and the teapot.

Alsace headed to their small bedroom and he heard the soft noises of her clothes landing on their rope bed. Just as he was going to join her, he noticed a small bit of worn parchment which had been slipped under his door.

‘Dome. Tomorrow. After work.’

Was this a trap? Had it all been some sort of test? Jano unlocked the door and looked outside. The light was dim as it always was in the Slums. He saw nothing.

“What was that?” Alsace shouted through. She was taking her clothes off, what other incentive did he need to shut this out of his mind and deal with it tomorrow?

“Nothing. Just thought I’d heard something.” He smiled.