“Fuck off!” She shouted, holding on to the half-eaten loaf of bread.

“Hey, I’m still holding this here, really, c’mon!” Wei replied, his hands twitching as they tensed up; holding onto a metal plate with just a thin cloth between his brightening fingers and the very much red iron.

She clicked her tongue before sprinting over to his side and grabbing a thicker towel from the soot-filled floor; her already blackened hands stained again as she held up the other side. “You do not take up a metal plate one-handed.”

“Sorry. Figured the wound on my hand wouldn’t sting.”

“No bets, you idiot. Gotta be sure.” Shirin remarked, scampering over scattered tools and blocks everywhere before slowing down and letting the metal piece rest on the table, the smoke billowing away. She hopped on the table and sat right next to the plate, scooching away from the blueprints on her right and the tools on her left.

Wei groaned. “Do you need to be this way?”

“Shut it.” She quietly shut him down, seemingly keeping a fixed gaze on the wall.

He patted off his arms, slowly clearing out the lines and pockets of dust accumulated all over his skin; taking up a roll of cloth tape and wrapping it around his arm again. The pale beige fabric coiled around his arm in a rankling, unpleasant manner, the rough and sandpaper-esque texture certainly unconducive to comfort.

“How much do we have left?”

“Do you still want to recreate the Pitann- Pitacinni- Pitacinny rail? Don’t seem very necessary.” She remarked, tinkering with a small contraption in her hand. “We could just tell them that this is the purest form or some kinda nonsense.”

“I mean… I guess I agree…”

“Yeah. So that’s the plan then.” Wei narrowed his eyes at her curt attitude; the frown on his face accentuated by the rings below his eyes. He pawed through wooden planks and shavings littered everywhere on the table, sighing once he grabbed onto the canteen. The water disappeared down his throat as soon as the mouth of the canister touched his parched lips.

Shirin twirled her hair as per usual. Participating in that habit of hers on one hand, she raised up a blueprint with the other; her eyes tracking each and every character on the parchment. Her irises shifted and moved around rapidly, staring it all down.

She jumped back onto the floor before casually pointing up her index finger. Little silvery particles from the piles swept into other parts of the room began to leave their deposits and swirl around her; the swirl turning into a massive, floating rectangle ahead of her about the thickness of a sheet of printer paper.

She snapped. Instantly the rectangle became a large amount of graphs, numbers, and characters; previously infinitesimally small diagrams now about the size of a human head, and writing that on paper had been only Kurai or English now displayed in both languages. Shirin sat back down, her eyes still darting around.

“Gimme a sec ah, I’ll be finishing off this drink.”

“Yeah, whatever. You got it.” She didn’t even turn to look at Wei as those words left her mouth.

When her fist closed entire diagrams dissipated into a small cube below all the other diagrams and writing; if she flicked right her writing changed or perhaps merged into other writing. When her raised fingers counted three diagrams stopped being diagrams lifted into the air but instead revolving, moving three-dimensional objects.

The diagrams slowly fizzled out, the particles joining the cube below; the writing slowly left, and the cube only continued to grow and grow. Eventually the cube’s volume stopped increasing and Shirin was left with a single diagram in front of her. From a receiver a barrel stuck out, a grip, magazine, and sight above, with a stock attached behind; a gun, however crude the oversized cuboid that seemingly represented the receiver or a tiny grip underneath might have been, floated before her.

“How much time do you think we got left on this entire thing?”

“Time ah… I’ll give it like maybe a week at minimum.”

“Eh…” Her voice trailed off, glancing around. “I think I’ll fire up the blast furnace for another go. How much more pig iron do we need again?”

“3.2 kg, I think? Aiyah, just play it safe, make 4. Didn’t expect we’d completely destroy the last barrel.” He croaked, before gulping down more water, shaking the canteen before muttering, “...shit. Finished.”

“You drink that shit faster than a fucking dragon, I swear.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s like 400ml at most lah, give me a break!”

“You two are honestly droll.” The booming voice came from to the side of both of them; a long-eared man strolling into the room from the open door. His clean, practically shining uniform with a pale green othala armband immediately stained as he stepped into the dusty, soot-filled floors; shining particles lining his boots.

“Ah, Mr. Enako…” Wei muttered.

“That’s sir to you. And woman, I thought I’d be afforded a bow?” He frowned.

“Fuck off, you pompous little prick. Even your voice sounds like a dragon shat into it before slapping your face twice with the tail.”

Enako grimaced. “Great god indeed, you are surely in dire need of training…”

“Yeah, I do. I need to learn a way to better interpret incoherent low-life thought.” Shirin grinned as she walked over to the blast furnace, still tinkering with the contraption.

“Clearly an example of the female’s best intelligence.” He remarked with a flat voice, scratching his collar. “Where are the other prisoners?”

“Um… you mean Tooru and… Rie?” Wei asked, putting down the canteen as he began to wrap his left arm in the same tape his right was covered in.

“The child prisoners. Surely you know their numbers? You’re only allowed to call them by their number.”

Wei scratched his head. “Uh… I11, I17.”

“Excellent. At least you seem to learning some modicum of respect, I2. Do they perform any duties whatsoever?” Enako requested.

“Ah… kind, of…?” Wei paused, staring at Enako. “Like, sometimes To- I11 moves around planks and stuff? Very nice kid.”

With his eyes narrowed, Enako dragged a chair over from the corner before rubbing off the dust on the seat and sitting down. He motioned over to Wei; Wei jolting back for a moment, but watching Enako tapping his boot on the floor while staring at him, he slowly but sure walked towards the officer.

Stopping in front of him, his hands by his side, Wei remained entirely still.

“My apologies.”

Wei didn’t react.

“I might have been a bit too… bit too harsh during our first meeting.”

Wei blinked.

“So, in the best interest of… both of us, tell me quite truthfully before my temper inevitably gets the better of me and I trample your degenerate being into oblivion, have they been doing anything useful?”

“Hey, shithead! Keep a better lid on your threats!” Shirin shouted from across the room. Enako twitched.

“Your choice.”

Wei glanced to the side for a moment before replying, “I, um… it’s the truth. He’s been carrying a few planks. Doing really good for someone his age.”

“Non-useful, I see. Thank you for your time.” Enako quickly turned to the soldiers behind him. “Take I11 and I17 and transfer them to the common room. New designations.”

His eyes wide, Wei’s mouth had only just opened as a holler went, “Oy! What’s the meaning of this!”

Shirin marched right towards Enako, narrowed eyes piercing right through his very being. Her gaze firmly fixed upon him, her scowl so strong he recoiled, she stood tall in front of him, her irises laser-focused.

“Don’t. You. Dare. Put. A hand. On her.”

“I have no choice. She seems to be doing nothing, and certainly the other boy’s doing nothing either, they’re wastes of resources!”

“Oh, they are?” The smile that plastered onto her face shivered. Wei stared himself, standing on the sidelines, his mouth ajar. Enako frowned.

“Yes, they are, woman! Guards, order her off - get her to give a report to the woman-in-charge - and get some others to take the children away!”

The two soldiers behind him nodded, before marching over to Shirin. She jumped back, shoved one of them to the ground with a thud and ran into the side room - immediately pulling Rie out.

“She’s doing work. Just not very good at it - isn’t that right, Rie?”

Rie stared at her with groggy eyes, her head still shaking, tilted. Shirin leaned in.

“C’mon. Rie. Please.”

Rie looked up for a moment, then immediately bowed to Enako. “I’m doing work, sir!” Enako stared at them with a bewildered look on his face, as the soldiers began to pull at Rie and Shirin alike; a hand grabbed and yanked out a piece of Rie’s hair, slapping her square in the face, Shirin kicked another in the groin.

“Dam-dam-dammit.” She muttered, swiftly leaning to the side as a telegraphed punch flew past her. “Hey, look, I’ll get her to work, okay?”

“You will?” Enako uttered, staring at Shirin jabbing one in the eye.

Slapping the other, she affirmed, “Yes I will - not even a question - she won’t just carry planks, she’ll help us with the rest of the stuff!”

“A-and so will To- I11. I’ll make sure.” Wei interjected at the end, stealing glances at the fight breaking out to his right.

Enako scratched his head for a moment. “Dammit, guards, is it that hard for you to subdue two people?!”

“We’re trying, sir-”

“But- oof -she keeps hittin’ us in all the nasty spots and I’m tellin’ ya sir, it doesn’t feel right!”

The whites of Enako’s teeth showed as he stormed over and threw a punch in; as Shirin’s punch left his face he could see one of those whites flying away. He fell on the ground, holding his mouth, blushing. He glared up at Shirin and the soldiers, who had suddenly stopped, the soldiers rushing over to him.

“Oh, good god. Fine!” Enako shouted.

“Fine! Two days! If they’re not working in two days, they’re as good as dead. I’ll send them straight to the savages’ section and they’ll work their days out all the same as the rest of you insufferable little slaves.”

He glared at the soldiers, his scowl turning on them instead. “You two are utter disappointments! Still have her make the damn report, and after that you two are assigned to cleaning duty for a month!”

The guards groaned, before one of them took out a rope from his pocket; still keeping his black eye closed. The two slowly tied Shirin’s hands together, wobbling, scowling, and muttering to themselves.

“HURRY UP, YOU INCOMPETENT FOOLS!”

They hastened, before pushing Shirin forward and towards the door.

“Hey, Tan!” She shouted as they jabbed her away.

“Yeah, Kodai!” Wei replied, eyes wide open.

She stared back, beads forming at the corners of her eyes, before shouting, “G-give Rie and glasses kid a job! Please!”

“I’ll get to it!” remained the last words she heard from him in that conversation.

“Wow…”

Looking around her, she observed the dragons and soldiers everywhere. The wall to her distant right lifted up and down as dragons disappeared outwards, soldiers marching in formation to her right; crates moved ahead and behind her. Walking ahead she watched as slaves walked along in chains, led along by soldiers.

“Where next, Senai?” She muttered.

“We’ll be headed there sometime. Can’t wait to burn down Yune’yo.” One of the soldiers remarked. “And damn, Houta, they say they have a lot of gold there.”

“All with those Sol’ha bankers, I assume?”

“Oh yeah. With all of them. Y’know, I feel like having a game of cutting off heads.”

“Hell yeah man, when we rock up there it’s gonna be a great time.”

Shirin rolled her eyes at their remarks. Grunting, she moved out of the way out of a few slaves passing by with large wooden crates in hand; she stared at them with a sullen expression.

Jab. She stumbled forward once again, one of the soldiers behind her grinning. Making her way through the litter of soldiers and supplies, her hands tied, bumping past soldiers who shoved her out of the way. All their ears pointed up and yet she trudged along in chains; smelling the stink. A pungent, intoxicating smell of manure filled the air.

In the crowd she saw flashes of a head of silver hair. Moving on she slowly saw Miru’s blue-skinned face in the crowd, her mouth moving. The noise of footsteps and clattering everywhere obscured whatever she was saying, looking elsewhere. As the image of her comparatively clean and refined trenchcoat came closer Shirin noticed Miru talking to another yellow-haired elven; Kari.

“I’m telling you, don’t be so casual about your duties…” Kari shrugged.

Miru tilted her head. “I was just mentioning the nature of my duties under the Lieutenant.”

“We don’t want to hear about that. Keep up on other news, would you? There’s greater purpose to life than just fighting, even the men know that.”

Shirin chuckled, barely holding back her laughter. Looking over at Kari, with a peeved expression sitting on her face, she remarked, “You two are fucking hilarious.”

Kari turned to her left. “Who’s this?”

“Someone better than your Imperial-lookin’ ass.” Shirin pointed at Kari’s regal uniform, in proper pale green with an othala armband, while Miru in front of her still stood in a brown trenchcoat; although now wearing a tight-fitting skirt like Kari was. Shirin narrowed her eyes. “Oy, Korun, those fashion choices are nay-ground for you. Choose somethin’ else.”

“Tch. Miru, is this one of your prisoners?”

“Ah- she’s a slave- sorry.” Miru stuttered, biting her lip.

“Another unrefined woman…”

“Unrefined? Way I see it, I’m a 26-year-old scholar, and you are an imperial twat created by some industrial settlement. They produce wives now?” Shirin smirked.

Kari’s frown only widened; swiftly slapping Shirin in the face.

“Ow…” She exaggerated, her pitch increasing and decreasing erratically. “That was so terrible! That felt like if a tiny piece of parchment rubbed my face. Mind doing it again? It was real fuckin’ comfortable.”

Rolling her eyes, Kari turned back to Miru. “You have to keep them under control; imagine being with nobility. They’d leave instantly.” Her finger pointed towards Shirin.

“Oh- right- sorry.”

Shirin stared at Miru, a small, delighted smile sitting on her face; her eyebrows ticking upwards. Her eyes wide, she leaned in slightly, watching the conversation unfold. Miru’s eyes darted left and right, stealing glances at the floor, ceiling and any moving objects in their vicinity.

“I’m telling you, Miru, it’s a matter of order. You and I are standing here on the hierarchy and if we keep enough people down below us we stay up.”

“Kari… we’re all trying our best. Even if they’re slaves.”

Kari scoffed. “We do what we want to do. You and me. As far as I’m concerned, they’ll be carrying crates and being fed to dragons as long as I live.”

Miru hesitated. “...I suppose so.”

“I suppose? Miru, you’re a very good woman. We’re both up there, above all of this mess; the army, as noble as it is, doesn’t suit you.”

“I-”

“Excuse me.” A soldier mentioned. Miru instantly turned around; her perturbed face turning to a stricter expression. “What is it?”

“Lieutenant Sekano wants a timeline of the upcoming invasion in the operations room.”

“I’ll get to it. How many men have moved to staging positions?”

“The Third Battalion is scheduled to arrive at their position tomorrow night. All other divisions have already begun preparations at staging positions, ma’am.”

“Inform the Third Battalion that we need them there yesterday. If necessary get some of them to arrive early as reconnaissance and the rest arriving later, we’re quite behind on schedule.” Miru spoke quickly and clearly; the soldier silently nodded and ran off into the crowd of other men and crates.

She turned around to face Kari once more. “-yes it does.”

Kari, wide-eyed, sighed. “Perhaps it does, then. Even so you’ve got to make your appearance and etiquette better.” She remarked, patting Miru on both shoulders. Miru winced, looking away.

Shirin, still staring at the conversation, remained eyes-wide. Her silence denoted her incredulity at the woman whose fourth reaction to mild sarcasm had been to push her against a wall and flash a knife at her throat. She swore she could even see Miru blushing somewhat.

“What time do you have to go, ma’am?”

Kari checked her small bronze watch attached to her necklace, remarking with wide eyes, “Indeed… I should be going…”

She bowed to Miru, who hurriedly responded in kind, before disappearing into the crowd of people. Miru stared off into the distance in her direction, before turning to Shirin.

“Ah… the report, I believe? I don’t have time for it today, what’s the status so far?”

“Almost done, you’ll have it in a week.”

“I see.”

Shirin continued to inspect her from afar.

“...what rank are ya again?” She muttered.

“Warrant Officer.”

Shirin blinked. “You’re a warrant officer at… I’ll say 35 but you Korun never age.”

“I earned it in the pacification campaign.” Miru replied, pointing at the othala badge on her chest, significantly more polished than the rest of her outfit.

“Man you love being part of the Avisen don’t you?”

Miru smiled. “Pride is a good feeling.”

Shirin blinked, before responding, “Yeah.”

“Send her off. Report in two days!”

The two soldiers moved forward once more and grabbed Shirin by the shoulders; she turned around at their direction and moved off elsewhere, back to the workshop. Her last sight of Miru was the Korun rushing off, sprinting towards the wall of inventory rooms and storage spaces.

Curious.

Shirin’s lips parted ever so slightly, her gaze clouding as her mind trailed off elsewhere. She remained silent as she walked, lost deep in thought. A loud noise passed into her ears and out.

Then she smelled the smoke.

She perked up.

Some soldiers had gathered outside, peeping into the slit at them.

The guards, engrossed in conversation, untied her and watched her disappear into the workshop where she was immediately greeted with smoke going up into the ceiling. The blast furnace creaked and warped before her eyes; a split-second away from falling apart.

Wei turned. “Oi! Help out here, would you! And get the guys outside to help!”

Shirin’s feet moved faster than her thoughts did; her hands raised faster than her mind processed, and she shot forward her powers. Wei nodded, grabbing a metal sheet and rolling over to the foot of the furnace, slamming the sheet into a pipe attached to the side.

“Tooru, get one of the soldiers ah!” He shouted, pointing over at the blue haired boy rooted to the ground in the corner.

“No, I got this!” She screamed. The grimace on her face underlined the gravity of the bending furnace; its top keeling over.

“Fuck, blow the hot air vent open! Girl, get the hell out of here, move into the other room!” Rie patted on Tooru’s back, before the two vanished into the other room.

*crack*

The pipes blasted off, steam and smoke both billowing out; Shirin gritted her teeth as she continued to hold the blast furnace in place, her entire body quivering. Wei ran to the table and immediately pulled away the unfinished pieces of the gun before screaming, “Kodai! Get the hell away, it’s about to fall!”

“Right!”

She let go, before jumping back and hitting the floor with a loud thud. The furnace keeled and its upper section flailed wildly before collapsing into the lower section; a massive cloud of smoke burning out of the wreck. Wei and Shirin, both prone on the ground, could feel a sudden rush of heat down their backs; soldiers opened the door only to duck or fall back.

As she stood back up, she muttered, “Is everything clear?”

“Yeah… look.” Wei pointed to the shuttered contraption, creaking; blueprints and parchment everywhere stained black. A soldier peeked in, his white skin turned ashen grey.

“Was… was Rie and that other kid responsible?” She uttered.

Wei looked over at Shirin. “...they accidentally dropped a bit of gunpowder into the thing.”

She stared, wide-eyed.

She had no words.