Nehru, the Canal City Part 3

An oarsman rows a canoe down the canal beside them. The taller police officer lugs Mint over his shoulder. “I know the older kids are cool, but you can’t just do anything they say. You need to think for yourself. Even if someone else was the mastermind, you’re still guilty of the crime.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong! Some girl made me follow her and I didn’t know what she was doing!” Mint complains.

“Yeah, yeah… Excuses won’t change what you did.” The shorter officer chides, sounding like an exhausted parent. He glances at Mint’s distinctive, green clothing.

“Where did you get a guard, anyway? Did you steal it?”

“It’s an heirloom!” He whines, terrified they’ll take it away.

ꕤ

The sun ducks below the horizon, painting the sky purple and pink. Mimo’s brows crease and his mouth is a wiggly, worried line. Asa runs down a main street. “Mint!”

And another. “Mint!”

And another. “Mint!”

In a restaurant. Down an alley. On a bridge. Back at the tollbooth. Nowhere!

He’s nowhere! Did Litora take him? No, there’s no reason to assume that.

Asa heads down another street.

☼

Mint sits in the cold cell. Moonlight shines through a small window and dances across his face. They told him he should spend a night in jail and think about whether or not this is the sort of life he wants to lead.

“It’ll teach you an important lesson.” They said.

“This is where being complicit will land you.” They said.

He thinks they only put him here because he refused to tell him who he is or who his parents are. Asa’s my guardian right now and I don’t want to rat him out… He must be worried sick.

It’s fitting, in a way. He didn’t have the guts to stand up for himself and he ended up hurting Asa. They’re right, kind of. I should be thinking about where being complicit will land me. The things I don’t do can hurt others as much as the ones I do.

He curls up against the wall and watches the moonlight dance on the tile.

ꕤ

Sunlight sneaks in between Mint’s closed eyelids. He pushes himself up off of the bench and rubs his eye. The cell door squeaks.

It’s the tall police officer. He casually leans against the bars. “You can go.” He says, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the front door.

ꕤ

Mint runs out of the police station. As he makes his way down the street, the police officer yells to him from the entrance. “You’re lucky we’re not tracking your parents down to tell them what you did!”

Much farther down the road, he spots a familiar face. It’s the girl.

She’s following a wealthy woman in a modest, white dress with long sleeves and a mermaid skirt. Her brown hair is done up into a towering hive and she’s balancing many boxes and bags from trendy, high end shops.

The girl is wearing a similarly expensive looking blue dress and has her hair styled just as nicely. She’s wearing earrings that appear to be real diamonds. She isn't carrying a single box or helping in any way. It seems that the woman is her mom.

Mint’s jaw drops. She isn’t even living a rough life!

ꕤ

Asa trudges down a brick road, the canal shining orange beside him. He’s hunched over and rather pale with dark circles bruising his lower eyelids.

“Mint…” He calls, weakly. Mimo sits silently, with his eyes closed. His expression is one of struggle.

He may not have legs to walk or run with, but he has reached his mental limit. Mint walks out of an alley with a downcast look.

He spots Asa, slogging in front of a bridge. He’s probably going to be mad. Mint thinks. He sheepishly raises his voice. “Hey! Asa!”

Asa’s eyes light up as soon as he lays them on Mint. He springs upright as the life re-enters his body. “Mint? I’ve been looking for you for nearly two days!”

He runs to Mint. “I – “

Before Mint can continue, Asa traps him in a hug. I’m sorry. He thinks, finishing the phrase mentally.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Says Asa, voice tight. He pulls away to look Mint in the eyes, keeping his hands on his shoulders.

“I should’ve kept a closer eye on you. You’ve never been here, so of course you got lost! And you haven’t really been out of Soleeh much either, have you?”

”It’s not your fault… I left on purpose.” He admits, eyes drifting to the ground.

“Why?”

”A girl lied to me and said her friend was hurt. It was really just an animal she hurt by making it fight. I should’ve stood up to her.” Regret fills Asa’s features.

”No. It’s my fault for not staying with you. You aren’t familiar with the outside world. You don’t know how people can be out here, and this probably left a bad impression…” He says. “I’m sorry, Mint.”

Mint stays silent. Asa hugging me should be a good thing, right? Then why do I feel so bad?

☼

The next day, Mint and Asa head for the western end of Nehru. Their next stop is the small mining town of Chi.

“I know it’s probably not a great thing to ask,” Mint says. “But what is the Key even for?”

Asa’s heart skips a beat as he says the last part loudly enough for passersby to hear. He quickly presses a finger to his lips.

“SHH! Don’t say that so loud!” He whispers.

“Sorry!” Mint covers his mouth with his hands, like he can somehow shove the words back in.

As they continue to walk, Asa feels eyes on his back. It’s a stare malicious enough to sting. He whips around.

There’s nothing but a street of bustling people. No one in particular sticks out.

“What is it?” Mint asks.

“Nothing, I guess.” He responds. “Let’s get going.”

The feeling of being watched doesn’t go away.

☼

A fireplace crackles in a dimly lit study. Orange flames flicker, reflecting off of golden book spines and lacquered, wood furniture. A man sits upon a soft, antique chair with ornate carved legs.

Long, spindly fingers turn the pages of the book in his hand. His angular features are creased by the many years he’s lived and his grey hairs are slicked back neatly, giving him a dignified air that isn’t dampered by the bald top of his scalp. This man is clearly elderly, but something is wrong.

Within his eyes, there’s none of the contentment you would see in a life well lived. They’re intense, imperious, and strangely naive.

It’s not the naivety of a young, innocent child, it’s something different. It’s the bitter, empty naivety of a person who has never truly lived, or loved. The naivety of someone who is so isolated that they can no longer feel, or maybe never did in the first place. There’s a knock at the door, the same luxuriously carved wood as everything else in the room.

“Come in.” He says, not bothering to look up from his book.

A burly and rough man with red hair and a scarred brow enters. He speaks. “Phonoi wasn’t there, but I did find this.”

The man holds out his palms. Inside is the empty shell of an Animaguard. It’s not a model you can find anywhere in the world. “It was outside the ruins, and the Key was gone.”

The old man leans forward, not believing his eyes. He saw correctly. It’s Phonoi’s Animaguard. He takes a deep breath, and sinks back into his seat.

“So, Phonoi’s dead.” He says.

“I didn’t find a body, just his guard. He may’ve – “

“No. He’s dead. He can’t live without it.” The man looks into his hands, the realization setting in.

“He was my best yeeg. The most stable animamorph I’ve ever seen.” Says the old man. “Dr. Cessair has uncanny ability with nanomachines. It’s almost hard to believe he’s an earthling.”

A yeeg is a thief for hire, specifically one that specializes in obtaining highly protected items. Depending on the job, they can double as an assassin.

Finding quality ones is extremely difficult. One as good as Phonoi is one-in-a-million. The old man massages his temple. “We’re going to have to take our enemy more seriously.”