Anarchy 7
“This is stupid,” ShiKon muttered under her breath in a voice meant for KiNa to hear.
Over the past week and a half, they, along with a group of other Anarchy kids, kept close watch on the comings and goings of anything that looked remotely like trade or movement in and out of the Manor gates. Between KiNa and ShiKon, they carefully scanned imports for any sign of life. If the Manor thought to smuggle kids into the city by covering it up with other goods, two mind mages would be able to ferret it out.
So far, they had no luck in finding anything unusual. The longer they went empty handed, the more restless ShiKon became. KiNa knew that it was only a matter of time before she finally got fed up with his plan and did something rash.
Fed up had just happened. Something rash was what he needed to avoid now.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, knowing very well the answer already.
“This whole thing is pointless,” the girl glowered at him. “We’re just sitting here staring at a street that’s mostly empty. There’s no good in doing this.”
“I doubt the Manor brings in kids every single day,” KiNa told her. “We just have to be patient. Sooner or later…”
“What if they’re getting kids from within the city?”
“Then they’re idiots,” he frowned. “Stealing kids from the countryside is one thing. But if kids start coming up missing from homes in the city itself, that’s another kind of dumb.”
“Maybe,” ShiKon rolled her eyes, plainly indicating who she thought was another kind of dumb. “But you can’t prove it either way.”
“Of course I can’t. That’s why we’re investigating,” KiNa sighed. “I thought you understood the idea behind this mission.”
“I do,” the girl stood up and pulled her sock-gloves up her arms.
If the accessories had a better name, KiNa didn’t know what it was. She wore long gloves that extended well over her elbow that were decorated with multi-colored stripes, much like socks. Hence his nickname for them, which he was sure ShiKon would be irked to know.
That made him like it all the more.
“Then start acting like you do,” the boy muttered.
“The idea is to get information. We’re getting nothing here,” she crossed her arms. “Your way isn’t working.”
“You have a better idea?” KiNa asked. Instantly, he regretted giving her the opening.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” the girl told him, leaning back with a sly expression.
“That’s out of the question,” he frowned.
“You asked,” ShiKon pointed out. “And I’m just as much a part of this mission as you are. SoYa didn’t put you in command over me.”
The boy stood up, trying to use his height as leverage. This didn’t work all that well since the girl was only an inch or so shorter than him. “You’re still a noob. Leave the planning to a real pro.”
“Pro?” she snorted, already checking over her gear as if her mind was made up. “A real pro doesn’t get jumped in the street by a giiiiirl.”
KiNa’s jaw slacked as his mouth opened, but he couldn’t dredge up a retort. The window of opportunity closed, leaving anything he could follow up with nothing but lame sauce.
“Fine,” he grated. “What’s your plan?”
If she wants to do this on her own, I’ll watch her crash and burn.
“Plan?” ShiKon flipped her hair. “Only losers need a plan.”
KiNa pressed his lips together and reworded his prompt, “What are you going to do, then?”
“People know you in the Manor, don’t they?” she turned to look at him with those deep green eyes. “You can come and go as you please there, correct?”
For a moment, KiNa felt drawn in by them. As soon as he realized the mind-trick, he shook himself free. He didn’t say anything about it, though, because that would be admitting to the strength of her suggestions.
“Somewhat. I can’t go everywhere, obviously. But people have seen me with Master SoYa enough that they know I’m his student. Why?” the boy wasn’t sure he liked where this was going.
ShiKon didn’t answer, but instead asked another question, “Who’s the most suspicious person in the Manor that you know?”
“Geesh. You’re going to make me pick? They’re all pretty fishy if you ask me.”
“If you had to pick,” she gave an impatient look. “Who would be the ringleader of something like this?”
“I dunno,” KiNa shrugged, thinking about it. “I guess that Zemus guy always gives me the chills.”
“Who’s that? Is he a Master there?”
“Yeah, he is. Though I have no idea if he’s a teacher or just a social leech. He’s always hovering around everything Master SoYa does and tries to make him look bad,” the boy kicked at a stone watching it skip over the top of the roof and fall to the street below.
“Masters all have offices, right?”
“Sure,” KiNa answered, trying to decipher what the girl was fishing for. “Pretty much anyone with rank has some sort of little office there.”
“Good,” ShiKon nodded and began to slip silently across the roof in the direction of the Manor building.
“What’s good?” he asked, wondering what part of the conversation he completely missed. “What are you doing?”
“You are going to escort me inside the Manor gate. They won’t stop you from going inside, and if I’m with you, I can get in, too,” she told him. “Then, we are going to break into Zemus’ office, find whatever dirt we can on him and smear it across the Manor wall for everyone to see.”
“What?” the word almost squeaked from his throat, far more hoarse and shocked than he meant it to sound. “You’re crazy! You can’t just break into a Master’s office!”
“Didn’t you just say he’s dumping on SoYa?” ShiKon asked.
“Yeah, but…”
“Then it’s payback time,” she balled a fist in front of his face.
“ShiKon! I don’t think you’re hearing what I’m saying!” he grabbed her arm in frustration.
A moment later, he found himself shoved with his back pinned to a chimney stack. The girl glared into his face with a feral intensity. He was almost surprised she didn’t try to bite him… or at least gouge his eyes out.
She didn’t say anything for a moment, eyes darting back and forth over his face. Perhaps she was embarrassed by the intensity of her reflex, but he couldn’t tell. Instead she just made an indelicate sound and stormed away.
“Get me through the gate. I don’t need you for anything else.”
KiNa finally remembered to breathe, and slid down the chimney a few inches before retrieving his pride.
This is bad. This is real bad. Why did Master SoYa send me out here with this crazy girl?
Every sensible part of him told him to turn around and report back to Master SoYa. If the girl wouldn’t listen to him, which was not surprising at all, at least she might listen to their teacher. The other part of him, however, warned that if he didn’t follow, ShiKon would move ahead with this plan, with or without his assistance. Not that he had any illusion that what she was going to try to do would work, but without his help, she would probably end up much worse off.
The boy stared in the direction the girl vanished.
I can’t always rely on Master SoYa to make my calls for me. He trusted me to carry out this mission, and that’s what I’m going to have to do. Impossible crazy girls or not.
KiNa grit his teeth and began to slip over the rooftops in pursuit. As he rounded the corner wall, he pulled to a stop. ShiKon stood there, leaning with her back against the stone, as if she knew it was only a matter of time before he followed.
“You might not be as gutless as I thought,” the girl said, pulling up her sock-gloves.
“I couldn’t go back there and tell them I just stood here and watched you get yourself killed,” he scowled.
ShiKon patted his cheek, a total 360 from the no-touchy anger only a little while before. “That’s not going to happen.”
I see how it is. Double standards all around.
“Come on,” the girl didn’t look back over her shoulder as she walked away. “Let me show you the real meaning of anarchy.”