Fletcher stepped off the train into the crowded station at Bren’it’p, absolutely exhausted after spending more than half the night awake after the attack. The morning sun eased some of the chill which set in during the night. It was odd that it was so early in the morning given his internal clock wanted it to be much later in the day. Hopefully he’d get some time to recover from the time change.

  Backpack on and suitcase in hand, he stood on the platform, watching the flow of people.

  All of them were Unhumans.

  After so many hours alone in the train car, he’d almost forgotten that he was deep in Mythia, several hundred miles from any other Human. Standing there as the world shuffled around him, a new sense of loneliness hit Fletcher, and for the millionth time, he questioned his own sanity in doing this. Every [Bloodhound] that passed him reminded him that he could be exposed for what he really was at any given moment while out here, a threat that he would never be rid of as long as he lived in the city.

  He didn’t have long to regret every decision leading to this moment as a familiar voice called out to him.

  “Fletcher!”

  Turning, a smile broke out onto his face, and the insurmountable loneliness fled at the sight of a friend.

  “Sunlight! Hi. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Alcett?” he asked as he rushed to meet her. Using his free hand, he pulled her into a hug, overjoyed to see someone who didn’t hate him simply for existing.

  “I came out a couple of days early to help get things organized, and I thought I’d stay a little longer to make sure you get settled okay,” she said. Her yellow eyes glanced at the train ridden with bullet holes. “I heard about the attack. Did they really make you all stay in that car? The front ones are in much better shape.”

  “Oh, uh, I stayed back. Everyone else went up front. Most of the other passengers weren’t too keen on having a Human with them after everything…” Fletcher was careful not to sound bitter about the whole experience.

  Sunlight frowned. “I’m sorry. That’s not fair. I wish I could say that will be the only time you experience anti-humanism, but…”

  “Don’t worry. I knew what I was getting into. Besides, now that you’re here, you can give me all the pointers on dealing with haters. You’ve been dealing with crap like that from my people for years,” he said.

  She laughed and grabbed his suitcase out of his hand. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here. Minister Vi’le wants to personally greet you.”

  Fletcher forced a smile as he followed her off the platform and through the station, doing his best not to notice everyone looking at him as they passed by. Several even sneered or muttered a slur in his direction. He knew to expect anti-humanism, that was a given moving to an Unhuman city, but he hadn’t considered just how flagrant it might be.

  Outside the station, he finally got a good look at Bren’it’p, and despite everything, he found himself smiling at the beauty of the skyline only a mile away.

  Almost all the buildings were stone, and most of them stretched upwards for several stories. There was one wide, straight road leading from the train station to the city, full of unicorns, wagons, carriages, bikers, and people on foot. Bren’it’p sat in the middle of the plains, with nothing on the horizon except for the occasional tree.

  “Here’s our ride,” Sunlight declared as she reached an expensive looking carriage which was pulled by a set of gleaming unicorns. A [Ghoul] sat at the reins, a woman with gray skin, patchy hair, and inky, black eyes.

  Sunlight handed off the suitcase to the driver who secured it on top, and then she opened the door and motioned Fletcher inside. Sliding onto the velvety seats, he was a little surprised to be traveling in such an old fashioned kind of way. He assumed the Unhumans would have made the shift to cars by this point given it’d been six decades since the Merger.

  His companion joined him, pulling the door shut behind her. She settled into the seat across from him, still smiling. The carriage jolted forward, startling Fletcher.

  “A bit different than Alcett?” she said.

  “Maybe a little,” Fletcher admitted, glancing out the window as the scenery passed by at a much slower rate than he was used to. “I don’t know why, but I expected you guys would use cars or something. I mean, you have trains and electricity already.”

  The [Jinn] nodded. “Cars are a little trickier. We can’t transition everyone to one immediately, and having both cars and unicorns on the roads would be a nightmare. Not to mention we already struggle to produce enough power for lights as it is, and Humans don’t have enough gasoline to spare for the quantities we require. Honestly though, I prefer it like this. Most streets in the city are for walking or biking only. I think you’ll enjoy the change.”

  “That does sound pretty nice,” he agreed. “You grew up here, right? Why don’t you give me the unofficial guide on things?”

  Sunlight chuckled and then did as he asked, telling him about the history of the city, her favorite restaurants and shops, and some of the must-see parks and museums. She spoke so highly of everything, that Fletcher found some of his own enthusiasm returning.

  By the time the carriage rolled to a stop, he was actually excited about this change in his life for the first time since his meeting with General Taki.

  Sunlight exited first, and she gestured grandly as Fletcher exited in front of an ornate stone building stretching upwards five stories. Spiral columns lined the front, the brown rock painted with bright, swirling colors. The road below him was well cared for brick, and the other buildings surrounding them were as grand as the one before him.

  “Coming?” Sunlight asked, reminding him that they had places to be.

  “Just enjoying the sights,” he said before following her into the structure.

  The inside was even more magnificent, fine murals on nearly every wall and warm lights up above. They went up several flights of stairs to the top floor, and there arrived at Prime Minister Vi’le’s office. They were sent in to see him as soon as they stepped into the waiting area with his secretary.

  The office itself had no painted walls, but tapestries, mounted heads of animals Fletcher had never seen before, and a few significant pieces of parchment decorated the walls instead. A soft rug was at the center alongside a large, red wood desk where Minister Vi’le sat. Knarf and a [Bloodhound] waited by the doors.

  Fletcher tried to not flinch at the sight of that crimson fur, and he reminded himself that he’d passed plenty of checks already. There was little chance this one would be the one to discover the truth. Being 1% [Demanlic] was too low of percentage for anyone to [Sniff] out, even a full [Bloodhound]... he hoped.

  “Mr. Anders. It is a pleasure to see you again,” Vi’le said as he reached across the desk to shake his hand. “And Madam Sunlight, thank you for your help in greeting him.”

  “Of course, Prime Minister,” the [Jinn] replied, ducking her head. She and Fletcher sat in the two seats across from him as the [Goblin] resettled in his chair, not quite smiling, but happy nonetheless.

  “I must say, Mr. Anders, you do seem to be a magnet for trouble. Two terrorist attacks in two weeks. It would appear you have poor luck,” Vi’le began.

  Fletcher smiled tightly. “I’m hopeful that I’ve used the last of my bad luck for the foreseeable future.”

  “I share that hope,” the Prime Minister said. Without a pause, he seamlessly transitioned into reminding Fletcher of all the rules he’d been given back in Alcett in regards to living among Unhumans as well as giving a few more details about living arrangements.

  Fletcher’s exhaustion made it difficult to focus on the speech that was more or less everything he’d already been told. As Vi’le wrapped up the discussion, he motioned to the back where the guards waited.

  “We, of course, take your safety very seriously. Given that, Knarf will be taking on the role as your protector during your time in the city.”

  The [Orge] stepped up as his name was spoken, ducking his furry head towards Fletcher. His purple skin shone in the warm lighting.

  “I am honored to be the one to assist you, Mr. Anders,” he said in his deep, gravelly voice.

  “Protector? Like a bodyguard?” Fletcher confirmed, doing nothing to hide his surprise. No one had mentioned this before, and it implied that there was some amount of real danger to him just existing in the same space as Unhumans, which was an implication he didn’t like and a worry he didn’t need on top of everything else.

  “Something like that. Knarf will accompany you wherever you go in the city, and he’ll have a private room in the apartment building to assure he’s on hand for any possible emergencies. Just as a precaution. Bren’it’p is a very safe city, but one can never be too careful.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Yeah. Okay. Cool.” He didn’t have the mental strength to argue about this, and after the glares on the train, he didn’t think it was that bad of an idea. It did pose a problem, however, when he considered keeping his Hexing a secret. If Knarf was around 24/7, it wasn’t going to be possible to avoid being in the dark when his [Dark Vision] would trigger.

  He supposed he should be grateful it was an [Ogre] and not the [Bloodhound]. As far as he knew, only [Bloodhounds] had access to [Sniff], the [Skill] which allowed them to detect Hexing in Humans. Avoiding being in the dark was a lot more doable than keeping a [Bloodhound] from using one of their core [Skills].

  “Well, if you have no questions for me, I’ll excuse you for your tour of your new home. Welcome to Bren’it’p, Mr. Anders,” Vi’le concluded.

  “Thank you, Prime Minister,” Fletcher said as he and Sunlight both stood up. They all shook hands once more before Sunlight led the way out of the office, followed by Fletcher with the towering Knarf taking up the rear.

  “Let’s get to your apartment, get your luggage dropped off, and then head to the office so you can meet some of the staff,” the [Jinn] suggested as they loaded into the carriage. Knarf stayed outside, opting to sit on the back instead.

  “Sounds great,” Fletcher agreed as he settled into his seat. Sunlight continued to chatter about the city and her memories from growing up in it as they drove through Bren’it’p. Only ten or so minutes later the carriage pulled off next to a busy intersection.

  “Your place is actually back in one of the pedestrian only areas,” Sunlight explained as they climbed out. “But it’s within walking distance of your office building, and it has the most street lights of anywhere in Bren’it’p so you don’t have to worry about wandering in the dark. Everyone likes to keep things lit up at night to keep the [Invisible] thieves away.”

  They left behind the busy street of wagons and unicorns, walking into a more tranquil set of streets with plenty of greenery to decorate areas between buildings. Only it was Mythian plants, which were more of a yellow color with blue bark and branches.

  Knarf carried the large suitcase while Fletcher kept hold of his backpack.

  He noted that Sunlight was right about the lights. Everywhere he looked there was another lamp which meant he might not have to worry quite so much about accidentally turning on [Dark Vision] and, well, spending the rest of his life in prison.

  “Here we are,” Sunlight proclaimed as they reached one of the more fancy buildings in the area. “It’s absolutely gorgeous inside. Come on.”

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside to a simple lobby and up two flights of stairs to the top floor. His place was the one at the very end of the hallway, and as they went, she pointed out the door which led to Knarf’s suite.

  Sunlight swung the door open and ushered Fletcher inside first. It had several small windows letting in the morning sun, and its walls were all made of painted wooden planks. Wood also composed the flooring, giving a little bit of a sameness to everything. They entered into the small kitchen area that led to a mid-sized living/dining room. The two doors along the right wall gave way to the tiny bathroom and bedroom.

  It was even smaller than his place back in Alcett which was saying something, but it was furnished already, and there were several decorative pieces on the wall that made it cozy.

  “You like it? I made sure to pick out a corner unit so you could get the maximum number of windows,” she said. “I know it’s small, but honestly this is a really good size for an apartment in this area, especially with the extra security.”

  “It’s great,” Fletcher said, sliding his backpack off. “But why are the lights on? Seems like a waste of power.”

  “Oh, they’re on permanently. That’s a security feature to deter thieves and such. You’ll find a set of sleep masks in the bedroom already.”

  He really wouldn’t have to worry about [Dark Vision]. That was one more concern off his mind, at least. And if the [Bloodhound] at Minister Vi’le hadn’t [Sniffed] him out, chances are no one else would either. He might actually be able to pull this off.

  “Did you do all this? Like the furniture and everything?” Fletcher motioned to one of the paintings on the wall.

  Sunlight smiled sheepishly. “I just want to be sure you get settled in alright. This is a big change and…” Her smile faded. “And it’s my fault you’re here.”

  He gave her an inquisitive look. She was the one who gave him a way out by offering to get in a physical fight with him to disqualify him from the job entirely.

  The [Jinn] glanced away. “I’m the one who recommended you for the position. I heard they were looking to bring some Humans into Unhuman education full-time in a city, and I thought of you immediately. I just didn’t realize you’d be the only one or that it would be so far. I’m sorry, Fletcher. You have to understand I didn’t mean—”

  Fletcher grabbed her shoulder. “Sunlight, no. This is great. I’m really excited about this. Thank you.”

  She turned it into a full hug. “I’m glad. I only wish I could stay here the whole time, but I’m due back in Alcett next week.”

  “I’m just happy you’re here at all. Really, it’s made a world of difference.”

  “We should get going. You still need to meet all the staff and then tour the schools. I’m sorry I’m wasting so much time,” Sunlight said, her smile returning in full force.

  Knarf came in and deposited the suitcase, and then they all three left the apartment behind.

  As they walked to the office building, Fletcher noticed that everyone they passed stared at them—him, more specifically. Then again, Sunlight had mentioned that many of Bren’it’p’s citizens likely had never seen a Human before, so he couldn't exactly blame them. He remembered how much he’d gaped the first time he saw an Unhuman.

  The Education Department had a building similar to the one with Minister Vi’le’s office, though less grand. Fletcher’s office was the largest in the building, unsurprisingly, and everyone in there treated him a lot more normal than the rest of the city had. There were no stares or glares, just casual ducks of heads and introductions to the people he’d be working with the most closely.

  “Fieva, Brenzo, and Nanti,” Fletcher confirmed as he pointed at the three who waited in his office after Sunlight introduced them.

  Fieva, a female [Werewolf] who would be overseeing the middle school program. She had dark gray fur covering her whole body, a thin, short tail coming from her lower back, and intelligent yellow eyes.

  Brenzo, the male [Dragonist] who coordinated the high schools in the city. He was tall, nearly the same height as Knarf, with small horns on the top of his green, scaly head. Claws stretched from the tips of his fingers, and a tail extended to the floor.

  And finally, Nanti, the female [Dwarf] who would be his personal assistant and secretary. As with all [Dwarves], she had a bushy beard on her face and stood no taller than four feet.

  They all spoke of their pleasure in getting to work with him, and the first two left, but Nanti stayed behind to acquaint him with the room. She showed him how the filing system worked—with the caveat she was the one to handle all of that—and then ran over how his schedule would look. It would be meetings and paperwork almost exclusively, but that’s more or less what Fletcher expected.

  It didn’t help that all the paperwork was in the Unhuman language, which meant Nanti would also serve as his translator for all written documents since she had a high level in [Translate]. Hopefully he’d have a little time to properly learn the Unhuman language for himself while he was in the city.

  “Want to see one of the schools? The Central High School is just down the street,” Sunlight offered.

  “Yeah. Let’s go,” Fletcher said as he tore his eyes from the mound of paperwork awaiting him. He already missed being in a classroom.

  They exited back out into the streets, and luckily Sunlight knew exactly where to go, because Fletcher, who normally considered himself pretty good at directions and making a mental map of places, was completely lost in the maze of streets that somehow all looked identical.

  The school building was about what Fletcher expected for a city that was only just starting up a formal public education program and had limited technology to work with. The classrooms were well organized, but they used blackboards and chalk instead of the usual projectors or white boards he’d grown accustomed to. There weren’t any lockers or computers, and the library was rather barren. They didn’t have a gym, but they did have a good sized field for sports.

  The building was empty except for their little tour group as led by Sunlight who was apparently well-known within all the education circles in the city.

  As they returned to the Education Department, Fletcher found his stomach growling. Nanti was quick to inform him that they were holding a meet and greet lunch for the rest of the office and all the principals of the schools to get to know him.

  He was following the [Dwarf] only to realize Sunlight hadn’t come with. When he turned to check on her, he found her speaking with another [Jinn] who shared much of her appearance, from her golden coloring to her wavy hair.

  “Excuse me a moment,” he told Nanti as he went up to the pair.

  “Oh, perfect timing. Fletcher, this is my younger sister, Beam.” Sunlight motioned to the other woman. “Beam, meet Fletcher Anders.”

  “Hi,” Fletcher said, holding his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Fletcher? Like after an arrow maker? Or just after the fletching on an arrow? Is one of your parents an archer?” she asked, shaking his hand.

  He paused for a moment, caught off guard by the question. “Uh, no. It’s just a normal Human name.”

  “Huh. Weird. Humans are so strange,” Beam said, though he saw only teasing in her eyes.

  “That’s enough, Beam. Be nice,” Sunlight chided. She looked back to Fletcher. “She actually works just across the street, so if you do anything stupid, she’ll tell me.”

  “When have I ever done anything stupid?” Fletcher said, still looking at Beam. Her smile was less warm than Sunlight’s but somehow more engaging.

  Sunlight rolled her eyes. “Well, we’re going to grab lunch while you’re busy with your meetings. And then maybe tonight we can all do dinner. How does that sound?”

  “Alright. But don’t have too much fun,” Fletcher replied.

  “See you around, Fletching.” Beam winked as Sunlight pulled her away.

  He watched them go, a smile on his face, but soon he was interrupted by an impatient Nanti. With a sigh, he went with her to officially start his new job, praying it wasn’t going to be quite as boring as it was shaping up to be.