"I''m really sorry", Mari said, her violet eyes cast downwards, "But I''m hosting the Sterlir speakers for lunch today. Maybe tomorrow?"


    "Yeah", Aren replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice, "Maybe tomorrow."


    She turned to leave, but Mari called out, "You could stay! I''d love to have you, and the speakers would gladly take the chance to talk with Quill!"


    "I''m sorry, Mari, but I have to go. Tomorrow."


    ...


    Thankfully for him, Pyros was okay, if a bit dazed. Liara, Pucoths, and Quill had crowded around him, each asking after how he was in turn. They''d taken him back to the Iridawali embassy, and Pucoths had sent an aide off to find him assistance. As if he needed it anyway.


    Liara turned to Pucoths, who''d been sitting on the side of him. "Can you make sure he doesn''t overexert himself this afternoon? Keep him off the floor until Speaker Parlos gets his time."


    ...


    "I''ve had that happen to me before", Liara said after an all too-long silence, "You have to pace yourself, Pyros, and make sure you don''t overdo it later, even if it means wasting time. You should rest, or else it''ll happen again. We have to be more careful for future speakers. Someone I knew had a stroke because he pushed himself too far."


    "I... Yeah, I guess", Pyros replied, quietly, "You guys probably have people to meet up with during lunch, right?"


    "Yeah", Quill responded, "I should be going."


    Liara murmured in agreement. She crossed the foyer and reached the door, Quill''s footsteps close behind her. "After you, I suppose?", she questioned, pulling the door open.


    "Sure", Quill replied, stepping out. He still had to catch Aren at the Sterlir embassy. Behind him, Liara asked Pyros one last time to get some rest before closing the door behind her.


    "See you this afternoon?"


    "Yeah", Quill replied, "See you."


    ...


    Quill found Aren looking rather dejected outside the Sterlir embassy.


    "Hey, Aren", Quill said, "That''s a rare look on you."


    "It doesn''t feel like it, right now", Aren replied, cyan eyes downcast, "It seems like it''s the most common look on me lately.


    "Nothing''s going our way. If the votes were to be cast now, only Eric and I would go against it. We''re fighting an uphill battle, and the slope''s just getting steeper."


    "The votes are cast overmorrow, not now. We have still got plenty of time to show them why it would be so bad. Let''s go meet up with Trici."


    "Yeah. Let''s."


    They began the walk, passing embassies and brilliant stained-glass windows. On the way, they passed by Terys, chatting with an emerald-eyed man in Zeryziani. She shot a glare at Aren, though said nothing.


    ...


    After several minutes of trekking across the halls, they reached the streets. Familiar, soothing sounds washed over her. Food sizzling on street carts, their vendors calling out to the passers-by. The clip-clop of horses'' hooves on the ground. The call of birds, hundreds of feet overhead. It helped calm her, though there was one disphonic sound she couldn''t ignore.


    A small, spindly boy was crying on the ground, lying in an alleyway''s corner. His arms were riddled with lacerations, some old enough to have scarred over. Larger, fresher wounds still were open. Put bluntly, he was a mess. He was ignored by all the passers-by but clearly needed help. Aren looked briefly back towards Quill, bringing his focus to the child by pointing a finger at him.


    "We should help. He clearly needs help, and no one has given it to him", Aren said, rushing over. She turned to the child. "What''s your name? Can you walk?"


    "Y... Yes. I can walk. My... my name''s Dodeca."


    "Well, then, Dodeca. I''m Aren. If you can go to the big yellow-white building over there, and find the door with the wolf on it, you can go get some help. It should be in the third hallway to your right once you enter."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Th... Thank you..."


    "One more thing", Aren said, reaching to her collar, "Take this so they know I sent you. Ask for Marin or Zinnia if someone doesn''t help you."


    She removed a small pin from her collar, emblazoned with her city''s crest, and handed it to the boy. "Be safe."


    "Okay."


    ...


    Quill watched the child go. "That was kind of you Aren. Why''d you do that?"


    Aren let her gaze drift from Dodeca to him. "The thing that makes us different from it is our ability to feel compassion and to help those in need. We''d be no better if we let an injured child rot in a gutter.


    "It only took us a brief moment, but his chance of a future will be so much higher thanks to us taking that moment to help."


    "Unlike everyone else around here?"


    "Yes. They chose to ignore his plight. Maybe someday humanity as a whole can do better."


    In that moment, Quill finally thought he understood Aren''s raison d''être.


    "Shall we be going then?", Aren asked, "We don''t want Trici to have to wait on us."


    "I suppose we don''t", Quill responded.


    ...


    They followed Greensborough Street, passing through several blocks of markets and shops. The euphonic sounds of the city washed over Aren, soothing her. But there was one small detail, a single broken link in all this, that she didn''t understand.


    ...


    The pair reached the junction with 8th Street. On the southwest corner, a café with an elaborate front showed. The shop had dramatic arches and sharp peaks in its architecture, despite the shop''s small size. reminding Quill of Lyces, his hometown, in all its beauty. No wonder Trici liked the place.


    From the open windows wafted the smells of freshly baked food and newly brewed drinks. A single sign poked out of the front. On it, a crowing rooster was overlaid on the restaurant''s title, The Shattered Egg. A scattering of tables, with parasols to protect them from the rain, were arranged outside the entrance. Customers occupied several of them, though it would be another two hours still until the lunch rush would start.


    Aren spoke up first. "I guess we should go inside, then?"


    "I suppose", Quill replied.


    They crossed the road and entered the café. Those wondrous smells grew tenfold. A young, plump woman standing at a dais greeted them. Her eyes and hair had the hue of a cloudless day.


    "Hello. I''m Mara, I''ll be your server today. Can I ask for your names?", she said.


    "I''m Aren, and he''s Quill. Could we have a table?"


    "Oh! Nyx mentioned you! They said Trici asked them to save a table for you", Mara replied, "I can take you there, but Nyx will be the one serving you. Sound good?"


    "Er, yeah, that would be great", responded Quill, beating Aren to the answer by a split second.


    ...


    Mara led Aren up a grandiose brownish-pink wooden staircase with wrought iron railings. She guided them past tables, of which only a few were filled. She led them to a small balcony on the opposite side of the hall.


    "Trici always makes sure to come here during slow hours to grab this table", Mara said, "Can''t say I don''t wonder why. It has one of the best views in the city."


    She was right. Thanks to rising a story above most of the surrounding buildings, you could see all the way to the sea, your view only blemished by the Council''s hall. Aren suspected Trici had another reason, though. Thanks to a combination of the balcony''s door and height from the ground, you could have a reasonably private conversation. Not like the first didn''t play a factor, though.


    There was only one small problem. Trici wasn''t there quite yet. So she couldn''t quite yet ask her question.


    ...


    Quill took his seat first, followed shortly by Aren. They each took a stool, sitting opposite each other.


    "Aren. Is that child going to be alright?", Quill asked.


    "Yes. Dodeca should be fine. I sent him to Marin and Zinnia with my pin; they''ll help him. He probably just needs an antiseptic and some rest."


    "That''s reassuring to hear."


    ...


    "So", Quill posited after a brief silence, "Trici isn''t here, but she''s not going to speak until tomorrow. Should we talk about this afternoon until she arrives?"


    "I guess that would be best. There''ll be five speakers, no?"


    "Yeah. Two of them will need to be translated. One''s speaking in Qusi, the other in Kowal. They''re named Sydney Montas and Aerith Macar respectively."


    "As far as I can tell, they''re all on our side save Speaker Montas", Aren replied, "Who''s translating for them?"


    "It was going to be Pyros, with me substituting in when need be, but I doubt he''ll even be let into the chamber today. Even then, Liara an-"


    "Liara!"


    "What?"


    "Does Liara know Qusi?"


    "I''m not sure. I''d have to check with her."


    "If she does, we can corrupt a speech. Just like you mentioned this morning. The whole afternoon could be ours to exploit!"


    "You''re looking a lot less glum."


    "We still have to actually convince Mari, Aris, and Hothal. But it''ll be a great start."


    ...


    After a while more of chit-chat, Nyx finally showed up. They almost reminded Aren of a Gil, but their charred skin was far darker and their eyes almost like the midnight. They almost resembled a gash in reality, a spot of pure black. If it weren''t for their more human mouth and ears, Aren would''ve mistaken them for a demon.


    "Welcome to Table Five. I don''t see Trici, but Mara said you''re her friends. Can I get your orders?"


    "Yeah", Aren said, "I''ll take Fish & Chips. And could I have some Sancerre to go with it? I could use a drink."


    "Do you have any specialty coffee here?", Quill asked.


    "Yes, we could give you a cup of our own design. Anything else?"


    "I''ll take the garlic flatbread."


    "Is that all?", Nyx questioned.


    "Yes", Quill and Aren said in unison.


    "I''ll be back in maybe five minutes with your drinks", Nyx responded.


    ...


    Nyx kept their promise. Five minutes later, they returned with the two''s drinks. With them was Trici, a drink of her own in hand. It was something bubbly and sweet-smelling.


    "Sorry for being late. I got a bit sidetracked", Trici said.


    "It isn''t a problem. We were a bit slow ourselves", Quill replied, "We only just got here a few minutes ago ourselves. Plus, the quarter-hour bells haven''t even rung quite yet."


    "Oh, good", Trici said, taking the remaining seat, "I was worried I''d lost us too much time."


    ...


    Aren took her chance.


    "Trici, something''s been feeling a bit strange to me."


    "Oh? What?"


    The quarter-hour bells drowned out Aren''s response from even her own ears.