On a fine day in the capital of Vaznakar, the central plaza was filled with laughter.

  Under the warm sunlight, people were spending their precious weekend to their fullest. Some were with family, some were with friends, while some enjoyed the time alone. Children were running around with ice cream or cotton candy in their hands, and a balloon flying away from an unfortunate kid fled towards a white cloud swimming in the blue canvas. The smell of a slightly burnt hot dog swarmed the place, and a growl came out as a response from the empty stomach of Foreigner.

  She was sitting on the edge of the fountain with a strange small box Octavia told her to look after before leaving with Pafnuty. She was a bit salty about being left alone in a strange city by herself, but that was the secondary issue revolving in her head. As she was busy with the most important problem at the moment, about how much she hated this god-forsaken city.

  Alongside the loud horn blasting through the air, the train arrived at the last station. As soon as Foreigner left the train, a bright ray of sunlight coming through the grand window on the ceiling blinded her for a brief moment, and what welcomed her as the vision came back was the giant signboard with the name of the station she was in: Siraf Station.

  Just like Mirv Station, this place was yet another symbol of extravagance, with floors carved out of clear marble and the walls filled with arts made with jewels. However, unlike Mirv Station, it hosted actual people, and in fact, it was overcrowded with people tightly packed shoulder to shoulder. It was only a matter of time before she lost track of where Octavia and Pafnuty were, but it was still fine. As Octavia had already prophesied that this would happen, and they will meet up outside the station after being separated.

  As she got swayed in the tide of crowd, the dissonance of voices colliding from left and right gave her a small migraine. She tried her best to ignore everything and keep her eyes out for Octavia and Pafnuty, but soon that attitude got challenged by a smack on her face from the elbow of a Vaz, who did not realize that they had struck someone. When she gave a nasty stare to the back of the innocent Vaz, one conversation from the opposite flow of the crowd mumbled in her ears.

  “Did you just see that? There was an Aranaim passing by.“

  “Aranaim? Like the one in the news about the recent terrorism?“

  Then Foreigner lost track of the conversation due to the second smack on her face by the same Vaz. But it wasn’t the lingering pain on the tip of her nose that sharpened her nerves; rather, it was that brief talk she eavesdropped on. Ever since she left Abaskan, the only Aranaim she had ever seen was Pafnuty, including here where the entire building was filled with people. While she was unaware of the terrorism they were talking about, the sheer fact that they treated Aranaim in general, or perhaps her friend specifically, as a potential terrorist made her crumble her face in rage, intimidating enough for the person on her side to look away and never turn their head again until they parted their way.

  Abruptly, the pressure from the surrounding became loose, and Foreigner felt her legs moving of their own will once again. She looked behind with the anger still swirling in her head, then got bumped into someone busily walking away in their suit. Only then her head calmed down from her nemesis, whom she had never met, and she saw Octavia waving her hand from the side.

  But Pafnuty was not there with her. A swift chill swept across Foreigner alongside a terrible instinct. Foreigner sprinted to Octavia and raised her voice just enough to deliver the urgency without gaining unwanted attention.

  “Octavia! We need to find Pafnuty! He’s in trouble!“

  “Oh, dear. I am?“

  “Yes! We need to hurry! He—“

  She turned her back at a familiar voice, then realized it was Pafnuty a bit too late. She went speechless with her ears warming up in pink, and Pafnuty patiently waited for her to finish her sentence while Octavia tried her best to hold on to laughter until Foreigner made the next move.

  “—must be tired, from all that, you know, stuff he carries and the train and stuff. Okay! Let’s go now!“

  Foreigner clapped her hand powerfully to divert the attention and walked towards the exit in stiff movements, leaving Octavia bursting out laughing behind and Pafnuty wondering why her arms and legs on the same side were swaying together as she moved.

  But this embarrassment dispersed quickly when she left the station and was greeted by a forest of towering buildings. The sky was glittering in reflected sunlight on the blue windows, and the earth was reverberating with the chaotic yet synchronized sound of footsteps made by the people busily making the best of their day. The constant stream of passengers entering and the denizens exiting the station created a flow of wind, delivering a mysterious sensation as she watched the world revolving around her while she stood in one place.

  “So, Pasargadae. What’s your first impression?” Octavia said, as she placed her hat on top of Foreigner’s head without a particular reason.

  “It’s…massive.“ Foreigner mumbled impressively, forgetting about the shenanigans that had happened at the station.

  In her eyes, Foreigner spotted a luxurious-looking bus waiting for passengers, with a gentleman in a clean black uniform outside loading the suitcases into the luggage compartment below the passenger seats. The logo on the outside of the bus indicated it was the shuttle bus for the hotel, and Foreigner pointed at that bus and asked innocently.

  “Are we staying at a place like that?“

  Octavia created a shade with her hand above her eyes before squinting them to observe what Foreigner meant and laughed in vain as she shook her head.

  “No, that’s a no-go. Well, money is a secondary problem.“

  Only then, Foreigner read a small sign placed near the bus saying: No pets or Aranaims allowed.

  “What are you two discussing?“

  Pafnuty walked out of the station and attempted to read what Foreigner was looking at. Foreigner panicked and covered Pafnuty’s eyes with her hands, but she did so in the wrong place on his mask.

  “Ah, I see. Do not fret, my friend! I expected this much when I suggested a trip here!“ Pafnuty said imposingly with his chest straight on his bent back, but Foreigner couldn’t see how that would make anything better.

  “Welp. Time to shake a leg. Let’s move.“

  Octavia took her hat back from Foreigner’s head and fixed it on hers. Without spilling the beans about the destination, she moved forward onto the main street, and Foreigner only snapped back to reality after Pafnuty poked her on her side.

  That was what happened early this morning. Ever since then, the three of them walked to the central area of the city, checking every hotel and inn on their way. But all of them had a common point to make: No Aranaims allowed. On top of that, people occasionally gave nasty looks to Pafnuty, and one parent even tried to protect their children from him, even though he did nothing but sneeze. Within less than a day, Foreigner detested this capital more than anything, but strangely Pafnuty seemed fine with it. Or more so that he was used to being treated like that.

  The chain of thought in her head broke when she felt an icy feeling on her right cheek. She raised her head and saw Octavia in front of her, with an ice cream in her left hand and another in her right with half of it already gone into her mouth.

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  “How’s it hanging?“

  She handed Foreigner the ice cream on a wooden stick. Foreigner took the ice cream and sniffed at it before taking a bite. The brain freeze shuddered through her entire body, and she needed a second before she could give a reply.

  “Have you finished your business?“ Foreigner asked with her hand grasping her forehead to soothe the brain freeze.

  “Yeah, kind of. I might know a place that we can use as a shelter. Let’s go.“

  “Wait! What about Pafnuty?“ Foreigner’s voice went higher than usual, and Octavia noticed it too.

  “He’s earning some cash. He’ll be there once he finishes that job.“

  “What job? What’s going on right now?“

  “You remember the box I gave you earlier?“ Octavia pointed at Foreigner’s pocket with an ice cream in her mouth.

  “Yeah, it’s in here. But that’s not my point—“

  Foreigner checked her pocket, which held a weight in it. But when she placed her hand on top of it, there was something hard and round instead of the rectangular sensation of the box. And when she saw a rock in her pocket there instead of the box, her face went pale.

  “I—I—It’s not here?! How is that possible?! Octavia! It’s not here! What do I do?!“

  She panicked hard with her eyes trembling left and right, but Octavia was more concerned about her ice cream melting fast.

  “Well, yeah. You got pickpocketed. Come, let me explain on the way.“

  Octavia placed her arm around Foreigner’s shoulder and started her walk to the destination.

  “Frankly speaking, you are a perfect target for those petty thieves. You are clearly new to this area and unaware of your surroundings. Hell, I would have pickpocketed you back in my days.“

  Foreigner pouted while being puzzled, but she couldn’t deny Octavia’s statement as she was telling the truth.

  “And the box I gave you was empty, I knew it would get stolen. All that happened afterward was for Pafnuty to follow the thief and rob him instead.“

  “Wait, you guys robbed someone?“

  As Foreigner raised her voice, Octavia shoved her ice cream into her mouth. Soon, a police officer passed by them, and Octavia was amazed when she pulled her ice cream back out to find Foreigner already took a bite and was suffering from yet another brain freeze.

  “Eh, I call it taking compensation for emotional distress.“ Octavia finished her ice cream and threw the remaining stick into the trash can, which was already overflowing with garbage.

  “But, that’s a crime,“ Foreigner said while hardly opening her right eye with the left still closed from the brain freeze.

  “Yup, it sure is.“ Octavia shrugged her shoulders with a dim smile on her face. “Does that make you uncomfortable?“

  “I mean, yeah. It does,“ Foreigner said, as her tone got lower with each word that left her mouth, wondering if she was answering a trick question.

  “Even though we are doing the same thing, what that person did to you?“

  Octavia suddenly blanked her face with the seriousness dripping from her eyes. Foreigner was intimidated by the sudden change of atmosphere, and gulped her saliva before continuing her philosophy.

  “Yes. I would say so. I think.“

  Octavia looked into Foreigner’s eyes. Usually, Foreigner would avert attention by looking somewhere else or trying to change the conversation topic, but it was different this time. For a brief moment, they stood in place silently until a ball rolled to their feet and a boy asked to pass it to him. Octavia kicked the ball smoothly, and the boy left the scene with his ball.

  “Okay,“ Octavia said carelessly and moved her legs once again, with her arms still around Foreigner’s shoulder.

  “So, what’s going on now?“ Foreigner asked cautiously with a puzzled face.

  “Nothing.“

  Octavia replied with a light smile on the right corner of her mouth.

  “You live as you believe. We live as we believe. I won’t ask you to change, so you shouldn’t too. Deal?“

  She looked at Foreigner with confidence in her mouth, but her eyes were swaying ever so slightly. Foreigner looked into Octavia’s eyes for a brief second, only for her to turn her vision towards the ground. She opened her mouth once and closed it without saying a word, then opened her mouth for the second time.

  “Just be careful. Okay?“

  Foreigner spoke without matching Octavia’s eyes. She received a pat on her shoulder from Octavia, and the two walked down the street with no further conversation.

  With every step they took, the scenery changed from prosperity to drought. The street was quiet, with only a few pedestrians walking on the side, all of them with a tired face from the shackles of life. The shards of glass from the broken windows were glittering on the ground, and the children were playing with them like a pretty toy they discovered. The outer walls of the buildings were exposing their interior structure to the fresh air, and Foreigner got a shiver on imagining them collapsing at the most disastrous time.

  Octavia suddenly stopped, and her eyes were fixed on a single signboard. It was in the language of Vaz that Foreigner had no idea how to read, but judging by the drawings it appeared to be a sign for an inn they hadn’t visited yet.

  “Here it is. Our sweet new home.“ Octavia exhaled her breath through her nose strongly.

  It was a gorgeous-looking small building with historic weathering here and there on the outside. Compared to its immediate surrounding, it was clear how the building was taken care of with passion and money. While Foreigner was relieved at not having to stay in a building that she would not need to memorize the escape route to her heart, she had a different concern.

  “Would this place be fine? You know, with Pafnuty…“ Her voice trailed off, as she still was not comfortable with this topic.

  “It should be. According to my info, the owner here is crazy about money, so he shouldn’t care much about him. Well, that’s why I asked him to snatch some extra cash in hand, just in case.“

  Octavia opened the door of the inn and walked in without hesitation. Foreigner followed her right after, as she did not wish to be left alone on this collapsing street for even a moment.

  Alongside the creaking sound of the historical wooden floor, a well-trimmed carpeted hallway welcomed the two. Classical music was coming out of the small gramophone, with elegant lightings brightening the interior decorated using red as the principal theme. Several portraits featuring many similar-looking Vaz hung on the wall, with the closest to the entrance showing its age through decolorization while the farthest was young and lively. At the end of the short hallway was a reception area with a guest sofa and table on the right side and the long reception desk in front of the two.

  Behind it was an obese Vaz, who was in the most recent portrait, sitting while being busy with an abacus. He seemed not to have noticed the guests, but when the floor made yet another loud creak below Foreigner’s foot, he quickly looked up and greeted the two with a loud voice.

  “Khosh Aguur! Welcome to your home away from home! Please, come on in!”

  As the Vaz demonstrated a nimble movement that was not fitting for his size, the fat attached to his belly and the prosthetic eye in his right eye socket wiggled uncannily. In what was essentially the first hospitality they felt in this city, Foreigner and Octavia looked at each other. Then it was Octavia who approached the reception desk first, as she shrugged her shoulders.

  “Do you have a reservation?“ Vaz asked in a tone perfect for business as he opened a thick antique book with the corner of the pages crumbling to dust, all the while the giant smile never leaving his mouth.

  “No. We are looking for a room to stay in for a month.“ As the words left Octavia’s lips, Foreigner noticed how the Vaz now had a smile even brighter than before.

  “Ah! I see you are staying long in this beautiful city of Pasargadae! It is true; you need a month to experience the city to its full extent. A splendid choice! One humble request would be for you to pay half of the accommodation charge upfront. Would the room be for two people?“

  As the Vaz finished his sentence, the entrance to the inn opened once again. It was Pafnuty, wiping off sweat using his handkerchief and catching his breath after a sprint.

  “Actually, we are three.“ Octavia pointed backwards at Pafnuty with her thumb.

  Pafnuty came up to the reception and placed the money on top of it. Foreigner observed the Vaz to see if anything changed in his expression. And as expected, it did, but not in a way she thought it would. With a smile so wide that felt like it was escaping from his face, Vaz failed at suppressing his joy in potential income. And while she couldn’t prove it, she got the feeling that he counted the amount of money by simply looking at it.

  “Ah, you are in luck! We have our finest room remaining with three beds! Please, this way! Let me show you the room. Oh! Allow me to carry this up for you.“ The Vaz approached Pafnuty and took the enormous bag he carried on his back before heading upstairs.

  The three followed him to the upper level of the building. It wasn’t just the reception area that was tidy, but also the guests’ area. The building was reeking of its age from the squeaking noise every time someone stepped on the floor, yet there was not a single stain on the wall or carpet.

  “This is your room. Please have a look.“

  The Vaz opened the door at the far end of the hallway and made way for the party to enter the room. The room was more spacious than Foreigner thought it would be. With three beds separated and the sunlight coming in directly through the window, it was perfect for the three to rest their tired feet from the travel and potential labor starting tomorrow.

  “Sweet. We’ll take this room. Money on top of the reception desk should be enough for the down payment.“ While Foreigner looked around the room, Octavia nodded her head twice and spoke to the Vaz.

  “That is the most delightful thing! Here is your key to the room. And if there is anything you need, please look for this humble Kamran at the reception desk. I wish for you to enjoy your stay and have a memorable experience at Pasargadae!“

  After handing the key to Octavia, he slowly closed the door. Then the creaking noise of the wooden floor leaked in through the small opening below the door, for it to be quieter on every occasion.

  Octavia checked the door to confirm that the lock was working and then secured the secondary lock using a chain attached to the door. Once the ritual was done, the three threw themselves on their beds and took their much-needed rest. And that was how the first day at Pasargadae was spent.