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Chapter 3 - Tag, You're It

"Amnesia?" Tea asked.

Giu nodded, shoveling a piece of his contraband down his gullet. Why did crime have to taste so good? Maybe it would have been better to throw it out the window. They were thousands of feet in the air, after all.

On the other side of the window, the large white wings of the Tour De Villa fluttered in the breeze. The forest that had once seemed an endless expanse was now just another blip on the map, along with the spread of waterfalls and small villages below.

"What do you know then?" the pixie pressed.

Giu swallowed. "I know I woke up in some clearing, I think. And I know I had a nametag in my pocket. No idea if it was mine."

"And you're fine with that?"

"Well, it's not like I can just magic the memories back, right? Right? Tea?"

Tea didn't respond.

Giu followed their gaze. A large man was standing in the middle of the train, a brown mask obscuring the top of his face. A flaming mallet was laid across his shoulders.

"Attention, passengers."

He gleamed a toothy grin.

"This train is now under the authority of the Lowtown Ga-"

He barely got the words out before his legs were swept from under him. The maneuver was so quick Giu only saw the aftermath. One minute the man was waving his mallet around, the next he had a boot on his neck, the flames disappearing.

"By the authority of the Paladins, you are under arrest," his assailant said.

The slender attacker wrenched the large man's arm back. Giu recognized his gleaming red hair and slim frame. He was the supermodel usher. The larger one came by with cuffs at the ready.

"Everyone," the big guy said, "please remain seated until we reach the Villa."

The would-be robber tried to squirm, but the supermodel usher held him tight. His gaze rose, meeting Giu's.

"What about your magic?"

"Huh?" Giu asked.

Tea was right back to talking as if nothing happened. They gestured to his hands.

"That attack you did back there with the...salmon," the pixie said. "Your fur hardened like steel. You did do that on purpose, right?"

"Oh. Yeah." The two ushers were leading the robber into another car. Giu scratched his head. "Yeah. When I concentrate, I can give myself armored skin. Not really sure how it works, but it's been useful. Saved me from getting gnawed on by vultures once."

He smiled at the memory. Tea was staring again.

"Would you stop doing that?" he asked. "You're creeping me out."

The pixie smirked, a paw resting on their chin. "Just trying to figure you out is all. Oh. Here's our stop."

The spread of fluffy clouds disappeared in favor of high towers and timber frames. A massive stretch of buildings approached from below, a twin river intersecting just at the center of the community. Giu leaned over the window, his attention drawn to the giant sword statue at the far end of the town.

It gleamed in the sunlight, white marble depicting a blade big enough to cut the place in half if it had been real. But something about it made Giu a bit uneasy. A chime sounded above.

"All passengers, we are now arriving at Tullula Villa!" a feminine voice said.

The train came to a slow descent, wings disappearing once the wheels touched down on grass.

"Thank you for riding with Tour de Villa," the voice said. "Please exit the doors nearest your sections. All other passengers, we will be departing for Ling-Li Town shortly."

Several people rose from their seats, Tea included. The line of people was on the cramped side, but evidently, that was only an issue for the canine without the power to fly. While Giu was funneled out by a tight concession of travelers, the pixie flew freely over everyone's head.

"C'mon, Gi," Tea called. "Don't slow me down."

Giu practically fell out of the train.

"Ugh. Thanks for the warning, useless pixie."

"Well, sometimes you gotta learn these things yourself," Tea said. "Experience is the best teacher, I say."

Giu stood up to respond when a jolt ran through his system.

He grabbed his chest, the sensation of fingers squeezing his heart overwhelming his senses. Nails dug in and dissipated. Giu stared wild as any inclination of the event washed away.

"Crap. You're tagged."

"H-huh?" Giu looked around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Not visibly, at least.

"Calm down, Gi," Tea hissed. "You've been tagged. It means the paladins think you're suspicious. Stay calm, and nothing bad's gonna happen."

He stared at his chest, heart beating rapidly even if the sensation was long gone.

"T-tagged? Is it fatal? Am I gonna die?"

"No, this is more of a scare tactic. You won't die, but if you leave town, it's gonna come back even stronger next time. We can get rid of it at the Ministry, but I'm gonna need you to not cause a scene until we get there. Can you do that for me?"

Giu swallowed, giving a small nod of acknowledgment.

By the looks of it, nobody else getting on or off the train seemed to have been tagged. Or maybe they hid it better. Giu rubbed his chest. They think I'm suspicious? Considering Tea seemed unaffected, he knew it wasn't for the rabbit. Had he scared someone by accident?

Tea groaned. "That's a few extra silver pounds I'm not getting back. Gi, you owe me some interest for all this. I'm losing a lot of money helping you."

"Will you stop calling me that? It's Giu."

"Yeah, well, you're Gi now. Deal with it."

The pixie flew on ahead, ignoring the glare Giu cast their way. Was this how they treated all the guys that saved them? His tail lashed at the thought.

***

The streets of Tullula Villa were lined with people.

After walking a few blocks, Giu noticed a distinct pattern in the residents. Most of them were either canines or felines. There were a few birds around, too, but that was as far as diversity went.

"Where are all the pixies?" Giu asked. "Or rabbits? Isn't this a capital or something?"

"Don't be a dummy, dummy," Tea said. "Pixies have their own nation. And why would a rabbit come here?"

To that, Giu chose not to respond.

Among the many Villa folk, he noticed people in gleaming white armor wandering the shops. They seemed to vary from gray-haired and strong to young and meek. One he even saw attempting to flirt with a flower shop cashier. It wasn't going well.

"Don't stare at the paladins, Gi," Tea warned. "Don't want more trouble. Now, c'mon. It's this place here."

The pixie was gesturing toward a rectangular building surrounded by giant columns. It was hard to miss considering no other structures matched its design.

"Welcome to the Ministry, I guess," the pixie said, pushing the doors open.

An aroma of peppermint flooded Giu's nostrils. As did an ice-cold chill. He grabbed his shoulders, the ripped shirt doing little to protect him from the freezing lobby they'd entered into. A hall of freshly mopped hardwood and oil paintings stretched before them, the walls devoid of even a single window.

Tea stuffed their paws stuffed under their armpits. The air was so cold their breath came out in a light mist.

"Listen, Gi. Just go up there and apply for a Crystal License. And make it quick. I'm freezing my paws off."

Tea gestured to the front counter, where Giu was a bit surprised to find someone other than a feline, canine, or avian. Instead, an elderly-looking woman with an elongated snout and rounded ears sat behind the table. Her long neck and spotted fur were an instant giveaway that she was a giraffe.

Tea didn't wait for Giu to make the first move. They kicked him forward, the canine stumbling until he was right in front of the counter. He quickly put on a smile for the lady.

"Hello, welcome to the Ministry of Crystallization," the woman said. "How may I help you?"

Giu cleared his throat. "Yes. I want to apply for a Crystal License."

The lady's brown eyes flashed. She gave him a long look, eyes moving up and down his frame as if she were trying to see through his soul. As if she were some organic lie detector. Was she looking at the tag?

Just as Giu started to regret his decision, she finally spoke again.

"Right," the woman said.

She reached under her desk, pulling out a stack of files and moving through them.

Giu relaxed, if only slightly. Given how harshly Tea described the tagging, he had little doubt the lady would call security if pressed. And he had even less doubt Tea would be gone long before then.

The woman slid a paper across the counter.

"Fill this out and try not to scream."

Giu raised a brow.

"Scream for wh- AH!"

A wave of fire burned through his body. It lasted half a second, but the intensity was unforgettable. The giraffe woman was smiling.

"What the heck was that?" Giu demanded.

The woman rolled over a pen. "I told you not to scream. They always scream."

He heard a small pixie's snicker behind him. The woman tapped her finger on the paper.

"Fill out the form, please," she insisted. "We have other citizens to attend to."

There was no one else in the lobby.

Cursing under his breath, Giu picked up the pen, scribbling down all the pointless information. Most of it was standard. Name, Age, Date of Birth. Mostly things he made up on the spot. One item did slightly pique his interest. Crystallization style. It was already pre-populated with Form Change.

"There," Giu said, pushing off. "Are we done?"

The woman pulled out a stamp and hammered the paper.

A white glow illuminated the page. She raised the stamping device, aiming it at Giu. Crap! He flinched, eyes shutting. No pain came.

"Your license has been initiated."

Giu opened his eyes.

"Hold out your hand," the woman said, "and repeat the following incantation. Giu Penhair, License Retrieve."

"Uh...okay. G-Giu Penhair, License...Retrieve."

A flash of light appeared, materializing into a thin square image. He sighed. Just a floating card. The image hovered above his open palm. His pained expression stared back at him on the cover.

"Congratulations, Mr. Penhair," the woman said. "That will be 300 silver pounds."

Giu blinked.

"What?"

Tea was quick to step in.

***

As he lay on his new bed, Giu flicked his hand, marveling at the license that appeared whenever he recited the incantation. It vanished every time he made a fist only to reappear at the next chant.

"So, that's about 1000 silver pounds you owe me," Tea said. "Plus the cost of letting you crash here adds an extra 200. A night."

Giu rolled his eyes. Tea was an extortionist, without a doubt. Did they get off on taking advantage of the incapable? Would they make a homeless shelter just to turn it into a slave camp overnight?

"Expect work on the table immediately, Gi," Tea went on. "I don't make investments freely. Oh, and I'll be adding a commission fee for finding you work. Keep the rest. Maybe...twenty percent?"

He'd long since stopped responding.

"Yeah, that's a pretty fair deal I'd say. You won't need a weapon, right? Naw, you'll be fine."

Giu closed his eyes, letting his mind wander as Tea's tirade droned on.

If he had been alone, perhaps he could have made it to the Villa eventually. He could have worked to get his license money. Maybe even befriended the paladins. Joined up. Been a hero to the people.

But no. Suddenly he was in debt to a small pixie who'd already turned him into a small-time criminal. Suddenly he had been tagged and probably still had a paladin somewhere watching him from afar. Suddenly he had a job doing who knew what for who knew how much.

Was this his life now? Was this the price to live in the Villa?

"Long as you pull your weight, I can at least make sure you don't die. Although if you do die, I'll make sure your stuff gets sold for a really good price. Best things for all of us."

Giu turned over, Tea's voice drifting into the background noise. That didn't stop the tirade either.

Crap. Wonder if it's too late to go back to the woods.