The evening tide was rolling in, turning the dockside platforms of Stratus Haven into a maze of shifting shadows and golden light. Helletta walked along the familiar weathered boards, the wood creaking beneath her feet with each step. Around her, fishers were hauling in their day's work, their voices carrying over the constant slap of waves against the pylons below.

  She glanced back at Ella, who followed a careful three paces behind. Despite her earlier enthusiasm, the self-proclaimed banker and chemist seemed different now—more reserved, more watchful. Her eyes darted between the crews working the docks, taking in every detail while maintaining that precise distance.

  "Watch the boards here," Helletta called back, stepping over a section where the wood had split and warped. "They get slick when the tide's high."

  "How thoughtful," Ella replied with that same bright smile she'd worn earlier, but she'd already noted and avoided the hazard before Helletta's warning. Something about her movements was too precise, too measured. Like someone used to calculating every step.

  They passed a group of fishers unloading their catch, rough men and women with salt-weathered faces who gave Helletta a wide berth. Their voices dropped to whispers as she passed. The story of her morning catch had spread quickly—the girl who'd hauled in a corrupted Servhal. She caught fragments of their whispered conversations: "monster" and "beast-hunter" among them.

  "Your reputation precedes you," Ella commented lightly, though her eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings. "Useful."

  Helletta grunted in response, more interested in the familiar rhythm of dock life around them. A crew was arguing over the day's haul distribution, their voices rising above the general din. Nearby, a wizened old woman was repairing nets, her gnarled fingers working with practiced efficiency. The smell of fresh fish mingled with salt air and the ever-present metallic tang from the city's massive support pylons.

  They reached a quieter section of the dock where several smaller fishing boats were moored. Here, away from the main unloading areas, the evening light painted everything in deep amber hues. Helletta stopped at a spot she knew well—a corner where three platforms met, creating a small alcove overlooking the water.

  "We can talk here," Helletta said, settling down on a sturdy crate marked with the stamp of the Southern Fishing Guild. "Nobody comes to this spot this time of day."

  Ella remained standing, positioning herself where she could see both approaches to their location. "You know this place well," she observed, her tone casual but her posture anything but. Her fingers absently traced patterns on the strap of her satchel—the same one she'd been clutching when running from the guards.

  "Been fishing these docks since I could walk," Helletta replied, then added with a hint of challenge, "What about you? How long have you been..." she paused, searching for the right words, "...banking?"

  Ella's laugh was quick and musical, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, long enough to know my trade." She finally sat down on a nearby bollard, arranging herself so she still had clear sightlines in all directions. "But we're not here to talk about my fascinating career in finance, are we?"

  Before Helletta could press further, a commotion erupted from the main docks—shouting and the crash of wooden crates. Both girls turned to look, but Ella was already on her feet, her hand tight on her satchel.

  "Just a pricing dispute," Helletta said, recognizing the familiar sound of haggling turned heated. "Happens every evening when the specialty catches come in."

  Ella relaxed slightly, but remained standing. "Of course," she said, that bright smile returning. "Now, about our mutual business opportunity..."

  The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows from the city's towers across the water, and somewhere in the distance, a bell began to toll the evening market hours. Helletta studied her new companion in the fading light, noting how Ella's friendly demeanor never quite masked her watchfulness. Like the calm surface of the ocean, Helletta thought, hiding whatever depths lay beneath.

  The sunset painted the water deep crimson as Helletta and Ella picked their way through the abandoned moorings, the steady creak of ropes and wood a constant undercurrent. Above them, massive pillars of Stratus Heaven disappeared into the darkening sky, casting long, slanting shadows over the lower docks.

  "Here," Helletta said, stopping at a familiar spot near a weathered piling. She pushed aside an old fishing net, revealing a half-hidden platform that extended out over the waves. "Nobody uses this section anymore. Too close to the Serkull nests."

  True enough, the dark forms of the vicious birds circled overhead, their calls echoing off the city's metal and stone. A few spiraled close enough that Helletta could make out their razor-sharp beaks, sleek bodies built for diving attacks.

  Ella kept a careful distance as she settled onto the platform, her satchel clutched close. Despite her earlier boldness in the market, she seemed less sure of herself here among the rotting nets and salt-crusted wood.

  "You're not scared of the birds, are you?" Helletta asked, sprawling comfortably on the weathered planks.

  "Of course not," Ella replied quickly, though her eyes tracked each passing shadow. "I just prefer to keep my face un-pecked, thank you very much."

  "They won't bother you if you don't bother their nests. I used to fish here all the time." Helletta's stomach growled loudly, interrupting her thoughts. She hadn't eaten since that meal Ella bought her hours ago.

  Ella's face lit up at the sound. "Hungry again? You really do eat a lot." She reached into her satchel and pulled out another wrapped package of food. At Helletta's surprised look, she shrugged. "I always keep extra. Never know when you might need to skip town in a hurry."

  As they shared the simple meal of dried fish and hard bread, Ella pulled out a creased paper from her satchel, spreading it carefully between them. A rough map of Quartersquare Market.

  "Right," she said, mouth full of bread, "so about getting into Remarn's gang—"

  "We just walk up and ask to join," Helletta interrupted, reaching for another piece of fish.

  Ella choked slightly on her bread. "We what?"

  "That's how gangs work, isn't it? They're always looking for new people." Helletta gestured vaguely with her fish. "Especially strong ones."

  "That's..." Ella stared at her, then let out a short laugh. "That's actually not the worst idea. Simple, direct, and with your reputation..." She trailed off, studying the map with renewed interest. "But we need to be smart about it. Make them come to us."

  "Why? Wouldn't it be faster to just—"

  "Trust me," Ella said, her finger tracing paths through the sketched streets. "If we do this right, we can get equipment, information, everything we need. But first..." She glanced up at the circling Serkulls, a calculating look in her eye. "We need to make sure they hear about the monster who caught a corrupted sea beast."

  The Serkulls wheeled overhead, their cries carrying across the water as darkness settled over the docks. In the distance, lanterns began to flicker to life along Stratus Heaven's towers, casting pools of yellow light across the waves.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "I'm not really a monster," Helletta said absently, reaching for the last piece of bread.

  Ella's smile widened. "No, but they don't know that. And sometimes, a good reputation is better than the truth."

  It was nearly dark when they started back toward the busier docks, the first stars winking between Stratus Heaven's massive support columns. The evening market would be opening soon—stalls already glowed with scattered lamplight as vendors prepared for the night's trade.

  Helletta followed as Ella wove between the market stalls, noticing how the younger girl seemed to gravitate toward certain vendors. She'd pause, examining their wares with quick, practiced glances. At one stall, piled high with various powders and dried plants, Ella stopped completely.

  "Wait," she said, picking up a small glass jar filled with what looked like rust-colored sand. She held it up to one of the hanging lamps, squinting at the contents. "This isn't right."

  "What isn't?" Helletta asked, peering at the unremarkable jar.

  "The color's off. See this reddish tint?" Ella tilted the jar slightly. "Real cinderbark powder has a more copper undertone. This is cut with something else." She set the jar down with a disapproving click. "Probably dried bloodroot. Cheaper, but it'll ruin any decent mixture."

  The vendor, a heavyset man with an impressive mustache, bristled. "Now listen here—"

  "And these," Ella continued, pointing to a row of sealed containers, "stored too close to your saltpeter. The moisture content will be all wrong." She shook her head. "No wonder Old Wei stopped buying from you."

  The vendor's face went from indignant to pale. "You know Old Wei?"

  But Ella had already moved on, tugging Helletta away from the stall. Her earlier animation vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by that same careful distance she'd maintained all evening.

  "What was that about?" Helletta asked as they walked.

  "Nothing," Ella said quickly. Too quickly. "Just checking the market prices. For our plan."

  They passed another stall where a woman was measuring out portions of various powders. Ella's eyes tracked each measurement, her fingers twitching slightly as if counting. When the vendor added an extra pinch to one mixture, Ella made a small sound of disapproval.

  "That's too much stabilizer," she muttered, almost to herself. "It'll burn too fast to be useful."

  Helletta raised an eyebrow. "Useful for what?"

  Ella's usual bright smile snapped back into place. "Oh, you know. Things and stuff." She quickened her pace slightly. "Come on, we should check the north side of the market before it gets too crowded."

  But Helletta had caught that brief flash of expertise—the way Ella's eyes had lit up when examining the chemicals, how her entire demeanor had shifted from careful distance to intense focus. For just a moment, the mask had slipped.

  "You really know about this stuff, don't you?" Helletta pressed. "All these powders and mixtures."

  "I know enough," Ella said lightly, but her hand tightened on her satchel. "Like I said, I'm a banker and chemist. Numbers and substances, that's all."

  A group of merchants passed by, arguing about the evening's prices, and Ella used the distraction to change the subject. "Now, about getting word to Remarn's people—"

  But Helletta wasn't quite ready to let it go. "Could you make something that would work against those birds of his?"

  "I could make lots of things," Ella said, then caught herself. Her smile turned evasive. "Theoretically. But let's focus on the plan, alright?"

  The night market was fully awakening now, crowds beginning to fill the narrow paths between stalls. Lanterns cast overlapping pools of light, and the air filled with the smell of cooking food and haggling voices. As they walked deeper into the press of people, Helletta noticed how Ella kept them to the edges, always near the shadows, always with a clear path to run.

  The girl was full of contradictions, Helletta thought. Quick to smile but careful with distance. Free with food but guarded with information. Happy to plan but reluctant to reveal her skills.

  But she did have skills—that much was clear. And right now, those skills were exactly what Helletta needed.

  The rest could wait.

  Stratus Heaven's evening market bloomed in full force, transforming the dockside lanes into rivers of lamplight and noise. The day fishers were heading home, replaced by the night crowd—gamblers, traders, and those who preferred to do business in shadows. Steam rose from food stalls, mixing with the ever-present salt air and the metallic tang of the city's great pylons.

  Helletta walked with the easy confidence of someone who'd grown up in these streets, while Ella seemed to flow through the crowds like water, never quite bumping into anyone despite the press of bodies. They passed a group of fishers throwing dice against a wall, their laughter sharp and wild. A woman sold steamed buns from a cart, calling out prices in a singsong voice that carried over the general din.

  "You're going to stop at every food stall, aren't you?" Ella asked as Helletta's pace slowed near the steam cart.

  "I'm still growing," Helletta said defensively, but her stomach betrayed her with another loud growl.

  Ella sighed dramatically and bought two buns. "Here. Try not to inhale this one."

  They continued through the market, Helletta wolfing down her bun while Ella took small, careful bites of hers. The crowd parted slightly around them—or rather, around Helletta. Word of her morning catch had spread, and even in the evening market, people gave her space.

  "Your reputation's growing," Ella noted, watching a burly dock worker hurriedly step aside. "But we need more than just scary stories to get Remarn's attention."

  "Why not?" Helletta asked through a mouthful of bun. "Isn't that what gangs want? Strong people?"

  "They want useful people," Ella corrected. She paused at a crossing of two market lanes, her eyes tracking something in the crowd. "Look there."

  Helletta followed her gaze to a group of rough-looking men gathered around a stall. They weren't buying anything, just standing, watching. One had a Serkull perched on his shoulder, its sharp beak occasionally snapping at passing flies.

  "Remarn's people?" Helletta started to move toward them, but Ella caught her arm.

  "Not yet," she said quietly. "Watch how they work first."

  As they observed, a merchant approached the stall. The men straightened, and the one with the Serkull stepped forward. Words were exchanged, money changed hands, and the merchant hurried away looking relieved.

  "Protection racket," Helletta said, recognizing the pattern from her own dockside experience.

  "Among other things." Ella's eyes hadn't left the group. "See how organized they are? How the bird responds to subtle signals? Remarn's built something bigger than just a gang of thugs."

  A commotion erupted nearby—someone had tried to shortchange a vendor, and now voices were rising. The group with the Serkull turned toward the noise, their postures shifting from casual to alert.

  "Time to go," Ella said, already backing away. "We've seen enough for tonight."

  They wound their way back through the market, the lamplit paths growing quieter as they moved away from the center. The moon had risen fully now, casting silver light across Stratus Heaven's upper levels while leaving the lower docks in shadow.

  "I still think we should just approach them directly," Helletta said as they walked.

  "And I still think that's exactly what we'll do," Ella replied, surprising her. "Just not tonight. First, we need to make sure they hear the right stories about you. About us."

  "What kind of stories?"

  "The kind that make them come looking." Ella's smile was visible in the lamplight. "Trust me, I'm good at spreading interesting rumors. By this time tomorrow, everyone in Quartersquare will be talking about the monster who caught a Servhal—and her mysterious partner who knows too much about things that go boom."

  Helletta frowned. "But you don't want people knowing about your chemical knowledge."

  "Oh, I don't mind them knowing I know things," Ella said lightly. "I just don't like them knowing exactly what things I know."

  They reached the edge of the market, where the lights grew sparse and the sound of waves became audible again. Above them, a Serkull called out in the darkness, its cry echoing off the city's towers.

  "Get some sleep," Ella said, already backing away into the shadows. "Tomorrow, we start building our story."

  "Where are you going?" Helletta asked.

  "To make some arrangements." That bright smile flashed once more. "Don't worry about me. I always land on my feet."

  Before Helletta could respond, Ella had vanished into the darkness between the stalls, leaving only the echo of her words behind.

  Helletta stood for a moment, looking out over the dark water. The moon painted silver paths across the waves, and somewhere in the distance, she could hear the night fishers calling to each other as they prepared their boats. This was her city, her home, but somehow Ella made her see it differently—made her aware of currents running beneath the surface, of patterns she'd never noticed before.

  Tomorrow, she thought, they would begin. But as she turned toward home, she couldn't help wondering what other secrets her new partner was keeping, and whether those secrets would help them survive what was coming.

  The night market continued behind her, its lights and noise a constant reminder of all the things happening in Stratus Heaven's shadows, while overhead, the Serkulls wheeled and called in the darkness, watching everything below with their sharp, hungry eyes.