Forti cast an eye behind her and to the right. A young man, sturdy like an athlete, was looking at her amicably. He promptly stepped up to climb the stairs beside her.

“Are you new here? I saw you earlier with Mir. Bargel.”

Forti let herself relax a little. A person wanted to engage in small talk. Most people here knew each other so she must’ve stuck out more conspicuously than she expected, especially when she was with their leader. However, she didn’t want any chance of this stranger remembering or recognizing her in the future. Forti tried not to maintain much eye contact with him. 

“Yes,” she said curtly. 

“That’s great! Welcome to Sempirege!” 

“Thanks.” 

The young man continued walking up next to her out of politeness.

A question bubbled in the forefront of Forti’s mind, but she tampered it down. She didn’t want to engage him, but her curiosity swelled and pressed at her tongue. 

Don’t, Forti. 

She didn’t have to talk to him anymore. Replicating his affability would’ve made him seek her out as a potential friend, and acting shy would’ve provoked his kind extroversion and inspired him to introduce his friends to her. Her uninterested quips were perfectly executed. The conversation with the man was over.

Yet, against her better judgment, once they reached the last step up into the main hall, caution was completely pushed aside.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

The man was surprised but swiftly delighted. “Yeah, what is it?”

“Why are you here? In Sempirege?”

She tried not to seem suspicious. She assessed the man’s face as a gauge of whether she succeeded. At first, he was puzzled. Then, he retracted, leaning away from Forti with a small frown.

“What do you mean?” There was an edge to his voice. 

Abort, abort! You can’t, this spaceship has no eject. I’ll have to ride this out. 

Forti had to remedy this without delay.

“A suearis attacked my family, but the police are so corrupted with aliens now that they aren’t doing anything about it. Pahth gave me a sign that I would find justice at Sempirege. He shepherded me here. That’s my reason for joining. I was wondering if anyone else is like me, or why others are a part of Sempirege.”

The young man’s antagonism crumbled.

“Oh Pahth, I’m so sorry about your family.”

They entered the nave together, where people from both floors closely intermingled. 

There were mothers socializing, sharing their opinions about a novel health trend and discussing if they read today’s news, how a lot of products from big supermarkets have been recalled because of bad vegetables. Occasionally, they timed subtle brags about their children. Fathers fraternized as well. One complimented another’s latest car model, having noticed at the garage, which instigated a fascinating discussion of features and specs and whether the car owner purchased hydrophobic glass. He did, and the fathers nodded in approval. Children ran around playing games and laughing, circling the pillars or jumping on the low stage. Teens left to hang out at cooler locations. Elders gathered at the benches, complaining over the awful state of the world. Families and young adults went to restaurants, to bars, or headed home. 

Forti stood underneath the cross, observing, listening. 

“I’m here because it’s the right thing to do,” the young man answered confidently, Forti’s attention snapping back to him. “My parents took me to Sempirege meetings since I was little. Sempirege just knows what’s up, you know?”

Forti replied agreeably, and saw how his eyes flickered to something, or someone, over her shoulder and brightened immensely. She glanced at the exit far behind him.

“Den! Marsi! Guys, over here!”

A group of four, to Forti’s chagrin, arrived, and she recognized the smiling boy from the front desk. Accompanying him was a girl with a waterfall of sea-green braids, a boy with dark, thick curls over his eyes, and a neutral with pixie-short blonde hair.

The young man, who they called Rickor, swung and clapped their hands and pulled each of them in different, special ways as greetings. Forti realized he was just a boy, but looked older than he actually was.

“I didn’t see you guys at all down there!” 

“We definitely saw you,” The curly-haired boy said, sauntering around and blocking Forti’s remaining view of the way out. “Cut off his ears? How’d you even think of that?”

“I don’t know, it just hit me, but guys! Meet, uh– What was your name?”

The group surrounded Forti. She put on her smile.

“I’m Forti. It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Hello again,” Den said.

“Den, do you know her?”

“Ric, I work here.” 

The blonde neutral snickered at Rickor, whose mouth shot open after recalling his friend’s current employment.

“Riiiight, I forgot. I’m Rickor! And this is Den, and Hiba. Rahseer. And Marsi. Guys, this is Forti, she’s a new member!”

Hiba, the girl with green hair, sidled to Forti’s left.

“My name’s Hibasna, but you can call me Hiba.”

“Nice to meet you Hiba, and everyone,” Forti said.

“Wanna join us for burgers?” Rahseer, the boy with curls, asked. “We go after every gathering.”

“Wait, I need to find my mom,” said Rickor, already scouting the area, and left the group to search.

“I think we need to find another place.” Marsi, the neutral, took Rickor’s space. “Lately some waggers and fish been going there.”

Rahseer groaned. “Can’t they just stay in their neighborhood? Why they gotta come here and ruin everything?”

“Packadee’s even made a new interesting burger. It’s made out of some weird, gross seaweed from their world.”

“And now they’re ruining our burgers too.”

“We shouldn’t have to leave just because they’re coming to our territory,” Den said resolutely to Forti’s right. “That’s our place. I’m not giving it to a bunch of animals.”

Rickor returned and slid between Marsi and Rahseer. He didn’t miss much of the conversation as his parents were close by, and was filled in.

“Yeah, if they come around, we can take care of them,” Rickor said. He turned to Forti. “Forti wanna come with us? It’ll be fun.”

Marsi gave a wicked grin, changing her tune. “Yeah, I hope they’re there this time then. We’ll follow ‘em. They probably live in Stosas, right? You guys remember the deli?”
“The one where I was chased for eight blocks?” Rahseer scowled. His face contorted at an awful memory. Marsi impishly nodded.

“Yeah, Rahseer snagged us free sandwiches like a week ago and got chased for it,” she explained to Forti.

“Like hell I’m paying a fish thirty for five sandwiches. She ran for so long, too. Who knew a fish could run on land?”

“Yeah, so before our fish passes the deli, we can jump ‘em,” Marsi suggested, bringing the main subject back.

“But we never jumped a fish before,” Hiba said a little apprehensively. “Wags are easy, but fish freak me out.”

“Oh right, what if we end up getting one of the crazy ones?” Rahseer grew anxious from imagining.

“So what? There’s more of us and it’ll be one of them. At most two.” Rickor put his arms around his friends and jostled them playfully. “We’ll beat the drugs out of ‘em. Basically do them a service. And…” He gave Forti a kind look, one that said ‘we’re on your side’. “We should show them we won’t let them walk all over us. They’ll all get what they deserve the moment they mess with one of us.” 

Den followed Rickor’s line of sight, and nodded. It was horrifically endearing for random kids Forti just met to convey they’ll beat up civilians for her, but even without her, she knew they would’ve done the same. 

She had to leave.

“Maybe next time,” Forti said with a face that seemed like she wanted to go with them. “I need to go back home before dinner. My parents are going to worry if I’m out for any longer.” As she spoke, she inched towards the door.

“Aren’t they here?” Hiba asked. They weren’t. “Can’t you call them?” Rahseer added. Forti didn’t have her phone. It’s partly why she has to depart.

“Man, that’s too bad,” Marsi said. Forti gave the neutral a reluctant smile and they looked away bashfully. 

“See you at next week’s congregation then?” Rickor asked, and Den listened in anticipation.

“We’ll see, I’m not in a position where I can freely come and go here. It was really nice to meet all of you, though. Hope you all enjoy your burgers!” She waved while walking backwards, and then headed for the exit.

Marsi gazed at Forti’s retreating form thoughtfully. “Rickor, do you know what she meant by ‘can’t come and go?’” She looked at him eagerly, but it was Den who answered.

“She goes to ValorA. If her school caught her going here, she could get expelled.”

“That’s awful,” Hiba cried.

“Oh seriously? That’s insane,” Rickor commented. “But it’s not just that. She told me a suearis hurt her family.”

“Stupid waggers,” Rahseer hissed.

“Maybe that’s why her parents aren’t here,” Hiba guessed with a frown. “What if they’re hospitalized?”

“Maybe… Do you guys feel like she’s a little off?” That same nagging feeling when Forti asked him why he was here tickled his brain. “She’s really weird, and talks sorta funny, you know? Like earlier when it was just the two of us, she told me that Pahth ‘shepherded’ her here.”

“Sounds like my grandmama,” chuckled Hiba.

“Yeah, she did talk a little weirdly,” Marsi agreed carelessly, watching Forti leave through the single door.

“I didn’t know her family got hurt by a suearis,” Den said dejectedly. The rest were shocked, because anyone who joins Sempirege tells Den everything. “I guess that’s part of why she asked to see Mir. Bargel. I thought it was only because she was worried ValorA would find out.”

“Forget fish then, let’s grill a wagger,” declared Marsi. The group agreed. Under the white lights and marble herald angels, their eyes glinted wolfishly.

Note from the author:

As some suearies have tails that wag like a dog's and ichthyians are aquatic people, 'wagger' and 'fish' are derogatory slurs used upon the two species respectively. They were originated by humans since the First Diamond War, a global conflict between all four dimensions.

The author is aware of the similarity one of the terms has to a slur in their world, but there is no connection between the two whatsoever. The word is using the pejorative sense that exists when it comes to dogs and calling someone a dog, and although racially and ethnically profane in this novel's universe, has no ties to the author's universe at all. There is no meaning, insinuation, intention, or double entendre, and the author hopes that this is recognized and thanks the readers sincerely for understanding.