Barn ate the chunky sauce with his fingers.

“We’re going to have to reconcile our sufferings.I’d like to see new lives, not lives cut short. I want us all to live to a painfully old age.”

Jaq’ue stood. “We - that is the Shivs - propose an arrangement. You have discipline and resources, funding. We know the city people. We are the city people. Let us create a pact, not binding.Barn ate the chunky sauce with his fingers. 

“We're going to have to reconcile our sufferings. I'd like to see new lives, not lives cut short. I want us all to live to a painfully old age.”

Jaq’ue stood. “We - that is the Shivs - propose an arrangement. You have discipline and resources, funding. We know the city people. We are the city people. Let us create a pact not binding. A tree to shade us all to grow to shade our city. To root is in unity. Just as shades merge to form darker shade, so we will address our needs, and the needs of our children.”

Jaq’ue sat and the Dean stood up. “As Dean of the academy, I have authority in the shadow of the Top Hat Militant. By vote, we will determine who agrees to sich a pact. No hands in the air, thats too dangerous.”

“Whats your plan for the Droon outer region?”

“How can we trust you not to undermine the militant presence in Droon?”

“Just so.”

The militants rose.

The Shivs rose, with blades out. No militants had any weapons unsheathed. Many wore swords and pistols provided by gentiles.

“You forget your students are all from working family citizens!”

“Just so.”

The militants at each circular table slammed thejr fists into the wood. The Shivs swung and stabbed. Their daggers, shivs and knives were pulled rapidly from their grips to the arms of the militants. Somehow they stuck there. The militants rammed their arms into heads. Barn could hear bones breaking as shivs lunged, punched, froze or fled some lead for their lives. To his surprise, some of the militants fled, he noticed the Dean, not moving rather he stared as if curious. He probably was judging the success of whatever artifact. The militants were wearing so much for the packed barn COD. Uh, Ah, ravens swooped in from

Dark alleges and nearby trees.

They trailed ash on the food. In people there are talons and beaks gouged out eyes and eyeballs, they pecked, and clawed at faces, some even. Ripped throats out. Others found tendons behind knees and ankles. The scene was violently bloody, but short, the shifts pulled their weapons from arms. And stabbed, luckily, the militants hadn't protected their chests.

Every attending militant was dead. Those that fled were picked off by ravens now only the sounds of ravens pulling and ripping flesh and clothing could be heard he'd forgotten to tell the militants that he didn't Bind in the ravens. Some of the militants had swung swords or held pistols. In a death grip, one poor raven hopped on one leg nearby.Its cut one that one would make do

Suddenly, Barr noticed his vision turned bizarre in a pattern of a ribbon that turned back the way it had come. The ribbon followed his vision, but somehow obscured it. It had its own black, white, purple color a glimmer feather, klimerbank, sheen, feather, shinbeek shine feather. Whatever it was, it was gone already. Many of the bodies were eviscerated when his vision cleared, he'd seen some of the shine beak was bigger than any raven. Almost as big and slender as a fair worm, they blinded competitors for carrion. They were even rare in desert climates no matter barr, needed to address the shivs.

Dean

My friends, jacquee, interrupted my sister shade on you, my neighbors. We've done it. She was crying and did not flick away or wipe her tears. Many people went to hug her

Dean, you will need to pay for this

Just so born, please allow me to document the results before my crimes are brought into the light. Allow me that last shade

Barn knotted good that you have a vivid memory

The Dean screamed as the head raven. He pulled out his eyes, snapped them off and swallowed.

_____

The Shivs returned to their homes to stunned silence. Their homes - only their homes - were rubble now. Somehow the rubble was clean and structured. Bricks lay whole but unconnected. family and friends whod been home were trapped in tiny brick shelters with breathing holes. 

“This was Nathan’s doing. He countered by proposal quite brutally in this matter. Now we are exposed to the rest of Droon. This is a heavy blow.”

“We will rebuild.” Jaq’ue went to a small brick shelter in the middle of a floor that had once been part of the kitchen. Some of the shelter was made of floor tiles. Jaq’ue touched the mud connecting the tiles and bricks. It was dried and crude like pottery clay that had been shaped while extremely wet. She pulled at the weak connections and the shelter broke away. She pulled the child out under their armpits. 

“Nathan’s done with this place. He will definitely be gone now.”

“Don’t you see what you've done Barn? The Shivs were never meant to kill. They were meant to strengthen and raise up the working families. You’ve brought death and ruin. You need to submit to the consequences. Submit to the punishment.”

This voice was new and weak, but somehow clean and crisp. “Lady Drizzelda. You abandoned our cause. How could it work? You were already a sponsor of the militants in Droon.”

“That’s the point! We need everyone to connect, not simply make more problems.”

“You have too many conflicting interests Drizzel.”

“You murdered the militants who trusted the peace of common ground on the campus. How dare you. I demand that you forfeight the Dean to us.”

“Hah, after he’s been executed, you can have his corpse.”

“You’re a sad person Barn.” This came from Alyz.

“You’re pity burns stronger than the sun, Alyz.”

“I’ll kill you!” Jaq’ue ran up beside Barn. “You and that Drict-draped tyke that commands the water. You deserve to die. Do you know how many people she killed!? She’s terrible.”

“Kind of like looking in the mirror?”

Jaq’ue turned red in the arms and face. She was braced to lunge and held a brick in her hand. She still had her knife sheathed. She wants to cause pain.

Barn said, “We will let you leave. We will not give up the Dean. Even though he plotted to pull fangs out with the militants.”

“The Dean needs to live. He is a reservoir of knowledge and skills that the university cannot exist without. And with the school, the city falls.”

“I don’t believe so. Go now Drizzel.”

Drizzle pulled on Alyz’ sleeve to signal that they leave. Alyz turned her and they rolled and walked out of sight around an intact apartment building.

_______

“He’s going to come attack me and Lilly. We are both major threats to the Shivs. Im not sure how much Barn cares about the fight. He’s lost who he used to be. He’s the closest thing to a leader that they have. Jaq’ue. Im not sure of. The Shivs might rally behind either of them. With their homes ruined and exposed, they will cling to each other for protection.”

“Maybe we can assist them with shelter. THey might see that as a plot.”

“Simply hold the appropriate people responsible.”

“People here no so little about the nature of the elemental spirits that they may not care what I say. Most will not believe. We won’t be leaving any day soon. We have to stay and help.”

“A parent doesn’t fight back. A parent protects and provides and educates. We can be like their parents.”

“Good sentiment, but I want them to feel as equals - even without homes.”

The ravens appeared in unassuming flocks all around Drizzel and Alyz. They had made their way to a wide and open balcony on the second floor of the university courses building. “So They’re here. THey’ve alread fed. 

“Theyll kill us anyway.”

“No. Theyre smarter than that. Barn thinks they will end us, but instead they’ve come for dessert. Thankfully dessert is not of the flesh variety.”

She held out a large seed with a hard shell. 

The ravens came closer to peck the treat. 

Once all had tasted a bite, they dispersed. “We can’t control them either. They might go to Lilly and her new friends now. I can’t stop them. Lilly might deserve it, but her new friends don’t. And this Sui she’s met. I hope that they make it through alive. I’d like to meet them too.”

The birds left a rain of ashy off-drift that the two of them made off under, to leave no bodies behind.