The Mosquito and the Lion

one

Alia Preet leapt from one boat to the next, her heart racing from adrenaline, her feet thudding against the smooth wood surfaces with each audacious jump. Though she knew better, she spared a quick glance over her shoulder, barking out a laugh as she caught sight of the furious fishermen in her wake.

"Scram, slum rat!" A burly old man roared, his brown eyes glinting with fury. Alia blew him a kiss as she propelled herself back onto the dock.

The landing was poorly-executed, and she winced as her ankle rolled against the damp boards. Alia swore under her breath. That's what you get for prioritizing flash over function.

The Kshat guards were closing in on her now. Even as the hot sun beat down on her back, Alia felt a chill when she glimpsed the deep purple uniforms weaving through the crowded docks, undeterred in their steady march towards her.

She looked ahead, trying to plot out an escape route. The city was a weaving mess of alleys, narrow streets, and slanted buildings. Though a large city, the Kshat guard were concentrated in the Merchant District, bribed heavily by traders to work as bodyguards rather than the city police. If she could just make it out of the District, she would be fine.

Alia grinned as she charted out her path. The cobblestone street leading out the dock was jammed pack with vegetable carts and purveyors hoping to swindle a foreign trader into purchasing an overpriced trinket. Stone buildings lined either side of the street, offices for those wealthy enough to afford a prime spot near the harbor. As she suspected, all the windows were open, a futile attempt to cool down on the deliriously hot day. Through the openings, Alia could even make out junior apprentices hunched over desks, all hoping to make it big one day.

She scoffed, grimly testing out her ankle. If they were smart, they would know their dreams would never come true, but Alia supposed people needed hope to thrive.

She herself had traded hope for fun a long time ago.

Alia could make out three guards approaching from behind, but she had tussled with the Kshat enough times to know there were at least two rounding the corner in front of her. Ignoring the searing pain in her left ankle, she took off in a sprint, shoving a cart of peppers and cauliflower into the ground.

The vegetables rolled into the streets, and she smirked when the Kshat guards came careening around the corner, only to trip over the tumbling produce. The smirk disappeared just as quickly when one of the guards — a brawny man nearly spilling out of his tunic — scrambled to his feet and unsheathed his sword.

"You're not getting away this time," he snarled, lunging towards her, the blade glinting beneath the sun.

She rolled her eyes at his petty threats, as well as the screaming curses of the unfortunate vegetable peddler. Instead, she pushed off the overturned cart, her arms outstretched. She only had one chance at this. If she fell, she would fall straight into the arms of the furious guard.

Alia groaned as her body slammed into the building, the impact reverberating up her arms, but she did not lose her hold. Gripping the ledge, her legs dangling dangerously beneath her, she pulled herself up and into the building with ease.

She poked her head out the window, cackling at the guards staring up at her in frustration. The ones from the dock had finally caught up.

"Try again next time!" Alia sang with a wink, revelling in their inadequacy.

She ducked back into the building, smiling lavisciously at the stunned apprentices in the room. "Don't mind me, boys." Alia flipped her thick black hair over her shoulder, before strutting to the exit, her hips swaying with each step.