After Kesi securely fastened her wire in her bag, she swiftly darted back towards the port, then veered westward in the direction of her ancestral home. As she passed, a pang of guilt washed over her upon catching sight of its weather-worn door. Briefly, she considered checking on her Mimi. She was certain that by now, her mother would have departed for the mine, but given what had happened, she didn't know if her mother would still go to work. Even if Kesi weren't running late, she wouldn't have risked facing her mother's potential wrath – a reckoning she acknowledged she rightfully deserved. With a sigh, she chose to bypass the familial abode, and pressed on toward the west, where the orphanage stood.

When she reached the halfway point, nearing the dilapidated gate, Kesi observed a growing commotion ahead. Two figures engaged in a heated argument, their voices resonating through the air, drawing the attention of a curious crowd, witnessing the spectacle. Kesi attempted to navigate through the narrow space, but the density of the onlookers compelled her to slow down. Just as she approached the center, an unexpected tug at her bag startled her. Instinct kicked in, prompting her to swiftly pull away. In her attempt to evade the unexpected thief, Kesi stumbled into the midst of the crowded circle, landing flat on the ground between the two fervently arguing figures.

"Sister Kesi," uttered an aging female satyr with elongated horns, twisting in defiance. For someone who looked like her Mimi, the silvered-haired satyr was strong and spry.  With a smooth gesture, she stood Kesi up on her hooves and said, "Thank Asha you're here. I need you to tell this male he's not allowed in the Beachwick!"

Kesi hated it when the older generation called her sister. For some reason, it felt unnatural to her. However, in the moment, she chose to overlook the title and the plea. Concerned for her wire, she checked her bag, all the while to her left, a human male persisted in the argument.

"Woman, I told you before, I live over there. I have for a number of months. I came by this way only an hour ago. Must we go through this daily? Your insistence only females inhabit this part of the Beachwick is neither grounded in reality nor respect."

"You make a mockery of our traditions male," retorted the elder satyr, spittle flying from her mouth. "This here is sacred ground, where only females are welcome. If it were up to me, female and satyr."

The male was having none of it. Undeterred by the elder satyr's plea, he forcefully pushed Kesi aside just as she located the wires in her bag. With a soft thud, she tumbled onto her rump, her concern for the wires momentarily eclipsed by her fall.

"How dare you..." he began, but before he could finish, the elder satyr charged forward, crashing her horned head into his. The force of the impact sent him reeling. In that moment, the crowd fell into a silence so profound that one could have heard a coin drop.

"Have you no manners?" the elder satyr bellowed. "You are not worthy to walk in Sister Kesi's shadow, and yet you dare push her to the ground? If she wishes it, I will end your miserable life. Are you alright, Sister Kesi?" she asked, her voice echoing with a mixture of righteous anger and genuine concern.

Kesi dusted herself off and made it to her feet. Just to be sure, she once more checked to see that the wires were still in her bag. "I'm fine Miss..."

"Matron Staukire," she added with a bow and outstretched hands. "My family has been keepers of the gate for generations."

"That broken-down thing?" asked the man, holding his nose. "Even if that were true, you've done a terrible job. You can't even call that a gate. It's nothing more than a pile of stones and petrified wood."

"Begone human, before I finish the job," Staukire said, shuffling her hooves towards him. The male backed away in fear, but Kesi pulled back on the satyr.

"Madam," she began.

"Matron Staukire," Staukire corrected.

"Matron Staukire, I appreciate you defending my honor, but you can't stop the man from getting to his home," said Kesi. "If you're going to attack every male that passes through here, the council is going to have you locked up."

"But you're our leader! You keep our laws. You keep our traditions," responded Staukire.

Kesi shook her head. "I'm sorry Matron, but I believe you have me confused with someone else. My family is not part of the council nor the Syndicate. I don't think we've ever been."

"But I...But I..." Staukire tried to say, but her voice faltered, her gaze darting anxiously around as if searching for something that eluded her grasp. That's when Kesi noticed it. It was the delirium, the same mind sickness that had plagued her Mimi. When the realization hit her, her heart softened and she gently took the confused satyr by the hand.

"You've done well Matron Staukire," she said looking into the woman's clouded green eyes. Experience had taught her in times like this the best thing she could do was to address the satyr's perceived concerns and express gratitude. "My family thanks you for your service to the gate and the Beachwick. But now we would like to reward you with some well-deserved rest. How does that sound?"

"You're all mad," shouted the male, but Kesi turned and glared daggers in his direction. Without speaking, she mouthed the word go and turned back towards the satyr.

"Can I escort you home? Do you know the way?" she asked.

"I think its..."

"Mother!" echoed a feminine voice, breaking through the crowd. Kesi looked up toward the parting throng and saw a woman who appeared slightly older than her own mother. As the newcomer approached, Kesi discerned a mosaic of panic etched across her face, overlapping a layer of weariness. When she reached the two of them, Kesi gently passed the elder to the younger, silently understanding what the woman was going through.

"Mother, I've told you a thousand times it isn't safe to go outside. One of these days you're going to get lost."

"I was at my post dear. The Beachwick needs me," said Staukire.

"Don't worry mom, I'll take care of it," said the younger. With gratitude, she turned in Kesi's direction. When she did, she bowed low with outstretched arms. "Sister Kesi!" she exclaimed. "Thank you for helping my mother. You honor my family."

Kesi shifted her head uncomfortably. Never before had someone other than the elder generation called her sister. "Just Kesi is fine."

"No, it's not, "the woman responded flatly. "It's good manners. The Sisterhood serves the call, even if most have forgotten."

"We serve the Sisterhood, we live and die," said Staukire.

By then, the crowd had begun to disperse. The awkwardness of the situation left Kesi yearning to be anywhere but there. However, as the conversation between the three of them continued, an unsettling sensation gnawed at her, a feeling of missing something—a rarity for her. If her desire to get away hadn't had been so great, she knew her gift would have forced her to stay and figure it out. 

"Well...erm...thank you," she uttered with outstretched arms. The two reciprocated the gesture, and she resumed her journey toward the orphanage, attempting to push aside the thoughts. It was already an unnecessary complication in her already intricate life.

Nevertheless, she grappled with the puzzle. Her mind was already working out the mathematical calculations of what little she knew about her family's history verses what she knew about the Beachwick. From her Mimi's fading recollections, she gathered that her family hailed from a proud race of warriors, yet even during those moments the delirium had taken her brain and she didn't know if it was true. Furthermore, her family kept no personal records of their history so if she wanted to check, it was a dead end.

Perhaps, when I have more free time, I'll check the city records and see if I can find out, she thought as the orphanage came into sight.

As Kesi laid eyes on the orphanage, she could see Eliza speaking to someone on the steps. Mentally she chastised herself as she considered being on time to be up there with good manners. Hastily, she quickened her pace, but the moment Kesi locked eyes with hers, Eliza impulsively seized onto something fix to the person before her, pressing her lips into a passionate kiss. Caught off guard, Kesi halted, torn between the notion that interrupting would be impolite or if Eliza was warning her to stay away. Her suspicions were confirmed when Eliza opened her eyes to continue staring into her blue without breaking contact.

Typical Eliza, she thought, enduring the awkwardness of waiting for the moment to unfold. When it finally did, the figure turned revealing himself to be a male satyr around her own age, adorned in the most stylish attire. His chest proudly showcased a fitted waistcoat, embellished with intricate patterns of brass gears and cogs. Tailored trousers, adorned with leather accents and rivets, hugged his form, accentuating the lithe grace inherent to his satyr physique. Completing the ensemble was a pair of sleek, brass-framed goggles that rested atop his wild curls and twisted horns.

"KesiTech," he playfully teased passing her by.

"Orion," she responded, turning to watch him depart. Distracted by his graceful presence, she hadn't even noticed Eliza move silently beside her.

"Steamy, isn't he?" Eliza asked.

Kesi turned to find Eliza also observing his departure. A seductive expression adorned Eliza's face, mirroring Kesi's own unintentional scrutiny. In that instant, Kesi felt a sudden flush of heat warming her cheeks.

"It's the bells and whistles," she responded staring at his coattails. "I hear a good casing makes the man."

Eliza's emerald gaze shifted towards hers, maintaining its alluring demeanor. With a teasing vibrato dancing in her voice, she uttered, "You could have him; you know."

Have him?

"I'm not sure I have the time," she said avoiding the statement. With Eliza, she never knew what to expect. It was one of the things she liked about her. Eliza wanted nor expected anything from Kesi and Kesi could always expect the unexpected from Eliza. She considered their friendship to be like magnets, opposite in polarity, but attached all the same. "With the scouts coming in two days and my work for you and your friends, I'm too lost in the hustle and bustle to handle any courting right now."

"Who said anything about courting? I'm just talking about blowing off steam. Your coil's so tightly wound; you could use someone to ease the tension."

Kesi stepped back as the awkwardness between them grew, but her retreat only seemed to encouraged Eliza to step closer.

"What do you say KesiTech," she said as she continued to seductively saunter in her direction. There was a hard emphasis placed on the 'ch' of her teasing title that it became its own syllable. "Shall I call his lithe form back over here so he can grease your gears and make your engine explode?"

"You... and he..." she floundered, but Eliza didn't miss a beat.

"Like the Goddess says, free love. Sometimes you got to get it while it's good to get. Besides, he has a thing for your kind. Can't say I don't blame him; his reasoning is on point."

By then Kesi had backed into the fence the younglings played in. For a brief second, she turned and could see about two dozen playing among the field. A few stared in her direction, but most were too engrossed in their game to notice. Finding herself trapped, she leaned back into the fence and turned back to Eliza. "My kind?" she asked.

It was then Eliza took her eyes off her face and stared slightly up. "Something to hold on to. Said it gives him the illusion of control. Let's see if he's right," Eliza said as she gently grabbed Kesi's horns and pulled her close. She closed her emerald green eyes and her lips paused just an inch before hers.

Much to Kesi's relief, nothing happened. As much as she pushed the boundaries of science, technology, and machines, Eliza pushed the boundaries of Saintians with every manipulative weapon in her arsenal; often her body. She was very good at getting what she wanted and even though Kesi was absolutely certain she didn't want this, if Eliza asked, she wasn't sure she couldn't say no. One day she was sure Eliza was going to push her past her breaking point, and when that day came, she worried she would forever hate her friend.

But today was not that day. Gently, Eliza let go with a sigh. Instead, she turned back towards the orphanage and started to walk in its direction.

"Now I'm all steamy," Eliza said.