"Just where will we go?" Bellesmith thought aloud. "We have no place to stay. Little to no food. Those supplies we tried pawning gave us next to nothing..."
"This is one of those moments when I'd expect myself to think on my hooves," Phoenix said, glancing left and right as the two cloaked ponies stumbled down a wide avenue in the crimson sunset. "But Crimson only ever trained me in the art of killing." He gulped, looking down every alley they passed. "I doubt I could somehow kill our way into a hotel room..." He paused, then winced. "Or two. Two rooms, I mean."
"Let's just find an alley somewhere to hide in for the night," Belle murmured. "If we survived the open wilderness and a burning forest, I'm sure we could manage the city."
"Yes, but Foxtaur never had homeless equines marking their territory and ready to slit throats for it." Phoenix chewed on his lower lip as he glanced left and right. "I'm starting to get a lay of the land. Towards the northwest, there's a lower income district."
"You mean slums."
"There's a lower income district, and I suspect we could easily spot a place there."
"Then what if somepony tries to mug us in our sleep?" Belle asked.
Phoenix sighed and uttered, "Then I guess I'll have to clean their clocks." He gulped. "Which means not sleeping."
Belle fidgeted in mid-trot.
"I'm sorry things aren't exactly hunky-dorey on this... journey, Ms. Bellesmith. But I'm trying. I really am..."
"I... uh... I appreciate it, Mr. Phoenix," she said in a soft voice. "I really do."
"Heh... What's to appreciate?" He smirked bitterly. "In less than two days, the best I've afforded you is stale bread and pair of important books stolen."
"You've risked your life for me on more than one occasion, and credit should be given where it's due," she said. "I am thankful to have you helping me."
"Yeah, well..." He sighed, leading the trot around a streetcorner. "Don't thank me yet. After all, we—" He froze in place.
"After all, what?" Belle asked. Silence. She squinted as she passed by him. "Mr. Phoenix—?"
He shoved her back, pressing the two of them up against the edge of the street corner. She looked pensively beneath the tilt of his cloaked neck.
In the center of the courtyard, talking to a cluster of concerned citizens, were no less than six enforcers. The edges of their purple berets glistened in the sunlight. Their armored flanks held holstered tasers and mana-powered pistols.
"Oh, Spark, no..." Belle exhaled.
"It was gonna happen eventually," Phoenix muttered, trying to keep his breaths steady. "We didn't just fall out of the sky, Ms. Bellesmith. We brought down three transports and half a dozen soldiers with us." He shuddered, then gulped. "That is to say, I brought down that many..."
"Are they really, truly looking for us?" Belle remarked, whispering. "What if they're actually just looking for somepony else?"
Phoenix's eyes narrowed. From his position, he spotted a stallion in the center raising a sign and showing it to the citizens he was questioning. There was no telling whose faces were on the poster, but the citizens looked increasingly worried as the enforcers gave them an earful about the suspects.
"I don't think we should stick around long enough to find out," Phoenix mumbled. He began backtrotting. "Forget the western district. There're a bunch of industrial complexes to the northeast. We might be able to hide within the crook of a warehouse or a supply depot or—"
One of the many enforcers turned. From afar, he made eye contact with the two ponies. His brow furrowed. He called out, and every single soldier turned in a flash.
"Phoenix—!" Belle squeaked.
"Turn around. Trot." Phoenix swiveled. Firmly, he led himself and the mare in the opposite direction from which they came.
Belle panted, sweating profusely beneath the cloak as she fumbled to keep from breaking into a full, frightened gallop. The sound of clopping hooves lifted up behind them.
Phoenix struggled to keep his hood up as he fought for a visual sign of an exit. His ears twitched from the sound of scuffling hooves around the street corner behind. At last, he saw an alleyway directly to the left.
"In here..." He practically shoved himself and Belle down...
...only to face two broadly-shouldered stallions with berets glaring down at them.
Belle jumped back with a gasp. Phoenix steadied her. He looked over his flank in time to see four soldiers rushing up.
"Hold it right there in the name of the Queen—" The stallions at the rear froze in place, blinking at the other two. "Are you... questioning them?"
"Do they need to be questioned?" spoke the taller of the two stallions. Belle caught sight of a golden medallion on the center of his beret. He trotted forward and orated with the authority of a prime enforcer. "Rather far away from the Mintian monastery, aren't you two?"
Belle felt her heart stopping...