"Is someone talking about me?" Cedric stuck his pinky finger into his itchy ear.
"Undoubtedly. I mean, you are far too magnificent to not have someone talk about you a few times in a day." Arlo flattered him, puffing out his chest feathers.
"Right?" Cedric smiled and raised a fist, and Arlo tapped it with the tip of his wing to return the fist bump.
After that, he turned to look back at the city below. It was vastly different from the Imperial City they had left. Where the capital was bright and grand, this place was a sprawling maze of dark brick, towering factory chimneys, and streets packed tight with bustling crowds and iron carriages.
After a moment, Cedric turned back to his little friend and muttered pensively, "So many things about the Games this time around just rub me the wrong way. Also, I'm having a bit of a bad premonition."
