Although Gray loved frycake, he couldn’t deny the deliciousness of frizzle twist.

  He bought himself and Rynn a plate long with two little cups of the bitterest, blackest, strongest charbrew he could find. The woman serving the charbrew had teeth completely stained by the stuff. She smiled at him when he asked for it to be as strong as she could make it.

  There was a little pavilion off to the side where they could eat. Lunchtime was over, and so they had the many tables to themselves.

  It was cooler in the shade, but not by much.

  Rynn loved the frizzle twist, of course, but when she sipped the charbrew, she made a face. “It’s so bitter!”

  “I like it because it is bitter, and because it is my heart.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Something Blind John used to say. He helped raise me. He would love this market. I thought someone would come and shut down our little cup game, a magistrate, or a city guard, but no.”

  Rynn set the charbrew aside and blinked. “Oh, this charbrew, it makes my heart tremble like black leaf. It’s a tea we drink up in the Crown. I shall be shaking for hours and hours. This one time, I was little, and I was left alone, I don’t know why, and I made myself a very tall cup of black leaf. Mother liked it with cream and sugar, and I had taken sips, but then, I made a whole big cup for myself. I drank the whole thing, and then, I was up all night. Mother was very cross. Father only laughed. I remember laying in my bed, shaking and shaking, and crying and crying. I wanted to sleep so badly! Another time…”

  Gray listened, but knew what was coming.

  Rynn sighed. “I did it again, didn’t I? I shouldn’t talk. All I do when I talk is ramble. I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.”

  “No.” Gray chuckled. “This is Mr. No telling you that I need you to ramble. I don’t know why I’m in the Belly of the World, Rynn. My story is very strange. I don’t know who our captain is.”

  “Captain Sevanya? She’s the most successful sponsor in the history of the First Field. That’s after she tried to save the First Pylon from being destroyed. She’s ancient, Gray. If the rumors are true, she was born in Alastria. The dragons found a way to live there, even though it’s a continent in the Null Breaks. Maybe it was because they were the first of the blood races.”

  Gray rubbed his eyes, feeling a little frustrated. “I’ve never heard of Alastria before, but I do know about the First Pylon. It was destroyed, the Weeping Well was opened, and demons came creeping out. I’ve seen them up close. Where is Alastria?”

  Rynn thought for a moment. “Some people call Alastria the Crumblelands. How close is Cradleport to Caelvarum? I think that was the Alastrian city that was nearest to you.”

  “I never had the time for history or geography,” Gray whispered. “Let’s just say my schooling is incomplete. I didn’t have servants either.” He regretted saying that. He didn’t want to be bitter, but he felt so lost in his own life. Blind John had said education was useless if it didn’t lead to self-mastery, and if self-mastery was the only game that mattered, he was losing.

  Rynn sat, eyes cast down to her half-finished plate of frizzle twist.

  “I’m sorry, Rynn. I’m just…sorry.”

  She didn’t say anything for a long time.

  Gray felt an odd panic. He wanted this girl to like him. It wasn’t because of how beautiful she was. No, it was something else. They were going to be roommates and comrades in this Kill Squad thing. He couldn’t make her feel bad. She was already so awkward.

  “Can you accept my apology?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  They sat in silence.

  Gray felt himself dying a little.

  Rynn finally looked him in the eye for a moment, before glancing away. “I talk too much. I’ll do better. I’m sorry. Can you accept my apology.”

  “No.”

  That surprised her. “Why not?” Her mouth hung open.

  “You have nothing to apologize for. You don’t talk too much. So, Alastria is the Crumblelands, and Caelvarum might be close to Cradleport. It could be that we don’t call it Caelvarum anymore, but it has a new name, Scarhaven maybe. In the end, maps won’t help me, Rynn. I need to know about the Testing, the Kill Squads, and this Culling Day. Talk long, talk hard, and tell me every little detail.”

  Rynn looked as relieved as Gray felt. They seemed to have gotten over this little bit of trouble. He was glad.

  The elf girl took a breath. “Father said this was not only the greatest honor, this could change everything in our lives, my life included, if…if I survived. Most survive the Testing, but no one gets out unscathed. They have healers, and I’ve heard word of resurrectionists as well, though I’m not sure if that’s gossip or not. We couldn’t say no to Captain Sevanya’s offer. You know that, yes?”

  He nodded. “But what are the Kill Squads?”

  Rynn fell into another ramble. “Father’s plan is for me to be chosen by the Fourth Pylon’s family, The Avarica family. Fourth Pylon—you might know it as Greed Tower—is in Greed City. It’s a dwarven family, of course, but anyone can get adopted into the family. It happens all the time. That’s Father’s hope for me. Mother, of course, has a friend whose daughter became part of the Jelosa Family, they rule the Sixth Pylon in Envy City. I’ve met Ambera ,that’s the daughter’s name. She was very powerful. She was recruited by a good team, known as Pride Strike. Ambera didn’t like black leaf, she—”

  Gray held up a hand. “I’m going to ask a single question. I would like you to answer it, directly. Can you do that for me? If you do, I will give you a shekel.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  At first, Rynn looked hurt, but then she slowly smiled. “I will answer it for five shekels. Mother says that only fools don’t bargain.”

  “I don’t want to be a fool, I assure you. Two shekels is more than fair.”

  “Three is a bit more fair, even though I was going to tell you anyway. You simply had to be patient, but as Father says, patience is a virtue, but not a very important one.”

  “Patience and wrath…they are the two parts of the Fight Instinct.”

  She nodded. “That’s right, but let’s not get off track. I will answer any question you like for three shekels. Do we have a deal?”

  “Two shekels, since you were going to tell me anyway.”

  She smiled and faked an exasperated sigh. “Fine.”

  He slid two shekels across to her. “I’m pay for brevity. What in the name of all that is good and holy in this world are Kill Squads?”

  She smiled at him. “If you’re an outsider, the only real way to get into one of the Watchfire Families, which rule the seven cities that make up the Belly, is to be a part of a successful Kill Squad. The only way to get on a successful Kill Squad is to be recruited. All the Watchfire Families have their own recruitment academies, but the competition is fierce to get in. In Pit City, though, anyone can go to First Field to take part in the Testing as long as they have a sponsor. Captain Sevanya is our sponsor. We’re very lucky.”

  “I want my two shekels back. You didn’t answer my question. What do Kill Squads do.”

  She passed him back a shekel and sighed. “Yes, you’re right. But I’ll keep the one shekel. Father says experts should be paid for their time, and it seems I am the expert even though I’ve scarcely just arrived.” She paused dramatically. “Now I hold power over you! My every word will cost you, not in money, but in time. Time is the ultimate currency—”

  “Mother says that, I’ll bet.” Gray put away the shekel she’d given him. “Maybe I don’t want to know what Kill Squads do. Maybe I’ve lost interest. Let’s get back to the market and see what we might but with our newfound fortune.”

  “I have to earn my shekel, Mr. No. Kill Squads go into Old Town and hunt demons for their mana. That mana is then taken to the Watchfire Families, where it can be used to do all sorts of things. I’m pretty sure all the ironbites in Pit City come from the Fourth Pylon, Gluttony City, where the Ingordia Family rules. The professional Kill Squads have all sorts of magic items, potions, and weapons they use for hunting. It’s what keeps our world safe. Otherwise, the demons would eventually break through the Hellbinder and destroy the world.”

  “Why not rebuild the First Pylon and seal off the Weeping Well”

  Rynn picked at her frizzle twist, finding a crust swimming in perfectly melted sugar. “We don’t have the strength we did centuries ago. The mana coming from heaven was cut off when the Joyful Threshold was closed. All mana is waning around the world. Some say the Weeping Well is the only source, which is why the Belly of the World is where all serious mages end up. I was bound to come here eventually. I love feeling the mana flowing through me.”

  “So one day all mana will disappear?” Gray laughed. “That would be normal life for me.”

  “It’s just theories. Some people think mana cannot be created nor destroyed. It comes from our souls, which cannot be created or destroyed. We are eternal beings, living life after life, each life a carriage ride through a different part of the world. I find that idea more comforting.’

  “But it doesn’t explain why no one has tried to rebuild the First Pylon.” Gray sat thinking. Finaly, he had some answers. To think, he hadn’t just been recruited by Settie, she’d had spent a year of her life healing him. Yet, it seemed she had the time to spare. He would power their recruit squad, but he had to stay alive to do it. He had to get stronger, faster, more skilled.

  “Do you have another question for me, Gray?”

  “No.” He grinned at her. “I have multiple questions for you, but I’m wondering if I can get a bulk rate.”

  The elf girl smiled, and it was dazzling. “The one shekel covers weeks of questions.”

  “For now, so the Joyful Threshold is like the Weeping Well?”

  “Yes, we call I the Joyful Threshold, but it’s an ironic name. During the Third God War, when the archangels came through to fight the archdemons, the angels enslaved humans as well as all the blood races. It’s why people hate angels. Supposedly, all the angels had yellow hair, but mother thinks that was a myth.”

  Gray leaned back. “Three God wars? I didn’t even know there was one. I don’t need the history or the theology at this point. Let’s stick to current events. Tell me about the Testing and Culling Day.”

  “In three months, Culling Day kicks off the Testing. Culling Day is where most of the squads will be disqualified in some way. I wish I could tell you more about the actual tests, but every year things are different, so no one can prepare for the challenges. They change in difficulty and in number. There are three parts to the Testing—Culling Day, Soulshred Week, and the Reckoning. The timing is different every year, because, again, all is the Testing and all is the Test.”

  “I’ve heard that before.” Gray felt himself frowning. “I think the ambiguity is part of the test.”

  “You might be right. “she paused. “Generally, Testing Season stretches from late fall to late spring, though I don’t know what the weather is like here. It’s so hot and dry. The Crown languishes in winter for most of the year. Our summers are brief but joyous.”

  “Like the Joyful Threshold. Do you live near the Joyful Threshold?” he asked.

  “Yes, my father’s main clothing store is in Generosity City, underneath Spire Four. Like here, there are Seven Spires and seven cities around the Joyful Threshold. We don’t have a wall, though, and our towers float in the sky near the Threshold.”

  Gray tried to imagine what that might look like—huge towers hanging in the sky.

  Rynn continued. “Our cites on the ground all cluster around the Joyful Gardens, which are directly under the Joyful Threshold, which looks like a hole in the sky. Directly underneath that hole, at the center of the gardens, is the Temple of Goodness and Order. I do believe that the Children of Order temples made it to Cradleport. You might have heard of them.”

  “I grew up in a Children of Order temple. I was an orphan. But I refuse to be bitter. I’m glad you had servants and schooling and a very loving mother and father, Miss Yes. At the same time, how can I not be envious?”

  “Do you have an envy…” she stopped herself. “I apologize. I don’t want to be rude.”

  “I don’t have any kind of resonance. Yet, I have a powerful core, or so Settie says.”

  Rynn’s mouth fell open. “You do not call her Settie, do you?”

  “Sometimes. Most of the time I call her captain. You’d think, if she were ageless, she’d have a higher rank.”

  That made the elf girl laugh until she snorted. She then was clearly appalled at herself. “Do not make me snort, Mr. No. I come from a very good elven family, and snorting is not allowed.”

  Gray gestured to the remnants of her Frizzle Twist “Do you want that? As a former orphan, I can’t let food go to waste. Then, I’d like to go back to the First Field and go for a run. It helps me think. There’s also exercise equipment and practice swords we can use. We have to survive the Testing, so we can find a place in one of the Watchfire Families, so we can hunt demons in Old Town. You know, now that I think of it, I think our captain put mana in her cane after killing a pride serpent.”

  Rynn’s eyes widened. “She killed a pride serpent? By herself?”

  “I helped in my own way. I gave her mana from my core.”

  Rynn blinked. “Good heavens.”

  “Or bad, if they enslaved us during the Third God War.” He laughed at her shock. “Anyway, we shall be in the very best Kill Squad and kill the most powerful of demons for the magic inside them. We will be become so rich and famous that one of the Watchfire Families will adopt us. We will then rise in the ranks until we rule over the family that took us in. Is that our path, Miss Yes?”

  “Yes, though it would be unlikely for an outsider to rule, though it has happened before. Most of the time, a civil war in the family followed. All I want is to make connections in Greed City, so that my father can open expand his tailoring and clothing business into the Belly. With a store in both the Crown and the Belly, our family will be the envy of all the elves. That is what Mother wants.”

  “What do you want?” Gray asked.

  “I want to survive Culling Day, Mr. No. And all the Testing that follows.”