ã€ŠBright Battle Story: Tactics Heartã€‹


 Episode 01.01 - "Everyone Said Thered Be Heroes"

    It was, mechanically speaking, impossible for a dwarf rogue to kill an ogre. Ask any calculator and after they finished laughing they''d tell you it couldn''t be done. They''d say that the numbers simply didn''t add up, that an unpromoted rogue was a low-tier class at best, and that a dwarf rogue made no sense whatsoever. They would inform you, clearly and precisely, that the result of a dwarf rogue going up against an ogre would be nothing more than a red smear upon the ground. Against an ogre, the calculator might restate, the desire for accuracy spurring their emphasis, a dwarf rogue had absolutely no chance whatsoever.

    Here''s how it would go, the calculator would tell you. Assume the rogue is able to break line of sight. Assume they''re able to stealth and then backstab. The dwarf rogue''s low movement coupled with the ogre''s reach bonus means that after that first free hit there''s no way the rogue can get to cover again before they''re splatted, and just one hit from the ogre is going to do exactly that. Even if somehow, miraculously, the dwarf rogue manages to find cover and break line of sight and enter stealth and backstab again, they''d have to do this at least sixty-seven times in order to even put the ogre into critical condition.

    So no. Couldn''t happen. Red smear. Nothing but.

    Nevertheless, here an ogre lay, quite clearly dead, and there a dwarf rogue stood, quite clearly not a red smear. Unharmed, in fact. Her clothes were a little on the ragged side and she was rather grubby (three weeks in a prison train will do that to a person), but as for actual injuries? There wasn''t a scratch on her.

    Of course she wasn''t alone, but her companion seemed more of a handicap than any kind of advantage. He was even shorter than the dwarf and far less broad, knobbly and weedy and awkward, limbs too long, feet too big, skin considerably greener than was generally deemed socially acceptable, large amber eyes fearful and suspicious, pointy little teeth the clear sign of a monster. No, putting a goblin with the dwarf shouldn''t have influenced things one little bit¡ªthe only change to the outcome, any reputable calculator could tell you, would be two red smears.

    And yet there the ogre lay, still rather dead, and there the dwarf rogue stood, still not a red smear, the odd little goblin thing now gently holding her sleeve.

    It took some time for the arena to be opened and for the two of them to be discovered. This manner of trial was not uncommon¡ªwhen faced with a choice between hard labour in the adamantine mines or trial by ogre many chose the ogre, which said something about the unpleasantness of the mines¡ªbut what WAS uncommon, what was almost unheard of, was anyone actually winning. In fact, out of the last two thousand and seventy three trials, two thousand and seventy two of them had ended in the aforementioned ''red smear'' scenario.

    The two thousand and seventy third trial, the one that had ended with a dead ogre and a very much alive dwarf rogue, was Nala Greyward''s. Her goblin companion''s name was Tzugakk. Nala was a casteless thief from the city of Sontra, arrested for the crime of Resisting Arrest. Tzugakk was little more than a goblin, previously living in a nameless bit of forest until he''d been arrested for the crime of Being A Goblin. Neither of them appeared exceptional in any way shape or form, and thus those in charge of their judgement were faced with a problem; what to do with this ogre-slaying dwarf? What to do with the ugly little goblin that clung to her like a bad smell? The traditional option was to issue an invitation to Bright Battle, but that was back when the academy actually needed new entrants. On the other hand it would be an elegant solution to a thorny problem. Bright Battle Academy, after all, was famously effective at advancing the strong and destroying the weak...

    The entrance hall was wide and shallow and packed. One wall was made up of portal gates, as varied in design as they were consistent in function: the gate to The Forest was formed of living trees, coaxed into forming a vague circle and bound with softly glowing vines; the gate to Auldvyne was heavy and gothic, deeply suspicious purple-black energy crawling upon its cracked obsidian surface; the gate to Nimbus was formed of clouds made solid, glowing with rainbow energy; the Blue Field gate was exceptionally ordinary, a simple white marble oval, functionally dull. There were other gates as well, smaller gates, shabbier gates, but nobody paid much attention to those. Not even when a dwarf rogue stumbled through one of them, torn cloak fluttering around her, iron knife clutched tight.r name was Nala Greyward, and she was the second to arrive through that particular gate that day; the second to arrive through THAT particular gate in more than four years.

    Nala raised her head, took in the dozens of heavily-armed people around her, then turned to scramble back towards the portal gate. It was an odd-looking thing, mostly square, made of old wooden planks nailed haphazardly together with big chunky nails, but the portal glow was as bright as any. Still, though the glow gave beneath her hand it soon pushed back, the message of its magic-slippery surface clear: ONE WAY ONLY.

    Nala stood back and winced; there was a prickling against the back of her left hand. As she scratched at it an intricate tattoo appeared, a spined, curling circle of glowing white. Nala stared at this then looked around again, at the people in the room, many of them carrying big swords or big axes or weapons that could otherwise be described as ''big''. All of them were coming from the portal gates and heading towards the other side of the room, where dozens of booths stood beside arched passages, each of the booths manned by an official-looking person with a blue-and-gold cap and a blue-and-gold uniform and a blue-and-gold stone tablet. It was beside one of these booths that Nala caught sight of familiar pointed green ears and dark brown furs, and she hurried forward to catch up to her goblin companion¡ª

    "Whoa, what the hell? Default equipment, are you kidding me?"

    Nala spun to face the girl who''d spoken¡ªshe was human, some kind of fighter wearing half-plate armour, a shining sword in her hand.

    "Easy merits straight out the gate!"

    Nala ducked back then dashed between two elves, bumped up against a half-orc''s back then made for the nearest portal gate, a marble oval. Unsurprisingly this one reacted the same as the portal she''d arrived through; yielded a little beneath her hands then pushed back hard. Nala spun to see the fighter closing on her, sword raised to strike¡ª

    "Huh?" the fighter said, tugging at her sword, trying to complete the action, but it was as if a giant invisible hand held the weapon in place. "What the hell?"

    A nearby halfling laughed, his voice high and merry as he mocked the fighter:

    "You bonehead, you can''t attack here! What, you never heard of a safe zone? Can''t fight until you''re in the REAL academy! Hahahaha, how did you not know that? Seriously, get a clue or something!"

    The fighter grumbled and huffed as she lowered her sword, before pointing it at Nala.

    "Other side, dirteater," she growled, before smirking. "Catch you later."

    With that she rested her sword over her shoulder and stomped away, heading towards one of the booths.

    "I wouldn''t trust you to catch a cold!" the halfling yelled after the fighter, before grinning at Nala. "Seriously though, she had a point. Default equipment? Sorry, but if I see you like that out of a safe zone I''m totally taking you down. Merits are merits, right? Can''t give you a pass just because you''re a fellow shorty!"

    The halfling threw Nala a cheeky salute then bounded off towards a free booth, bags bouncing at his sides. Nala followed, splitting off towards another booth¡ªthere was no sign of Tzugakk now but the booths were clearly the only way out of this place. The gangly, sandy-haired human inside rolled his eyes as Nala approached.

    "Oh my gods, what are you supposed to be? No, don''t tell me, ''rogue'', is it. Well marvellous." The human was looking down at something Nala couldn''t see; whatever it was it seemed to offend him. "Obstinate Neutral Dwarf Rogue? Yes, what an absolute boon to the academy you''ll be. Do you have a ticket?"

    Nala blinked at the human. He leant forward, speaking slowly and loudly:

    "DO. YOU. HAVE. A. TICKET?"

    "...no?"

    "No, of course you don''t¡ªthrough the portal then, mind you don''t trip and fall and die and do us all a favour. Next! Come on now, chop chop chop!"

    Past the booth and at the end of the arched passage was a wall of light, its glow enveloping Nala. Soft wind blew against her face and she blinked against sudden brightness, the sky above deep blue, what few clouds that dared sully its brilliance small and pure white. To her right there was a grey stone wall, old but solid, a few brave tufts of moss growing from small cracks. It was far too high and smooth to even think about climbing. Beneath her feet was a paved road, made of the same smooth grey stone as the walls¡ªthere was another far to the left, past the crowds of people streaming from the massive gates, huge high metal doors open to the white glow of a portal. One way street, no path but forward¡ªexcept there was something, a gap in the wall ahead of Nala leading to downward stairs, and it was here that she ran, down a few steps to push herself against the coolness of the stone wall, draw the hood of her cloak over her head, and fade into the shadows.

    Here she crouched, still and silent, hidden from all those who passed¡ªand those who stopped to talk:This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Phew, wow, I did NOT expect so many people! This is still a safe zone, right? Otherwise everyone''d be attacking everyone¡ª"

    "That''s why we''ve got to recruit some more guys, no way I''m gonna risk soloing¡ªdid you see that guy with the axes? You just know he''s gonna camp the main square, pick off all the weaklings. Going out alone''d be suicide."

    "So we''ve got to get a healer, right? And you said about maybe some kind of magic user for balance¡ªwe''d better hurry, looks like people are already partying up..."

    The voices faded as the pair moved off, though they were soon replaced by others:

    "WOOOOOO YEAH! Bright Battle, man, Bright Battle! Can you believe we''re finally here? Man, I can''t even believe it, are you seeing this place? Whoa, check out that chick, is that a half-orc? Dudes, there is a half-orc chick standing like JUST THERE, damn this place is wild! Okay though, okay okay, everyone''s here, right? Okay, let''s do this thing, back of the hand, man this is cool..."

    There was a pause, and a faint jangly kind of tune, then:

    "WOOOOO! Party time! Okay, I''ll do the rest of you guys¡ª"

    "That''s what HE said!"

    "Hahahaha shut up! Shut up you guys, come on¡ªlet''s get going towards the square that dude was talking about, I''ll do you on the way¡ª"

    "He said THAT too!"

    "Haha shut up! Man I can''t WAIT to get ranked, this is gonna be, like, the BEST. Hey, you think they''ve got any, like, demon chicks here? Damn but that''d be wicked! Hey, what''re those stairs? Is that like a dungeon or something?"

    "Nah, that dude said about it, remember? He said it''s like where they dump all the loose monsters."

    "Loose monsters, coooool! We should TOTALLY check that out!"

    "Nah man¡ªcome on, focus! This isn''t like going through Moss Pile or Pure Glade, this is the real deal here! First we gotta get ranked, then we gotta get our digs, THEN we can start thinking about loose monsters."

    "That''s what he said!"

    "You guuuuys~"

    Nala was already at the bottom of the stairs, sheer stone walls rising on either side. There was a wooden door, already open, leading to a long stone room, lit by dimly glowing crystals. Against one wall were wooden benches, against the other were cell-like cages. In the far wall were large double doors, firmly closed, and beside these, seated at the very end of the very last bench seat, was a girl. She was tall but slumped, straggly hair hanging down to hide her face, arms wrapped in bandages, clothing old and ragged and dark.

    "Nala!"

    Nala turned to see her goblin companion scurrying towards her, relief on his odd little face.

    "Tzugakk," she said. "What is this place?"

    "I don''t know! I was pushed through the portal then pushed through another portal and then I was here, and now you are here. I thought that killing the ogre was enough, is this another part of the trial? When does it end! Do you have this on your hand? What is this?"

    Tzugakk held up his big hand, displaying a circular tattoo identical to Nala''s.

    "''BrightCircle'', the man said," Tzugakk muttered, scratching at the glowing tattoo. "''Safehold shard'' that cannot be lost, this is like a curse!"

    "Safehold shard," Nala repeated. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a rough blue-green crystal, which she threw across the room. It bounced off a wall and across the floor, then its light faded. Glumly, Nala reached into her pocket again and produced the same crystal, still with that same blue-green glow.

    "They did not lie," she said. "Safehold shards cannot be lost or discarded."

    "They said, ''take this''," Tzugakk was muttering, "they said, ''walk there'', they said, ''there will be light'' and there was¡ªNala, what do we do?"

    Nala was silent, gazing at the girl sitting in the corner. She hadn''t moved, not at all.

    "Monsters," Nala murmured. She looked at Tzugakk. "I heard others talk of recruiting. Can we do that? ''Back of the hand''."

    Tzugakk held up his left hand, frowning as he examined it¡ªthen he flinched as Nala took his wrist and pressed the back of her own hand firmly against his. There was a glow from their BrightCircles, and a jangly little tune.

    "Is that recruiting?" Nala looked at her hand, her BrightCircle still glowing. "We must find others¡ªthat girl. She is a monster?"

    Tzugakk tore his gaze away from his own BrightCircle to shake his head at Nala. "Zombie yes, but not a monster, no no. She is lost, not empty. She could be useful!" Tzugakk continued to talk as he followed Nala towards the girl: "There were many zombies in my forest, monster zombies, hollow zombies, adventurers ignored them! Why? Too much work, takes too long to kill, good defence but so slow. Running is easy, from a zombie."

    The girl didn''t react until Nala and Tzugakk were standing near, and then it was only a twitch of her hand and a low, rattling moan. Up close her undead status was more obvious; her skin was blue, and though only her right eye could be seen through her tangled dark hair, it had a dullness to it that spoke more of death than life.

    "Hello," Nala said. "Can you talk?"

    The zombie girl moaned again, longer this time, and louder.

    "Can you speak words?"

    "...haaaaaard..."

    "Can you look at me? Can you see me?"

    The girl''s hand twitched, then she made an odd rocking movement that brought her head up, hair shifting to reveal an expressionless face, her eyes sunken and dull, her nose strong and straight, her mouth thin but with an attractive quirk to it. In life, the girl had been pretty.

    Slowly the zombie girl''s expression changed, a subtle frown on her face as she focused on Nala.

    "...smaaaaaall..."

    Nala glanced at Tzugakk, who shrugged, then looked back at the girl.

    "Do you have a name?"

    "...naaaaaame ... aaaa ... aaaa..."

    Something changed in the girl, then. Some small spark came into her dead eyes, some measure of deliberation came into her movements as she raised her head, brow creased. When she spoke again it was less rattling, less groaning:

    "Aaaamaaandaaa? Aaaamaaandaaa. Amaaandaaa ... Willooow?"

    There was a shockingly loud bang and a gust of air as the double doors slammed open. Three tall slim pale impeccably dressed vampire girls swept into the room, dashing Nala and Tzugakk aside as they clustered around Amanda and began loudly discussing her flaws:

    "Is this it? What a wreck. It looks like it''s been rolling in mud, do we really need that cluttering up the place?"

    "Oh, that hair, beside EVERYthing else it''s just so clich¨¦d, ''wretchedly long tragically unwashed hair covering her face, nothing showing but a single baleful eye'', ugh, you just KNOW she''s going to be the shrinking violet type¡ªno offence, Violet dear."

    "Absolutely none taken," said the tallest of the vampire girls; Violet, "I know exactly what you''re talking about¡ªoh my gods, oh my many gods, the way she''s looking at us, she''s not intelligent, is she?" Violet''s flawlessly made-up face twisted into an expression of attractively practised distaste. "There must have been a necromancer among the new entrants, how perfectly horrid."

    "Mm, certainly not a desirable quality, the possibility of furniture talking back is disgusting," said the second-tallest of the girls, before flipping her long blonde hair and turning to the shortest of their trio¡ªwho still towered over Nala and Tzugakk. "I suppose I must ask¡ªPriscilla, what class is she?"

    "You won''t like it," said the shortest girl; Priscilla. "She''s a glumgirl."

    "Oh dear goodness," cried Violet, delightfully horrified. "Nothing but a meat shield! The most useless of all zombie classes and that IS saying something."

    "I suppose Storm might be able to use her as a training dummy," said the second-tallest girl, regarding Amanda with thoughtfully judging eyes. "Storm dear, what do you think?"

    Leaning against the wall was a young man, just as pale as the girls and even taller, wearing a black leather jacket worn open to show off his impeccable abs. Further than that he was difficult to describe, the eyes naturally went to the perfection of his exposed abdomen and there they stayed. He took in a long, weary breath, blew it out through his nose, ran a hand through his hair then crossed his arms.

    "Whatever," he breathed.

    "I guess we do have to take her, anyway," Priscilla said. "We''ve got a responsibility."

    "Oh, I know, I know," Violet said. "One must be gracious to those less fortunate¡ª"

    "Y-you cannot."

    The second-tallest girl raised her head, a confused look upon her face.

    "Did something just squeak?" she asked.

    "She is not ''furniture''," Tzugakk pressed on. "She is not a ''training dummy''."

    "What IS that?" Violet asked, staring down at Tzugakk with an expression of horrified curiosity. "Storm, step on it, it''s looking at me funny."

    "Come come, Violet! Surely you recognise a goblin when you see one?" said the second-tallest girl, after a mere glance at Tzugakk. "We had that infestation last summer, you remember?"

    "Oh of course," Violet said, looking away from Tzugakk now. "Yes, yes, yes, perhaps I simply blocked out the memory as being too horrible to retain¡ªdo you know, this is just exactly what I was saying to you earlier, Amity my darling, the standards for admission into this academy are quite simply slipping. It used to be we had a higher class of new entrants even among the low-tiers¡ªI blame these ''safehold shard'' things, it just makes it too easy on them."

    "I entirely agree," said the second-tallest girl; Amity. "Without the possibility of death¡ª"

    There was a jangly little tune from somewhere close, and a glow from the back of Amanda''s hand; her BrightCircle was clearly visible.

    "That''s peculiar," Violet said. "Pris, what''s going on there?"

    "I''m ... not sure? That was the ''you just got a new party member!'' jingle, but there''s no one¡ª"

    "You cannot take this girl," came Nala''s voice, before she appeared beside Amanda. "I have already recruited her."

    The vampires all stared down at Nala as she stared resolutely up at them.

    The tension was broken by Violet''s high, superior laughter.

    "I suppose I should thank you for taking it off our hands¡ªbut I won''t. There''s no point, it''s not like any of you will be around long enough to make remembering so much as your names worthwhile."

    With that the vampires swept away, without a glance back¡ªexcept once, a scathing look from Violet directed at Nala that said ''I may not know your petty little name but I WILL remember your ugly little face''.

    Then they were gone, and Tzugakk breathed out in relief.

    "Foolish," he muttered. "Reckless. I should not have spoken¡ª"

    "No. You should not have." Nala was looking down at Amanda. "Can you walk?"

    Amanda gave no response, not so much as a twitch.

    Nala reached out to take the girl''s cold, bandaged arm in her hand.

    "Stand," she said. "And follow. If we are attacked, protect us."

    "...proooteeect..."

    "Good." Nala glanced at Tzugakk as they walked towards the stairs. "We need to find others, as many as we can recruit. I don''t know what this place is. I do understand that it is dangerous."

    Above, once they''d managed to help Amanda negotiate the stairs, the wide street was noticeably lacking in potential party members; the great doors were shut and the street was empty.

    "No one is here," Tzugakk said. "Bad if we need to find others, but good if there is no one to attack us!"

    "Safe zone," Nala muttered. "They formed parties, then moved on. We''re too late."

    The street was long, but at its end Nala could see four giant stone sentinels guarding a wide arch¡ªone brandishing a sword, another wielding a staff, the third a robed figure with an orb cradled in its hands, the fourth cloaked and hooded, clutching a bladeless hilt. Beyond the arch there seemed to be a wide square surrounded by yellow stone buildings all crowded together¡ªperhaps a city.

    But this is not a city, Nala thought. It is an academy. Bright Battle, the noisy ones had said. They were excited to be here.

    "Nala?"

    Nala gazed at the statues as she spoke:

    "There is only one direction. Forward."

 Episode 01.02

    The street seemed smaller here. It seemed stronger. Stronger? Was that the word? Was that appropriate? The bricks were big. Bricks. Stones. Bricks. Red bricks. Pretty. Different to ... different to...

    ...before...

    Amanda blinked, then again, then frowned. There were sounds. Familiar sounds.

    Bricks. Stones. Cobbles? Stones. Red. Red, here. Not below. Grey below. Red around. Above. Aqueduct. Aqueduct.

    "Aaaaqueduuuct."

    Something in the air. Something between the big red aqueduct and the empty blue beyond.

    "Haaand. Myyy haaand? Myyy hand. My hand. My hand?"

    Amanda became aware that her hand was raised and that she was staring at it and talking to it. This awareness led to another awareness, or a discovery of sorts.

    "I ... I think¡ª" Amanda stopped and lowered her hand, then spoke to the aqueduct before her: "I remember how to be embarrassed."

    For a time Amanda simply stood there, staring at the aqueduct, at its high arches and the shaded areas beneath, experiencing embarrassment and vaguely wondering how it was that she had come to be dead, which led to further vague thoughts as to how it was that she had come to be undead.

    Eventually she came to the realisation that she was thinking. That she was conscious. That she was ... that she was.

    This was soon followed by another realisation; that she had a name, and that this name was being shouted at her, and that this shouting had been going on for some time, and that ... and that...

    Amanda turned, surprised and pleased at how easy this was. She was standing on a street, and she was also pleased to be able to understand the concept of ''standing'' and the concept of ''a street''. There were regular patches of earth to the sides; gardens, she thought. Except empty. Empty gardens. Old gardens? Dead gardens. And an aqueduct. Except there''s no water. What is an aqueduct without water?

    "Just a ... duct?"

    Speaking was easier too. There was less rattle in her voice. Less ''groan'' to it. That being the case...

    "Oh," Amanda said, after taking a step forward that was, while not in any way elegant, far from a lurch. She took another step, then another. She was slow, she was stiff, she felt as if her body was stuffed with cotton wool, but she had control. She had freedom.

    "I can walk," she said, as she continued to do so.

    Meanwhile, nearby, crouched behind a stack of crates and with more than a little urgency, a goblin and a dwarf called Amanda''s name. Nala had an arrow through her arm and a long graze on her cheek, and Tzugakk''s leg was bleeding.

    "What is she doing?" Tzugakk asked, as another arrow thudded into the crates. He flinched, then continued: "Is she coming?"

    "She was looking at her hand," Nala said. "Now she''s walking."

    "To us?"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "Just walking."

    An arrow shattered against the street nearby, and Tzugakk shrank back from it.

    "Can we do anything?" he asked. "Can we escape?"

    Nala was silent.

    Down the street a little way, Amanda was staring at a house. There were lots of houses nearby, now that she looked, all of them made from the same red brick as the aqueduct. It was a nice shade of red. Not too bright. Not too dark. Perfect, in a sense.

    "Amanda! Please come! Please help!"

    The voice seemed like it should be familiar¡ªand the name certainly was.

    "Oh," Amanda murmured, as a vague sense of identity once more returned. She looked up the street, the one she''d been walking down. There were houses, nice red brick houses, and beside one of the houses was a stack of crates, and behind the stack of crates was a small worried face. Just a face? No, Amanda thought, that doesn''t work. A small worried face connected to a small worried body, that''s more sensible.

    As she studied the house and the crates and the face, Amanda noticed that there were a lot of small straight wooden things around¡ªarrows, her memory helpfully supplied¡ªand that the longer she watched the more of them there were. Where did they come from? Why were they there? These mysteries occupied Amanda''s attention until inspiration struck and she walked forward, slow, measured steps that took her closer to the house and the crates and the arrows. Arrows are loosed from a bow, she thought. So the bow is ... there. Attached to that person. Wearing a bucket. On his head.

    This seemed unusual, to Amanda. She wasn''t entirely sure what a bucket was used for, but it didn''t seem quite correct to wear one on your head.

    She stepped back, then slowly frowned. She hadn''t meant to step back. Looking down, she saw something sticking from her chest; the back half of an arrow.

    Amanda took another involuntary step back, and when she looked down this time there were two arrows sticking out of her chest.

    This feels wrong, she thought. I''m almost certain I don''t usually have arrows in my chest. This does not seem like a normal situation.

    "Amanda!" came a voice from nearby, but by the time she turned to see who it was Tzugakk and Nala had already taken her bandaged arms and were dragging her away, up the street and towards one of the aqueduct''s arches.

    "She IS useful!" Tzugakk cried, as they half-ran, half-stumbled beneath the arch and through to the other side¡ªmore streets and more red brick houses greeted them. "See, Nala?"

    "Useful for being hit by arrows," Nala muttered, steering Amanda into turning.

    "Arrows," Amanda said. As if on cue, one impacted against the ground behind the group¡ªbut they were around the corner and into a new street now, away from the bucket-helmeted archer ... but straight into two fighters.

    "Heh, hey there," said the shorter and broader of the pair. He held two wicked-looking axes, both glowing with dark auras. His breastplate appeared to be made of carved bone, which clashed somewhat with his metal wolf-head helmet and plate-and-chain leggings. The taller and slimmer of the two wore similarly mismatched equipment, his weapon a red-orange lance, his helmet made of some kind of blue metal with a dragon motif, his cloak green with a gold feather insignia. Meanwhile his black leather armour had a definite ''spidery'' look to it and his pointy blue-and-pink-auraed boots could have clashed with anything. He was also holding a long, thin stave that appeared to have been made from dozens of finger bones all joined together, which didn''t help his hodgepodge appearance at all.

    "Already got the necro," said the lancer, his voice low and hoarse. "Looks like we''re following him with a zombie girl chaser¡ª"

    "Nah," the axeman said. "Zombies take ages. You get whatever the hell that little green thing is, I''ll take stumpy roughskins, then we''ll let Bucket use blue girl for target practice. Even split."

    Nala had been looking around as the two had talked, searching for a way out¡ªbut there was nothing, just houses all close together and the archer behind, and she heard Tzugakk''s shrill cry as the lancer launched himself into the air, an impossibly high leap with an inevitably deadly arc, and then the axeman was before her, grinning in her face before she felt his axe bite into her neck and everything went...

    ...white?

    Glowing white, no pain, just discomfort, and she could hear the axeman talking through the growing sense of distance:

    "See that? One crit and she''s down, they should give a damn overkill bonus¡ª"

    His rough voice faded into the light as Nala fell, down and down and ever-down, a new voice rising to meet her:

    "Here''s another one¡ªskimmers are earning their merits today, aren''t they? Let''s take a look ... hmm ... nasty hit to the neck, before we do anything¡ª"

    And then things went properly black.

 Episode 01.03

    Bright Battle Academy''s infirmary was a clean, purposeful sort of place. The floors were smooth stone with drains strategically dotted around, the walls painted a businesslike grey-blue, and the solid, no-nonsense furnishings were universally enchanted to resist liquids and stains. This often came in handy.

    Upon one of these solid, no-nonsense furnishings (allegedly a bed) lay Nala Greyward. She was staring up at her left hand, at the BrightCircle tattooed upon it, wondering what the tiny dark-glowing purple butterfly fluttering around it meant. After a minute both butterfly and BrightCircle faded, and Nala lowered her hand.

    Eventually she pushed herself up and slid off the bed. There was a dull stiffness to her neck and her arm itched, but she felt no pain. There was a mirror in the room; Nala padded towards it. She could see the blood on her undyed tunic, could see the tear where the axe had bit, but beneath, on her dark skin, there was little more than a smooth line to mark the injury. Her arm, too, there was a hole through both the front and back of her rough sleeve but she could barely see where the arrow had punched through her flesh. She raised her fingers to her cheek, felt the dried blood flake away, but beneath there was just smooth skin, not even a hint of the graze she''d suffered.

    Nala lowered her hand, staring at herself in the mirror, at her narrow grey eyes, at her short brown hair, at her uninspiring face.

    "Up already? Goodness, you took to it well. Get into a spot of trouble, did you?"

    Nala turned and was smacked in the forehead¡ªshe reached for her knife but it wasn''t there.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "Don''t bother, you couldn''t hit back anyway," said the human woman who had hit her. "Just doing a follow-up, making sure you don''t have any nasty status effects still lurking around¡ªseems to check out. Your knife''s over by your bed if you really want it. I don''t know if you should even bother, an iron knife in this place? We''ll be seeing you back in here soon enough!"

    "Wait," Nala said, as the woman went to leave. "Explain to me. I was attacked¡ª"

    "Attacked, defeated, your safehold shard stopped you from dying and brought you here for us to fix you up. Seen a wee butterfly above your BrightCircle? That''s your first demerit. Four of those and you''re done."

    "Dead?"

    "No, no, expelled! Sent back to wherever it was you came from. Couldn''t imagine where that''d be, in your case!"

    The woman laughed as she walked out, leaving Nala to stare down at her BrightCircle, at the butterfly flitting about above it.

    "Four," she murmured. Four demerits, and I go back to where I came from. The woman was wrong; I was right. That is not expulsion.

    "¡ªmaybe in this room, that healer said¡ªNala! Nala, we are alive!"

    "Debatable," Amanda muttered, as Tzugakk ran forward to clutch at Nala''s sleeve. Nala absently patted his hand, then looked at Amanda. Her clothing was more ragged than ever, filled with dozens of small holes from the arrows that had ''killed'' her.

    "Your speaking has improved," Nala said.

    "Because there''s a necromancer near!" Tzugakk said, as the zombie girl gave a stiff shrug. "The healers told us, if there is a necromancer near, Amanda can speak and move and think. We need to recruit him! For her sake!"

    "Gakk told me about the whole party thing," Amanda said. "Guess I''m in with you guuuys." She cleared her throat. "You guys."

    Nala nodded. "Then we need to find this necromancer."

 Episode 01.04

    Praetorian Darkcede''s first day at Bright Battle Academy hadn''t quite matched his expectations. Not that his expectations were overly high, but ''universal rejection'', ''violent mugging'' and ''being murdered'' certainly weren''t on his list of First Day Must-Dos.

    Still, things were looking up now. He smiled at the pretty elf girl who had healed him, and she smiled back.

    "It''s just lucky they have safehold shards here," she said. "We had them back in Everleaf too but I never had to use them, hardly anyone did, they were mostly for accidents and stuff I guess. You didn''t get rewarded for attacking people, that''s for sure!"

    "I''d never heard of them before today," Praetorian said. "In fact, I suspect that where I come from they would be seen as somewhat perverted."

    "That''s such a shame," said the elf girl. "But you were saying about how that''s why you''re here? Um, ugh, sorry, that was a really clumsy way to say that¡ªyou''re going to do, um, ''research'' about new things?"

    "Well," Praetorian said, with a chuckle, "that''s not my principle reason for coming here. No, I have certain ambitions that are more, let us say, private and personal, although I would certainly feel comfortable sharing them with one such as you. Still, I suppose¡ªah? Yes, can we help you?"

    Standing in the doorway to Praetorian''s room were two short ugly things and one tall ugly thing¡ªparticularly ugly, considering her representation of everything Praetorian was trying to get away from.

    Nala glanced up at Amanda, then looked at the human sitting on the bed. He had on a long dark robe, angular around the neck, and beneath that a suit of sorts, old-fashioned but with a certain elegance to it. He also wore a long, thin leather tie, but the less said about that the better. His face was sharp, especially his eyebrows, a neatly trimmed goatee and thin black mustache adding greatly to the impression of general pointiness. Beside him, smiling cheerfully, was an elf girl with bouncy blonde hair and a face that radiated innocence, her blue eyes wide beneath large eyebrows. Her clothing was simple and flowing, white robes with green trimming, and she wore a gold band around her forehead. In her lap was a staff, pure white with a softly glowing orb suspended within a hook at the top.

    "Are you a necromancer?" Nala asked the human.

    "You ask, I presume, because of your zombie there." He let out a weary sigh, raising his hands and shaking his head in a theatrical expression of resignation. "Yes, I am a necromancer, for my sins. I hail from Lily Valley in Auldvyne, ''the old country'', and I have absolutely no interest in any reminder of that dismal place."

    "My name''s Gloria!" said the elf girl, apropos of not a lot. "Gloria Lightfear, I''m from a little village in The Forest, you probably never heard of it, it''s called Lamara anyway, or I guess you''d call it Nightrose in common, there''s a flower that grows there, anyway, I''m a cleric, I know most elves take a special class but I''m not really much of a fighter so pureleaf didn''t work for me and I didn''t want to be a sweetleaf, it just all seemed too fiddly and besides I like these robes, do you like them? I don''t think I suit the ''leafy'' look very well but white might be my colour. My brother always says I look like a marshmallow but that''s just him I think, his name''s Sly, have you met him? He''s really nice but a bit gloomy lately, especially today, he was having trouble finding a party to join up with¡ªdo you guys need an archer? He''s a sniper, he''s really good except for his stupid bow, it''s cursed, it''s a whole big cursed bow story, he had this exact same problem back at Everleaf, not being able to find a group I mean, that''s kind of why we both ended up coming here, well I was thinking about it anyway but he wants to get enough merits to pay for the decursing, they can do that here, they can do ANYTHING here if you''ve got the merits to pay for it. Oh, this is Praetorian, he didn''t say his name so I guess I will, Praetorian Darkcede, Auldvynians have such charming and unusual and interesting names, don''t you think? Not like boring old ''Gloria'', half the girls in my village were called that. Well not HALF but a lot. Well three, but it''s a small village so it seemed like more. Um, I haven''t seen any dwarves here¡ªyou''re a dwarf, right? I haven''t met any before, but I thought¡ªoh, and, um ... a goblin? Wow. I, um ... I kind of thought you guys were just monsters. Oh! Are you a monster? Are you a beasttamer? Are these your monsters that you brought with you?"

    Nala blinked at Gloria.

    "I am not a beasttamer," she said. "These are not my monsters¡ªthese are not monsters."

    "Oh! Oh, I''m so sorry, I just thought¡ªwell, um, please accept my apology, I really didn''t mean to, I mean, I just, sometimes I say things? And even though I don''t mean to they come out weird. So. Um. Hi?"

    "Hello?"

    "Ahem," Praetorian said, this directed at Nala. "As much fun as it is to meet new people, this charming young lady and I were engaged in a private conversation. If you three would care to leave, I''m sure that would work best for all concerned. Now," he said, turning to Gloria, Nala and the others apparently forgotten in an instant, "I am in all ways utterly taken by the insights you''ve already shared, and I''m sure a further exchange of views would only benefit us both¡ªperhaps we should arrange a meeting point in case we''re separated¡ª"

    "Do you realise he''s hitting on you?" Amanda asked Gloria.

    "I, um, what? No! You''re not, are you? No, we were just talking ... weren''t we?"

    All eyes went to Praetorian, who smiled at Amanda, his fingers steepled beneath his goatee.

    "Indeed," he said, his pointed gaze still upon Amanda. "Just talking."

    "Okay," Gloria said. "Phew. Anyway, so, I should get to¡ªoh my gosh, I totally forgot, I''m supposed to meet with my party! Jane''s bound to have gotten more people by now but I was going to, I mean I promised, I just got caught up¡ª"Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Gloria stopped and took a self-consciously deep breath, then continued talking faster than ever:

    "Because I joined up with Jane Hearthguard''s group, I mean we were in the admissions line together and we got talking well mostly it was me talking I guess but anyway it turned out she wanted a healer for her party and I''m a healer and she was serious but nice and well she''s a paladin so I thought that''s got to be good, we''re both lawful after all and that''s really important to me, back at Everleaf I got put in with a bunch of chaotics and that did NOT end well so um so yes so anyway, then I came here to check out the infirmary because I heard you can volunteer to get merits and somehow I got roped into helping out even before I signed up, someone just said ''go heal that guy in that room!'' and I was all like ''okay!'' because well I AM a healer. So um, now I''d better get back to my party. Praetorian, I don''t know where I''m going to be staying, maybe in Fauxgreen somewhere unless we get a good party ranking, I guess Jane might have some plans ... well anyway, if you see me say hi¡ªyou guys too, don''t be shy, okay? Okay bye!"

    Nala and the others stood aside for Gloria, and she waved at them as she ran off. They waved back. It just seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

    Then they turned to look at Praetorian.

    He wasn''t waving.

    The expression on his face suggested that he might never wave again.

    "Well," he said, acidly. "Thank you so very much for that timely interruption, the very first elf maiden I meet who isn''t instantly psychotic and what shows up to scuttle my chances? Nothing less than a zombie. Fate is having a splendid laugh at my expense today, that''s certainly clear. Who are you people? Why do you have a goblin with you? Why is a dwarf even here, I thought your kind shunned the academy? Why is this place so cursedly DIFFICULT?"

    Nala gazed levelly at Praetorian. "Would you like to join our party?"

    "What? Pardon? Excuse me?"

    "Would you like to join our party?"

    "And what would entirely possess me to do that?"

    "Have you already been recruited?"

    "Of course I haven''t, nobody wants a necromancer in this place."

    "Why not?"

    "Because nobody dies here! For a class based primarily around death that''s a fairly significant negative point! Of course nobody told me this before I came here, nobody thought to mention this seemingly trivial yet vitally important little factoid." Praetorian took a deep breath, then let it out in a sigh. "One of the disadvantages of living in the old country," he said, his voice more level, his expression more calm. "Even the information is outdated. The mystery surrounding this place didn''t exactly help."

    "It would make sense for you to join us," Nala said. "You are a necromancer and we have a zombie¡ª"

    "I came here to escape zombies. My particular slice of Auldvyne is utterly lousy with the wretched things. Zombies and slimes, that''s all we are famous for¡ª"

    "You have no stave," came Tzugakk''s quiet voice. Praetorian stared at him, then smirked humourlessly.

    "Indeed," he said. "Very observant. Another lovely surprise that the illustrious Bright Battle Academy sprang upon me, another important omission; the bullying here verges on the sadistic."

    "It was taken from you?" Tzugakk asked.

    "How?" Amanda added.

    "I''d much rather not discuss it, if it''s all the same to you. Suffice to say a combination of brute force, intimidation and treachery came together in an amalgamation that led to the loss of that particular heirloom and my ''death''. The first of many, I gloomily predict." Praetorian sighed and shook his head. "I did not come here to fight. My intentions were purely peaceful; all I want is to find an elf maiden and explore the delights of interspecies courtship. It seems fate had something to say about that. Indeed, perhaps it WAS fate that parted me from my stave¡ª''be careful what you wish for'', yes? I wished to be entirely free of my homeland. With the loss of my staff that wish, it seems, was granted." Praetorian fixed a cool gaze upon Amanda. "And then you showed up."

    There was a short silence, broken by Nala:

    "Will you join us?"

    Praetorian laughed. "Persistent, aren''t you? But my answer must remain unchanged, I have no wish to spend any time in the company of the undead, that is certainly not my reason for coming here."

    "She needs you," Tzugakk said, quietly. "She needs your presence to ... to keep herself¡ª"

    "Are you explaining the prescripts of undeath to me?" Praetorian asked. "To me, an Auldvynian necromancer of the Lily Valley? Hear this, goblin; if nothing else, I know zombies."

    "Then you know that you are her freedom."

    Praetorian stared at Tzugakk. Tzugakk gazed back.

    After a time, Praetorian laughed, a sound devoid of joy.

    "Ah, fate," he said, spreading his arms wide and raising his face to the dull grey-blue ceiling, "I am but your plaything. So this is to be my destiny? Eternal steward of the lesser undead?"

    Amanda started as Praetorian fixed his gaze upon her, the intensity of his eyes disturbing.

    "D-don''t look at me like that."

    "Raise your right arm," Praetorian said. Amanda found herself doing so.

    "W-what¡ª"

    "And now your left leg."

    Amanda did as Praetorian commanded and promptly fell over.

    "Yes, typical," Praetorian said, as Tzugakk hurried to help Amanda up. "What would you be, a walker?"

    "Glumgirl, apparently," Amanda muttered.

    "Oh, marvellous. Glumgirl. At least your binding appears strong. Whoever raised you seems to have done an adequate job." Praetorian let out a long sigh. "Very well, I submit to fate; I shall join your diverse little party. After all, as your goblin friend there stated so dramatically, I am your freedom. Who is your leader?"

    Nala held out her hand, and Praetorian pressed the back of his against it. There was a jangly little tune and the glow of twin BrightCircles, and Praetorian smiled thinly around at his new party.

    "Well then," he said. "You have a staveless necromancer as your new comrade. Whatever your expectations I''m sure I''ll disappoint. Were you heading to Destiny Square? I shiver with the thought of what desperate stragglers might still be there."

    "Do you always talk such rubbish in such a rubbishy way?" Amanda asked.

    "Yes, I can see such value in helping you retain your personality, it''s such a pleasant and charming one, isn''t it? Already regret comes to claim me, a dark shadow passing over my sun."

    "What is Destiny Square?" Nala asked.

    "Oh, you don''t know? It''s where ranking takes place. That''s where all the stragglers gather, those who have yet to find a party. I was headed there before those charming bullies put it upon themselves to rob and murder me. Rather a distraction, you must concur."

    Nala had already turned away, was speaking to the others as they left the room together:

    "We may be able to find more people to recruit there. The more in our party, the safer we will all be."

    "I''ll just follow along behind then, shall I?" Praetorian called after them. He sighed and went to pick up his stave before wincing at his mistake. "Yes," he muttered, as he hurried after the others. "Just follow along behind, that''s what I''ll do."

 Episode 01.05

    Destiny Square was wide and tall, surrounded by raised streets, a large domed building taking up the centre. Flags fluttered above and balloons floated in the sky, but below there was little activity; whatever had happened here was over and done.

    "As expected," Praetorian said, surveying the few new entrants remaining. "Slim pickings here, to be sure."

    "There''s someone," Amanda said. She tried to raise her arm to point then rattled out a frustrated groan. "She''s coming over here."

    "Helloooo," said the girl who''d just flounced up to them, her accent strong and strange. "Are you guys a party? Yeah? I''m Elene, I''m a bubblemancer¡ªdon''t worry if you haven''t heard of the class, it''s new, one of the latest to be council-approved."

    Elene had dark skin and purple eyes, her hair bouncy and curly and pink, tied with rainbow-coloured ribbons to form high twintails. She wore a puffy blue outfit with rainbow trimming, and gave the general impression of being far too bright.

    "I''m from Nimbus, in case you didn''t already guess," Elene said, while the members of Nala''s party struggled to think what to say. "My whole family are researchers there, me as well, I got picked to come test out this new class¡ªbut who cares about that, you guys are gonna make a team, right?"

    "We''re searching for members," Nala said. "We are forming a party."

    "No no no, a TEAM! For the tournament! Preliminaries are starting in just a few weeks, I''m really trying to get more people interested, especially low-tier classes like you guys¡ªrogue, right? And a necromancer, wow, first one I''ve seen here, you guys are SO unpopular, haha, and wow, a zombie! Walker?"

    "Glumgirl," muttered Amanda.

    "Even better! And what are you, you''re a goblin, right? Haha, wow, I don''t even KNOW what classes you guys can pick¡ªif you found a couple more people you guys would be perfect."

    Praetorian treated Elene to a charming smile. "Then would you consider joining us?"

    "Haha, no way! Sorry, I gotta solo it, being in a party would undermine the purity of the experiment and that''d make a loooot of people unhappy. Besides, bubblemancers are too new, still ''untested'', not allowed in tournament matches is what I''m saying. Banned! Banned from competitive fighting! Hahaha. Seriously though, sign up for the games you guys! They''re a ton of fun and tactic merits are valuable, I mean sure, you''d probably be taken out by one of the FAR too many three-fighters-and-a-healer teams but it''d be an interesting fight at least! Plus defeats in a match don''t earn demerits so you''ve got nothing to lose, right? Anyway, think about it!" Elene glanced around at the near-empty square. "Looks like this thing''s over, I better get to my cottage and contact home¡ªgotta use the crystal set I brought with me, have you SEEN these things?" Elene held up her safehold shard, regarding it with an expression of superior distaste. "Dark age stuff, am I right? Closed-path synchronisation and not even a safeway pass, I''m amazed the guild is still using such utterly ancient tech. They were supposed to bring in all these changes and modernise this place but, haha, I''m not seeing it! Anyway, good luck and stuff¡ªif you''re looking for a potential recruit there was an elf moping around here just before, kinda glum, something about being cursed, seems like he''d fit right in with you guys, huh? Hahaha!"

    With that and a mock-salute Elene bounced away, leaving Nala and her party to stare after her.

    "Well," said Praetorian. "She seemed a happy soul."

    A soft tug at her sleeve brought Nala''s attention to Tzugakk. He pointed subtly and shyly.

    "There," Nala said, her eyes upon a bench shadowed by a tall tree. Its sole occupant was a glum elf with a large spiky bow set at his side.

    "Ah, perhaps this is the brother of whom Gloria spoke," Praetorian said, as they approached. "That bow certainly looks cursed¡ªmay I do the talking? I have something of a way with those of the elvish persuasion. Objections none? Excellent. Hello there! Gloria''s brother, I presume? Sly Lightfear? I see the resemblance in your eyebrows."

    The elf looked up at Praetorian. He had sandy-brown hair that entirely failed to disguise his strikingly large eyebrows, despite how low he wore it. His eyes were large, slanted, and half-hooded, his passive appearance matched by his loose green and brown clothes.

    "Yeah," he said. "Sure. ''Gloria''s brother''. You guys looking to recruit?"

    Nala went to reply, but Praetorian''s raised hand stopped her.

    "Perhaps," he said. "What can you offer us?"

    Sly straightened a little, pushed his hair away from his eyes, and took his bow in one hand.

    "Well, uh, I''m a sniper, that''s my class, plus I get a racial bonus with this stupid thing. Uh ... this thing. This bow."

    All eyes turned to the bow in question. It was large and bulky, seemed to be made from some kind of dark metal, and had far more spikes than a projectile weapon would seem to require. The spiralling purple-black aura didn''t really help matters at all.

    "It''s, uh, kind of cursed," Sly said. "Not that you could tell. It''s got kind of a big to-hit penalty. Damage and crit bonuses are decent though, plus it''s got ScatterShot as an intrinsic, that''s pretty nice. Uh, and because I''m a sniper I get Pinpoint, that gives me a hundred percent to-hit. Just, uh, just once a day, though. And just against one target. Kind of already used that today, though. Bunch of fighters, got me alone, all ganged up on me ... yeah. Managed to get a couple of good hits in on the leader, didn''t take him out but it was enough to scare ''em off ... you don''t get merits for scaring people though."

    "Hm," said Praetorian. "It seems that your class skill would at least temporarily offset the penalty given by this bow¡ªI assume this is the reason you picked it¡ªand so I''m forced to wonder, why haven''t you been snapped up already?"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Dunno. People are just picky I guess. Ranged attackers aren''t in fashion, hand-to-hand dudes are sturdier and have higher damage output so yeah, can see why nobody wants me. Just a lazy dude with a cursed bow he can''t unequip."

    "We will have you," Tzugakk said, quietly. "If you will join us."

    Sly looked around, at Tzugakk and Amanda and Nala. "Kind of ragtag or something," he said before grinning lazily, displaying a missing front tooth. "Could work. Who''s your leader?"

    Nala held out her hand and Sly slapped his against it, humming along with the jangly recruitment tune.

    "Heard that a hundred times today," he said, inspecting his glowing BrightCircle. "Kind of gets in your head after a while."

    "You should be happy," Amanda said to Praetorian. "We''ve got an elf now."

    "Yes ... I can''t say that he''s entirely my type. No offence intended, of course," Praetorian said to Sly, accompanying this with an elegant bow. "As I mentioned earlier, there''s little resemblance between you and your lovely sister¡ªaside from the distinctive eyebrows."

    "Sure," Sly said with a shrug. "Story of my life. She gets the blessing and I get the curse. So you met her, huh? See that staff she had? Yeah, got that the same time this stupid bow grabbed me. Couple of demon chests in a local dungeon, Grigori Staff for her, VeldHart Bow for me."

    Praetorian frowned. "The thought of getting it checked before equipping it didn''t cross your mind?"

    "I was a kid, dude, I was excited. Can''t get rid of the stupid thing now. S-rank curse, can you believe? Heard they could do something about that here and Gloria was already making noise about coming, so ... yeah. We gonna go get ranked now? Dunno if there''s anyone else around here still looking."

    Those others left in the square all seemed to be in groups, newly-formed parties discussing strategies and plans, or waiting to be admitted to the large building in the centre.

    "Hm," said Praetorian. "It seems that there may not be anyone else yet unattached. Unless some poor pathetic soul is yet to arrive here¡ª"

    The necromancer stopped, distracted by a clanking sound coming closer, and as he and the others watched a small girl in big armour came running into the square, tripped on the spear she was carrying, and fell flat on her face.

    Praetorian raised an eyebrow.

    "Rather terrifying timing, actually."

    Amanda and Tzugakk were already going to the girl''s aid, Tzugakk getting there first.

    "Are you hurt?" he asked, offering a tentative hand. The girl waved it aside apologetically, pushing herself up with surprising ease given the bulkiness of the armour. It was light blue in colour with a white feather motif, a subtle blue-green aura surrounding it.

    "Um, it''s okay¡ªI''m okay, I mean," she said, her voice softly accented. "I''m, um ... I''m used to it."

    The girl adjusted the winged headband-helmet she was wearing, then took off her square glasses to check that they hadn''t cracked. She had dark skin and wide eyes, and her hair was short and black, two little pigtails poking out beneath her ears.

    "Oh, thank you," the girl said, as Tzugakk shyly presented her fallen spear. "It''s new, my old one ... I don''t have my old one any more, this is longer and heavier, apparently it''s better but ... I miss my old spear..."

    "Why were you running?" Nala asked. "Are you being chased?"

    "Oh! No. Thank goodness. No, I wanted to get back here before everyone left, but ... I guess I might be too late. My name''s Mist, by the way. Mist Reginleif. I''m a valkyrie! Um, I don''t suppose any of you are heroes?"

    Amanda let out an involuntary rattling moan, then put her hand over her mouth, embarassed.

    "Excuse me," she said. "I didn''t ... sorry."

    Mist smiled awkwardly at Amanda, then looked around at Nala and the others, her smile fading along with the hope in her eyes.

    "Oh," she said. "I didn''t think so but I thought I should ask. Someone told me there was a hero down that street but all I found was a dead end with a bunch of smashed crates. I think they might have been lying! Do you know, people can be pretty mean here? I even got attacked before!"

    "Astonishing," said Praetorian.

    "I know, I didn''t think, I mean, nobody told me about THAT! This place is totally different to what I expected, everyone said there''d be heroes! They said that Bright Battle was FAMOUS for heroes! I was so looking forward to meeting one finally, but everyone''s just a fighter or a healer or something..." Mist trailed off and sighed softly. "All in all it''s been quite a disappointing day."

    Awkward silence followed, which Amanda took it upon herself to break.

    "Um," she said. "So you like heroes?"

    "Of course!" Mist said, her eyes suddenly bright, her tone suddenly enthusiastic. "Valkyries and heroes have a very deep connection, you know. Wherever heroes go, valkyries will follow! And everyone said that Bright Battle was legendary for all its heroes, that''s why I got sent here, because in my village¡ªwell, on my island¡ªeveryone''s mostly a fisherman or nethandler or something, there are hardly any fighting-type classes at all and definitely no heroes. And, do you know, I don''t think there are even any valkyries here either! I''m the only one! Just like back home ... I mean, since my mother died. I was really little then so I don''t remember her much." Mist''s eyes went distant and she stared at nothing for a second, then she smiled brightly around at the others. "But I am determined to live up to her memory and bring glory to the class of valkyrie! It''s my dream," she added, in earnest explanation.

    Nala and the others stared at the girl, with her square glasses and stubby pigtails and spear taller than her head and armour that was far too big for her.

    "So," Mist said. "So, um. I don''t guess you might maybe be looking for anyone to join your party? Because ... I mean ... I don''t think I''m going to find a hero around here ... and I, I don''t think anyone else really ... you know ... wants me..."

    "Rough day, huh?" Sly said. "Know that feeling."

    Mist sighed. "Lots of people made fun of me¡ªof valkyries! One said we were an obsolete class, I couldn''t believe that ... but actually that was one of the better reactions ... at least he''d heard of valkyries..."

    "I have heard of them."

    Mist looked at Praetorian, a thin, brave smile on her face.

    "Oh?"

    "Although not overmuch," he admitted. "''Raven-sister'', that''s part of your little poem thing, isn''t it?"

    Mist nodded eagerly. "Shieldmaiden, swan-friend, raven-sister, last hope of the fallen. But, um, I don''t actually have a shield."

    "You are a maiden, though?"

    "Hey!" Amanda snapped. "Not okay!"

    Praetorian spread his hands innocently. "Could I help but ask?"

    "Um," Mist said. "Well. Yes, I have to be. Remain pure, I mean. It''s part of the class requirements."

    "Hm." Praetorian regarded Mist thoughtfully. "Suddenly the reason for the class''s decline in popularity becomes apparent. I suppose I shouldn''t complain, I wished for an elf maiden and what does fate grant me? An elf and a maiden. I should not have expected more than this. It appears my dreams of cross-cultural relations are only that; it is of dreamstuff that my desires are formed, and the silken pleasures I crave remain ethereal and mysterious."

    "You''re ridiculous and slightly disgusting," Amanda said. "Do you know that?"

    Praetorian shrugged. "I am true to my nature, as base as that might be. For this I neither expect understanding nor demand acceptance."

    Amanda rolled her dull eyes and turned away.

    "Here."

    Mist blinked at Nala, at her outstretched hand.

    "Oh! Oh, thank you, is this really okay? I can be in your party? I don''t even know your name¡ªum, I do it like this?"

    "Like this," Nala said, pressing the back of her hand against Mist''s, speaking over the jangly recruitment tune: "And my name is Nala Greyward."

 Episode 01.06

    There was still a line for the ranking office, but not much of one. Five fighters went in ahead of Nala''s party, while she and the others waited in a pleasantly furnished wood-panelled room with dozens of empty seats.

    "I guess there are good points about being last," Mist said, for the seventeenth time. "You guys should''ve been here earlier, there were so many people, I couldn''t even believe it! More people than on my whole island, I bet! This place is a lot bigger than I expected. Did you expect it to be so big? I didn''t! Um, what rank do you think we''ll get? It''s probably too much to expect a high one, I don''t think we''ll get B but maybe C? Do you think? Um, Nala? Do you think we might get ranked C?"

    "I know nothing about the ranking system."

    "Oh! Really? I thought ... I mean, you just seem like ... and you''re the party leader ... you didn''t read the brochures?"

    Nala looked at Mist.

    "In the admissions room?" Mist said. "There were lots, I think I read them all, I got here early so, um, I had to wait a while. You didn''t read any? Well anyway, what they do is they take all of our classes and equipment and special abilities and combat effectiveness and compatibility and everything, then average it out and give us a ranking based on that. S is the highest, of course, then A, B, C ... anyway, once we get a rank we can choose a bunch of stuff based on that, like S-rank parties get to pick pretty much any accommodation they want except for the team houses, A-rank have a lot of options too, what do you think we can hope for? Maybe C? Even D would be okay, I read there are dorms near the ruins that looked kind of nice. C class would be great, though, you can get an actual house in one of the villages, there''s one that''s so pretty, all these lovely white houses with orange roofs and they''re all built in close together so there aren''t really streets, just like paved courtyards, and then little stairways going all up and around, it just looked so nice ... my village doesn''t have anything like that, hardly any stonework at all, in comparison this place is amazing! Well, I guess in comparison to anywhere this place is amazing. I''ve only been here and my village, but I''ve heard stories. Oh, I''m from the Sunrise Islands! I didn''t say that already, did I? Well I am, anyway, from Feather Island ... um, where are you all from?"

    "I don''t wish to talk about my homeland," Praetorian muttered, from where he sat a few seats away.

    "Does it even matter?" Sly asked, a couple of seats away from Praetorian.

    "I don''t actually know," Amanda said, from where she sat beside Tzugakk, who looked down at his big hands, his wide mouth tight.

    Mist looked around at her fellow party-members, her eyes going to Nala, who was standing near Tzugakk.

    "Um, Nala? Where are you from?"

    In response Nala pointed to her cheek.

    "I ... I don''t know what that means? You don''t have a beard?"

    "Female dwarfs don''t have beards, it''s just a myth that they do," Praetorian muttered. "She''s showing you that there''s nothing on her cheek."

    "Huh? So you''re showing me there''s nothing there?"

    Nala was looking away from Mist.

    "Yes," she said.

    "YEEEEEEAAAAH! B-RANK, WOOOOO! RED TOWN FIGHTERS FOREVER!"

    Mist turned to stare at the group of fighters whooping and high-fiving their way out of the ranking office.

    "Man, you guys better get in there!" one of them called. "They''re feeling generous today, yeah! PARTY HOUSE HERE WE COME!"

    "Generous sounds hopeful," Mist said, waving at the fighters as they left. "Should we, um, should we just go straight in?"

    The ranking office turned out to be a circular room with a domed ceiling above, the floor polished marble, intricate stained-glass windows depicting humans and dwarves and elves and halflings and other races striking down demonic shadows. In the centre of the room was a circular desk with chairs arranged around¡ªit seemed able to accommodate more than a dozen parties at once, but at this time there was only a single clerk left, a bored-looking human.

    "Come on, then," he called, his voice echoing. "You''re the last? Let''s get you ranked and we can all get on with things. Party leader first, give me your hand."

    Nala led the others to the desk and held out her hand, her BrightCircle already glowing.

    "Confirm your name and class," the man muttered, peering down at a scroll through thin square spectacles.

    "Nala Greyward. Rogue."

    "Mm-hm. Next you have a zombie? Name and class?"

    "Me? Uh ... Amanda Willow. Glumgirl, apparently."

    "Next?"

    "That would be me? Praetorian Darkcede, necromancer."

    "Mm. Next."

    "Uh, Sly Lightfear, I''m a sniper."

    "Mist Reginleif!" Mist said, before the clerk could even ask. "Valkyrie!"

    She shrank into her oversized armour as everyone looked at her.

    "Sorry," she mumbled. "I got excited."

    "And a goblin, apparently? Oh, there you are. Name and class?"

    "Tzugakk." Tzugakk shifted where he stood, hesitated before continuing in an even softer voice than normal: "Stenchmerchant."

    "Yes, unsurprising I suppose," said the clerk. "That''s all of you? Wait there a moment, then, this part¡ªoh, it''s already done. Not much to calculate, I suppose. Hm. Hm-hm. Hm, haven''t had one of these in a while."

    "What is it?" Mist asked, going on tip-toes to try to see the scroll the clerk held. "Is it our rank? Is it bad? Oh no, it''s not F, is it? Are we Rank F?"

    "No, no."

    "Oh, phew."

    "You''re Rank Z."

    Silence carried particularly well in the big domed room. It was Mist who broke it:

    "Z? Z? There''s a Rank Z?"

    "Yes, well, your lack of equipment didn''t exactly help, nor did the cursed weapon. Puts you dead last for choice, no special privileges or permissions or bonus merits¡ªand as for accommodation, well, you''re just going to have to find it where you can. I''d suggest splitting up, try for your base class-type lodgings¡ªyou, elf, play the race card and you''ll likely get in over on Fauxgreen. Necromancer, take your pet and head to Everglim, near the craft quarter, it''s not far from here."

    "I''m not his pet," Amanda protested. "And I want my OWN lodgings!"

    "Technically speaking you are a monster," said the clerk. "Z-ranked at that. You''re lucky we''re not just putting you in the zoo."

    "In any case," Praetorian said, "you must stay at my side or you''ll lose what little personality you currently retain. Believe me, if I could have it any other way..."

    "I wouldn''t complain," said the clerk, "Everglim''s one of the safer parts of the academy. Not many bullies want to risk tangling with mages, at least not on their home turf. Plenty of cottages too, near the gardens."

    "Cottages," said Praetorian. "Now that doesn''t sound too unbearable."

    "Um, what about me?" Mist asked.

    "''Valkyrie''. Hm. Fighter would be your base class, I suppose ... try the dorms in battle quarter, check the signs outside for directions, it''s a bit of a hike from here. The company might be a little rough but you''ll soon get used to it."

    From Mist there came a tiny squeak.

    "I, um ... I thought we might be able to stay together?" she said. "Since we''re a party?"

    "If you were higher ranked then certainly. Not much you can do with Z, though. Now, the rogue and the little nobbler, you''d be best off trying your luck in the sprawl, just at the southern edge of the ruins near Waveless Beach. That''s where all the miscellaneous low-tier scum gather."

    "Is that, uh ... it?" Sly asked, after a short silence.

    "Unless you have any questions? No? Good. Out now, go on. It''ll get dark soon, you certainly don''t want to be without a safe zone once the sun goes down, especially not on the first day."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The darkening sky outside the ranking office matched the newly-formed party''s mood. The butt of Mist''s spear trailed behind her as she clanked through Destiny Square.

    "I really thought we''d all be together," she said. "I know we all just met up but I feel better with you guys around. I thought being a party..."

    Mist trailed off gloomily. Tzugakk patted her plate-armoured arm.

    "That was my hope also, yes," he said. "Safety in numbers, to protect us all from the dangers of this place."

    "Hm. Even together we don''t present much of a threat," Praetorian said. "What can we do? I have no stave, our valkyrie seems more likely to trip over her spear than employ it effectively, our sniper''s bow is cursed not to hit, ''stenchmerchant'' sounds like exactly the wrong kind of offensive, our party leader has only the most basic iron knife, and it," he said, nodding at Amanda, "is restricted by class from so much as equipping a weapon."

    "She." Tzugakk''s voice was as soft as ever. "Not ''it''."

    "Well forgive me, please do, but if you''d had the history that I do with her kind then you would perhaps excuse my use of the impersonal pronoun. Regardless, I am going, before night truly falls. Coming, zombie?"

    "Like I have a choice," Amanda muttered.

    "Oh, but of course you do! You can shamble along after me or you can stay here and lurch around being ineffective. Does that sound appealing? No? Then come along."

    "Wait."

    Praetorian let out an exaggerated sigh then turned to give Nala his full attention.

    "Does our ''leader'' have something she wishes to say?" he asked. "Before we all seek what little sanctuary we may find in this wretched place?"

    "Tzugakk is right," Nala said. "Our best chance of survival is in keeping together."

    "Survival?" Sly laughed, not a little nervously. "You make it sound like this is life or death, dude. Worst that can happen here is we get beat up too many times and they kick us out."

    Nala caught Tzugakk''s eye as Praetorian spoke:

    "But you must admit that her point is valid. After today''s frightful events I have little hope of making it past the first week, but I would like to remain here at least long enough to explore certain possibilities. My desires are few and base in nature, but I''d like to indulge them before being forced to return to the zombie-infested hole that is my homeland. Above all else that means avoiding demerits, which means avoiding death."

    "I, um, I think they call it ''defeat'' here," Mist said. "We should also, um, I mean we should be trying to earn merits, too. That''s the whole point of this place, right? To earn enough merits to graduate, to buy adventuring licenses and that kind of thing. I read that you can get merits for doing lots of different stuff ... nothing I''m good at, though..."

    Praetorian laughed through his nose. "And what ARE you good at, pray tell?"

    "...I''m okay at embroidery..."

    "Don''t guess there are sewing merits here, though," Sly said.

    "There are some for crafting!" Mist said. "None of the brochures I read mentioned sewing but ... but maybe..."

    "We''re wasting time," Praetorian said. "I''m weary and the sun is setting¡ªthat cheerful and encouraging soul within the ranking office mentioned that Everglim is close and safe, and this seems to be a fairly central part of the academy. Safety and convenience seems an excellent combination to me, so what''s say we all meet at my cottage tomorrow morning to discuss the best path forward? We can pool our collective knowledge of the academy and its mysterious ways and then venture out as a group to explore the opportunities before us. Disagreement? No? Then come, zombie, our ''safe zone'' awaits."

    "Uh, wait a sec, how are we gonna find you?" Sly asked.

    "Hm. Relevant query, I suppose. Very well, how''s this¡ªI shall inscribe the front door with a sigil of some kind, cantrips of that nature are within my power even without a stave."

    "A sigil?" Mist said, perking up. "Oh! Could it be a loveheart?"

    Everyone looked at her, and she lowered her eyes.

    "What?" she said, fiddling with her spear. "I like hearts..."

    "Fine, a heart, I honestly do not care. Is there anything else anyone wants to discuss? Briefly?"

    Praetorian looked around at the others, then gave a theatrically extravagant bow and turned on his heel, striding away with Amanda shuffling behind.

    "Slow!" she called after him. "These legs aren''t exactly made for running..."

    Her dry voice faded as the two of them left the square. Sly was already slinking away, giving the others a vague wave as he departed, and Nala and Tzugakk turned to go, the goblin holding her sleeve¡ª

    "Um."

    Nala and Tzugakk stopped, both looking back at Mist. Although taller than either of them she seemed tinier than ever, her too-long spear held in both hands, her mouth tight.

    "Could I ... um, do you think I could maybe go with you guys? Maybe I could find a place in the sprawl or wherever..."

    "Your base class is fighter," Nala said. "You have a set area. The dormitories in the battle quarter."

    "I, um, but I kind of ... I mean I read about that place, it''s where all the sparring and training goes on, and ... and it''s, um, it''s filled with, you know ... fighters..."

    "Yes?"

    "I just, I don''t know if that''s my place, it doesn''t feel right and most of the fighters I met today were ... I mean ... kind of ... awful..."

    Nala looked at Mist with blank eyes. Tzugakk''s expression held more compassion ... but also a measure of helplessness.

    "This place is confusing," he said, quietly. "But it seems class is important, yes. We are going to the sprawl, a place for rogues and other low-tier scum." Tzugakk allowed himself a small, sad smile. "You are a valkyrie, but you must also be a fighter."

    "I ... I guess..."

    "Goodnight, then," Nala said, once more turning to go.

    "Um, goodnight ... see you two tomorrow..."

    Tzugakk looked back as he followed Nala, watching Mist shuffle away.

    "She is scared," he murmured.

    Nala said nothing.

    In Destiny Square and the streets surrounding everything was well-maintained and clean and generally nice, but the further Nala and Tzugakk travelled the rougher their surroundings grew¡ªat first a few missing cobblestones or tufts of thick grass growing from cracks, but then the buildings began to show signs of neglect and the streets were more bare earth than anything, and soon the area resembled a ruin more than a living city, the remains of those buildings that had succumbed to time pushed roughly from the street to pile in alleys. As they walked on the sky grew dark and the streets grew narrow, gnarled trees with thick green foliage becoming a frequent sight, in some places wood dominating stone thanks to the spread of wild growth.

    "Nala, a place like us," Tzugakk said, looking around with curious eyes. "City and forest coming together. It is a surprise, to find this here."

    "Ruins?"

    "No," Tzugakk said, grinning at Nala. "Beauty!"

    Nala shook her head and they walked on in silence, passing through the overgrown ruins and making their way into an area of shadowy buildings built from dark blue stone.

    "It was your plan that led us here."

    Nala had spoken suddenly, her pace unchanged, and it took a surprised Tzugakk several seconds to reply:

    "I''m sorry¡ª"

    "No. Not like that. This is better."

    Soft orbs suddenly bloomed above the street, the ghostly blue light they cast making everything pale.

    "Yes," he murmured, as they walked on beneath the glow. "Better."

    "For that..."

    Nala trailed off, wincing briefly before her usual flat expression returned.

    "I want you to understand that I understand," she said, not looking at Tzugakk.

    "Understand what?"

    "That I owe you everything."

    Tzugakk stopped, Nala''s sleeve released from his grip. She came to a stop, too, several steps ahead of him.

    "No," he said. "Together, we did it together."

    "It was your plan."

    "No, no no. Only my idea. The plan was yours."

    "Without you I would have been lost. It was your plan."

    Tzugakk smiled down at his wide feet. "I would give you my eyes if I could."

    "...is that a goblin expression?"

    "I want you to see Nala Greyward as I see Nala Greyward. My eyes see her better than her eyes see her. Your life before, you told me, you were small and weak and slow but you survived because you understood how things worked¡ª"

    "This place is nothing like Sontra."

    "Both places have rules. You are good at rules. You listen and you learn and you adapt and you become better and better and better, that is you, Nala!"

    Nala did not reply. Tzugakk smiled at her and took her sleeve, and together they walked on through the ghost-blue streets. As the sky darkened further and stars became visible there came subtle activity; shadows cast on distant walls, whispers in the alleys surrounding, footsteps on rooftops, a cloaked figure hurrying past. Here there were ruins, and buildings built atop ruins, and makeshift tents in the places that were clear, and the scent of unfamiliar food filled the air thick and sweet, and then suddenly there was a small figure before them; a fox-faced halfling girl in a twilight robe.

    "Don''t try anything with me and I won''t try anything with you," she said, her voice barely raised above a whisper. "That''s how it goes here. You a rogue? And you..." The halfling girl smirked as she ran quick eyes over Tzugakk. "You look like you need all the help you can get. You two want something to eat? Somewhere to sleep? I can show you."

    "Why?"

    The halfling girl grinned at Nala. "Because. Far-follow if you''re wary¡ªor canny. I''ll show you the trick to this place."

    Nala and Tzugakk became aware of others as they made their way through the streets and tent villages of the sprawl, dozens, hundreds, and yet there was a comfortable feeling here, a familiar feeling. The halfling girl guided them through it all, first showing them where to get food¡ªpigogs and land lizards and more were hunted in the dry sewers below the sprawl, their trophies sold and their meat cooked.

    "I''ve been here three years," said the halfling girl, talking through a mouthful of greasy meat as she walked, Nala and Tzugakk similarly occupied. "So let me tell you rule one: it''s all about the merits. You got merits you can do whatever, but first you gotta earn ''em, right? Takes a lot of craft merits to buy anything useful, so you''re always gonna find something to eat around here. Get a few for cooking, see? But you can''t trade in food, so it just goes wasting ''less there''s someone around to eat it."

    "Ah!" Tzugakk said. "I see! Not hunting for meat, hunting for merits. Not cooking for food, cooking for merits."

    "You''re sharper than you look, Gakky. Merits come first, just remember that and you''ll get this place figured out. Lot of folks around here get by on the small stuff, taking the long easy road to buying out¡ªor for some of ''em, they prefer it here. Safer than out in the real world, that''s for sure. You can call safehold shards a curse but at least here you get chances."

    "Do you get guide merits?" Tzugakk asked. The halfling girl laughed.

    "Nah. Just paying back, y''know? Here, how''s this place? Good enough?"

    It was a large stone building, four storeys tall, solid despite its obvious age. Stone stairs and balconies led to dozens of doors, most of which had small bright marks on them.

    "That there means it''s claimed," said the halfling girl, jerking her thumb at one of the marks¡ªit resembled a stylised pinwheel. "So just find a door that ain''t got anything on it. Mark it, and no one can come in without you wanting ''em to. Pick good, because once you choose it takes a boatload of merits to change. Okay? Got questions?"

    "No, I don''t. Thank you!" said Tzugakk, as Nala shook her head.

    "Okay. Gonna leave you two here then, got errands to run. Need anything around this place, just ask for Kit." Kit flashed them a grin. "I''m known."

    There weren''t any free apartments on the ground floor, but the door at the far end of the second storey was unmarked. Inside, the dull glow of a cheap crystal provided light, sleeping mats were piled in a corner, and there was a wooden cabinet against one wall. Aside from these things, and an immense quantity of dust, the room was empty.

    "Not everyone here is bad," Tzugakk said, as he began dragging the sleeping mats out. "Not everything here is terrible. Some see this place as an escape!"

    "No."

    Tzugakk stopped, looking at Nala. She was gazing up at the light crystal.

    "This place is better than what faced us before," Nala continued, still gazing at the light. "But we did not choose to come here. Don''t forget this, Tzugakk."

    "Nala¡ª"

    "Do not forget this. You are safe in this room, no one can enter unless we allow them to. Wait here."

    "Wait for what?"

    Nala put the hood of her cloak up over her head and turned towards the door.

    "For my return."

 Episode 01.07

    Bright Battle Academy was a different place at night. Some streets were lit by the ghost glow of spirit orbs, others by long-burning lanterns, still others by nothing so immediately identifiable. The sky above was dark and clear, stars shining down in their thousands, the moon a dominating presence, pale blue and cut through with black. In places the rooftops were flat and close together, wide boards laid down to make movement easier for those of a certain persuasion, in others there were narrow alleys and doorways to hide in, small places offering temporary sanctuary from those who claimed the night as their own.

    Then there was the elven quarter, Fauxgreen, the streets many and winding beneath strings of coloured firefly lights. Here there were fewer places to hide, amidst the great trees shaped into houses and shops, upon the broad commons of lush grass and sparkling streams, within the veritable forests of shaped trees that formed large dormitories, many lights burning within; elves enjoyed the night.

    Further still was Everglim, home to neatly paved streets and pleasant wooden houses in the Nimbian style; tall, steep roofs of interlocking shingles, no doubt brightly coloured. Here there were herb gardens and workshops, empty at this hour, silent, yet still near-thrumming with potential.

    This was a place of deep magic, and it made Nala''s scalp itch.

    Still, she took the time to locate the cottages, scattered among gardens and greenhouses, and she found the one with a faintly glowing heart sigil upon the door, and she marked its location in her mind.

    This was not her intended destination, however, merely a diversion. Nala made her way through battle quarter, the streets straight and long, the buildings square and dull, the arenas open and many, walking and walking and walking until she found her way truly blocked.

    For a long time she stared up at the outer wall of Bright Battle Academy. It was taller than any wall she''d seen in her life. Even to see to the top she had to stand back, not just a few paces but near half a street. It was smooth, too, the huge blocks of stone it was formed of offering few handholds.

    Nala walked on, following the wall, ignoring the flashes of darkness-within-darkness she glimpsed as she went, but there were no weaknesses, no gates...You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    And yet here was a place where the wall crumbled, here was a place where tough dark roots forced their existence into the tiniest of cracks, and Nala silently thanked them as she climbed, upwards and upwards and upwards, nothing in her mind but the next handhold, the next step, until she found herself with no next handhold, no next step, just blank wall stretching up above and no choice but to climb all the way back down...

    So she did. Again she followed the wall, on and on and on, the moon her companion, the stars her allies, until she found a place where the tough dark roots were winning their war of survival, where a great vertical crack split the wall enough for Nala to wedge herself into, to use as she climbed, up and up and up until her arms ached and her breathing came hard, and still further up, and up, and there was the final handhold, the final step, the top of the wall, and she reached up to take hold¡ª

    Nala''s hand slipped. No; it slid. She gritted her teeth, anchored herself firmly, and tried again.

    This time there was no doubt, no other explanation; the wall did not end where it ended. It kept going, an invisible barrier extending above, how far Nala did not know. Perhaps all the way to the stars.

    For a time she stayed there, at the top of the wall that was not its end, then she found a good foothold, and another, and she half-pulled and half-pushed herself up so that at least her eyes were above the top of the wall, so that at least she could see what was beyond...

    But there was only the dark night sky. Only stars.

    The climb down took longer than the climb up. By the time Nala stood upon the ground again she could barely feel her arms and her legs were numb from exhaustion.

    Still she walked on. Still she followed the wall. She was only vaguely aware of her surroundings, focused upon this barrier, this hateful obstacle keeping her from freedom, if only the wall wasn''t there, if only there was a way over it, under it, through it, if only it would end¡ª

    The wall ended.

    Just like that.

    No sloping off, no gradual crumbling; here the wall was, there the wall wasn''t.

    Nala didn''t laugh at what greeted her, beyond the wall''s end. She had never laughed in her life, not once. Now didn''t seem a particularly good time to start.

    Instead she just stared.

    And stared.

    And stared.

    And, eventually, sat.

    So the dawn found her, sitting on the grass near the beach they called waveless, because there was nothing to cause waves, no surf, no ocean; the sand simply dropped off into nothing.

    Bright Battle Academy was found on Bright Battle Island, a place that was unique.

    The only flying island in all the world...

 Episode 02.01 - "This Place Is Built Of Rules"

    Everglim in the morning was really rather a jolly nice sort of place, the air veritably tingling with the lulling drone of insects and the vibrant hum of passive magic, the sun shining warm upon bright gardens and brighter cottages, the leaves of the bushier plants rustling in the breeze, the roots of the livelier herbs stirring the soil, and the irresistibly vivid red flowers of the iora plant causing unwary bumblebees to explode at the approximate rate of three per hour.

    Through all of this walked two girls; one short, one tall; one elven, one human; one appearing to revel in the idyllic surroundings, one appearing to have a personal vendetta against ''pleasantness''.

    "¡ªdon''t see why you''re even telling me this," the tall human girl was saying. She had on austere (but not unstylish) black and grey robes and small square glasses, her violet hair tied back in something that could not in good faith be called anything so fun-sounding as a ponytail. "If it''s not official then I''m simply not interested."

    "It''s just rumours, Rae!" said the short elven girl. She had big green eyes and fluffy pink hair, her bright yellow and white clothes clashing magnificently. "Rumours are fun! Anyway, this one seems like it could be true, you know there was all that trouble last year with cheating and pay-offs so ACTUALLY it makes sense that they''d change the rule¡ª"

    "Rumours, rumours, rumours," Rae muttered. "Do you know, I can''t recall a single conversation I''ve had with you that DIDN''T involve ''rumours''."

    "We only just met yesterday!"

    "I''m sick of this topic in any case¡ªwhat are you doing, why have you stopped?"

    "I''m saving a bee."

    Rae stared at her companion.

    "Why?"

    "Don''t pay any attention to her, Sir Bastion Bumbletone, you listen to me and keep away from those red ones! They''re no good for you!"

    "Flower..." Rae trailed off, unable to adequately express her disdain. She took a cleansing breath then tried again: "Flower, the others are waiting, we''ve already wasted at least half an hour with your silly herbs¡ª"

    "Herbs are NOT silly you take that back!"

    "¡ªyou KNOW how Charles gets¡ª"

    "I don''t! I don''t know! I only met him yesterday too!"

    "¡ªand the less said about the brothers the better. In fact, I''m beginning to wonder¡ªwhat are you staring at, necromancer?"

    Praetorian Darkcede graced Rae with a brilliant smile.

    "In fact my attention was upon your companion," he said, garnishing his smile with an elegant bow as he turned it upon Flower, who reacted with an ambivalent ''ooh''. "In truth I couldn''t help but stare, I found myself utterly transfixed by her dress."

    "Transfix yourself, deadspeaker, she''s taken."

    With that and a glare that caused several nearby plants to wilt, Rae took Flower by the arm and led her away, the elf girl waving shyly back as she went. Praetorian returned the wave until he could see her no more, let out a melancholy sigh, then looked across to where a dead girl was regarding him with undisguised contempt.

    "Your elf fetish," the dead girl said, "is really creepy."

    Praetorian treated Amanda to a cold smile.

    "I know what I like," he said. "Why deny it? We cannot choose our desires¡ªnor, indeed, our fetishes¡ªso why not indulge in them?"

    Amanda rolled her lifeless eyes as she swept the paved area at the cottage''s front, her movements inelegant and stiff. Praetorian watched her for a brief moment, then turned to regard the cottage''s garden.

    "Do you know anything about herbs?" he asked.

    "No."

    "Then we have one similarity. Necromancers don''t have much use for them, aside from a few flowers of significance. Some favour poison, but my interest has never been in the taking of life. Still, it doesn''t take an expert eye to judge this particular situation as an overgrown mess." Praetorian glanced back at Amanda. "Do you remember how you died?"

    "I don''t remember anything. Nothing before the infirmary here."

    "Hm. I suppose that makes sense, your reliance on me does seem rather strong. I wonder why that is ... many bound zombies achieve at least rudimentary independence, you don''t seem to have any. If I were to walk away you''d revert to a groaning, lurching husk of a thing. Frankly I''m surprised you weren''t killed by undead hunters before coming here¡ªhow did a zombie even earn an invitation to Bright Battle?"

    Amanda shook her head as she swept, bedraggled hair hiding the irritation on her blue-hued face.

    "I could perhaps understand if you weren''t¡ªah, our ''party''." Praetorian smiled and waved at Nala and Tzugakk as they approached. "Greetings of the dawn, fellow low-tiers!"

    Tzugakk detached himself to investigate the garden as Nala frowned at Praetorian.

    "The others aren''t here," she said.

    "No, you''re all rather late actually¡ªnot that I''m complaining, compared to what little I''ve seen of the academy this particular place is not unpleasant. Where have you been?"

    "Researching."

    "Ah? Did you learn anything of interest?"

    "Merits are commonly earned for defeating others in combat, monster hunting, tactics battles, volunteering to heal, exchanging gathered or crafted items¡ª"

    "Aha, yes, I''ll stop you there before I regret pressing you. Anything specifically useful, regarding our particular situation? To get even more specific, my particular situation? Not that I have much hope of ever earning enough to purchase an adventuring license and thus graduate but still, it would be convenient to have a few merits under my belt¡ªour basic needs may be met, but one does feel the need to indulge in a little luxury from time to time. Especially so, were one to find oneself enjoying the company of a forest child."

    Amanda made a disgusted rattle.

    "Enjoying, I add," Praetorian said, with a pointed look at Amanda, "despite certain unwanted responsibilities that one has been saddled with."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Bullying is a solid strategy," Nala said.

    "I do beg your pardon?"

    "Targeting weak individuals. Each defeat rewards combat merits¡ª"

    "Ah, I see. No, I don''t believe that particular path would appeal even were I to remain in possession of a stave, I''m just not the fighting sort. Indeed, I had hoped to perhaps earn my merits through some form of crafting, did your research turn up anything along those lines?"

    "There are workshops for basic crafting."

    "Hm. Perhaps there is hope."

    "Crafting merits aren''t valuable," Nala continued. "The purpose of this place is to create parties of strong adventurers. Fighting is encouraged. Crafting tolerated."

    "Ah. Well, I suppose one can''t¡ª"

    "Where''s Gakk?"

    Nala stared at Amanda, then looked around sharply. In an instant she was running, changing direction upon hearing a shout¡ªbut too late. There was a crack, and a cry, and a pillar of light flashed pale against the sky before sparkling into nothing.

    Praetorian caught up to Nala first, Amanda shambling along behind. The dwarf was facing down (or, more accurately, up) a human girl with sharp blue eyes and messy brown hair, her build solid, her robes rough and practical. Of Tzugakk there was no sign.

    "¡ªnothing wrong with it," the girl was saying. "Just makes sense to take the opportunity. Being in my position combat merits are hard to come by. If it makes you feel better I wouldn''t have attacked if I knew it was in a party. Thought it was just a random monster or something."

    Nala said nothing, but her fists were clenched and her breathing was hard, her narrow grey eyes fixed upon the girl.

    "What, are you gonna attack me now?" the girl asked. "I am a mage. What are you, a rogue? With default equipment? Out in the open like this? Nuh, you ain''t attacking me."

    "What is your name?"

    The girl stared at Nala, who repeated the question:

    "What is your name?"

    "...it''s Evia, if you really wanna know. Evia Mordein."

    "Evia Mordein," Nala said, then she turned and walked away. Evia watched her leave with wary eyes.

    "Well," Praetorian said, as he trotted after Nala. "What a thoroughly charming individual she was. I assume she defeated Tzugakk and we''re now heading for the infirmary? What of Mist and Sly?"

    Nala shook her head, her pace unfaltering.

    "Hey, what?" Amanda said. "Maybe one of us should stay here¡ª"

    "Don''t be stupid," Praetorian snapped. "One of us? Lurch faster, you''re slowing the pace¡ªNala, perhaps you should go ahead?"

    "No. Together."

    The cottages and gardens of Everglim were left behind, Nala and the others heading towards wide stone streets and enticing storefronts, most students they encountered seemingly uninterested in the trio¡ªalthough a pair of fighters gave them a speculative glance before shaking their heads and moving on.

    "''Safety in numbers''," Praetorian muttered. "Perhaps there is something in that."

    Nala said nothing as she led her little party towards a small square, joining the bustle of people around the infirmary.

    "It seems to have been a busy night," Praetorian commented, as they entered the crowded waiting room.

    "First weeks are always hectic," said a healer as he pushed past. "Until all the low-tiers are weeded out."

    "Ah?" Praetorian said, but the healer was already talking to a group of heavily-armoured fighters.

    "Tzugakk is on the third floor," Nala said, unstealthing behind Amanda.

    "How did you¡ª"

    "There''s an admissions scroll."

    "Yes, I figured that out for myself, thank you," Praetorian said, as he followed Nala through the crowd of outpatients and healers and those who had come to collect their defeated party members, Amanda having some trouble keeping up. "What I had intended to ask was, how did you employ stealth with so many people around? My understanding of the skill is that you cannot use it while being observed."

    Nala didn''t look back.

    "Timing," she said.

    The corridors and stairways of the infirmary were less crowded than the waiting room, and by the time they reached the third floor there was barely anyone else around¡ªafter the noise and activity of below the change was almost eerie. An exhausted weeping coming from a nearby room didn''t do much to improve the atmosphere.

    "Rather reminiscent of home, actually," Praetorian said, as he and Nala waited for Amanda to negotiate the stairs. "We have ghosts, you know, the vast majority of them are weepers. I was always a little envious of exorcists, the job security alone¡ªzombie, could you not TRY to move faster? Your party-mate is waiting!"

    "I will go ahead," Nala muttered, disappearing before Praetorian could reply. He clucked his tongue, then looked down at Amanda again.

    "Do you need help?" he asked. "Should I guide your movements? Left foot up, left foot down, right foot up, steady with your left hand¡ªit''s not exactly complicated, is it?"

    Amanda said nothing, her mouth tight as she struggled to force her body into cooperating¡ªshe knew what to do, she knew exactly how she should be moving, but her limbs were always one step behind¡ª

    "No. Let go. I can do this."

    Praetorian did not release his hold upon Amanda''s arm. "Eventually, perhaps," he said, half-guiding half-lugging her up the remaining stairs. "But I''d like to get this over with as quickly as possible. What is WRONG with your legs, are you doing this on purpose? Honestly, you''re¡ª"

    "That''s Mist."

    "I do beg your pardon?"

    "That''s Mist," Amanda repeated. "That crying, that''s Mist."

    Praetorian stared at Amanda, then released her bandaged arm.

    "Ah," he said. "Ah, perhaps ... yes, you may be right."

    Without her armour Mist looked tiny, her homespun dress and leggings an ugly off-white, unflattering against her dark skin. She was sitting on a bed in a room, alone, knees drawn up to her chest, hands in fists before her face, her eyes puffy from crying. Every few seconds she let out a weary, frustrated sob.

    Outside, Praetorian and Amanda drew back from the doorway and looked at each other.

    "Well?" Praetorian whispered.

    "Well what?"

    "You should do something about all that!"

    "I should? Why me?"

    "Well I don''t want to! You''re technically female, you should use your instinctual bond to comfort her!"

    "I barely know her!"

    "And I have any more intimacy with the wretched girl?"

    Praetorian glanced at the doorway, then fixed a tight look upon Amanda.

    "You know," he said, "I could simply command you to do it."

    Amanda glared at Praetorian. In response he gave a victorious shrug.

    Inside the room, Mist looked up at an awkward knock. In the doorway stood Amanda, stooped and hesitant, her long straggly hair covering her face.

    "Um. Um. Should I come in?"

    Mist let out a small sob.

    "Um," Amanda said, shuffling past the door. "Are you okay? No, that''s stupid, I didn''t say that¡ªyou got, um, defeated? Argh, stupid again, why else would you be here¡ª"

    "They, t-they, I, they, I¡ª"

    Mist cut herself off with yet another sob, then her face became pinched and she began to wail.

    Her mouth tight and her movements awkward, Amanda shambled closer, reached out ... then drew back her bandaged, blue-hued hand.

    "It''s, um ... I was going to say ''it''s okay'', but I don''t like lying ... I''m here, anyway? Is that better than being alone?"

    Mist managed a big earnest nod through her sobbing. She sniffed as she wiped her sleeve across her nose.

    "There, there, t-there was a c-competition, and they said, they were p-pushing me a-and saying things, I tried to d-do, to f-fight but, but..."

    "The, um, the other fighters?"

    "I''m not a fighter!" Mist wailed. "I''m a valkyrie!"

    "Sorry! Sorry, I didn''t mean¡ªdid they steal your armour?"

    Mist shook her head and pushed her hands against her face, futilely trying to wipe away her tears. "They couldn''t, they can''t, it''s here, this room, they said I had to rest without it, the magic in the armour messed with their h-healing¡ª"

    "That''s good then!" Amanda said, desperately. "You still have your armour!"

    "Mm, mmm, n-nobody can take it, a-away, f-from, m-meeee¡ª"

    "Um! That''s good! It''s magic, right! Special valkyrie armour!"

    "It, was, my, mother''s¡ª"

    "And you''ll get to put it on again soon!"

    "B-but t-they s-said, they all, they all just..."

    Mist collapsed into tears again while Amanda looked on helplessly. Eventually, somehow, she got the girl calmed down enough to piece together what had happened; the previous night, caught on her own while returning to her apartment, Mist had been ambushed by a group of fighters. They beat her and jeered at her and spat on her, then dragged her to one of the arenas in battle quarter. There dozens of them had surrounded her and held a competition to decide who would get to deliver the final blow and earn the merits for her defeat.

    "T-the competition was, it was who, w-who could make the w-w-worst insult about valkyries¡ªthey said, they s-said things about my m-mother¡ª"

    Mist stopped, and through teary eyes she stared down at where Amanda''s blue hand clasped her own.

    "You''re so cold!" she said, shock cutting through everything. Amanda jerked her hand away.

    "Yes," she muttered. "I''m dead. It kind of comes with the territory."

    "I, I, s-sorry¡ª"

    "It doesn''t matter. Who cares. Not me. I don''t even remember being alive."

    Now Amanda looked down, to where Mist had reached out to take her hand.

    "It''s okay." Mist managed the weakest of smiles. "It, it''s okay."

    Amanda''s mouth went tight, then she smiled back.

    "Yeah," she said. "Maybe."

 Episode 02.02

    "Yes, foolish. Yes, reckless. You don''t have to tell me that I was these things."

    Nala said nothing, remained crouching beside the bench Tzugakk lay upon. Finding him had been difficult; he was not in a regular room. He was in a cupboard.

    "Or if you want, you can. Say something, Nala. Please."

    "...how are you?"

    Tzugakk looked up at Nala. She was staring at the floor.

    "Halfway," he said, raising his hand to show his BrightCircle and the two purple butterflies flitting around above it. "Halfway to life and death in the pits. But hurt? No. Damaged? No no. When the girl attacked me, the pain was not bad. Perhaps she was kind."

    Nala spoke to the floor: "I do not think so."

    "She saw merits, she earned merits. That''s all. Can she be blamed? No, no no no, playing the game, following the rules¡ªso must we. Learn the rules. Play the game."

    "I don''t like games. I don''t want to learn about this place. I just want to survive until we can escape."

    "You cannot choose, not this." Tzugakk grinned at Nala, showing his pointy teeth. "Nala is always learning."

    "Reading those books? Researching? Nobody else was in the library. Nobody else cares. There are no merits for learning."

    "Knowledge can be strength."

    "But strength is always strength."

    "No, not always! Not always, Nala, you know this¡ªthe trial, the test that opened our path to this place, that ogre had strength, yes? So much strength but so useless¡ª"

    "We were lucky."

    "We were clever! No, no no, you were clever, I was useful¡ª"

    "And we both were lucky."

    "Luck made winning easier. Tactics made winning possible."

    Nala sighed and shook her head.

    "You are in a strange mood," she said, standing and helping Tzugakk up. "Confusing and hopeful."

    "Hopeful, yes. I have been killed twice in this place, but I can still talk to you. There are more chances here, than down below. Chances to fail, chances to learn, chances to try again."

    Nala was already walking out, leaving Tzugakk to follow after her.

    "Perhaps the others are looking for us," she said. "Mist and Sly will be waiting at Everglim."

    In fact everyone was downstairs, near the entrance. Mist was dabbing at her eyes with a borrowed handkerchief, Amanda and Praetorian were sitting apart and pointedly not looking at each other, and Sly was leaning against a wall, his dark-auraed bow next to him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    "Hey," he said. "Here''s our captain."

    "Captain?" Praetorian said, standing to greet Nala and Tzugakk. "I suppose she might be, though it seems somehow inappropriate. Hello, Tzugakk. Been killed twice now, have you?"

    "It, it''s weird to think of it like that," Mist said, a little hoarsely. She was staring at the butterfly above her BrightCircle. "If I wasn''t in this place, I''d be dead."

    "Life carries with it a complex price," Praetorian said airily. "Death would be more simple."

    "Don''t believe it," Amanda muttered. She glanced at Nala. "Mist got beaten up last night. We''ve got to do something to help her."

    Nala was frowning. Mostly at Sly.

    "What?" he said.

    "How did you know we were here?"

    "We''re in the same party so we''ve got this, like, link thing. Some chick in my dorm told me about it, check it out."

    Sly pressed one hand over the other, and a second later there was a chime from Nala''s hand. She looked down to see words glowing above her BrightCircle:

    hey captain whats up

    "Hm."

    "Yeah, so, I messaged Praets and he gave me the goss. Tough break for Misty and Gakks, huh?"

    "Um. Nala, I, I don''t want to go back there. To b-battle quarter or those apartments or, or anywhere there are fighters¡ª"

    "Did you choose your room?"

    "Y-yes¡ª"

    "Then you cannot change it." Nala glanced at Tzugakk. "That is a rule."

    "But¡ª"

    "Every night, we can go with you," Tzugakk said. "Every morning we can come to you."

    "B-but¡ª"

    "Nobody can enter your room without your permission," Nala said. "That is another rule."

    Mist''s face became pinched and she burst into tears. Amanda patted her hand absently.

    "You certainly seem better informed today," Praetorian said, raising an eyebrow at Nala.

    "I have been learning."

    "This place," Tzugakk said softly. "It is formed of stone and wood and bricks and iron ... but it is built of rules."

    "How poetic."

    "So, uh, do you guys have like a plan or something?" Sly asked. "For getting merits and stuff?"

    "Um," Mist said, still a bit sniffly but putting on a brave face. "I heard some people talking, they were getting support merits for helping out around here, the infirmary I mean, cleaning and stuff I think ... it''s a safe zone so we can''t get attacked ... not while we''re inside anyway..."

    "Support merits are not valuable," Nala said.

    "I suppose there''s little reward without risk," Praetorian said. "Still, certainly worth investigating."

    "I, uh, I heard some stuff around my dorm too," Sly said. "Uh, I mean monster hunting and stuff, I dunno if you guys''d be into that."

    Mist raised her head, then winced and looked down again, clutching her spear tightly. No one else reacted with anything approaching interest.

    "Yeah, didn''t think so, but ... yeah. Uh, if it''s okay with everyone I think I''m gonna head back there now, got some, y''know, some stuff going on maybe. So. Yeah."

    "As for myself, I shall investigate the workshops in Everglim," Praetorian said. "The zombie must of course accompany me. Perhaps it would be best for our valkyrie to stay here and enquire about those support merits? Which leaves Nala and Tzugakk, will you come with me?"

    "No."

    "Well. I suppose that''s that, then."

    Nala and Tzugakk left the infirmary last, after Sly had headed back to Fauxgreen and Praetorian and Amanda had set out for Everglim.

    "Um, you guys could stay here too, if you wanted," Mist said. "Maybe we could volunteer here together ... it might be fun..."

    She trailed off and looked down at her feet.

    "I guess I''ll see you later then," she said. "Um. Stay safe, okay? Be careful out there!"

    "We will be back to collect you before sunset," Nala said. "Until then don''t leave the infirmary."

    With that she left, Tzugakk following close behind. He waved back at Mist, and she stood at the infirmary''s entrance until they were out of sight.

    Then she went inside, to try to earn merits, and to try not to cry.

 Episode 02.03

    Four days passed without incident. Mist found work in the infirmary, earning a scant few support merits for cleaning. Praetorian managed to obtain some basic recipes and began earning merits by crafting and exchanging low-level items, Amanda picking up a couple here and there for performing basic tasks such as mixing. Sly was apparently finding some luck on monster hunting expeditions, although he hadn''t shared details of these with the others. He''d only shown up to two escort meetings after the first.

    No one in the party had encountered much trouble, but neither were they earning enough merits to purchase even basic equipment. Graduation seemed an impossibility; Praetorian rather gloomily calculated that at his current rate he would be able to purchase the most basic of adventuring licenses in seven years.

    Within her room in the sprawl, squinting in the cheap crystal light, Nala struggled to combine an IronScrap with a RustSpike and some LooseScrews, all components scavenged¡ªat risk¡ªfrom the dry sewers beneath. When the door opened she looked up sharply.

    "Where were you?" she snapped at Tzugakk as he entered. "You are not supposed to go out without me!"

    In answer Tzugakk held up a rough cloth bag. "Waveless Beach hides many secrets. Time escaped."

    Nala watched as Tzugakk poured the contents of the bag into a cracked clay bowl, filling it with knobbly purple things that had an unhealthy sheen to them.

    "NightBerries," she muttered.

    "Once, these helped us," Tzugakk said, as he took up a worn pestle and began crushing the berries, their bitter scent filling the small room. "With these simple things we defeated an ogre. What else can they let us do?"

    Nala grunted and returned to her own work¡ªallegedly the most basic of trap mechanisms.

    "Maybe Kit lied," Nala muttered, as once more the components failed to combine. "This isn''t working."

    "Time and patience will help you improve."

    Nala paused to watch Tzugakk¡ªhe had reduced the berries to a smooth paste, which he was now carefully dividing into small clay pots.

    "Can you make the same thing?" she asked.

    "Not the same, no no. Too much is missing. Others? Yes, NightBerries are useful for many many things. Combine with TwilightMushrooms, DarkGas pots. Combine with FogDust, MistVeil jars. Now? Recipe from Kit, RedPaste, basic component used for many things, not useful to me but good for trade."

    "Hm."

    The two fell into silence, each focused on their own work. Tzugakk cleaned his bowl and added a few small black pods to it, a sharp, salty scent bursting forth as he combined them with spiky leaves and sparkling orange berries. It took him long minutes to work these into a form that satisfied him, then he spoke without looking up:

    "We should leave for the infirmary soon."

    Nala didn''t respond. She was looking between the LooseScrews she held in her hands and the ScrapFrame she''d already constructed.

    "Two at a time," she muttered. "Just two. It doesn''t work. It cannot work."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Tzugakk glanced over at Nala, then returned his focus to the mixture he was creating. He crushed a handful of small pink leaves before scattering them into the bowl, ever-grinding with the pestle.

    "We are wrong," he murmured, as the colour changed from bright orange to a washed-out red. "This way, this path ... wrong."

    Nala was silent. She had taken apart her ScrapFrame and was now attempting to combine a LooseScrew with a RustSpike.

    "Many things here are hidden," Tzugakk said, before leaning down to sniff at the mixture. "They make it difficult. They make it secret. Why?"

    "It doesn''t matter. Be content with survival."

    "No. No no. Survival? Wrong. No reward for ''survival''. Needs to be more than that."

    Nala was frowning at the ScrewSpike she now held.

    "This place expects more," Tzugakk continued. "Hides more. Not a cage, no. Not a punishment, no no. This place is a puzzle."

    With a hard click, a LooseScrew and an IronScrap became a JunkBand.

    "Survival is enough," Nala murmured. "Until we can escape."

    Tzugakk sighed. "Survival, escape, survival, escape. Nala, you don''t see. I watch you, I watch you look at a wall and I see your thoughts, you think ''climb over'' or ''dig under'' or ''find a way through'' but you are wrong. You should be thinking, ''I am here''. You are not looking at what is INSIDE the wall, but you should be! You want freedom, but would escape truly give you that?"

    "Yes."

    Tzugakk smiled and shook his head as he placed blobs of his mixture onto flat, tough leaves.

    "This place is built of rules," he said. "If you want anything, freedom, merits, anything, it is not stone walls or iron gates that block you. It is rules that surround us."

    Nala was frowning at the JunkBand and ScrewSpike in her hands, trying to see how they might come together.

    "But we must not behave in our old ways, no. No more looking at walls and thinking ''escape''. This way you will always be trapped. No more ''from'', Nala. Now, you must choose ''to''."

    Nala made a non-committal noise, her gaze still on the components she held.

    "Or do you have somewhere? Some ''to''? No. No, and I also only have ''from''. So. For now, this place is our ''to''. That is how we must think. And, the others are also our ''to''. Mist and Praetorian and Amanda and Sly."

    There was a mechanical clacking, and Nala held a newly-created TrapBaseI. She watched as a glowing number six rose from the clumsy-looking thing, then looked at Tzugakk.

    "Safety in numbers," she said. "That''s all."

    Tzugakk let out a soft sigh as he folded the leaves over, a glowing one rising as each was finished. He transferred them into a bag, then stood.

    "Another ''to''," he said. "We can exchange, then meet Mist."

    The most convenient exchange point was a yellow stone tower found in a maze of alleys, not far from the apartment Nala and Tzugakk shared. Through an archway was a tall room with a black crystal and copper mechanism in the centre, its wide basin waiting for contributions. Into this Tzugakk deposited his leaf-wrapped mixtures, and as they disappeared into the ether glowing words floated up:

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td style="text-align: center">12 x B-RANK REDPASTE

    +36 CRAFT MERITS</td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    Tzugakk''s BrightCircle reflected this change in merits. He stepped back and gestured to the exchange point.

    "Your turn."

    With little ceremony Nala placed her own creation in the basin, the result of hours of risky scavenging and painstaking crafting, failure after failure after failure until finally the components had combined correctly.

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td style="text-align: center">1 x F-RANK TRAPBASEI

    +20 CRAFT MERITS</td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    Nala stared at the glowing words as they faded, then let out a short breath through her nose.

    "Twenty," she murmured.

    "To buy a better weapon, the most basic of better weapons, a steel knife, the cost is fifty battle merits. To exchange merits, it is four craft for one battle. Nala ... is this good enough?"

    Nala was silent and still. Tzugakk sighed.

    "The others are waiting," he said. "We should go."

 Episode 02.04

    "Ah, our leader. Get held up, did you? No matter, it happens to the least of us. Shall we away?"

    Sly wasn''t there, his regular ''busy guys sorry'' message arriving in his place. Mist smiled weakly at Nala as they walked away from the infirmary and towards battle quarter.

    "Thank you for coming again," she said. "I do really appreciate it, every time! And, um, sorry for being so useless¡ª"

    "Now now, if we all began apologising for our lack of competence we''d be here all night," Praetorian said. He glanced at Amanda. "Although even whining would be better than sullen silence."

    "Subtle, Darkcede."

    "She''s just going through the rebellion phase," Praetorian explained loudly, for the benefit of anyone interested (ie no one). "It''s very common among the recently-raised, depression, anger, insurrection and insolence directed towards their masters¡ª"

    "For the last time, you are NOT my master."

    "Impersonate a teapot, would you kindly?"

    Amanda put her right hand up and her left on her hip as she shuffled along, then scowled and forced her arms down.

    "Don''t do that," she muttered, before glancing around at the others. "You guys could SAY something, you know!"

    "Um," Mist said. "Um, I don''t think it''s so nice, to, um, to make her do that kind of thing¡ª"

    "Believe me, forcing a servant to be a teapot is far from the worst indignity I could inflict upon her. Far from the worst. She should count herself lucky that I am a gentleman."

    Mist stared back at Praetorian as they walked, wide-eyed, then looked ahead again. "Just, could you try to be, um, nicer?"

    "Ah, yes, ''niceness'', that''s what our little group is lacking, if we were all just a tad more pleasant then all our troubles would be solved! Bright Battle Academy is, of course, famous for rewarding civilised behaviour¡ª"

    "Gods, do you have an off switch?" Amanda muttered. "Just shut up."

    "Do you see?" Praetorian said. "Many would not tolerate such backtalk. I, however, take it with good grace in the spirit of a smoother master-servant relationship¡ª"

    "Would you PLEASE stop using those words?"

    "If you have a superior alternative I''d be open to your contribution."

    Amanda shook her head jerkily and glared to the side as they all walked on, through the wide streets of the gourmet quarter. Paper lanterns hung beside wide entrances, the scents in the air complex and enticing, the people around happy and excited.

    Through this festival atmosphere Nala''s black cloud of a party walked.

    "Must we take this route?" Praetorian asked, after several minutes of gloomy silence. "Surrounded by the culinary delights of varied cultures but with nothing more than BrownRice and GreenSoup awaiting me, ah ... it''s like an exquisite torture."

    "It is safe," Nala said. "Nobody here is thinking about fighting."

    "M-maybe we could eat out one time?" Mist suggested, her hungry gaze upon a row of Nimbian restaurants, the fronts decorated with ribbons braided into complex patterns. "I don''t have many merits, but ... it could be nice..."

    This suggestion was met with a distinct lack of support from the others, the kind of unenthusiasm that can only be generated by those who would like nothing more than to agree, if only things were different.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Perhaps fortunately they left the gourmet quarter soon after, coming out to an odd, quiet part of the academy, wide and flat and old grey stone, the straight paths dipping down into long trenches, the reason for this not immediately apparent. Perhaps long ago the empty spaces between the trenches had held buildings, perhaps the entire area had once been some manner of fortress, the trenches serving as shortcuts, perhaps it had been the site of some ancient battle, stoneshapers forming the trenches as magical blasts exploded all around. In the end the area''s history wasn''t particularly relevant; all that mattered was that it was dull and thus unpopular and thus safe.

    "Now, of course, we come to this rather strange little place," Praetorian commented. "This academy is such an oddity, isn''t it? Ruins upon ruins upon ruins, repurposed buildings being re-repurposed, areas of dense activity with shops and houses pressed tight up against one another besides great open spaces just begging for populace ... I feel no shame in admitting that I have little understanding of Bright Battle."

    "I don''t really get it either," Mist said, as they walked down a gentle slope, the walls on either side rising higher than even Praetorian''s head. "Like all this merit stuff ... they make it so hard..."

    "Mm. I must say, the lifestyle I enjoy here is not what I imagined. I work every sunlight hour for a handful of merits, at this rate I will be here for months before I can purchase even a basic stave and years before achieving even a basic graduation condition¡ªif indeed I can continue to avoid demerits. Worse yet, I am not in a position to meet any eligible girls, elven or otherwise. Those around Everglim, those I''ve seen in the workshops ... no, they won''t do. Nala, I don''t suppose you have any kind of a plan? Any fresh discoveries?"

    "Why are you asking me?"

    "Well, for better or worse you are our leader¡ª"

    "Stop."

    "Aha, regretting taking up the mantle of leadership now, are you?"

    "Stop."

    Praetorian began to say something further, then shut his mouth.

    "Ah."

    They were almost through the trench, the old stone path beginning to slope upwards. Their exit, however, was blocked.

    "Hey hey," said the young man standing before them, just a few dozen metres away. "Couple of familiar faces, huh? Heh."

    Nala recognised his equipment more than his face; two axes that glowed with a dark aura, carved bone breastplate, wolf-head helmet, plate-and-chain leggings¡ªhe was the axeman who had killed her on her first day. Standing on the walls above and to the left of Nala''s party was the lancer who had taken the merits for Tzugakk''s death, and on the other side was the bucket-helmeted archer who had used Amanda for target practice until her hit points had finally run out. They had picked up a new companion, too; beside the axeman stood a portly young man, his pale face, sharp eyes and ridiculously dramatic cloak marking him as a vampire. He had one hand held up before his left eye, looking through the O he was forming with his fingers.

    "So," said the axeman, with a glance at the vampire. "What''ve we got here, huh? GlumGirl. Rogue. ''StenchMerchant'', whatever the hell that is. Valkyrie, heh. Necromancer without a stave ... because I took it off ya, hello again."

    "...hello."

    "Thanks for that, by the way, got a decent bunch of merits for the ratty old thing."

    "Perhaps they gave a bonus for sentimental value."

    "Heh, yeah, good one. Never introduced myself last time, the name''s Raid. Raid Fearson. I''m a bandit, know what that means? Better crits, bigger damage, baaaaad news for anyone gets on the wrong end of my girls here." He flourished his axes, spinning them in his hands before gripping them tight and smirking. "You guys make me laugh, you know that? Walking around together, feeling all saaaafe, ''cept you didn''t reckon on smart guys like me using a cliquemancer¡ª" he nudged the vampire beside him "¡ªto figure out that you ain''t got nothing. Know what I see, when I look at you guys? Bunch of free merits on legs."

    "Aha," said Praetorian. "Can we perhaps talk about this?"

    "Sure, we''re talking, ain''t we? You got something to say?"

    "I don''t suppose simply leaving us alone would be within your hearts? Tzugakk here is nearing his last demerit¡ª"

    "Yeah? Even better, get a bonus for a knock-out."

    "Ah. I was not aware of that."

    "You gotta get with it, neccy! Gotta learn the rules, that''s how you get ahead in this place. Nothing else to say? Nuh? Okay then. How you wanna do this, just line up and we take you out one by one? That''d make it better for us, if you''re all running around screaming it makes divvying up those last hit bonuses a real hassle."

    "Ah, well," Praetorian said, his voice growing tighter, "certainly we''d all appreciate doing this the easy way but I wonder if perhaps there are outcomes to this particular situation that we''ve not yet explored..."

    Behind the others, Tzugakk close at her side, Nala''s mind was racing¡ªno one behind but the lancer could jump down while the archer attacks¡ª

    "Nala."

    Nala glanced back, saw the small clay pot Tzugakk held¡ªa MistVeil jar, little more than a distraction¡ª

    "It would hide you for an instant. It would allow you to stealth and to run."

    Nala stared at Tzugakk, then looked around as Raid began to walk forward, as the archer pulled back the string of his bow, as the lancer crouched ready to leap.

    Once more, she looked at Tzugakk, at his odd, serious face.

    "Where would I run to?"

 Episode 02.05

    There were party rooms in the infirmary, although they weren''t as fun as the name suggested.

    "Hurrah," said Praetorian from his bed, as Mist glowed into existence in the room''s teleportation alcove. "Our final member has arrived, we are united once more. I do sincerely hope that there isn''t any kind of Total Party Kill merit bonus."

    "Even if there was they wouldn''t get it," Amanda muttered, as two healers began to treat Mist''s wounds. "Sly wasn''t with us."

    "Ah, that''s correct. Well. Lucky him."

    Praetorian had lain back as he''d spoken, wincing at his recently-healed injuries, and for a time the only sounds in the room were Mist''s light whimpering and the low, businesslike exchanges between the healers who were tending to her. Soon enough they''d helped Mist out of her armour and taken her to a bed, where she lay, one arm over her eyes, her small mouth tight.

    "I''m sorry, everyone," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. "Valkyries are supposed to be protectors¡ª"

    "Now now, don''t be quite so hard on yourself," Praetorian said, lying flat on his back with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "You outlasted a zombie, a glumgirl at that¡ª"

    "Only because they didn''t bother with me. Why would they, I''m just useless, I couldn''t do anything¡ª"

    "You hit that lancer," Amanda said. "More than once."

    "But it didn''t DO anything, just ... just nothing!"

    "Well," Praetorian said, "speaking as the first to fall I don''t think I''m in any position to criticise."

    Nala had been observing this exchange without comment, from where she sat near the room''s doorway. She had been the third to fall, trying to defend Tzugakk ... but there had been nothing she could do. An arrow had found Tzugakk''s arm, this single injury enough to knock him out, and it was while Nala stared at the teleportation glow surrounding her friend that the lancer''s weapon had pierced her shoulder. Though the wound had been healed, there was still a hole torn through her cloak and clothes.

    Now Tzugakk sat nearby, staring down at the three black butterflies fluttering over his hand. When he noticed Nala''s eyes upon him he covered left hand with right, dispelling his BrightCircle and the butterflies with it.

    "You were right," he said, with a soft smile and a gentle shrug. "My thoughts ran too far ahead. Before anything else is possible, survival is necessary. We need a plan."

    "I am in complete agreement with young¡ªyoung?¡ªTzugakk." Praetorian was sitting up now, his eyes brighter and his bearing less pained. "Some weapons and accessories and so forth would be a good start. Personally I would much appreciate a stave, it was a wretchedly shameful experience to be utterly unable to resist my attackers. Even if it would have been futile to fight back, to simply stand there unable to do anything ... no, that was not pleasant in the least. Of course we need merits to buy equipment, and without equipment we cannot effectively earn merits, ah, such an exquisitely painful dilemma. But then perhaps this is our fate, to be a stepping stone for others, to provide them the merits they require to go on to grander things¡ª"

    "Could WE attack some weaker students?"

    Amanda winced at the looks this suggestion attracted.

    "Just asking," she muttered.

    "Would there even be anyone eligible?" Praetorian mused. "I fear that we may literally be the lowest of the low. Most of us have no form of attack at all¡ªalthough perhaps if Sly were with us we could Pinpoint one target per day¡ª"

    "What? What? I can''t believe you''re even talking about this!" Mist had sat up and was staring at Praetorian and Amanda, a look of horrified reproach on her face. "We can''t attack people! I''d rather be expelled!"

    "Yes, well, it''s not as if you''re enjoying yourself here. Being expelled might be best for someone like you. Or myself, if I''m honest, I''m beginning to forget why I even came here¡ªalthough looking to my right I''m given a small reminder."

    Amanda, sitting to the right of Praetorian''s bed, gave him a falsely bright smile.

    "In any case it''s all academic," Praetorian continued, "seeing as none of us have so much as seen Sly in days. Too busy flouncing about in exciting new places hunting exciting new monsters with his exciting new elven friends¡ªand does he give so much as an introduction? Some kind of an ally he turned out to be, would it kill him to simply, oh, I don''t know, invite me to view his room and the surrounding beauty? Perhaps arrange a shared meal with myself and the more attractive of his new companions, my meagre hoard of merits would be well spent upon such an opportunity. Really I''m disappointed in him, has he even checked in with us? Have any of you heard from him beyond ''hey guys sorry busy good luck''? He''s abandoned us already, found NEW people to associate with ... wait, where''s Nala? Did she leave? When did that happen?"Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Tzugakk sat up, staring around before slumping back in his seat.

    "Gone," he murmured.

    "I don''t suppose I blame her, out of all of us she has the most freedom. Stealth! Considered a useless ability, at least so far as I have heard, but for the likes of we ill-fated low-tiers it at least allows movement without fear. If only I were a veilcaster! But alas, fated to be born a necromancer, fated to die a necromancer."

    Amanda was looking at Tzugakk. "Um, Gakk, if you want to go after her¡ª"

    "She can stealth. She is safer by herself. If she left here..." Tzugakk frowned down at his big knobbly hands. "Maybe she has a reason."

    Almost before he''d finished speaking there came a soft chime from his BrightCircle, and glowing letters appeared above it.

    "A message from Nala?" Praetorian said. "''New Places'', now just what are those cryptic words supposed to mean?"

    Tzugakk shook his head, still staring at his BrightCircle.

    "Hm. Well. So then. What of those of us who cannot utilise stealth? I wouldn''t put it past those thugs to be lying in wait outside the infirmary¡ª"

    "No," Tzugakk said. "Not until tomorrow."

    "Ah, yes¡ªthey can only earn merits for defeating us once a day, that''s correct? And should they defeat us again we wouldn''t receive further demerits. Finally a rule in our favour. Perhaps the only one, in this foul place. Tomorrow, however..."

    "It''s my fault," Mist said, looking like she could burst into tears at any moment. "Because you were escorting me¡ª"

    "No," said Amanda. "They targeted us."

    "Mm," Praetorian agreed. "Try as I might I can''t find it within myself to blame you. We''ve been accurately marked as easy targets, and as such it seems that our expulsion is inevitable. With that said, I think I may pay a visit to Fauxgreen this evening. Try my luck, as it were. Why not? Soon I may no longer have the opportunity, why not take a risk while I''m still able?"

    "I don''t want to go to Fauxgreen."

    "Well, I suppose instead I could tend to your body¡ª"

    "No."

    Amanda still bore the injuries she''d suffered¡ªnumerous tears through her clothing showed the bloodless wounds beneath, and she had three arrows sticking from her back. Praetorian waggled his finger at her.

    "Now, now, modesty has its place but I assure you I am a professional. It really is rather vital¡ªif you''ll excuse my language¡ªthat you don''t allow yourself to fall into too severe a state of disrepair, the more damage your shell sustains the weaker your binding will become¡ª"

    "No."

    Praetorian sighed out, long and dramatic. "Well then. I will bring this up again later, do not think the subject has been dropped. Hm, indeed, at this moment you look more in need of a seamstress than anything."

    "I, um, I can maybe help with that?" Mist said. "I have a sewing kit, so if you want..."

    Amanda stared at Mist, then cleared her throat in a rattly sort of way.

    "Um," she said. "I don''t know if it''d help, these rags I''m wearing aren''t exactly the greatest anyway, I don''t know if anyone would even notice the difference ... although these cuts here aren''t doing anyone any favours. I don''t think many people list ''blue zombie underboob'' among their interests."

    "You''d be surprised," Praetorian muttered, before making a face at the look Amanda shot him. "Not ME, but you know what they say, for every fetish a season."

    Mist coughed quietly, then tried a smile at Amanda. "Um, maybe if you come to my room ... it''s kind of small though ... but if you don''t mind..."

    Amanda half-shrugged.

    "Ah, perhaps we can find a compromise?" Praetorian said. "I shall graciously wait outside Mist''s place of rest while the repairs in question are made, after which we shall both away to the fairy-lit commons of Fauxgreen to perchance sight an elf or two. There, let it never be said that I am an unkind master."

    "YOU are NOT my MASTER."

    "Habit born of a lifetime, pay no heed to my callow words."

    "Do we leave now?" Tzugakk asked. "It is still light, it is time to rest, time to eat¡ª"

    "Aha," Praetorian said. "Except for those bullies who have figured out that this is the time that pathetic little loser groups are likely to move. Second-guessing, as it were. Safety in numbers is an illusion; this place is never safe, not for our kind."

    "And we''re back where we started," Amanda said. "We have to go through the gourmet quarter again. Unless there''s a different route."

    "Um. Um, I don''t..."

    Mist trailed off, then sat up and looked around at the others.

    "I don''t have many merits but I want to spend them on food!"

    She shrank back, embarrassed at this outburst.

    "Um," she said through her hands. "I-if you guys want to eat. I can pay for you, to thank you for always coming with me. Um, if I can afford it ... I don''t know how much it is ... probably too much..."

    "Hm," Praetorian said, stroking his pointy beard. "I can''t say the notion isn''t tempting¡ªthough of course I cannot allow you to pay for my meal. Still ... yes. Yes, why not! Who knows how long we have left here, forward planning is for those with a future, we happy losers must live in the moment¡ªMist Reginleif, Valkyrie of the Sunrise Islands, on behalf of those present I accept your invitation; we SHALL eat tonight!"

 Episode 02.06

    Blue Haven was a small restaurant on a long street, the narrow entrance sandwiched between two much larger eateries, the one on the left a colourful Nimbian noodle house, the one on the right some kind of barbecue place, the frontage dark and smoky.

    "I, um, I noticed this place a couple of times," Mist said, as she and the others stood outside. "It reminds me of us. Our party, I mean. There''s all these big flashy restaurants with lots of people going to them, then this one ... alone, little, boxed in ... could we go here? Please? All of us?"

    "No menu, uninviting frontage, I''m not even sure what manner of repast they serve," Praetorian said. He gazed up at the handpainted sign¡ªunlike the majority of restaurants it didn''t use luminescent paint or shaped glow crystals. Instead, the name ''Blue Haven'' was written in a tidy but unassuming black script. On either side of the closed curtain entrance hung two paper lanterns, red with gold swirls.

    "I think it looks okay," Amanda said. "I don''t really need to eat anyway."

    "You should, though," Praetorian murmured. "It helps maintain your binding. Without sustenance you''ll just wither away. Do you know, upon considered inspection and thoughtful contemplation, I believe I rather like this place. Miss Reginleif, will you lead the charge?"

    Mist couldn''t hide her smile as she led the others in, Blue Haven''s interior neither surprising nor disappointing; it was a narrow little place, the lighting dim but not unfriendly, three booths against the left wall, much of the right taken up by a long counter with half a dozen stools, a simple handpainted menu hanging above¡ªsteamed meat buns three merits each, pork omelette eight merits, dumplings six merits a set and so on. Behind the counter stood a human wearing a blue and white patterned bandanna and black chef''s gear, his eyebrows bushy, his expression serious, though the nod he directed towards Mist and the others was welcoming enough.

    "We''re the only customers!" Mist whispered, as they all found places at a booth table.

    "Perhaps for the best," Praetorian said, flashing a smile at the chef which earned him another solemn nod. "We''ll remain unmolested, at the least¡ªare restaurants ''safe zones'', does anyone know? No one? Oh well. The prices seem not unreasonable, I feared the worst but this seems well within even our meagre budget. Shall we tell the others we''re here? It seems polite to let them know, at the least. Mist, perhaps you could do that. I intend to study this menu and maximise my merit-to-hedonism ratio."

    "Uh, hey," Amanda said to Tzugakk, as Praetorian squinted up at the menu. "Are you okay? You''ve been really quiet since we left the infirmary. Um, quieter than usual."

    Tzugakk smiled weakly and gave a small shrug, then looked back down at his hands.

    "Oh!" Mist winced, then lowered her voice to continue: "Nala and Sly are actually together, Nala just sent me a message back. And, they''re both coming! That''s fun, right? I mean ... that''s good?"

    "Why would they be in the same place?" Amanda asked. "Does that make sense to anyone?"

    "I''m sure we''ll have the reason soon enough," Praetorian said, still looking up at the menu. "Shall we simply order a selection to share? I have my eye upon the fried beef skewers, and I''m sure I''d enjoy sampling the splendid array of dumplings and steamed buns on offer¡ªshould I order for all of us? I''ll order for all of us. Sir, I should very much like to consume your dumplings!"

    By the time Nala and Sly arrived at the restaurant the others were almost through their first round of food and happily arguing about what to order next.

    "Nala!" Praetorian cried, upon her arrival. "The leader of our pathetic little troupe! And Sly, you didn''t bring several friends? Could you invite some now?"

    Nala offered Praetorian a small nod of acknowledgement before looking around the restaurant with something like approval. Sly gave him a somewhat bashful gap-toothed grin.

    "Yeah, sorry I haven''t been around¡ªheard about what happened earlier, sucks, huh? Not that I could''ve, y''know, done anything even if I was there ... still, I feel kind of bad about it."

    "It''s okay!" Mist said. "Come and sit down and have some dumplings, they''re good and there''s lots and we''re going to get more! Right?"

    "Indeed! Mist was just telling us about the food of her hometown¡ªwell, homeisland I suppose. Did you know," Praetorian said, deadly serious, as Nala sat next to Tzugakk and Sly settled in next to Amanda, "that in the islands they eat rather a lot of seafood? Astonishing, I know."

    "Hehe, um, but this is all really good¡ªoh, we already paid for this stuff but don''t worry, just enjoy it please!"

    "I''ll pay next time, then," Nala said, as Tzugakk shyly offered her a beef skewer and Sly started in on the dumplings.

    "Um, okay," Mist said. "Okay, yes! Because then we get to come back here, I really love this place already, I know it''s only the first time coming here, but ... well, um, anyway, please eat! Amanda, are you eating? Did you try these shrimp buns, they''re really good!"

    Amanda frowned at the bun Mist was pointing to.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "I think I tried that one," she said. "It''s hard to tell."

    "Dulled senses?" Praetorian asked, through a mouthful of fried riceball. "Common. Your vision is normal, yes? And your hearing seems adequate, touch is always a tricky area, do you feel this?"

    Praetorian ran his fingers down Amanda''s cheek¡ªshe went to swat his hand away but by the time she got her arm to cooperate he''d already withdrawn.

    "Well?" he said, before taking another bite of riceball.

    "Yes I felt it and YES it was INSANELY creepy."

    "Oh do grow up, it''s a simple sensory test, you can believe me when I say I meant absolutely nothing by it. The face is often lacking in tactile sensation, hence the blankness of many zombies. Your face is surprisingly expressive, so hurray for you! Taste and smell, however ... hmm ... I may be able to help with that, remind me later when I''m fixing you up."

    "Nala," Tzugakk said, as Amanda looked away from Praetorian, her mouth tight. "What did you mean by ''new places''?"

    "Oh, you didn''t spill yet?" Sly said to Nala, before popping half a steamed bun in his mouth and mumbling through it: "It''s decent, you should tell ''em."

    "Tell us what?" Mist asked, her full attention instantly fixed upon Nala. "Do you have a plan or something? Like an idea of what to do?"

    Nala shifted in her seat and put down her beef skewer before speaking:

    "Monster hunt."

    This was met with silence, which Praetorian broke.

    "Aha," he said. "An example of dwarven humour, perhaps?"

    "Wouldn''t we have the same problems with monsters as we do with bullies?" Amanda said. "If we can''t attack¡ª"

    "We don''t need to attack," Nala said, her tone level. "We will avoid the monsters."

    "Of course!" Praetorian said. "A monster hunt where we avoid the monsters, that certainly does seem ... odd and pointless."

    "Oh." The others looked at Tzugakk, who was gazing down at the table. "Yes. I understand." He raised his head, not quite looking at Praetorian. "Around this academy, there are gather points. Safe ones give little, no, valuable ones are surrounded by danger, yes. Hidden can be useful, but difficult to find."

    "Ah. Ah, yes, I think I see the basic plan now¡ªif we travel to a monster hunting location then there may be gather points that offer more valuable components."

    "Oh!" said Mist. "So we can avoid the monsters and just get herbs and things¡ªNala, that''s clever! Um, what if we do get attacked, though?"

    "Nah, nah, it''s not serious," Sly said. "Same rules as tournament fights, we''d just get kicked back here. No demerits for getting offed by a monster, that''s only for student versus student. You gotta pay for your own healing, though."

    "Oh! So ... so that''s okay, then."

    "Is gathered stuff worth anything?" Amanda asked. "I mean is this actually worth doing?"

    "The value of gathered components varies," Nala said, "but many can be used in crafting. Tzugakk is skilled at this."

    Tzugakk shifted uncomfortably at the praise. "Perhaps an example," he murmured. "I intended to share, now the time is good..."

    From his bag Tzugakk produced three small grey pots and placed them on the table, one in front of Praetorian, one in front of Mist, and one in front of Sly.

    "MistVeil jars," he explained. "Not dangerous, no, not weapons, but useful to distract if you are in danger."

    "Oh, wow! Thank you, Gakk!" Mist carefully picked up her jar in both hands. "I just throw this on the ground?"

    "So it breaks," Tzugakk said. "And then perhaps run."

    "Well. I''m quite touched, I must say," Praetorian said. "I can certainly see where such an item could be useful."

    "Yeah, uh ... cool," Sly said. "I mean it, that''s really ... cool of you, just to give us these."

    "Merit reward is not high," Tzugakk said. "Practical use is more valuable. If we find better components, I can make better items."

    "It all begins to come together," Praetorian said. "I too may be able to use certain components, and with the merits earned I could purchase equipment, perhaps even buy off demerits ... yes, I think I like this plan. When is our first expedition?"

    "I have a list of monster hunting locations¡ª"

    "I helped with that," Sly interrupted. Nala looked at him, then continued:

    "Tzugakk and I will research the monsters and components likely to be found in each area. We''ll wait until a good location comes up in one of the daily missions. I can''t predict how long it will be until that happens."

    "But maybe soon, right?" Mist said. "Nala, you''re really smart! I''m so excited about this¡ªare you guys excited about this?"

    "Moderately so," Praetorian said. "In any case I''m glad of the direction, and I''m sure it will be pleasant to escape the academy for a short time. Despite its sprawling nature this place is beginning to feel rather suffocating."

    Mist glanced over at Sly. "Um, will you come too, Sly?"

    "Uh, sure," Sly said, after hastily swallowing a dumpling. "You''re my party, right? So, y''know, it''d be good to get out with you guys. These dumplings are pretty good¡ªhey, another order of dumplings over here?"

    The new food was greeted with cheers from the group, aside from Nala (and Amanda''s dry ''yay'' was very possibly sarcastic).

    "This is a good plan, Nala." Tzugakk glanced at the dwarf; she was sitting with her hood shadowing her face, quietly observing the others as they ate and talked and laughed. "I''m proud and impressed."

    Nala said nothing, not for the rest of the evening, not while they divided the cost of the meal¡ªMist insisted on using all of her merits and the others split the remainder, glowing red deductions appearing over their BrightCircles¡ªand not while they escorted Mist to her apartment, in a shabby three-storey grey stone building on the edge of battle quarter, and not while they returned to the sprawl¡ª

    "Nala, wait."

    Nala and Tzugakk were in the outskirts, following a shortcut, roads and buildings collapsed into the tunnels below, a series of rickety bridges and walkways over the dark drop offering a safe route through to the central sprawl¡ªfor a given definition of ''safe''. They stood on an island of sorts, an uncollapsed section that held a tall tower, walkways leading away in all directions. Nala turned to look at Tzugakk, the last of the setting sun catching her face.

    "I have this. For you. As a promise."

    Nala stared at the object Tzugakk held up¡ªa simple chain necklace with a single empty slot.

    "Gems are expensive," he explained, tracing a knobbly finger around the empty slot. "It will take time to earn them. Perhaps, yes, perhaps another ''to''."

    Nala took the necklace, held it in her hand, stared down at it.

    "You don''t like it?"

    Still silent, Nala reached into her pocket and retrieved her safehold shard, which she slotted into the necklace before slipping it over her head. She held up the newly-slotted shard, its soft blue-green glow near overwhelmed by the setting sun, then let it fall against her breast.

    "We should hurry," she said. "Soon it will be dark."

 Episode 02.07

    Bright Battle Academy had many libraries, but they were ignored by the majority of students. After all, no merits were earned for study or research. Nala favoured a smaller one near Destiny Square¡ªthe sprawl''s tunnels had an exit in the basement of a nearby building, and from there it was a short, relatively safe walk to the library, a long, low building built of red brick, nestling against the dry aqueduct. Inside, shelves stretched to the ceiling, books crammed in wherever there was space, the light dusty but plentiful thanks to the many high windows and occasional skylights.

    Currently Nala was occupying a wide table in a quiet corner, various maps of potential monster hunting locations spread out before her, anchored by books on flora and fauna.

    "SparkleFlowers may be the key," Nala said, not looking up from the map as Tzugakk neared. "Two support merits each for gathering, twenty support merits for selling. Combine two SparkleFlowers into SparkleDust for a craft bonus of two merits, sell SparkleDust for a base forty-two support merits. If we can find advanced recipes we could earn even more."

    "We need components also," Tzugakk said, as he placed a book on the table, its cover faded, its title worn to illegibility. "TwilightMushrooms for me, WideLeafs and StickySap for you. Traps and poisons, traps and poisons. DeepForest places have these things ... but DeepForest places have powerful monsters..."

    "It doesn''t matter how powerful the monsters are. We won''t be fighting them."

    Tzugakk nodded, apparently satisfied. Soft silence settled over the pair, Nala intent on her maps, Tzugakk leafing through his book ... though his worried gaze kept going back to Nala, until finally he spoke:Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "Nala ... is there more to your plan?"

    "No."

    "Some of your books are not about monsters or components or the places we may visit."

    Nala looked up at Tzugakk. He fidgeted under her level gaze.

    "I ... I wonder," he said. "Monster hunting missions are temporary, yes? When the time runs out, back here we come."

    "I have read this."

    "Then your plan is to do as you have said? Yes? To gather components, to earn merits for our party, to follow the rules of this place?"

    Nala was silent, her gaze still upon Tzugakk.

    "Nala?"

    Without a word, Nala returned to the map she was studying.

    Tzugakk sighed.

    "I will search for SparkleFlower knowledge," he said, getting up.

    "Tzugakk."

    Nala didn''t look up from the map as she continued:

    "We will survive this place together. We will escape from it together. This is my promise to you."

    Tzugakk lowered his head, a small smile on his face. He nodded, then nodded again, then awkwardly turned and left.

    Nala pushed aside her map and reached for the next. There was so much to learn. Rules, facts, percentages, values. She had never had to think about these things, in her life below. She had relied on instinct born of experience to carry her from one day to the next. There had been no books, no maps. No neatly arranged words describing the world¡ªor if there had been, they were out of her reach. Outside of her world.

    There was a flicker in the shadow of a bookshelf. Nala gave no sign of having noticed this.

    There is control in this place, she was thinking, as she studied her newest map. Tzugakk may be correct. Bright Battle may be built of rules. But there is something more than that. Something bigger.

    Perhaps I am like this place, she thought. Perhaps both of us are about more than the rules of survival.

    In books and in maps, in the actions of those around her and in the flicker of shadows, Nala Greyward searched for her ''to''.

 Episode 03.01 - "My First, My Only"

    Mist''s little room had a single window, and beside that a rough wooden chair. This was where she spent most of her time, sitting and sewing and gazing out. The view wasn''t much, battle quarter''s streets and buildings a uniform grey, everything big and bulky and functional. The constant rain didn''t help. It hadn''t let up for three days now, every day since that rare happy evening in the Blue Haven restaurant, every day since Nala had revealed her plan. Mist had heard nothing from the others apart from a message sent by Nala: ''Stay Inside''. She took this to mean that even her work at the infirmary was forbidden, that to venture out at all would be too risky. She''d sent a message back to Nala but received no reply, and after that she was too shy to send any more.

    You''d think such horrible weather would make it safer outside, Mist thought, as she watched a pair of fighters hurry down the street. Nobody would want to go out in this.

    Suppressing a sigh, Mist turned her attention back to her sewing. Hesitant exploration of her apartment building had revealed that the basement, aside from being cluttered with barrels and crates and piles of old sacks, was actually the entrance to some kind of dungeon. Mist hadn''t been brave enough even to open the trapdoor leading to the dungeon itself, but tentatively smashing some barrels had yielded a few RoughRags. She wasn''t particularly good at dressmaking and didn''t have a lot to work with, but she was determined to do her best. Besides, she thought, as she drew needle through cloth, it''s not as if I have anything else to do.

    Once more Mist''s gaze was drawn to the window, to the rain dripping down the glass in long lonely rivulets.

    "Nala, what''s going on?" she whispered. "What are you doing?"

    Fauxgreen was sheltered from the worst of the weather by the thick canopy above, although this didn''t stop heavy drops of cold water from falling on Praetorian. He was stomping along one of the quarter''s many winding pathways, to his right a barely-visible building formed of shaped trees, to his left only mistshadows. Glowing white wisps swirled all around, dancing with the glow-lights summoned by the rain; they rose from damp grass and launched into the air, their every movement joyful and free. Perhaps they were some kind of insect akin to the firefly, perhaps they were a magical phenomenon, perhaps they were a living embodiment of the elven passion for nature in all its forms. Whatever their origin they were purely beautiful, and it would have taken a cynical heart indeed not to be delighted by them.

    "Oh bugger off," Praetorian muttered, swatting a glow-light away. It bounced off a tree and fell to the ground; Praetorian only barely resisted the urge to go over and stomp on it. It had been two days since he''d been here last, and the memory of his last visit to the elven quarter of Bright Battle was not exactly cheerful.

    Still. He had a responsibility to fulfil. Zombies, in his experience, did not simply rescue themselves.

    "Ah!" he said, jabbing a finger forward. "There! Sly? Yes, it is you. Well? Anything?"

    Sly was standing in a tree hollow being miserable.

    "Got maybe a lead," he said. "Some guy heard a bunch of leafs had a human girl working for them, could be her I guess. Dunno which group it is, though."

    "I suppose that''s better than nothing. Are there many leaf groups around here?"

    "Dude, there''s like a hundred."

    "Of course." Praetorian blew out a sigh. "Fine, let''s start with the nearest. At least it''s an opportunity to meet new people."

    "New elf girls, you mean," Sly muttered, as he began leading Praetorian along a new path.

    "My interest is not only in girls, there is a definite appeal in a certain kind of masculinity. Still, given the choice¡ª"

    "Kind of not comfortable having this conversation with you, dude."

    "Ahaha, well then."

    "Anyway, thought getting done like you did would''ve warned you, most of them are like that."

    "Yes, that''s odd, isn''t it? Such extremes in personality¡ªand such imbalance! For every winsome, sweet, delicate elf maiden there seem to be a dozen tiny psychotic painpeddlers. It''s just as well I enjoy a challenge."

    Sly led Praetorian into a building, then the two of them spent a productive few seconds shaking the wet from their cloaks. The interior was softly lit by discrete crystals, organic wooden corridors warm and inviting, the sound of rain drumming down outside bringing a comfortable closeness to the atmosphere.

    "Ah," Praetorian murmured, taking in the elfishness of his surroundings. "What a delicate blend of the artificial and the natural, such a perfectly maintained balance. You are lucky indeed to come from such a culture, my friend, fortunate to have spent your formative years in such an environ."

    "Are you kidding? Lamara doesn''t have any of this tree-shaping weirdness, we build our houses out of planks like normal people. This stuff, it''s just like, I dunno, showing off or something."

    "Hm. Well. Nothing wrong with a little showiness from time to time. It''s rather quiet, is there anyone even in here?"

    "This is like for club rooms and workshops and stuff, I figure it''s a good place to start looking."

    "I bow to your experience and expertise."

    "Dude, I''m just guessing."

    Praetorian bowed anyway, and Sly waved it off with a gap-toothed grin.

    "So like, what kind of name is Praetorian anyway?" Sly asked, as they started up the winding central corridor of the building, listening out for any activity within the rooms they passed. "Is that pretty common in Auldvyne or wherever?"

    "Is Sly a common name in The Forest?"

    "Heh, it''s a nickname. Short for Slythaneile."

    "How beautiful, it seems a shame to shorten it¡ªah, your sister also, Gloria, is that short for anything?"

    "Glorianthianarysia."

    "Such beauty in those twisting, turning syllables, I might liken it to the chaotic yet lovely nature of this very corridor¡ª"

    "Dude, I am totally messing with you. Gloria''s just Gloria."

    Praetorian stopped and blinked at Sly, then hurried after him.

    "Aha, hah, but of course. Elegant in its simplicity. Ah, your name, though¡ª"

    "Yeah, that one''s real. Man, there''s a lot of rooms in this thing, huh? Just goes on and on." Sly glanced back at Praetorian. "So how about your name?"

    "Part of my heritage I''m afraid. I am but the latest in a long line of Praetorians, our origins extending back into the dark mists of the unknown ages ... I shan''t complain, though, not when my closest childhood friends were named Blodwich, Zephyrist and Runetalon."

    "Heh, ''could be worse'', yeah?"

    "Indeed. Are those voices I hear from ahead? Perhaps down that side-passage¡ª"

    "Yeah ... hey, hang back here, okay? Some of these leafs, they get pretty weird about outsiders, there''s this whole big thing about, like, humans mucking up nature magic, I don''t get it but just ... maybe better for me to go ask by myself."

    "Hm. Well. If you think that''s best."

    Praetorian watched Sly slope off down the passage, then let out a disgruntled breath as he leant against a smoothly curving wall, arms crossed, his gaze upon an uneven bit of floor¡ªhe could see where roots from beneath had pushed up the flattened wood. It even looked to be cracked, a thin dark line marring the otherwise smooth surface.

    "Heeeey ... what''s someone like you doing here?"

    Praetorian smiled at the crack, then turned his smile on the girl who''d just spoken. She was tall for an elf, which meant the top of her head was just about level with Praetorian''s pointy goatee, her spiky purple hair kept in check by a prismatic ribbon, her face soft, her skin dark, her delicately slanted amber eyes big and bright. She wore tight green shorts and a brown leather vest, sleeveless to show off her tattooed arms, the flowing lines reminiscent of leaves on the wind.

    Praetorian''s smile widened.

    "Someone like me?" he said. "I wonder what you could mean by that."

    "Y''know. Human. You guys don''t usually come ''round here." The girl crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "Not scared of getting hunted?"Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Petrified. I do have a guide, although he has temporarily abandoned me¡ªleft me to the tender mercies of the natives, so to speak."

    "Huh. Okay, whatever."

    "Perhaps you could help me," Praetorian said, as the girl walked past. She stopped and looked at him, expressionless. "You see, I have a reason for coming here, I was separated from an associate of mine in this area. I''m currently looking to find her."

    "Her?"

    "Ahem, well, it''s not like that, she''s somewhat less alive than I''d normally prefer. Human zombie girl, tallish, long black hair in desperate need of a brush, blue skin, gloomy-looking, rather ragged and unappealing generally, and I imagine she''d be slightly untalkative ... no?"

    "No."

    "Oh well. Thank you anyway."

    "For what?"

    "Aha ... ha. For your time?"

    "Mm-hm."

    Praetorian suppressed a grimace as the girl walked away, Sly''s voice not improving his mood much:

    "Hey Praets, got a bite! We gotta move, though, sounds like our girl¡ªoh. Hey, Lorna."

    The girl looked back, her expression indifferent. "Hey, Sly. Missed that bow of yours yesterday, ran into a xylomid we could''ve used some help with."

    "Oh man, really? Damn, daaaamn, those things are worth like three hundred merits, did you get it?"

    "Nah, Jak got caught by its breath, ended up Confused and Berzerked, just started wailing on the rest of us. Total bust. Hilarious, though."

    "Damn. Damn, I wish I could''ve been there!"

    "You got your party stuff, right? How''s that working out?"

    Sly glanced at Praetorian, who raised his eyebrows.

    "Uh, yeah. Dunno. Okay I guess."

    Lorna shifted her gaze from Sly to Praetorian, then back to Sly again.

    "Uh-huh," she said. "We''re heading out again tomorrow, Jak''s got something lined up. We''ve got a slot free if you wanna come with."

    "Yeah, thanks, maybe."

    Lorna half-smirked at Sly, then turned to walk away.

    "Come on, Praets," Sly said, slapping him on the shoulder. "Let''s go get our girl."

    "Responsibility calls," Praetorian muttered, his eyes still upon Lorna''s back. "Do you know, there are times when I sincerely regret being a necromancer."

    "Necromancer?"

    Praetorian stared at Lorna as she looked back.

    "You''re a necromancer?" she asked, turning properly now. "That''d explain the outfit..." She ran her eyes over Praetorian. "Cool."

    "Yeah, well, whatever," Sly said. "We actually do gotta go now, gotta catch Fern before¡ª"

    "Now now, let us not be hasty," Praetorian said. "The zombie can wait, they''re good at that, here and now¡ª"

    "Dude, seriously, there''s like a time crunch on this thing¡ª"

    "Ah, I see, so it''s fine for you to stand around chatting but the moment any interest is shown in myself and my profession¡ª"

    "Yeah, I''m gonna go anyway," Lorna said. "Meeting up with the girls, camping some gather points in the ruins, maybe snag a few losers. Love this weather, low-tiers think it''s safe but~they''re~wrong~" Lorna sang the last few words, then laughed. "Maybe see you around, ''necromancer''."

    "Yes, perhaps!"

    Praetorian waved at Lorna''s back until she disappeared around a corner, then he allowed Sly to lead him away.

    "Ahh ... what a refreshing young lady."

    "Dude, trust me, do NOT get into that."

    "No? You''re cautioning me against her? Perhaps even forbidding me from pursuing her?"

    "Just looking out for you, man. Lorna''s crazy¡ªI mean yeah, she''s a scout, they''re all nuts. Probably a class requirement or something."

    "Mm, a scout. Flexible and quick¡ªah, and immune to the negative effects of weather, how cunning of her to exploit that."

    "Yeah, to go hunt down low-tier losers like us."

    "You make it sound so sordid."

    Sly just shook his head, leading Praetorian through the corridor and past dozens of doors before they emerged onto the common once more. The rain had worsened while they were inside, the canopy above no longer any kind of protection.

    "Over here!" Sly called, pointing, before setting off along a path. Praetorian followed, clutching his cloak around himself as wind-blown rain attacked from all directions.

    "This can''t be natural!" he called, but Sly didn''t hear him, just kept walking, one arm above his eyes in an attempt to block the rain. Fortunately their next destination was close, and before long the two of them were once more shaking out their cloaks.

    "Thoroughly, thoroughly miserable weather," Praetorian muttered, squeezing out his goatee. "I suspect foul play, those in charge of this place do seem to delight in making our lives as difficult as possible¡ªa little cloud manipulation and presto, every student''s life is just that tiny bit worse. Rather efficient when you think about it. Is this another club house?"

    "Workshops," Sly said. He shook out his hair, pushed it away from his eyes, then looked at Praetorian. "Hey. You heard from Nala?"

    "Hm? Yes, just once, she wanted to know what components I used in my crafting. I sent her a list but haven''t heard back since. I suppose she had a similar enquiry for you."

    "Yeah, about the places we go monster hunting. Nothing back from her though."

    "Mm. She''s not exactly the communicative type, is she? Let us just hope she''s pursuing this plan of hers. Incidentally, didn''t you say something about a time crush?"

    "Yeah, we should get moving¡ªguess you gotta come with for Amanda''s sake but dude, don''t do your usual thing."

    "My ''usual thing''?"

    "Like, y''know, talking and stuff. It''s Fern Valleygreen''s group she''s with, that chick is dangerous."

    "Wouldn''t she be a leaf? Aren''t they a type of healer?"

    "Pureleaf, yeah, but ... I dunno, just don''t get her mad. You don''t wanna rile up Fern."

    "Noted."

    This building was different in layout to that previous, more open and airy, flowering vines growing over the walls and stairways, the second level looking down on the first. This was where Fern Valleygreen''s group workshop was located, and this was where Sly and Praetorian found Amanda, standing beside a bench, head lolling forward, using her hands to mix something in a large bowl.

    "Oh now REALLY, just WHAT is this?" Praetorian said, hurrying forward to Amanda''s side¡ªhe took her arms and pulled her away from the bowl, inside of which was a vicious green and purple concoction. The mere scent of it caused a light choking fit in Praetorian, and he was forced to stagger away from both bowl and zombie, bent over double as he coughed the noxious vapours from his lungs.

    "Yes, just come in and retch all over our floor, don''t mind us," said one of the elves in the room, a dark-skinned girl with short black hair and narrow eyes, her figure willowy, her clothing leafy¡ªsimilar to the other two also in the workshop.

    "Sorry guys¡ªuh, sorry Fern," Sly said, as Praetorian continued his choking fit. "Just gotta grab our girl there."

    "Is it yours?" Fern said. "Huh. We found it lurching around in the commons¡ª"

    "Yoooooou," Amanda groaned, raising a stiff arm to point at Praetorian. "Wheeere weeere yooou?"

    "Apologies," he gasped. "I found myself inconvenienced¡ª"

    Once more Praetorian collapsed into wheezing coughs, gesturing feebly at Sly to explain.

    "Uh, yeah," Sly said, mostly to Fern, "so, Praets here was chatting up this chick over by the Life Palace but it turned out she was just, like, luring him into a trap or something. So he abandoned Amanda and made a run for it¡ª"

    Praetorian clawed at Sly''s side, gasping out choked words:

    "...be ... more ... flattering..."

    "Uh, yeah, sorry dude. Um, so yeah, he took off and Amanda got left behind, and without a necro nearby she, uh ... well, you saw how she gets, right?"

    "Wheeere weeere yooou?"

    "Huh." Fern looked between Praetorian and Amanda. "Wanna sell her? She''s useful."

    "She..." Praetorian wheezed to a stop, breath catching in his throat. He took a few seconds to recover then, with slow dignity, he straightened, fixed Fern with a steady gaze, and tried again: "She is not for sale."

    "WHEEERE WEEERE YOOOU?"

    "Do shut up now, there''s a good zombie. Now you," Praetorian said, his eyes still upon Fern, "have been using her in an entirely inappropriate manner. What''s that she''s been mixing, some manner of poison? Her hands are green!"

    "And the rest of her is blue, big difference. Anyway, zombies can''t get poisoned, they''re immune¡ª"

    "Do not presume to tell me about zombies. Look at me. Look at my clothes. I am an Auldvynian necromancer of the Lily Valley. If nothing else, I know zombies."

    Fern gazed levelly at Praetorian, then held out her hand¡ªone of the other girls hurried to give her a vine-covered wooden staff.

    "You starting something, deadspeaker?"

    Praetorian swallowed.

    "Aha, uh ... no, I wouldn''t ... I''ll simply take my zombie and leave, if it''s all the same to you."

    "Nooot yooours!"

    There was a light thunk as Fern let the base of her staff rest against the ground, then she shrugged.

    "Sure. Take it and go. Got enough VagrantToxin to last us all year anyway. She even earned a few merits for the crafting. So you''re welcome."

    Praetorian bit back a caustic response and instead bowed¡ªwhich earned a cluck of the tongue from Fern.

    "Out. Now. Before I take my zombiesitting merits out of your hides."

    With as much dignity as he could muster Praetorian fled the workshop, ushering Amanda ahead, Sly sloping along behind.

    "She was in a real good mood," Sly commented, once they were a safe distance away. "I''ve never seen her so happy. That stuff she had you mixing up must be pretty good, huh?"

    Amanda shook her head angrily, or at least tried to¡ªher movements were still stiff and awkward so she was forced to settle for a rattling growl. The weather outside didn''t improve her mood, rain pelting down as hard as ever, the surrounding trees little more than hazy shapes.

    "I suppose we should head for home, as it were," Praetorian said, over the sound of the rain. "There doesn''t seem to be¡ªoof!"

    Sly looked back, eyes wide, as Praetorian fell against the path. Amanda had stopped ahead of him and held out her arm; walking into it was like walking into an iron bar. She turned to fix him with a sodden glare.

    "Wheeere WERE you?" she growled. "WHERE?"

    "L-looking for you, as I stated¡ª"

    "DAYS! DAYS I was there, like a, a slave! Mixing that horrible goo! I couldn''t stop! WHY COULDN''T I STOP?"

    "Uh, guys¡ª"

    "As a zombie your nature is submissive, without the guiding will of a necromancer¡ª"

    "Oh, so it''s all you, is it? I have no mind of my own, only what YOU want me to do, is that it?"

    "No, no, not entirely, I do exert a certain amount of influence but as you''re currently demonstrating this control is far from absolute¡ª"

    "Guys¡ª"

    "Raise your hand," Amanda snapped. "Come on, do it! Raise your hand!"

    Praetorian frowned up at Amanda, still sitting where he''d fallen.

    "Now tell me to do it."

    "I don''t¡ª"

    "TELL ME!"

    "R-raise your hand¡ª"

    Amanda''s right arm went up, and her face became pinched.

    "I can''t cry," she said, "I can''t even cry, can you command me to do that? Can you command me to, to not ... to not feel..."

    Praetorian and Sly stared at Amanda, standing in the pouring rain, her hair stuck against her ragged clothes and her clothes stuck against her body, face buried in her hands, making a pathetic low rattling moan.

    "Uh, Amanda ... uh..."

    Sly trailed off, then looked down at Praetorian and offered him a hand up.

    "There''s, uh ... there''s a message from Nala," Sly said, as Praetorian regained his feet. "You probably got it too, if you weren''t, uh, you know. Uh, so, the, uh, the mission''s today."

    Praetorian glanced down at his BrightCircle, at the glowing words that appeared above it, clear even in the rain. He looked back at Amanda, who was staring at her own BrightCircle.

    "Oh," she said, eventually. Her lifeless eyes went to Praetorian, but she didn''t say anything further.

    "Amanda," he said. "You may be having trouble adjusting to this new, ah, new existence¡ª"

    "Were you going to say lifestyle? Just shut up. Just don''t talk to me. Just stay as far away from me as you can without me¡ª"

    Amanda stopped, and she turned away from Praetorian.

    "We should go," she said. "They''ll be at Mist''s soon. I don''t want to be late for this. I don''t want to let my party down."

    With that she lurched away. Sly and Praetorian glanced at each other, then hurried after her.

 Episode 03.02

    "AMANDA! And Nala, oh, I''m so happy to see you both¡ªto see all of you, hello Sly! Hello Praetorian! Hi Gakk! Oh, I''ve been so bored and lonely, do you guys want to come in? I don''t have much stuff and it''s pretty small and boring inside OH! Amanda! I have¡ªcome in, just you, well Nala could come too I guess if she wants except maybe that wouldn''t be such a good idea now that I''m thinking about it so okay, just Amanda, come on come on come ON!"

    Amanda allowed Mist to drag her into the little apartment, the others left outside on the covered balcony. The rain had lightened a little, but not so much that it ceased to be a discomfort.

    "So," Praetorian said to Nala, as they waited for whatever was going on inside Mist''s apartment to finish. "You have it all figured out, do you? This mission, I mean. The location and the components and so forth."

    "Calamity Plateau," Nala said. "Located in northern Nimbus on Isolation Island. Terrain type is a mixture of DeepForest, HighCliffs and DarkCaves. Threat level is nine¡ª"

    "NINE?"

    Sly was staring at Nala.

    "Are you serious?" he said. "Nine? I''ve never gone over six and that''s with dudes who can, y''know, fight! What''s this place got, dragons? Behemoths?"

    "There is a chance of behemoths," Nala said. "Also land lizards, crystalline wyverns, scale dragons, kukuts¡ª"

    "Whoa whoa whoa, you don''t know what you''re getting into here¡ªokay, sure, land lizards aren''t a big deal but these other monsters, they''re what we RUN from¡ª"

    "Yes. We will be avoiding the monsters. Their threat level is irrelevant."

    Praetorian cleared his throat. "I wonder if it will, perhaps, feel relevant when we''re being eaten by said monsters."

    "Our safehold shards will activate before any significant digestion."

    "Ah yes, so very encouraging, I can see why you''re our leader. Now I admit I''m not an expert on monster hunting or the mission system or any of that sort of thing, but shouldn''t we start with a threat level a little closer to our capabilities? Zero, perhaps?"

    "There''s no such thing as threat level zero," Nala said. "The high rating is a benefit to us. Low threat rating missions are popular because they are seen as safe. I don''t want to encounter anyone else. Monsters are more predictable and less dangerous than our fellow students."

    "Mm. Perhaps. Even so, I keep coming back to the rather unwelcome possibility of being eaten¡ª"

    "Large monsters are often dormant. They don''t attack unless engaged. Smaller monsters are often aggressive. They attack on sight. Low threat rating areas have small monsters, but many of them. High threat rating areas have large monsters, but less of them. The entry area for any mission is always free of monsters. I will use my stealth to find a safe route to gather points, then guide the rest of you to them."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Uh, so, maybe this is a stupid question but I gotta ask," Sly said, "but, uh ... do you actually need us?"

    "Aha! Yes! Excellent point from my good friend Slythaneile, could you not go alone, remaining entirely safe due to your stealth?"

    "No. Gathering cancels my stealth. This is a rule."

    "There is a limit also," Tzugakk said, from behind Nala. "We are each given a pouch, the pouch holds thirty items, no more than that."

    "This is another benefit of a high threat area," Nala said. "More valuable components. SparkleFlowers will be our primary target."

    "Worth twenty merits each as a base," Tzugakk quietly added, which caused Praetorian to shut his mouth and Sly to raise his eyebrows.

    "Man, really? Twenty each? Wish I knew this before I started going out, I just ignored gather points and stuff."

    "Knowledge is power, as they say," Praetorian murmured. "Very well, my enthusiasm is beginning to rekindle. Still, I think I''d feel¡ª"

    "Sorry for taking so long!" Mist said, as she came out of her apartment. "Amanda had some trouble with the, um, you know, getting dressed ... especially with everything so wet ... um, anyway, here she is!"

    Everyone stared at Amanda. At her new dress, the one Mist had spent days making. The fabric was two different shades of dark grey, but in the gloom of her apartment Mist had failed to notice this. Consequently the dress had a patchwork quality that couldn''t be said to be attractive. Although there were slits up the legs for ease of movement the left slit was longer than the right and the front and back were uneven in length, giving the entire lower half a lopsided appearance. Even so, it was an improvement on the ragged old tunic Amanda had previously worn, and there was a small smile on the dead girl''s face as she plucked at the too-short left sleeve.

    "I just finished it half an hour ago," Mist said. "I got craft merits! I was so surprised when they popped up, I wasn''t even thinking about merits, I actually said ''Oh!'', like that, ''Oh!''. Um, I know it''s not, um, useful or anything, I mean it doesn''t count as armour, but I just thought ... um, I thought ... I don''t know. I guess I wasn''t really thinking much. I''m just glad you like it, Amanda, I was worried you wouldn''t."

    "I can honestly say," Amanda said, smiling at Mist, "that I can''t remember getting a nicer gift."

    "Yes, touching," Praetorian said, before raising his hands in mock-innocence at the look Amanda gave him. "It is something of a shame, though, that ragged and torn look was very you. I''m not sure if this speaks so accurately to your inner core¡ªalthough I am pleased you kept the arm bandages, they''re certainly a charm point. Now if only something could be done about your hair¡ªand, well, let''s be honest, everything else¡ª"

    "Stop it!"

    Praetorian raised his eyebrows at Mist.

    "She, she doesn''t like it when you talk like that!" Mist pressed on. "Be more nice to her! She''s a girl, she has feelings! Nala, you say something too!"

    "...how many craft merits did you get?"

    "What? No! Sixteen! That''s not what I meant, say something to Praetorian, it''s bad that he treats Amanda like that¡ª"

    "I honestly meant nothing by it, I simply ... spoke. My apologies if I caused offence. Sixteen, eh? Those in charge must be feeling generous today."

    "Careful, Darkcede," Amanda muttered.

    "Yeah, uh, ease up, why don''t you," Sly said. "And, uh, shouldn''t we be, like, moving? Heading to the lodge?"

    "Well, if there wasn''t all this fussing over Amanda''s new clothes¡ªoh, honestly? You glare at me for THAT? I cannot win with you people, I simply cannot win. Nala, I look to you for guidance, lead us from this ugly little part of this ugly little academy and take us someplace far away. I only hope the weather is nicer in this deathtrap we''re all heading towards."

 Episode 03.03

    The weather WAS nicer in the deathtrap they were all heading towards. The hunting lodge turned out to be close to battle quarter, just a five minute walk from Mist''s apartment, and once there preparations were simple¡ªthe party collected their low-level default gathering gear then went to a small waiting room until the spells were ready, collectively stepped through a wide portal, and after a dazzling moment of time-into-nothing they found themselves in a pale green field atop a cliff, the sun strong, the breeze warm, the drop over the side giving a spectacular view of a deep, lush valley, sparkling rivers winding through, high mountains beyond.

    "Is this really an island?" Mist asked, staring out with wide eyes. "I can''t even see the ocean anywhere ... this is so different from my home..."

    "WideLeafs," Tzugakk said, pointing at a cluster of plants near the cliff edge. The leaves were half a metre long and almost as wide, dark green in colour. "And over there, also"

    "Good," Nala said. "You can gather while I scout. Five each."

    Without anything further Nala put up the hood of her cloak and started towards the nearby forest, disappearing into the trees and leaving the others behind. Though the forest was thick and old the paths were clear, and Nala noted several gather points as she moved¡ªDarkShrooms, DiceVines and PinkLeafs. None of these were particular valuable, and PinkLeafs could be commonly found at the academy, but she marked their locations in her mind. Soon enough Nala came to a wider area, several land lizards crowded near rocky cliffs, taking advantage of a gap in the foliage to bask in the light. Not too far from the lizards was a shallow pool surrounded by SparkleFlowers, but Nala dismissed the gather point as too dangerous¡ªshe had read that land lizards were slow to anger, easy to avoid, and weak in battle, but there were near a dozen of them and potentially more in cracks in the cliff. Even one mistake could destroy this chance, she thought. Find a safer way.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Further along the path Nala found a wide cave entrance. She swiftly backtracked from this. DarkCaves would be narrow and home to more dangerous creatures, and although the items would be higher quality it wasn''t worth the risk. Besides, they didn''t have the equipment to take advantage of mining gather points.

    Perhaps next time, Nala thought, taking a new path deeper into the forest.

    Here the light was dimmer, the trees thicker, the paths marked with evidence of larger creatures¡ªfurrows scratched from the dark earth, broken tree branches, a long gnarled claw. Nala spent a moment examining this, then dropped it into her pouch.

    Avoiding the narrower paths, and those where she saw movement or heard sounds, Nala eventually reached a clearing, one side dropping abruptly into nothing as if the land had been torn away by an impossibly enormous hand. The edge was jagged and raw, but there appeared to be a way to drop down safely to explore the areas below. Nala ignored this. The other side of the clearing was blocked in by a low cliff from which cascaded a beautiful waterfall. Behind the waterfall there was a small cave that Nala immediately evaluated as suspicious. She looked instead at the pool¡ªand beyond, to a wide flat area, lightly forested, telltale glimmers marking gather points.

    "Here," Nala murmured. Without further hesitation she turned and made her way back towards the others, thinking of merits; thinking of escape.

 Episode 03.04

    Mist hummed to herself as she gathered WideLeafs, using her spear''s sharp edge to cut the stems. The sun was bright and hot, but the occasional cool breeze meant that this wasn''t such a discomfort.

    "Five," she murmured, dropping the last leaf into her pouch before looking around¡ªshe felt a guilty rush of pleasure as she realised that she was the first to complete the task, the others having trouble cutting through the thick stems with their default BluntKnifes. Mist was about to go help Amanda before something caught her eye; brightly coloured movement. Ahead the pale green field sloped down into a rockier area, what looked like a cave in a hill at the bottom, and around the cave were¡ª

    "Slimes!" Mist cried, delighted. There were around a dozen of them, squat little teardrop-shaped yellow and orange things, the light reflecting off them in a gooey sort of way. They didn''t seem to be doing much, just blobbing around lazily, but Mist''s eyes were bright as she watched them. She looked around and saw Praetorian nearby, waved to get his attention then pointed down the slope. "Look! Slimes!"Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    "And so? Ignore them, they''re worth a paltry sum and quite frankly I would doubt our chances against even the lowliest of their species."

    "No, I didn''t mean ... I just ... don''t you think they''re cute? We don''t get them where I''m from and I always ... I mean, I know they''re monsters but ... they''re cute ... right?"

    Praetorian sighed as he continued sawing away at the WideLeaf. "Yours is the perspective of one who has never been troubled by the wretched things. We have them in my homeland, like a pest. They''re a simple nuisance, nothing more."

    "Oh."

    Mist turned back to watch the slimes, couldn''t help but let out a gleeful squeak as one executed a wobbly sort of hop. She was just about to go and tell Amanda about them when she noticed Nala, standing near the forest path.

    "I''ve found a safe way," Nala said. "Follow me."

 Episode 03.05

    On the way to Nala''s clearing she allowed the others to gather a few things¡ªsome TwilightMushrooms for Tzugakk ("Useful for my crafting"), half a dozen DarkLeafs for Praetorian ("I recall their mention in a recipe or two"), a RedFlower for Mist ("I just like red flowers")¡ªbut mostly she kept them moving.

    "There is a time limit," she said. "If we do not return before thirty minutes pass then it is the same as being ''defeated''. We would lose all gathered items."

    "You get to keep merits for monster kills, though," Sly said. "Maybe I should take out a land lizard or something¡ª"

    "No."

    "I mean, if there''s one alone or something¡ª"

    "No."

    "I don''t see the harm," Praetorian said, as Sly gritted his teeth and gripped his bow tight and generally did a very good impression of an annoyed person. "Our elven comrade was undoubtedly thinking that if opportunity presents itself¡ª"

    "Hush."

    "Well there''s no need¡ª"

    Praetorian stopped. There was an odd noise coming from the forest, deep and rhythmic.

    "What is that?" Mist whispered. She looked around at the others. "Is that a monster?"

    "I can''t tell which direction the noise is coming from," Praetorian murmured. "Slythaneile, what do your elf-ears hear?"

    "Dude, these are just for show."

    "We will be safe," Nala said, and she walked on. Tzugakk was the first to follow, hurrying to catch up to her, Mist and Amanda next, with Praetorian and Sly taking up the rear.

    "I don''t suppose the noise is familiar to you?" Praetorian asked.

    "Nope," Sly said. "Doesn''t sound good, though."

    "Mm. Agreed."

    As they made their way further along the path the noise grew louder still, new subtleties becoming apparent with the increase in volume¡ªthe suggestion of breathing, the cracking of wood, the impact of something heavy against bare earth, and again, and again.

    "Perhaps we should go back," Praetorian suggested, as they approached an intersection of paths. "Gather more TwilightMushrooms and the like¡ªNala, you said we should play this safe, it seems the commonest of sense to move away from a potentially deadly foe."

    "Yes. Go back." Nala turned. "Now. Quickly."

    There was no urgency in her voice, her tone was as flat as ever, but her words caused a flurry of activity¡ªMist and Praetorian helping Amanda along, Tzugakk''s big feet flapping against the ground, Sly nearly tripping over his bow as he turned to retreat.

    "Enough. Stop."

    The others slowed, but didn''t stop entirely.

    "Stop," Nala repeated. "Wait for it to pass."

    Mist looked back and nearly screamed as she caught sight of the source of the noise, huge and hulking and shadow purple in colour, just a glimpse through the trees but that was enough to see both its size and its direction¡ª

    "It''s coming towards us!" she gasped. "We¡ª"

    "It will pass."

    "Is, is that a behemoth? I''ve only seen paintings, but..."

    Praetorian trailed off as the great beast continued its advance, fiery red mane visible through the foliage¡ª

    "No," Nala said, as Praetorian and the others began backing away. "Wait here."

    "Perhaps we should move back just a little further¡ª"

    "There are scale dragons on the path."

    "And you know this how?"

    Nala said nothing. Behind her the behemoth continued its slow advance, its terrifying majesty fully revealed as it came free of the trees and walked through the intersection¡ªthen stopped. It raised its massive head, sniffing the air.

    Mist had her gauntleted hands clasped over her mouth; Tzugakk was hiding behind a tree; Amanda stood stock-still, one wide dull eye visible through her hair; Praetorian''s forehead was beaded with sweat; Sly held his bow in both hands, knuckles white with tension.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Nala stood before them all, her back to the behemoth, arms crossed, head bowed.

    "Wait," she murmured, "and it will pass."

    The behemoth snorted and tossed its head, red mane catching in the dappled sunlight, then it let out a low growl and continued on, away from Nala and the others.

    The party let out a collective sigh of relief.

    After that everything seemed relaxed and simple¡ªthere were a few easily-avoided land lizards and the shadow of something big passed over the forest at one point, but they reached Nala''s clearing without trouble.

    "Focus on SparkleFlowers," Nala instructed, as the others spread out around the waterfall pool. "There are more in the field beyond. If you find anything else you can collect it, but gather at least a dozen SparkleFlowers each."

    "They''re so pretty," Mist cooed, crouching down to examine one¡ªthe flowers grew alone, the tough stem supporting a wide bloom. By first appearance they were white in colour, but this shifted and changed in subtle ways, a hint of blue gleaming at the edges to be replaced by purple a moment later before shimmering back to white once more.

    "We have less than ten minutes left," Nala said. "Gather first, then spend your time as you like. If anything approaches this clearing, use Amanda as a distraction and run."

    "What?"

    "And where might you be going?" Praetorian asked, as Nala turned to leave, both ignoring Amanda entirely.

    "I will take Tzugakk to gather StickySap."

    "Sorry," Amanda said, "maybe I should repeat myself, WHAT?"

    "Just the two of you?" Praetorian asked Nala.

    "Yes. Only he can do it, no one else has the right class skill."

    "Ah. I see."

    "Why do I have to be the distraction?"

    "High hit points, good defence and the inability to run, one would presume," Praetorian said, not so much as glancing at Amanda. "Will we rendezvous again, before the expiry?"

    "Yes," Nala said. "We''ll return soon. Start gathering."

    "Hey! I''m still not¡ªhey!"

    "Hush now, do as our leader says¡ªhonestly, if you think about the situation objectively it''s perfectly reasonable, you ARE a glumgirl, the entire purpose of your class is to serve as a damage-soaking meat shield¡ª"

    "Do NOT call me a meat ANYTHING¡ª"

    Praetorian and Amanda''s arguing faded as Nala led Tzugakk away from the clearing, along a narrow path that branched and branched again to end at an ancient tree, its leafless branches thick and twisting, its base covered over by vines and moss.

    "Here," Nala said, indicating a point from which glistening sap oozed.

    "I am a little surprised," Tzugakk said, as he began coaxing the sap into a small clay pot. "I wondered if something else lay down this path."

    "Oh?" Nala''s voice was as flat as ever. "Such as?"

    Tzugakk shrugged one shoulder. "Escape."

    "I have told you this, Tzugakk. If I escape that academy, it will be with you. If I have a plan¡ª"

    "¡ªthen I will know about it, yes yes. Where do you go at night?"

    Nala was silent, her eyes upon the sap Tzugakk was gathering.

    "You are away every night," the goblin said. "What for?"

    "If you needed to know, I would already have told you."

    "Would it hurt, for me to know?"

    Nala remained silent. Tzugakk let out a soft sigh.

    "Something else, then," he said. "Your next plan. To enter the Bright Battle Tournament. You still think it will work?"

    "Yes."

    Tzugakk capped the full pot and handed it to Nala, who handed back an empty one.

    "We have the components," he said, as he resumed gathering, "we can create what we need to give ourselves a small chance ... but to enter the tournament, to fight with those who live to fight, elves, vampires, fighters, they are truly strong and what we have are just tricks, so much can go wrong¡ª"

    "Tzugakk. We have searched, together. There is no other path."

    Tzugakk sighed. "I know this but I do not want to know this. The others, Mist and Praetorian and Amanda and Sly, have you told them?"

    "They''re not ready. They need the merits we will earn from this, the equipment we will buy. They need to feel strong."

    "What about me?"

    "You''re strong enough already."

    Tzugakk looked at Nala.

    She looked back, her face impassive.

    Tzugakk sighed and returned to gathering. After he''d filled this second pot, Nala nodded.

    "Enough. We should return. There''s still time to gather SparkleFlowers."

    Tzugakk led the way this time, Nala behind.

    "StickySap and WideLeafs," he said, as they neared the clearing. "TwilightMushrooms and NightBerries, maybe Praetorian would say that this is like fate, to have the same tools we used to defeat that ogre¡ª"

    Nala said nothing, gave no audible signal, but Tzugakk sensed her tension and stopped talking. Both remained silent as they crept closer to the clearing, Nala slipping in front of Tzugakk, stopping behind a tree, staring at nothing as she listened intently.

    "¡ªdon''t, PLEASE don''t, we already gave you everything, you don''t have to do this! PLEASE!"

    "Keep begging, valkyrie, I like the way you squeak."

    Nala moved slowly to look around the tree¡ªher view of the clearing was obscured by hanging vines and bushes, but she could see Praetorian, holding something in his arms, and Mist on her knees, sobbing as she continued to plead with a figure both familiar and unwelcome; Raid Fearson, the bandit bully responsible for many of the demerits Nala''s party had suffered. He was hacking at a downed Amanda with his dark-auraed axes, the zombie girl trying futilely to push herself up with just one arm. Of Sly there was no sign.

    Nala reached out, gripping Tzugakk''s wrist hard, stopping him from walking forward¡ª

    "We can help!" he said. "I can use¡ª"

    "No."

    "Nala, they need¡ª"

    "No."

    A long, rattling moan sounded through the trees, and both Nala and Tzugakk saw the glow of teleportation, saw Amanda''s body disappear¡ª

    "Nala¡ª"

    Nala said nothing, just tugged harder at Tzugakk''s wrist¡ªbut he tugged back.

    "No," he said. "I will help them, I MUST help them¡ª"

    "Not now."

    Tzugakk''s defiant expression wavered.

    "We cannot afford healing," Nala said. "I do not know the rule in this situation. Defeat by a student during a monster hunt may earn a demerit. Tzugakk. Not now."

    Tzugakk pulled against Nala''s grip one last time, then sagged and allowed her to guide him away, Mist''s sobbing and Praetorian''s desperate attempts at negotiation fading as they fled.

 Episode 03.06

    "It is astounding how backwards this academy can be. Ordinary thread, to reattach a severed limb? Clearly they don''t have much experience with the undead. Or perhaps it''s just that they don''t care. Hold still, would you? There''s a good zombie."

    Amanda gritted her teeth as Praetorian deftly worked a needle through the cold flesh of her stump. Lying beside her was a severed forearm, attached only by the dark-glowing threads that Praetorian had conjured.

    "How long does this take?" she grunted. "Aren''t you finished yet?"

    "Patience, patience, perfection cannot be rushed."

    From her bed nearby Mist watched in fascinated horror, her eyes fixed on the needle.

    "Why isn''t ordinary thread good?" she asked, unable to tear her gaze away even to look at Praetorian.

    "Mm? Oh, it breaks the stasis magic¡ªor perhaps ''disrupts'' would be a better word, in any case it would damage the binding and render the limb useless. Eventually it would rot."

    "Oh. Um. That''s kind of what I thought zombies were like. All rotting and stuff. Um, before I met you Amanda, of course! I don''t think that now."

    "Yes, well, no surprise if the level of knowledge here is anything to go by. This is a cantrip so simple that a child could learn it¡ªand so they do, in my homeland. Most households have at least one zombie, knowing how to repair them is an essential skill." Praetorian leant forward, frowning at a tricky bit of stitching. "And yet here ... hold still, very still, there''s a girl ... yes, there we go, good good¡ªand yet, and yet and yet and yet there persists this wrongheaded image of the decaying, pestilent zombie. In reality¡ªwhen properly maintained¡ªthey can be kept in remarkably good condition. Indeed, somewhat ironically your average zombie will be cleaner than your average living person, as long as the stasis magic is adequately sustained and the binding remains ... intact..."

    Praetorian trailed off, his eyes going to the room''s doorway and the stout figure now standing within it. He gave a neutral ''hm'' then went back to his work, making sure his magic stitches were nice and even.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Mist glanced towards the door then looked down at her hands. She opened her mouth to say something then closed it again.

    Amanda didn''t look. She didn''t trust herself to.

    Sly had already left the infirmary, as soon as he was able.

    "I don''t suppose we can blame you," Praetorian said, holding Amanda''s arm in place as he pulled the thread tight. "If our positions were reversed you can certainly believe I would have done the same." He surveyed his work, nodded once in satisfaction, then looked up at Nala as his needle and the remaining thread vanished into a glow of dark energy. "Did you see what happened?"

    "Yes."

    "Mm. Do you think they deliberately followed us?"

    "Yes."

    "Mm." Praetorian looked up at Amanda. "Raise your right arm."

    Amanda did as Praetorian commanded, the glowing threads fading with the movement.

    "Splendid, all fixed. You can put your bandages back on now."

    Amanda looked away, scowling. Praetorian smiled coolly at Nala.

    "There''s gratitude for you. It was the same group as before, that bandit bully Raid and his cronies. They took all that we had gathered, promised mercy in exchange. Hah, such gullible, desperate fools we are, such gullible, desperate losers. I suppose it''s just a mercy that we didn''t earn demerits for the defeat, although having to pay for healing was a bitter pill. I have exactly three merits left, Mist has none¡ªand isn''t entirely healed."

    "They bandaged me, though," Mist said. "Praetorian and Amanda helped pay for that. Um, thanks again."

    Praetorian waved away Mist''s gratitude like an irritating fly, then looked at Nala.

    "I don''t suppose you feel like sharing what you gathered?"

    "I have only crafting components. Their value is small."

    "Ah well, such is life." Praetorian glanced at Amanda, who was looking down at her hands, long hair covering her face. "Such is death, come to that."

    "Nala?"

    Mist''s voice was small, her manner apologetic.

    "I, I don''t blame you for not, you know ... saving us."

    "Tzugakk was with me," Nala said. "You do blame him?"

    "Oh, no, of course not¡ªum, Gakk, I don''t blame you either¡ª"

    Tzugakk stepped out of Nala''s shadow, hands clasped together wretchedly.

    "You should blame me. I am a coward. That I did not even try¡ª"

    "You are down to your last demerit, correct?" Praetorian said.

    "I would not have earned one for defeat¡ª"

    "Ah, but we did not know that at the time. No, I cannot place blame upon you, Tzugakk, you have more to lose than any of us."

    "Not much more," Amanda muttered.

    "Sly has left?" Nala asked.

    "He, um, he went as soon as he was healed," Mist said. "Um, I think he was a bit annoyed. Um. Nala? What do we do now?"

    "Escort you to your room." Nala rubbed her cheek. "This day is over."

 Episode 03.07

    The rain had stopped and the sky was bright, the entire academy washed clean. Refreshed, in a sense.

    This was not reflected in Nala''s party. Mist reluctantly returned to her apartment, waving from her window until the others were out of sight, and even then she remained, staring out, although what she was looking for wasn''t apparent. Amanda dawdled behind on the way to the cottage she shared with Praetorian, far enough back that her vision became clouded and her tongue grew thick¡ªnot that she was saying anything to him, nor he to her. Of Sly there was no sign, not even a message, not to anyone.

    Through all of this Nala remained impassive, bidding a terse farewell to the others then walking away without a glance back. Soon enough she and Tzugakk were in the sprawl, walking through the narrow streets, the scent of roasting meat and bitter smoke filling the air, the cloaked and secret figures around familiar, if not yet comfortable. They reached their apartment building without incident, and it was on the street outside that Tzugakk finally spoke:

    "Mist''s question remains."

    Nala didn''t reply, left it up to Tzugakk to press her:

    "What do we do now?"

    Nala remained silent, her back to Tzugakk, head bowed, face hidden.

    "Nala, they are your party¡ªno, we are a party together. For better or worse united, with you our leader. Did you choose? Yes, perhaps! You acted, you brought us together, the reason does not matter¡ª"

    "I have something for you."Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Tzugakk stared at Nala''s back. She half-turned, not quite looking at him, and held out something small and soft; a bracelet made of tightly braided brown hair.

    Hesitantly Tzugakk reached out to take it, cradling the simple thing in his big knobbly hands. For a time he did nothing more than stare, then he reached into a pouch, retrieved his safehold shard, and with the utmost care slotted it into the bracelet.

    "Thank you," he said. "I''ve never ... thank you."

    Nala held up her plain steel necklace, the one Tzugakk had given to her.

    "Balance," she said, before letting it drop against her breast. "What did I say to you, when we first met?"

    "''Go away''."

    "Because I wanted to be alone. Because I have always been alone. Because no one ever cared what happened to me."

    Two hooded figures hurried past, sparing Nala and Tzugakk not a glance. Tzugakk was looking down at his feet. Nala was looking up at the building they called home, her eyes fixed upon the door to their shared room, upon the faintly glowing symbol that marked it as theirs.

    "I have never chosen to fight," she said. "Never in my life. Choose to run, choose to hide, choose to bargain. Never choose to fight. But when there is no choice, when you cannot run or hide or bargain, you hold nothing back. You use whatever you have. You do whatever it takes. You fight to win. You fight to survive."

    Nala turned, then, to fix her eyes upon Tzugakk, as he in turn looked at her.

    "We cannot run," she said. "We cannot hide. We cannot bargain. What happened today means that we cannot buy equipment or cancel your demerits. What does this change?"

    "Nothing."

    Nala nodded, narrow grey eyes upon Tzugakk''s odd little face.

    "You are my friend," she said. "My first, my only. For you, I will fight."

    Tzugakk looked down at his big knobbly hands, at his flat awkward feet. "When will you tell the others?"

    "Tomorrow. When we meet. Then I will tell them that we are going to fight in the Bright Battle Tournament, that we will hold nothing back, that we will use whatever we have, and that we will do whatever it takes to win."

    Nala took in a breath and let it out slowly.

    "And in winning, we will survive."

 Episode 04.01 - "I Will Have A Plan"

    "Is he okay? Where did it hit, I can''t even¡ªah! There''s blood!"

    "I am fine," Tzugakk said, though his face was pale and he held tight to his side. "It was a graze."

    Mist glanced back as she and Nala helped Tzugakk into an alley¡ªthe street they''d come from was nearly empty, no sign of their pursuers.

    "Do you think we might have lost them?" she asked, as Nala ran forward to check a door. "Those MistVeil jars¡ª"

    "One of them was a eyeseer," Nala said, giving up on the door and glancing around for other options. "They may still¡ª"

    "Gotcha."

    All three looked back, at the robed human and armoured half-orc standing in the alley''s entrance.

    "D-don''t," Mist said, clutching her spear tight as she stepped forward. "He''s on his last demerit¡ª"

    "Even better, love that knock-out bonus," said the human, drawing a dagger. The half-orc beside him already had her weapon in hand, a bulky spiked club.

    Human eyeseer and half-orc fighter, Nala thought. If we can defeat the eyeseer then I can stealth and backstab the fighter, Mist''s to-hit and damage are low but if she gets a critical¡ª

    "Mist," she murmured. "Attack the eyeseer¡ª"

    Nala stopped as she saw that Mist had lowered her spear, then followed the girl''s bright-eyed gaze¡ªthe eyeseer and the half-orc were looking back, at someone standing in the square outside the alley. It was a human girl, tall and lithe, her plate armour shining bright, her silver hair tightly braided into complex patterns, her sleepy eyes upon the two bullies. She had her hand upon the hilt of her sword, but had not yet drawn it.

    The eyeseer growled and shoved his dagger back into its sheath.

    "Lucky," he grunted, jabbing a finger at Mist, and with that he and the half-orc made their retreat.

    The armoured girl looked at Nala, and Mist, and Tzugakk, and she nodded to herself, as if a dull but necessary chore had just been completed.

    Without a word, she walked away.

    "Hero," Mist whispered, finally finding her voice¡ªshe ran to the alley exit, staring after the girl before looking back at Nala. "That was, she was¡ªshe''s a hero! She saved us, we were saved by a hero ... oh, I should have said something ... thank you at least ... or just ''hello''..."

    Nala was frowning at Tzugakk, where he leant against the alley wall.

    "You see?" he said, with a pained smile. "Sometimes we have luck."

    Nala''s frown deepened.

    "Luck is not enough," she said. "What we need are tactics."

    Mist was still in something of a daze at having been rescued by an actual hero, and so Nala and Tzugakk left her in the infirmary''s waiting room while Tzugakk''s wounds were tended to.

    "Not so bad," Tzugakk said, inspecting the fresh scar on his side. He smiled at Nala. "At least it is cheaper, to heal a monster."

    Nala, predictably enough, did not return the smile. Her eyes were on the dim little room''s other occupant. He had once been a rather pretty boy. Now there was nothing left in his eyes. There was a hint of decay about him, an air of rot that Amanda did not possess¡ªhis hand, Nala saw. It had been severed and then sewn back on, but not in the same way Praetorian had repaired Amanda. Ordinary needle and thread disrupts the binding, Nala thought, remembering Praetorian''s words. They do not respect monsters here. They do not care about undead, except for vampires. Why? Because vampires are powerful. ''High-tier''. Strength is what matters here. Strength and merits.

    Tzugakk sighed, and Nala looked at him.

    "I am thinking," he said. "About this place. About us, and the others. You still haven''t told them¡ª"

    "I have invited them here. When they are gathered, I will tell them."

    "They will argue. They will refuse to fight¡ªthey will be correct! Nala, you have two demerits left. Please do not fight so hard for my sake. I''m truly not worth it. Soon I will be gone from this place¡ª"Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "No."

    "You will be stronger without me¡ª"

    "That is not true. That is never true. You are necessary, you know this, why are you saying these things now? Because you were injured? But you have been hurt before, many times."

    "Maybe my heart has been hurt."

    "I don''t understand what that means."

    "Maybe you were right. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe ''from'' is enough and we need no ''to'', maybe escape would be enough¡ª"

    "Escape is a dream."

    Tzugakk stared at Nala. She took her necklace in hand, held it up so the safehold shard''s blue-green glow could be seen.

    "Safehold Shards," she said. "BrightCircles. They bind us here. They are our shackles."

    Tzugakk looked down at the bracelet of braided hair he wore around his wrist, at the safehold shard nestled within.

    "Maybe there''s a way," he murmured.

    Nala let her necklace drop against her breast.

    "I will not stop searching for escape," she said. "But until I find a way out we must survive. We will learn their rules and play their games. We have no other choice."

    "But to fight in the tournament! Is there any hope against fighters and mages and vampires and elves? It seems impossible, I cannot¡ª"

    "Tzugakk."

    Tzugakk looked up at Nala, at her impassive face.

    "My stealth," she said. "Your poison flasks. Sly''s cursed bow. Amanda''s cursed body. Mist''s perceived weakness. Praetorian''s link with Amanda. All of these things, together, create hope."

    Tzugakk sighed at his feet.

    "Tzugakk," Nala repeated. Once more he looked at her. "We came here together. We will leave here together."

    Tzugakk smiled ruefully.

    "Be careful what you wish for," he said.

    "Oh dear gods they''ve put him with the goblins."

    Through the door strode a vampire girl, tall and pale with raven-black hair, her long dark dress swishing around her as she approached the zombie boy.

    "Ugh, I don''t know why we even bother, tradition I suppose. Are you two going to claim this one as well?"

    The girl spoke without looking at Nala and Tzugakk, continued before they could reply:

    "Too bad if you were, he''s already one of ours. Stolen, would you believe, by that little upstart Fearson and his band of tawdry mid-tiers. I simply cannot fathom why Travian would throw in with their like, but then again I suppose he always was one to enjoy the baser elements of this place. Did I introduce myself at our last meeting? I don''t believe I did." The vampire girl turned her coldly amused eyes upon Nala and Tzugakk, and raised her skirt in a sweeping curtsy. "Yours is a singular honour; the one who stands before you is Violet Blaze of the Seventh House. Now you may be wondering why I''d seek to make your acquaintance, Nala Greyward, or indeed why on earth I would ever bother to learn your name, but the truth of it is that you''ve gone and made yourself mildly fascinating." Violet leant forward, a hand beneath her chin, the smile on her face dazzlingly vicious. "Is it true? Have you honestly and truly entered your hideously diverse little party into the tournament? Oh you precious thing, you precious precious thing, to think that the likes of you could share the field with us, it''s such an outrageous thought that I believe I may laugh aloud."

    Nala kept her gaze upon Violet''s face as the vampire girl smiled. Tzugakk continued staring at the floor.

    "But I shouldn''t be overly cruel," Violet continued. "Shall I tell you something good? Because it''s clear that you have utterly no clue as to the way things are in this place. We''re going to win. Vampires always win. Oh, sometimes we let the elves have one as a show of good faith, but this year? No, the team they''re fielding is just, ugh, far too unconventional, all of these fiddly new class combinations, nothing like the classics. That''s the problem with elves, isn''t it. Far too chaotic. I suppose that''s not a problem for you goblins, with your ever-so-dull neutrality."

    "I am not a goblin," Nala said. "I am a dwarf."

    "Oh? Oh really? I just assumed, with your face and all. Rather lacking in something, isn''t it. The barest glimmer of attractiveness, of course, but that''s to be expected. No, you''re missing something else, a certain mark upon that grubby little cheek of yours¡ªcould it be that you''re casteless? Oh my, not just a dwarf but a gutter dwarf! Literally the lowest of the low!"

    Nala waited for Violet to finish laughing before she spoke:

    "Yes. I am casteless. I have no gods; I have no masters."

    "Oh you are adorable. By the way, you won''t have heard about this, there''s been a new rule introduced. Defeats in the prelims WILL earn you demerits. There was rather a lot of scandal last year, cheating and cronyism and so forth, low-tiers being paid to take a fall, I suppose this is meant to discourage that manner of detestable behaviour. Makes things rather risky for your friend there, a little birdie told me that he was down to his last demerit ... well, must be off! Come along, Floppy."

    Violet beckoned to the zombie boy sitting in the corner, then swept out in a swirl of dark spirals and the scent of velvet orchids. The zombie shakily rose then lurched after her.

    Tzugakk turned his worried gaze from the zombie''s back to his friend''s slumped shoulders.

    "Nala," he said, in his soft and careful way. "When did you last sleep? Have you been eating?"

    "Dwarves are known for their stamina."

    "No, no no, you''re pushing yourself so hard, Nala, too hard¡ª"

    "There''s too much that I don''t know. There are twenty-seven different arenas but I only have maps for fourteen of them. I have found reports from previous years but they''re not objective, often incomplete. Solid facts are rare. There are so many rules. I still have not heard a match myself¡ªwhy are you smiling?"

    "I was thinking about Praetorian."

    "And the thought of him caused you to smile?"

    "He often says ''fate'', it is his word. Do I believe? Yes, no, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Coming here, me with you, or you with me, maybe there is some fate there."

    "I came here because the only other choice was an assurance of death."

    "''An assurance of death'', this is not how you talked, Nala. Not before. There is something about this place, have you noticed? Bright Battle Academy. This place changes people¡ªno, no, it unlocks them."

    There was a soft chime from Nala''s BrightCircle. She spoke without looking up:

    "The others are in the waiting room."

 Episode 04.02

    Nala sat with her hands folded in her lap, gazing placidly at her party. Her party stared back at her, their expressions ranging from ''I can''t believe what I just heard'' to ''I REALLY can''t believe what I just heard''.

    "Well," Praetorian said, finally. "I see. Or perhaps I don''t¡ªcould I just perform the swiftest of recaps? Keeping in mind that we have no merits, no equipment, the offensive capability of a retarded tortoise, and that we spend our days at this fine academy doing all that we can to avoid anything even resembling fighting ... you have entered us into the Bright Battle Tournament."

    "Yes."

    "The Bright Battle Tournament, where we will be placed in an arena with a selection of only the finest homicidal maniacs, unarmed and unable to do much more than whimper. Am I the only one seeing a flaw in this plan? The monster hunting mission, now that I''ll give you, if it hadn''t been for the rudeness of that bandit and his cronies we might have actually gotten away with that one. Can''t we do something similar?"

    "If a suitable mission becomes available. The tournament will be more reliable. Tactic merits have equivalent value to any other type, we can use them to buy equipment and to earn our graduation¡ª"

    "Again," Praetorian interrupted, "one small flaw, before you can spend merits you have to win them. How are we going to do that when most of us cannot attack?"

    "I will have a plan."

    "Your use of the future tense does not inspire confidence."

    "Nala," Mist said, "are you sure about this? None of us can really afford any demerits¡ª"

    "Mm, no, that''s not the issue here," Praetorian said. "Defeats in a tournament match¡ª"

    "That rule has changed," Nala said. "For the preliminaries, defeats will earn demerits. Protecting Tzugakk will be our highest priority."

    "Yeah," Sly said, "okay ... look, I''m still not really up with all this¡ªis this like the monster hunting thing? Like, go into the arena but we''re gonna do something weird?"

    "Our goal is to win."

    "Okay, well ... okay, good to have that cleared up, I guess. Except like Praets said, it''s not like we''ve got a lot of attack power or whatever¡ª"

    "Forget about that. Do what I tell you."

    Amanda glanced stiffly around at the others, then frowned at Nala.

    "When did you get so bossy?"

    "Aha," Praetorian said. "Let''s just ... put everything else aside for the moment, as difficult as that may be, and focus on what you said about protecting Tzugakk¡ªis it a rule that all of us must be fielded? Perhaps Tzugakk and, oh, just picking a person at random, myself could be left out¡ª"The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "I need all of you," Nala said. "We have an advantage in numbers. Our individual point costs are low."

    Amanda frowned again. "Because we''re all useless?"

    "Lack of equipment is a factor. Class types another. Rogues, glumgirls, stenchmerchants ... these are not considered to be useful classes. Mist will carry the highest cost, but without her spear we can afford to field her¡ª"

    "Wait, without my spear? But that''s my weapon! I know I''m not good¡ª"

    Nala raised her head to look at Mist. "It''s the only way to include you."

    "Again," Praetorian said, "if Tzugakk and I¡ª"

    "Tzugakk is the key to my strategy. Without him we have no chance of winning, no matter the arena or the opposing team."

    Everyone looked over at Tzugakk, who shifted in his seat, his eyes on his hands.

    "I have a trick or two¡ª"

    "They don''t need to know."

    Praetorian raised a hand. "I, ah, I think that I might need to know¡ª"

    "Enough questions. I need to continue my preparations¡ªall of you should return to your rooms and wait for my message. The match is tomorrow evening. Until then take no risks. Don''t go out. Don''t do anything without my permission."

    "Seriously," Amanda said, "WHEN did you get so bossy?"

    "The arena entrance is in the eastern part of battle quarter, near Takara Village. When I contact you, Sly will go to Everglim to join with Praetorian and Amanda, then all of you will collect Mist. Tzugakk and I will meet you inside the arena. It''s a safe zone."

    Praetorian cleared his throat. "I''m still not entirely¡ª"

    "There is no choice here. This is our path. Do what I tell you or we''ll all be expelled."

    With that Nala left, Tzugakk at her side. Amanda looked around at the others.

    "She didn''t use to be this bossy ... did she?"

    "I, I kind of like it!" Mist said. "She really sounded like we could win, or ... or do something, I don''t know except ... I trust her."

    Praetorian chuckled. "I suppose it''s as she said, we don''t have much of a choice. Hm, it''s not as if any of us are doing well as things currently stand."

    "Uh, I''m doing okay¡ª"

    "If we''re to fail," Praetorian continued, speaking over the top of Sly, "perhaps it would be better to go out in a blaze of glory, rather than unceremoniously hunted down by merit-seeking bullies. Nala did have something about her, didn''t she? Some measure of, oh, what to call it¡ª"

    "Strength!"

    "Confidence?"

    "Bossiness."

    "Leadership. Technically she''s always been the leader of our party. Today I saw more than technicality." Praetorian laughed. "Do you know, I''m almost excited, if only to see what she''s planning."

    "I''m sure she won''t let us down!" Mist said. "Right? Yes, I''m sure. She IS our leader. And valkyries are supposed to be followers, although normally it''d be to a hero ... I guess things can''t always be perfect, though."

    "Things can''t ever be perfect," Amanda muttered, before letting out a long, rattling sigh. "I guess I don''t have a choice." She gave Praetorian a cold glance. "Wherever you go, I have to follow."

    "Yes. Well. Such is fate."

    "I dunno about all this, guys," Sly said. "It''s not like that monster hunting thing worked out at all¡ª"

    "Oh, it''s hardly fair to pin that failure upon Nala," Praetorian said. "Let''s give her this chance. She seemed so earnest about it all, I''d just hate to disappoint her."

    Sly ground his teeth, then shrugged. "Yeah, okay, whatever. I''m in, but if this backfires or whatever ... I dunno, this just better not backfire. "

    He got up to leave.

    "So see you guys at the arena, I guess."

 Episode 04.03

    Bright Battle Arena was smaller than most people expected. Still huge, of course, a grand old building built from lilac marble and with perhaps more than its fair share of smooth pillars and gilded windows and dark domed roofs, the frontage dominating a square of grey and orange paving stones, the rest surrounded by a hilly park of vivid green grass and perfectly cheery flowers and pleasantly plump trees. No, it wasn''t small in the least¡ªbut even so, upon first encountering the arena many found themselves with the question, "Where does the actual fighting take place?"

    The answer, of course, was that the fighting took place in the arenas. "But isn''t that the arena?" many asked, to which the reply was no, that is the Bright Battle Arena, there is a difference (you nescient pleb). Bright Battle Arena served as a gathering point, as a place for auditors to come and cheer on their favoured teams.

    "Auditors?" was often the next question, for those ignorant in the ways of the Bright Battle Tournament. "Don''t you mean spectators?"

    "Of course not," came the answer. "For ''spectator'' would imply the viewing of an event. Crystal technology has come a long way since the unknown age, but mass visual broadcasting is still prohibitively expensive. Thus the need for commentators, thus the need for auditory amber crystal lounges, thus auditors. Those who gather together to listen to the matches."

    And so as it turned out most of Bright Battle Arena was filled with these lounges, dimly lit in shades of deep blue and ocean green and mystic mauve to enhance the auditory experience, lavishly furnished with long curving couches and tables clustered with edibles. Often the rooms were laid out as a series of wide circular steps surrounding a central sunken area, in which the all-important amber crystal sat within a latticework of shining copper and polished oak.

    "But still!" one might exclaim, after having made one''s way through the impressively massive foyer of Bright Battle Arena and into a lounge. "But still! Where does the gods-damned fighting happen? If this is the Bright Battle Arena and if the arenas are different to The Arena then where on earth ARE they?"

    But of course there was no single answer to this question, aside from a rather unhelpful ''everywhere''. The Bright Battle Tournament currently utilised twenty-seven different arenas found in all parts of the world, deep dungeons and ancient forests and poisonous swamps and maze-like valleys and more besides, areas that had been cleared of darkness by the Adventurer''s Guild and repurposed into more civilised places of bloodshed.

    One such arena was MossBlock Maze, found in the blasted lands known colloquially as Terror Run. It was a strange, lonely place, high stone walls forming irregularly sized rooms and corridors, open to the permanently overcast sky. True to its name moss grew everywhere, grey and green and yellow and black, and a thick musty odour permeated the arena. All in all, generally speaking, not the most pleasant of locales.

    Even so, when its name appeared on the grey marble slab upon the waiting room wall Nala appeared pleased, or if not pleased then at least satisfied, or if not satisfied then she at least nodded to herself, just once and that small. Tzugakk noticed anyway.

    "You know it?" he asked. "You know the arena?"

    "No reports. Just a map."

    Bright Battle Arena''s competitor waiting rooms weren''t as nice as its lounges, the yellow stone floors and walls and ceilings creating a severely practical atmosphere, stout stone benches and heavy oak doors doing nothing to relieve the austerity. Even the information slabs were little more than functional, simple grey marble with no adornments. Nala had already registered those she would field, and their names showed stark and clean upon the blue team slab to the left:The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    <table style="background-color: #575757">

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    CAPTAIN

    Dwarf Rogue | Nala Greyward

    TEAM

    Goblin StenchMerchant | Tzugakk

    Human Valkyrie | Mist Reginleif

    Human Necromancer | Praetorian Darkcede

    Zombie GlumGirl | Amanda Willow

    Elf Sniper | Sly Lightfear

    TEAM RANK - Z

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    The arena slab showed MossBlock Maze, but the red team slab remained blank no matter how hard Nala stared up at it. She had found no solid information on how match-ups were determined, but judging by the match listings from previous years they were entirely random; low-ranked teams were regularly put up against high-ranked teams, and were just as regularly crushed. The Bright Battle Tournament was no place for fairness or mercy, this was clear. It was controlled by those with power, high-tiers who wanted to see other high-tiers succeed. Watching (or listening to) A-Rank teams crush F-Ranks¡ªor lower¡ªseemed to be their idea of a good time.

    It comes down to this, Nala thought, her narrow eyes fixed upon the red team slab. Chance alone. There are teams we cannot defeat. Teams against which I have no strategy¡ª

    Nala stiffened as letters began to form upon the slab, as names and classes appeared:

    <table style="background-color: #575757; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    CAPTAIN

    Human Healer | Mathias Dunstaff

    TEAM

    Human Fighter | Soul Hunter

    Human Fighter | Conrad Gaunt

    Human Fighter | Owen Vito

    TEAM RANK - B

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    Nala looked down, let out a long breath, clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling. She looked up at the names again, then at the name of the arena, then back at Tzugakk, whose expression was tensely curious.

    "This team," Tzugakk said, "it is B-Ranked¡ª"

    "Three fighters and a healer. Popular. Conventional. There are a dozen teams like this in the preliminaries¡ª"

    Nala was interrupted by a solid click from the far end of the room. The heavy wooden door had unlocked. On the other side was her team; Mist was reluctantly placing her spear in a locker, Praetorian and Amanda stood apart, Amanda with her arms crossed and her head lowered, face hidden by her long hair, Praetorian looking apprehensive and tense. Sly was bent over, puffed out, but he raised a hand in greeting.

    "Had to run," he gasped. "Don''t wanna talk about it. Anyway. I''m here."

    Nala nodded at him, then turned her gaze on Mist.

    "I, um ... I''m here too, Nala!" she said. "And I''ve, um, relinquished my spear ... like you told me ... even if it''s a bit scary..."

    Amanda glanced at Nala, just the glimpse of a lifeless eye through her straggly hair.

    "I''m here," she mumbled. "Hope you''re not expecting more than that."

    Nala''s gaze was already on Praetorian, taking in his halfway amused, halfway annoyed expression.

    "Yes, I am present also," he said. "At your service, ''captain''. Though I''m hesitant to do so I must ask, has the future become the present? Do you have a plan, or are we floundering blind? It had better be something extraordinarily impressive, because we appear to have been matched against a B-Ranked team of no doubt heavily armed fighters¡ªand, just in case we manage to accidentally scratch them, they have a healer to erase all evidence of our paltry efforts."

    Nala had looked away halfway through Praetorian''s little speech, and Tzugakk smiled up at her.

    "I am here, Nala. We are all here. Your party. Your team." His smile faltered, just slightly. "Do you have a plan? Can we survive this?"

    Once more Nala Greyward looked around at her team. Then she spoke:

    "If you all do exactly as I tell you."

    Nala nodded, once and firmly.

    "We can win."

 Episode 05.01 - "Is This Normal?"

    As far as auditor lounges went, Ocean Clover was fairly typical. Like many it was dimly lit by crystals and spirit orbs, tones of green and blue resonating with the glow of the amber crystal, the air soft and thick. Against one wall there was a long food table, a recent addition meant to tempt more into attending. Judging by this lounge it wasn''t working. Near the amber crystal there sat a blue-robed mage, and clustered around a table in the corner was a trio of fighter-types, arguing about how quickly Mathias Dunstaff''s team would crush this scrawny little bunch of low-tier losers¡ªcurrently they were speculating about whether MossBlock Maze''s structure would prevent them from claiming the SwiftKill merit bonus.

    "Nah nah nah nah-nah nah-nah nah," one of them sang, a pretty elf boy wearing shimmering chain mail beneath a cut-off tunic. "Forget that, this is gonna put them right into the top twelve¡ª"

    "They''re already there," rumbled another of the fighters, a half-orc twice as wide as his elven companion. "Eleven on the list, after smashing those mercs."

    "Yeah but YOU know, it''s gonna get ''em deep in there, I mean DEEP. Probably past Silverblade!"

    "Not with that loss," said the third fighter, a human wearing crimson leather armour, a long stiletto held idly in his hands. "That bandit''s put a decent team together¡ª"

    "You''re kidding right? You are KIDDING. That guy fluked the win, still don''t know how he even did it¡ª"

    "No," said the half-orc. "Not this again. I''m sick of the argument."

    "Okay! Okay okay! Whatever! So what about this dwarf and her cronies? You hear anything?"

    "Just a bunch of low-tier losers," the human said. "Probably trying to scrape up some tactics merits before they get kicked out."

    "Yeah," the half-orc said. "Gonna be a boring match. Thought all the losers already got bashed out of it."

    "Nah, there''s always a few laties. Managed to get through the first couple week but running outta luck, sign up for the games because why not? Hehe, they don''t even know what they''re in for, think they even know ''bout the rule change?"

    "Who cares," mumbled the half-orc.

    "Heh," the human agreed. "So what''s the test gonna be this year, you reckon? Same as last, free for all?"

    "Nah-nah, no way," said the elf. "It''s gotta be a dungeon crawl, it''s gone hunt, bash, crawl, champion, hunt, bash so we''re back to crawl again, the Guild is so predictable."

    "Hmmph," the half-orc said, perking up a little. "Crawl, huh? That''s always fun."

    Across the room, near the wide entrance, another trio stood. In front was a petite girl with dark skin and darker eyes, short black hair framing her face in a slightly severe manner. She wore a sturdy grey dress with thick green trimming, a mantle in the same style worn atop this.

    Her name was Summer Rain, and she had Intentions.

    Behind Summer were two young men, both tall¡ªbut that was the only similarity they shared. The one on the left was broad and brash, his long hair partially tamed by a red and white bandanna, his vest open to reveal his well-muscled chest, his trousers unapologetically extravagant. The one on the right was slim and reserved, his clothing undyed, his face instantly forgettable¡ªwith the possible exception of his dark eyes.

    "Oh hey, food! There''s food guys¡ªI''m gonna be over by the food."

    Summer let out a breath through her nose as the broader and brasher of her companions made a beeline for the buffet table.

    "It''s about to start!" she said, as she hurried after him. "We can''t get distracted, we''re supposed to be learning from these matches¡ª"

    "You''re too serious, little sister¡ª"

    "I''m not YOUR sister!"

    "Oh same difference, have some biscuits and lighten up¡ªNight, I know YOU''LL have a biscuit¡ª"

    The third member of the little group looked up, a biscuit halfway to his mouth.

    "Ninja!" broad-and-brash cried, far too loudly. "You are SUCH a ninja, you can''t even eat a biscuit unstealthily¡ªbut~I~always~catch~you~"

    "James," Summer said, "could you PLEASE try not to be so ... so..."

    "Pirate?" James inquired, with an infuriatingly endearing grin. "But I just can''t help who I am, can I?"

    "I''d promote you if I could," Summer grumbled. She glanced up at a calm hand upon her shoulder. "What is it?"

    Night flicked his eyes towards the glowing amber crystal. Summer became aware of a soft humming, not just a sound but a sensation, an anticipation, as if there was the outline of something yet-unseen in the air, an emptiness that must necessarily be filled¡ª

    "Oh my gods they''ve got melon¡ªSummer! Night! Melon!"

    "Would you shut up?" Summer growled at James, who responded with a silly little wave. "It''s starting!"

    "Well I don''t know what you''re expecting to get from this," James said, as he took piece after piece of sliced melon from the bowl, absently handing one off to Night as he went. "Who are these guys supposed to be, anyway? Another boring little three-fighters-and-a-healer combo? Pfft. We''re perfect, little sister, I can''t even REMEMBER how many shoddy little groups like theirs we''ve destroyed¡ª"

    "It''s different up here." Summer let out an exasperated breath as James offered her a piece of melon, although she did take it. "We have to figure out this place. We have to learn the rules."

    Summer took a bite of cool melon, her eyes on the amber crystal as she chewed, swallowed, then spoke again:

    "Important information can come from unlikely sources."

    "Okaaaaay boys and girls! Chuck Chaosthorn here, commentating with Dab Ringwold. What time is it, Dab? That''s right, it''s time for the sixty-fourth match in the seventeenth Bright Battle gaaaaames! We''ve got Mathias Dunstaff''s four match veterans against a late-late-LATEcomer to the party. Nala Greyward''s using an unusual fielding strategy, choosing not to equip the majority of her party with armour OR weapons¡ªsomeone should''ve told her it''s not about numbers! Ha ha ha! Dunstaff, you didn''t pay off these guys to get an easy win, did you? Naughty naughty! But let''s take a closer look at this newcomer''s team. Nala herself is a dwarf rogue, not a lot of those around here¡ªin fact if we ranked on novelty value her team would be waaaaay out in front! Sorry, girl, but you don''t get points for variety at Bright Battle Arena! A staveless necromancer, a valkyrie without whatever the holy heck valkyries use, a zombie glumgirl and I don''t even know WHAT a goblin''s doing there¡ªall I can say is I hope they''ve got some demerits banked up because looking at these stats the newcomers are in tah-rouble! Let''s go to Dab Ringwold for some analysis, what do you think of Nala''s team, Dab?"

    "There''s not a lot to think about, Chuck. The only offensive team member they have is an elf sniper, now generally they''re ranked as a mid to high-tier class but with that cursed bow¡ª"

    "Do we have the stats on that thing? Looks like it''s got decent attack and a good critical multiplier but OUCH at that to-hit penalty!"

    "Ouch is right, Chuck. Now if the captain''s smart she''ll be using the sniper''s ''Pinpoint'' special ability to give one hundred percent accuracy against a single target¡ªthe question is, which of the opposing team will be nominated?"

    "My money''s on the healer but I guess we''ll just have to wait and see! We''ve still got some time before initial positions are set and the match begins, so let''s talk about this arena."

    "MossBlock Maze."

    "MossBlock Maze! We haven''t seen this one much in the games so far¡ªit''s a classic asymmetrical design with a blend of narrow passages and open spaces. If Dunstaff''s fighters can trap those newcomers in a corner this one''s gonna be over quicker than it starts. Think there''s any hope for Greyward, Dab?"

    "I wouldn''t put money on it, Chuck. Their best option would be to use the sniper to take out one pinpointed opponent, then concede the match. They''d keep the tactic merits for the kill but wouldn''t earn demerits themselves, it''s a meta-strategy we''ve been seeing a lot of since this somewhat controversial rule change."

    "Kind of undermines the purity of the games, don''t you think?"

    "Yes, well, you''ve got to expect it from these low-tier classes."

    "And with that let''s go live to the arena, because this match is seconds away from starting!"

    Nala didn''t look up as a chime rang out, gaze fixed on her BrightCircle¡ªit glowed vividly on the back of her hand, shining numbers suspended above; 24, 23, 22, 21...

    Without expression Nala turned her gaze to her surroundings; high grey walls surrounding a large stone room, two exits, one to the north, the other to the east, both blocked by iridescent magic barriers. Moss everywhere, but that was harmless, useless, ignore it¡ª

    "I wonder what manner of things the commentators are saying about us," Praetorian said, from where Nala had positioned him nearby. "''What are they thinking?'', possibly, as that''s certainly what my head is filled with¡ª"

    "I don''t know why you''re complaining," Amanda muttered. "You don''t have to do anything but hide."

    "Yeah, uh, I still don''t really get how this is gonna work¡ª"

    "You don''t have to understand," Nala said, cutting Sly off. "Go where I told you to go. Do what I told you to do. That''s all."

    There was a loud triple chime and the magic barriers disappeared. Nala glanced around at the others.

    "Victory is possible if you follow my plan."

    With that, Nala slipped her hood over her head and disappeared.

    "Well," Praetorian said. "How encouraging. Shall we go?"

    Back in the auditor lounge, Summer was in the sunken area surrounding the amber crystal, leaning forward in her seat, hands clasped in her lap, her every attention upon the commentary¡ªwhile up by the food table James had already hunted down every scrap of melon and was starting in on the sandwiches, Night occupying himself with a selection of biscuits.

    "Stealthing on the first turn!" came the booming voice of Chuck Chaosthorn, broadcast from the crystal and filling the lounge like a physical presence. "Looks like Greyward is already abandoning her team¡ªyou know, I don''t think I''ve ever seen a rogue captain before, seems almost like a contradiction. Dab?"

    "The ''stealth'' ability is seen as the main strength of the rogue class, but in these arena battles it''s generally considered useless¡ªthere''s not a lot you can do without losing it. Good for a free backstab but not much else."

    Night turned, fixing his dark angular eyes upon the amber crystal.

    "Hm," he said, pointedly.

    "Yeah!" James said, through a mouthful of sandwich. "Wait till he gets a load of you, Nighty!"

    "Would you two be QUIET?" Summer cried, turning to glare up at the pair. "I am TRYING to LISTEN."

    "Hear, hear," murmured another auditor, a human girl with round glasses and a bright blue robe. Summer offered her an apologetic smile before leaning forward again, focusing on the commentary:A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "Looks like the rest of the newcomers have split into two groups," Chuck Chaosthorn was saying. "We''ve got the goblin and the elf heading up to the north, the others heading east with that slow, slow zombie setting a slow, slow pace. There''s a reason we don''t see many of those in these battles."

    "That''s right, Chuck. You need to field a necromancer to get full function out of them¡ªbut since death is not a possibility in these arenas, well, necromancy just isn''t that useful."

    "Add to that the general lack of offensive capability and most teams will say ''no thank you!'' to zombies and ESPECIALLY to glums, despite their high hit points and damage resistance. They can take it, but they sure as heck can''t dish it out. What''s the other team doing, Dab?"

    "Looks like they''re following the standard arrow formation, Dunstaff at the centre surrounded by his fighters. He''s equipped with a CureRod which gives him two options, a strong single-target heal with a short range, or a weaker area-of-effect heal centred on himself. With this formation he can use either¡ªbut I don''t know if he''ll need to with this kind of opposition."

    "Seems they''re heading out quick, no need for caution here!"

    "I''d say they''re aiming to hunt down the newcomers as fast as they can to get the SwiftKill merit bonus."

    "Speaking of merit bonuses, think they might nab that elusive PerfectVictory too?"

    "That depends entirely on the blue team''s sniper, Chuck¡ªif he can get a shot or two off before those fighters close on him then it''s possible he''ll take someone out before he falls. Now if Greyward had been smart she would''ve piled the rest of her group in front of the sniper to act as a shield, splitting them up like this makes no sense at all."

    "You may be right¡ªwell here now, what''s this? Folks, it looks like Greyward''s sniper and, ahem, ''stenchmerchant'' have set up at the end of a loooong corridor, they''ve got a great view of the next chamber ... and that IS one Dunstaff''s team ARE going to have to go through. Dab, you think that''s deliberate or just beginner''s luck?"

    "Hard to say at this point, Chuck. The rest of Greyward''s team are heading up from the south, looks like they''re going to enter the chamber from that direction¡ªI think I see their strategy here, Chuck, and I might''ve spoken too soon. They''ve got a decent defensive unit in the glumgirl and that chamber isn''t huge. Sending in the zombie and leaving the valkyrie to protect the necromancer, they could delay Dunstaff''s team while their sniper does his thing."

    "One problem with that, Dab, his Pinpoint ability only works on one target¡ªso the question now is, who''s it gonna be?"

    The corridor was narrow and the grey walls high around as Amanda shuffled forward.

    "This sucks," she muttered, as she looked out into the wider room beyond the corridor. "Why does it have to be me?"

    "It''s Nala''s plan, Amanda!" Mist said from behind her¡ªthe corridor was only wide enough to go through single-file. "You have to do it, she said you''re the only one who can do this!"

    "I admit it''s rather rough," Praetorian said, from behind Mist, "but, uh ... ''take one for the team''?"

    Amanda grumbled as she walked out into the chamber, glancing across to see where Sly and Tzugakk waited, far down a corridor to her left. And to her right¡ª

    "I thought there were more biscuits¡ªNight, did you scarf all the dainty ones?"

    "Would you be quiet!" Summer cried, silently backed up by the blue-robed girl with the round glasses. "We''re trying to listen to this! I think something interesting is happening so SHUT UP ABOUT BISCUITS!"

    "Looks like something interesting could be happening here, Dab," Chuck Chaosthorn was saying. "We''ve got Dunstaff and his fighters coming in from the right, but only Greyward''s zombie has entered the room¡ªand now it''s stopped, right in the middle. Thoughts?"

    "They''re definitely blocking off that chamber, using the valkyrie to protect the weaker necromancer. Fielding a necromancer and a zombie will give both a defensive bonus thanks to the necromancer''s DeathLink intrinsic¡ª"

    "But all the defence in the world don''t mean a thing if you can''t hit back. Dab, you think Greyward''s hoping those fighters will stop to take a swing at the zombie?"

    "That does seem to be the strategy in play, Chuck, but I''d say that''s wishful thinking on her part. Dunstaff''s no beginner, he knows a trap when he sees one. No, he''ll charge right past that zombie and ignore the valkyrie, and head straight for that vulnerable sniper and the little goblin¡ªbut let''s not forget about Greyward herself, she''s been stealthed since the start of the match."

    "The little rogue could be anywhere! Any aggressive action on her part will LOSE her that stealth, so she''s only got one shot¡ªcan we check the stats, does she have a chance at taking out that healer? What''s she equipped with?"

    "I had it here¡ªah. ''Iron Knife''."

    Summer frowned as the commentators'' chuckles filled the auditor lounge.

    "Well," Chuck Chaosthorn said, "I guess they really ARE amateurs. Default equipment in an arena match, what were they thinking¡ªbut here we go, looks like Dunstaff''s pushing ahead¡ªthink he might split his team?"

    "Not if he''s smart, that area-of-effect heal of his doesn''t have a good range. He''ll want to keep¡ªoh, looks like the sniper''s declaring his Pinpoint target¡ª"

    Sly held his bow tight, the dark aura washing over his arms, caressing bare skin where it could find it. He swallowed.

    "I don''t know about this, dude, it feels wrong," he muttered.

    "Trust Nala!" Tzugakk said from behind him, glancing up from where he was rummaging through his bag. "Do it! Now! Before it''s too late!"

    Sly took in a short breath, clutched his bow even tighter, then yelled:

    "PINPOINT! TARGET ... target, uh, Amanda Willow!"

    In the auditor lounge, Summer sat up, frowning:

    "What."

    In the arena, just inside the small chamber, Mathias Dunstaff hesitated:

    "What?"

    In the commentator''s booth, Chuck Chaosthorn slammed a fist down on the viewing crystal:

    "WHAT? Did I hear that right¡ªSly Lightfear, the blue team''s elf sniper, has declared Pinpoint on zombie glumgirl Amanda Willow¡ªhis own team mate! Dab, what the holy heck is going on here?"

    "I think I see what Greyward has done, Chuck, if that sniper''s bow¡ªyes, here we go¡ª"

    Sly had the thrumming string of his bow drawn back, the spiked metal arch shivering with the need for release, dark energy clutching at his arms, begging him to¡ª

    "SCATTERSHOT!"

    The arrow was loosed with a dull thud and a high shriek. Purple-black tendrils tore into the simple wooden shaft, shattering it into dozens of dark-glowing shards that screamed towards a thoroughly unimpressed dead girl.

    "Hurray," Amanda said, before the shards tore into her.

    "SCATTERSHOT!" Chuck Chaosthorn crowed. "Looks like the sniper had a trick up his sleeve!"

    "Not the sniper but the bow, Chuck. The ScatterShot weapon skill sacrifices to-hit, damage and the chance to score a critical hit in exchange for an area of effect. Cunning move on the part of Greyward."

    Within the small chamber, shards continued to rain down on Amanda¡ªand on Mathias Dunstaff and his fighters.

    "WHAT THE HELL MAN WHAT THE HELL."

    "Damn it, I''m actually getting hurt!"

    "Heal! Gimme a heal here!"

    "Heh, looks like the red team is taking a bit of damage there, Dab¡ªthat cursed bow packs a punch and Dunstaff does not look happy. The glumgirl''s Undying Apathy intrinsic means she only takes full damage from criticals, but Dunstaff''s team have no such protection. Ouch, living pincushions!"

    In the chamber, Mathias Dunstaff was yelling at his team mates¡ª

    "There! Healed! Now get to that elf! Why aren''t you moving?"

    "I can''t! I can''t move! I''m stuck!"

    Dunstaff stared at the fighter.

    "What?"

    In the auditor lounge Summer no longer had to stop James from talking¡ªhe was right there beside her, on the couch, leaning forward even further than she was, Night standing beside him, all eyes upon the amber crystal as Chuck Chaosthorn''s commentary continued:

    "Oh oh oh! Looks like Nala Greyward has NOT just been hiding in a corner¡ªwhat''s that fighter stuck in, Dab, is that a GlueLeaf trap?"

    "I''d say it is, Chuck, that''ll stop him from moving for three turns¡ªand Greyward has placed it right in front of the chamber exit leading to Lightfear. That gives the sniper three full rounds of ScatterShot against Dunstaff''s team and there''s not a thing they can do about it."

    "Looks like they''ve realised this and are going for the valkyrie, who''s still blocking the southern exit¡ªoh! But it looks like she was a step back from the entrance for a reason, ANOTHER GlueLeaf trap has been laid there! You know, if she had a spear she could still attack with the extra reach, but the way things are going that might not even be necessary! What a turnaround for the newcomers, I don''t know how Dunstaff''s going to get out of this one!"

    In the narrow corridor, Praetorian cowering behind her, Mist stared wide-eyed at the fighter as he spat and swore, swinging his wide-bladed sword futilely at her.

    "COME HERE!" he roared. "COME HERE AND FIGHT STRAIGHT YOU STUPID LITTLE¡ªARRRGH!"

    Mist flinched as another ScatterShot rained down on the chamber, peppering the enraged fighter with dark shards.

    In the auditor lounge, Summer was reaching into a slim bag at her side, producing a notebook and pencil. As Dab Ringwold''s voice filled the room she started writing, beginning with a name: Nala Greyward.

    "There goes another ScatterShot," Dab Ringwold was saying. "It looks like the automatic hit from Pinpoint applies to everyone in the area-of-effect, you learn something new every day at these games. Wait, what''s the goblin doing? It looks like he''s got a flask¡ª"

    "He doesn''t just got a flask, Dab, he''s hurling it! Right at his own team mate!"

    Amidst the dark-glowing rain of another ScatterShot the flask arced through the air, viscous liquid sloshing against glass before it shattered on Amanda''s bandaged arm, thick purple-green smoke engulfing her and billowing out to fill the chamber.

    "Oh yes," Amanda said, from the centre of the noxious cloud, "this is pleasant, thank you so much for considering my comfort."

    "I don''t know why you''re complaining," Praetorian called, from somewhere. "It''s not as if you even breathe."

    "And yet I''m still having a really awful time, how weird!"

    James and Summer were almost cheek-to-cheek as they leant forward, their joint gaze fixed upon the amber crystal as Chuck Chaosthorn''s gleeful exclamation filled the lounge:

    "Whoa-ho-ho-ho! It looks like the flask that gobbo threw has unleashed a cloud of toxic gas, engulfing the entire red team! Looks like it''s inflicted some kind of nasty nasty Poison status effect on them as well as restricting vision¡ªfolks, half the red team are stuck and the other half don''t know where the heck they are, it is a mess down there¡ªand yet ANOTHER ScatterShot is wailing down on them, Dunstaff''s team are literally spitting."

    In the auditor lounge, Summer glanced at the blue-robed girl with the glasses.

    "Is this normal?" she asked.

    The girl shook her head before returning her wide-eyed attention to the crystal.

    In the arena, Mathias Dunstaff raised his CureRod, tendrils of energy surging out to bathe him in a sparkling green glow. Nearby he could hear the coughing and yelling of his team mates but it was all he could do just to keep himself alive, poison and arrows both working to whittle down his health.

    "Just an update on everything that''s going down here, we''ve got Conrad Gaunt still stuck in front of the western passage, Owen Vito still stuck down by the southern passage, those two ain''t doing much of any use to anyone, Soul Hunter''s free but for the last two rounds he''s been doing nothing but using GreenLeafs to keep his hit points up, meanwhile Dunstaff is healing himself but it looks like the fighters are out of items and no one brought anything that works against poison¡ªDab, give us your spin on all this good good stuff, is there anything Dunstaff can do at this point?"

    "Well I don''t know, Chuck, I just don''t know. Even with the sniper stopping his ScatterShot attacks it seems like¡ª"

    "Sorry to interrupt, Dab, but it looks like Dunstaff is making a move¡ªback the way he came! He''s getting outta that poison gas cloud ANY way he can!"

    "I don''t know how much good that''ll do, Chuck, the status effect will remain and Dunstaff doesn''t have anything that''ll cancel the effects of that poison¡ªoh!"

    "OH! OH! One final present from the still-stealthed dwarf rogue, blue team captain Nala Greyward, a third and very final GlueLeaf trap in front of the room''s only remaining exit¡ªMathias Dunstaff is as stuck as his team mates. Dab, how the holy heck did she manage that?"

    "Well Chuck, I''d say Greyward positioned herself near the eastern entrance to the chamber then laid the trap after Dunstaff and his fighters moved through¡ªsmooth manoeuvring on her part."

    "Looks like it''s just a matter of time now¡ªand there we go, folks, we''ve got the first casualty of the match, Conrad Gaunt is finally free of that first GlueLeaf trap but toooo late, there''s the flash, there''s the critical condition chime, he''s out of there¡ª"

    "Followed by Owen Vito by the southern passage and now Soul Hunter behind Mathias Dunstaff¡ªwho is managing to heal himself round by round but it''s a losing battle..."

    In the chamber, Mathias Dunstaff struggled against the goop-covered leaf that bound him to the floor. Though the purple-green cloud was dissipating the Poison status effect remained¡ªbut it''ll wear off eventually, Mathias thought, just keep healing, just keep healing, this rod doesn''t do much damage but what do they have, nothing, hide through here, wait for them to come, maybe take out that goblin or the necromancer¡ª

    Mathias coughed, stepped back, stared down at the bandage-wrapped hilt that was now protruding from his chest.

    "There''s an interesting fact about backstabs," said someone in front of him; a rough-dressed dwarf, face hidden by the hood of her cloak, only her straight, serious mouth visible. "If you''re stealthed, you can perform them from any direction."

    Mathias continued to stare, through the glow of a teleportation field, as he fell upwards into pure white¡ª

    Back in the chamber, Nala''s knife fell to the stone floor. She knelt to retrieve it amidst the afterglow of teleportation.

    "That''s a ''rule''," she murmured.

    In the auditor lounge, James looked over at Summer, who was chewing her pencil as she frowned down at her notebook.

    "Is that it?" he asked. "The show''s over?"

    "THAAAAAAT IIIIIIIIS IIIIIIIIIT!" boomed Chuck Chaosthorn''s voice. "Show''s over folks, that is the END of the line for Dunstaff and his team. Dab, final thoughts?"

    "It seems unbelievable, Chuck, but Nala Greyward has taken down Mathias Dunstaff''s entire team without a single casualty of her own. You''ve got to hand it to Greyward, she quite simply outplayed the opposition."

    "I''m just taking a look at the merit bonuses here, Dab, it looks like Nala''s up for both SwiftKill and the ever-elusive PerfectVictory."

    "She''ll get the rare ''Untouched'' multiplier too, because Dunstaff''s team never managed to land a hit¡ªdamage from the attacks of team mates doesn''t count."

    "Untouched, now that IS a rarity, in fact I don''t think we''ve seen that one at all these games. Now I''m just guessing here, Dab, but with this score I think Greyward may have catapulted her team into the top twelve in a single match!"

    "That would be a worthy capstone to one of the most unusual battles we''ve seen so far."

    "It just goes to show, anything can happen in the Bright Battle Tournament!"

    Summer stood.

    "Next," she said, moving towards the lounge''s exit.

    "Wait, what?" James said, standing to follow her¡ªNight was already at her side. "What do you mean, ''next''?"

    "We can attend at least four more matches today. We need to hear them."

    "Nah, but, come on, that crap she pulled wouldn''t work on us¡ª"

    James stopped, surprised¡ªNight had taken gentle hold of his arm.

    "Wow," he said. "Really? I mean ... seriously?"

    Summer had stopped too, near the doorway. She was looking back at James.

    "Were you even listening?" she asked. "Don''t you understand what happened?"

    "I, uh ... yeah, of course I did! Some low-tier losers got lucky¡ª"

    "That was not luck. What that match proved is that strength is not enough. So come on. We need to listen. We need to learn."

    "But I haa-aaa-aaate learning¡ª"

    "James," Night murmured. James looked at the ninja, eyebrows raised. "There will be more melon."

    James puffed out a melodramatically resigned sigh.

    "Always got the right words, don''t ya," he said, before pushing Night away and shoving Summer aside. He grinned back at the two of them. "So come on, already. Let''s go ''learn''."

 Episode 05.02

    There were surprisingly few formalities to go through, after winning the match. No ceremony, no presentation of the merits they''d won¡ªafter Nala and her party had been teleported back from MossBlock Maze they found themselves in a largely bare room with a wide information slab upon one wall. Upon this was written:

    <table style="background-color: #676767">

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    +200 - Victory

    +80 - Kills (4)

    x2 - PerfectVictory

    x2 - Untouched

    x1.5 - SwiftKill

    +150 - Rank-In Bonus

    1830 Tactic Merits Earned

    Team Ranking: 9 / 12

    CONGRATULATIONS

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    Mist stared up at the slab, then turned to the others.

    "We ... we won. We won! We actually won, look at this, we won! Almost two thousand merits, I don''t even know what we can buy with those¡ª"

    "Equipment," Praetorian said. "A stave for myself, if there''s no objection, perhaps some armour for the zombie¡ªnew clothes at least¡ª"

    "This is fine," Amanda mumbled, retrieving the dress Mist had made from a locker. Beside her, Mist blushed as she reclaimed her spear.

    "Of course, our leader must have the final say," Praetorian said, offering Nala a sweeping bow; she acknowledged the gesture with a solemn nod. "After all, without her unconventional but undeniably effective plan we''d have none of this."

    "Yeah, gotta admit, you killed it with that whole ''target Amanda'' thing," Sly said. He offered an apologetic grin to Amanda. "Uh, sorry about that, by the way."

    "Whatever," Amanda muttered, as Mist helped her put on the dress.

    "You must be suffering from a few puncture marks," Praetorian said. "I''ll attend to them later."

    "No thanks!"

    "Come come, I am a professional, I assure you¡ª"

    "NO THANKS."

    Praetorian shrugged extravagantly. "So be it, though your continued opposition vexes me. When you change your mind you know where I can be found¡ªno more than a dozen metres away, ahahaha."

    Amanda shuddered, and Mist gave her what she hoped was a supportive look.

    "In any case," Praetorian said, "what''s say we spend a few of our freshly-earned merits upon a shared meal¡ªshall we return to the Blue Haven? I wouldn''t at all mind making that our regular haunt, those dumplings have been calling to me. Nala? What say you?"

    Nala gave the slightest of nods.

    "Splendid. Splendid! Is there anything further to be done here? No? Rather anti-climactic, but then I suppose there are rather a few matches going on, I shouldn''t have expected any kind of grand ceremony¡ª"

    "There can''t be that many matches!" Mist said. "Look, we''re nine out of twelve, so there are only twelve teams¡ª"

    "There are more than forty teams in the preliminaries," Nala said. "But only the twelve highest-ranked can compete in the tournament."

    The others stared at her.

    "I, uh ... well," Praetorian said. "Goodness, the tournament itself. What a treat that will be."

    "Is this good?" Mist asked. "I mean ... can we win again? I didn''t do much ... nothing really ... just stood there..."

    "So, uh ... yeah, I kind of don''t get how the whole thing works," Sly said. "We''re in the tournament now? Like, for reals?"

    "Unless we are knocked out of the top twelve."

    "Is that, like, likely?"

    "No."

    "Isn''t there, um, something like a ''test of worth'' too?" Mist asked. "I think I remember reading that ... somewhere..."

    "Test of worth, huh." Sly glanced at Nala. "You think we can pass that?"

    "Yes."

    "In any case," Praetorian said, "let''s not weigh ourselves down with these cumbersome thoughts of the future and what complications it may hold, let us focus on the moment¡ªon our victory. We won, so let us celebrate!"

    There was one brief stop on the way to Blue Haven; Nala used some of their newly-won merits to purchase FeatherTokens, two apiece. At seventy merits each they weren''t cheap, but Nala considered them necessary:

    "These allow instant teleportation home," she explained, as she distributed them among the others. "Use them if you''re in mortal danger."

    "Good idea, Nala!" Mist said. "Um, are we going to cancel our demerits too? Or is that too expensive..."

    "One thousand merits cancels one demerit," Nala said. "But party merits cannot be used for that."

    "Oh."

    The gourmet quarter wasn''t particularly far from Bright Battle Arena, and Nala''s party wasn''t bothered along the way. It was almost as if the bullies and hunters of the academy had read their cautiously optimistic mood and couldn''t bring themselves to sully it. Or at least that''s how Mist saw things, the others didn''t quite share her idealistic sentiments.

    "But it really is quiet tonight!" Mist said, as she and the others walked towards Blue Haven. "People are happy and calm and not awful! One girl even smiled at me!"

    "Was she elven?" Praetorian inquired.

    "No, a halfling¡ª"

    "Ah well, never mind, here we are! I vote we begin with one of everything and a double order of dumplings. After that, well, who knows where the night may take us?"

    In fact the night took them towards the discovery that Blue Haven sold not just food but drinks as well, in particular a deceptively intoxicating brew with the innocuous name of PureWater.

    From there things became quite rapidly merry.

    "Tzugakk! Tzugakk my very splendid fellow, you must allow me to press you to another drop, there there whoops well! Well no bother. Plenty more, plenty more merits to buy plenty more ... everything. Sly my friend, Slythanelly, your cup appears regrettably empty WE must rectify this heinous scenario forth, forthwith."

    "Darkcede, you''re forgetting someone."

    "Aha! No, never never never, never would I forget my valued charge, Amamamanda Willow. Pass you cup. Pass your cup, do excuse me. There. There there. Filled to the brim¡ªpast the brim, if you please. For myself also? Oh yes why not. Why not indeed."

    Amanda rolled her eyes as she took back her cup, taking a sip before glancing at a wide-eyed Mist.

    "What?"

    "Um! Just ... um, I was wondering ... is it nice? To get drunk?"

    "Don''t ask me. Immune to poison, remember?"

    "Oh! That includes alcohol? I thought ''Drunk'' was a separate status effect..."

    "Amanda!" Tzugakk suddenly cried, raising his cup¡ªthis was met with cheers of ''AMANDA!'' from Sly and Praetorian, and much spilled PureWater did follow.

    "Yes, hurray for me," Amanda mumbled.

    "Amanda," Tzugakk said, leaning forward to address her with the earnestness of the inebriated. "I am sorry. So sorry. Nala won''t say this, she does not understand, but I do. Amanda. I am so sorry I threw a DarkVenom flask at you."

    "Me too," Sly slurred. "Me too, not the flask thing, the arrow thing. ScatterSnot. ShatterHot. Scatter ... thing. With my arrow-shooty-thing. Wasn''t my idea, dude! Blame Nala. Nala''s fault, Nala''s fault ... that we won!"

    "We won!" echoed Praetorian and Tzugakk, and all three of the boys smashed their cups together before drinking the little that was left unspilled. "BLAME NALA!"This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "I think I might be learning a lot, tonight," Mist confided in Nala¡ªwho sat with her hood concealing her face, eating little, drinking less, and speaking the least of all. "I think I''m having a good time, actually. Even though I can''t have alcohol. I have to keep, um, pure ... I think alcohol counts ... probably better not to risk it..."

    Nala turned a little, her serious grey eyes showing beneath her hood. She seemed about to say something before an angry voice cut through the merry atmosphere:

    "THERE they are. Little CHEATS."

    In the narrow restaurant''s entrance stood three fighters.

    "Oh dear," Praetorian said, before collapsing into a fit of giggles which set Sly off in turn, the two of them leaning against each other as the fighters strode up to the table.

    "What the HELL is so funny?" one growled¡ªwhich set Praetorian off further.

    "I, I, I do apogolise," he managed, before the fighter grabbed him.

    "Shut UP!"

    "No no, no offence taken. Meant. Taken? No, meant¡ª"

    There was a heavy impact and Praetorian spluttered out a pained cry, the fighter''s punch sending him sprawling back into the table, upsetting half-empty bottles and plates of food and generally creating an unholy mess.

    "Come on," growled another of the fighters, bald with round black glasses. "Up, all of ya. Let''s do this straight. See how you get on in a REAL fight¡ª"

    The fighter stopped, turning along with his companions at a small but significant noise¡ªbehind the counter, the stern-faced owner of Blue Haven had taken a large cleaver from the wall. He said nothing, just stood there holding the cleaver, looking at the fighters as they looked back.

    "Hey," one of the fighters muttered to the others. "What class is that old guy?"

    "Dunno, dunno, cook?"

    "Cleaverguy."

    "Chopmeister."

    "Darkchef!" Praetorian contributed, from where he still lay sprawled over the table.

    "What in the world is going on in here? Oh! You guys! Hey, Summer! Summer, they''re in here, leave those halflings alone and get over here!"

    This newcomer was big and brash, red vest worn open to show off his tanned and well-muscled body, blonde hair tied back into a rough ponytail, his eyes sparkling blue. From his belt hung two long cutlasses.

    "So," he said, after everyone had stared at him a bit. "What IS going on here? Because my little sister¡ª"

    "Not YOUR sister!" came a voice from outside.

    "¡ªwanted to talk to those guys¡ª" here he gestured at Praetorian and the others "¡ªbut I''m not sure how you guys¡ª" another gesture, this time at the three fighters "¡ªfit into things. The old man with the improbable cleaver I''m putting aside for the moment, I''ll just assume that''s how you do around here. Hey!" he said, as a serious girl in a serious dress pushed past him. "An ''excuse me'' MIGHT be nice!"

    The girl ran her dark eyes over the situation within the restaurant, then spoke:

    "Where''s Mathias Dunstaff?"

    The bald fighter grunted. "Screw him."

    "I see." The girl stepped up to the fighter, no trace of fear showing despite being half his size. "Get out."

    "Hah, what? What the hell¡ª"

    "You lost your match, what are you doing now, getting revenge? I don''t have time for that. Get out."

    "You''d better shut your mouth, girl," the fighter growled. "Dunno if you''re new here or whatever, but you''re just merits on legs¡ª"

    "What?" the girl said, crossing her arms. "Are you going to hit me? You don''t want to do that."

    "She''s right, you know," big-and-brash said, from where he leant against the wall beside the entrance. "You really shouldn''t hit her."

    "The hell?" The fighter pulled out his sword, long and shining with a dangerous gleam. "Why, because she''s a girl? That AIN''T how it goes here."

    "Conrad, hold up, something''s weird¡ª"

    "Man, shut up, don''t tell me what to do." The bald fighter identified as Conrad glared at the girl, then glanced back at the owner, who was still holding his cleaver in a meaningful sort of way.

    "Well?" said the girl. "What now?"

    Conrad gritted his teeth together, then growled as he attacked. The girl raised her hand to meet his strike, letting out a soft cry of pain as the blade bit into her palm¡ªalthough this was drowned by Conrad''s surprised bellow as a bright flash and a tremendous force pushed him back against his fellow fighters, this accompanied by a crackling dark aura that sprang up around him.

    "What the hell?" he grunted, as the girl inspected the deep cut in her hand, blood dripping matter-of-factly to the wooden floor. Conrad looked at his own hand, surrounded by dark mist. "What the hell is this? What''d you do?"

    "I didn''t do anything," the girl said, tracing a finger over her palm to heal the cut. "You''re the one who acted."

    "Come on," one of the fighters muttered. "This ain''t worth it, let''s just go."

    Conrad grunted and swept his sword around¡ªnot in a strike this time, but rather a violent, dismissive gesture.

    "Move it," he growled. "NOW!"

    The girl stepped aside, arms tightly crossed, watching the fighters as they tromped past. Big-and-brash gave them a friendly wave and a bright smile as they left, and the last of them spat on the restaurant''s floor before pushing his way out.

    "Well that''s just uncouth," big-and-brash murmured, before smiling at Mist and the others. "It''s a bit odd to say this after all that, but hello!"

    "T-thank you," Mist said, as she helped the others get Praetorian up. "Those guys, they were, um, I mean ... thank you! You too, sir, thank you!"

    The man behind the counter accepted Mist''s thanks with a solemn nod, then began chopping noodles with his cleaver.

    "Awkward silence~" big-and-brash half-sang under his breath, before turning a wide grin on all assembled. "Okay, introductions! I''m James Bloodspit, pirate¡ª" he gave a piratey sort of bow "¡ªand my little sister here¡ª"

    "I am not¡ªjust shut up, let me do this. " The girl took a breath, then smiled at Mist and the others. "I''m Summer. Summer Rain. THAT is my brother over there, his name''s Night."

    Mist and the others turned to look at the far end of the restaurant¡ªpreviously unnoticed and leaning against a wall was a slim young man wearing dull brown clothing. There was nothing striking about him aside from his eyes, which were angular and dark and bright¡ªrather similar to Summer''s.

    "This guy''s just my brother''s boyfriend," Summer continued, jerking her head at James, who waved then made a face¡ª

    "What do you mean ''just'', I am practically FAMILY¡ª"

    "He''s annoying but useful, ignore him and he goes away. Eventually. Sometimes. Excuse me a moment, I forgot to do something. Sir," Summer said, addressing the restaurant''s owner, "I''m sorry about your floor."

    The owner nodded in acknowledgement of Summer''s apology, perhaps indicating that a little blood upon his nice clean floor wasn''t going to ruin his night. Summer smiled at him, then turned to the others.

    "We heard your match today," she said. "Where''s Nala?"

    "She''s ... huh?" Mist looked around. "Where IS Nala?"

    "Gone!" Praetorian wailed. "Abandoned! No ... no ... that''s not right ... abandoner ... abandonia..."

    He trailed off, mumbling into Sly''s shoulder¡ªwho was snoring gently, his mouth wide open. Further snores were coming from beneath the table, where Tzugakk could just be seen curled up on the floor.

    "Your team is much more adorable than I expected," James said, as he pushed in beside Amanda. "Hello! James Bloodspit, pirate. You''re rather ... blue. I like it, don''t get me wrong¡ªooh, you''re freezing! Let me touch your face¡ªSummer! Let go!"

    "Push him away if he''s a nuisance," Summer said, giving James a warning look before releasing his wrist. "Night, could you control your boyfriend? And is Nala gone? I really wanted to talk to her¡ª"

    "Talk then," came Nala''s voice, from ... somewhere.

    Summer looked around, then smiled.

    "First of all," she said, addressing the air, "you played well today. Out of all the matches we listened to, your team was the only one that used any kind of strategy. All the others just threw themselves at each other until one side ran out of players."

    "That''s why we won," Nala''s voice came again, perhaps from near the entrance, perhaps not.

    "Hmm. I saw your rank. Ninth, which means you''ve got a chance to compete in the tournament ... if you get through the monster hunt."

    "Monster hunt?" Mist said. "I don''t know anything about that¡ªNala, did you know¡ª"

    "The test of worth." This time Nala''s voice seemed to come from beside the counter. Or maybe not. "That hasn''t been announced. The final twelve aren''t fixed."

    "No, it hasn''t¡ªand no," Summer said, pointedly, "they aren''t."

    There was a soft silence, then, the only noise being snoring from Sly and Tzugakk and the gently satisfying chop-chop-chop of the restaurant owner preparing noodles.

    Summer smiled as Nala appeared in front of her, pushing the hood of her cloak away from her face as she stepped forward.

    "Hello, Nala," Summer said. "It''s an honour to meet you."

    Nala inclined her head in the barest of acknowledgement, her eyes upon this strange new girl, on the mantle she wore, dark grey and solid green. Though Summer was short, she was still almost a head taller than Nala.

    "Summer Rain."

    Summer raised her head a little, her bright eyes still upon Nala.

    "James Bloodspit."

    "Oh, that''s me¡ªhello!"

    "Night Rain."

    At the back of the restaurant Night looked up, arms crossed.

    "None of these names," Nala said, "are on the list of participants in this year''s games."

    "Not yet," Summer said. "But there are three days left in preliminaries. You entered the top twelve with a single high-scoring victory. Do you think we could do the same?"

    Mist blinked, the first time she''d done so since Nala had reappeared. She exchanged a worried glance with Amanda, then turned her wide-eyed gaze to Summer as the girl continued:

    "Don''t take this as a threat, but I think if we fought here and now, there''s no way you could win against us. Do you agree, Nala?"

    "No."

    Summer frowned.

    "If you attacked us here and now," Nala continued, "we would not fight. If you attacked us here and now, we would be gone. If you attacked us here and now, then we would choose the moment and the means of our victory."

    Amanda leaned closer to Mist and whispered, "Is that our Nala?"

    Mist didn''t reply. She was too busy gazing at Nala in wide-eyed awe.

    "Well," Summer said, suddenly and sharply, making Mist jump a little. "It''s just as well we''re not going to attack you. Like I said, don''t take it as a threat. If we face you, it''ll be in the games. Until then, it seems like you''ve already made enemies around here and you''re not conventionally strong, so I propose a partnership¡ª"

    "No."

    Summer blinked. "What?"

    "I don''t need your protection." Nala looked back at Mist and Amanda. "Help the others. Wake Sly and Tzugakk. Praetorian is fine."

    "Praetorian is fine!" Praetorian repeated, thrusting a triumphant fist towards the ceiling before slumping back.

    Summer watched as Nala''s party organised themselves. James looked on with an air of slightly bored amusement, and Night stood silent in the shadows, gazing at nothing in particular.

    "The PepperLeaf noodles are good," Nala said, as she helped a droopy and grinning Tzugakk walk past Summer. "If you''re hungry."

    "Thank you for the recommendation," Summer said to Nala''s back, her expression still slightly puzzled. "I''m right about the monster hunt. That''s going to be the test this year."

    Nala didn''t reply to this, simply left the restaurant, but Mist smiled shyly at Summer on the way past.

    "Um, the dumplings are good too," she said, before scurrying away, a rather green Sly leaning against her armoured shoulder.

    Amanda said nothing as she left, but the expression she wore at having Praetorian cling to her arm spoke to her displeasure.

    Then there was silence in the restaurant, aside from the sound of something boiling and the soft hiss of steam. Summer added her voice to this:

    "That didn''t really go like I planned."

    "You come on too sinister, I''ve told you before," James said, from where he sat with a bowl of soup he''d somehow procured. He slurped up some noodles and made an appreciative noise before continuing: "Plus she''s a dwarf, they''re notoriously unfun. Didn''t you think she was unfun, Night?"

    Night shrugged, then performed a secret ninja trick to make a pork bun disappear.

    "Hm," Summer said, her gaze on the restaurant''s exit. She puffed out a little sigh, then turned to smile at the owner. "PepperLeaf noodles, please," she said. "A large serving."

 Episode 05.03

    There were trials and tribulations in getting everyone to their respective homes that night, but nothing major, nothing dangerous. Sly had to stop to vomit at one point, and Praetorian began singing an Auldvynian dirge and commanded Amanda to accompany him before Mist clonked him on the head with the butt of her spear¡ªa desperate move, but one that everyone appreciated. Tzugakk, meanwhile, mostly just grinned at everyone and kept telling them how wonderful Nala was.

    "You do not understand," he whined. "She is wonderful, can you see that?"

    The others assured Tzugakk that they did indeed see this.

    "No, she is wonderful, are you listening? Wonderful."

    And so on. Eventually they got Sly to Fauxgreen and Mist to her apartment in battle quarter, and for once she didn''t feel an awful ball of heavy tension in her stomach as she walked up the stairs, and when she waved goodbye to the others it was with a happy smile and bright enthusiasm, and after she went inside and burst into tears it wasn''t from fear or frustration or loneliness, it was because she couldn''t hold in how relieved she was that finally something was going right.

    Getting Praetorian and Amanda to their cottage in Everglim was simple, after that. At night the area was quiet, magic-using types liked their sleep and non-magic-using types avoided the area, so that worked out well for everyone. In fact the streets had been almost empty everywhere in the academy. Even the sprawl, normally crawling with shadowy figures doing shadowy things, seemed near-deserted. By the time the familiar building that held Nala and Tzugakk''s room came into sight the little goblin was giggling with uninhibited happiness.

    "Luck!" he called out, before giggling again and waving his finger in Nala''s face, heedless of the heavy look she was giving him. "Luck is ours, today, tonight, tomorrow? Why not! Why not tomorrow!"

    "Tzugakk."

    "What? What is there to be scared of? Nothing! No one in the sprawl will harm us, these are our kind! Listen! Everyone! Today we won! Today we showed this place that strength alone is not enough! We showed them that low-tier losers can be DEADLY!"

    There were no answering calls, no angry yells for Tzugakk to shut up, but Nala sensed a shift on the blue-lit street, felt the gaze of unseen watchers, and she hurried Tzugakk along as he continued talking, his voice lower now, his words meant for her alone:

    "Nala, Nala, my Nala. My good, good friend. I have a secret for you. My precious secret. Only for you, do you understand? Yes! That''s WHY!"

    Tzugakk dissolved into a fit of giggles that lasted until Nala had gotten him up the stairs and into their room.

    "Ah," he said, somewhat blurrily taking in the familiar, spartan space. "Yes. Ah, yes!"

    He grinned at Nala, or at least near her, then beckoned her forward, almost hitting himself in the nose with the gesture. Without expression, Nala leant closer.

    "Nala," Tzugakk said, all seriousness, all earnestness. "You understand. That''s why. That''s why my secret is only for you, because only you understand. I found it. When we researched. So much research! But that''s why. That''s why we won. You know." Tzugakk poked Nala in the chest with a knobbly finger. "YOU know because YOU did it. More than me, so much more, not even sleeping, when will you sleep? Soon, please soon, promise me, promise me promise me promise me¡ª"

    "I promise I will sleep."

    "Good, so good, you need to sleep, Nala, you push yourself and push yourself. Ah ... we ate, that''s good. Blue Haven ... haven ... maybe this place¡ªah, no! Because," Tzugakk said, once more tapping Nala upon the chest, "I found a true haven. Islands. Islands! Beyond Nimbus. I have read, I have read in a book that there are islands, oh, they are beautiful ... just words, just words but beautiful, green jungles and high hills and wide fields and sparkling rivers and pure white beaches and blue clean ocean and monsters, Nala. Monsters who are NOT monsters. Like our beautiful Amanda. Like our ugly me. This place, this place this place ... it''s our place, Nala. You too! Dwarves are not monsters, just different, yes, yes yes, THAT is important. Different. New. Clever. Different. All these things you are. All these things they hate. Nala, do you ... do you know. One more victory. One more like we won so gloriously today ... and we are free. WE are free, you, me, FREE. We can go! We can travel, it will be difficult, we cannot afford good licenses but, but but we can go, together. Together! Find quests. Easy quests, money? No, not that, freedom. Go west and north and further west, to the island, to the island where monsters are free, where ''different'' is ''normal'', this ... Nala, this is my dream. This is my ''to''."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Tzugakk had drooped more and more as he''d talked, his voice growing lower by the word. Nala guided him towards his sleeping mat, his gnarled hand held in her own, and helped him lie down. She patted his arm, then stood and moved to walk away¡ªbut Nala stopped as Tzugakk spoke, his voice distant and thick:

    "One more," he murmured, speaking through sleep. "One more fight. Just one more and then never no more."

    Nala stood there for some minutes, making sure that Tzugakk was truly sleeping now, that he was settled, that he was safe, and then she pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head and slipped out of the room, fading into the shadows of the Bright Battle night...

    ...shadows that watched her as she went...

    ...shadows that whispered to each other...

    ...shadows that slipped through the moonlit streets in her wake, walking where she had walked, seeing what she had seen, until finally they stopped, watching as Nala made her way over the pale grass near waveless beach, watching as she walked to the end of the long grass-covered pier that stretched over the drop, the night ocean so far below as to seem like another world, an impossible distance, as unreachable as the stars in the sky.

    There was an odd thing at the end of the pier, a kind of couch made of dark stone carved with angular patterns. It faced out to the stars, and Nala was observed to stand beside it, her right hand upon its smooth surface, her left hand holding something; a simple cloth pouch. Presently Nala was seen to open this pouch, and to take out a pebble from within it, and it was with a mixture of amusement and curiosity that Nala was observed to drop this pebble over the edge of the pier, to fall and fall and fall and fall until eventually, presumably, it met with the surface of the far-below ocean.

    Again and again Nala was seen to do this, to drop pebbles off the edge, or sometimes to throw them out a little way¡ªshe took her time between each throw, appearing to think carefully about exactly where and exactly when and exactly how she''d send each new pebble over the edge and into the darkness.

    With each pebble the shadows crept closer. With each pebble the shadows grew bolder. With each pebble the shadows found themselves drawn deeper and deeper into a web of curiosity, until finally...

    ...finally...

    The shadows sat.

    Nala didn''t look up from what she was doing, which was the same thing she''d been doing for the past hour; randomly tossing pebbles off a floating island. It was only after she had emptied the pouch that she turned, and regarded the darkness, and cocked her head to the side.

    Sitting in the perfect centre of the pier, its large black tail flicking from side to side, was a shadow in the shape of a large cat ... or perhaps a fox.

    "You''re a shadowtail," Nala said. "I''ve read about you."

    "Aren''t you clever."

    The shadowtail''s voice was soft and slippery, coming like a whisper and fading like an echo.

    "Do you have a name?" Nala asked.

    "There is power in individuality," came the whispered response.

    "That doesn''t answer my question."

    The shadow''s tail flicked. "Doesn''t it?"

    "How long have you been following me?"

    "How long is it since you arrived at Bright Battle Academy?"

    Nala crossed her arms. "I saw you on the first night. While I was walking beside the wall."

    The shadowtail raised its head, perhaps to gaze up at the stars. "Was that me?"

    For a time Nala was silent, watching the shadowtail as it looked at her, as it flicked its tail, as it raised an ethereal paw then tapped it against the ground, one-two.

    "Why did you reveal yourself?" Nala asked, finally. "Are you going to attack me?"

    "Could I allow harm to befall a student of Bright Battle Academy?"

    Nala considered this, then continued:

    "You''re a servant of the academy?"

    "Shadowtails are known to honour their contracts."

    Nala watched the shadowtail as it stood, waited for it to flee ... but it just sat down again, never once taking its unseen eyes off her.

    "The test of worth," she said. "Will it be a monster hunt?"

    "Is it my place to confirm such a thing?"

    Nala watched the shadowtail closely. It did not move, aside from an intermittent twitching of its dark tail.

    "Why did you reveal yourself?" she asked.

    "A familiar question."

    "Why did you reveal yourself?"

    The shadowtail looked back, at the nearby ruins and the sprawling academy beyond, and to the spire-covered hill that dominated the northern part of Bright Battle.

    "There are many ways to express personality," it said, and with that it was gone, one moment casually sitting, the next a vanishing flicker in the night.

    Nala stayed at the end of the pier for a time, gazing into the darkness, trying to see the shadows within the shadows.

    Then she moved on, walking back towards the ruins, back towards the academy, once more fading into the Bright Battle night, her thoughts¡ªas always¡ªon escape, on freedom, but now also on something else.

    Something new.

    Monsters.

 Episode 06.01 - "What I Hate About You"

    In the two days since Team Nala''s victory Mist had become increasingly cheerful and (it must be said) slightly more annoying. She insisted on helping Nala with her research, even going so far as to find a new library close to battle quarter, one that focused more on the sorts of things that were important to them; classes, battle reports, special attacks, weapons, monsters. She may also have had an ulterior motive involving a certain silver-haired hero who was often seen frequenting that particular library, but if Nala suspected anything she didn''t let on. Besides, it was better than the one nearer the sprawl, and it was safer to walk the streets now¡ªnot only did they have their FeatherTokens for instant escape, but bullying had settled down after the frenzy of the first weeks. Many of the weaker new entrants had already reached their demerit limits and been expelled, and with less easy prey around the bullies turned to different merit-earning tasks, duels and monster hunts and dungeon crawls. The games were coming up too, of course, and many of Bright Battle''s students wanted to stick around for the tournament. It wasn''t a time to take risks, and you never knew when even a weedy-looking low-tier could get in a lucky critical hit.

    And so, released from some of the pressure of simple survival, Nala turned her attention to study. Rules, that''s what she now craved. The academy was built from rules, rules were important, rules were law.

    Master the rules, and master Bright Battle.

    Monsters!

    It hadn''t yet been announced, but small-and-serious newcomer Summer Rain had seemed certain that this year''s test of worth would be a monster hunt. She''d even sent Nala a message about it, hand-delivered by a rather shifty elf scout, detailing the location of the hunt and the conditions for victory. Where Summer got her information she didn''t choose to share, but Nala suspected that the presence of a ninja in her party might have something to do with it.

    "GoldSpark Laboratory!" Mist read aloud, for the fourteenth time. "Do you really think Summer''s right? Would she lie to us? No ... no, she seemed ... well, I don''t think she''d lie to us, anyway. Because what would that help?"

    Nala didn''t reply, didn''t so much as look up from the book she was studying¡ªan extended treatise on the habits of larger monsters.

    Mist sat back, reading through Summer''s note again, kicking her feet a little. The green-blue-auraed wing-motifed plate armour she wore was bulky but light, allegedly enchanted to fit the wearer no matter their size, although in Mist''s case the armour struggled to make itself small enough. Consequently she gave the impression of a turtle in too big a shell, like she could pull in her head and arms and disappear within.

    Which is almost exactly what she did, suddenly and with a high squeak, shrinking into herself and almost falling off her chair.

    Nala turned a page, then spoke:

    "Talk to her."

    "Oh no no no no no, what would I say? I couldn''t say anything, not to her, do you know she''s the only hero in the entire academy? I heard some people talking, they said it''s not a good class! They said all heroes are good at is protecting people, but that ... that''s good, right?"

    Nala looked up from her book, staring across the library at the tall silver-haired girl browsing fiction.

    "You said that there''s a connection between valkyries and heroes."

    "Oh! Oh, yes, definitely, valkyries and heroes are deeply connected in a very powerful way!"

    "How?"

    "I, um ... huh?"

    "What is the connection? The classes don''t seem to complement each other. Heroes have better defence and lower offence than an unpromoted fighter, as well as a lower critical multiplier but a higher critical chance. Their special skills are mostly of the protective variety, similar to paladins but without healing abilities. Valkyries have better defence than an unpromoted fighter but everything else is worse, aside from their critical multiplier¡ªbut their critical chance is very low. They also don''t seem to have any special skills. Do you?"

    "I, um, well ... I get a to-hit bonus with my spear..."

    "Information on valkyries is scarce. No facts. No rules. It is not a popular class."

    "I know," Mist said, deflating. "I really thought ... before I came here I mean, I thought there''d be others here, I really did ... why aren''t there any valkyries?"

    "Well, as I''ve previously mentioned, when chastity is a prerequisite..."

    Nala and Mist looked up as Praetorian approached, Amanda trailing behind¡ªshe gave an awkward wave to Mist, who returned it with a smile.

    "We''re just on our way to the shops," Praetorian said, leaning over Nala to hmmph at the book she was reading. "I know you''ve forbidden me from purchasing a stave until you have your strategy in place but I thought, well, what''s the harm in looking? Also I promised Amanda ice cream."

    "No you didn''t¡ªI don''t even want ice cream."

    "Did I not? Do you not? It must have been myself then, I promised myself ice cream. In any case I picked up a titbit today, something rather interesting that I thought it possible you may have missed: traditionally the winners of the tournament are granted a boon by the masters of the academy."

    Nala cocked her head to the side. "A ''boon''."

    "Oh!" Mist said. "Oh, I heard about that too, it can be anything! A really powerful magic item or a high-level adventuring licence, even an introduction to super-important people!"

    "Yes, exactly," Praetorian said. "Not that we have any chance of winning, but it can be jolly to think about these things¡ªMist, what would you ask for?"

    "Me? Oh, well ... I mostly just want people to take valkyries seriously. And, um ... maybe to see if there are any out there, apart from me."

    "Noble aspirations indeed," Praetorian said, before chuckling. "As for myself, well, I think everyone knows what I want. In fact I intend to take a stroll through Fauxgreen this very afternoon, just on the off-chance I might encounter an elf maiden of the lesser-spotted ''not psychotically murderous'' variety. What of you, Amanda?"

    "You know I have to come with you."

    "No no no, what would you ask for, as a boon?"

    Amanda stared at Praetorian. He laughed, a little awkwardly.

    "I, er, I didn''t mean to shock and stun you, it was an innocent question¡ªthere must be something you want."

    Amanda''s mouth was tight as she turned away. "I can''t believe how awful you are."

    "What? Oh honestly, WHAT did I do this time? I thought we''d been getting along rather well of late, tolerating each other adequately¡ª"

    "You, you just¡ªI''ll be on the other side of those shelves."

    Amanda stomped off, as much as she could with her limbs stiff and uncooperative.

    "Praetorian!" Mist admonished. "I thought you were being good now! Go and apologise!"

    "For what, asking her what she wants? I shall never understand the female mind, never in all my days. Appreciate it, yes, but understand? Never." Praetorian blew out a breath. "I still haven''t convinced her to let me heal her wounds¡ªthe puncture marks from our mutual friend Slythaneile''s ScatterShot, as well as those previously suffered. I tell her and tell her that it''s nothing sordid but she just doesn''t appreciate my professionalism. It''s already beginning to affect her binding, you may have noticed a fresh stiffness to her movements, the faintest whiff of decay¡ªMist, you seem to have some sort of connection with the girl, do you think you could speak to her? This really is important, if left untreated there''s a risk she''ll turn hollow."Stolen story; please report.

    Mist''s eyes were wide behind her square glasses. "Hollow?"

    "Mm. Her spirit is bound to her body by the magic that raised her, but if her body is damaged overmuch, if she suffers a powerful trauma, if the binding is allowed to deteriorate, well ... there is the possibility that she could lose herself."

    "Oh my goodness¡ªyes, I''ll talk to her, what should I say?"

    "I have no idea, just try to convince her that allowing me to treat her wounds and refirm her binding is of the utmost importance."

    "Okay. Okay! Count on me!" Mist gave an anxious salute then clanked off around the shelves in pursuit of Amanda. Praetorian smiled after her.

    "You know, despite myself I''ve become slightly fond of that girl. Irritating at times, painfully earnest, rather mousy and unattractive, but still. Not an unpleasant companion."

    Nala said nothing, was once more absorbed in her reading. Praetorian glanced at her.

    "Speaking of companions," he said, "where is young Tzugakk? I say ''young'', I still have no idea how old he is¡ªhow does one judge, with a goblin?"

    "He is in our room, crafting to earn merits. Until he has enough to cancel his demerits we will take no chances."

    "Hm. Seems sensible. One more and he''d be out, back to wherever it is goblins come from, some manner of forest one assumes. How did you two meet, anyway? I haven''t heard that story from you, have I?"

    "Yes."

    "I do beg your pardon?"

    "Yes, you haven''t."

    "Ah. Ah, well then, message received and understood¡ªit just seems such an unusual combination, a casteless city dwarf and a goblin ... goblin, I suppose. StenchMerchant. Who would have thought him capable of such things? That flask, that poison, though it took him several turns to prepare its effectiveness cannot be questioned¡ªI suppose you''ll be basing our next strategy around that, also?"

    "Yes."

    "I don''t suppose he''s got any other tricks up those baggy sleeves of his?"

    "He does."

    "And I also suppose you don''t consider it necessary for me to know about them¡ªyou could share a little more, ''captain''. It wouldn''t hurt for us to be in on your plans."

    "Explaining takes time and changes nothing. You don''t need to know what my tactics are. Just your role. Just your actions."

    "Hm. Well. I can''t say you haven''t earned a little respect but I''d still feel more comfortable being in the loop, as it were." Praetorian glanced around. "Do you think it would be amiss of me to pop my head around the corner, check on progress, as it were?"

    Nala looked at Praetorian, then went back to her book.

    "Yes," Praetorian said. "Yes, you''re probably right. Better to just wait it out. What are you reading there, anyway? Learning a little about monsters?"

    "Yes."

    "Hm."

    Praetorian perched himself on the edge of the table, picked up a random book, read a page without absorbing any of it, then put it down with a sigh.

    "Dear goodness girls can talk, can''t they? It''s been, what, at least three minutes, how long does it take to convince a stubborn zombie that it needs my skills? What can they be discussing?"

    Behind the shelves, Amanda had her back to Mist, arms crossed.

    "It''s not that," she was saying. "I don''t care what else happens, I just don''t want him looking at me¡ªtouching me, ugh."

    "But he really does just want to help, it''s not, um, you know, a funny thing, he doesn''t even think you''re pretty or anything¡ªum! Um, Amanda, I didn''t mean that like it sounded, I think you''re very pretty¡ª"

    "I know what I look like, Mist. I look dead. Anyone who finds that attractive is automatically a creepy pervert." Amanda glanced back at Mist. "You''re not a creepy pervert. Are you?"

    "Um, no! Of course not!"

    "So don''t call me pretty, because I know it''s a lie."

    "But it''s really not ... well ... anyway, Praetorian said that if he doesn''t fix you then you could become ''hollow''! You could lose yourself!"

    "I already lost myself," Amanda muttered.

    "Pardon?"

    "I can''t remember anything. From ... before. It''s like I''ve always been dead. That I''m just dead. Nothing else. But I''m still here, right? That''s weird, isn''t it? Walking around and talking and thinking even though I''m dead. Maybe that''s my problem, that I''m only halfway there. Maybe this is what''s supposed to happen and it''d be better if I did go hollow¡ª"

    "Amanda, no! Don''t say that! I, I like you! I think you''re funny and nice and, and you ARE pretty, I don''t care if it makes me a creepy pervert to say that, your face is nice and your neck is so slender and lovely, and your, your cheekbones are amazing! I wish I had cheekbones like that, my face is just all round and stupid¡ª"

    "No, you''re cute."

    "And you¡ªoh, thank you¡ªyou''re tall and you make those bandages work and when you cross your arms and look down like you do it looks cool, I always think ''oh Amanda is so cool!'' when I see you standing like that so please don''t say you want to lose yourself! Because, because the person you''re talking about losing is my friend!"

    Amanda turned her head a little, her expression flat, her eyes dull. Mist flinched.

    "Um, sorry," she said. "I probably said too much, or the wrong thing¡ª"

    "No, keep going."

    "Oh! Um ... oh, and we couldn''t have won that match without you, I didn''t even do anything, I just stood there as, um, ''bait'' but you went out into that chamber and got gassed and arrowed and you didn''t even complain!"

    "I did actually complain, quite a lot."

    "But, but, um, but you still did it! And because of that we won, we won because of you! But you also got hurt, I mean your body got damaged, or however a good way to say it would be, so you have to let Praetorian heal you, or fix you or however you want to think about it except just do it, please."

    Amanda took in a conscious breath, then let it out in a long, rattling sigh.

    "I just wish it wasn''t him," she said. "Don''t you think he''s disgusting?"

    "Well ... um ... maybe a little ... when he talks about elf girls..."

    "Right? RIGHT? He can''t shut up about them and their stupid pointy ears, I actually think he''s making me a little bit racist because every time I see an elf girl now I get all, ugh, just ugh, you know?"

    "But, um ... he is the only necromancer here ... I mean without him you wouldn''t even be able to talk ... right?"

    "That just makes it so much worse, that I need him¡ª"

    Amanda stopped herself and shook her head.

    "I shouldn''t talk about it, it doesn''t help. Nothing helps. He definitely doesn''t."

    "Um, I think he just ... I don''t think he means to be, um, horrible. He just ... says horrible things sometimes."

    Amanda blew out another rattly frustrated breath.

    "Why am I even here," she muttered. "Why this awful place, where there''s just one stupid necromancer, did I even have a reason?"

    "Um ... to get an adventuring licence? That''s why most people come here. Well, for me it was different though ... I mostly just wanted to meet other valkyries ... and maybe some heroes ... even though that didn''t really work out..."

    "There''s that hero here, though. Clare."

    Mist stared at Amanda.

    "You know her name?"

    "Yes?"

    "HOW?"

    "I ... asked?"

    "YOU TALKED TO HER?"

    "Again, yes?"

    "But ... but ... HOW?"

    "It was weird, I opened my mouth and words just came out."

    "When? When when when and WHERE?"

    "Um, here? In this library? Where she actually is right now, as I''m pretty sure you know?"

    "But ... you just talked to her?"

    "You know Darkcede, he''ll talk to anyone about anything, as long as ''anything'' includes ''are there any elf heroes and do you know any of them and could you introduce me?'', then of course I was there too so it seemed rude not to say hello."

    "I can''t believe you just talked to her."

    "She''s just a girl, Mist. Kind of dull actually."

    "No! No she can''t be! Heroes are amazing, they''re the best! They can''t be dull!"

    "Well ... she is. Sorry. Uh, do you think we should go back to the others? Darkcede''s probably annoying Nala."

    Darkcede WAS annoying Nala.

    "¡ªso that didn''t turn out as I might have liked, so again I come back to Lorna, the elusive scout who seems to have a thing for necromancers. If only I could find her again, but it seems she''s ever beyond my¡ªah, you two. Well? Ready to have those imperfections seen to?"

    Amanda''s jaw actually dropped.

    "Here?"

    "Of course not here¡ªwhy would you think that, why would you think I would suggest doing it here, you honestly do not give me so much as a shred of credit¡ª"

    Praetorian cut himself off, hands held out, then he forced a smile at Amanda.

    "Shall we leave?" he asked. "If you are ready to have your wounds seen to¡ª"

    "Fine. Fine! I''m so sick of you pestering me about it, I''ll do it just to shut you up, let''s just get it over with, do you need anything?"

    "Nothing I don''t have back at the cottage, really this is a good thing Amanda, I''m so pleased you''ve come around¡ªand Mist, thank you, whatever you said must have done the job."

    "I, um, I just ... I''m always happy to help!"

    "And help you have! Fare well for now, sweet valkyrie, and may you find the hero of your dreams. Nala, good luck with your research."

    "Mm."

    Mist waved to Amanda, who smiled weakly back, then she watched her team mates as they left the library.

    "I don''t think he is horrible, actually," Mist said, sitting down opposite Nala. "I think he cares about her, because if he didn''t he wouldn''t be so happy that she''s letting him fix her. Right?"

    "Mm."

    Mist let out a sigh, sitting and stretching forward over the table before laying her cheek against the cool of the wood. Purely by chance this gave her a perfect view of the hero¡ªClare. She was sitting alone, reading.

    "That must be nice," she murmured. "Even though they both complain ... it must be nice."

    "Oh."

    Mist jerked up¡ª"What is it? Do you want me to do something? I can do something if you need something done, I''m good at doing things!"

    "Summer''s team have a match this afternoon¡ª"

    "Oh! Can I go? Do you need me to go I mean? I''ve never been to a match, actually I didn''t know where the arena was until we went there and I didn''t realise you could go and listen to matches, it''s a safe zone, right? Can I go? Do you need me to go? I''ll go, if you want me to. Even if you don''t¡ªshould I go now? I''ll go right now, then I should come back and report to you, right? Okay. Okay, Nala, I can do this! I won''t let you down, this will be the BEST report you''ve ever heard!"

 Episode 06.02

    "I''m coming out now. Do NOT look at me."

    "...mm. Yes. That will make the task just a tiny bit ... impossible. Amanda, how many times must I assure you, I have no interest in you beyond that of a necromancer and his undead charge¡ª"

    "THERE, right there, you just did it again, ''his undead'', like you own me! Could you just possibly NOT?"

    Praetorian rested his face in his hands and allowed himself a moment of weariness. He was sitting in the main room of the cottage he shared with Amanda, a cosy little space with a stone floor and wooden fittings, and a nice sturdy table perfect for his requirements ... if he could just coax his patient out.

    "Darkcede? Did you hear? I was saying that you don''t own me¡ª"

    "Methinks," Praetorian said, perhaps a little more harshly than he had intended, "the lady doth protest too much. If I use a word like ''master'' or ''servant'' or refer to you as ''mine'' then I can assure you¡ªas I have done so very many times before¡ªthat I mean absolutely nothing by it, it is the habit of a lifetime, they are words of convenience¡ª"

    "Then, then use something different, use different words, don''t say ''servant'', don''t say I''m ''yours''¡ª"

    "But this is petty pedantry, what difference does it make¡ª"

    "It matters! It''s an important difference!"

    Praetorian sighed. "Amanda. Amanda Willow. I understand that you''re perhaps feeling ... vulnerable¡ª"

    "Don''t do that, don''t start doing that, I hate it when you do that!"

    "Oh, I''m doing something now," Praetorian said to his hands. "I wonder what it could be."

    "Being reasonable, it always starts off okay then leads somewhere weird and creepy, just ... I don''t know, is this really necessary?"

    "Well, if you consider retaining your sensibilities and not having bits of yourself start dropping off ''necessary''¡ªAmanda, if you had just come out when I first asked this would already be over. Suffer the indignity, suffer the embarrassment, suffer whatever you must suffer but let''s just get this over with."

    "...but you''re not going to look, right?"

    "You have a choice, I can do this by sight or I can do this by touch, which would you prefer?"

    Silence from Amanda. Praetorian was just about to say something further when the sound of soft footsteps caught his ear, and Amanda emerged from her room with her head lowered, dark straggly hair covering her face. Aside from her ever-bandaged arms she wore only a wrap around her breasts and linen underwear, her blue-hued skin exposed. Without her ragged and unflattering dress Amanda''s form was impossible to hide; she had a strong, shapely physique, only spoiled by dozens of bloodless marks and unhealed wounds.

    Praetorian stared, breath caught, eyes wide.

    Amanda raised her head, just enough to see him.

    "What are you doing? You''re staring at me! You¡ª"

    "Dear gods," Praetorian murmured. "Dear goodness, hope and truth. I didn''t realise ... Amanda, you are in FAR worse shape than I ever expected, how could you keep this from me? Quickly, upon the table, lie flat ... I hardly know where to begin, your chest alone¡ªand your back, you were run through! Clear through, and with ... yes, a silver weapon, dear gods above, Amanda, you should not be standing. Lie down now, please do, I cannot bear to see you in such a state."

    Amanda allowed Praetorian to guide her to the table, allowed him to help her lie upon it, on her back, then flinched and tensed as he examined her many wounds.

    "I should not have delayed this," he muttered, summoning a dark needle and shadow thread. "I should not have given weight to your sense of modesty, I should not have trusted you¡ªthis hole through your chest alone¡ª"

    "It''s fine," Amanda muttered. "It doesn''t even hurt."

    "Of course it doesn''t, you stupid girl! You won''t feel pain, you won''t feel anything! Numbness, comfort, THESE are the warning signs and I have been as lax in noticing them as you¡ªmore so, FAR more so, you are ignorant, it was my responsibility to look for these things, I should have conducted a thorough examination as soon as you came into my possession¡ª"

    "''Possession'', stop using those words! I am NOT YOURS¡ª"

    "YES YOU ARE!"

    Amanda stared up at Praetorian as he glared down at her.

    "You are MY responsibility, you are MINE to care for, it is my DUTY to ensure that your binding remains intact and your spirit remains safely nestled within this shell." Praetorian shook his head angrily as he began pushing needle and thread through Amanda''s cold dead flesh. "You don''t understand¡ªwhy would you? You have no expertise in this matter, no experience, not a glimmer of insight into the intricacies and prescripts of undeath, your sole qualification for this state of being was to die¡ªto be killed, by the looks of these wounds. Which is ... which is, in fact ... intriguing."

    Amanda had gritted her teeth and was looking away, but now ... now she continued to look away, but her jaw relaxed and she made a low rumble deep in her throat before speaking:

    "What is?"

    "These wounds ... from perhaps a sword, a large sword, and a spear, and ... magic. These are what killed you, I am sure of this, the difference is subtle but present, these particular injuries were suffered while you lived and yet ... and yet whoever raised you left them untended. This despite the excellent job they did of binding you." Praetorian shook his head again, hands working automatically, gaze fixed on Amanda''s wounds as he continued: "This makes no sense to me. No one of worth would have left these wounds in this state. Even to see such flaws in perfection causes me pain."

    Amanda clicked her teeth together as Praetorian focused on healing her, the dull sensation of the needle and thread pushing through her flesh uncomfortable but far from unbearable. After near a minute of hesitance she spoke, still not looking at him:

    "Perfection?"

    "Well clearly. Look at you. Look at your body, the smoothness of your skin, the firmness of your muscles, even your skeleton is of superior quality. Most of the shambling wrecks in my homeland would die for such a form¡ªif you''ll excuse the expression. You are in fine shape, and finely bound, which only compounds the mystery of your current existence; why a glumgirl, of all classes? Why not a corpsecleaver, why not a deadbrawler, even a simple walker would have made more sense¡ªAmanda, I say this with a certain amount of expertise behind my words; in life you were a warrior."

    Amanda responded to this with a small grunt, although that may have been at the needle passing through her flesh. Praetorian was working on the savage hole in her chest, the unhealed wound left by the spear that had pierced her heart.

    After a minute Praetorian stopped, tied off the section he had finished, and cleared his throat:

    "In order to continue this bandage wrap must be moved. Perhaps you should do it, I''ll look away until you''ve, er, ''repositioned'' yourself."

    Praetorian stared at a spot on the opposite wall as he listened to the small sounds behind himself.

    "Do you truly not remember anything?" he asked, still looking away. "Nothing of who you were before?"

    "...if I really try I can remember talking to Nala in that little dungeon thing. Even that''s fuzzy."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    "Hm. Unusual. At the least you should have, how to explain them ... glimpses. Insights, perhaps. Vague, maddeningly unhelpful, painfully nostalgic and yet ever present, the fragments of a song, the colour of a loved one''s eyes, the warmth of sun on the skin through the leaves of a favoured tree ... nothing like that?"

    There was a soft noise, and Praetorian realised that Amanda was shaking her head.

    "That is odd," he murmured. "Especially considering how intact your personality appears to be¡ªand your speech is near perfect, your movements ... awkward of course, characteristically stiff, but even so..."

    Amanda cleared her throat.

    "I''m, uh ... you can keep going now. If this is okay."

    Praetorian glanced back, then turned. Amanda had pushed down the bandages and was covering her breasts with her hands.

    "Fine, if you''re comfortable."

    "I''m really, really not."

    "Aha. I''ll be as swift and discrete as possible, that I promise."

    To call the silence that followed ''awkward'' or ''strained'' or even ''painful'' would be an understatement¡ªbut the injury was severe, or had been, and to repair the damage was not a simple task, and as the minutes stretched on and the tension grew Praetorian felt he must say something or burst, and so he said:

    "Your eyes were blue."

    To which Amanda replied:

    "What?"

    "When you lived. It''s hard to tell now, they have that dull, not-really-any-colour-at-all quality to them, but when you were alive ... you had blue eyes. Perhaps quite pretty." And then, because he was Praetorian, he followed this with: "Not now of course, in your current state you couldn''t possibly be called attractive by anyone with anything resembling taste, but perhaps once you were beautiful. Not to my preference, I favour the more petite, more delicate-featured¡ª"

    "Yes shut up now thank you."

    "I''m only saying¡ª"

    "If I could move my hands you would be so slapped right now, so very slapped."

    And so Praetorian shut up, you''re welcome, and several awkward minutes later he turned away again, and Amanda rolled over, and Praetorian blew out a long breath as he examined the raw hole left by the spear''s exit.

    "This is atrocious," he muttered. "Truly atrocious."

    Amanda said nothing, but her body jerked as Praetorian slid his needle into her back.

    "Did that hurt?" he asked, sharp eyebrows raised.

    "...a little. But just keep going, get this finished."

    "You are unusually sensitive," Praetorian murmured, as he continued his gentle sealing of Amanda''s death. "Further proof as to the expertise of your raiser. The mere fact alone that this wound has not decayed, that the binding is for the most part intact around it ... I''ve rarely seen this kind of skill."

    Amanda said nothing, and as Praetorian worked the pain lessened until she barely flinched at all. With every stitch she felt a growing warmth, discomfort so constant that she''d not even noticed it fading, leaving only a sense of relief. Despite this she showed nothing, remained silent, her dark expression unchanged.

    "There," Praetorian said, eventually, finally. "And thank goodness. Now then, while you''re like this¡ª"

    "No. Turn away, I want to ... just turn away."

    "Of course, if you¡ª"

    "Now."

    Praetorian turned, listening as Amanda re-repositioned her bandages.

    "We may have to split this into two sessions," he said. "I haven''t even begun on your puncture wounds¡ª"

    "No. Just do it all now."

    "It''s just that this IS rather draining, small wounds are but a trifle but these major injuries¡ª"

    "Suffer whatever you have to suffer, just DO it."

    "Ah, you throw my own words back at me, truly you are so harsh. Which of us is the servant and which of us is the master? The line becomes ever-blurred."

    Amanda muttered something as Praetorian resumed his work, tending now to a long slice through her side.

    "Pardon?" he said. "Did you say something?"

    Silence was Amanda''s only reply. Praetorian sighed a little.

    "Those bandages covering your arms," he said, in an attempt to relieve tension. "Did you know they were magical?"

    Amanda said nothing, just kept staring at the wall.

    "Nothing spectacular, simple enchantments to aid your binding and prevent rot and so forth, a small defensive bonus ... unsophisticated, but finely woven. Rather subtle actually, I didn''t notice until I had to reattach your arm that one time. The fact that they repaired themselves after being cut was rather a giveaway, perhaps you noticed."

    Amanda continued both her silence and her minute examination of the wall.

    "They, er ... they may be the reason you haven''t gone hollow. I''d keep them on, if I were you. They rather suit you in any case. Something of a charm point, or a point of interest at least."

    "Could you just hurry up and finish."

    "I am doing this as quickly as possible, I have no more desire to extend this chore than you do¡ª"

    "I''m so sorry to be such a burden, maybe you should just command me to hurl myself off the edge of this island."

    "Of course I would never do that¡ª"

    "If you did would I do it?"

    "Well, er..."

    "Oh good, so you literally have the power of life and death over me, so wonderful to know that."

    "It''s true that I influence you to some degree, but ... perhaps not that strongly."

    "So how strongly DO you ''influence'' me? Huh? What could you make me do?"

    "I, well¡ª"

    "Could you force me to say something?"

    "...possibly."

    "Force me to hurt myself? Break my own fingers, tear off my arm?"

    "Really, even using the word ''force''¡ª"

    "Could you?"

    "Perhaps I could, but we''ll never know because I wouldn''t ever¡ª"

    "So what about other stuff? What about sex?"

    "Oh honestly, must your mind turn¡ª"

    "I don''t even know if I, if I ''work'' that way any more but¡ª"

    "You''re beginning to be vulgar. If you must know then there are certain ... rituals, I suppose is the word¡ª"

    "So you could. That''s great to know."

    "I would never. Your opinion of me may be low but I would never."

    "But you could."

    "That''s irrelevant¡ª"

    "It''s not. You don''t get it? You don''t get how ... that at any time you could just tell me to, to¡ª"

    "I didn''t command you to do this. To allow me to treat your wounds. This despite how vital I thought it to be. That must show you that I have respect for your autonomy¡ª"

    "So what."

    "''So what''? If your goal is to push me into irritation then I shall offer you congratulations¡ª"

    "Oh you''re irritated, what a hardship for you."

    Praetorian drew in a breath as he returned to the task at hand, his mouth tight as he pushed needle through flesh.

    "You have no understanding," he muttered. "No understanding of the weight I bear¡ª"

    "Huh."

    "The weight of responsibility. You think me uncaring? You think me callow and selfish and, and base enough that I might possibly command you to ... to ... I cannot even bring myself to say the words¡ª"

    "You''re the one who doesn''t understand," Amanda mumbled, her dull eyes fixed on the wall. "It doesn''t matter what you say because you could. It''s just down to YOUR restraint, YOUR choice¡ª"

    "Restraint? Hardly! Even if I were ... that way inclined I would NOT, it would be akin to ... no, never, I would never command you to do anything that went so strongly against your will, just as I would never command you to harm yourself or otherwise put yourself in danger¡ªreally, I doubt such commands would even work, our bond is not strong enough, there are boundaries, there are limits, but you may be assured that I would never test those limits, never issue such irresponsible commands."

    "Oh, RIGHT. You''d never put me in danger? Never test my limits? What about in Fauxgreen? When the girl you were clumsily trying to pick up turned out to be a psychotic merit-hunter? When you yelled ''GRAB HER HOLD HER'' at me while you ran away?"

    For long seconds Praetorian was silent, frowning at his sewing.

    Then, "Ah."

    Then, "So you remember that."

    Then, "I had rather hoped you wouldn''t."

    Then, "I suppose I should apologise¡ª"

    "As if an apology from you is anything I''d value."

    "Well, I ... I apologise anyway, I''m sorry, I suppose I panicked¡ª"

    "Whatever."

    "Do rest assured that despite that incident I would never abuse the influence I hold over you, and that I do take the responsibility of your care seriously¡ª"

    "No. No, just shut up." Amanda shifted, not looking at Praetorian but speaking so he could see her face: "Do you know what I hate about you? There''s a lot to choose from but I really hate that you''re such a coward. That really gets to me."

    "I ... I admit that I''m not the bravest of souls, certainly a degree of pragmatism is part of my core, but to use the word ''coward''¡ª"

    "You say all these things, you love these fancy words and stupid little melodramatic flourishes but when you''re pushed you just fall down. You say I''m your responsibility but you don''t care, not when it counts. Only when it''s convenient and it makes you look noble or whatever. When you really had to take responsibility, when taking responsibility was difficult you just ran away." Amanda did look at Praetorian then, straight up at him, her eyes colder than undeath. "THAT is what I hate about you."

    Praetorian had long since stopped his work, needle and thread held loose in his hands. He was staring down at Amanda''s body, at the injuries he''d repaired and those yet unhealed.

    After a time, Amanda lay back against the table, speaking into her crossed arms:

    "But whatever. I''m stuck with you and you''re stuck with me, neither of us like it and I bet there''s stuff about me you hate so what does it matter. Keep fixing me up, if that makes you feel like you''re taking good care of me, if that makes you feel ''responsible''."

    "I ... I don''t think you''re being entirely fair¡ª"

    "Yeah but so what? Why are you even listening to me, I''m just a zombie, I''m worthless, right? Just a meat shield, good for soaking up damage and nothing else. Easy to fix if I get broken, though! Just sew me right up and push me back out again!"

    Amanda raised her head, not quite looking at Praetorian, not quite not looking at him.

    "So sew," she said. "Shut up and fix this stupid body I''m stuck with so we can get back to surviving."

    Amanda lowered her head again, dull eyes staring at nothing.

    Without a word, without a noise, Praetorian once more slid his needle through cold dead flesh, and he continued to repair his zombie''s body.

 Episode 06.03

    Nala closed her book and laid it carefully on the table. She blinked, then blinked again, then shifted in her chair to work her stiff muscles, then she looked at the stacks of books-to-be-read, dozens high and with an entire library behind them. Irrelevance was the problem, irrelevance and repetition. There might be just one nugget of useful information in an entire book, a single line buried deep within paragraph upon paragraph of the same fluff she''d read dozens of times before, but the only way to dig out that nugget was to read, and read, and read, and read...

    With a low sigh, Nala looked down at her notes¡ªthe page her gaze fell upon was mostly about heroes and valkyries. None of the books had much at all to say about Mist''s class, and she had yet to find anything that even remotely connected valkyries and heroes. Although Nala was beginning to build an understanding of the various classes and the ways they fit together, there seemed to be a valkyrie-shaped gap in the picture; the class simply didn''t belong.

    "Weapons," Nala murmured, staring at a page in her notebook, thoughts she''d jotted down while ploughing through a dry volume on piercing weapons. There had been references to several legendary spears, weapons with odd names like Grunger and WrongMint and GuyBulge, their notable qualities including a large bonus to critical chance¡ªthere was even one called ZanGuard that guaranteed critical hits. Combined with the valkyrie''s sole advantage¡ªthe best critical multiplier of any fighter class¡ªthese spears would make them useful ... but it seemed that only these rare, high-tier weapons gave this advantage. Without such a spear to offset one of the valkyrie''s numerous weaknesses¡ªthe lowest critical chance of any fighter class¡ªfinding a use for Mist was a wearying task.

    Nala sat back in her chair and pushed her palms against her eyes, her thoughts on her team. Preliminary matches were risky, especially near the end of the pre-tournament period. The new ''defeats count as demerits'' rule meant that all of the weaker teams had grown scared and dropped out, leaving only the strong still competing. Match-ups were random, and it was likely that they''d be put up against a team that was simply too strong to defeat, or placed in an arena that wouldn''t work with any of her strategies.

    But the tournament would be set, the brackets announced days before the matches took place, time enough to learn about the opposition, to study their strengths and weaknesses, to form strategies for the various potential arenas ... there was less chance involved, in the tournament. Less of a random element.

    "Nala? Are you okay?"

    Nala dropped her hands from her eyes, but she didn''t open them.

    "Summer''s team won?" she asked. She could almost hear Mist''s enthusiastic nod.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "They REALLY won, it was amazing! Those commentator guys were saying how James just stood there and took EVERYTHING, apparently pirates just get stronger the more they get hurt, plus Summer is a ''mintmedic'', it''s some kind of healer but if she gets attacked they get a really bad debuff, the one who attacked her I mean, what was it called ... Embargo I think, anyway it meant they can''t use any items and can''t get healed and get a big to-hit penalty, it was amazing! Anyway, she healed James and James attacked EVERYONE and Night was stealthing around like you can, except he can throw these things that give all of these nasty status effects, like Blind and Slow and Confuse, the other team was a mess and he just moved around too much for anyone to hit, they couldn''t do anything! Then because of the rules and everything they got a PerfectVictory like us, except not the SwiftKill thing because they took too long. Um, then after the match I actually bumped into them, I was kind of ... well, anyway, they were really nice and Summer said to tell you that she hopes your research is going well and also that you should be reading about monsters, I guess because of the monster hunt¡ª"

    "That hasn''t been announced."

    "Um, but she seems pretty sure ... well anyway, are you going home soon? Because it''s already getting dark, I''m definitely going home right now, even though it seems a bit safer now than it was before¡ªoh! Oh, also, I ran into someone else at the arena, do you remember Elene? We met her on the first day, she''s a Nimbian girl here doing research? Dark skin and purple eyes and pink hair? Rainbow clothes? Anyway, she''s a really big fan of the games, she was really happy we''re in them but REALLY mad that she missed our match, especially after she heard how amazing you were. She said we have to get into the tournament so she can listen to our next match, I thought that was nice to say. We have a supporter!"

    "Hm."

    "Um, did Amanda come back here? With Praetorian too, of course. I haven''t seen them again today, I sent a message asking if they wanted to come to the arena with me but they didn''t reply ... have you heard from them?"

    "No."

    "Oh. I hope they''re not in trouble or something. Anyway ... I guess I''m going. I''ll see you back here tomorrow though! Oh, we''re only ten in the top twelve now but Elene said there''s no way anyone can bump us off so that''s good news, right? Whatever the test of worth is, we get to do it!"

    "Mm."

    "Okay, so ... good night. Don''t stay up too late, sleep is important! And, um, don''t worry about me, my room''s not far from here and I''ve got these FeatherTokens in case anything happens ... I''m really glad I''m not such a burden on your guys now. I can go back to my room by myself, at least. I still feel kind of useless but I know you can find a place for me in your strategy, because you''re amazing. So ... so I''ll do my best! Um. Good night, Nala."

    "Good night."

    After Mist left, Nala leant forward to take the next book from her pile ... then stopped. Her notebook was still open to the page on spears and valkyries and the potential uses for Mist, and her eye had been caught by the note she''d scribbled in a corner:

    mist - bait blockage distraction

    Nala reached for her pencil. With slow care she added another word to the list:

    sacrifice

 Episode 07 - "Can Any Monster Be Captured?"

    Five days since their victory. Two days since preliminaries ended. One day since both the final twelve and the test of worth had been officially announced.

    Nala''s team was ranked tenth of the twelve.

    The test of worth was to be a monster hunt.

    All eligible teams would gather at the Bright Battle Arena at noon. From there they would be sent to GoldSpark Laboratory, long-abandoned and crawling with monsters. Capturing one of these monsters would not only ensure a place in the tournament, it would also add that monster to the team''s roster. Thus the issue of monster selection became vital; target too powerful a monster and you risked being wiped out and losing your chance altogether, target too weak a monster and you risked suffering a disadvantage in the upcoming games.

    When Nala read this announcement, when the implications of these rules became clear to her, she almost came close to thinking about smiling.

    "So it''s ... good?" Mist asked, from where she sat at the other end of Nala''s favoured table, in the big library in battle quarter. "All this stuff, it''s good for us?"

    "Yes."

    "Oh. Well, if you say so ... I don''t get these capture rules, though, we attack a monster until it''s nearly dead and that''s supposed to make it like us? How does that work?"

    "It doesn''t matter how it works. It''s the rule."

    "Well, it just seems really weird and cruel to me."

    "Rules are law. All we have to think about is how to use them to our advantage."

    "I guess that''s your area, I''m just here to fetch books and that kind of thing. Um, do you need any? Books, I mean. I could go ... um..."

    Mist trailed off and hunched down into her armour, eyes fixed on the table.

    "You''re Nala, huh?" said one of those who had caused Mist''s sudden discomfort, a human girl with messy brown hair and a straight black robe. "Ten''s captain. I''m¡ª"

    "Evia."

    "Yeah, that''s right. Evia Mordein, in Raid Fearson''s team ... you been researching us?"

    "No." Nala turned, looking at Evia for the first time. "I remember you because you attacked my friend."

    "Huh? That''s not the kind of thing I ... oh. The goblin. Sorry about that¡ª"

    "Hell, don''t apologise," said her companion, a tall young man wearing dark purple plate armour with a dragon motif, a red-orange lance worn upon his back. He smirked at Nala. "Just playing the game, right? Bet you remember me too."

    "No."

    "First day? Me and Raid and Bucket got you guys good, that time it was me taking out your weeny little gobbo ''friend''."

    Nala''s face was blank. When she spoke, her voice betrayed nothing:

    "What''s your name?"

    "Cane Calfstrong." He looked over at Mist, who shrank back as he winked at her. "I know you remember me. Thanks for that stuff, those SparkleFlowers and that, put me over the edge to get this new armour, like it? Almost as pretty as yours."

    "That was before I joined up with them," Evia said, as Mist tried to disappear inside her armour. "Not really my style, ganking weak students, as if you don''t have enough problems¡ªprobably sounds hypocritical. I just reckon everything balances, eventually. Sometimes the strong lose, sometimes the weak win, but in the end it''s gonna be the strong on top and the weak beneath. Of course, it''s not personal." Evia glanced at Cane. "Not for me, anyway."

    "So whatcha reading there, shorty?" Cane asked, leaning over Nala. "Boning up on monsters before the hunt? What are you guys gonna go for, something like a land lizard? Scar crow maybe? No? Too tough for you?"

    "She won''t tell you," Evia said. "Don''t give away anything to the enemy. Right, Nala?"

    Nala looked at Evia, then raised her head to regard Cane, and then she spoke:

    "We''re going to claim a behemoth."

    Cane roared with laughter, only stopping when a passing librarian shushed him.

    "Oh yeah RIGHT," he said, grinning harshly at Nala. "You''d piss yourself if you even SAW one."

    "She''s just bluffing or something," Evia said. "What''s your angle, you trying to get us to go behemoth-chasing? You must really be scared of us. Don''t blame you, we''re not fourth-ranked by luck."

    "I''m not scared," Nala said. Cane sneered in, forcing her to lean back to keep his gaze.

    "Maybe you should be," he murmured, his face close to hers. "Libraries ain''t safe zones, dirteater. What could you do, huh?"

    Nala said nothing, just continued staring up at Cane as he glared down at her.

    "Cane."

    Cane glanced back at Evia¡ªthen past her, to the silver-haired and silver-armoured girl watching the scene. Her hand was resting naturally on the hilt of her sword, and there was a bored aspect to her gaze.

    With a sneer Cane straightened and stepped away from Nala, rubbing his cheek before speaking again:

    "Got better stuff to do than hang out with you losers. Maybe see you around GoldSpark Lab." He let out a short, superior laugh through his nose. "Later, ''Greyward''."

    Evia and Cane left, and the tall silver-haired girl turned away, apparently satisfied with this outcome. Mist stared after her, some kind of longing in her eyes, then she looked down and tightened her mouth, forcing a smile as she glanced up at Nala.

    "It was pretty clever saying about the behemoth," she said, loyally. "Were you trying to get them to go fight one? I guess if all the other teams got wiped out we''d win by default or something ... as long as WE get a monster ... um, so ... what ARE we going to get, Nala?"

    In response Nala turned her book around, holding it open for Mist to see an illustration¡ªit was a blocky, stylised rendition of a fearsome beast, shadow-purple in colour with a bright red mane and huge horns, something like an enormous dog, something like a giant ox, something like the kind of monster you wouldn''t want to so much as glimpse, let alone try to capture¡ª

    "We need an edge," Nala said. "This will work."

    Mist gaped a bit before she found her voice: "But, but, b-but that''s ... that IS a behemoth! Like we saw on our monster hunt, we can''t ... I mean ... of course I trust you but ... how?"

    Nala was staring down at the book, at the blocky illustration of the behemoth. She spoke, five simple words:

    "I will have a plan."

    It was crowded outside Bright Battle Arena, but nothing compared to what it was like inside. This was Team Nala''s first official experience with the tournament, the furore surrounding and the unexpected popularity of the event.

    "I, er, didn''t quite expect such numbers," Praetorian said, before dipping his head and offering an apologetic smile to the halfling girl he''d just jostled. "Nobody seemed to care before, I thought this was something of, well, a non-event, for the hardcore only."

    "Elene said it''s because of the crystals!" Mist said, raising her voice to be heard over the chatter surrounding.

    "Elene?" Praetorian asked.

    "We met her on the first day! Pink hair, dark skin, from Nimbus? Why does no one remember her except me? Anyway, she said you can buy crystal sets to get the commentary even if you''re not here, even if you''re not in the academy, lots of people, um, ''below'' are interested in the games too."

    "Aha, I see. Perhaps in a few decades news of such modern innovations might reach my homeland."

    Tzugakk was gazing around with wide eyes, flapping along beside Nala and keeping a tight hold on her sleeve. He said nothing, but when he caught Nala''s eye he bared his pointy teeth in a smile.

    "Where''s Sly," Amanda muttered, as they followed Nala out of the foyer and through a long corridor. "Is he even doing this?"

    "We all have to participate," Nala said, her eyes on the markings beside each door they passed. "That''s a rule."

    The gathering area turned out to be a rather beautiful room on the eastern side of the Arena, tall clear windows looking out on a vividly pretty garden, long couches arranged to encourage conversation, the floor dark wood, the high ceiling a crystal dome. Compared to the chaotic bustle of the foyer this room was sparsely populated, a group of elves lounging near the window, several fighter-types hovering around the buffet near the door¡ªone of them perked up as Nala and her team entered, and in utter disregard for the subdued elegance of the room he yelled:

    "Hey! You guys! Low-Tier Pride, right? Awesome, get over here, start gromping on this stuff before the others show up!"

    Nala ignored the fighter, electing instead to walk over to a collection of display cases. Tzugakk followed her, while Praetorian was already sloping off to gaze winsomely at the beauty of the garden/surreptitiously perv on the elves. Mist and Amanda were left alone, and after an exchange of glances they went over to join the fighters. They were all dressed the same way¡ªcasual clothes over chain and leather armour, each of them with a long red bandanna tied around their upper arm.

    "You''re tenth, right?" said the one who''d first called out¡ªhe had untidy blond hair and the bristle of a lazy beard, his hooded eyes blue and friendly. "Cool, we got in at twelve, dunno how, we were all kinda like, ''Huh? How''d that happen?'' when we got the thing. Oh, I''m Arbie, that''s my bro Buddy, the fat dude scarfing all the pork''s Knuckle and the bonehead next to him''s Skull, he reeeeally doesn''t want me to tell you his actual name''s Herbert so, y''know, whoops!"

    "Dude, you suck."

    "Oh, and the skeevy guy checking you out is Dusky, but just, yeah, just ignore him, he does that to everyone."

    "Yeah," Dusky said. "It''s kind of my thing."

    Mist smiled around at the fighters, then started. "Oh! I''m Mist, Mist Reginleif, and this is Amanda Willow, hello, it''s nice to meet you all! Um ... have you ever been on a monster hunt before?"

    "No way!" Arbie said. "That''d, like, require effort or something, we''re just bumming our way through this thing, dunno even what kind of monster we should go for¡ªhey Knuckle, what''d you say before? Like a ''knives'' or something?"

    "Dude, don''t TELL them, that''s not cool!"

    "Nah man, they''re okay¡ªprobably got something lined up, right? Everyone''s all going on ''bout you guys and the stuff you do, so, y''know, whatever right? That''s your captain over there, huh? The dwarf chick? Man, she looks all serious and stuff¡ªdudes, we are in WAY over our heads here!"

    This was greeted with laughter and high-fives and general ''yeah man but whatever RED TOWN FIGHTERS RULE!''-ness. While Mist and Amanda politely waited for this to finish more people came into the room¡ªa group of fighters and healers who glanced around suspiciously before occupying a couch in a corner, and a pair of hulking half-orcs ahead of a rather dashing human wearing a feathered hat and fine silk clothes, his attire and the gleaming rapier at his side marking him as a swashbuckler. With him were two girls; on his left arm a short perky elf healer, on his right a tall serious human mage. Although the half-orcs entered first it was the swashbuckler who stepped forward then led the way, heading straight for Nala. Mist glanced at Amanda, whose dull eyes were locked on the swashbuckler, then both watched the ensuing conversation¡ªthe swashbuckler opened with a bow then began talking animatedly, the half-orcs behind him, the girls off to one side. Nala gazed up at him as he talked, blank expression unchanging. This went on for near a minute before the swashbuckler stopped, and Nala said something¡ªjust one word, perhaps yes, perhaps no, perhaps something else.

    From where Mist and Amanda were watching they couldn''t see the swashbuckler''s face, not until he turned and stalked back to his team, brooding dissatisfaction in his every motion.

    Meanwhile two more groups had entered, a party of fighter-types with a cleric leading, his dark eyes taking in everyone in the room before he directed his team to an unoccupied couch, and a group of human girls, four of them, perhaps all sisters, who spotted Mist and Amanda and immediately bubbled over.

    "Hello!" said the one in front, who had blue eyes and curly red hair and freckles¡ªjust like the other three with her. "I''m Reet, this is Robin and Rosalia and Rena, healer-cleric-thaumaturge-eyeseer, you guys are Mist and Amanda, right? With Ten? Nala''s team? We''ve listened to your match like a million times, you guys are amazing."

    "Thanks?" said Mist.

    "Um, where''s your sniper?" Robin asked.

    "Is he hot?" Rosalia added. "I looooove the way he called his attack, ''SCATTERSHOT'', I made Rena play that bit like a billion times, did it hurt when he, y''know, ''pierced'' you? Or did it feel reeeeally good?"

    This to Amanda, who reacted by doing a very good impression of someone who had no idea how to react. Eventually she found her voice, such as it was, and managed to say:

    "I, uh ... aaaarrooow ... baaaaaad..."

    "Oops, sorry, I forgot she''s a zombie¡ª"

    "OH MY GODS CHARLES SILVERBLADE IS STANDING RIGHT THERE!" squealed Rena, and at once the girls gaggled off to squee all over the swashbuckler.

    Amanda let out a rattly breath.

    "First time I''ve been happy to be dead," she muttered, and Mist patted her arm.

    "Getting busy in here, huh?" Arbie said¡ªhe and his team had been off comparing weapons with the other fighter-types in the room, but now they were back at the food table. "Pretty awesome, just being here. You guys ever hear of Red Town?"

    Mist shook her head and Amanda shrugged.

    "Yeah exactly. Me and my guys, we were doing the whole unlicensed adventurer thing, going through non-guild dungeons and stuff, you know the deal. Uh, that''s before we came here, I mean. So anyway, we thought we were pretty hot, I mean we ain''t bad, we got here, right? Yeah, but, you try getting any kind of, y''know, not even respect, just, like, recognition or something, I dunno, wherever we went everyone was all like ''the hell is Red Town?'', just like all judging and stuff. Here, though ... this place is awesome. All you gotta do is be good at stuff, and good stuff happens. Oh, DUDE! SKULLBERT! Don''t put your head in the punch bowl bro, that is grody!"

    Across the room, Praetorian had made a surprising discovery.

    "Slythaneile!"

    Sly grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, hey. Kind of came with those guys." He jerked a thumb at the group of elves. "Seemed easier than meeting up with you dudes so, y''know, just went with it."

    "Hm, well, I can''t say that I blame you¡ªwould you like a drink? I seem to have collected two cups."

    "Oh dude, not PureWater?"

    "Ahaha, thankfully no, simple fruit punch with a rather pleasant fizz to it¡ªworry not, this is from before the shaven-headed chap decided to dip himself in the bowl."

    "Yeah, okay then."

    For a time Praetorian and Sly stood by the window, sipping and watching the room¡ªNala was being talked at by a short human fighter with a huge sword while she continued to find interest in the display cases, Mist and Amanda were close together by the food table, seemingly amused by some secret special girl thing, while nearby a fresh group entered, the young man in front blessed with a blaze of red hair, those he led all wearing hooded robes.

    "Unusual looking group," Praetorian murmured. "What do you make of them?"

    "Huh? Oh, uh ... yeah, weird."

    "What were you looking at? Was there something¡ªoh dear, is that Fern? Should I hide?"

    "She doesn''t even remember you dude, you''re safe."

    "Even so I believe I''ll just move to be on this side of you, all the while cursing my height and your lack of it¡ªshe wasn''t here before, was she? Did she just arrive? And though this might be an ungrateful sort of thing to ask, isn''t the elven team rather large?"

    "Yeah, they keep a bunch of reserves, this year they''re trying out a bunch of new stuff¡ªuh, I heard."

    "Hm. Yes. Rather an interesting collection they''ve assembled. Who''s the angry-looking girl?"

    "Dude, you''re gonna have to be more specific."

    "Aha, yes¡ªscary-angry, next to passive-angry and across from Fern."

    "Oh, yeah, Dahlia. Heh, yeah, haha."

    "You laugh, Slythaneile. Why?"

    "Just, if you''re gonna call a girl ''angry'' in the middle of that bunch of angry girls, she''s the one."

    "Dangerous?"Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "Psychotic."

    "Mmm."

    "Thought you didn''t go for that type?"

    "I have adapted my tastes. Although there do exist a small number of elf maidens who could be described with such pleasant adjectives as ''perky'' and ''sweet'', these rare creatures are far outnumbered by the likes of our wonderful friend Fern¡ªand now ... Dahlia."

    Currently the Dahlia in question was sharpening a curved knife, eyes narrowed and small mouth tight as she focused on the task. She had brown-blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail, and her dark clothing was tightly practical.

    "Mmm," Praetorian repeated. "Ah, speaking of, where has the necromancer-appreciating Lorna been hiding herself of late? Now there''s a girl who seems to have found a happy balance between ''dangerously psychotic'' and ''attractively giggly''."

    "What, you mean like ''psychotically giggly''?"

    "Ahaha, yes. Except no. Is she in the team?"

    "Dahlia wanted her, but Lorna said nuh. She''s not really into, like, group stuff, half the time she solos her hunts. Not a big fan of sharing."

    "Hm. Dahlia is the captain?"

    "Nah, that''s Jak Kingfisher¡ªover there, the ridiculously cool guy."

    "Ah?"

    Praetorian cast an eye over the elf team''s captain. He was lounging back on a couch, arms stretched wide, autumn-blond hair streaming down over his finely-muscled chest, skin deeply tanned, face far more masculine than was typical¡ªand yet still with a hint of that delicate elven prettiness.

    "Mmm."

    "Dude, him too?"

    "I was prepared to be insanely jealous but, well, just look at the fellow. What class is he?"

    "Bladedancer, same as Dahlia."

    "Ahh ... dancer, yes."

    "Bladedancer."

    "Details, details."

    "Dude, you''re gonna get hurt. I don''t mean like in a girly heart-hurt way, I mean literally stabbed in the neck."

    "I have two demerits remaining, two ''lifes'' left, I cannot think of a better way to spend them ... perhaps I''m acquiring a new fetish, beginning to appreciate the eroticism inherent in violence. Passion, is perhaps the word ... yes," Praetorian murmured, his eyes on Dahlia as she spoke with Jak, "a great depth of passion..."

    Across the room, a dead girl was rolling her eyes.

    "Just, um, just don''t look at him¡ªdid you try these round things? I don''t even know what they are but they''re so good! Here, I made you a ''plate'', I didn''t really know what you wanted so I just put a bit of everything on it, that way you can¡ª"

    Amanda looked at Mist, wondering why she''d stopped so suddenly, why she was now shrinking back into her armour. Then she saw them, Raid Fearson and Cane Calfstrong and Evia Mordein and the rest of their team, the bucket-helmeted sniper known as Bucket and the portly vampire cliquemancer, Travis or Timothy or something.

    "You don''t have to be so scared of them," Amanda murmured, her hand on Mist''s armoured shoulder. "Look, Nala''s not scared."

    Nala had paused in her continued inspection of the display cases to gaze at Raid and his team, and Raid was grinning back at her¡ªhe clapped his hands above his head and called out "BEHEMOTH HUNTER!", attracting the attention of much of the room as he pointed at Nala, then he laughed and went to talk to one of the fighter-healer groups, the rest of his party trailing behind.

    Nala watched him for a few seconds, then turned her attention back to the display case.

    "You don''t have to hide," she murmured. "This is a safe zone."

    "Crowds, people, this is not my safe zone," came a voice from beneath the case.

    "It''s not for much longer," Nala said. She looked down to meet Tzugakk''s eyes. "We endure this test. We fight one more fight. And then, your dream. Your island. I promise."

    Near the food table, Amanda was exploring the plate Mist had made up for her¡ªnothing tasted like much of anything, but she was beginning to appreciate textures. Crunchy-outside soft-inside, she decided, wasn''t bad.

    "I''m a bit worried about Gakk," Mist said¡ªshe was sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, while Amanda leant against it beside her. "Defeats count as demerits in this thing, I hope Nala has a plan for that."

    "Of course she does," Amanda mumbled, through a mouthful of soft-and-chewy. "Gakk''s the only thing she cares about."

    "Did she, um, did she tell you what we''re targeting?"

    "I don''t care. It''s her plan, I''ll just go along with whatever."

    Mist was about to say something further when her attention was caught by yet another group entering. Their leader wore shining plate armour and a blue and green kite shield upon her back, a magnificent sword at her side. Her jaw was strong and her eyes were hard, and she strode into the room as if every step was destined to be.

    The fact that she couldn''t have been more than four feet tall did slightly detract from her overall presence, but still Mist gazed at her with shining eyes.

    "Is she ... is she a hero?"

    "You don''t know Jane?" It was Arbie who answered, pausing on his way past, a plate loaded with chicken in his hands. "She''s a paladin, bro."

    "Oh."

    Amanda half-smiled at Mist''s instant dulling-of-interest, although both of them watched the halfling girl as she walked further into the room, her party behind her¡ªa sweetly pretty elven cleric who seemed vaguely familiar to Amanda, a rough possibly-human wearing a tattered old wide-brimmed hat and sturdy clothes, another halfling, probably some kind of fighter, bright-eyed and perky, and a serious human male wearing a leather vest that left his well-muscled arms exposed, the dark metal bracers he wore glowing with a faint aura.

    "They look strong," Amanda murmured, before a high, imperative voice cut through all else:

    "Dear gods we''ve got some dregs this year. Sometimes I wonder why they even bother¡ªentertainment for the unwashed masses, I suppose."

    Standing in the entrance to the gathering area was a trio of vampire girls, perfectly proportioned and flamboyantly fabulous. Violet Blaze, Amity Moon and Priscilla Belldandy, dressed in spidery black and beyond-royal purple and glittering moonsilver, Violet dark-haired and fine-featured, Amity blonde and sharp, Priscilla brunette and petite¡ªthough only short in comparison to her companions. Standing behind the trio was Storm Haven, brooding and shirtless, his glorious abs instantly caught in a battle to the death with Jak Kingfisher''s magnificent pecs.

    "Dahlia Knifetaunt!" Violet called, as the elf girl strode towards them. "Why, you almost look civilised, well done! Such a shame about your ... well, let''s be honest, everything, but you''re trying and that''s not nothing, is it? It''s something. Light applause for Dahlia''s attempts at presentability? Anyone? No? Well perhaps you''re all correct, simply trying isn''t really to be rewarded. Still, ranked at number two, how very special, you must be so proud."

    Dahlia''s response was to punch Violet in the neck with her knife¡ªbut with the entire arena being a safe zone it never quite got there.

    "Temper, temper," Violet admonished, waving a finger in the elf girl''s scowling face. "We can''t all be the best, can we? Never mind. I''m sure you''ll enjoy brawling with these ... things, before your inevitable crushing defeat at our hands." Violet went to brush past Dahlia then stopped, leaning back to whisper in a way the whole room could hear: "By the way, Dahlia-ling, I don''t mean to embarrass you but slanty little angry eyes are far from ''in'' these days, you really should consider getting rid of those tired old things. I''d be happy to help remove them for you ... perhaps when we meet in the games?"

    Violet traced her long-nailed fingers over Dahlia''s face, never quite touching. Dahlia spoke coldly as Violet smiled prettily at her:

    "You better pray one of these useless akla teams knocks you out before you get to us. Because you come up against a bladedancer, you get killed in ways no one even thought of before."

    "Too late for that, I''m afraid," Violet said. "But good try, I credit you for the attempt at being intimidating."

    "Watch your back, greygirl," Dahlia snarled, before turning away.

    "I have Storm to do that for me¡ªStorm, is there anything on my back? A small monkey-like creature with pointed ears, perchance? Oh, no, of course not, I can see for myself that she''s knuckling away from me, the most precocious of scowls upon her unfortunate face¡ªone would assume."

    Amanda had been observing all of this with slightly raised eyebrows.

    "They''re actually pretty entertaining," she murmured, which earned her a light slap on the leg from Mist.

    "No! They''re horrible! I hate that kind of, I don''t even know what to call it, I just hate it!"

    "Mm, it wasn''t the best of exchanges," came a voice from nearby¡ªJames Bloodspit was leaning against the wall not far from Amanda, looking as piratey as ever. "Not really evenly matched, I think that''s the problem. Tall, pale and bitchy just simply outclassed short, tanned and angry." He turned to grin at the two girls. "Remember me? Of course you do, how could you forget? I''ll reintroduce myself anyway, just for fun¡ªJames Bloodspit, of the Evenfall Island Bloodspits, pirate extraordinaire AT your service. I''d kiss your hands but you¡ª" this at Amanda "¡ªseem the sort to have a thing about ''touching'' and you¡ª" this at Mist "¡ªare entirely too sweet to despoil in any way, even with an innocent kiss upon the hand."

    "Nothing''s innocent with you around," said a short human girl nearby¡ªSummer Rain, mintmedic and seriousperson. She smiled at Amanda and Mist. "Hello. How have you two been getting on?"

    "Oh," Mist said. "Um ... okay?"

    "I thought Raid and his little cronies might have dropped by to intimidate you¡ªConrad Gaunt is here too, in with Axecore after Dunstaff dropped out."

    "Uh, who?" Amanda asked.

    "Axecore, Jarvis Axecore, he''s the captain of the sixth-ranked team¡ª"

    "Um, I think she meant ''who''s Conrad Gaunt?''," Mist said. "Since, um, that''s what I''m wondering too."

    "Lithe sinewy muscles, little dark glasses, rather lacking in hair," James said, looking up from the food table where he was busily stealing spoons. "Perhaps a little rough around the edges but I''m sure he has a heart of stone."

    "Really? You don''t remember?" Summer puffed out a breath. "He harassed you at the Blue Haven, he was in Dunstaff''s team."

    "Um," Mist said. "Dunstaff?"

    "Mathias Dunstaff? Captain of the team you beat? In your match? Don''t you keep track of these things?"

    "Oh, Nala mostly does that," Mist said. "She''s good at that kind of ''remembering'' and ''thinking'' stuff."

    "Nala, yes ... I should talk to her." Summer looked over at Nala, who was frowning at a display case. "Try to smooth things over. We didn''t really get off on the right foot. Are you okay here?"

    "Who, us?" Amanda said. "Why do you care?"

    "I ... just ... do?"

    Amanda shrugged one shoulder. "It''s a safe zone, so whatever. Anyway, aren''t we supposed to be your enemies now or something?"

    Summer was looking away. "No reason to be impolite," she muttered.

    "I wasn''t trying to be rude¡ª"

    "No," Summer said, "I meant no reason for ME to be impolite. Just because we''re competing against you doesn''t mean I can''t be civil, why does everyone always get so suspicious whenever I try to be nice? I''d just like all of this to be a fair fight, a fair game, and I don''t know what YOU know about previous tournaments but some pretty ugly stuff can happen, especially to non-standard teams. Don''t get me wrong, I want to fight you guys more than I want to fight anyone else, I want to beat you guys into the ground, but I want to do it in a match. Fairly. So just, I don''t know. I should talk to Nala, I guess."

    Mist and Amanda exchanged glances, then Mist spoke:

    "I, um ... maybe we are like rivals or something now, but¡ªoh! Is that what you''re doing? Are you trying to become Nala''s rival?"

    "I''m not trying¡ªI''m just going to go talk to her. Good luck with the hunt, I heard you guys are trying to get a behemoth. Hm. James, leave enough spoons for other people, don''t just steal them all."

    "Habit of a lifetime~" James sang.

    Mist watched Summer walk off towards Nala, then tried a smile at James.

    "Um, where''s your boyfriend?"

    "Night? Oh, around somewhere, he and Summer were whispering away earlier¡ªstealth, you know, makes it difficult to keep track of your loved ones but useful for secret things. I''m surprised your captain isn''t doing the same."

    "Oh ... maybe she thinks those cases are more important..."

    Mist glanced over at said cases, where Summer was talking and Nala was being her usual unreadable self. She looked back at James and smiled shyly.

    "Um, how did you guys meet? You and, um, Night, I mean."

    "Complicated story, I''ll give you the short version; I wanted a certain prize, he wanted it too, we fought, I won, we fought again, he won, we fought a third time and let''s just say both of us won. Several times."

    "Ooh." Mist was blushing, but also hiding a smile behind her gauntleted hand. James grinned at her.

    "Look at YOU there, you little secret romantic, I think that I might have just found a new friend¡ªwhat about you, tall dark and blue? Do you get off on romance?"

    "Could not care less."

    "Hmmph, well then, I suppose¡ª"

    Whatever James supposed was lost, as he was interrupted by a series of chimes that sliced through all other sound. When they faded they left the room in complete silence¡ªthough this was soon cut through by hard footsteps. Near the display cases a man and a woman had appeared, seemingly from nowhere. The man was tall and impressively angular; he had the delicately timeless features of an elder elf but the paleness and the style of a vampire, his robes a blend of scarlet and shadow. Through subtle magic everyone in the room knew him as Count Illyich Balgan, one of the three masters of Bright Battle Academy. Through the same magic they knew the woman with him to be another of the masters, Miss Caroline Hale, a senior watcher with the Adventurer''s Guild. She wore a straightforward black suit and rimless glasses, and her light brown hair was tied back into a bushy ponytail. It was she who first spoke, standing at the central podium and addressing the room:

    "Welcome, and congratulations. In ten minutes time all of you will be teleported to the outskirts of GoldSpark Laboratory. There are twelve entry points, randomised, but all could be considered safe. GoldSpark consists of three main areas; the fields you''ll arrive in, the laboratory ruins, and the caves beneath these ruins. We don''t recommend you enter the caves but it''s your choice. Even the laboratory could prove too challenging for many of you. The only way to pass this test is to capture a monster. If your party is wiped out before this happens, or if you exceed the sixty minute time limit, your team will not be competing in this year''s tournament. Defeats in this test will earn demerits. Each team captain will be assigned a CaptureRing for the duration of the test; when a monster has been sufficiently weakened the CaptureRing will automatically activate and both monster and party will be teleported back to the academy. Once a monster type has been captured it will then be off-limits for all other teams. Questions?"

    "Yes."

    Hale looked at Summer, who had her hand politely raised.

    "Speak, Miss Rain."

    "Does the team captain have to attack the monster for the CaptureRing to activate?"

    "No. Any attack by any party member counts. Mr Silverblade, you have a question?"

    "Yes," said the swashbuckler, lowering his hand. "Does the CaptureRing count as an accessory?"

    "Yes. If the team captain already has an accessory equipped, they''ll have to unequip it for the duration of this test. Additionally, there is a low-level curse on each CaptureRing; unequipping it before the end of the test will be impossible. Any attempt to remove this curse will result in instant disqualification. Miss Hearthguard, you have a question?"

    "Yes." The halfling paladin Jane Hearthguard had her chin proudly raised, her voice clear as she continued: "Will any method of capture work?"

    "Ah, you have a tamer in your party¡ªyes, any method will work. Note that you will still be required to wear the CaptureRing. Miss Rain again, another query?"

    "Will we be informed as to which monsters other teams have ''claimed''?"

    "No." Hale smiled thinly at Summer. "You''ll just have to take your chances."

    "Do we at least get merits?" someone called from across the room.

    "No, Mr Wildleaf," Hale said. "No merits will be awarded for any action within this test."

    "Query!" came a bright voice from the corner of the room.

    "Recognised," Hale replied. "Speak, Miss Dovedale."

    "Okay, um, so, you keep saying ''monster type'', do you mean like ''all slimes'' and ''all dragons'' as a ''type'' or just like, once someone gets a land lizard, for instance, no one else can get a land lizard, or no one else can get, um, whatever ''type'' land lizards are?"

    "Technically they''re dragons¡ªand your first suggestion was correct, the restriction is on individual monster types such as ''death rattle'', not monster categories such as ''aberration''."

    "Yeah, question or whatever over here."

    "Yes, Mr Fearson?"

    Raid grinned at Hale. "Can we attack other teams?"

    This attracted a few groans and dark mutterings from throughout the room, which Raid responded to with raised arms and an innocent ''hey, I''m just asking'' expression. Hale waited for the noise to settle down before responding:

    "No. Save that for the actual matches. GoldSpark Laboratory is effectively a safe zone, at least as far as other students are concerned. You may only attack monsters, and you may only be attacked by monsters."

    "One final query."

    "Miss Rain again; recognised."

    "Is it possible to fail to capture a monster?" Summer cleared her throat quickly before continuing: "By which I mean, is it possible to kill a monster before it''s captured?"

    "Yes, it is possible. CaptureRings activate once a monster is in critical condition, but if the attack that would have put it into critical condition is strong enough to reduce its hit points to zero then no capture will occur."

    "Yeah, another one over here."

    "Mr Fearson."

    "Just gotta get this straight, kind of confused about this whole deal. So it''s when someone puts a monster into the danger zone, that''s when their team gets it? We just gotta get it into critical?"

    "That''s correct."

    "Okay, got it." Raid grinned at Hale. "Thanks."

    "Um, I have another question! Oh, query I mean."

    "Miss Dovedale. Recognised."

    "So if we get any monster then that''s it, that''s the one we capture?"

    "Yes. Avoiding conflict with monsters you do not wish to capture will be an important part of the test."

    "Query."

    Hale turned to regard Nala.

    "Miss Greyward," she said. "Query recognised. Speak."

    "Can any monster be captured?"

    "Yes. Any monster in the GoldSpark Laboratory area is fair game ... if you can defeat it."

    Nala nodded, apparently satisfied, and Hale smiled at her before looking around the room.

    "No further questions? Then I''d like each team captain here in front of this podium, in order from first-ranked to twelfth-ranked. Swiftly, if you please, and unequip your accessories if you have any."

    Nala quickly found her place, between Summer and a young man with blazing red hair and deep crimson eyes. While the other captains sorted themselves out Hale gave up the podium to Count Balgan¡ªhe''d rather faded into the background during Hale''s question and answer session, but now he commanded instant attention, his presence undeniable.

    "Well well," he said, once all the captains were properly assembled. "Rather an eclectic mix. Certainly more diverse than last year''s effort. I wonder if there''s a change in the air¡ªstill, some things remain constant. Violet Blaze in the number one position, hello again my dear."

    Violet bowed to Count Balgan, and he acknowledged the gesture with an elegant lowering of his head.

    "And young Master Kingfisher next to you, how pleasant. But enough of this. CaptureRings?"

    The accessories turned out to be rather tawdry, a cheap tin band with a large clear gem, roundish and yellowish. Nala accepted hers without comment, but she heard a quiet ''thank you'' from Summer.

    "Equip them now, if you please."

    Nala had already slipped hers on, immediately testing the curse by trying to take it off again. It wouldn''t so much as budge.

    "Now we also have a little bonus for you all, as is traditional," Count Balgan said. "You may have noticed these display cases arranged around the podium, each filled with a variety of gems. Beginning with the first-ranked captain and ending with the twelfth, you may each select one gem. These may be used in today''s test, and kept afterwards regardless of success or failure. Violet, please select your gem."

    Nala kept her head bowed as the other team captains went up one by one, most taking gems that conferred simple attack or defence bonuses¡ªalthough she raised her head slightly when the halfling paladin chose hers; a LifePearl, which would prevent the owner''s death once before shattering. Not so useful in a place where death did not exist, and certainly of no use in the upcoming monster hunt. Before lowering her head again Nala caught a glimpse of Mist and Amanda, Mist looking anxious, Amanda looking bored.

    The next three captains chose, in order, a StrikeOpal (bonus to-hit), a FlawDiamond (small bonus to defence), and an ObsidianShadow (bonus to dodge), although Nala felt that none of these were what the captains really wanted; the rarer and more valuable gems had already gone to higher-ranked captains. Next it was the red-haired young man''s turn; perhaps predictably he chose a FlareRuby (bonus fire elemental damage).

    Then it was Nala''s turn to select. As she walked forward she could feel the eyes of her team mates upon her, Amanda and Mist from beside the food table, Praetorian and Sly from near the window, Tzugakk from wherever he was hiding. She was also aware of the stares and muttering of others in the room, perhaps at the rarity of a dwarf in the academy, perhaps at her lack of equipment beyond default, perhaps even at her class; no other team had a rogue, and certainly not as a captain.

    These mutterings only grew louder after she made her choice, going directly to the display case that held this gem, tucked away in a corner, deep green in colour and slightly greasy in feel, more a chunk of rock than anything precious-looking.

    Still, she did not hesitate to select it, or to announce her choice:

    "GoadStone."

    Ignoring all others in the room Nala returned to her position, perhaps acknowledging Summer''s raised eyebrows with the slightest of glances¡ªthen it was the mintmedic''s turn. Like Nala she walked straight to the gem she''d already chosen and announced it without hesitance, although it didn''t cause any kind of stir at all; FeatherShard (prevents Slow or Stop status effects). After that there was only Arbie, who ambled over to the cases and eventually came up with a StrikeOpal, the same as the sixth-ranked captain had chosen.

    With that it was over, Count Balgan dismissing the captains and inviting each team to take a final few minutes to prepare before the test began. Nala stood by the display cases as one by one they vanished in regretful puffs of smoke, waiting for her team to come to her.

    "Well then," Praetorian said, once he and the others had joined Nala. "Here we all are, ready to go off monster hunting. Is anyone else more than a little nervous? I fear I may have developed a complex after our last little outing¡ª"

    "Yeah, that sucked," Sly muttered.

    "Quite. Even without the threat of harm from our fellow students¡ªalthough quite frankly I wouldn''t put it past that Raid fellow to find some way of tormenting us anyway¡ªthere are still the monsters to contend with, from all that''s been said this GoldSpark Laboratory sounds far more dangerous than wherever it was we went¡ª"

    "Calamity Plateau," Nala said. "Yes, parts of GoldSpark Laboratory are more dangerous. The fields are threat level three, the laboratory ruins threat level seven, the caves beneath threat level ten."

    "And I suppose it''s in those caves that we''ll find our monster," Praetorian said. "Those highest possible threat level caves."

    "Yes. Our monster, and our means of victory." Nala looked at Amanda. "Hold out your arm."

    "What? No. Why?"

    "Do as Nala says, hold out your arm," Praetorian said, and Amanda immediately (if scowlingly) complied. He treated her to a rather cool smile. "Haven''t you accepted this by now? If Nala tells you to do something she has a reason for it."

    "Don''t talk to me," Amanda growled, watching as Nala pulled something from her cloak¡ªa simple one-slot metal bangle. "What''s that for?"

    Nala slipped the bangle over Amanda''s bandaged wrist. "Don''t take it off."

    "Why, what does it do?"

    "Nothing."

    "Oh good, for a second I thought you were going to start talking sense."

    "One minute, you eager young things!" Count Balgan called, his voice carrying easily through the room. "Best be prepared!"

    The other teams were huddled in groups, talking in low tones about their plans and expectations. Nala caught Summer''s eye, and the girl called out an earnest, "Good luck!"

    "Good luck to you too!" Mist called back, after it became clear that Nala wasn''t going to. "Keep safe!"

    "Nala," Tzugakk said, from where he half-crouched behind her. "I don''t know the gem you chose."

    "I admit to ignorance also," Praetorian said, "although others seemed to think it an odd choice."

    "Off you go then!" came Count Balgan''s voice. "Do your best and for heaven''s sake don''t bring back a xylomid, the mess they make is appalling."

    "Nala?" Tzugakk repeated. "What does your gem do?"

    Nala gazed down at the lump of ugly green rock she held. It glistened in the teleportation glow that rose around her and the others, and as their pleasant surroundings faded she spoke:

    "It makes monsters attack you."

 Episode 08.01 ~ "No Significant Digestion"

    It was the golden hour before sunset, and the plaintive cawing of scar crows sounded over the fields. Away from the setting sun gentle hills rose above the grasslands, great dark beasts lounging against their slopes. From the nearby cliffs came the distant crashing of waves and the calls of some unknown creature, high and long and piercing, and beyond was the ocean, deep grey and stretching to the dark horizon. In the distance there rose a mass of angles both natural and artificial; a rocky hill, the stone brown-gold in colour, and built around and into that hill was a metallic structure: GoldSpark Laboratory.

    Nala looked around, at the fields and the hills and the distant laboratory, and she nodded.

    "Tzugakk," she said. "Use a FeatherToken."

    "Ah?" Praetorian said. "I wonder if I could also¡ª"

    "No."

    "Well then."

    "Nala," Tzugakk said. "Are you sure?"

    "Defeat here would count as a demerit. One more demerit and you will be expelled. Yes, I am sure."

    Tzugakk nodded, mostly to himself, and then he took a shiny coin from a pouch and he held it in his knobbly hand. As the others watched a golden aura rose around him, warmer even than the light of the setting sun, and as it faded so did he, until there was nothing left of the goblin but the impression of his light weight in the thick grass.

    "Um," Mist said. "Will he be okay? By himself?"

    "FeatherTokens send you home," Nala said. "He is safe."

    She began walking towards the distant laboratory, the others trailing behind.

    "You''re not going to employ your stealth?" Praetorian asked.

    "No."

    "I still don''t know why you gave me this bracelet," Amanda said, holding up her arm. "Would it kill you to share your plan with us?"

    "No."

    "So?"

    Nala said nothing, didn''t look back, just kept walking towards the laboratory. To the right there was a high animal cry¡ªNala stopped, glanced in that direction, then kept walking.

    "I, uh, yeah, I''m kind of with Amanda on this," Sly said. "Like, I know we''re heading down into the depths or whatever but, y''know, some details would be nice."

    "Do as I say and we''ll succeed."

    "That''s, uh ... that''s not actually giving us details."

    "Oh!" Mist said, before putting a gauntleted hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she said, her voice lowered. "I just saw, over on those hills, is that another party?"

    Nala stopped and looked back, the others following her lead. The hills were glowing in the slow-setting sun, dark beasts casting long shadows upon the slopes.

    "I can''t see anything," Amanda said.

    "They''re over to the left of the big dog things," Mist said. "I think they''re running? Maybe they got in trouble..."

    Amanda squinted¡ªalthough she was the tallest member of the party, to her the hills were mostly a golden blur with black splotches.

    "Big dog things?" she said.

    "Yes, well, you can''t expect perfect clarity of vision with eyes like those," Praetorian murmured. "What are those creatures, anyway?"

    "Black hollows," Nala said. "The most dangerous creatures in this area, excepting the proudfoot. Dormant. Only attack if approached."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "I hesitate to ask, but ''proudfoot''?"

    "They''re like big lion-man things," Sly said. "They''re pretty tough but they don''t usually attack you. They''re like monster-kings or something, right?"

    "Dominant over lesser monsters," Nala said. She narrowed her eyes; one of the black hollows was moving, up over the hill. The party that Mist had spotted were out of sight now, hidden by the long grass. "We should keep moving."

    Nala''s words were accompanied by a great squawking to the left¡ªnear the cliffs, in the middle distance, a few large birds were flapping out of the grass, dark feathers shining in the light.

    "Scar crows," Praetorian muttered. "What could have agitated them, do you suppose?"

    "It doesn''t matter," Nala said. "Keep walking."

    So they did. The scar crows squawked and shrieked and flapped around, but that seemed the extent of their activity¡ªeventually they settled down, disappearing back into the high grass, only the occasional low cawing marking their presence.

    Three times the party was forced to change course, to avoid small packs of roving razorhounds¡ªNala directed the others precisely, telling them when to move, when to remain still, and when to throw stones as a distraction.

    "You''ve certainly become quite the monster expert, haven''t you?" Praetorian commented, after they''d evaded the third pack of razorhounds. "I must admit to being slightly impressed."

    "Monsters are the same as everything," Nala said, before stopping and holding up her hand. "They have rules they must obey."

    The party was near the laboratory now, the hill it was built into and around looming over them¡ªfrom a distance it hadn''t seemed so big, but now they were closer the illusion was dispelled; GoldSpark Laboratory was enormous. From where they stood Nala and the others could see a clear entrance, a split in the hill that seemed to lead to a natural cavern¡ªand further along there was a large metal door hanging from its hinges, caved in as if pummelled by a giant fist.

    "Should we¡ª"

    Mist was cut off by Nala raising her hand again. Coming around the hill was another party, led by a familiar and unwelcome figure.

    "But of course we''d encounter them," Praetorian murmured. "Raid Fearson and his merry band of bullies. I suppose they''re heading in the exact direction you were planning to take us?"

    Nala was silent, watching Raid and his party as they made their way along the cliff. They were too far away to hear, but clearly they weren''t making any attempt to be stealthy. Raid looked as if he was laughing, tromping along with his axes at the ready, their dark auras visible even at this distance.

    "Ohhh hey, they''re gonna run straight into those razorhounds," Sly said. "See them?"

    "This should be interesting," Praetorian said. "If they defeat any monster that''s it, isn''t it? They''ll capture it and be sent back to the academy. Razorhounds don''t seem particularly strong¡ª"

    "They''re not," Nala said. "Even without tactics, we could defeat one."

    "Aha. Well. I suppose they''ll just run, then. Seems rather ... hm."

    Raid had apparently spotted the razorhounds¡ªthere were three of them, stalking out of the grass and into the clearer ground near the hill. Cane, the group''s lancer, ran forward and leapt, his weapon blazing with flames as he soared through the air to land amidst the beasts¡ªeven from a distance Nala and the others could hear the force of it, a great whumph of a shockwave blasting from the impact point and scattering the razorhounds. One of them howled as the bucket-helmeted archer known only as ''Bucket'' sent an arrow into its flank¡ªand then its howl was cut off as it froze in place. Meanwhile the two magic users of the group were stepping forward, Evia the mage invoking twisting vines while Travian the cliquemancer summoned persuasive tendrils of energy, these two different approaches having much the same effect; two more paralysed razorhounds.

    "Yes, of course," Praetorian muttered. "They have all the tricks, don''t they?"

    "Not all of them," Nala murmured. Raid looked like he was laughing again, pointing to the frozen Razorhounds and no doubt cracking some hilarious joke. Cane had already run back towards the hill, stood pointing at the crack, but Raid shook his head¡ªthey were heading for the door.

    "Straight and simple," Sly muttered. "Guess we ain''t going after them?"

    Nala looked at Sly.

    "Yeah, figured. So we''re heading for that crack thing, then? Looks like it opens out¡ª"

    "Where''s Mist?" Amanda said. She looked slowly around, grimacing as her body resisted the speed she demanded.

    "Oh, honestly," Praetorian said. "I know that girl isn''t the brightest of creatures but you''d think even she would recognise the danger inherent in this situation."

    An excited squeak from somewhere not too distant caught the party''s attention; following it to its source they found a certain too-small-for-her-armour valkyrie, crouched at the edge of a depression in the earth. The depression was fed by a small stream that made for a muddy sort of mess in the bottom, around which were¡ª

    "Slimes," Praetorian muttered, putting all of the distaste he could muster into the word. "Well done, Valkyrie, you''ve stumbled upon a nest of the viscous things."

    "You shouldn''t have left us," Nala said, as Mist looked down at the ground, her mouth tight, embarrassment in her eyes.

    "I''m sorry," Mist said. "I just ... I saw a slime, and it looked so ... so sweet and cute, I just ... I''m sorry."

    Amanda stepped forward to look down into the slime pit¡ªthere were around a dozen of the blobby things around the mud pool, of varying sizes but all the same lustrous blue.

    "They''re meant to be weak, aren''t they?" she said. "Blue slimes."

    "Weak?" Praetorian said. "Even other slimes think blue slimes are useless, or they would if they had even the glimmering of intelligence. I don''t think they can even attack¡ªNala?"

    "Yes."

    Praetorian paused. "Yes they can''t or yes they can?"

    "Yes they can''t."

    "Come on," Amanda said to Mist, her hand on the girl''s armoured shoulder. "I guess Nala wants us to keep going."

    "Yes. Raid''s party has gone inside. There''s no point in waiting."

    Mist nodded, her eyes on the slimes.

    "Okay," she said, before rising and smiling¡ªfirst at Amanda then at Nala. "I''ll follow you, Nala. Whatever you say!"

 Episode 08.02

    GoldSpark Laboratory could be entered in many ways. There was the big crack in the hillside, obvious and tempting. There were the main doors, broken in long ago by something better left unnamed. There were cliffside caves that led to the lower levels, and subtle passages concealed behind or beneath rocks, even an old stone teleportation circle hidden in the northern hills. Many of these entrances led, eventually, to the same place; a huge cavern, the high stone ceiling split open to let slow-fading sunlight fall upon vibrant green moss and spiralling ferns and bulb-like purple flowers. There was a stream snaking through the cavern, cutting deep into dark rock, fast-flowing and far deeper than it appeared. There had once been a bridge, but all that now remained were the crumbling supports. Traces of a path were also evident, leading through the cavern and ending in a pile of moss-covered rubble. One side of the cavern was wild and rough, partially collapsed, arc spiders building their geometric webs along the walls, land lizards basking near the stream, a colony of shadow slimes occupying a deep crack in the far wall. The other side of the cavern was more regular, cleanly worked though long overgrown. Dull metal walls marked the laboratory itself, two large square gaps leading to gloomy passages beyond. Perhaps once there had been doors. Perhaps once there had been many things.

    From one of the many passages that led into the cavern there came a soft light, followed by a hard voice:

    "¡ªmight be more conventional, but not as interesting. You''ve seen these new teams, that scrappy little bunch of low-tiers and those pirate-ninja oddities, there''s something different about this tournament. We have to be careful."

    The owner of the voice came into view, a tall human girl wearing dark robes and small square glasses, her purple hair tied sternly back, her glowing hand raised as she entered the cavern. She was swiftly identified as Rae Bloomfield, thaumaturge.

    "But we did really well already, right?" came a perky voice from behind, soon revealed to belong to a short elf girl with bright clothes and messy autumn hair; Flower Dovedale, healer. "We didn''t lose even once! And we came in third-ranked, we''re almost ahead of the elf team and that''s really good!"

    "Hm." The third voice belonged to a slim young man, human, wearing fine clothing and with a rather dashing hat; Charles Silverblade, swashbuckler. He was flanked by two hulking half-orcs, grey of skin and dark of eye, near-identically dressed in tarnished plate armour; the berserker brothers Flint and Teak Oxblood.

    "''Hm''?" Rae said, raising an eyebrow at the swashbuckler as they walked through the cavern. "So you agree with me?"

    "We should focus on the task at hand," said Charles. "Stick to the plan."

    "You trust Raid?"

    "No, but his idea makes sense. I don''t think we''ll sink quite to his level, but we need every edge we can get."

    "I feel kind of sorry for Jarvis and his team, though," Flower said, as they approached one of the laboratory entrances. "I mean ... not REALLY sorry. Just a little bit."

    "Hmph." Charles glanced back at Flower. "Jarvis Axecore is an uncouth, impetuous lout who deserves all of the trouble he brings down on himself. Every bit of it."

    "What do you guys think?" Flower asked, looking back and up and up and up at the half-orc brothers.

    "Don''t care," rumbled Teak.

    "Same," grunted Flint.

    "Well what I think is that we should''ve gotten one of those wolfy things. They''re so cute!"

    "''The Razorhounds'', there''s a kind of charm to it," said Rae, raising her hand to once more summon light. "But they''re too weak a monster, it''d put us at a disadvantage. We can''t just think about how the monster looks or what its name is, if we want to win this tournament we have to think carefully about our choices..."

    Rae''s voice faded along with her light, and the sound of the fast-flowing river and the distant clicking of the arc spiders rose to fill the silence.

    After nearly a minute, a small figure walked out from behind a pile of moss-covered rocks. She looked around the cavern, then spoke:

    "It''s safe," Nala said.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "You''re sure those creatures won''t be a danger?" Praetorian asked, as he and the others emerged. "We seem uncomfortably close to those land lizards."

    "If you walk near the river they''ll attack," Nala said.

    "Yeah, most monsters are like that," Sly said. "As long as you just keep away, they''re cool."

    Nala was already walking towards one of the square laboratory entrances¡ªthe one that Charles Silverblade and his team hadn''t taken.

    "I''ll go ahead," she said, slipping her hood up over her head. "I''ll wait for the rest of you at each junction."

    With that Nala walked away, fading from view as she passed through the entrance.

    "Is anyone else getting sick of her attitude?" Amanda asked. "She acts like we don''t matter."

    "I think she just ... she isn''t used to ... people," Mist said. She glanced up at the others as they looked at her, then lowered her eyes. "Um. What I mean is ... she doesn''t mean to be rude. She just ... knows how things should go. She has her plan, and if we do what she says, her plan will work."

    "Not every time," Sly muttered.

    "I, I know sometimes it doesn''t work out¡ªbut we won that last battle, right? I ... I trust her. I trust Nala. She wouldn''t do anything to hurt us, not on purpose. She''s always thinking about how to make things better for all of us. Winning that battle and now getting a monster, capturing a behemoth."

    Mist fiddled with her spear, then flicked her eyes up at Amanda, just for an instant. The zombie girl''s mouth was quirked in a kind of half-smile.

    "Yes, well," Praetorian said, "in any case we should perhaps hurry along, we haven''t accounted for the majority of our rivalsand though this is a safe zone I wouldn''t feel quite comfortable encountering any of our fellow Bright Battlers."

    "We shouldn''t keep Nala waiting either," Mist said. "She worked really hard researching monsters and everything. She''s still working hard. We should work hard too!"

    Amanda placed her hand on Mist''s armoured shoulder, and the valkyrie glanced up at her friend with a small smile.

    "Let''s go, then," Amanda said.

    "Yeah. Sooner we do this the sooner it''s over, right?" Sly added.

    "Indeed. Indeed indeed. For Nala! For the team! And so forth." Praetorian swept his cloak in an extravagant gesture, indicating the gloomy passage Nala had taken. "Ladies first."

    Amanda shuffled forward, Mist at her side, Praetorian and Sly following. Soon their footsteps faded; once more the wide cavern was still, once more the rushing river and clicking of the arc spiders filled the silence.

    Presently something moved, towards the entrance Nala and her party had taken. It hesitated, then slipped through behind them.

    <hr>

    Summer Rain stood with her back to the hillside, gazing out over the fields at a collection of absolute idiots. Although she was frowning and her arms were crossed, there was the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

    "Dear goodness and hope, are they still at it?" James Bloodspit came striding up to Summer, putting her in his shadow, then joined her in frowning and smiling at the idiotic collective¡ªfive young human males, all of them fighters, all of them shouting and running around and waving weapons and being attacked by something hidden by the tall grass. "What are they having trouble with now, more razorhounds?"

    "Tiger slimes," Summer said. "It''s amazing how long it''s taking them to realise they could just outrun them."

    "Mm." James popped a bright purple berry into his mouth as he watched, then absently offered one to Summer. She glanced at it, then sighed and traced a complex sigil in the air. "Should I call out to them, do you think?"

    "No. They''ve already proven how unbalanced the fighter class is, just by surviving this long. Drop the healer from the three-fighters-and-a-healer combo and you have enough points to fit two more fighters in. Make sure you''re all stocked up with cheap healing items and you can brute force your way to victory more than half the time. Idiots or not, Arbie''s team has stumbled on to an effective strategy. It''d be good for us if they fail this test. Good if they''re not in the tournament."

    "Hm." James popped another berry into his mouth, chewing slowly as he frowned in thought. "We could beat them, though ... yes?"

    "Probably. But it wouldn''t be much fun."

    "What if their monster was a tiger slime and ours was a ... what was it again?"

    "SilverStar, or if we can''t find one then either a Sawtoise or a Heliosaurus."

    "I hope we do find a SilverStar, those other two have yucky names. ''The Heliosauruses'', ugh. Nobody would take us seriously."

    "I''d consider that an advantage," Summer said, with a small smile. "Look, they''ve figured out they can just run away."

    "Oh, good for them," James mumbled through the last of his berries. He squinted. "Although straight towards the black hollow hills, it seems. Poor little lambs."

    Summer tapped the sigil she''d drawn; it glowed bright then swiftly expanded, washing over James. He blinked, then blinked again, this second time at Summer.

    "What was that?"

    "That," Summer said, fixing James with a hard look, "was me curing the status effect you inflicted on yourself with those highly toxic DokuBerries."

    James blinked once more.

    "Oh," he said. "In my defence they were delicious."

    "To die for?" Summer asked, with a crooked smirk. "Wipe your hands clean then let''s head inside." She turned away¡ªthere was a narrow crack in the hillside, barely noticeable except up close, and even then only with careful examination. "Night will have finished scouting by now, and most of the other teams will be gone. We should have a clear run through."

    Summer smiled to herself as she entered the hidden passage, a soft green glow from her mantle''s clasp lighting the way.

    "Yes," she murmured, as James followed her in. "Simple and clean."

 Episode 08.03

    There wasn''t anything particularly threatening about the layout of GoldSpark Laboratory; wide high corridors led to more wide high corridors which in turn led to more wide high corridors, and off all of these corridors were wide high rooms filled with ruin. Perhaps a rusted and bent and shredded metal frame, perhaps the mouldering fragments of a desk or table or bench, perhaps the shattered remnants of flasks and other glassware, now little more than glittering dust. Maybe a little sad, possibly slightly lonely, but not really frightening. Nor was the light particularly fearsome, though it shifted and changed and brightened and dimmed and changed colour as if driven by some hidden whim; blue to green to orange to red. Disquieting at the worst. In fact if it wasn''t for the monsters you could almost call GoldSpark Laboratory beautiful, in a ruined sort of way.

    If it wasn''t for the monsters.

    They weren''t common. One could venture through the corridors for long, silent minutes before so much as hearing one; perhaps the slithering rattle of a giant skull-headed snake, perhaps the clicking and snicking of a creature made entirely of blades, perhaps the whispering half-language of a smoky collection of floating eyes.

    Or maybe you wouldn''t hear them.

    Maybe that would be the worst of all.

    "I''d like to call an emergency vote, within the party," Praetorian said, his voice tight and high and fast. "Everyone who wants to use a FeatherToken this very instant raise your hand."

    Even before he''d finished speaking Praetorian had both his hands raised. Sly had his up too, and Amanda hesitated before putting her bandaged hand up as well.

    "No."

    "Hey," Amanda said. "Just acknowledging Darkcede''s existence is uncomfortable. That I''m actually agreeing with him should tell you something."

    Nala looked around at her party, then she repeated herself:

    "No."

    "I''m sorry," Praetorian said, "but did you see what happened to that fighter? Maybe this is strange of me to say but I''d rather not be eaten by something made of a thousand needles. I suppose I''m funny like that, avoiding hideous nightmare torture just happens to be a passion of mine."

    "You would not suffer significant injury," Nala said. "Your safehold shard¡ª"

    "¡ªwould activate after I was inside the creature. Perhaps some time after, I don''t know, do you? The thought of spending even a short period inside anything isn''t exactly gleeful. What was it you once said, ''no significant digestion'', well I''m sorry but any amount of digestion would seem fairly significant to me!"

    "Be quiet."

    "I am entitled to share my opinions, especially as I''m sure¡ª"

    Praetorian went silent, though his mouth remained open as he stared down the corridor. The shifting light was currently a dull red, glinting off the shining blades of a sleek, skulking monster. Its head¡ªfor lack of a better term¡ªwas raised, jerking this way and that with mechanical precision. It had no eyes, no ears, no facial features at all, and yet it was clearly searching, seeking, finding¡ª

    With a smooth screech of metal-against-metal the monster leapt, disappearing down a corridor. The clattering of its passage faded swiftly, and many of Nala''s party began breathing again.

    "Case, I believe," Praetorian murmured, a hint of anger in his voice, "very much in point."

    "Do we really need to become a team?" Amanda asked. "Isn''t there some other way forward, aside from the tournament?"

    Nala was looking down now, the hood of her cloak hiding her face.

    "Follow me," she said, unmoving. "Do what I tell you. And we will succeed."

    This was met with sceptical glances between the others¡ªaside from Mist. She''d been silent and wide-eyed throughout their descent into the laboratory''s depths, but now she spoke:

    "I think," she squeaked, before wincing and swallowing and trying again: "I think we should do our best¡ªeven if we don''t capture a behemoth I don''t want to just give up without even trying."

    "Your words might carry more weight if you didn''t look and sound utterly petrified," Praetorian said.

    "Just because I''m scared doesn''t mean ... doesn''t mean ... I don''t know, just don''t be so negative! We''re here and Nala has a plan and she''s never let us down so just ... just shut up and do what she says!"

    Mist clamped both hands over her mouth and looked away from Praetorian. Nala''s head was still lowered, her face hidden completely. Amanda was glaring at a rusted metal wall, her arms crossed, Sly was turning his bow over and over in his hands, his eyes shadowed by the flop of his hair. Praetorian stood with one hand in a pocket, the other slowly stroking his pointy goatee.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Nala," he said, eventually. Nala raised her head a little, enough that the thin line of her mouth became visible below her hood. "Your plan involves us travelling deeper into this pleasant little hellhole. That''s correct?"

    "Yes."

    "To the ''lower caverns''. Threat level ten, if memory serves. Home to such delights as behemoths and vector worms and possibly a dragon or two. Correct?"

    "Yes."

    "Once there, we''ll engage a behemoth in combat and through some unstated but no doubt terribly cunning means, subdue it. Also correct?"

    "Yes."

    "Perhaps if you would share your plan with us¡ª"

    "When you need to know what to do, I will tell you."

    "That''s not what I meant and you know it. What is your plan, Nala? How in all the world are we going to defeat a behemoth?"

    Nala raised her head properly, her expression as flat as her voice:

    "Teamwork."

    With that she turned and walked away, down the corridor. Mist glanced at the others then scurried after Nala; Amanda let out a rattly sigh and lurched after Mist.

    "Gotta go with the flow, dude," Sly muttered, before slinking away.

    Praetorian clucked his tongue, then raised his voice:

    "I could just use the token, you know! See how far you get with a necromancerless zombie slowing you down!"

    The response to this came from behind; a high wheezing groan drifting through the corridors. Without hesitation Praetorian hurried after the others, his continued (though much quieter) protests soon fading into the gloom.

    Not long after, something else made its way through the corridor. Its movement was swift and its path clear; it followed Nala''s party with unfaltering purpose.

    <hr>

    After the gloomy maze of the laboratory interior the lower caverns came as something of a relief. Warm light and clean salty air flooded the cliffside passages, the scent of the ocean mingling with that of the rampant plant life. Light penetrated even into the deeper caverns, shining through translucent vines, sparkling off shallow rock pools, gleaming against angular crystal clusters. All in all a beautiful and inviting place, but for the tentacled monstrosities inhabiting it. They were coloured in shades of virulent green and toxic purple, their squat proportions belying their size. Most were stationary, tentacles twitching as they lounged in shallow pools. Some roamed, slowly and without any apparent goal, huffs of unpleasant gas and strands of yellow-green ooze effusing from their large, sharp-teethed mouths.

    "Oh dear gods above, what fresh nightmare is this?" Praetorian murmured. He and the rest of the party were in a passage above the cavern, looking down upon it. "What in the world are those?"

    "Xylomids," Nala said. "Good."

    "Good? Good?"

    "Wait here."

    With that Nala faded from view, leaving her party to glance at one another and feel a bit tense.

    "Um," Mist said, after a few seconds of this. "Actually ... actually it might be nice if she shared a little bit more of her plans with us."

    "What do you suppose she''d do if we all simply FeatherTokened out?" Praetorian mused. "Disown us?"

    "No, she''d backstab you," Amanda said. "And you''d never see it coming."

    "Mm. Mm, you know, that does actually seem a distinct possibility." Praetorian looked up and down the long sloping passage, frowned at a bright purple plant with long curling fronds, then clasped his hands together. "Does, er, does anyone care to hazard a guess as to what our Nala might be planning?"

    "I, uh, I got kind of an idea." Sly grinned nervously as the others looked at him. "Yeah, just ... xylomids got this kind of gas attack, y''know? Puts a bunch of nasty status effects on you. Berserk, sleep, confuse, paralyse, bunch of different stuff. So I figure maybe she''s gonna do something with that."

    "Monsters don''t attack each other, do they?" Praetorian asked. "Even if they did, there aren''t any behemoths around¡ªI suppose that''s where she must have gone, to lure one to this cavern. Still, even then, how will she stir up animosities?"

    "Oh!" Mist shrank into her armour as the others looked at her, then took a small breath and forged ahead: "It must be that gem she chose, the GoadStone? It must be something to do with that, she said it makes monsters attack, so maybe ... um, maybe..."

    "Would it work on other monsters?" Praetorian said, his eyes upon the xylomids crowding the cavern below. "Perhaps if she tempted one of those tentacled malformations into consuming it¡ªor it might be a component in one of her thief''s traps¡ª"

    "No." Amanda was staring at the metal bangle around her wrist, the one Nala had given to her. "This thing''s got a slot. She''s going to use me as bait. Again."

    "Aha. Yes. It all becomes clear. Nala tempts a behemoth into this central cavern. Amanda equips the GoadStone and becomes the target of the xylomid''s attacks¡ªwhich will presumably also affect the behemoth. Amanda, of course, is a glumgirl and therefore immune to status effects." Praetorian laughed to himself. "Rather cunning, really¡ªif that is Nala''s plan."

    "It must be." Mist looked around at the others. "Right? That must be it. That''s clever! Because the behemoth will just be there, and Sly can attack it with his bow, and maybe even I can use my spear¡ª"

    "Uh," Amanda said. "So in this clever amazing plan, I''d just be standing there getting mauled by a behemoth?"

    This was met with silence.

    "Oh," Mist said, eventually. "Maybe that isn''t Nala''s plan after all."

    "Guess we''re gonna find out." Sly nodded down at the cavern. "Looks like we got a behemoth over here."

    Even in the vastness of the cavern the behemoth still looked huge. It stalked in from a side passage, its muscular shoulders brushing the edges, its red mane flicking from side to side as it looked around¡ªsearching for something, hunting something. The nearby xylomids ignored the behemoth just as it ignored them, even as it walked further into the cavern.

    "Amanda. Take this."

    Amanda would have jumped at Nala''s sudden appearance if her reactions were sharper. She stared down at the lumpy green stone Nala was holding up.

    "So that is the plan," she said dully. "Go get mauled by a behemoth. Great."

    "It''s necessary."

    "But not exactly fun!"

    Nala cocked her head to the side. "This isn''t about ''fun''."

    "So, uh, that''s really it?" Sly said. "You''re gonna put Amanda down there?"

    "Yes." Nala looked at Sly. "You will use Pinpoint on the behemoth, and attack with your bow. Mist will stand behind the behemoth and attack with her spear. Eventually, it will fall."

    "Before or after it tears me to pieces?" Amanda asked.

    "It will be affected by Confuse, Blind, Poison and Slow. It''s possible you''ll survive."

    "Oh good. ''Possible''. That''s exactly what I wanted to hear."

    "Amanda, perhaps¡ª"

    "Oh, save it," Amanda grumbled, waving a clumsy hand at Praetorian. "Probably I just hate being the centre of attention or something."

    Nala frowned. "This is the only way¡ª"

    "Just give me the stupid gem."

 Episode 08.04

    Avoiding the xylomids had been relatively simple; according to Nala they were torpid, only attacking after direct contact. The challenge, then, had been one of positioning, getting Amanda and the others into place so that Sly would have a clear shot at the behemoth, so that the xylomids would surround her from the sides but not the front, so that Mist could move in to attack from the rear¡ªit was a fiddly process and took longer than Nala had expected, long enough that the generous time limit they''d been given began to feel tight.

    Still, eventually everything was in place. Amanda stood alone, clusters of xylomids to her left and right, Mist off to the side a little, Sly up above, Praetorian skulking behind a rock, secretly delighted that his only part in the plan was ''don''t get killed''. Nala had been the most active of anyone during the arrangements, attracting the behemoth''s attention before hiding and stealthing, making her way back to her party to oversee their positioning before distracting the behemoth once more¡ªit had been a constant balancing act, difficult and risky, but the reward would be worth it. Now she stood apart, away from the others, surveying positions.

    "Amanda." Nala''s low voice carried easily through the still cavern. "Slot the gem."

    More than a little unhappily, more than a little reluctantly, Amanda did as Nala had requested. The effect was immediate; every one of the xylomids around her jerked into movement, thin vapours and strands of toxic slime sputtering from their wide mouths as they hissed and shambled forward. The behemoth perked up its head, let out a deep growl as it stalked towards Amanda¡ªwho only had time to get a glimpse of the great beast''s long teeth and burning red eyes before she was engulfed in clouds of thick yellow-green horribleness.

    "Why do all your plans involve me standing in noxious gas?"

    "Stay where you are," Nala called¡ªshe was moving around the outside of the cavern now, towards where Mist stood wide-eyed and staring. "Don''t move."

    "Should I also keep having a really terrible time or is that optional?"

    "Brave heart, Amanda!" Praetorian called, from behind his rock. "Have courage!"

    From the pestilent clouds came a rattling growl¡ªalthough this was cut off as the behemoth closed upon Amanda, its roar echoing in the cavern as it struck.

    "Amanda!" Mist cried. She went to step forward but Nala''s hand on her arm stopped her. They could still see the back half of the behemoth through the gas, could see it raising its massive claws to strike and strike and strike again, could hear its terrifying roar¡ªbut Amanda was hidden, and the effects of the behemoth''s attacks upon her were unseen.

    "Sly, attack," Nala called. "Mist, you too."

    "B-but Amanda¡ª"

    "I''m surprisingly okay," came Amanda''s voice. "It¡ªouch¡ªit''s just really, really awful."

    Mist stared at the behemoth and the gas cloud, then stumbled a little as Nala urged her into position. Sly was already loosing arrows at the behemoth, two were sticking from its flank, another had shattered against its horn. They didn''t seem to be having much effect. Mist swallowed and gripped her spear tight, then with a shrill cry she lunged forward. The sharp head sliced against the behemoth''s leg, opening a small cut that the beast didn''t seem to notice.

    "Keep attacking," Nala said. "Amanda only takes full damage from criticals. You have time."

    "Why aren''t you attacking?" Mist asked, as she struck again.

    "Close attacks might cancel the GoadStone''s effect. Too risky. I can backstab when it''s close to critical. Not until then."

    The behemoth roared and reared up, above the yellow-green clouds, then struck down with both claws at once.

    "Ah!"

    "Amanda!"

    "I''m okay, just ... lost an arm..."

    Mist was close to tears as she struck the behemoth again.

    "Nala, she''s really getting hurt¡ª"

    "That was a critical hit. Amanda can take two. Maybe three. Keep attacking."

    Above, Sly nocked another arrow, drew back the string of his bow, then let it loose. It thrummed through the air and stuck in the behemoth''s side, joining a dozen others.

    "Not particularly effective," Praetorian commented, after a furtive glance out from behind his rock. "Still, ''the death of a thousand cuts'' and all that."

    "If I got closer I could use my PointBlank skill," Sly said. "It''s not a great damage boost, but..."

    "Does Nala know you possess such an ability?"

    "I dunno, I never said about it, but she knows, like, everything else¡ª"

    "It would seem to be worth a try¡ªAmanda only has so many limbs to lose, after all."

    Sly grimaced at that, as he loosed another arrow¡ªthis one shattered against the behemoth''s leg with seemingly no effect.

    "Yeah, nah, this just isn''t working," he muttered, already moving down the passage, towards the cavern proper.

    Below, within the noxious cloud, Amanda grunted as the behemoth''s claws ripped into her¡ªthe sensation wasn''t overly painful, more of a brief but intense pressure followed by dull discomfort. Still, it wasn''t nice. Her left arm hung loose at her side, not completely severed but in all ways useless. The sight of the partially detached limb made Amanda uncomfortable, so she looked up as the behemoth''s assault continued, staring through the horrible vapours and at the cavern ceiling above, at the glowing crystals that seemed almost to grow from the rock, at the copper-coloured sky visible through the crack.

    "There," she heard Nala say, followed by the behemoth growling¡ªdifferent to before, longer and lower.

    Outside of the gas cloud Mist struck again, adding to the collection of scratches in the behemoth''s left rear leg. At her side, Nala nodded.

    "Slowed, and Confused," she said. "Maybe Poisoned."

    Mist said nothing, just attacked again, and again, and again...

    "Okay," Sly muttered, now almost directly below his previous position. He had a clear line of sight between two of the xylomids, and the arrow he''d just sent into the behemoth had sunk noticeably deeper¡ªit was even bleeding from the wound. He notched another arrow and once more drew back the string, feeling the dark life in his cursed bow writhe...

    "Ugh," Amanda mumbled. She felt like she should say more, do more, but it was getting hard to concentrate. The cavern ceiling was rising higher and higher, the yellow-green of the surrounding gas growing closer and thicker by the second ... and yet maybe that was good, maybe that was comfortable, maybe there was no pain at all, maybe there was nothing...

    Mist gasped and almost dropped her spear in surprise¡ªher last attack had cut deep, and she''d felt a physical surge of power as her spear sliced through the behemoth''s flesh.

    "Critical hit," Nala said. "Good. Keep attacking."

    As if in response the behemoth reared up, letting out an explosive roar that seemed neither Slowed nor Confused, then lunged back into the gas cloud. The others heard Amanda''s weak cry, but couldn''t see anything until her body burst from the gas cloud. She tumbled through the air like a thrown doll before smashing against a cavern wall and crumpling to the ground, her left arm lying some distance away, her right leg wrenched at a sickening angle. Two nearby xylomids had noticed her and were moving to attack, but those that had previously surrounded her seemed to have lost interest. Not so the behemoth, which emerged from the gas cloud with a menacing growl, flicking its head this way and that, searching for its prey.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Nala stared.

    Then she called out, "Keep attacking! Don''t stop!"

    "But¡ª"

    "Not you." Nala had Mist''s armoured wrist in hand and tugged her along, making for where Amanda lay¡ªthe behemoth hadn''t yet found her, and the xylomids were sluggish. There was a pained growl as an arrow thudded into the behemoth''s side, and Nala spoke as she walked:

    "It''s close to critical. After we capture it we''ll all teleport¡ª"

    Nala stopped, frozen in place¡ªthe behemoth had turned towards her and Mist. It was looking straight at them.

    "Nala¡ª"

    "Don''t talk."

    The behemoth was walking towards them now, pausing every few steps to stop and raise its head, to sniff the air and to listen.

    "Status effect," Nala murmured. "Blind. Follow me."

    She turned to move in another direction¡ªbut found her route blocked by a cluster of roaming xylomids. She frowned. They hadn''t been there before. There was no reason for them to move. They shouldn''t be there.

    "Nala?"

    With an irritated grimace Nala turned again, heading back towards another wall, another side passage, away from the cavern¡ª

    "Nala, the others¡ª"

    Nala waved Mist into silence. The xylomids approaching were active; she couldn''t use her stealth while they could see her. Without stealth, she couldn''t get near enough the behemoth to backstab¡ªif it was affected by Blind then she''d get a bonus to damage, and backstabbing from stealth added a multiplier. It might be enough, even without Sly''s arrows¡ªwhich had stopped, because the crowd of xylomids blocked his view; he couldn''t see the behemoth so he couldn''t attack.

    Get out of sight, Nala thought. Stealth. Move in to backstab. Capture the behemoth; teleport out. That''s the key. Capture a monster and everything¡ª

    Nala stopped.

    Nala stared.

    The behemoth was surrounded by a runic circle, spirals of sparkling stars rising, and it raised its head and roared before vanishing into the light.

    "Did ... did we get it?" Mist asked, her eyes wide. "Did ... we got it! Nala, we got it!"

    Nala was frowning down at her CaptureRing.

    It wasn''t glowing.

    Not even a little.

    She looked up at the sound of high, triumphant laughter¡ªabove, in a high passage looking down on the cavern, stood a collection of painfully familiar people.

    "Hey, thanks for softening it up!" Raid Fearson called down, even as the glow of teleportation rose around him. "Last hit gets the prize, that''s a rule, huh? By the way, you might wanna move. Behemoth''s got that thing, yeah? Critical condition AllyRoar? Gonna be a whoooole bunch more down there soon! See you guys back at the academy, if there''s anything left of ya!"

    With that, and a final laugh, Raid and his party vanished, leaving Nala to stare up at where they''d been, at the fading afterglow of teleportation.

    From a nearby passage there came a deep rumbling growl, joined by others, distant but approaching¡ª

    Mist gasped as Nala pulled her into running, clanking along behind and splashing through shallow pools as Nala pushed towards the other side of the cavern¡ªto where Amanda had fallen. Two xylomids were breathing their horrible fumes over her; Nala placed Mist a distance away, backstabbed each xylomid in turn, then darted back as they turned on her. Amanda was lying still, lifeless eyes staring at nothing, her left arm missing, her right leg barely attached. Her dress had been torn to shreds, bloodless wounds and pale blue flesh exposed through the tears. When Mist hurried over to drag her away, Amanda barely reacted beyond a long, weak moan.

    "It''s okay," Mist babbled, as she pulled her friend towards a side passage, looking around for Nala¡ªbut she couldn''t see her. "I''ll just get you through here and then ... and then..."

    Mist trailed off, her mouth still moving but no sound coming out, her wide eyes fixed on the other side of the cavern, where a new behemoth was stalking out of a side passage¡ª

    With a small whimper Mist scrabbled for Amanda''s arm, for the iron bracelet around her wrist, for the lumpy green gem slotted into it, trembling fingers gripping and pulling and twisting until she got it unslotted. There were three behemoths in the cavern now, their deep, searching growls making Mist shiver from head to toe. Amanda was growling too¡ªor trying to talk, maybe.

    "Ssh, ssh, it''s okay, it''s okay." Mist glanced at a couple of xylomids as she passed, but they didn''t seem to even notice her. "We''re almost at the passage, we''re almost out, then ... then we''ll ... we''re almost at the passage, anyway..."

    But after getting to the passage, and dragging Amanda behind a cluster of thick stalagmites, and looking out worriedly in a vain attempt to see where Amanda''s arm might have fallen, or where Sly or Nala were, and after wandering up the passage and calling ''Praetorian! Praetorian?'' with no response, and after going back down to Amanda and crouching beside her and being miserable for a bit, Mist had to admit that she had no idea what to do. The behemoths were still in the cavern, but they weren''t straying far from the passages they''d entered from. The xylomids in the cavern weren''t doing much either, now that the GoadStone was unslotted.

    Mist leant out from around the stalagmites to look around the cavern again. She couldn''t see Amanda''s arm. She couldn''t see Nala. She couldn''t see Sly or Praetorian. She couldn''t see anything, except glowing crystals and rock pools and xylomids and behemoths. With a shuddering, helpless sigh she retreated back behind the stalagmites, took Amanda''s unresisting hand in her own, squeezed it tight, then whispered:

    "Well now what?"

    But no, Mist thought. No, I can''t just think like that. Maybe we can get back up to the surface, maybe we can capture something else, Nala will make a plan, if those xylomids didn''t get her¡ª

    "You unslotted the GoadStone. Good."

    Mist didn''t jump at Nala''s sudden soft voice, for which she was quietly proud. She was less proud of what she did next, which was to fall on the dwarf sobbing and snotting and blithering like an idiot. Nala tolerated this for a short time, then pushed Mist away and handed her a cloth to wipe her face with, and she said:

    "I couldn''t find Amanda''s arm. Maybe a xylomid ate it."

    At that Amanda let out a rough groan, shifting where she lay to fix her dull eyes on Nala. She groaned again, perhaps trying to speak, but in her current state she was impossible to understand. Mist took Amanda''s hand again.

    "We''ll do something," she said, between tearful sniffs. "Maybe Praetorian will know¡ª"

    At the mention of the necromancer Amanda let out a particularly violent moan, managing to clumsily wrench her head from side to side to accentuate her displeasure. Mist managed a small smile and patted the dead girl''s hand.

    "She can''t walk." Nala''s voice was low, and even flatter than usual. "If we leave her here she might be found by a wandering monster and further damaged. However, if we don''t capture a monster then we fail this test. That is our priority."

    "But ... but can we even do that?"

    "Maybe a land lizard, if we can find one on its own. If I backstab, then you distract it with your attack, and if I can backstab again..."

    Nala trailed off, frowning. It took Mist a moment to realise why; Nala''s gaze was on her CaptureRing.

    "Why is it glowing?" Mist asked, staring at the ring. "Should it be doing that?"

    Amanda let out a soft moan, and when Mist looked at her she saw that the zombie girl was pointing¡ªor doing her best to indicate a direction, in any case. There was something there, up the passage, hiding behind a pile of rocks and dead crystals. Something small, and bulbous, and a pleasant shade of blue¡ª

    "It''s a slime!" Mist cried, before putting her hand over her mouth. She pushed herself up and walked towards it¡ªin response the slime shrank back, quivering. Nala''s eyes were still on the CaptureRing; the closer Mist walked to the slime, the brighter it glowed.

    "Why?" Nala murmured, as Mist leaned around the pile of rocks and smiled at the slime.

    "Hello there!" she said. "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you¡ª"

    "Yes you will."

    Mist stared back at Nala. "W-what?"

    "We can capture it. Any monster will count as a success." Nala fixed her gaze on the slime, which shrank away but did not run. "Blue slime. Weak. It doesn''t belong here."

    Mist had reached out to the slime as Nala had talked, was now running her hand over its goopy surface¡ªbut she jerked back as it made a slightly disturbing burbling noise.

    "Time is running low," Nala said. "We need to pass this test¡ª"

    "Wait," Mist said. "Just wait, I think ... are you trying to talk?"

    The blue slime quivered gently, then rippled as it replied:

    "Talk."

    Nala frowned.

    "Blue slimes can''t talk," she stated. "They aren''t intelligent."

    "Sorry," the blue slime burbled, shrinking into itself. It quivered, then continued: "I followed you? You. Shining feather."

    "M-me?" Mist said, pointing at herself¡ªdespite its oversized, awkward appearance her armour was quite shiny and did have a feather motif. "My name''s, um ... I''m Mist."

    "Mist," the blue slime repeated. How it was talking wasn''t apparent, it didn''t have a mouth or any kind of face. Just smooth blue goo. "Mist who shines."

    "Oh. Um ... thank you? Do you have a name?"

    The blue slime quivered again. Mist glanced at Nala¡ªshe had lowered her head, hiding her face beneath her hood, but she appeared to be studying the slime.

    "Nala," Mist said, some measure of resolve in her voice. "Could we ... if we could ... I mean, if it''s possible, do you think¡ª"

    "If we can succeed then we should succeed."

    Mist thought about this, then nodded firmly to herself and smiled at the slime.

    "Do you want to come with us? Can we, um, ''capture'' you? Would that be okay?"

    The slime blobbed up and down a bit.

    "Yes," it said. "Please, yes."

    And Nala''s CaptureRing shone bright...

 Episode 09.01 ~ "No Points For Sentimentality"

    The examination hall was long and narrow, marble walls glowing warm in the afternoon light. The hall was clearly divided into twelve areas, each dominated by a large magic circle made of deep-carved runes and swirling geometric patterns, although only eight were in use; only eight teams had succeeded in capturing a monster, and most were not currently present¡ªhaving arrived they then had to wait for the other teams to succeed or fail or otherwise finish, and for an official to inspect and confirm their monster, and so they''d left the hall in search of sustenance or adulation. The monster hunt itself hadn''t been broadcast, and all that had been announced so far were the names of those who had succeeded or failed in the test. In prior years this had been a mere formality, treated mostly as something of academic interest to tournament analysts. This year, however, each small announcement was greeted with cheers and booing and the exchanging-of-merits. Already there were favourites among the tournament teams, and betting was increasingly common.

    All in all the sudden popularity of the tournament had come as something of a surprise to those in charge. Of course it was always popular with the higher tiers of society, but the Bright Battle Tournament had never before held much appeal for the common people. This year, though ... this year was different.

    And if there was one thing that Those Above hated, it was difference...

    Amanda returned to herself slowly, dragging consciousness back into her cold stiff corpse inch by hard-fought inch. There wasn''t pain, not as such, but she was uncomfortably aware that things were not as they should be. Worse than that, though, was that every small step she took towards control and sensation and freedom was due to him.

    Worse than anything, Amanda thought, as thought returned to her, is that I am not alone.

    Gradually she became aware of an intrusion upon her personal space, small but persistent, and eventually she recognised it as the now familiar¡ªnow almost comfortable, and how horrifying was that¡ªsensation of a needle being pushed through her dead flesh, of dark-auraed threads knitting her wounds and binding her spirit.

    Binding, she thought. Yes, that''s exactly it. I am bound.

    In order to avoid awareness of the one doing the sewing, Amanda attempted to focus on her surroundings. It was a large place, a wide place, surprisingly bright. Surprising? She had expected darkness, gloominess, but didn''t know why. There were noises, people talking but also other things, growling and rattling and a kind of audible sparkle that held Amanda''s attention for a while, before a pleasantly rhythmic humming invaded her consciousness. Some kind of magic, she thought. Some kind of barrier. Now how do I know that?

    "There now. You''re looking better already. The colour''s come back into your cheeks!"

    Unable to put it off any longer, Amanda fixed her dull eyes upon the one who had reattached her leg. Praetorian gazed back, his expression smugly superior, perhaps even pitying. She tried to say something sarcastic and biting, but all that came out was:

    "...grooooo..."

    Which was honestly just embarrassing.

    "Hm. Well. You''ll be able to talk again soon enough. Perhaps too soon, but let''s not get snippy. You''re very lucky, did you know that?"

    Again, Amanda would have liked to be so very sarcastic in response to that, so very very sarcastic, but once more her body let her down and all she managed was:

    "Soooooo luuuuuck."

    Not even ''lucky''. ''So luck''. In the Big Bumper Book Of Best Zombie Comebacks that wouldn''t even warrant a footnote.

    "Now then, let''s move on to your abdomen. Not in especially good condition but there you have it, hazards of the profession I suppose. Your chest I did while you were away, I thought it better to get that done before you could slap me¡ª"

    Amanda jerked her arm up to slap Praetorian, but he just shook his head sadly.

    "No luck there, I''m afraid. Next time you may want to consider using a limb you still have attached."

    With a low groan of recollection, Amanda lolled her head to the side. Where her left arm should have been there was just a sad trail of bandaging.

    "Gooooone."

    "Yes, careless of you, losing your arm like that. Limbs don''t just teleport back with you, not if they''re unattached."

    Amanda let her eyes close. As if things weren''t bad enough already, as if being dead wasn''t enough of a crutch. What use was a one-armed dead girl? What kind of use was a thing like that? She was aware that Praetorian was still talking, still babbling on in that incessant irritating way of his, but everything was getting distant again¡ªAmanda didn''t sleep, not exactly, but for a time each night she was able to withdraw far enough inside that the effect was almost the same ... or so she assumed. It seemed the same. There was a memory, or the shade of a memory, or the recollection of something that wasn''t there¡ª

    "Ouch," Amanda said, everything rushing to a single point just below her left shoulder. She blinked, slowly, then again, a little less sluggishly this time, and then she raised her head and stared down at something that looked suspiciously like an arm.

    "Thaaaat..."

    Amanda trailed off, swallowed, tried again:

    "Is that ... my arm? I really hope that''s my arm."

    Praetorian said nothing. He seemed intent on his task, and perhaps a little annoyed. Amanda decided to deal with this by not caring even one little jot.

    "Answer me, Darkcede. Whose arm is that?"

    "Yours."

    "Mine as in ''it''s attached to your shoulder so technically it''s yours'' or mine as in ''yes this is your real arm so hurray''?"

    "It''s your arm, Amanda. The same wayward limb that was swiped off by a rampaging behemoth. The same limb that fell amidst a veritable swarm of xylomids. The very same limb, in fact, that I earned another of these darkly pretty little things retrieving." Praetorian paused in his stitching to hold up his hand, three dark butterflies flittering above his BrightCircle. "And may I just say, the inside of a xylomid''s mouth is every bit as unpleasant as you''d expect. I suppose I should count myself fortunate that my safehold shard activated before the dreadful beast swallowed. I suppose Nala was correct on that point, at least. ''No significant digestion''."

    Amanda stared. Then she stared some more. Then she did a bit more staring. Praetorian, meanwhile, had returned to his task, frowning slightly as he worked to make her whole again.

    Eventually, Amanda spoke:

    "Why?"

    "Why? Why? Is that what you ask? Is that the very word you use?" Praetorian did not stop stitching as he spoke, didn''t so much as glance up. "How many times must I say this? How many times will you force me to repeat myself? Whether I like it or not, whether you appreciate it or not, you are my responsibility."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Amanda had turned her head away and closed her eyes, and she did not move or speak again as Praetorian repaired her body.

    Nearby, in the holding area, Mist was dividing her worry between Nala, who was sitting with her hood covering her face, Sly, who nobody had seen since the plan had gone all wrong, Amanda, who was lying on a bench exuding misery, and the blue slime, which was slumped in the corner of a magical cell. In the caverns the slime had been a teardrop shape but now it more resembled a puddle, flattened and spread out and somewhat forlorn. Mist wondered if this was due to the other monsters around¡ªeight of the twelve teams had been successful in the test, and though the examination hall was long and high and airy and bright the presence of the larger monsters made for a somewhat close environment.

    "It''s okay," Mist said, and the blue slime quivered in response. "They''re all in these magic circle things, they can''t get out and hurt you. I know they''re scary, but ... um ... well..."

    Mist trailed off, unable to think of anything to say.

    "It''s scared of the succubus."

    Nala still sat in the same position, hands crossed in her lap, head bowed, face covered by the hood of her cloak. Mist waited for her to continue, but apparently that was all the dwarf had to say. With a sigh, and after her hundredth worried glance at the slime, Mist looked around the hall. Each magical cell was formed of a circle of pale light, stretching from floor to ceiling, large enough to hold any monster. The closest circle to the left contained a large skeletal snake-like creature that rattled with every movement, while in the circle to the right, pacing around with arms crossed and expression petulant, was a girl. She was delicately featured and attractively proportioned, eyes large and deep purple-brown. Her hair was pure black, split into two long ponytails by silver bands, and her dark skin was covered in sharply curving tattoos. She wore a kind of leather vest with a diamond-shaped slit up the middle to show off her midriff, nothing but four thin strips covering her back. Below this she had on an attractively torn leather skirt.

    "Like what you see? Want a little taste?"

    Mist gasped and looked away, her cheeks hot as the succubus walked to the edge of the circle¡ªthe blue slime shrank back then fled to the other side of its prison.

    "As if I''d lower myself to blue," the succubus purred. She flicked her attention to Mist. "Purity purity, I haven''t seen a valkyrie in years. So tempting to tempt, so delicious to delight. Come closer, shining one. Let me see your pretty eyes."

    Mist blushed deeper as she shrank into her armour. The succubus clucked her tongue.

    "Prissy little pizzlequim. Don''t look unless you''re going to touch."

    With that the succubus turned and flounced away, just as the team who''d captured her came back, loaded down with steamed buns and meat-on-the-bone. The leader¡ªMist recognised him as Arbie, one of the fighters who''d talked to her at the pre-test party¡ªraised a slightly greasy hand in greeting. Mist smiled weakly back, and he took that as an invitation to come over.

    "Hey," he said. "Was Jade bothering you? Kind of looked like something was happening."

    "Oh. Um. No, it''s fine. She''s just ... like that. Right?"

    "Yeah, guess it''s a succubus thing, being kind of a bitch or whatever. Felt like a good idea at the time, y''know? We were all like ''yeah, succubus, sex demon chick, woo!'' but now that we''ve got her ... yeah, dunno, kind of weird that she''s like our pet or whatever, like we''ve got her all captured and stuff so, uh, yeah. Didn''t really think that one through. Plus now we''re gonna be called ''The Succubuses'' or whatever so ... yeah. You, uh, you want some food? We went a bit crazy on it, got way too much."

    Mist accepted a steamed bun with a small ''thank you'', while Nala remained silent and still.

    "Hey, where''s your friend? Tall blue girl, what was her name?"

    "Amanda?" Mist mumbled through a mouthful of hot bun and sweet pork. She hastily swallowed before continuing: "She got ... hurt. Praetorian''s still fixing her up, I think."

    "Praetorian, that''s the necromancer dude? Cool ... you guys got a bunch of, like, different classes, yeah? Kind of cool ... guess we should learn about that kind of stuff, now that this is all, y''know, real and that. Still can''t believe we''re all official and stuff, we''re gonna be in the Bright Battle Tournament, that''s crazy, man! Oh, uh, guess that means we could go up against you guys sometime."

    "Oh." Mist nodded at her half-eaten bun. "I guess it does."

    "Yeah, well ... guess that''s the game, though. Whatever, right?" Arbie glanced over at his group, who appeared to be staging a mock battle using meat-on-the-bones as weapons. "Man, those guys ... hey, if Jade gives you any trouble or whatever just, like, tell me or something, okay?"

    "Okay."

    "Better get back to mah boys before Skull tries to put a whole meat-on-the-bone in his mouth. See ya, yeah?"

    "Yes. Um, yes, see you!"

    Mist waved as Arbie went back to his team, then looked at Nala.

    "You could say hello, you know," she said, feeling emboldened by Arbie''s friendliness. "Just sitting there seems really rude."

    "He is our enemy," came Nala''s voice, although she didn''t move in the slightest.

    "But ... but it''s like Summer said, that''s no reason to be impolite. And isn''t that something we should be doing? Making friends who can help us? Arbie and his team are really nice and they''re strong too, I''m sure they wouldn''t attack us or anything even if they met us in the, um, in the main academy, out of a safe zone I mean ... and isn''t it just ... you know ... nice? To be nice to people?"

    Nala didn''t reply to that. Mist let out a small sigh, then stood up.

    "Well, I''m going to go see if Summer''s here, anyway," she said. "And James and Night, because I like them and I hope they did well. Um, succeeded, I mean."

    Mist waited to see if Nala would react at all. When she didn''t, Mist turned with a huff and stomped away, pausing beside the magic circle.

    "I''m just going to see if my, my friends are around," she said to the blue slime. "I''ll be back, okay? Don''t let that succubus scare you, she can''t get out of her prison thing and I think she said she doesn''t like blue slimes anyway." Mist stopped, quietly hopeful that the slime might respond, but all it did was slowly stretch out. "Oh. Well, okay, bye for now."

    Resisting the urge to look back at Nala, Mist walked away. She slowed near where Praetorian was tending to Amanda, but he was entirely focused on his work and Amanda had her eyes closed and her head turned away, so Mist felt it was probably best not to disturb them.

    The hall''s relative emptiness suited Mist perfectly; it gave her a good opportunity to look at the monsters other teams had captured. There was the giant skeletal snake she''d already seen, and down the hall Mist could hear the growling of the behemoth, and there was a metallic star-shaped thing that floated in the air, spiralling gently and scattering rainbow sparkles as it drifted around its prison.

    "It''s a silverstar," came a voice to Mist''s right, and she turned to bow her head a little and give a small smile to Summer, who smiled and bowed back before continuing: "Pretty, isn''t it? I saw that your team returned with a blue slime, was that intentional? Does Nala know something the rest of us don''t?"

    "I, um." Mist bit her lip. She did like Summer, but the girl was clever¡ªand what Nala had said was at least a little true, the other teams were kind of like enemies now. Saying too much could get them in trouble. "Um, appearances can be deceiving?"

    "Hm." Summer smiled at the silverstar, which was doing little twirls up into the air. "Raid Fearson''s team captured a behemoth. Did they get to one first?"

    "I, um, I guess they must''ve. Um, where''s James? And Night, are they around here?"

    Summer made a face. "Don''t ask. What about your team? I don''t see Tzugakk or Slythaneile around."

    "They, um ... actually I am kind of worried about Sly..."

    "Was he defeated during the test? He should have teleported to this building''s infirmary, did you check there?"

    "That''s where Praetorian was ... but he hadn''t seen Sly."

    "Hm. That''s ... odd. I hope nothing went wrong."

    Mist nodded, her eyes on the spiralling, sparkling silverstar. "Me too..."

    Not so far away, on her bench, Nala did not look up as someone neared. Not even when they spoke did she so much as shift in position, did not raise her head, did not react in the slightest as Raid Fearson said:

    "No hard feelings, yeah?"

    He clunked himself down beside Nala and jabbed a finger at the blue slime.

    "That what you came up with? Hahahaha! Oh man, I almost feel sorry for you guys. At least you''re still in the fight, hope we get matched up against you. Not just for the easy win, neither."

    Nala remained silent and still. Raid shifted in his seat and looked at her, a superior frown on his face.

    "You sulking or something? Come on, you can''t be hurting that bad about it. Last hit gets the capture, that''s how it goes. Not my fault I''m so smart."

    Still Nala did not respond.

    "No fun at all, are ya." Raid stood and stretched. "Better get back to my team, figure they''re gonna start doing the whole judging thing soon." He turned and fixed Nala with a hard stare. "One thing, just so you know, you don''t gotta worry about us taking you guys out. I''m done with that small time crap. It''s gonna be in an arena that we do you guys, and it''s gonna be good. Heh, those stuck-up vampires, those psycho elves, they think it''s just between them but I''m taking out the number one spot this year, you can believe that. Might even throw you a bone once we''re at the top, how''s that sound? Got something you want, stumpy? Wanna buy out of this dump? We''re gonna have merits to burn, might as well give something back to the little guys."

    Nala remained silent.

    "Yeah, well, whatever."

    It was as Raid turned to go that Nala raised her head, her face shadowed beneath her hood but her flat expression clear to see. Raid stopped and looked back at her, smirking.

    "Oh, you do got something to say? This should be good."

    Nala gazed at him, narrow grey eyes unreadable, and then she spoke:

    "I will never lose to you again."

    Raid laughed.

    "Keep telling yourself that, bug."

    With that he walked away, chuckling.

 Episode 09.02

    Mist sat holding Amanda''s hand as Praetorian finished the final repairs, her position giving her a good view of the other teams as they came back in: the human swashbuckler Charles Silverblade entered with a girl on each arm, the tall human mage Rae on his left and the short elf healer Flower on his right, the half-orc brothers Flint and Teak towering behind. The manner in which Charles led the way to his team''s circle¡ªthe one with the giant skeletal snake¡ªmade it seem like they were walking in a ceremonial procession, although of course no one was watching, although of course everyone was.

    Soon after Charles and the others had sat down another team came in, led by a stroppy halfling in gleaming armour. Mist recognised her as the paladin Jane Hearthguard. With her was the elf healer Gloria Lightfear¡ªSly''s sister¡ªas well as another halfling and two humans, one tall and well-built, the other in rough clothing with a wide-brimmed hat. Their magic circle held a monster to rival even Raid Fearson''s behemoth; a massive lionish humanoid that stood strong in the centre of its temporary prison, muscular arms crossed, great head raised, proud eyes taking in everything.

    Next came James Bloodspit and Night Rain, James all swagger and giggles, Night rather bouncier than his usual taciturn self¡ªboth of them spotted Mist and waved, James exuberantly, Night with an endearing shyness. Mist waved back, smiling¡ªif it wasn''t so close to the judging, she''d have gone to say hello properly. Shortly after this the elven team entered, a tall muscular fighter-type leading the way, a dangerous-looking girl at his side. Praetorian supplied their names when Mist asked; Jak Kingfisher and Dahlia Knifetaunt, both bladedancers. After them came a gaggle of others, all apparently part of the team.

    "Isn''t there a limit?" Mist asked, as she watched more and more elves enter the hall. "How many people can a team have?"

    "Nala would probably know," Praetorian said, with a glance at the dwarf¡ªthe only move she''d made since planting herself on the bench had been to cross her arms. "I believe the important point is that no matter how many are in a team the ''fielding limit'' remains the same. Points costs and all that, they might have a dozen fine-looking individuals to choose from but only three or four may fight in any particular match."

    "Oh." Mist leant forward to watch as the last of the elves joined Jak and Dahlia beside their monster, a sleek bird-like creature made entirely out of sharp bits of metal. Summer Rain had identified it as a ''Knives''. "Is that all the teams?"

    "Vampires still to come," Praetorian muttered, once again focusing on Amanda''s wounds¡ªhe was almost done, just making a few final tweaks to the binding on her leg. Amanda twitched and squeezed Mist''s hand as Praetorian ran his fingers over the stitching, and Mist squeezed back.

    "You''re doing really well," Mist said to Amanda. "It''s almost finished."

    Amanda didn''t respond, except to squeeze Mist''s hand again.

    "And here they are," Praetorian said, not looking up from his work. "Fashionably last."

    Mist looked over as a trio of tall pale girls swept into the hall, followed by a broodingly handsome young man. The three girls stopped in front of the entrance, raven-haired, blonde and brunette; Violet Blaze, Amity Moon and Priscilla Belldandy. Violet had her arms crossed as she slid her superior gaze over the room, Amity ran a hand through her hair before flipping it and inspecting her nails, while Priscilla looked around with interested eyes, her hands demurely crossed in front of herself. Behind them their male companion had found a wall to lean against, dark hair flopping down to his bored eyes, arms crossed, posture impeccably apathetic, his very essence oozing d¨¦gag¨¦ cool.

    "Well," Violet declared. "Just look at what we have here. Such a splendid display of mediocrity, it''s enough to make one feel entirely indifferent."

    "Mm," Amity agreed, glancing up from her fingernails. "Difficult to get excited about this kind of competition."

    "Still, we have our duties and responsibilities," Violet said, and she led the others through the hall, apparently revelling in the hateful glares she attracted¡ªespecially from the elven team, whose circle was next to theirs. She curtsied to Jak and Dahlia before raising her perfect eyebrows at their monster. "Oh, how adorable, a knives. I''m sure that''ll be, well, let''s be honest, of absolutely no help whatsoever once we clash ... assuming you even get that far."

    Dahlia Knifetaunt looked ready to leap at Violet and tear out her throat, but she settled down after a calm glance from Jak.

    "Lady Violet Blaze," he said, his voice smooth and sure and slightly accented. He gave a small bow, his eyes never leaving hers. "I wonder what it is that gives you such confidence."

    "Mm, racial superiority, class advantage, proven competence¡ªtake your pick, really."

    Jak smiled. "Such an invitation," he murmured, walking forward¡ªhe was taller than Violet, but not by much. "I wonder also ... why a shimmerclaw?"

    "Oh, this?" Violet waved an airy hand at her circle. Within prowled a cat-like creature, sleek and shimmering as it faded in and out of sight. "Priscilla chose it, she seems to think they''re cute ... and the name was adequately quaint." Violet half-turned to scantly regard the shimmerclaw. "It is rather a charming thing, in a translucent sort of way."

    "So too could you be called charming," Jak said, leaning close to Violet, his voice soft. "In a ... translucent sort of way."

    Violet pretended to shiver. Jak pretended to smile.

    "We''ll meet you in the tournament," he said, showing his back to Violet and walking to join a smirking Dahlia. "Sooner or later." Jak turned to run his dark green eyes over the vampires, over Amity who rolled her eyes and turned away, over Priscilla who looked down and smiled, over Storm who glowered back with steely eyes ... and resting on Violet, whose gaze hadn''t left him for the slightest instant. "And then? At the time we meet?"

    Jak left the words hanging, followed them with nothing but a lingering smile before turning away, his team following his lead, even Dahlia giving the vampires nothing more than a violent grin and a savagely offensive hand gesture.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Back at Team Nala''s area Amanda was sitting up on the bench, Praetorian having finished her repairs during the past exchange. She gave a halfway-impressed little grunt.

    "I think I kind of like him," she said, as she put on her dress over her tattered rags. "That elf guy."

    "He seems really confident," Mist said. "Maybe the elves will win this year."

    "I love that our chances aren''t even considered," Praetorian said, from where he sat and rested nearby. "Rightfully so, of course, which perhaps adds to the exquisitely painful poetry of the sentiment."

    "I ... I didn''t mean it like that, I just..." Mist trailed off, looking down at her gauntlets. "Although it is hard to even imagine us winning. All of these teams seem so strong..."

    Amanda patted Mist on her armoured shoulder, then looked up¡ª

    "Oh. Those must be the judges."

    Entering the hall were eight men and women of varying races, all dressed in green and brown robes and wearing high brimless hats. They casually chatted among themselves as they walked, before separating off to each take a team. The judge who approached Mist and the others was a halfling woman with curly brown hair and half-moon spectacles.

    "Team ten?" she said. "Captain Nala Greyward?"

    "Um, she''s sitting over there," Mist said. "But, um, yes, that''s us, I guess."

    "Let''s have a look at what you caught, then." The judge glanced back as she led the others towards the circle. "I''m Judge Highbarrow, but call me Melindy. Now then, Nala?"

    Nala raised her head.

    "And this would be your monster." Melindy leant forward, peering at the slime over her spectacles¡ªpresently it resembled a lumpy blue sausage. "Hm. Points for originality I suppose, can''t recall any team ever picking a blue slime for their monster. Still, at least it has a heart core."

    Mist perked up at that. "Heart?" she said. "Is that good?"

    "Well, it''s not bad," the judge said, scrawling something on a scroll. "You can see even now, it''s progressing to its developed stage."

    "Developed, now that sounds promising," Praetorian said. "Can we expect an increase in strength over that of the common slime?"

    "Oh, no," the judge said, with a merry laugh. "''Strength'' he says, goodness me. Blue slimes can''t attack, about the only thing they''re good at is running away. Passable defence thanks to their GooForm intrinsic, but they don''t have any of the special abilities that other slime-types get. You should''ve gone for a tiger slime at the least¡ªor a dark slime, those can be very effective when used correctly."

    "So..." Mist trailed off, her gaze on the slime¡ªits surface looked shinier than before, glistening in the warm light. "So what does it actually mean, having a heart core?"

    "Mm ... personality, mostly." The judge was speaking to her scroll as she continued to write. "And speech, of course. Most slimes can''t talk, at least not to non-tamers."

    "Is it rare?" Praetorian asked. "To find such a slime?"

    "Not particularly. Most nests have one or two. They act as big sisters, of a kind, or shepherds perhaps ... this one''s young, though. In fact I''d say you caught it just after its heart core formed."

    "I''ve never heard of this before," Praetorian said. "Which seems odd, considering my homeland is near overrun by the pestilent things."

    "That''d be Auldvyne? Wrong sort of magic over that way, bubbles. You''ll get shadow slimes and dark slimes and bat slimes and those sorts, but it''s the opposite side of the development ladder. Even your basic blue''d be rare enough in those parts. Nimbus is your ticket if you want heart cores, anywhere with prism magic''ll turn ''em up pretty regular."

    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t pay attention to any of that, I was too distracted by you calling me ''bubbles''."

    "Anyway," Melindy said, looking up from her scroll at the slime, "this one''ll get its form sorted out soon enough. It''s got a good sync with you, girl."

    "Me?" Mist said. "Really?"

    "Not that it makes much difference. Loyalty stuff only really comes into it with special abilities which, like I said, blue slimes don''t have. Still, she likes you."

    "It''s a ''she''?"

    "Far as these things go. You''ll see soon enough. For now I''ll just give you your ranking¡ªgot to be a Z, sorry about that but there''s not much I can do with a blue slime."

    "No, no," Praetorian said. "We''re used to it."

    "Good luck anyway." Melindy smiled at the slime. "I couldn''t tell you why, but I''ve always liked these ones. There''s something about them, you know? Had one myself back when I was just a wee wildtamer, one of the first monsters I ever captured. Took it with me from Green Glade all the way through to the Rainbow Coast. I almost cried when I synthesised it with a streptile to get a blue drake. Still, no points for sentimentality."

    Melindy checked something off on her scroll, then looked around at the team.

    "Any questions, then? No? Ceremony''s in five minutes, be ready near your circle."

    "Um, thank you," Mist said, as Melindy walked off. It seemed theirs was the first team to finish being assessed¡ªMist could see a human judge speaking to Charles Silverblade about their team''s ''death rattle'', and Arbie was nodding and looking confused as a tall elven judge blathered on about succubi and their appetites.

    "You''re looking rather morose," Praetorian said to Nala. "At least you emerged from the test with your demerits intact, one more ''death'' and I face expulsion."

    Nala looked up at Praetorian, then lowered her head. "You should have used a FeatherToken."

    "Yes, well, I would have but I was being eaten at the time."

    Behind everyone, her arms crossed and her shoulders hunched, Amanda scowled at the floor. This went largely unnoticed.

    "Um, Nala?" Mist said. "I don''t ... I mean, we don''t ... we don''t blame you, or anything, if that''s what you''re worried about¡ª"

    "I''m not worried."

    Mist sat next to Nala. "But you seem really down."

    Nala raised her head to look at Mist. "''Down''?"

    "Oh! Um! I didn''t mean¡ªthat''s not an insult to dwarfs, is it? Sorry!"

    "Given your height," Praetorian offered, at Nala''s even blanker than usual look. "Or lack thereof."

    "I''m not insulted."

    "Phew, good. I mean, I''m not that much taller than you, but, um ... are you do¡ªdepressed?"

    "No."

    "Then what?" Mist asked. "You''ve hardly said anything since we got back, not even about Sly¡ª"

    "He used a FeatherToken and was teleported to his home in Fauxgreen."

    Mist stared. "Huh? How did you ... actually that would explain a lot of things ... but so why isn''t he back here?"

    Nala said nothing.

    "Come on, Nala," Amanda said. "Even I can see that something''s wrong. You''re angry at Raid and his guys?"

    "I can''t be angry. It''s only the final attack that matters. That is the rule. They did what we should have done; wait for another team to weaken a monster, then steal the capture." Nala''s shadowed gaze went to the blue slime, a quivering tube within the magic circle. "Too late now."

    "So okay then," Amanda said. "If you''re not sad and you''re not angry and you''re not ... whatever, then what''s all this sulking about?"

    "Sulking," Nala said, looking up at Amanda. "No. I have been thinking."

    Even as Nala spoke a soft aura rose around her¡ªshe raised her hand to see her BrightCircle glowing, then looked past it to see that the others were similarly affected.

    "W-what''s this?" Mist said.

    "Teleportation." Nala stood. "The teams for the Bright Battle Tournament have been decided."

    "But Sly isn''t here! Gakk isn''t here!"

    "Like they care about that," Amanda muttered. She stiffly turned her hand around, examining her glowing BrightCircle, then frowned. "Okay, so, what? Why aren''t we teleporting?"

    "We will be last."

    "How do you know?"

    Nala bowed her head and drew her cloak around herself.

    "They want to finish with something to laugh at."

 Episode 09.03

    It was a glorious day for the presentation, the sky deep blue, the clouds fluffy white, the sun shining pleasantly upon the Bright Battle Spires. Entrance to this part of the academy was normally barred to students, the great white gates solidly closed, but today they stood open and welcoming¡ªand since early in the morning there had been a steady stream of Bright Battlers making their way up to the Coliseum Grand. The coliseum jutted majestically from steep hillside, seeming to exist eternally on the brink of breaking loose and bouncing free with ''boink boink boink'' sound effects. Seeing as it was held in place by both cunning engineering and the strictest of occupational safety magicks this was unlikely, but still. The impression was there. Within the coliseum tiered seats were crowded with eager students and noisy foodsellers and subtle bookmakers, while up in the boxes a rather more subdued class of spectator waited and watched.

    "Quite a crowd," commented one of these box-dwelling spectators; Caroline Hale, human Watcher, representative of the Adventurer''s Guild and one of the three masters of the academy. She adjusted her glasses and took a delicate pastry from the food table before continuing: "Certainly a marked difference from last year''s lacklustre outpouring."

    "I''d say it''s an improvement," said the tall slim pale man beside Caroline; Count Illyich Balgan, elven vampire RumourSeer, student liaison, and another of the academy''s masters. "Activity, excitement, the potential for such discordance, what''s not to like?"

    Behind Balgan and Hale sat the third and very definitely final master of the academy; Leon Maxwell, human ShiningHero, huge and broad and grizzled, his grey-streaked beard rejecting any descriptor but ''magnificent''. He sat on a carved oak chair at the back of the room, iron eyes stern, golden armour shining even in the dimness of the box, voice rough as he said:

    "Hm."

    It spoke to Leon''s character that he could make even a modest ''hm'' sound both commanding and portentous.

    "Problem, Leon?" Balgan asked, looking back at him. "You''ve yet to share your feelings about this year''s tournament ... though I can''t think you''d be overjoyed about it."

    "Why are they here?" Leon grunted. "If they''re not competing then what interest do they have?"

    "If you had read my report," Caroline began, before Leon cut her off with a growl and a wave of his hand. She smiled and started again: "The ready availability of crystal sets and commentary recordings has caused a surge in popularity among lower-tiers. Tactics battles are no longer restricted to invitation clubs or private auditor lounges. Anyone can afford a crystal set, and so the battles are accessible to everyone."

    "Technology marches on," Balgan murmured, his deceptively sleepy eyes upon the crowds below.

    "What of the students, then?" Leon demanded. He stood and marched across the room, thrusting a gauntleted hand at the packed coliseum. "We''ve got near the entire academy down there, what are they so damned curious about? Used to be you got a couple of calculators and a few loose tactics-maniacs, not this nonsense!"

    "Even students count as people." Balgan smiled thinly at Leon. "Really, is it so difficult to understand? You''re as interested in the tournament as anyone¡ª"

    "Because it''s for me! An enthralling demonstration of the inherent superiority of high-tier classes¡ªand yes, granted, the vampires and elves dominate these low-level academy competitions but it''s still a bloody good show. This year in particular with the monsters and so forth." Leon shook his head, not a little sulkily. "I always love it when there''s monsters involved."

    "They do add a pleasant spice to the whole affair," Balgan said. "I find it exciting to see what they''ve managed to take down¡ªone of this year''s teams got a behemoth, goodness knows how."

    "And one of them came back with a damned blue slime, of all creatures." Leon shook his head as he stomped away from the window. "This the same team with a gods-damned valkyrie, heavens know where they dredged her up¡ªcan''t we disqualify them? It feels like a damned insult!"

    "There''s nothing in the rules restricting valkyries or low-ranked monsters," Caroline said mildly. "Besides, variety adds interest."

    "I don''t want interest, I want conformity! We''ve already got a mess of teams¡ªsome fellow was telling me earlier, not a single standard three-fighter-healer combination got through the test. Not a single one! That''s unheard of! You, Hale, your guild is screaming out for more fighter-healer sets, you should be up in arms about this! Instead you''re making this big bloody song and dance about the whole thing¡ªgetting that sensationalist vaunter Chaosthorn for a start, what''s wrong with the likes of Cripplethwait and Coldthreat? Good, solid, reliable commentators who stick to the facts and enunciate for the love of hope. I can''t even understand Chaosthorn''s blithering half the time."

    "The kids seem to like him," Balgan said, before waving a calming hand at Leon. "It''s not as if we have much of a say in this. The guild controls the tournament, that''s what we agreed to."

    Leon grumbled for a bit, then looked up at Caroline.

    "So?" he said. "You haven''t responded, what''s the guild''s position on the lack of good, solid, classically proven team combinations?"

    "Our primary interest is in results," Caroline said. "Fighter-fighter-fighter-healer is valued for its effectiveness, not for any intrinsic worth. Besides, in this modern age such blunt force solutions aren''t so universally applicable. I welcome the finesse that new combinations might bring."

    "Finesse, bah. It wasn''t finesse that won us the shield wars! It was hitting those blasted demons with everything we had until they stopped twitching, that''s what got us through that bloody mess!"

    "Yes," Balgan said dryly. "As you''ve told us, oh, well less than a thousand times."

    "It''s just bizarre," Leon continued, pacing around the room. "What do they get from this, those students out there? They''re not scouting for talent, they have no sponsorships to offer, I''d wager most of them don''t even know the bloody rules, so just what are they looking for?"

    Balgan shrugged. "Entertainment?"

    Leon stared at the vampire as if he''d just spat up a cockroach.

    "Ah," Caroline said, before pulling a glowing marble slab from her pocket. "Mr Chaosthorn is here and they''re ready to bring the teams in. I assume you''re sitting this one out, Maxwell?"

    Leon grunted and waved a hand and grumped back to his chair.

    "Then I''ll see you afterwards. Perhaps in the meantime you might like to read a few of the reports I''ve given you. Balgan?"

    "Coming, dear."

    Caroline and Count Balgan made their leave from the box, heading down to the announcement area and leaving Leon to be grumpy by himself.

    <hr>

    Elene Lumina sat alone in the lowest and frontmost tier of Coliseum Grand, her view of the arena absolute. She was alone by choice, a literal bubble surrounding her. Elene was also alone in being a bubblemancer, not only in the academy but in the world. Bright Battle was an ideal testing ground for this potential new class, and so far the results had been positive. Oh, certainly it was overpowered, nobody could deny that, but this was all part of the process; better to start strong then adjust down than start weak and be wiped out before significant data could be collected. Besides, it wasn''t as if she could participate in tactics battles, and individual unbalance was a fact of life at Bright Battle Academy. Just ask a necromancer, or a valkyrie, or an unpromoted rogue.

    Elene frowned and tapped her crystal set, a rainbow cube currently replaying one of the preliminary matches for her sole benefit. The commentator''s voice was warping oddly, slowing down then speeding up then¡ª

    "Oh!" Elene said, and she switched off her set. Crystal interference could come from a variety of sources, but in this place in this time the most likely explanation was mass teleportation. The roar of the crowd filled the coliseum, and Elene joined them in standing and cheering as the first of the official teams pulsed into existence. There were eight circular podiums set up in the arena, and a huge flat crystal floating high above displayed a closer view of the first team to arrive¡ªand their monster, a large skull-headed snake bristling with pointy bones.

    "Heeeeere they are!" boomed the voice of Chuck Chaosthorn. He was standing on a platform at one end of the arena, easily spotted thanks to the brightness of his clothing and the quite frankly astounding height of his hair. Behind him sat two of the academy''s masters, Miss Hale and Count Balgan, both seemingly content to let Chuck do all the work. "Charles Silverblade and his loyal companions; Death Rattle!"

    Elene looked up as the floating crystal changed to display the team''s name, appropriately bony and spiky. She''d been largely unimpressed with the level of technology on display at Bright Battle, but she had to admit they''d put some effort into this.

    "This solid team combined magic, sword arts, and good old brute strength to smash their way through the preliminaries¡ªbut how will they do in the tournament? Death Rattle is a team to watch, folks, a team to watch!"

    Below, Charles Silverblade and his team were responding to the crowd''s attention with varying enjoyment. Charles himself was acting the typical swashbuckler, waving and grinning and showing off, while the short perky elf hanging off his arm stared in open-mouthed glee as she waved enthusiastically. The tall human thaumaturgist to the right of Charles stood with arms crossed and head raised, taking in the crowds with calm amusement. Behind the others stood two half-orcs, perhaps a little overwhelmed by all the fuss but nonetheless staunch. Then of course there was their monster, the death rattle itself, enclosed in a subtle magical field in the centre of the team podium. Elene wondered at this; there was no reason to restrict the monster, being captured meant it was under the team''s control and so presented no threat, and the entire coliseum was a safe zone in any case ... but perhaps there had been some sort of incident that those in charge didn''t want to see repeated, or maybe they were just prepared for the worst. In any case Elene didn''t have much time to ponder this, as the next team was already coming in; a small group with a shiny but unspectacular monster. Nevertheless, Elene leaned forward with interest. Summer Rain''s team was new and largely unknown to her, but their matches had been among the more interesting of the preliminaries.

    "Summer Rain leading SilverStar!" Chuck Chaosthorn announced. "Pirate, ninja and mintmedic, oh what a combo! This small but feisty team came out of nowhere to break into the Top Twelve, and have earned their spot in the Official Eight by capturing a silverstar¡ªbut will their unconventional small-team tactics work for them in the tournament? I can''t wait to find out!"

    "Neither can I!" called the pirate. "Oh, my adoring crowd, I love you all!"

    Elene smiled at that, but her eyes were on the team''s leader, the short, stoic girl wearing the simple robes and mantle of a mintmedic¡ªa relatively recent class that had come out of the Sunrise Islands, of all places. Elene wasn''t overly familiar with the class as it hadn''t attracted much popularity ... still, there was certainly something about this serious young girl and her seemingly mismatched companions...The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Here comes our next team, folks¡ªit''s Arlen Budnik, team captain for Succubi!"

    Elene hadn''t thought succubi to be captureable monsters, but the scowling demoness upon the podium was proof to the contrary. The team itself looked dull in comparison, five similarly-equipped fighters grinning and waving.

    "Five fighters bound by friendship, here to show us what Red Town men are made of!"

    "Red Town, YEAH!" the fighters called, to mixed responses from the crowd.

    "They just squeaked into the Top Twelve and entered the Official Eight with their capturing of a succubus, could she be the key to tournament victory? Let''s hear it for Succubi!"

    Elene sat back in her seat as around her the crowd cheered. Her attention was on the next podium, which was already glowing¡ªand she raised her eyebrows as she saw the monster they''d captured.

    "Jane Hearthguard!" Chuck announced. "Proud captain of Proudfoot!"

    Elene had to smile at the halfling paladin; Jane was standing as tall as she could in front of her team, helmet under her arm, short brown hair slightly mussed, armour shining bright in the glorious sunlight. She accepted the cheering of the crowd with quiet dignity, a slight lowering of her head, perhaps a small smile. The rest of her team seemed similarly disciplined, the human brawler standing with his muscular arms crossed, looking slowly around at the coliseum, the halfling fighter waving with what seemed to Elene to be great restraint, the elf cleric with the impressive white staff simply standing there and elegantly smiling at the crowds, the human beastmaster at the back ... well to be honest he let the side down slightly in the dignity department, whooping and waving his hat and jumping up and down a bit.

    "With impressive teamwork and strong leadership this plucky team easily earned a place in the Top Twelve, and it seems they''ve made good use of their beastmaster and tamed a proudfoot¡ªcould Jane Hearthguard''s team be a wildcard favourite in this tournament? I think they just might!"

    The crowd seemed to agree with Chuck, judging from their enthusiastic response. Elene couldn''t argue, combining a powerful monster with a beastmaster was a solid¡ªif unpopular¡ªstrategy, and the rest of Jane''s team were similarly strong. The brawler and the fighter were both hard-hitters and the cleric would serve as excellent support. If there was a weakness in the team it lay with Jane herself. Paladins were generally seen as a waste of a fighter promotion, weak healing abilities a poor trade for a reduction of offensive capabilities and weapon choice. In Proudfoot''s case it seemed doubly wasteful, as they already had a dedicated healer in Gloria.

    Elene was still thinking about Jane''s team as the elves arrived, so many that they barely fit on their podium.

    "Jak Kingfisher, leading the elven team Knives!" Chuck Chaosthorn announced. The elves reacted typically, all crossed arms and casually aggressive poses¡ªit seemed rehearsed, which interested Elene. There was always talk of the organisers of the tournament playing favourites, but she wondered just how far this went. In any case the crowd seemed particularly responsive to the elves, especially (and predictably) the Fauxgreen section.

    "Jak Kingfisher led his team on a flawless no-lose streak to earn the number two spot in the Top Twelve. With the flexibility that has made the elves famous, can they be stopped? I guess we''ll see!"

    Elene let out a small ''hm''. The Forest operated under its own laws, and had attained council approval for a number of classes that were, in Elene''s view, overpowered to the point of unfairness. Still, every class had its weaknesses...

    "ShimmerClaw!" Chuck called, and the coliseum exploded. Elene let out another ''hm''¡ªshe hadn''t expected the vampire team to be so popular. She could hear some booing in the crowd, but this was largely overwhelmed by enthusiastic cheering. "Led by team captain Violet Blaze, the vampires tore through every team that dared stand in their way to claim the coveted number one spot in the Top Twelve¡ªand they look more than ready to do the same in the tournament. What could stop them?"

    Good question, Elene thought, as she gazed down at the vampires¡ªthey were standing in their typical poses, barely regarding the crowds. Like the elven team it seemed rehearsed, but then everything did when it came to vampires.

    "Now!" Chuck called, and the crowd settled down a little. "Now now now, you might be a little surprised at our next team ... you might be a little shocked. You might even be a little terrified, when I present ... BEHEMOTH!"

    Elene sat straight up. She''d heard the rumours, of course, she''d heard that Nala Greyward and her scrappy team of low-tiers were going after a behemoth, but she never expected¡ª

    "Raid Fearson and his team smashed all opposition to claim the number four spot in the Top Twelve, and have captured a genuine¡ªand genuinely awesome¡ªbehemoth to earn their place in the Official Eight. Look at that beast, ladies and gentlemen, and I''m sure you''ll agree that Behemoth are true contenders in this year''s tournament!"

    Elene stared down at Raid and his team, the bandit himself grinning and raising his arms, revelling in the crowd''s enthusiastic response. The rest of his team were more subdued, the tall lancer leaning casually on his weapon, the portly vampire cliquemancer waving elegantly, the scruffy mage girl seeming to treat the whole thing as some kind of distasteful joke, the bucket-helmeted archer just standing there, apparently staring at Chuck Chaosthorn''s hair. As for the behemoth, it seemed to be playing to the crowd just as much as its capturer, prowling around in its magic circle, raising its head to roar at the stands, rising up on its powerful hind legs to swipe at the air. Despite herself¡ªand her disappointment that Nala''s team hadn''t been the ones to capture a behemoth¡ªElene found herself impressed and intrigued. To her knowledge no team had ever captured one before, not for use in the tournament, and its presence certainly served as something new and interesting.

    "That''s one-two-three-four-five-six-seven teams we''ve got out here, but there''ll be eight in the tournament," Chuck announced. "Who''s the final team? What kind of fearsome monster might they have captured? Hold on to your hats, folks, because if you thought the behemoth was something you ain''t seen nothing yet! Let me introduce you to ... The Blue Slimes!"

    The crowd went quiet for a long, hard second, then exploded into laughter.

    "Nala Greyward led her team to a single unconventional victory in the preliminaries, but that single victory was enough to earn her a spot in the Top Twelve. Was it a fluke? Well, you look at that terrifying lump of goo down there and you tell me, folks! You tell me!"

    The laughter was joined by mock-cheering, and Elene couldn''t help but wince at the clear discomfort in Nala''s team. Nala herself stood motionless, her head lowered so that the hood of her cloak covered her face, while the little valkyrie looked like she was trying to shrink into her oversized armour. The pointy necromancer stood with his hands in his pockets, a fixed smile on his shiny face, while the tall zombie girl had her arms firmly crossed, glaring at the ground. The blue slime itself quivered in the centre of the podium, not even in the classic teardrop shape of its species¡ªit resembled a lumpy blue sausage more than anything. Elene frowned as she realised that two members of Nala''s team weren''t even there, the elf sniper and the goblin stenchmerchant, but that seemed the least of their problems.

    "So there you have it, folks. Bright Battle Tournament''s Official Eight. Looks like this year''s games are gonna be interesting!"

    As the podiums glowed once more and the floating crystal cycled through the team names, Elene sat back with a sigh. Interesting? Sure. Fair?

    Not a chance.

    <hr>

    "That was singularly unpleasant. The only positive that could be taken from the frightful experience is that we need never go through it again."

    Mist looked helplessly at Praetorian as he paced around the examination hall¡ªit was empty aside from them, all the other teams having already left.

    "At least we get a team house," she said. "That''s good, right? We don''t have to worry about all being apart, and it''ll probably be nicer than where we are now ... if there''s anything good left ... after everyone else picks..."

    "Aha, yes, there''s that as well¡ªwhy are we last? Random ballot, hah! Clear favouritism! Prejudice! All the good houses will be plucked like the eyeballs from a corpse''s skull, leaving us with something unbearably shoddy!"

    "What kind of corpse has seven eyeballs?" Amanda asked. Praetorian gave her a weary look.

    "Well, I''m sure I''ll be happy with whatever we get," Mist said. "Anything would be better than where I am now, and ... and I''m looking forward to living with everyone, it''ll be much nicer ... right?"

    This was met with gloomy silence. Mist sighed, then perked up as she spotted a familiar face near the entrance to the hall.

    "Uh ... hey, guys."

    "Sly! Where were you? We were worried!" Mist glanced around at the others, then puffed out a little breath. "Well I was worried anyway¡ªwhere were you?"

    "Uh, just in my room mostly, after things went bad I, uh, I used a FeatherToken. Figured you''d all do the same but ... guess you managed to win after all."

    "That''s debatable," Praetorian muttered.

    "Uh ... Nala? Could I, like, talk to you a moment? Kind of got some stuff to say. It''s kind of important."

    "You joined the elf team."

    The others stared at Nala, then at Sly. He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning wretchedly.

    "Uh ... kind of. Yeah. Apparently it''s in the rules? You can switch teams if it''s before the first match. So, uh, one of their guys kind of found me and said about how they could maybe get this stupid curse off this stupid bow, and I was still kind of, like, sore about the whole not getting the behemoth thing and how you kind of just left me out to dry so ... yeah. Sorry."

    Nala lowered her head. "Go, then."

    "Uh, but, it''s not like I don''t like you guys or whatever¡ª"

    "No, sorry, what?" Amanda said. "Switching sides? That''s cold."

    Mist sniffed and took off her glasses to wipe her eyes. "I, I don''t think I have anything to say to you right now."

    "I must say I expected more of you, Slythaneile," Praetorian said, placing a hand upon Mist''s armoured shoulder. "To simply abandon us¡ª"

    "Hey, I wasn''t, like, the one who messed stuff up," Sly muttered. "Just got sick of all these wacky plans and stuff going wrong, is all. Like the whole monster hunting disaster? Then this stuff, about the only thing we did okay in was that preliminary match but one out of three isn''t great, y''know? The whole reason I came to this stupid place was to get decursed, you can''t blame me for, like, doing it." He glanced up at Praetorian. "Thought at least you''d understand, dude."

    "Yes, well, I can''t say that I don''t see the appeal of surrounding oneself with forest children¡ª"

    "Dude, seriously, don''t call us that¡ª"

    Sly stopped and cleared his throat.

    "But whatever," he said. "Call us what you like, doesn''t make much difference to anything. And hey, look on the bright side, maybe I''ll find some desperate chick I can set you up with, yeah?"

    "Desperate men are also welcome," Praetorian said levelly, not much humour in his tone. "But perhaps I shouldn''t expect even that much from you. Perhaps you should be going now."

    "Yeah. Sure. Uh ... good luck and stuff, anyway. Hope you guys do okay¡ª"

    "Save it," Amanda mumbled. Sly winced, then turned to leave.

    "Sly."

    Nala raised her head to look her former party member in the eye.

    "If we face you, expect no mercy."

    Sly managed a crooked grin.

    "Yeah, nah. Wouldn''t want it."

    With that Sly turned once more and slouched away, dark bow in his hand. Mist wiped her eyes again as she watched him go, sniffed one more time, then tried to smile around at the others.

    "At least the day can''t get any worse!" she said, in a pathetic attempt at cheerfulness and a clear invitation to trouble. "And ... and we''re a team now, officially I mean, that''s something ... isn''t it? Oh, um, Nala? Where are you going?"

    "You can choose our team house," Nala said as she walked. "Anywhere is fine."

    Even as she spoke Nala faded, leaving the others alone in the big empty hall.

    "What a team we are," Praetorian said. "Anyone care to make a prediction as to what hideous catastrophe will befall us next? Some manner of localised meteor strike, perhaps."

    "I really wish she wouldn''t do that," Mist murmured, still staring at the spot where Nala had stealthed. "Just walking away without even saying anything, it''s so ... impolite."

    "That''s Nala," Amanda said. "Can''t really blame her. If I could just fade away I''d do it too. Like, all the time."

    "Me too, I suppose," Mist said, with a small sigh. "But I''d tell people what I was doing before I did it."

    "Blue Slimes? You''re up."

    Mist forced a smile at the official who''d poked his head into the hall, then looked around at the others.

    "Should we go? Picking a team house, that''ll be fun ... maybe..."

    Amanda shrugged and muttered something as she shuffled towards the exit¡ªthen stopped and looked back at Mist through her bedraggled hair.

    "Yeah, maybe it will," she said. "Coming, Darkcede?"

    "Coming, Willow," Praetorian said, trotting after them. "Here''s an idea, what''s say we pay a visit to Blue Haven after this? I spotted the owner in the coliseum crowd, in a fit of stress-induced delirium I even fantasised that he''d come to cheer us on. In any case I think we all deserve a few dumplings. What say you girls?"

    "Okay," Mist said, smiling back at Praetorian as they walked. "That does sound fun¡ªdon''t you think it sounds fun, Amanda?"

    "Sure."

    "Come now, some enthusiasm, dear girl! I thought you were beginning to develop more of a sense of taste? Aren''t you performing the exercises I prescribed?"

    "Licking rocks isn''t my idea of a good time."

    "Rocks? Rocks? Those are genuine Auldvynian cabochons! ''Rocks'', honestly, you have no appreciation at all for my culture. Granted, there''s not a lot there to appreciate..."

    Praetorian''s voice faded and the examination hall was left silent, an empty and lonely place after all the activity of the day. Empty, that is, but for a single glowing magic circle, and the long blue shape that lay still and glistening inside.

    Presently it moved, just a little, and then a little more, and after another dozen tiny movements and with a sense of great purpose the blue slime lifted itself up, and with a mouth newly-formed it spoke:

    "Mist?"

 Episode 09.04

    Nala didn''t return to the room she shared with Tzugakk. Instead she found herself walking through the ruins near the sprawl, pausing to collect a few RedBerries from an unexpectedly uncamped gather point, making her way to the flat green grass fields that surrounded waveless beach, padding across the light sand of the beach itself and then to the oddly artificial area past this, filled with tall crumbling pillars and long angular piers that stretched out over the edge of Bright Battle Island; over the drop to the far-below ocean. At the end of one of these piers¡ªthe longest¡ªthere was a stone couch, covering with deep angular carvings, and it was on this that Nala sat. From here she could see the end of the pier, covered in short, pale green grass. She could see the stump of a ruined pillar to her left, and to her right one that had better stood the test of time. She could see the dark green ocean, stretching out to the horizon, and she could see the sky, deep blue and scattered with long clouds, and she could see the moon, a pale crescent high above.

    Eventually, she could see the stars.

    "Do you come here because you''re tempted to jump?"

    There were no lights, this far from the heart of the academy. When the moon was dull, as it was this night, seeing the shadowtail was nearly impossible.

    "There is magic to prevent death," Nala said, staring straight at the shadowtail. It sat in its usual spot, in the very centre of the pier, staring back at her with unseen eyes. "I''d earn a demerit and be teleported to the infirmary."

    "Would you?"

    Nala narrowed her eyes.

    "Safehold shards," she said. "BrightCircles. These are like shackles. They chain us to this place."

    "Can shackles not be unlocked? Can chains not be broken?"

    There was a soft chime, and Nala glanced down at her BrightCircle¡ªanother message from Mist. She''d been getting them all day, ever since she''d left the examination hall. This latest one read:

    leaving blue haven now going to look at new team house come meet us there!

    Mist''s messages invariably ended with an exclamation mark.

    "Can BrightCircles be unlocked?" Nala asked, still gazing down at the glowing message. "Can safehold shards be broken?"

    There was no response from the shadowtail. When Nala looked up, she couldn''t see any trace of it.

    With a small sigh¡ªthe first she''d let out all day, despite everything¡ªNala began the long walk back along the pier, heading towards the sprawl and the room she shared with Tzugakk, to tell him everything he''d missed; all of the crushingly disappointing achievements of the day.

    <hr>

    "Is that it? That must be it! Oh, it''s ... kind of better than I expected ... kind of..."

    Dinner at the Blue Haven had been fun, even Amanda eventually smiling (well, a little). James Bloodspit had joined them for dumplings before heading off to SilverStar''s team house¡ªa cottage on the hills near Everglim, apparently¡ªand Arbie had dropped in to pick up some food before heading back to his team''s house¡ªsome kind of fortress in battle quarter¡ªand even Evia Mordein had come in to get away from ''the boys'', but nobody really remembered who she was so that was kind of a non-event.

    Eventually, though, Mist and the others had eaten all the dumplings and steamed buns and soup they could take, and so they bid their farewells to the owner before heading into the Bright Battle twilight. The team house they''d chosen was close to Blue Haven, just down a few back alleys from the restaurant, on a little strip of a street sandwiched between Everglim and the gourmet quarter. Most of the houses on the street were abandoned and in varying states of disrepair, and their team house wasn''t so different¡ªwhile not actually ruined it certainly looked like it could use a little love and attention. It stood on an overgrown section filled with tangles of high grass and hostile weeds and a garden area filled with extremely dubious herbs, the paved path to the front door obscured by wild growth. The house itself was wood and stone of a style that was almost completely unfamiliar. Not the elegantly practical houses favoured in Blue Fields, not the tall thin fanciful constructions of Nimbus, certainly not the brooding gothic structures of Auldvyne, and it was just about as far as you could get from the whimsically curving homes found in The Forest.

    What it was, was this; a house. Two storeys tall, with windows and a front door and a back door and a roof and presumably a room or two. In the dim glow of twilight, lit mostly by street lamps, it appeared to be a brown sort of colour, or maybe off-white, or maybe just ''house-coloured''. Although the first impression upon viewing would probably be ''shabby'' or ''run-down'' or even ''bleh'', all the windows were intact and nothing was actually broken and it appeared to be structurally sound.

    Inside, on the other hand...

    "Dear hope, truth and goodness, what an absolute shambles¡ªand what is this, ergh, it''s all over my hand¡ªzombie, come here and proffer your rags¡ª"

    "Praetorian!" Mist hurried to keep Amanda from going to him. "Don''t give her that kind of order!"

    "Well what else am I supposed to do, just go around with a goopy hand?"

    "Wipe it on your own clothes!"

    "This is a heirloom coat! I can''t use it to wipe! Amanda''s ''clothing'', on the other hand¡ª"

    "Ugh, just stop talking, please! We were having a fun evening, don''t ruin it!"

    "Well I''m sorry but it''s difficult to stay positive in the face of such overwhelming untidiness, and when everything appears to be covered in a thin but hideous layer of slime it just crushes what little spirit remains."

    "Slime," Amanda murmured, staring at a broken, goo-covered chair. The inside of the house was lit by cheap light crystals, their glow stark and pale, draining everything of its colour.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    "Amanda? I think the kitchen might be over here, can you help us move these tables out of the way?"

    With some effort, Amanda forced her head up. Mist and Praetorian were on the other side of the house''s main room¡ªalthough crowded with broken furniture and other clutter the basic shape of the interior was clear; a large central room with doors in every wall, stairs leading up to a balcony around the second level, off of which were more rooms. The ceiling was mostly glass, so filthy that it could barely be seen through.

    "Amanda?"

    "Um. I just¡ª"

    Amanda was interrupted by a loud crashing from nearby, perhaps the sound of a pile of broken furniture collapsing. This was followed by another noise, softer and harder to place.

    "H-hello?" Mist called, eyes wide. She took a step towards the room the crashing had come from¡ªthe door was hanging off its hinges, the interior unlit. "Um, is someone there?"

    "Amanda, go and see if they''re dangerous," Praetorian urged, before Mist hmmphed at him. "That is, if you''d like to."

    "This is our team house," Amanda said, speaking slowly. "Can someone not on our team even enter it?"

    This question was met with silence¡ªand then a soft, slithery sound from the room, and then something emerged. Mist let out a squeak and Praetorian took a step back, and Amanda stared as the something spoke:

    "Hello?"

    Its voice was soft and squishy and so was its body, small and bulbous and with odd extrusions. It resembled a melting candle more than anything, glistening in the pale light. Mist squeaked again as it moved towards her, stepped back before it spoke again:

    "Mist? Shining feather?"

    "...slime?"

    "I woke up here," the slime said, appearing to look around¡ªit didn''t have much of a face but there was something of a mouth, opening and closing out of time with its words. "My migration was finished and I wanted to be helpful ... but I''m not strong."

    Mist stared at the slime as realisation dawned.

    "You were tidying?"

    "Some of these burrows are blocked," the slime said, gesturing with gooey tendrils that sprouted from its body. "It''s better if passages are clear. That''s right?"

    "I ... yes, it is¡ªthank you, that was ... nice?"

    "Nice?" Praetorian said. "All it has accomplished is to coat our dwelling in viscous ooze! Listen, slime, from now on you do nothing unless ordered to. Understand?"

    "Praetorian! Don''t talk to it like that! Amanda, say something!"

    Amanda looked at Mist, then at the slime, then back at Mist.

    "...I can''t think of anything."

    "Was I bad?" the slime asked.

    "No!" Mist said.

    "Yes!" said Praetorian. "Perhaps your intentions were good but the fact is that you''re a slime and as such have very little function. Ah, if you must commit to a task why not start outside? Go absorb some weeds, that should keep you occupied for a while."

    The slime gave a sort of excited squish and squeezed itself into a teardrop shape, sliding towards the back door with surprising speed¡ª

    "Wait," Mist said. "Don''t just¡ªdon''t just listen to what Praetorian says, you should decide for yourself!"

    "Decide?" Praetorian said. "It''s a slime! It''s a monster! It doesn''t make decisions, it takes orders!"

    "But¡ª"

    "Look here¡ªslime, what would make you the most joyful bit of ooze in the world?"

    The slime bobbed a little. "Making Mist happy."

    "You see? It exists to serve. We captured it and thus we command it; that is its purpose in life. To obey."

    "But that''s horrible!"

    "Nonsense, it''s the natural order of things. Slime, you''re happy, aren''t you?"

    "Is Mist happy?"

    "Of course she is! She''s happy if you''re happy. See how that works?"

    At this the slime quivered in place, perhaps silently considering the logic of Praetorian''s words.

    "You better not have broken it, Darkcede," Amanda muttered.

    "Slime?" Mist said. "Are you okay?"

    "...do you want me to absorb weeds?"

    "Um. I guess that would be helpful ... we have to tidy this place up and the garden is a mess ... would that be okay? Can you look after the garden?"

    The slime bobbed up and down in a kind of nod then made for the door, extending thin tendrils to catch hold of it and pull it open before slipping through and disappearing outside.

    "There, all settled, hurray. Have we all had enough of this place? I''m suddenly feeling overly weary. We can all meet up here tomorrow¡ªMist, perhaps one last message to Nala, I''m sure she''s getting them even if she doesn''t respond."

    "Don''t boss the slime around."

    Praetorian blinked at Mist. The valkyrie stood firm, spear planted firmly beside her, her eyes stern behind square glasses.

    "I don''t like it when you boss people around," she said. "Not Amanda and not the slime. So ... so stop it, okay? Just ask instead of telling people what to do."

    "The slime is hardly a person¡ª"

    "It doesn''t matter! Be polite! Everyone else in this place is so rude¡ªwell not James or Summer and even Arbie is nice but you know what I mean, it''s not difficult to be nice so just DO it! Um. Please."

    Praetorian sighed and spread his arms. "If it makes for greater concordance among our ranks then so be it, I shall try. May we leave now? I''m sure we''ve all had enough of this wretched place."

    "I, um ... I''ll stay here tonight. I don''t want to leave the slime alone."

    "Ah? Well then. I suppose we''ll see you tomorrow, if only to begin the tremendous task of making this shambles habitable. Amanda?"

    "Uh, yeah. See you, Mist. Tomorrow, I guess. Goodnight."

    "Goodnight! See you tomorrow! Um, it''ll be a big day!"

    Mist waved until Amanda and Praetorian were out of sight, and then she was alone in the big cluttered house. The combination of emptiness and untidiness made for an overwhelmingly lonely atmosphere, so Mist went outside to check on the slime. She found it in the back garden, slithering over an old dry fountain¡ªthere had once been a statue on top but now all that remained was a single foot. Mist watched the slime explore for a while, then sat down against the outside of the house, her spear resting across her lap. After a minute or so the slime finished with the fountain and moved on to the rest of the garden, rustling through the high wild grass with apparent delight. As Mist watched she felt all the efforts of the day come back to her in a delicate rush, and without thinking she closed her eyes¡ª

    Then opened them. She couldn''t see the slime, but there was a noise, oddly unsettling but somehow familiar, a kind of ... shambling...

    "Amanda?"

    Mist was standing now, spear clutched tight, staring into the darkness.

    "Amanda? Is that you? Did you get separated from Praetorian? Is that why you''re not talking?"

    There was a sharp gust of wind and the high grass rustled, and from the night came a rattling groan. It didn''t sound much like Amanda.

    "Meeee..."

    Mist let out a small yelp, then another as she backed into the side of the house. She could see it now, a dim outline of a ragged, shuffling figure, coming towards her step by slow step.

    "Oh! Hello! Someone new!"

    "Slime!"

    The zombie stopped. It turned its head¡ªhis head, Mist saw¡ªto look at the blue slime, which had appeared at the edge of the wild grass. The slime quivered beneath the dead gaze, its surface glistening darkly.

    "Meeeessss..."

    Mist swallowed. "Um. Um, h-hello?"

    The zombie twitched his head around to look at Mist, then stumbled towards her, arm outstretched.

    "Meeeessssaaaage..."

    "Oh? Oh, for me? Um ... thank you?"

    Mist gingerly took the little card from the zombie''s hand. He stared at her, then jerked around and lurched away.

    "What is it?" the slime asked. Mist was peering at the card. There was writing on it, elegantly gothic, difficult to make out in the dim light but¡ª

    "Oh," Mist murmured. "Oh ... no."

    "Is it bad?"

    Mist looked at the slime, then back at the card.

    "It''s from the vampires," she said. "It''s an invitation."

 Episode 10.01 ~ "Our Greatest Disadvantage"

    The morning was bright, the sun shining clear from a sky free of clouds. In the daylight the Blue Slime team house looked almost cheery¡ªthat is, as long as you could put the state of the interior out of your mind.

    "Hm. Do you know, in the light of morning it doesn''t look all that bad. There''s a certain air of wretchedness but it has its own shabby charm." Praetorian glanced to his right, where Amanda stood with her arms crossed. "Don''t you agree?"

    "Whatever. Is all that your stuff?"

    There was a large travelling trunk on the street, surrounded by near a dozen smaller cases.

    "Ah, yes. Aside from that small blue chest, which I believe belongs to our Mist."

    Amanda picked up Mist''s chest.

    "Good luck with yours," she said, shambling towards the front door.

    Inside, the skylight had been given a wipe, letting the sun stream in ... although this mostly just illuminated the immense amount of dust that had been stirred up by Mist''s early morning efforts. The valkyrie was out of her armour and in her casual clothes, an unflattering undyed tunic and trousers, but she had a cheery blue scarf tied around her face.

    "Oh!" she said, voice muffled by the scarf. "Amanda! Is that my chest? Thank you so much for bringing it in¡ªum, I guess just put it down somewhere, we haven''t cleared the bedrooms yet so ... well, just anywhere is fine. Are you hungry? Gakk is cooking!"

    Amanda set down Mist''s chest and looked through into the kitchen. There was a large stove against one wall and a preparation area in the middle of the room, surprisingly well-equipped, and past all that a long table with chairs around, nestled in an alcove that would have been sunny if the windows weren''t encrusted with filth. Tzugakk was at the stove, busily fussing around with pans and bowls, but he looked up at Amanda and gave her a small smile and a shy wave, which she awkwardly returned before looking back at Mist.

    "Can I help with tidying?" she said. "It looks like you''ve done a lot already."

    "Oh, no, not so much, I just like cleaning so I''ve been having fun, and the kitchen was almost clear already. Um, but you can probably do some lifting? Moving stuff outside, all of this broken furniture. Nala''s out sorting through it, apparently there are some components and things that are useful ... well anyway, um, maybe start with that room?"

    While Amanda lugged table fragments towards the back door, Praetorian came in from the front, dragging his travelling trunk.

    "Ah yes," he said, dropping the trunk and raising a quantity of dust. "I''d forgotten how dreadful the interior was. Which is to be my room?"

    "Whichever one you clear out," Amanda muttered, as she pulled the broken wood out into the back garden¡ªwhich was, aside from the piles of wrecked furniture and the dirty old broken fountain, surprisingly clear. It was mostly bare earth with a few clumpy patches of grass and weeds, but it was a far cry from the wild state of the front garden. Nala was off to one side frowning at something, but she took the time to glance at Amanda and nod her towards a pile of wood.

    "Hello! I''m helping!"

    Amanda threw the broken table onto the pile before looking around at the slime. It had noticeably grown, the top of its blobby teardrop shape reaching almost to Amanda''s waist.

    "...hello," Amanda said. The slime bobbed up and down a bit, possibly happy, then slithered off inside. Several seconds later there was a yelp followed by a heavy impact.

    "Out!" came the necromancer''s cry. "Out from underfoot and out of my sight¡ªMist, control this beast of yours."

    "She''s not mine! And you should watch where you''re going, it wasn''t her fault you tripped!"

    "It darted beneath my feet as I was walking, what could I have done? What are you doing¡ªis it staring at me? Where¡ªno. No! Don''t touch¡ªValkyrie, get it away from my trunk! That is genuine Auldvynian leather, do you know how ridiculously many bats gave their lives for its construction? I do not want it oozed upon¡ªget away!"

    "Praetorian! Don''t kick her!"

    Amanda shambled in to see Praetorian standing with one foot in the air, his trousers and pointy shoe dripping slime. Nearby Mist stood with her hands on her hips, while the slime cowered in a corner.

    "Yes," Praetorian muttered, shaking his foot in a weak attempt to unslime it. "Splendid advice as it turns out, our slime doesn''t appear to be particularly solid. The ones back home were at least superbly kickable. Wonderful, the one positive quality I''d previously associated with slimes and ours doesn''t possess it." He glanced at Amanda as she walked near. "And you can just about wipe that smirk off¡ªugh¡ª"

    "Whoops," Amanda said, as with typical undead clumsiness she jostled Praetorian and sent him sprawling. "Still getting used to this leg, I think you sewed it on too tight."

    "Shove me over if you must," Praetorian said, as he stood once more. "Call me names, cast your death glares upon me, act the insolent newly-risen cadaver, but do not insult my needlework. Do not ever do that."

    Amanda rolled her dull eyes and went to get another bit of broken furniture¡ªbut she was stopped by a soft clearing-of-throat. Everyone turned to look at Tzugakk, and he shrank back a little before speaking:

    "Breakfast is ready. If you''re hungry, yes."

    The table in the kitchen was easily big enough to accommodate everyone; Nala and Tzugakk sat on a bench seat against the wide windows, Mist on the other side with Amanda beside her, Praetorian occupying a stool at the head of the table. From somewhere Tzugakk had found a red and white chequered tablecloth, thin and faded but cheery enough, and aside from the plates of mushroom omelettes and gingered dandelion greens there was a small vase with a selection of bright yellow flowers. All in all the dining area of the house was one of its more pleasant features, and even Praetorian only grumbled a little as he settled on his stool and dug a fork into his omelette.

    "Happy days, I suppose," he muttered, before popping the morsel into his mouth, chewing ... and freezing. He made a small noise, then pushed himself off his stool and to his feet, staring straight at Tzugakk. The little goblin flinched at the necromancer''s piercing gaze.

    "Tzugakk," Praetorian said. "This mushroom omelette..."

    Around the table there was a tense silence, Mist in particular frozen in place, her first forkful halfway to her mouth, wide eyes on Praetorian as he continued:

    "...has been cooked to perfection."

    With an extravagant bow Praetorian proffered his appreciation to Tzugakk, who smiled down at his hands. Mist stared for a second longer, then hurriedly tried her own forkful.

    "Oh my gosh!" she mumbled. "It''s really good!"

    "Did you doubt my taste?" Praetorian said, back on his stool and investigating the greens. "Mm, and the side dish is a perfect complement¡ªTzugakk, I believe this may even rival our beloved Blue Haven''s fare!"

    Tzugakk gave a happy shrug and ate a little of his own portion, while Amanda tried hers and made a small neutral sound. Meanwhile Nala was calmly working her way through her meal, nothing but the slightest of nods to indicate her approval.

    "Do you know," Praetorian said, when he was halfway through, "I do believe that if young Slythaneile had only sampled Tzugakk''s cooking we''d still have him in our team."

    Which was entirely successful in bringing the mood back down. Losing Sly meant losing their primary means of offence. Praetorian remained staveless, neither Nala nor Mist were particularly effective with their weapons, the slime had no attack and as a glumgirl Amanda was restricted from even equipping a weapon. Which only left¡ª

    "Tzugakk," Nala said, her voice low. "He will be at the centre of our strategies."

    "Aha, yes," Praetorian said. "Then we rely on him not only for the delicious repast he provides, but also for his alchemical skills. I''d raise a glass if I had one handy."

    "Is that okay, though?" Mist asked. She had already finished eating, knife and fork neatly placed upon her empty plate. "He''s only got one demerit left, if he gets defeated¡ª"

    "Tzugakk has almost enough merits to cancel a demerit," Nala said. "In our first tournament battle, it will be his mixtures that win our victory. As well as the team merits we will earn, he will also receive combat merits for the kills."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "Do you have a plan, then?" Mist asked.

    "No. I don''t know who we will face. Until the brackets are set I cannot plan. Until then we spend no merits."

    "So, um ... so can we win?"

    "In a standard match against ShimmerClaw, Behemoth, Death Rattle, Proudfoot or Knives, no."

    "Um, but¡ª"

    "Not with that," Nala said, her narrow grey eyes on the blue slime. It was currently oozing around the kitchen, perhaps hunting for loose scraps. "Our monster is our greatest disadvantage."

    "What of the other teams?" Praetorian asked. "Would we stand better odds against them?"

    "Against SilverStar we would have a small chance of victory. Fighting Succubi would be best."

    "Well, that''s something to hope for at least. Go up against Succubi, slightly less chance of total annihilation."

    "I, um ... I like Arbie, though," Mist said. "And the others seem okay..."

    She trailed off and stared down at her plate. In her pocket was something she''d been trying not to think about, something she''d been putting off telling the others about, a small square of innocent card...

    "Well, anyway," she said. "We''d better get on with cleaning¡ªthis place really needs it! I''m sure once we''ve got it looking good we''ll all feel better about everything. Um, thank you for the delicious breakfast, Tzugakk! Let''s all help tidy up the kitchen then start clearing out some rooms, I think if we work hard we can get at least this lower level cleared out before lunchtime!"

    <hr>

    Mist''s prediction turned out to be overly optimistic. After a hasty lunch of Tzugakk''s GreenWeed soup (which tasted approximately seven hundred times better than it sounded) the team surveyed the results of the morning''s work and found it wanting.

    "Have we even made a dent?" Praetorian said. "Where does all of this rubbish come from¡ªdo you know, I wouldn''t be surprised if this entire house was under the influence of a garbage elemental."

    "Are they a thing?" Mist asked, wide-eyed.

    "I have no idea. If they do then I''m sure we''d be the ones they inflicted themselves upon."

    "We might be making more progress if you put as much effort into cleaning as you do into complaining," Amanda said. Praetorian gave her a glassy smile.

    "We might be making more progress if that ceased its attempts to ''help''."

    The slime perked up at this.

    "I''m ... helping?" it said.

    "Yes, of course you are," Mist said, although her soft voice was dissolved by Praetorian''s acidic tone:

    "Well now let''s see, so far you''ve managed to trip me no less than a dozen times, disintegrate what little carpet remained in the rooms we''ve cleared, and coat quite literally everything in a thin but loathsome layer of ooze. Would we consider that helpful? Hm? Would we?"

    "She''s TRYING, Praetorian!" Mist said. "She was really useful in the garden¡ª"

    "So send it out there¡ª"

    "Her!"

    "SO SEND HER-BLOODY-HER OUT THERE."

    "SHE WANTS TO BE IN HERE WITH US!"

    "I DON''T CARE WHAT SHE WANTS!"

    "What a shock," Amanda muttered, loud enough to catch Praetorian''s attention.

    "Oh yes," he said, turning on her. "Come on, bequeath us with your beloved snark, gift to us the pleasure of your sarcasm¡ª"

    "Would you just shut up?" Amanda said. "Could you just shut up, is it even possible for you?"

    Praetorian took a hard breath, then swept his cape as he stalked away¡ª

    "I shall be upstairs claiming my room, what you people do I cannot bring myself to care about¡ªand keep that thing downstairs!"

    "I''ll keep her away from everything to do with you!" Mist squeaked after him, before covering her mouth. "Was that too mean?"

    "For him?" Amanda said. "I don''t think that''s possible."

    "And one more thing!" Praetorian did another sweep of his cape as he turned back. "Make sure that rat of a slime does not so much as go near my trunks¡ª"

    "Rat?" Mist''s hands were clenched into trembling fists. "RAT? There''s only one rat here and I am looking right at him!"

    "Ah!" Praetorian cried. "I correct myself, rats can at least be kicked away, rats have the decency to live in the walls and under floorboards and out of sight! That thing is worse than a rat!"

    With that and a final sweep Praetorian made for the stairs, almost tripping over Nala.

    "Oh now WHERE did you come from, must you always be so cursedly sneaky? You''re worse than the blasted monster!"

    Nala held up a card, grey with green edging.

    "Summer Rain is worried."

    "How very surprising!" Praetorian cried. "Worried? In this place? ABOUT POSSIBLY WHAT?"

    "Ugh, just calm down," Amanda muttered. "Do you have to overreact to everything?"

    "Perhaps consider it compensation for your dearthly lack of emotion, even for a zombie you''re dull¡ª"

    "Stop it!" Mist cried. "Just stop it, could you just not ... just not..."

    The valkyrie trailed off, mouth tight. Amanda had her arms crossed and was pointedly glaring away from Praetorian, who was giving her much the same treatment. Nala looked around at the others, her eyes resting on Tzugakk¡ªthe goblin was peeking in from the back door. He offered a weak smile to Nala. She did not remotely return it.

    "There is a gathering tonight," she said. "For the eight tournament teams. ShimmerClaw are hosting it."

    "Oh, great," Amanda said, speaking to a wall. "Vampire party, that sounds like so much fun."

    "Wonderful," Praetorian said, to the opposite wall. "Another source of stress, just exactly what we needed. I suppose Miss Rain conveyed this information to you? Naturally, the thought of sending our squalid little team an invitation never crossed their vampiric minds¡ª"

    "Um."

    Everyone looked at Mist, who was blushing down at the gilded white card she was fiddling with.

    "Um," she repeated. "I didn''t want to worry anyone ... I mean I didn''t really know when would be a good moment..."

    "Well," Praetorian said, but then nothing more, instead frowning at his pointy shoes and worrying his thin black tie.

    "It''s not like it makes any difference," Amanda muttered. She pushed her straggly hair away from her face, then let it fall back again. "When did you even get that?"

    "Last night. Um. One of their zombies delivered it."

    "Oh."

    "Nala, do you think..."

    Mist trailed off; Nala was gone.

    "I really wish she wouldn''t do that..."

    "Aha." Praetorian seemed about to say more, then he shook his head and turned for the stairs, a rather lacklustre swishing of his cape apparently all he could muster. As Mist stared after him she felt something warm and soft squidge against her leg, and looked down at the blue slime.

    "Mist?" the slime said. "Are you unhappy?"

    Mist blinked.

    "Um," she said. Then: "Amanda. Could you please move the piano out of that room over there? I thought we could take that one. Share it, I mean. Um. If you want to."

    Amanda placed an awkward hand on Mist''s shoulder, and Mist covered it with her own before the zombie girl shuffled off to move the piano.

    Outside, Tzugakk was crouching in the garden¡ªhe was halfway down a row of scraggly but neatly planted blue-yellow weeds. At Mist''s approach he looked up.

    "Can you find more like these?" he asked. "These plants."

    Mist accepted the task gratefully, hunting for the weeds amidst the piles of wood cluttering the back yard. The slime tried to help but mostly got in the way¡ªin a burst of over-excitement it ended up rolling over the first plant they found, half crushing and half dissolving it. Mist took it back to Tzugakk anyway.

    "Ah," he said, accepting the sad leafy scrap with grave care. "Maybe she can clear the front garden, yes."

    Mist crouched down beside Tzugakk with a sigh. "You''ve known Nala a while, right? Why is she like that? Is it a dwarf thing?"

    "You don''t know many dwarves." Tzugakk glanced at Mist with a small smile. "Do you know the good word elves have? Nathanaa. Compassion-without-compassion. They use it for dwarves, they mean it as insult, but is it such? Maybe yes, maybe no. Dwarves do what is necessary and cannot not do what is necessary. Do you understand?"

    "Um..."

    "Underground, their mines, always expanding, improving, repairing. This beam needs to be replaced, a dwarf sees this, they replace it. They will not¡ªno no, cannot think ''someone else will do it''. If everyone is this way, everyone is strong. If there is a single weakness ... collapse."

    "I still don''t think I really understand," Mist said, as the slime nudged at her hand. She patted it absently, then wiped her hand on her shirt. "Are you saying that Nala is like that? And if she is then ... what?"

    "Nala is Nala." Tzugakk let out a little wheeze of a laugh. "She is the most Nala in the world. In her life below, alone in that city, she learnt to rely only on herself, never trust, do nothing without reward. As a dwarf, she wants to rely on others, trust innately, think nothing of reward. But, she is not torn by this. She is the one, and she is the other, and she is balanced. That is her beauty."

    For a while after this there was silence between the two of them, Tzugakk contentedly tending to his herbs, Mist watching with worried eyes, the slime prowling around pouncing on fallen leaves and bright pink petals. There was the sound of pipe music from somewhere distant, a repetitive but not unpleasant tune, and from inside the house the sound of something heavy being moved; Amanda with the piano. Soon enough these noises were joined by the soft disappointment of a low sigh.

    "This isn''t how I thought it''d be."

    Tzugakk glanced towards Mist, almost catching her eye.

    "At least we are together?" he tried.

    "But if Nala ... even with everything you said about her, I know you''re her friend¡ªI am too, I like her and I don''t want to say anything bad about her but if she keeps acting like this, if she keeps just doing whatever she wants and going away like she does ... I mean ... that''s not being together..."

    Tzugakk and Mist shared a gloomy silence. The pipe music had stopped. The heavy-moving noise from inside the house was now accompanied by Amanda grunting and muttering.

    "I am a rat."

    Mist stared at the slime. She was in her gloopy humanoid shape, like a blue wax figure slowly melting.

    "Oh, no," she said. "Don''t listen to Praetorian, he''s just horrible sometimes¡ª"

    "I heard the other monsters. They talked. Blue slime. Lowest slime. Lowest monster. But rat is ... worse?"

    "N-no¡ª"

    "I ate rats. Before. In the dark. Rats don''t eat slimes. Slimes must be better than rats?"

    "I guess so, but that''s not¡ªit''s just not useful to think like that, okay?"

    "How should I think?"

    "Just, don''t think you''re a rat! You''re not a rat at all, you''re more like ... um..."

    "A kitten!" Tzugakk said. Mist stared¡ªthen noticed the shift in the slime. Its ''head'' was raised, its form more solid. It gave the impression of being interested¡ªno, Mist thought. More than interested. Hopeful.

    "That''s right!" she said. "Like a kitten! Cute and ... not fluffy, more ... gooey, but definitely cute! And you''re just learning about everything, you''re so new."

    "Kitten," the slime repeated. "Kitten."

    "Oh! That''s what we can call you! Kitten! Um, if you like it? I think it''s a perfect name! And we should name you, right? Someone said something about that, naming our monster ... um, do you like it?"

    The slime did one of its blobby nod things¡ªin her excitement she had reverted to her teardrop shape.

    "I like it!" she said. "Kitten! It''s good to have a name. Yes?"

    "Yes," Tzugakk said. "Very important. Very special. Without a name, you are just a monster."

    Mist smiled at Tzugakk and Kitten, then pushed herself up.

    "I think it''s time for a break," she said. "It''s a nice day, and the shopping quarter isn''t far¡ªhow many quarters does this place have, anyway? I have something I need repaired, and maybe Amanda will want to come along ... although that means bringing Praetorian ... maybe we should all go? That might be better. Yes, let''s all go. It can be a team outing!"

 Episode 10.02

    In the end, after discussions and logistics and quite a bit of arguing, Tzugakk decided to stay at the team house with Kitten while Praetorian, Mist and Amanda ventured forth. Of Nala there remained no sign.

    The shopping quarter was a cheery sort of place, filled with colourful awnings and intriguing storefronts and the happy energy of healthy commerce. Long white clouds floated against the blue of the sky, pink petals danced on the warm breeze, and absolutely nobody was trying to kill anyone.

    "So, are we to attend this party?" Praetorian asked, as he and the others made their way past shops selling amulets and staves and robes. "I assume that''s the primary purpose of this little outing, to tidy yourselves up a bit¡ªa hopeless task perhaps, but nonetheless admirable."

    "Shut up, Darkcede," Amanda said, not looking at him.

    "Charming."

    Praetorian would perhaps have said more, but at that moment a strikingly tall elf girl caught his attention, her healer''s robes flowing around her in an irritatingly natural sort of way. He watched her until she disappeared into a shop with darkened windows and a blue crystal orb on its sign, then let out a soft sigh and turned to the others¡ªwho were no longer there.

    "Yes," he muttered. "Quite charming."

    "We''ll be in here for a while," Mist said¡ªPraetorian saw her in a nearby doorway, the airy store beyond selling robes and dresses. "Don''t go too far!"

    "I''ll just loiter then, shall I? Busy myself with pleasant nothings while you two girls play at dress-ups¡ªah, well, it turns out you''re in luck because there seems to be a bookshop along here..."

    Mist watched Praetorian amble off, then turned to see Amanda standing with arms crossed, scowling at a display of ribbons and hairclips.

    "Do you like those? The rainbow ones are cute ... or these little heart badges ... um, I should go ask about this first, anyway."

    Mist raised the awkward bundle she was carrying, wrapped in faded blue cloth and bound by scavenged string.

    "Can''t you fix it yourself?" Amanda said. "I thought you were good at sewing. You made me this dress."

    "Um. Well. I did my best, but this is ... different. Are you okay just looking around?"

    "I''m not a child, you don''t have to coddle me."

    "I, sorry, I¡ª"

    "You do your thing. I''ll be waiting. It''s not like I can go anywhere."

    While Mist went and made inquiries Amanda shambled around looking at sparkling ribbons and baroque hats and gleaming badges. The shop was large, long skylights letting in plenty of light, shelves attractively arranged, wooden floors darkly polished. From behind a central counter two elf girls dressed in elegant green dresses murmured to each other, their eyes flicking to Amanda from time to time, the waves of disapproval they sent at her happily ignored. Far harder to ignore was the blurriness to her vision, the sound of waves at the edge of her hearing, the pressing loss of focus that came with distance from Praetorian¡ª

    "Um."

    "Could they do it?" Amanda looked up from the mirror she''d been staring at to see Mist still holding her bundle. "No?"

    "Um. Well. They could, but I don''t have so many merits..."

    "So use the team merits, we''ve got plenty."

    "I don''t think Nala would like that."

    "Screw Nala."

    "Amanda!"

    Amanda shrugged at Mist. "That''s a special dress or something, right? So just do it. Nala owes us."

    "Well ... maybe she owes you ... I haven''t done much..."

    "Then think of it as me buying it for you, just go and give it to them¡ªdo you want me to come with you?"

    "No, I mean, it doesn''t seem right¡ª"

    Eventually Amanda managed to bully Mist into using the team''s merits to pay for her dress repair, then went and frowned at ribbons while Mist gave the necessary instructions to the tailor and her assistants.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Finished! Sorry it took so long, there are some fiddly bits¡ªoh, do you like those ribbons? Do you want one? Or a dress?"

    "This one is fine."

    "It''s not, um ... fancy, though."

    "It''s fine."

    Mist went to protest further, because obviously Amanda deserved far better than the crude parody of a dress she''d patched together, but then she noticed the girl''s hands. Amanda had two positions for her arms; crossed, or hanging loose at her sides. Presently they were in the loose position, but she was gripping her dress tight.

    "Well, um, maybe a ribbon then? For your hair? It might look cute¡ªyou should try one, ribbons are fun. If I didn''t have my helmet I''d wear them all the time."

    "I don''t think I''m much of a ribbon person."

    "But, um, why don''t you just try one? Maybe to tie your hair back, maybe a ponytail or something?"

    "I really don''t think I''m much of a ponytail person."

    "Come on, just try! You might be surprised!"

    A minute later Amanda stood in front of a mirror, hair flopping down her back like a ratty old horse''s tail, bound by a bright red ribbon.

    Mist''s forced smile faded as she struggled to think of something to say. Eventually, defeated, all she could manage was:

    "Um. Sorry."

    Without further comment Amanda''s hair was returned to its usual state, and soon Mist was squirrelling around the shop trying to find something more suitable¡ª

    "You really don''t have to do this," Amanda mumbled, as she shuffled after Mist. "I mean that. Really. Don''t do this. I don''t even care, I know how I look, it''s not like there''s anything..."

    Mist perked up then looked back, mouth open in delight when she saw Amanda staring at a wide-brimmed black hat, perhaps a little floppy and plain but maybe ... just maybe...

    "You don''t have to..."

    Amanda''s half-hearted protest melted as Mist went on tiptoes to place the hat upon her head. The zombie girl glanced at herself in a nearby mirror, then glanced again, then pulled the hat forward a little and gave it a twist, then turned to look at herself properly as she continued adjusting it.

    "I actually don''t hate this," Amanda admitted, after a further minute''s subdued preening. She pushed her hair away from her face, winced, then pushed it back again. "It''s not terrible, right?"

    "I think it really suits you! It makes you look..." Mist took in a long breath as she struggled to think of an appropriate word. "Swish."

    "Swish," Amanda repeated, with raised eyebrows and a small smile. She cocked her head at her reflection. "I guess I''ll take what I can get."

    <hr>

    There were hidden places in Bright Battle Academy; sealed chambers in the sprawl''s dry sewers, twisting labyrinths buried beneath the spire, locked towers scattered throughout battle quarter, sunken teleportation circles in glowgleam swamp. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of secrets, more than could ever be discovered in a lifetime. Of course, finding these places granted no merits and thus few students bothered looking ... but Nala Greyward''s focus was not on merits.

    There had been mention of this particular place in a score of books, though never precise, never detailed, and rarely even with the same name¡ªin a tome on legendary amulets it had been called Inglenook, a treatise on obsolete status effects had references to ''stoneblight'' and a street that bore the same name, and several of the monster manuals Nala had read vaguely acknowledged a place called Shadowhome¡ªbut upon thought and careful questioning of the shadowtail that had taken an interest in her, and upon examination of its answers¡ªor lack thereof¡ªNala had come to an independent conclusion:

    Shadowhome was not a place. It was a condition.

    So it was that she descended into a buried city. Above, a constant breeze whistled through the yellow-brown shells of forgotten buildings, thick wooden walkways protesting with alarming creaks if one dared to step upon them. Climbing down (carefully; ever so carefully) revealed the city that these ruins had been built upon, a place of dark stone and narrow streets, passage made frustrating by collapsed stone and eclectic town planning.

    It was possible, however, to descend still further, to find the city beneath the beneath, or at least its remnants. Only the largest buildings had survived, and those poorly, but there was one in particular that seemed worthy of interest, perhaps once a council building or chamber of great magic, its high domed ceiling cracked but not broken, the many long slits still serving their function; to let in light. Perhaps it was purely by chance that this intensely buried building was still touched by the sun throughout the day, that channels and cracks and openings connected open sky to deep earth and created a myriad of ever-changing shadows within its bare hollow; shadows that seemed almost to move of their own accord.

    Yes, perhaps this was brought about by chance.

    But then again, perhaps not.

    It had taken Nala near an hour to reach the building, an hour of careful and efficient descent (ropes and spikes, after all, weren''t free) followed by a treacherous clamber over the bones of three cities¡ªyellow-brown stone from the most recent to fall, dark solid blocks from the second, and rising from the rubble were the golden rooftops of the most ancient sunken city. Now she crouched upon a certain domed roof, hammering a spike into a wide crack, pausing between blows to check that it wouldn''t crumble¡ªperhaps unnecessarily. This building was old, but Nala was enough of a dwarf to know that the stone was good. It would not betray her.

    Soon enough she was tying her last rope to the firmly anchored spike, letting it fall through one of the many dozens of skylights and into the dappled darkness and light below. From a distance her final descent seemed marked by a series of still images, her small form caught for an instant in a stray beam of light then hidden in shadow once more, again and again and again until she dropped to hard stone, dust rising around her in a sparkling cloud.

    There was noise down there, unexpected but present. Something like a thrumming, repetitive and distant and deep and old. It spoke to Nala. It said, this is not the end. It said, there are still-deeper depths to this floating island.

    She ignored it. She raised her head. She spoke, to the clusters of shadows and beams of glittering dust surrounding:

    "You found me. Now I have found you."

    Nala gazed into the places between light, and the places between light gazed back.

    "Let''s talk."

 Episode 10.03

    The shadows were long and crisp, the sky dulling blue, clouds dark upon the horizon. The Blue Slime team house glowed in the fading light, transformed¡ªif but for a moment¡ªinto a welcoming place, the kind of home you''d be glad to return to. Inside, a more permanent transformation had taken place. Thanks to a heroic effort from its new inhabitants the broken past had been cleared from its rooms, leaving them fresh for whatever the future might hold. The main room was looking positively homey, with several couches arranged around a low table. Upon this table Tzugakk had placed a large green vase filled with bright yellow and pink flowers. The piano Amanda had moved in added a certain character to the room, although nobody could play it and it was horribly out of tune.

    As for bedrooms, Praetorian had selected a long narrow room on the upper floor, furnished with several desks and bookshelves. He was only halfway through unpacking his trunks but it was already cluttered. Amanda and Mist were sharing the largest room on the lower floor, slightly bare but with cheery blue walls and a view of the garden, which was nicely tidy thanks to Tzugakk and Kitten''s combined efforts¡ªthe fountain had even started working, although no one was sure how. Kitten had taken a liking to the attic, which was cramped but warm and bright thanks to the skylight. Presently the slime was in a state of minor hibernation, sleeping off the immense quantity of weeds, rats and other digestibles it had consumed over the day. Tzugakk had chosen a small room next to the kitchen, with the one next to it reserved for Nala¡ªwho was still missing, to the increasing concern of her team mates. Some of them, at least.

    "I sent her some messages," Mist said, as she and Amanda prepared for the party¡ªwell, mostly it was Mist doing the preparing, seeing as the full extent of Amanda''s preparations was ''put on a hat''. "But she never replies, do you think she''s okay?"

    "Of course she is. She''s just, you know, being her. She''ll probably turn up with some new plan or something, I don''t know. It''s not worth worrying about Nala. Do you need help with that?"

    "Um, could you? I''ve never actually worn it before, it''s a bit fiddly..."

    Mist''s newly-repaired dress was a complicated arrangement of fabric and metal meant to combine with her armour. In order to equip it certain parts¡ªsuch as the breastplate¡ªhad to be removed, which was presenting something of a challenge.

    "Um, maybe if I put my arms up you could¡ªum! Gentler! That part ... oh, actually that''s fine now."

    "I think it goes around like this. If you bend over then it might be easier. What is this thing made of, anyway? Silk?"

    "I''m not sure ... it was my mother''s, like my armour. It''s sort of an alternate costume, I guess."

    "Like a battle dress?"

    "Maybe ... I don''t know. She never really got to tell me anything like that. I don''t even know how it got so damaged ... maybe she was fighting in it..."

    "You can straighten up now."

    "Is it done? Oh..."

    Mist examined herself in a large mirror, then shyly turned to face Amanda.

    "Is it okay? Is it ... okay?"

    The dress was a shimmering blue-green, flowing with the lines of Mist''s armour, hidden slits and cunning folds giving her both freedom of movement and a formal elegance¡ªor at least, that was the intention. With Mist''s small frame and oversized armour the effect wasn''t quite there, but Amanda smiled at her anyway.

    "Swish," she said, and Mist smiled back.

    "Should I have my glasses? I do kind of need them to see, but..."

    "You look cute in them. Keep them on." Amanda hesitated, then continued: "How about me? Is the hat okay?"

    "It really suits you! I think you look great. But, um, you always look great anyway. You have such a look!"

    "I do?"

    Mist''s answer to that, whatever it might have been, was interrupted by a heavy knocking on the front door. The two girls went to investigate, joined by Tzugakk from his room and Praetorian from upstairs. The little goblin had borrowed a waistcoat from Praetorian, far too big but with a few adjustments he was making it work, and he''d also donned a slightly battered but perfectly serviceable top hat. Praetorian always looked formally dressed anyway, with his high collar and gothic coat and thin black tie, so he''d just given his pointy shoes a damn good polishing.

    "Oh. Hello, Mist. I like your dress. Where''s Nala, is she here? Did she get my message?"

    Summer Rain stood outside, austere as ever in her grey and green mintmedic dress.

    "I, um, she did, but she just said you were worried¡ª"

    "I am. She didn''t go out, did she?"

    "Yes¡ª"

    "Contact her. Tell her to come back."

    "Why¡ª"

    "This is serious, Mist. May I come in? I feel exposed out here."

    "Um, of course, but¡ª"

    "Thank you. Please send Nala a message. As quickly as possible."

    Summer looked around at the living room while Mist sent the message, her eyes resting on the broken piano.

    "Hm." Summer''s gaze returned to Mist. "What''s wrong?"

    "It, it''s not working¡ª''BrightCircle Untethered'', what does that mean?"

    Summer stared.

    "Um, is it bad?"

    "Yes. I don''t know. But probably. Your team has made a lot of people unhappy¡ª"

    "What? Us? What did we do?"

    "Existing is enough."

    Mist blinked at Summer.

    "Don''t you understand what you are?" Summer said. "What you represent?"

    Mist and the others glanced at each other, then looked back at Summer.

    "Huh?" Mist said, summing up the team''s feelings.

    Summer let out a sigh.

    "Forget that for now. I don''t like to be dramatic, but something might have happened to Nala. Tzugakk¡ª"

    Summer cut herself off and raised her hand to her mouth.

    "What is it?" Tzugakk asked. "Are you unwell?"

    "No, I just ... didn''t expect you to be wearing a top hat. It''s slightly adorable." Summer shook her head. "This is serious. Have any of you left this house today?"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Mist looked around at the others before replying: "We went out earlier¡ª"

    "Did you notice anything? Were you followed? Watched? Attacked at all?"

    "No¡ª"

    "No, probably not. They''d focus on just one of you¡ªon Nala. She''s the real threat. Without her you''re nothing. No offence."

    "Very little taken," Praetorian said. "Now correct me if I''m wrong, but I''ve been patiently listening to all you''ve said and it seems as if you''re acting on information received, as it were. Do you have some kind of evidence to back up this paranoia?"

    "It''s not paranoia¡ªalthough, no, I don''t have anything solid. You''re just going to have to trust me about this¡ª"

    Summer stopped and turned, her dark eyes widening when she saw who stood in the front entrance.

    "Nala," she said, relief clear in her voice. "I was ... where were you? Why isn''t your BrightCircle working?"

    Nala looked down at her hand. In response to a touch her BrightCircle glowed as clearly as ever. She looked back up at Summer.

    "Mist tried to send you a message, it said ''untethered''¡ªwhere were you?"

    "Why do you care?" Nala asked.

    "Why¡ªbecause¡ªof course, it''s natural that I wouldn''t want anything to happen to you. I want this tournament to be fair, or as fair as possible considering the circumstances, and so protecting you¡ª"

    Summer cut herself off with a wince. Nala''s gaze remained upon her.

    "I didn''t mean that like it sounded," Summer said. "Let me start again. I have some information¡ª"

    "I don''t need it."

    "You should at least hear what I have to say¡ª"

    "Leave now."

    "Nala!" Mist said. "Summer''s our guest, don''t be rude to her!"

    Nala looked at Mist, who shrank back a little, then at Summer.

    "Leave," she repeated.

    "Nala!"

    "It''s all right." Summer smiled at the floor. "I''ll go. Do please be careful, though. All of you."

    "We already kind of were," Amanda said. "It''s not like being attacked is anything new for us."

    Praetorian chuckled dryly, then adopted a more serious expression. "True, though as of late we haven''t attracted much negative attention¡ªperhaps we''ve grown overly comfortable, perhaps a reminder was pertinent after all. Thank you for visiting, Miss Rain."

    "Summer is fine," Summer said, with a smile at Praetorian. "I suppose I''ll see you all at the vampire party tonight, in any case." Her smile tightened. "Won''t that be fun."

    With that and a small bow of her head, Summer left. Mist waved after her, then turned on Nala.

    "You were really rude to her, I think you should apologise."

    "She is our enemy."

    "She''s not! She''s really not, can''t you see that? She wants to help us!"

    "Does she?"

    "Of course she does¡ªshe was here to warn us¡ª"

    "About what?"

    "I-I don''t know, you kicked her out before she could tell us¡ª"

    "She had nothing to tell. Her information is incomplete. Her source is flawed."

    "Hm." Praetorian stroked his pointy goatee as he regarded Nala. "And I suppose you have a superior source?"

    "Yes."

    "Is that where you were?" Amanda asked. "Getting information? Mist was really worried about you."

    "I WAS really worried! You were gone for hours, could you at least tell us where you''re going or something? Or for how long, or, or SOMETHING. Anything!"

    "I won''t leave again today." Nala looked around at the others, taking in Mist''s dress and Tzugakk''s waistcoat, her gaze resting on Amanda''s hat. "Until the party."

    "Ah, so you''re going?" Praetorian said. "I thought perhaps you''d give it a miss."

    "Why?"

    "I''m ... not entirely sure. I suppose you just don''t seem a party sort of person."

    Mist clucked her tongue. "Well I''m happy you''re coming with us, but I''m still not finished about all the other stuff¡ªlike with Summer, could you please say something to her? I think she''s really trying hard to be your friend and you just keep brushing her off¡ª"

    "Mist," Amanda said.

    "What? I like Summer! And Nala should too, they''re so alike, I''m sure they''d have lots to talk about ... isn''t it just nicer if people get along? And politeness doesn''t cost anything, you know! It''s not ten merits every time you say ''hello'' or ''thank you'' or ''sorry''!" Mist narrowed her eyes at Praetorian. "What are YOU smirking about?"

    "Was I smirking? I apologise. I was just thinking, you''ve become rather assertive as of late. Quite different to the shy little mouse we encountered on that first fateful day. Perhaps it''s true what they say about Bright Battle Academy, perhaps it really does unlock one''s potential. In any case I welcome the change and applaud this new bold Mist. It''s always pleasant when those around you speak their minds, rather than keeping everything locked within their still dead hearts."

    "Subtle, Darkcede."

    "I, I just ... I want us all to get along, and with other people too¡ªthis place doesn''t have to be terrible. It''s not terrible, there are lots of good things about Bright Battle, and we ... well, maybe we don''t have much of a chance at the tournament but we''re in it, at least. Lots of people would give anything to be where we are now, right? And we''ve got Nala, and we all know how amazing she is ... but ... I don''t know. Maybe we should just go to this party and ... and see what happens." Mist took a breath, then fixed her eyes on Nala. The dwarf looked as impassive as ever. "And when you see Summer you SHOULD apologise. She probably had something really important to tell you, I don''t even know how you can ignore someone trying to warn you about something!"

    "Yes," Praetorian murmured. "She did seem rather serious about it, didn''t she? I can''t help but wonder what it was that she thought so important..."

    <hr>

    Everglim Heights rose from bushy trees and sprawling gardens to present a glittering cliff of rose shale. Into its sides smooth pathways had been carved, leading up to cobblestone terraces and quaint houses and cute cottages, and to one of the better views in Bright Battle¡ªthere was Everglim below, of course, with all its bright flowers and brighter rooftops, and beyond that the angular yellowstone buildings and circular streets and fluttering flags of the central academy, and further still was the mass of blocky grey forts and solid towers and functionally square buildings that made up battle quarter, and then of course the wall, just visible in the distance, and beyond that a feast of orange and peach clouds served on a glowing silver platter; the last of the Bright Battle sunset.

    Summer Rain walked alone, making her brisk way up the path. She didn''t pause to admire the view, but appreciated it nonetheless. By the time she reached the top of the cliff Summer had attracted a second shadow, and she stopped beneath an ancient tree to acknowledge the shadow''s presence.

    "It''s surprising to see sunrise maples here," Summer said, looking up at the brilliant red of the tree''s foliage. When she looked down again it was at her brother, dressed in his usual instantly forgettable clothing, as dull as dull could get, although his black scarf was noticeably long. "I suppose at this point I shouldn''t be surprised at anything this place offers. It''s nice to have a little touch of home around, anyway. Did you have much success? More than I did, I hope."

    Night looked up at the tree, then back at Summer.

    "Hm," she said. "Well, it''s not like Nala isn''t paranoid to begin with¡ªshe doesn''t even trust me."

    Night smiled at his sister. Summer smiled back.

    "Perhaps rightly," she admitted. "Still, that she wouldn''t even listen is interesting. What''s got her so confident?"

    Night nodded at the tree''s shadow, so long and crisp.

    "Oh?" Summer said. "Really? That is interesting ... and raises more questions than it answers. I wonder if she''s working for the Guild, they''re the ones who handled renegotiations with the shadowtails. Is there any connection between Caroline Hale and Nala?"

    Night cocked his head to the side.

    "Any connection between Nala and anything?"

    Night gave a slight shrug.

    "But she must have had some kind of life before she came here. Nobody comes from nowhere. What about Tzugakk, they arrived together¡ªnothing? If only she wasn''t casteless, that''d at least give us a starting point. Maybe she did belong to a caste, but had the tattoo removed somehow ... I''ve never heard of that being done, but that doesn''t mean it''s impossible. Haha, listen to me, I''m really rambling on¡ªshe is fascinating though, don''t you think? Anyway, I suppose I''d better head to the house and get ready for the party ... um, how do I look? Is my hair okay?"

    Night patted his sister on the shoulder.

    "Thanks. You''re ready for your thing? Of course you are, why do I even ask. Be careful though, won''t you? I know you always are, but I really am worried about things here. I honestly don''t know what they''d do¡ªI don''t even know who ''they'' are, the Guild, the academy masters, the vampires and the elves and the heroes, they''ve all got their motivations. Hah, and I thought coming up here would be an escape from messy politics, I should''ve listened to you! Not that I would''ve done things differently even if I''d known. This is the most fun I''ve had since we started adventuring¡ªand if we could actually win the tournament, our way, unconventional but completely and undeniably fair..."

    Summer trailed off with a smile directed at herself.

    "I''m rambling again," she said. "You should stop me when I get like this. You know I always go on when I''m nervous."

    Night had been looking out past the tree as Summer talked. Now he raised a hand to capture a falling leaf between two fingers, his gaze never leaving the beauty of the sunset sky. With grave ceremony he presented the bright red leaf to his sister, holding it in both hands as if it were something precious. Summer accepted it with a small bow.

    "Please do promise me," she said, looking down at the leaf as she twirled it between her fingers. "It''d make me feel better. Promise me you''ll be careful."

    "I promise," Night said. Summer nodded at the leaf.

    "Thank you. Whoever ''they'' are, it''s clear that they''re serious about maintaining the status quo. They might go so far as to kill someone to keep things stable." She laughed, but was unable to hide an edge of nervousness. "Probably Nala."

    Her gaze still locked on the red of the leaf, bright in the last of the dying sun, Summer felt the reassuring pressure of her brother''s hand upon her arm. Then the pressure vanished, and when she looked up Night was gone.

    Summer let out a soft breath.

    "Or me..."

 Episode 11.01 - "She Wouldnt Be So Selfish"

    ShimmerClaw''s team house was a small mansion beside a large mansion. Both were perched on a jagged peninsula near the spire, stretching out over the edge in a hauntingly precarious way. The sky beyond was crisp grey-blue, remnants of the sunset giving long thin clouds a brilliant orange outline. In deference to tradition the path leading up to the mansions was long and winding and surrounded by trees¡ªbut rather than the creepily bare-limbed monstrosities of flora one might expect, they were sweet-scented cherry blossoms. The mansions themselves were appropriately gothic, though not exactly of the Auldvynian style, as Praetorian leapt upon the chance to point out:

    "Taller windows, far thinner and curvier, not a gargoyle in sight to their credit, although I can''t call the stonework particularly superior¡ªgrey just lacks the inherent dignity of black, however dark and polished it is. Apparently the vampires here are all from southern Nimbus or northern Forest, that distressingly affluent part of the world. Disassociation with their Auldvynian cousins is a popular pastime, not that one can blame them. In my dark little corner of the world vampires are far more, what''s an appropriate word ... antisocial. Not that we get many in the Lily Valley."

    Praetorian subtly glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention, saw that nobody was, then continued anyway:

    "Still, the cherry blossoms are a welcome departure from tradition. Most of the trees in my homeland are less ''pretty'' and more, well, ''evil''. ''Carnivorous''. ''Mobile''. This path is deceptively long, isn''t it? I keep expecting the next bend to be the last, but find myself disappointed every time."

    Behind the others, Tzugakk was taking note of Nala''s stride, the set of her shoulders, and (after he scurried forward to walk beside her) the line of her mouth.

    "What is wrong?" he asked, too softly for anyone but Nala to hear. She said nothing, but offered a neutral glance. "Can I help?"

    Nala lowered her head so that her hood covered her face, only her mouth still exposed. Tzugakk noticed that her steel chain necklace was above her tunic, not hidden within. He also noticed that her cloak was neatly tied with an elaborate knot, and that her boots were freshly polished.

    As they walked Nala''s hand brushed Tzugakk''s, and the goblin smiled.

    "I''m a bit worried about Kitten," Mist said. "Is it really okay to just leave her at the house?"

    "She is still sleeping," Tzugakk said, leaving Nala to join Mist. "She has had a busy day."

    "She really was useful though, right?" Mist said. "It''s amazing what she can absorb! Without her we definitely wouldn''t have been able to finish tidying today. I don''t think anyone could call her useless, definitely not."

    "I have a suspicion that your remarks are pointed towards me," Praetorian said. "Your noting of the resentment I directed towards ''Kitten'' is duly noted¡ªand I will admit that once due discipline and firm restrictions were placed upon the troublesome blob her utility did become evident."

    Amanda rolled her dull eyes, then frowned. "Why are we the only ones on the path? Shouldn''t we have seen someone else by now? This better not be some kind of prank or something. If we round that next corner and run into a bunch of people with swords I''m going to be so annoyed."

    "You don''t think they''d do that, do you?" Mist said. "I know the vampires are, um, not nice, but¡ªoh, but Summer got an invitation too, right?"

    "Mm, but her team rivals ours in lack of popularity," Praetorian said. "Unconventionality is not how one wins friends and influences people, not in this academy. Still, the zombie does make a point. We''re neither early nor late, I would expect to see at least one other team..."

    Praetorian trailed off as they rounded a corner that turned out to be the last. The smaller of the mansions loomed above, the path to the entrance lit in purple and green by dozens of twisting iron lamps.

    "Eerie, yet inviting," Praetorian commented. "I suppose vampires do have something of a reputation as good hosts. Shall we?"

    Past the weirdly lit path and through the great oak doors was a grand entrance, clean light from high chandeliers falling upon thick red carpet and polished marble floors, discrete fireplaces and subtle magic providing a comfortable warmth. Opposite the entrance wide stairs led to intriguing upper floors, but the Blue Slimes were swiftly directed away from this by a rather well turned out zombie boy, his suit crisp and his expression blank. He said nothing as he stiffly gestured them towards open double doors and the hall beyond, and only Amanda took any real interest in him, pausing to look into his eyes. He looked back, but she couldn''t read anything in his colourless gaze.

    "Mist! Others! I''m SO glad you came! Have you seen my enormous cock? It''s so long and purple!"

    James Bloodspit was the first to greet them, scattering greeter zombies aside as he swashed towards the entrance. He had on a long black coat, worn open to show off his bare chest, as well as a black tricorn hat with a large purple feather on prominent display. Perhaps fortunately, a pair of black leather trousers completed his outfit.

    "PLEASE ignore him," Summer Rain said, following in the pirate''s wake. "He''s been doing this to everyone¡ª"

    "I found a lovely feather for my hat, too! Mist, my darling, that dress ... it''s simply gorgeous, I love it love it LOVE it¡ªand Amanda! You have headwear! Well done!"

    Mist blushed and covered a giggle with her hand, and Amanda touched her hat with a small smile.

    "Tzugakk, we''ve never been formally introduced but I adore that top hat, we may have to trade later¡ªPraetorian ... that tie. We''ll talk. Nala, Nala, you''ve done ... nothing. For shame. Go off with my sister and be boring together in a corner, we who have made an effort shall be enjoying the evening. To me, my sparkling blueberries! Onward!"

    "Is Night here?" Mist asked as she was whisked away. James made a face.

    "He didn''t like my feather," he muttered.

    With the others swept into the party proper, Summer and Nala were left near the entrance with a pair of confused zombie greeters. As she''d been doing since she''d entered, entirely untouched by the Flamboyant Fabulousness of James Bloodspit, Nala examined her environment. The hall was brighter than she''d expected, warmly lit by a dominating chandelier. The windows were stained glass, abstract variations on a theme of purple. Though the room was mostly clear there were couches and chairs against the walls, as well as long tables loaded with food and punch bowls and carved ice sculptures¡ªmonsters, Nala saw, one for each team. She didn''t bother looking for the blue slime.

    "I''m not actually his sister. I''m just tired of constantly correcting him."

    Nala looked at Summer, then away.

    "I know."

    Across the room the vampires lounged, as vampires will. They were dressed in shadows, the darkness creeping and curling over their bodies in a magnificent flaunt of ostentation. Commanding the highest attention was Violet Blaze, holding court over a scattering of others with airy conversation and pointed smiles and the occasional practised laugh, o~hohoho. Nearby Amity Moon spoke easily to Rae Bloomfield, perhaps exploring a class connection; as a thaumaturge Rae had access to skills comparable to Amity''s spiteflinger abilities. From time to time the two of them hit upon some secret amusement, and Nala noted the cool smiles they exchanged. Off to the back Storm Haven leant against a wall, smoking a slow cigarette as he absorbed the conversation of Charles Silverblade¡ªin terms of cool the swashbuckler was holding his own, tall and dashing in his fine clothes, gleaming silver rapier prominent at his side, the feather on his hat rivalling James''s. Charles paused now and then to sip from a glass of red, or to glance smoothly around at Rae and at Flower Dovedale¡ªwho was talking animatedly to an equally animated Priscilla Belldandy. Nala read ownership in the swashbuckler''s gaze, and a certain pride. When Charles noticed Nala''s eyes upon him, he raised his glass. Nala did not acknowledge the gesture.

    "The vampires are civil tonight," Summer commented from beside Nala. "I think it has something to do with this being their place¡ªdominance assumed, in a sense. It''s not even where they normally live, did you know? They only use it for these kind of gatherings. I suppose because nobody gets a team house until the tournament begins, and they consider Bright Battle their permanent residence. Violet''s been here for years, I''m not sure about the others but I imagine a similar situation. Apparently it''s some kind of ambassadorship."

    If Nala found this interesting or surprising she didn''t show it.

    "Their good behaviour might also be due to the absence of the elven team¡ªoh, did you know that Priscilla is half-elven? Her mother, apparently. Count Balgan is an elf too¡ªor ''was'' maybe¡ªbut vampirism supersedes original race. Vampire Cliquemancer, not Elf Vampire Cliquemancer. I wonder what the elves think about that. Oh, speak of the devil ... looks like they''re making a token showing."

    Jak Kingfisher strode through the entrance and threw back the hood of his cloak to unveil gloriously flowing hair, decorated for the occasion with green leaves and sprigs of cherry blossom. He paused for intense effect, then with a fluidly violent motion cast the cloak aside entirely. Beneath was a blue-white suit of the elven fancy, crisp and complexly layered, flashes of nature a contrast to its clean artifice; twigs coaxed into buckles, living chains of powder blue flowers, a woven-leaf kingfisher upon his breast.

    At Jak''s side was Dahlia Knifetaunt, her simple off-white dress showing a considerable amount of scarred skin. Her brown-blonde hair fell loose over her shoulders, autumn leaves and sharp twigs scattered throughout in an attractive mess. Though Jak wore no obvious weapons Dahlia had accessorised with a selection of knives, some sheathed, some naked.

    Behind this pair sloped an unlikely companion, dressed in a dark green and brown suit that couldn''t quite be called ill-suited, but which would almost certainly have looked better on someone else. Across his back was a spiky dark-glowing bow, though no quiver. As Jak and Dahlia went to pay their disrespects to the vampire hosts, this third member of Knives approached the two girls in the corner.

    "Uh. Hey, Nala."

    Nala gave Sly the slightest of nods. He winced, seemed about to say more before a high voice interrupted¡ª

    "SLYTHANEILE LIGHTFEAR YOU RAT!"

    The owner of the voice was an elf girl with blonde hair and striking eyebrows, pure white healer''s robes flapping around her as she flounced towards Sly.

    "Yeah, okay, hi Gloria," Sly said, before she came close enough to slap him¡ªjust lightly, but still.

    "Have you apologised to Nala?" Gloria demanded. "Do it again now anyway! Nala, my brother''s an idiot. I still can''t believe he just abandoned you guys¡ªso? Where''s that apology?"

    "Um, sorry¡ª"

    "Like you mean it!"

    "Okay, whatever, you''re not ... look, just sorry or whatever but ... whatever."

    Sly turned and stomped off with another muttered ''whatever''.

    "I can''t believe him sometimes¡ªoh, hello Summer! Hey! I saw James before but didn''t know you were here too." Gloria beamed at Summer for a second then turned her attention back to Nala. "Anyway, Nala, sorry for Sly. He''s an idiot. I said that already but sometimes once isn''t enough. If I wasn''t already with Jane''s team I''d join you guys to make up for him, but she needs me. Did you say hello already? She''s over with Grey and Flint and Teak, they''re all talking weapons and fighting and stuff, tooootally boring but, y''know, she''d make time for you."

    Nala looked at Gloria.

    "Why?"

    "Because, you know, she''s a halfling and you''re a dwarf! You guys always get on well. Plus she''s totally got a crush on you, she''s listened to your match like a hundred times, she was so cute when I caught her¡ªhey, you guys should come visit our team house! It''s on the edge of GlowGleam Swamp, kind of like a ''compound'' I guess, it''s got all these wooden spikes and stuff around it then these like huts inside, it''s kind of weird but we had to pick it because of Goldmane, he needs a big thing to live in or whatever. Plus Nickle and Peep are totally in their element there, so, y''know. Not all bad."

    Nala had little interest in whatever Gloria was talking about, so while the elf girl blathered on she continued her examination of the room¡ªshe saw the halfling paladin Jane Hearthguard, at her side the human brawler Grey, the two of them speaking to Death Rattle''s half-orc berserker brothers Flint and Teak Oxblood. They were near the food tables, next to the knives ice sculpture. Nala found herself impressed by the intricacy of the carving. Capturing the essence of a creature made of metal blades was no small feat, especially in ice.

    "¡ªdon''t think they''ve even been introduced," Summer was saying. "Nala, do you want to meet Jane?"

    "No."

    Gloria laughed in a halfway shocked kind of way. "Hey, come on! Don''t be like that!"

    "It''s okay," Summer said. "If she doesn''t want to, she doesn''t want to. Nala understands this tournament and what it means. We''re all enemies, isn''t that right?"

    "Yeah," Gloria said, "but we can still be friends, right? It''s not like I''m over here trying to get your secret tactics or something, I just wanted my stupid brother to apologise for ditching you guys."

    "I don''t care about that," Nala said. She looked at Gloria and Summer, then walked away.

    "She''s pretty weird, I gotta say," Gloria said. "Guess it''s a dwarf thing, being all blunt and stuff."

    Summer said nothing, just smiled.

    Across the room, while a newly top hatted James entertained with tales of piracy and promiscuity, Amanda found herself drifting towards one of the servants¡ªa girl wearing a crisp suit and a bored expression. She had cutely frizzy hair and her skin was dark, which Amanda jealously considered a huge improvement over her own blue complexion. Only the girl''s glazed eyes gave away her undead status.

    "Hey," Amanda said, after standing beside the girl for a few not quite comfortable moments. The girl looked at her, then resumed staring at the opposite wall.

    "Hey," she said, her voice raspy. "Cool hat."

    "Uh, thanks. I''m Amanda. I''m dead."

    "I''m Faint. I''m not."

    Amanda stiffly turned to look at Faint.

    "Thought I was a zombie, right? Nuh. Beholden." Faint pulled away the scarf covering her neck to show two little puncture marks. "Not even proper undead, just blissed out on servitude. You''re Amanda Willow, right? They''ve been talking about you."

    "They have? Uh, who''s ''they''?"

    Faint raised her hands to her mouth, making fangs with her fingers. "They''re spitting over not getting you on the first day. Keep talking about how that dwarf stole you, how you''re such a pick¡ªI can kind of see it, compared to the zombs around here you''re like a goddess. No missing limbs, nothing rotting, you even smell clean¡ªor not bad at least." Faint leant over to sniff. "Kind of that sheets-in-a-cupboard smell, I could live with that. Haha, sorry, ''live'', that''s probably offensive or something. Totally corpsist."

    Amanda decided that Faint might be worth liking.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "So what''s the deal with all this servant stuff?" she asked. "How does it even work, are you students?"

    "Nah. I think technically we''re monsters. Doesn''t really matter anyway. We''re here, we''re cool, why worry about it?"

    "So you just live here? With the vampires bossing you around?"

    "Yeah, but it''s not like that. They hardly ever get us to do anything, they just like feeling all superior and stuff. Like it''s not about having servants because they need us, it''s just about having servants, know what I mean? Most of the time we just hang around doing whatever." Faint leant back against the wall. "Beats working. Whatever I was before, can''t be as happy as I am now." The girl glanced at Amanda and smirked again. "Cost of admission, gotta give up your memories. Dunno what they were but can''t say I miss ''em."

    Amanda frowned. "If you don''t remember anything, how do you know you wanted to do this?"

    Faint shrugged.

    "Maybe they tricked you or something."

    Faint shrugged again.

    "You''re not worried?"

    "What''s the point? Being happy all the time is great. I don''t even get how you handle all that past weighing you down."

    "Uh. I don''t actually remember anything from before coming here."

    "Serious? So you''re like us, that''s cool. You should come hang out, meet the gang¡ªthere''s a bunch of us in the main house, we''ve got a whole wing to ourselves. They''d get a kick out of meeting a zombie who isn''t all, y''know, urrrrgh."

    Amanda let out a rattly sigh. "Yeah, but, I''ve got this thing, it''s stupid and awful but I''ve got to stay close to that guy or I go all ... you know ... urgh."

    That guy was currently engaged in conversation with Gloria Lightfear, gesturing dramatically as he told an epic tale of something or other. Amanda rolled her eyes. Faint cocked her head.

    "Him? High collar? He''s kind of cute."

    "He is NOT."

    "Oh, so he''s your necromancer¡ª"

    "He''s not MY anything!"

    "Whatever, don''t get all tight and uncool. Huh. So you gotta be around him or you go like all the urghy zombies." Faint narrowed her eyes as she examined Praetorian. "So why''re you so special?"

    "What?"

    "Floppy and Reek are pretty close to him, don''t see them perking up. Rags is right there behind him, so ... yeah, what''s the deal? His thing only work on cute girl zombies?"

    "I ... I don''t know, I don''t know how it works. He never acts like I''m special, he treats me like a nuisance pet or something, like a useless old dog he has to take care of..." Amanda frowned. "But only me. Not any of the zombies here."

    "Yeah, so, maybe it''s not him at all, right? Maybe it''s you. Maybe whatever gets you so, y''know, talky and stuff could work in some other way, even without the deadspeaker. You should talk to the fang gang, they know a bunch about this stuff. Way more than me. And like I said, they''re into you. They''ll never admit it but trust me, they want you."

    Amanda was silent as she considered this, the thought of freedom sending an unfamiliar warmth through her dull body.

    "Huh," she said.

    Not so far away, a cloaked and hooded rogue stood in front of heavy curtains. She was not stealthed, but no one noticed her. Her hidden gaze was upon a particular group; a valkyrie telling off a pirate for teasing a goblin, the goblin responding to the teasing with a quiet comment that caused the pirate to throw back his head and roar with laughter.

    Presently, the rogue spoke:

    "You are here."

    In a shy shadow of the curtain something flickered. Soft words came, half-whisper, half-echo:

    "You expected otherwise?"

    Nala did not look back, but she sensed that the shadowtail was now sitting.

    "They celebrate us," the shadowtail said, and Nala knew its gaze was upon the ice sculptures of team monsters. "You should have chosen one of our kind."

    Nala shifted where she stood, caught movement; the shadowtail was flicking its tail. She spoke carefully:

    "What would that have changed?"

    "Everything."

    Nala dwelt on this answer as she watched Tzugakk and the others. Mist had both hands covering her mouth, shocked and delighted at the story James was telling. Tzugakk made a short comment that stopped James dead, then the pirate''s loud laughter sounded through the hall. Nala cocked her head, narrow grey eyes on Tzugakk as he smiled shyly at the floor.

    "He is why you stay." The shadowtail''s voice was a whisper, curling around Nala. "You could have freedom, but not without him."

    "He has a dream," Nala murmured.

    "To journey outwards. To find the ''monster islands''. But what is your dream?"

    "I have no dream." Nala lowered her head. "I''m a rogue. I stole his."

    There was a shift. No obvious movement, no indication of departure, but nevertheless Nala knew that the shadowtail had gone. To this she gave no external reaction.

    Across the room, Summer had found a discrete chair to settle into.

    "Ah, Miss Rain. I had wanted to speak with you."

    Although apparently not discrete enough.

    "Mr Darkcede," Summer said. "I thought you were talking to Gloria."

    "I was, then I wasn''t. So it goes." Praetorian swept up his cloak before seating himself. "The rest of my little party seem to have forgotten your warning of earlier, but it''s been preying upon my mind. Would this be an appropriate juncture to perhaps discuss your concerns?"

    Summer spoke carefully, not looking at Praetorian. "I have no concerns."

    "Mm. No, of course not. Forgive me, I have a habit of misinterpreting remarks made casually, giving them greater weight than was intended. In any case, I''m sure that a lovely party such as this would be nothing but the safest of environments."

    Summer flicked her gaze at Praetorian then back at nothing in particular. "I''m sure it would be," she said. "Team houses are safe zones, after all, and this is an officially sanctioned Bright Battle event. The vampires act as hosts, but this is all at the request of the masters of the academy."

    "Ah, that is a fact I did not previously possess. Mm, mm, goodness goodness me. Officially sanctioned? I feel so assured."

    "As you should."

    "As I should."

    There was a certain lessening of tension between the two, Summer reassessing her evaluation of this odd but perhaps insightful necromancer, Praetorian resolving to arrange a more private meeting with this unattractive but potentially useful girl. After the party, on the morrow¡ªin a word, later. Away from prying eyes and ears and the illusionary comfort of this ''safe zone''.

    For near a minute the two sat in silence, watching the room, the interactions and relationships, the boisterous entrance of Raid Fearson and his team¡ª

    "I wondered if they''d come," Summer said, watching Raid stride across the room. The bandit was wearing his usual mix-and-match armour, nothing formal about him at all. Cane Calfstrong''s armour was at least a complete set, dark purple plate with a dragon motif, and Evia Mordein''s practical black robe seemed mildly appropriate, or at least vaguely formal. "Behemoth. I just don''t know what to make of them. Raid acts like a complete idiot half the time, but he''s done some surprisingly smart things. I wonder if someone is feeding him ideas ... the girl, maybe."

    "Mm?" Praetorian''s gaze was not on Behemoth, but on another group who had entered behind them¡ªArbie and his team, all wearing shiny gold breastplates with bright red capes ... except for one member of their group, who wasn''t wearing much at all. "Oh dear goodness they brought the succubus."

    Summer''s head whipped around, and she raised a hand to her mouth, eyes shining. "I wonder what the hosts will think about that."

    "Vampires and a sex demoness in the same room, that simply cannot end happily. What was the girl''s name? Jasmine, Jana¡ª"

    "Jade," Summer murmured, her gaze on the succubus¡ªArbie and the others seemed to be pleading with her. "They certainly bought themselves some trouble when they chose her as their monster. What were they thinking?"

    "Aha, well, your error there is in assuming any thought went into the matter at all."

    Summer glanced at Praetorian with a small smile before returning her attention to Jade¡ªthe succubus had broken free of Arbie and the others and was prowling across the room, silver-bound hair flicking from side to side, feet bare against the polished wood floor, purple-brown eyes half-hooded and hungry. Her gaze rested on Praetorian then flicked away, and he shivered where he sat.

    "I feel as though I''ve been judged and found wanting," he said. "To be fair it''s not an entirely unfamiliar sensation¡ªand in this case tempered with a sense of having escaped a potentially sticky entanglement."

    "She is pretty, though," Summer murmured, as she watched the succubus approach Charles Silverblade, the swashbuckler turning to greet her with a dazzling smile and a wide bow. Praetorian glanced at Summer, then nodded slowly.

    "She is that."

    While the others had been making new friends, Nala had engaged in two activities. First, examining the selection of food on display¡ªtruly staggering in terms of both variety and presentation, especially considering that vampires never lowered themselves to as common an activity as eating¡ªand second, examining the selection of attendants to this gathering. The elves in particularly were barely represented, Jak and Dahlia standing together, watching the room with amused eyes, while Sly was perched on a sofa eating moody peanuts from an unhappy bowl. He was here by his own choice, Nala was certain of that, but she wondered at his motivations. Guilt about defecting was possible. Likely, even. But it could be something else ... something perhaps tied into his reasons for abandoning the Blue Slimes. Simple dissatisfaction was plausible, but seemed incomplete. There was more to the story. Something else Nala noted; Sly still had his cursed bow. Part of his stated reason for joining the elf team was a promise to decurse it. That this hadn''t happened yet was interesting.

    "Look at you there, all grim and serious. We''ve been having a grand old time, your little Tzugakk is hilarious, such a dry sense of humour, I just love it. Did you try the salmon pasties? Not bad for a vampire party, I must say." James leaned closer to Nala and lowered his voice. "Incidentally you could do worse than listen to Summer. I know she can come across as dreary and sinister and she''s not the best with people but that girl cares¡ªand she doesn''t offer her friendship to just anyone. Honestly I''ve never seen her work so hard to impress, I don''t know what it is she sees in you but I trust her judgement. So should you. Summer is offering her hand, Nala. Were I you, I''d take it." James flashed a brilliant smile and adjusted his hat, fluffing up his feather. "Isn''t it a pity there''s no music here? I do love a musician. I''m just in the mood for dancing, too, are dwarfs known for dancing? I ask but I''m not really expecting a response, so you just keep on scrutinising the room with those narrow little grey eyes of yours, you just keep pretending I''m not here and that the words I say are leaves on the wind¡ªbut I know you''re listening. You''re not one to let anything slip by, are you? Not one to let things ... go."

    Nala didn''t look up, but she felt the grin of a certain bandit upon her.

    "Hey there, stump. Hey Jimmy, nice cock."

    "Hmmph. You don''t have to tell me."

    "So what do ya think, Greyward?" Raid asked Nala. "They gonna announce the brackets tonight? Been kind of putting it off, don''t ya reckon? Kinda weird. Kinda suspicious, even. Who you hoping to draw, us maybe? Got some pretty little strategy all figured out to take us down?"

    Nala raised her head, narrow grey eyes shadowed but visible.

    "Not yet," she said. Raid laughed, and slapped James on the shoulder.

    "How about you, Shiver-Me-Jimmies? Who you wanna fight? Or do ya just leave that complicated thinking stuff to your pet girl?"

    "Don''t be a bitch, Raid. It''s unbecoming." James gave Nala a solemn look, then locked gazes with Raid before sweeping away.

    Raid laughed again.

    "He''s a sad old princess, ain''t he? So you didn''t answer, who ya hoping to draw? Me, I wanna take on the vamps. Look at ''em over there, all snobby and superior. I mean, yeah, you low-tier guys, you''re fun to mess with. But knocking snobs off their pedestals, that''s the best. You reckon they''d have a chance against a behemoth?"

    "Yes."

    "Nah, you''re just talking. We could take ''em. We could take any of these loser teams."

    Nala looked up at Raid, a certain thoughtfulness in her eyes. If she had anything to say, however, it was cut off by a succubus-shaped shadow and the scent of hot cinnamon.

    "Nuh," Raid said, before Jade could so much as open her mouth. "Go slut somewhere else. Try Calfstrong, he''d put it in anything."

    Without a word and with little expression Jade walked past, dismissing Raid in the manner of a bored cat¡ªbut Nala noted the quiet fury in the succubus''s eyes, the fire Raid''s rejection had ignited within her.

    "She was off with those stinking half-orcs before, you notice? Yeah, course you did. Even if I went like that no way I''m being hole bros with those two."

    Nala made no comment. She was watching the vampires; Violet Blaze was rising from her sofa of power, striding forward, speaking to the room:

    "Well now. Everyone''s here who''s going to be here, so perhaps it''s time to make a little announcement."

    "Here we go," Raid muttered, and he nudged Nala roughly. She barely moved.

    "I''m sure some of you have been speculating on certain matters," Violet continued, the shadow of her dress curling around her as she cut her eyes from Nala to Summer to (Nala noted with interest) Behemoth''s Evia Mordein. "Unfortunately I''m as much in the dark as any of you when it comes to the tournament brackets, so if your interest lies in that area, well, prepare for disappointment."

    "Huh," Raid muttered. "So what, then?"

    Instead of continuing Violet made a deliberate circle of the room, checking on her guests, commenting on clothing and presence, her long pale fingers brushing Charles Silverblade''s shoulder as she passed, Jak Kingfisher''s cheek as she swept by. Once she''d returned to her previous position, Violet treated the room to a long smile then spoke once more:

    "Could I have the team captains up here, please?" she asked, her voice betraying no hint of malice. "Just standing here in front of me, as neat as soldiers, that would be wonderful."

    Raid walked forward without a glance at Nala, who noted the movements of others before following. Once standing there in the line of captains, Jane Hearthguard to her right, Summer Rain to her left, she gazed steadily at Violet Blaze, who smiled beatifically back at her.

    "We''re going to have a little game," Violet said. "Won''t that be fun? Of course, as hosts we won''t be participating, that would hardly be fair, but as for you, well, this may just be a chance to win yourselves something of an advantage in the tournament."

    Nala raised her head, interest caught¡ªthen joined the others in looking at Jane Hearthguard as she spoke:

    "I''m not interested in games."

    "Well then, feel free to take a step back," Violet said. "This isn''t by any means mandatory, just a little innocent fun."

    Jane worked her jaw, hard eyes on Violet, then she shook her head and turned away, stalking off.

    "I, uh, I guess I gotta pull out too," Arbie said, from down the line. "Help the others find Jade, she keeps ... y''know ... uh, yeah."

    "Goodness. Anyone else like to scurry away?" Violet asked, her eyes once more on Nala. "No? Well then, to begin..."

    There was a glow above the remaining captains; Nala looked up then held out her hand, and three sparkling blue coins fall into her palm.

    "You each received a token¡ªor tokens, were you lucky." If the smile Violet directed at Nala held a message, it wasn''t one the dwarf could decipher. "Feel free to gift them to whomsoever you wish. Should I grace you with a hint? This is a game for the more creative among you. I''ll give you all a few minutes to make your decisions. Choose wisely, won''t you?"

    Nala assembled her team, through the ever-effective method of standing still and letting them drift over to her.

    "Hi guys!" Mist said, the last to join. "I''ve hardly seen you tonight. I''m actually having fun! James is so funny and naughty and Jane Hearthguard from Proudfoot is a bit serious but really very nice and I was chatting to Flint and Teak from Death Rattle and they''re not bad guys at all! They''re actually quite sweet! Even the vampires aren''t being awful, I talked to Priscilla and she liked my dress and my helmet and even my hair, no one''s ever complimented my hair before! Nobody''s ever even mentioned it! Because it''s kind of boring, I guess, just dark and flat with this stupid flippy bit at the top I can''t do anything about and the pigtails are mostly just traditional even if I''m not good at tying them¡ªum, sorry, I''m just rabbiting on but I really am having fun tonight! You too, right Tzugakk? You and James were so funny together! And then what were you and Flint talking about? You two looked really serious¡ªum, sorry, rabbiting again. Um. So, I guess there''s this game thing? What''s your plan, Nala?"

    In response Nala handed a token to Mist, and another to Tzugakk. She kept the third for herself.

    "Um?"

    "The game will be a treasure hunt," Nala said. "Search through a limited area in order to find the most valuable item. Crafting will be important, so Tzugakk will be useful. We''ll be separated from each other, and partnered with members of other teams."

    "I suppose I shouldn''t ask how you know all this," Praetorian said. "Except I just can''t help myself; how do you know all this?"

    Nala looked at him.

    "Exactly the response I feared to receive. Ah well. I suppose Amanda and I have been spared the fun due to her reliance upon me¡ªwouldn''t do to separate us."

    Praetorian glanced at Amanda, expecting a snarky rejoinder, but the zombie girl was just staring down at the floor, arms loose at her sides.

    "Nala," Tzugakk said. "I don''t know what components I might find¡ª"

    "You''ll do your best. That will be enough."

    Tzugakk nodded, then smiled at Nala. "I''ve been enjoying myself. Much more than I expected. Thank you for encouraging me to come."

    Nala looked at Tzugakk, then at Mist.

    "Um," Mist said. "I''m not good at crafting or anything, and even finding things¡ª"

    "I don''t expect anything from you."

    Mist flinched, and Praetorian gave a little heartening laugh.

    "I''m sure Nala''s intention was to remove any sense of responsibility," he said. "Relax and enjoy yourself, to put it less bluntly."

    "Oh. Is that what you meant, Nala?"

    Nala cocked her head, then gave a nod.

    "Oh. Okay then. Thanks, I guess. Just have fun, I can do that. Well. Depending on who I get put with, of course ... who else is doing this?"

    The Blue Slimes looked around the room at the other teams¡ªCharles Silverblade held up his coin, comparing it to the one he''d given Flower, while Summer stood alone examining hers. In a corner, Jak and Dahlia argued while Sly stood watching, faintly miserable. Raid and Evia were walking towards a grinning Cane, who''d just emerged from a side room¡ªand behind the lancer came a sultrily swaggering Jade, bright of eye and sly of smile. What followed was a minor confrontation between Arbie, Jade and Cane, the details of which Nala chose to discard. What she kept was the transferral of a token from Raid to Cane¡ªand the glimpse of blue in Evia Mordein''s hands.

    "Is everyone ready?" Violet asked the room. "I do hope so, because we''re about to begin. Everyone holding a token will shortly be sent into the east wing, it''s something of a maze so mind you don''t lose your way. Your task will be to bring back a single item, whether found or crafted makes no difference. Whomsoever brings me the most delightful item shall win a lovely prize, won''t that be wonderful?" Violet laid her hand upon a chest that puffed into existence beside her. It was blue and gold and hinted at valuable mysteries concealed within. Beside this chest three others appeared in turn, each smaller and less ornate than the last. "To make things interesting and encourage jolly cooperation you''ll be put into pairs, matched up with someone from an ''enemy'' team. Won''t that be a scream? I''m sure you''ll all get along splendidly, united in the spirit of competitive greed. Now, because I couldn''t care less about the fiddly little details of the thing ... Priscilla?"

    Priscilla Belldandy stepped forward, hands demurely together, her shadow dress forming something like a frilly maid''s outfit.

    "Hello, everyone," she said. "This game is quite exciting, not just because it''s a treasure hunt or because of the prizes, but because it uses the latest instance magic from Nimbus. Each of the teams will be sent into a copy of the east wing. Everything there will be as it was before the event began, every room, every item¡ªeven every ghost," Priscilla added, with a giggle. "That way, each team will have exactly the same opportunities as every other team. It''s up to you to make the most of them! After half an hour everyone will be brought back here and the judging can take place. You only get to pick one item per team, so use your best judgement and choose carefully! Oh, and by the way, the dweomer we''re using for this is based on faerie magic, so probably anything you bring out will turn into a leaf or something after an hour or so. Just, you know. For your information."

    "I-I''m not so sure about this, actually," Mist said, as the participants all prepared for the game. "If there are ghosts¡ª"

    "There aren''t," Praetorian said.

    "How do you know?"

    "Yes, you have noticed that I''m a necromancer?"

    Whether anyone had a reply to this or whether Praetorian had more to say was made irrelevant; a blue glow rose around Nala, Mist and Tzugakk, and as it faded so did they.

    "Well then," Praetorian murmured, to the space his team mates had formerly occupied. "Good luck, I suppose."

 Episode 11.02

    Mist blinked against brightness, shreds of azure magic wisping into nothing all around. To her right there was an untidy workbench lit by the glow of scattered crystals, and soft lantern light beckoned from beyond an open door. There was a broken bookshelf nearby, and a few chairs scattered around, and an elf sniper with a dark-glowing bow upon his back.

    "Oh," Mist said. "I''m with you."

    "Yeah," Sly said. "Uh, I was hoping to, y''know, get in with one of you guys, thought it might be easier to talk or whatever if it was just us..."

    "Huh." Mist walked to the doorway, peeked out to the corridor beyond. "I don''t know if I want to hear anything from you."

    "Yeah, but, uh¡ªhey," Sly said, as he followed Mist into the dim hallway. "I know it was kind of crummy, just like ditching you guys or whatever, but it wasn''t like I had much of a choice or anything."

    Mist said nothing, just kept walking, eyes fixed ahead¡ªthere were doors along the hallway, but she didn''t do more than glance at them.

    "I mean," Sly was continuing, from behind Mist, "I don''t know if you, like, know elves or whatever, but when a bunch of them¡ªus, I guess¡ªall get together and start, like, pushing for something ... it''s just real hard to ignore, that''s all. And I was cheesed off at Nala for all the crap she pulls¡ªyou get what I''m saying, don''t you? It bugs you too, right?"

    Mist glanced back, then turned a corner and started walking up a new corridor¡ªthis one had windows along the right wall, tall and arched, looking out past overgrown grass to the drop beyond. The east wing was perched on the edge of the island¡ªover the edge, as a ruined section ahead showed; part of the wall was missing, with nothing beyond or beneath but empty air and the glittering night ocean.

    "Damn," Sly muttered, as he peered over. "Be a bitch to fall, yeah? Guess they''ve got some kind of magic or something in case that happens ... wouldn''t want to rely on it, though."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Mist was trying doors. Most were locked, but one handle turned beneath her hand.

    "So, uh, anyway," Sly said, as he followed Mist into this new room¡ªsome kind of dining hall stretching into darkness, the feeble light of candles not near enough to fight the gloom. "I just kind of wanted you to know that, y''know, I feel real bad about the whole thing and, uh, if I could change stuff I would and all that ... but it''s just how it is, yeah? Elves and vampires win, everyone else loses. That''s, like, the world. I know it sucks and I know I can''t really talk because, y''know, I''m part of the ''privileged'' or whatever, but ... yeah, just, sorry, you know? Wish it could be different."

    Mist glanced back at Sly.

    "I''m not smart like Nala, or even Praetorian or Amanda," she said, her voice tight. "I know I''m young and don''t know anything about the world or, or anything really. I only know my island, and the people on it. It''s a much nicer place than this." Mist paused to open a cupboard, going on tiptoes to examine the broken plates and overturned mugs on the higher shelves. Sly watched from behind, hands in pockets, looking up through his floppy fringe. "I just don''t understand," Mist continued. "Was it really such a good trade? Abandoning us to join the elf team, is that really such a good deal for you? Maybe doing that was okay according to the rules, and maybe you''ll do better with them than with us, but ... is it worth it?"

    Mist''s expression softened when she saw the hurt on Sly''s face.

    "Meant what I said," he muttered, looking away. "I''d change it if I could. Sometimes you just don''t get a choice. If it was just me then nah, I wouldn''t have done it. But it wasn''t just me. I dunno if you get what I''m saying, but ... yeah, can''t really say more. It''s just, like, things are happening, y''know? Big things. And I''m just, like, small."

    Sly glanced up at Mist, standing there in her oversized armour, wearing a dress that was too big and too pretty and too grown-up for her.

    "I''m small," Mist said, and for a fleeting moment nothing about her seemed out of place. "And Nala''s even smaller than me. But so what? She never even thinks about that stuff, I bet. Being big or small or ... or anything like that. She just does things. Do you know what she said to me, about this game? She said she didn''t expect anything from me. She thinks Tzugakk will be able to make something with his crafting ability, and that''s how we''ll win. Probably she''s right. She usually is. But I''m going to try anyway. I''m going to do my best, just like her. Even if I don''t win, even if I probably can''t win ... I''m still going to try."

    Mist glanced back at the cupboard, then pushed the door shut.

    "Not out in the open," she said. "Right? It wouldn''t be so obvious. What we should look for are hidden things..."

 Episode 11.03

    Tzugakk crouched in a corner, patiently scraping LifeMould off the wall and into a dented pewter mug.

    "You almost finished? Getting jumpy over here."

    They''d found the room down several flights of winding stairs, the stone walls grower damper and colder with each wide step. The only light came from a crystal held by Tzugakk''s companion, hastily constructed by the goblin before their descent.

    Cane Calfstrong shifted in place, glanced around the room, found nothing of interest, and spoke again:

    "You hear me? I said, you about finished? Or, what, you''re still scared of me? Thought we got that straight. Even if this wasn''t a damn safe zone there''s no point in attacking my partner. If you''re good at crafting I should keep you safe until we get the prize. That just makes sense."

    Tzugakk said nothing, and after collecting the mould he avoided looking at Cane. He couldn''t escape the memory of the lancer leaping high into the air, of his crashing descent¡ª

    "You don''t have to be like this," Cane said, as Tzugakk scurried from the room. He followed after the goblin, who was heading back up the stairs. "So I killed you one time. That doesn''t mean anything. I did that for the same reason anyone does anything here. Merits."

    Tzugakk didn''t reply, just kept climbing the stairs. Cane smirked to himself.

    "So we''re heading up," he said. "That''s where your next thing is?"

    "I hope so."

    "Hey, so you can talk! Heh. Up, yeah. Better than these basement parts." Cane smirked again. "Yeah, I''m a lancer. ''Up'' is my style."

    Tzugakk said nothing, partly through shyness, partly through nervousness, and partly because he was preoccupied with a certain troubling thought. The components he''d found had been of excellent quality, far better than any he''d found in the academy proper. In truth, they rivalled the best of his former forest home. Above the shimmerfalls, where water nymphs sang and played and hunted. In the caverns beneath the moss ruins, a sanctuary for night shades and shadow slimes. Among the jigsaw rocks, where grey mantises and stone spiders fought a neverending war. These were dangerous places, all of them, and they followed an unwritten rule; the more dangerous a place, the more valuable its secrets. Near Tzugakk''s log hut there was a peaceful stretch of forest, home to nothing more dangerous than an orange slime or two ... but home also to nothing more valuable than a GreenLeaf. Compare this peaceful place to the more dangerous areas, and there was no comparison. Danger meant quality components, that was a simple and undeniable truth of the world. This, more than anything else, was what caused Tzugakk''s preoccupied silence. Where you find danger you will find good components...

    ...so where you find good components you must also find danger...

    ...and the components in this place were very, very good indeed...

    <hr>

    The two girls had swiftly reached accordance; it was likely that early areas would hold little of interest, and so their strategy would be to venture as deep as possible into the dark ruins of the eastern wing. Secret places, discrete containers, possibly even puzzles, these would be their most likely sources for a winning item. So it was that Evia Mordein and Summer Rain could be found picking over the mouldering corpse of a once-proud library.

    "I got to admit, I''m happy being partnered with you," Evia said. She was going through a pile of heavy tomes, assessing and discarding with cool efficiency. "Together we could beat Nala."

    Summer lowered her head as she sorted through her own pile of books, treating them to a small smile that Evia entirely failed to notice. "So you consider her a threat?"

    "In this kind of thing, yep. In the tournament ... huh, maybe if she had a better team. As it is she''s got nothing."

    "Oh, I don''t know."

    Evia paused in her tome-assessment to glance at Summer. "Don''t you?"

    "Tzugakk alone is a wildcard. ''StenchMerchant'', I''d never heard of the class before coming here¡ªI didn''t even know goblins could take classes. You''ve noticed that Nala''s team has only fought one battle? Deliberate on her part, I''m sure. She''s got more up her sleeve than what she''s shown."

    "So what about you? Your battles haven''t been all that great. What kind of tricks you got hidden?"

    "Not much, to be honest." Summer gave the bookshelves a last glance, then held up a small black book with a stylised silver cross on the cover. "Find anything better than this?"

    Evia shook her head. "Doubt we will, either. Moving on seems like a plan."

    "Agreed."

    The two girls made their way out of the gloomy library, Evia glancing at Summer several times before speaking:The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "If you don''t have any little secret tricks, how do you think you''ll do in the tournament?"

    "I believe we have as much chance as anyone."

    It was Evia''s turn to smile, as she led Summer through long narrow corridors and down winding stairs to a cramped little basement area.

    "I''ve listened to your matches," Evia said, as she picked over the crystals upon an alchemist''s workbench. "And to Nala''s. There''s a difference between you and her."

    "I''d be interested to hear your observations," Summer said, at Evia''s side, re-examining the crystals the mage had discarded. Her tone was neutral and her expression open, but there was a certain tightness to her voice that Evia happily noticed.

    "You do things safe. You don''t take risks. You play by the rules¡ª"

    "You say that like there''s a choice," Summer said, and Evia hid a smile at the sudden snap in her tone. "Even the most unconventional tactics are still bound by rules¡ªand I don''t ''abide'' by them, that implies that I find them unpleasant or constricting¡ª"

    "Yeah, exactly," Evia said to the crystal she was studying. "You get off on the rules. You love them."

    "Only conceptually."

    At that Evia set down her crystal and looked straight at Summer. Summer gazed back. It was Evia who conceded:

    "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "Let me ask you this, first. Do you want to win the tournament?"

    Evia laughed. "Of course I do!"

    "Why?"

    "Merits, opportunities, the boon, lots of reasons."

    "I want to win because I want to prove that the rules work."

    "Haha, what? You don''t need to prove that¡ªand before you say anything I do get what you mean. You don''t like how things are. Unbalanced, right? Vampires and elves and high-tier classes on top, everyone else beneath. But really, how are you different, ''mintmedic''? With your pirate and ninja, those aren''t low-tier. Uncommon, sure, but not underpowered. You didn''t start like you are now, right? Let me guess, natural healer¡ª"

    "No. Mintmedic was my first and only class." Summer bowed her head, perhaps in a show of humility. "I worked hard to meet the base requirements. There was still the possibility I''d become something else, healer or cleric or even a mage like you ... but I did everything I could to increase the chance that I''d be a mintmedic. James is the same¡ªor, haha, no, he''s not, but he''s never been anything other than a pirate. Still, I take your point. My brother began as a rogue, despite doing all he could to make ninja his first class. It''s all he''s ever wanted to be, a natural fit ... but sometimes chaos wins. Still, we worked hard and got him his promotion medal."

    "To give him that chance," Evia murmured. She crossed her arms. "I began as a healer, which was kind of horrifying. It was my fault, I mean I did a lot of stuff and made a lot of choices that led me down that road, but still. That''s why I''m just an unpromoted mage now, changing base classes is a hassle and a half. It took a heap of work to get where I am. Probably just as much as you put into being a natural mintmedic."

    "Oh, more!" Summer said. "But that''s kind of my point¡ª"

    "Yeah, it''s mine too. Why are the elves and vampires on top, you ever think about that?"

    "Of course¡ª"

    "They''ve got all the rules in their court, but it''s more than that. They''ve formed themselves around the rules. Traditions, culture, classes, elves and vampires adapted better than any other race so now they''re reaping the benefits. You can''t really call it unfair. The rules work for those who submit to them. So yeah, that''s the difference between you and Nala. For you, rules are some kind of ideal. But for her? They''re a weapon."

    Summer smiled tightly. "What about you, then? How do you see rules?"

    Evia shrugged. "Cynical constructs that''re good for some and bad for others¡ªbut, y''know, there''s nothing wrong with that. The world is the world and rules are rules, you either accept that or get crushed by it. But forget all that, or don''t, but whatever, because I''ve got something important to ask you. Let''s face facts, you''re not going to win this thing. It''s kind of funny, your weakness is the same as the vampires and the elves, you''ve got a team of high-tiers and strategies that work with your strengths, but nothing else. Nothing special. There''s still time before the first match, you could still join the team that''s going to demolish this tournament¡ª"

    "You? Behemoth?" Summer laughed, then covered her mouth. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to be rude, but why would I? Aside from anything there are the obvious personality clashes¡ª"

    "Sure, there''d be friction, but we''d get over that. We all want to win, yeah? Reasons don''t matter so much, motivations come and go, but if you and me were working together, with everything my team''s got and everything your team''s got, we''d be unstoppable. I mean yeah there''s some fiddly technical stuff we''d have to do, find a couple of patsies to load your team with and all that, but I''ve looked into it. It''s possible."

    "I have to admit, this isn''t a path I''d considered." Summer looked down at the crystals without interest, the treasure hunt now a distant priority. "Still, it makes a certain amount of sense."

    "Right? Plus there''s another thing too. You''re getting a lot of bad attention. Them above aren''t happy with the teams this year, that''s obvious to anyone with half a brain. We''re okay, they like our brute force style and we''ve got positive prejudice working for us¡ªtoken vampire, token elf, it makes a difference¡ªbut you and Greyward, hah. Accidents are surprisingly common around here. BrightCircles and safehold shards aren''t as reliable as they tell you."

    "I know. I mean ... I''ve heard. Read things. Expulsion from the academy can be, um, ''permanent''."

    "You got it. And, you know, I wouldn''t put it past them to arrange for something to happen here¡ªthe perfect setting! New magical tech, a hundred things to go wrong, so many people to spread the blame across if a student doesn''t come back..."

    Evia trailed off, her misleadingly plain eyes on Summer.

    "Yes," Summer said, carefully. She was uncomfortably aware of the position she''d put herself in; alone in the dark with a girl she didn''t know nearly enough about, separated from her party, trapped in an instance with no way out save for that the vampire hosts granted¡ªvampire hosts who were favourites of the academy, a firm part of the tradition of the place, who would naturally do anything to retain that favour...

    "Well, anyway," Evia said. "You can get back to me on the joining forces thing. No rush." She tutted at the crystals. "Nothing down here, how about trying the upper levels? We''ve got some time left¡ªI guess, haha."

    "Haha. Above, yes. Maybe the ... the attics."

    It was with a dark weight in her chest that Summer followed Evia; heavy with the fear that the steps she took could very well be her last.

 Episode 11.04

    In a room that was both an unbelievable shambles and utterly boring, a swashbuckler tapped his shiny boot against the dusty floor.

    "Would you kindly explain your position?" Charles Silverblade asked, in response to which Nala Greyward gave no response at all. Charles sighed and adjusted his rapier and fiddled with the feather in his hat, looked around the room for anything of interest, failed to find it, and so once more set his eyes upon Nala. The dwarf was partially obscured by a pile of rubble, gazing at a stone wall¡ªto what end Charles couldn''t fathom. To his eyes it was as dull a wall as he''d ever seen, nothing remotely interesting about it. Still, if Charles had learnt anything in the limited but enjoyable time he''d spent with dwarves, it was that when they found interest in stonework you gave them as much time as they demanded.

    "Even so," he muttered, before raising his voice. "Nala, I had you marked as intelligent. After all, you were savvy enough to turn down the proposal I made before the test of worth. Rather blunt about it, actually. Others would call it rudeness, I see it as solidity of character. In truth it made you more attractive, and so the offer still stands." Charles paused, waiting to see if Nala might have something to say. She didn''t. "You''re aware that this game has a time limit? Of course you are. In my opinion this part of the playing field is fruitless. We''d be better off searching elsewhere."

    "Go, then."

    "And leave you alone? I''d sooner fall upon my sword." Charles patted the hilt of said sword, then blew out a short breath. "Just what is so damned interesting about that wall?"

    "It shouldn''t be here."

    "But clearly it is. The interest yet eludes me."

    Nala looked back at Charles, who raised eyebrows and hands in a gesture of impatience, then she returned her gaze to the wall. It was limestone, carefully worked so as to appear unworked. Upon laying her hand upon it Nala found it both cool and slightly damp, but solid enough. There was no tingle of magic, nothing beyond the minute prickle that had been a constant companion throughout this instance. It was, in all regards and by any measurement, a wall, and an ordinary one at that.

    And yet the fact remained, it simply should not be there. Before coming to this party Nala had put several specific questions to her new shadowtail allies and their answers (though unhelpfully whimsical and needlessly evasive) had led to her making a request. Thus it was that Nala had been afforded several minutes with a map of the mansion, accurate down to the collapsed ceiling in this very room, and yet there the discrepancy lay. It wasn''t the first, either. She''d noticed doors where there should be blank walls, blank walls where there should be doors. Corridors that ended too soon, others that stretched on beyond her expectations. It could all be a trick of the shadowtails, of course. It could be their idea of a joke. It could be that their influence was less than they boasted, or it could be that the instance magic was imperfect. It could be any of these things, or all of them, or something else entirely. Nala wasn''t so much interested in the ''why'' of the situation, and in truth the discrepancies didn''t much concern her. Standing here staring at a wall that shouldn''t be was a means to an end, and that end was the examination, evaluation and potential exploitation of one Charles Silverblade, captain of Death Rattle. He''d been patient, more patient than she''d expected, and that was useful. He''d spoken with respect, more respect than she''d expected, and that too was useful. He found her attractive, and that was ... interesting, possibly useful, not immediately relevant but certainly worth noting.

    Without a word Nala turned and made for the room''s sole exit, brushing past Charles with a conscious closeness.

    "Taking heed of my suggestion?" he said, following. "Good. We should head up, try the bedrooms on the upper floors. The basements are too obvious a target, everyone will be searching here."

    "Hm."

    "Was that a grunt of agreement? Surprise, perhaps? Don''t underestimate me, Nala Greyward. It was no accident that my team came third-ranked in the final twelve. If it wasn''t for racial favouritism we''d have been first¡ªand so we shall be. There will come a time when you regret disregarding my offer, assuming you continue to do so."

    Nala said nothing. She was noting aspects of the corridor they walked through; it appeared to match the map she''d examined perfectly.

    "I wonder, you know. I wonder what it is that drives you. Simple survival? I see some of that in you. ''The survivor''. Obviously you come from a city¡ªfrom the streets, the same as I did. Always looking for that fleeting opportunity, that detail nobody else notices, that cunning edge. I wouldn''t go so far as to call us kindred spirits but I do recognise you, Nala."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Nala stopped, turned to regard Charles. He stood in the centre of the corridor, softly lit by flickering lamps, head cocked to one side, expression oddly sober.

    "Do you recognise me?"

    As if on cue the lamps fluttered out, and darkness fell on the corridor like a cloak. Nala shivered against a prickling wind, then drew her hood over her head and faded into stealth. Even as Charles called out for her she slipped away, running into the darkness.

    <hr>

    "What was that?" Amanda said. "What happened with the lights?"

    Faint shrugged.

    "Magic stuff, I guess. You talk to the vamps yet?"

    "Not yet." Amanda cast her gaze across the room, finding Praetorian across the room beside a concerned James Bloodspit. The necromancer met the zombie''s gaze, and a reluctant but clear message passed between them.

    "You should," Faint said. "Just to like figure stuff out. They''re undead masters, they know it all. Heh, and they make sure YOU know it, but nah, still good to get things straight. Maybe see if you can ditch your necro and stuff."

    "Hm. Darkcede," Amanda said, as Praetorian came near, "what just happened?"

    "That oddness with the lights? That fell breeze, felt though we''re indoors? I have only the slightest clue." Praetorian met Faint''s eyes, and bowed his head with a small smile of both introduction and apology¡ªbut his expression was grim when he returned his attention to Amanda. "One must assume that it''s something to do with this instance magic ... but then again, perhaps that wouldn''t be such a wise assumption to make."

    Praetorian had lowered his voice as he''d talked, his eyes now upon the vampire hosts¡ªspecifically Priscilla Belldandy. The girl stood apart from the others, hands clasped together, staring up at something unseen.

    "Excuse us, won''t you?" Praetorian flashed a smile at Faint, then took Amanda by her cold bandaged arm. "Come along now, put those ridiculously long legs of yours to work."

    For once Amanda didn''t argue¡ªand for once her body seemed to be doing as she wanted. She barely stumbled as she and Praetorian walked towards Priscilla, her gait stiff but far from shambling.

    "Miss Belldandy, you appear troubled," Praetorian said. Priscilla turned to blink at him, her face white¡ªof course this was normal for a vampire, but she somehow seemed even paler than usual. "I must inquire, is the instance stable?"

    "I''m not sure," Priscilla admitted. She glanced at Amanda, seemed about to say something to her, then instead let out a little shuddery breath. "That wind just before, it might have ... interfered. I can''t quite..."

    Priscilla trailed off, looking at something past Praetorian''s shoulder. The necromancer spent a moment in quiet preparation, then turned to smile at Violet Blaze and Amity Moon. Both stood with their arms crossed, their expressions identical. To Praetorian they paid scant attention, little more than a glance, their displeasure clearly directed at Priscilla.

    "Is there something wrong, Pris?" Violet asked.

    "I hope it''s all going smoothly," Amity added.

    "Um," Priscilla said.

    "Surely a slight ether breeze wouldn''t affect things?" Violet said, her dark gaze fixed upon Priscilla. "Surely that wouldn''t spoil our little game?"

    "Surely," Priscilla said.

    "The thing, you see, my dear little Pris, is that before we all felt that inconsequential breeze Amity was having a lovely conversation with Rae Bloomfield, who I''m sure you know. Yes? You''ve been introduced? But of course you have. And having made Rae''s acquaintance it certainly simply cannot have escaped that adroit little cliquemancer brain of yours that she''s a thaumaturge. As such she had some observations of interest about the current state of our instances. For example, she observed that they seem to have¡ªwhat was that word she used, Amity darling?"

    Amity looked up from her fingernails, pale eyes on an increasingly wretched Priscilla. "Collapsed," she said.

    "Ah," Praetorian muttered, a flash of pain crossing his face, followed by momentary confusion that swiftly turned to something like horrified realisation. Priscilla had reacted at the same instant, gasping quietly before raising hand to mouth, her eyes wide.

    "What is it now?" Violet demanded. "Priscilla, tell me this instant. What has gone wrong?"

    It was Praetorian who spoke:

    "Death," he said. His eyes met Priscilla''s, who gave a tearful nod of accordance. "I can''t ... that is to say, it''s been a while..." The necromancer trailed off, chuckled nervously, then immediately frowned at himself for doing so. "It wasn''t natural, a life was ended abruptly, through violence¡ª"

    "Impossible," Violet scoffed. "Simply impossible, not here, not while under our protection¡ª"

    "I am a necromancer of the Lily Valley; on the matter of death I will not be challenged." Praetorian stood slightly hunched, but he met Violet''s eyes. "Show the way to the east wing and I may yet speak with the departed."

    Violet''s fanged teeth were bared as she hissed her response:

    "You presume¡ª"

    "I make a humble request as a dedicated professional and a concerned team mate; show the way to the east wing."

    "You are so very lucky that I take my responsibilities as a host seriously¡ª"

    Praetorian had stepped forward, his face set, and when he interrupted Violet it was with three granite words:

    "Show the way."

    "Vee," Priscilla said, before Violet could rip Praetorian''s throat out. "We should. I''m not sure exactly what happened, but ... we really should let them go and see."

 Episode 11.05

    The bright moon struggled against the darkness of the eastern wing, Amanda''s crystal stave a feeble ally.

    "Summer knew, she knew this would happen, she tried to warn me, to warn you, to warn everyone but did we listen?" James Bloodspit waved his hands in a ''no we didn''t listen why did we not listen?'' sort of way. "Oh, curse my flippancy," he said. "Curse me. Hurry with that stave! Don''t dawdle, this is serious, why were you the one they gave the light to?"

    Amanda shuffled forward as fast as she could, Praetorian at her side. James tsked at them then let out a great sigh and shook his head.

    "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t be so curt but I''m just so worried¡ªSummer, Mist, Nala, all of them¡ª"

    "Calm yourself, James, we won''t get anywhere by fretting." Praetorian paused, head raised, then nodded towards the gloomy outline of a corridor. "Perhaps this way."

    "''Perhaps''?"

    "This place is not devoid of quietus," Praetorian said, as he encouraged Amanda forward. He placed a calm hand upon James''s arm. "Precision is impossible. Even now the echoes fade. I fear we may be too late to commune with the deceased."

    "I am horribly close to exploding into a hysterical shower of tears and violence," James said, more than a little wobble to his voice. "A touch of reassurance might be nice."

    "If I have faith in anything," Praetorian said, without hesitation, "it is in the stubbornness of Nala Greyward and Summer Rain. They are sensible girls with more self-reliance than is commonly healthy. It is unthinkable that anything could have happened to them¡ªthat they would have let anything happen to them."

    James drew in a shuddering breath, then let it out. Without anything further he strode after Amanda, and Praetorian followed at a trot. They caught up with the zombie just as a running figure came into the crystal stave''s light, soon revealed to be Charles Silverblade. He stopped and looked around at the three of them, wild-eyed and out of breath.

    "Flower," he gasped. "Have you seen her?"

    "Dovedale?" Praetorian said. "No¡ªwhat of our companions, Mist, Summer¡ª"

    "No, no, I was with Nala but she disappeared after the lights went out¡ªI have to find Flower, she hates the dark, I should never have¡ª"

    Charles cut himself off with a grimace of self-reproach, pushing past James and disappearing into the darkness.

    Praetorian caught Amanda''s eye. She said nothing, and neither did he.

    "There are stairs," James said, a minute later, and once more neither Amanda nor Praetorian said anything, although both caught the strain in the pirate''s voice. "Would they have gone up? I can''t even think, I can''t guess what she would''ve done¡ª"

    "It''s lighter up there," Amanda said, her flat voice cutting through the pirate''s mounting hysteria. "Seems smart to go where there''s light."

    "Then up it is," Praetorian said¡ªthen, as they ascended, he murmured for Amanda''s ears only: "We''re getting closer."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    The upper levels were a crisp contrast of ink-black shadows and clean blue moonlight. High arched windows showed a violet sky scattered with stars, the moon looming bright above all.

    "This way? This way?"

    Amanda fixed her dull gaze on James, then stiffly nodded down the corridor. He set off at a run, flashing between the light from the windows and the impenetrable shadows. Praetorian cleared his throat as he passed Amanda, and she glanced at him, but neither said anything as they followed the pirate down the corridor.

    "MIST!"

    They found James embracing her, the little valkyrie buried within his strong arms. Both were somewhat tearful, a condition that was inflated by Praetorian passing James a handkerchief and Amanda resting her hand on Mist''s arm.

    "I didn''t know what to do," Mist sniffed, while James dabbed at his eyes. "I lost Sly¡ªhe was with me, we were kind of arguing but ... but I don''t know. I don''t know where he went, I was just ... alone. What about the others? Nala and Tzugakk and Summer and everyone¡ª"

    "We don''t know," Amanda said, before Praetorian could speak. "We''re looking for them."

    "Then we should! Look for them, I mean. You think they''re up here? I came from that room before James found me, maybe up this corridor further? There are rooms or something, with balconies, we came through this part before..."

    "Hey, who''s that up there?" This rough voice was followed by Raid Fearson, who emerged from the darkness to frown at Mist and the others. "Huh. You guys. Seen Cane around? Evia? Nuh? Hell."

    Without anything more Raid continued on, his stride swift and purposeful.

    "I guess everyone''s looking for their friends," Mist said, quietly. "He sounded really worried..."

    "Mist," Praetorian began, before a warning look from Amanda made him shut his mouth. "That is to say ... yes. Worried. We should continue on, I feel ... I feel we shouldn''t dally."

    Amanda led the way, moving as fast as she could force her body to go, Mist close at her side, James chewing at his nails, Praetorian''s expression darkening by the step.

    "They must be all right," James muttered as they started down a new corridor, dull moonshadows stretching ahead. "They must be. She wouldn''t leave us, she wouldn''t be so selfish¡ª"

    "James? Is that you?"

    Ahead in the corridor a door came open, and a rather shaken Summer Rain emerged. James gave a strangled choke and stumbled forward, sweeping the girl up and around in a tight twirl of relief.

    "Yes, I''m ... I''m all right, thank you," Summer said, her voice coming from somewhere within the pirate''s sobbing embrace.

    "What of your partner?" Praetorian asked. "Was it Nala? Tzugakk?"

    "No," Summer said, as she extricated herself from a tearful pirate. "I was paired with Evia Mordein. Given the circumstances I felt I shouldn''t trust her, so when the lights went out I ran and hid. I don''t know where she is now. I don''t know where anyone is. Why? What do you¡ª"

    Summer stopped, alarmed realisation in her eyes. Praetorian cleared his throat pointedly.

    "Onwards," he said. "No sense dawdling."

    Mist looked around at the others as they continued on, at Summer absently patting James''s hand¡ªhe refused to let her go¡ªand Praetorian tugging at his own goatee. Amanda was staring straight ahead as she walked, crystal stave tight in her hand, shambling pace unfaltering.

    "Um," Mist said, as they passed wide alcove-like rooms bathed in moonlight. "Do you ... is there ... is there? Something?"

    Praetorian stopped to look back at her, then he froze. Mist spun to follow his horrified gaze, at first seeing nothing in the room behind her¡ªbut then a shamble of cloth resolved into familiarity and she drew in a choked breath. Summer was already rushing onto the moonlit balcony, to the crumpled heap covered by Nala''s cloak. She knelt beside the still dwarf, a trembling hand on her shoulder, then she let out a shuddering breath.

    "She''s okay. Nala, what happened? What''s going on?"

    Mist walked slowly forward, Amanda to her left, the zombie''s face hidden by her hair, Praetorian to her right, sad understanding in the necromancer''s eyes. They all recognised the sorry little thing held tight in Nala''s hand; a bracelet made of braided hair, matted with dark blood, the safehold shard within cracked and dead.

    "Oh," Mist murmured. "Oh, that''s Tzugakk''s..."

    Nala moved, raised her head a little. She stared at Summer, then around at Amanda, at Praetorian, at Mist¡ªwho gasped. The expression on Nala''s face was one Mist had never seen before, one she''d never expected from the stoic dwarf.

    Nala looked utterly lost.

 Episode 12.01 - "Understanding Is Not Acceptance"

    Impartial winds breezed through Bright Battle Academy, trailing a shower of pink and white. Petals cascaded upon every street, dancing without mercy, unapologetically joyful. Beneath the petals, and above, and around, life went on, the strong preying on the weak, the weak preying on each other, the weakest...

    The weakest.

    Ah, but there''s a tragic tale.

    Summer Rain drew back from the window. She brushed a stray petal from her lips, then turned to look at the two young men standing hand-in-hand behind her.

    "I don''t know," she said, in answer to the question that shone in their eyes. "I really just don''t know."

    Another breath of wind, far from the first and far from the last, made its giddy descent from Everglim Heights and through to the gourmet quarter, past enticing ribbons and wooden cakes and painstakingly handpainted signs. It slipped through alleys and burst on to streets in an explosion of blossom, pink and white petals glittering against the blue of the inappropriately perfect sky.

    Then the breeze passed and borrowed time was lost; lifeless, the petals fell. They came to rest on dull brown earth. They came to rest on pale green grass. And they came to rest on glistening blue goop.

    Kitten didn''t take much notice, barely spared time to delight in their colours before her gelatinous skin began to absorb them. She was far too busy for anything as frivolous as petals. She had a job to do, a job that would make Mist happy. Or at least so she hoped. She''d done her best over the last few days, and was secretly very proud of herself for making her form solid enough not to leave a glistening residue wherever she went. Nobody had said anything but Kitten considered it a victory nonetheless. Silence was better than being yelled at all the time. Not that the shouty pointy man was around much to do any yelling¡ªand when he was it seemed the most he could muster was a sullen glare and a quiet sigh. The tall bandaged girl who smelled like home didn''t really look at Kitten at all. Not since the small sad girl and the friendly boy who had helped name her went away.

    Kitten wondered about this. She wondered if it had something to do with Mist''s sadness. Sometimes her sisters had gone away, back when she lived in the darkness. It was hard to remember anything about that time¡ªhard to remember a time when ''time'' was not a recognisable concept¡ªbut there was a certain uncomfortable tugging that Kitten didn''t much enjoy thinking about. If Mist went away I would be sad, Kitten thought, as she curled a tendril around a trowel. But more than that¡ªmore than ''no Mist = sad Kitten''¡ªshe wasn''t sure. Deep thoughts did not come easily to the young slime, but simple labour was well within her sticky grasp, so she spent an industrious minute digging a hole, then used the trowel to transport a large seed from a bag into said hole. Nobody had specifically told her to plant anything, but the last instruction she''d received was ''look after the garden'' so that''s what she was doing. She''d been working all morning and had already covered a large area of the front section, the work made easier by her increase in size. When she first joined the Blue Slimes she wasn''t even half Mist''s height, but clearing weeds and leaves and petals and absorbing a few unlucky rats had given her a noticeable boost. The turnips and potatoes she''d found while working on the back garden had also contributed to her growth, and with concentration and effort she could now form herself into a humanoid figure just a head shorter than Mist. Much less goopy than before, too. Arms were tricky, and legs seemed needlessly complicated, and as for a face ... well, if Kitten was honest with herself she didn''t understand faces at all, but people seemed to think they were important so she''d spent some time with a shard of mirror. What she''d achieved didn''t seem quite right, but she was confident that with practice she''d improve. Coordination, that was the sticking point. Coordination and placement. Nose in the middle, mouth beneath, ears to the sides and then hair, hair was a problem¡ªeyes too, so many different parts! And so colourful! Of course Kitten only had one colour to work with, which in a way was a blessing. Just getting the shape of things right was challenge enough, without having to worry about the added complication of colours.

    With a quiver Kitten pulled herself out of her introspection and plunged back into her work¡ªor would have, if not for the approach of two familiar shapes. She watched as the shouty pointy man strode up the path, noting with interest the collection of bottles and jars he held. She watched as the bandaged girl followed behind, her head bowed so that her straggly hair covered her face. The pointy man looked back and barked a sharp command. Kitten had seen enough of the interactions between the two to expect an equally sharp response from the bandaged girl, but this time the only response was obedience.

    Kitten jiggled a little as she returned to her task. They must be getting along better, she thought. That''s good. Mist was worried about that. She''ll be happy now.

    Inside the house, Mist was not happy now. She was not happy now at all.

    "You went shopping! You just went shopping, you didn''t even look for her!"

    "I cut my eyes about myself as I trudged through those dismally petal-filled streets. Nary a dwarf did I spy. What more could you expect of me?"

    "Don''t you care about her?"Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "At this time? With all that has happened? To be brutally honest, valkyrie, I''m preoccupied with more pressing matters than a single cowardly dwarf¡ª"

    "Coward¡ªI can''t believe you sometimes, she didn''t ... she''d never just¡ªshe''s probably investigating something, researching how we''re going to beat those other teams, you know how she is! I mean ... she''s disappeared before, hasn''t she?"

    "She had a reason to come back," came Amanda''s dull voice, though the girl didn''t raise her head. "Before."

    Mist opened and shut her mouth, then opened it again, then shut it again.

    "Is that some manner of signal?" Praetorian asked. "Perhaps indicating the end of this conversation? Because as you may have noticed I have a somewhat precarious armful of components and I''d rather like to get on with earning some merits¡ª"

    "She wouldn''t just run away," Mist muttered, her fierce gaze fixed on an innocent hole in the carpet. "She just wouldn''t."

    "And why not, pray tell? Why not simply abandon this place, I''m tempted to do the same myself!"

    "So why don''t you," Amanda muttered.

    "Ah! It speaks! ''Why don''t you'', is that the message you made a sullen attempt to convey? In response, must I repeat myself yet again? I came to this woeful academy with certain goals, and until I have accomplished said goals¡ª"

    "Elf girls? That''s your only reason for staying?" Amanda raised her head, just the glimpse of a single baleful eye visible through her hair. "You''re disgusting."

    "And you''re dead. We all have our little burdens."

    Mist saw Amanda tremble, went to reach out to her, to say something, but the zombie girl was already shuffling towards the room they shared, shouldering past the door and disappearing inside.

    "Finally," Praetorian murmured, heading for the stairs.

    "Wait!"

    "Oh, what? What could you possibly¡ªout with it, then, but for the love of pointed ears be succinct."

    "We can''t act like this! You and Amanda¡ªand I know, she''s been ... more difficult lately, I know that, I''m not just blaming you, it''s really hard with, with¡ª" Mist''s voice broke and her resolved expression threatened to crack, but she took a shuddering breath and pushed on: "With everything. It is hard. But we''re supposed to be a team¡ª"

    Praetorian cut Mist off with a laugh, short and sardonic. "Oh, my dear young valkyrie. Allow the scales to fall from those charmlessly idealistic eyes and look at us. Look at the circumstances we find ourselves plunged into. Slythaneile has defected. Tzugakk is dead. And so Nala is gone. We who remain? Oh, we are many things, none could deny that. But it would be the most flagrant of lies to call us a team."

    With that Praetorian turned and made for the stairs, without so much as a sweep of his cape. Mist was left standing in the middle of the room, her eyes full of tears, her lip full of quiver.

    Presently, she felt a warm softness against her hand, and she looked down at Kitten.

    "The garden is good!" Kitten said. "It will be good!"

    Mist stared at the slime, then burst into tears.

    Except she didn''t.

    Her face creased, she drew breath in preparation for a good long wail, but then she just ... didn''t. She closed her mouth. Her expression smoothed¡ªnot calm, not exactly, but at least less distraught.

    "No," she said, quite clearly, and then again: "No."

    If Kitten had been maintaining a physical impression of eyes at that moment, she might very well have blinked at the young valkyrie.

    As it was she swayed and jiggled a bit, then she said:

    "Can I do something? To make you happy?"

    "You? What? I don''t know. I need to ... I mean I should ... everyone says blue slimes are useless¡ªoh, but, I mean, I don''t think that ... I think you''re, um, great."

    "Oh! Thank you?"

    "But I don''t know what to do with you. Or the others, or myself. Especially myself." Mist took in a breath, then deliberately did not sigh it out. "We''ve come so far. We made it into the tournament, who would''ve expected that from us? Nobody! Not even me! But Nala ... Nala always..."

    Kitten bobbed slowly up and down as Mist went to adjust a gauntlet she wasn''t wearing¡ªcurrently she was in her unflattering casual clothes.

    "We are a team," Mist said. "And if we came this far then we can go further. We have to try at least. Right?"

    "Right!"

    "Right." Mist smiled weakly at Kitten, but couldn''t keep it up. "I have to think like Nala. What would she do?"

    "Go away? She went away? That''s what she would do?"

    "No, I mean ... she''d probably try to figure out the weaknesses of the team we''re fighting. Some way we could attack them. Except I don''t even know who we''re fighting, the brackets still haven''t been announced. Even if they were, what can we do? Amanda can''t attack, I''m ... not good, and you can''t attack, right?"

    "No, no. Haha! No. Blue slimes can''t attack."

    "And Praetorian doesn''t even have a stave ... although ... what if we got him one? We''ve still got our team merits, nobody''s really spent them on anything except the FeatherTokens and getting my, um, my dress fixed and that hat for Amanda ... do you think that might be a good idea? If Praetorian had a stave then we could at least do something, I think this might be a good idea! Praetorian!"

    Kitten dashed after Mist as the valkyrie thundered up the stairs.

    "What is this noise?"

    "Praetorian! You can do magic!"

    Praetorian stood in the doorway of his room, arms crossed, distinctly unamused.

    "I can ''do'' magic, can I." The necromancer spread his hands and shook his head. "Vulgarly I suppose that''s correct, but without a stave¡ª"

    "We can GET you a stave! We can afford one I mean ... well, I guess we can ... maybe..."

    "Oh honestly, what would be the point of that, hm? To give us false hope in the face of armageddon? No. Pointless. Now, I have already made plans for today so if you''re through wasting my time¡ª"

    "But this would be good for you, don''t you want a stave?"

    "If you''ll excuse me," Praetorian said, an air of finality to his tone, and he retreated into his room. Mist gaped at the door the necromancer had shut in her face, then emitted an angry squeak and poked out her tongue at the scuffed wood.

    "Fine then," Mist muttered as she stomped down the stairs, Kitten at her heels. "I''ll just take Amanda and ... oh."

    Mist stopped and Kitten bumped into her, but before the slime could so much as apologise Mist was already walking on.

    "She''s probably not in the mood anyway¡ªit''ll just be you and me, Kitten. We''ll go to that exchange shop, the big exciting one on the edge of the shopping quarter, and we''ll get a stave and maybe some armour for Amanda and even something for you¡ªmonsters can equip accessories, can''t they? I''m sure I heard someone say that. And after that it''ll all seem better. We just need to do something. Anything. And that''ll be a start."

 Episode 12.02

    The exchange shop was sprawling and cluttered, with a low roof and long aisles. Everywhere Mist looked there seemed to be some new wonder¡ªa suit of plate armour that glistened like melting ice, a display of amulets shining in purples and golds and greens, a case filled with heart-shaped gems that pulsed with life. The weapons took up almost half the store, racks upon racks upon racks. Mostly they were swords, ranging from the glorious¡ªa golden scimitar that shone with the purest of auras¡ªto the obscene¡ªa disturbingly organic purple-brown blade that writhed upon its rack. Mist dwelt a while at the spear section, entranced by a beautiful partisan with a wing motif, but eventually forced herself away. The staves were set apart from the other weapons, sandwiched between amulets and rings, rows of them held upright with little tags describing their abilities and statistics. The section was dominated by healer-orientated staves, with mages and thaumaturgists and so on making up much of the remainder. There weren''t any necromancer-exclusive staves, but eventually Mist tracked down a couple that Praetorian might be able to use. One in particular seemed promising, a classic design of dark wood and inlaid silver runes, tall and straight and with the DeathBolt ability, which sounded appropriately offensive. Best of all it had been marked down to 790 merits, bringing it just within her budget.

    "But this would be it," Mist murmured, her hand on the stave''s cool surface. "If we get this then we can''t buy anything else. Not unless we win another battle or something."

    "Mist! Look! It looks like me!"

    Mist looked at the metallic blue object that Kitten had found¡ªa slime badge, an accessory so common that even Mist recognised it.

    "Those aren''t very useful," Mist said. "They just give a little bit of status effect resistance and a tiny hit point boost."

    Kitten appeared to look at the badge, then back at Mist.

    "Um," the valkyrie said. "It''s like..."

    Mist trailed off, remembering how these badges were made¡ªthey required components found by killing the monsters they resembled.

    "Um, what I mean is ... blue slimes are resistant to a lot of status effects and hit points are their strongest stat. So that badge wouldn''t be useful to you. Do you understand? It''d just make you more blue slime-ish. And you''re already blue slime-ish enough. If someone else wore it then they''d, um ... be like you. In that way."

    "Oh!"

    Once again Kitten appeared to look at the badge, then she moved a little closer to Mist.

    "If someone like you wore it?"

    Mist smiled at Kitten, then gently took the badge.

    "It''s only fifty merits, I guess we could get it ... it''s not like I have an accessory ... and the colour matches my armour."

    Mist got the impression that if Kitten could smile, she would be beaming.

    "Anyway, the stave is the important thing. We''ve got around eight hundred and fifty merits, so if we get both..."

    Mist trailed off, looking from the little slime-shaped badge in her hand to the stave.

    "This is one of those hard choices, isn''t it," she said. "Is getting a stave for Praetorian the best thing for our team? It''d give us at least a little chance to fight ... and maybe it''d make him get a bit interested in things, and if he got interested then maybe so would Amanda ... they''ve got that link, I don''t know how it works but when he''s down so is she, so maybe it''ll be the same for enthusiasm?"

    Mist looked down at Kitten, who made a kind of blobbish shrug, then the valkyrie took the stave firmly in hand and made for the front of the shop.

    "This," she said, laying it down on the counter. "And this badge too. Um. Please."

    The human shopkeeper glanced down at the stave, then at the badge, then gestured at Mist''s hand. "BrightCircle."

    Mist was already pulling off her gauntlet, raising her hand ... and frowning at the glowing numbers above it.

    "Wait," she said. "We should have more than that¡ªare these my personal merits? I meant to use team merits, I''m with the Blue Slimes¡ª"

    "Those are team," the shopkeeper said, pointing at one of the numbers. "Forty-four tactics merits. There''s your personal merits down there. Twelve craft. They''re full worth for accessories, so you can get that badge if you want. Not the stave though."

    "But that can''t be right! Not unless ... unless..."

    Mist trailed off, unwilling to voice her realisation out loud. The shopkeeper looked at Kitten, then back at Mist.

    "So you want the badge?"

    Mist left the shop in silence, the little slime badge in her hand, Kitten close behind. The wind was picking up again, the air filled with petals, the street covered in a fresh layer of pink and white.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Something was wrong?" Kitten asked, leaving a cleared path through the petals as she followed Mist. "We didn''t get the stave?"

    "She''s really gone," Mist murmured. "I didn''t want to even think about it, but it''s true. She must have had enough personal merits saved up to buy her graduation, and she used our team merits to, I don''t even know, buy equipment or something. The others were right. Nala was only staying because of Tzugakk. With him gone..."

    Kitten didn''t know what to do with a downcast Mist. She didn''t understand what was going on. She knew that the cheerful boy Tzugakk was gone, and so was the sad girl Nala. She knew that Mist was unhappy about this. But what could be done to make her happy?

    "Mist?" Kitten said, after several streets-worth of thought. "Do you want to wear the thing that is like me?"

    Mist stopped walking. She looked back at the slime, then down at the badge she still held. It was a squat teardrop shape, the same as Kitten''s most comfortable form, coloured blue with a metallic sheen. There was nothing much to it at all. The bonuses it conferred probably wouldn''t make any difference.

    Even so, upon clipping it to her hair, Mist did feel the tiniest bit better. She managed a smile at Kitten.

    "Hey hey! The littlest valkyrie, haven''t seen you for ages."

    "Yeah, we missed our tiny shiny punching bag."

    Mist''s head snapped up, her eyes widening as she recognised the solid grey buildings around¡ªshe''d walked aimlessly, lost in melancholy, and had fallen into an old habit, heading towards her apartment in battle quarter.

    "Hello!" Kitten said to the group of fighters. She blobbed in front of Mist. "Are you Mist''s friends?"

    The fighters glanced at each other, then grinned at Kitten.

    "What''s this?" one said. "You got yourself a pet?"

    "Haha, blue slime! Perfect match!"

    "Yeah, if li''l Misty was a monster that''s exactly what she''d be."

    What a nice thing to say, Kitten thought.

    "Oh!" she said. "Please wait!"

    The gathered fighters grinned and made a show of paying great attention to Kitten¡ªshe was stretching herself upwards, extending thick tendrils into arms and working a lumpy nodule into a surprisingly passable head. It had a blobby little nose, and a thin lipless mouth, and two blank eyes, and a gloopy gloppy mass that might pass for hair in the right sort of light. Kitten had put less effort into her lower body (below the waist she wasn''t much more than a lump of goo) and some details were off (she didn''t have fingers, just hands with little indents to show where fingers might be), and the longer you looked at her eyes the creepier they seemed, but overall her form could definitely be called ''humanoid''.

    "Huh," one of the fighters said, as Kitten shyly clasped her new hands together, copying a habit of Mist''s that she''d seen and liked. "Slime girl. Didn''t expect that."

    "Yeah, heard some stuff about these things."

    "No kidding, slime girls got a reputation."

    "Hey girl, put some more goo up here," a fighter said, grinning as he cupped his hands in front of himself. Kitten looked at him, cocked her head to one side, then her chest began to swell¡ª

    "Oh wow," said another of the fighters. "Damn. Hey, we got that thing coming up, you guys thinking we could maybe use another girl? I mean, she''d be okay with it, right? Because I got some real possibilities coming into my head here¡ª"

    The fighter staggered back, clutching at his bloodied nose. Mist stood small but solid before him, spear tight in her gauntleted hands. While the fighters had been distracted by Kitten she''d had time to ready her spear¡ªor time to use a FeatherToken. But that would have left Kitten alone.

    "You all just shut up!" she squeaked, glaring up at the fighters. "She''s not a pet! She''s not a thing! She''s my team mate and my friend and you can''t talk about her like that!"

    The fighter Mist had hit wiped blood from his face and laughed, joined by the others.

    "Lucky crit," he said. "Wanna try again? Go ahead. See what happens."

    Mist tightened her grip, tried to assume an attack stance, wishing that she''d had proper training, not just muddling around by herself and copying people fishing with spears, if only her mother had been around to show her how to fight, how to act, how to be a proper valkyrie¡ªbut maybe that wasn''t what really mattered. Maybe what mattered was having a reason to fight. Having someone to protect. Maybe that was true strength.

    The fighters exploded into laughter as Mist went sprawling, she didn''t even know how she''d tripped, whether her spear had caught against the ground or her armour had snagged on something or if it was just her natural clumsiness betraying her once again.

    "Critical FUMBLE!" one of the fighters roared, but as if this was some kind of signal the laughter stopped, and when Mist raised her head she saw that they were staring at someone¡ªnot Kitten, the slime was cowering to the side, shocked into reverting to her normal teardrop shape. No, the person the fighters were staring at¡ªthe person Mist joined them in staring at¡ªstood tall and calm, pink and white petals falling around her, silver hair braided in swirling patterns, armour gleaming, the sword at her side long and straight. She was every inch a hero, and though alone and outnumbered her presence was undeniable.

    "Huh," said one of the fighters, his voice husky with bravado. "Clare Brightheart. What''s up, ''hero''?"

    Clare looked at the fighter, then down at Mist, then at Kitten. Here she paused, a shimmer of curiosity in her sleepy violet eyes.

    "You listening?" the fighter said, taking a step towards Clare. "You hear me? I said what''s up, so what''s up?"

    With flat eyes Clare returned her attention to the fighter. She raised a gauntleted hand. A single pink petal lay in her palm.

    "Petals," she said. The fighter snorted, shook his head, and turned away.

    "Whatever," he muttered. With dark glances and vaguely grunted threats the others followed, leaving Kitten to try to help up Mist¡ªthough the slime had been getting better at maintaining a solid presence, her arm-shaped tendrils weren''t particularly well suited to the task.

    Clare watched this with impassive curiosity, waited until Mist was sitting up before nodding to herself and turning away¡ª

    "Wait!"

    Clare looked back, her gaze once more on Mist, who swallowed.

    "Um. I just ¡­ I just..."

    Mist faltered and dropped her eyes. What did she have to say to a hero? What interest would a hero possibly have in her?

    "Do you like to eat?" came a perky voice from Mist''s side. "There''s a wonderful restaurant nearby! We could go there together, would you like that?"

    Mist stared up at Kitten, then risked a glance at Clare. The hero was picking a petal from her hair. She stood looking at it, let it fall, then set her gaze upon Kitten.

    After an eternity, she nodded.

 Episode 12.03

    Though all the rooms in the Blue Slime team house were clear, some could be said to be clearer than others. That is to say, those rooms that they were using¡ªthe kitchen, the bathroom, a few bedrooms¡ªhad been made liveable by dumping all the broken furniture and rubbish into rooms of a lower priority. It was in one of these rooms that Amanda toiled, pushing and pulling and struggling and grunting. She''d cleared a small space, broken tables and splintered chairs and miscellaneous bits of wood piled against the walls, and was presently wrestling with a particularly stubborn chest, closed and locked and heavy enough that it might well have been filled with rocks¡ªalthough the weight wasn''t the problem. She was easily strong enough to move it, if only she could get her body to work¡ª

    "What is this NOISE? Some of us are attempting to achieve things, not merely engaged in pointless busywork¡ªwhat are you trying to accomplish here? Is this your idea of redecoration? Or perhaps a sad parody, you zombies enjoy that manner of melancholic trumpery."

    Amanda didn''t reply, had made not the slightest acknowledgement of Praetorian''s presence. He watched her continued efforts to move the chest, then clucked his tongue and turned away¡ªthen stopped. He turned back, eyes narrowed, and spent another minute in observation. All the while Amanda ignored him, focused on her task, on forcing her body to do what she wanted. The movements were there, she could feel them, she knew what she should be doing but her useless dull body was forever lagging behind, a second behind her impulses and reflexes¡ª

    "Stop."

    Amanda''s intentions were unchanged by this syllable, but her traitorous body released the chest and shuddered upright. With a complete lack of amusement she turned on Praetorian, hunched over, glaring at him from behind her hair.

    "What."

    "What are you trying to do?"

    Amanda''s response was a rasping growl, but her attempt to turn away was thwarted by a single word from Praetorian:

    "Answer."

    "I''m trying to be who I am," she spat.

    "Who would that be, then?"

    "Better than this!"

    "Explain."

    Amanda growled again, a long rattling noise that turned into words: "I should be moving better. I should be so much faster. I''m strong and quick and, and good. Nothing like this."

    "Are you referring to your life? Before you were killed?"

    Amanda''s growl was shorter this time. "I don''t know. Yes."

    "And so that''s why you''re doing this. Raw, basic physical activity. An attempt to be more like ''yourself''."

    Amanda found herself forced to nod.

    "Hm. Well. Perhaps your time would be better spent adapting to your current state of existence, rather than futilely struggling to reclaim the past. Could you at least try to keep the noise down? Incidentally I''ll be going out this afternoon. Should you wish to retain your sensibilities you''re welcome to trail along."

    Ignoring Amanda''s look of loathing, Praetorian left her among the broken furniture.

    Unusually fine example, he thought. Even better than I first suspected. Superbly bound, fine structure, strong sense of self.

    But of course, even an exceptional zombie is still just a zombie.

    <hr>

    Kitten was on her very most best behaviour, doing her utmost not to gloop everywhere. She had heard of the Blue Haven restaurant only in tantalising scraps of overheard conversation, offhand comments from Mist and the others raising the status of the place to legendary in the young slime''s impressionable mind.

    "I''m so happy I could come here!" Kitten was holding Mist''s arm and jiggling it up and down. "It''s even more wonderful than your stories!"

    "Oh?" Mist managed.

    "So much more wonderful!" the slime exclaimed, her humanoid form slipping a little in her excitement. She adjusted herself and patted her cheeks in a gesture of self-reproach before attempting a smile at Mist. It came off as more creepy than anything, strands of goo stretching over a toothless tongueless maw, but Mist recognised the effort involved.

    Clare had been watching the exchange with faint curiosity. She gave the plain little restaurant a second look.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "Wonderful?" she said.

    "Oh, yes! Don''t you think so? These flags are so colourful, and the smells are so complicated!"

    Clare stared up at the flags, puzzlement in her sleepy eyes.

    "You can see and smell," she said, her gaze still upon the flags. "Even without eyes or a nose?"

    "My whole body is eyes and a nose," Kitten said. "And ears and a mouth! When I make a face like this it''s because I want to be like Mist and make her happy. People like people-shaped things. I noticed this. Oh! Soup!"

    The owner set down three bowls, placed spoons beside each, then nodded in apparent satisfaction. As he returned to the kitchen Mist focused gratefully on her food, picking up her spoon and dipping it into the bowl¡ªit was steaming hot but she endured the scalding. If she wasn''t eating she might have to look at Clare, and she still didn''t feel ready for that. Instead she opted for a glance at Kitten¡ªbut what she saw made her splutter soup and drop her spoon.

    "Kitten! You''re melting!"

    The slime had her hand in the hot soup, trails of blue slime mixing with the clear broth and thin noodles and carrots carved into little stars.

    "Is it wrong like this?" Kitten asked. "I saw you using a spoon but that''s difficult for me. I thought it would be okay to eat directly?"

    "But ¡­ but it''s hot, you''re melting."

    Kitten looked down at the soup, then back up at Mist.

    "It returns?" she said. "I become part of my food, and then it becomes part of me."

    Mist picked up her spoon, using the action to mask a risky glance at Clare. The hero was steadily eating her own soup, cooling each spoonful with measured breaths.

    "Um," Mist said. "Well, I guess if it doesn''t hurt you ¡­ if it''s okay for you, then it should be fine ¡­ maybe¡­"

    "What class are you?"

    This sudden question from Clare caused Mist to drop her spoon again¡ªshe ducked down to recover it but her armour caught on a table leg. Jerking up in surprise, she bumped her head on the underside of the table, then managed to catch her shoulder against the same leg, once more jarring the table.

    Well, that''s it, she thought as she crouched there, spoon in hand. I bumped the table. I bet everyone''s soup spilled. There''s no way I can go back up now. I''ll just have to stay down here forever. It won''t be such a bad life, beneath the table. I can live off fallen scraps and never have to worry about what to say to heroes.

    "The owner has another spoon for you, Mist."

    Oh my goddess she knows my name.

    "Are you coming back up?" Kitten asked. "There''s still soup in your bowl. It didn''t spill much."

    Slowly, cheeks burning, Mist emerged. The owner was standing by the table, fresh spoon in hand. He gave Mist a solemn nod as they exchanged utensils, then went off to do his secret delicious cooking things.

    Mist sat down and stared at her soup for a while. It had spilled a little, but Kitten shyly absorbed the puddle with her hand. Somehow Mist couldn''t bring herself to eat, and not just because doing so would inevitably lead to another embarrassing disaster.

    "Mist," came a gooey whisper from beside her. "Mist, do you remember that Clare asked you a question?"

    "Valkyrie," she squeaked at Clare''s now-empty soup bowl.

    "Mist loves heroes," Kitten said, to Mist''s horror. "She told me that valkyries and heroes are deeply connected!"

    Clare didn''t respond to this. Mist could only imagine her bored expression.

    "But, but that''s just a stupid thing," she said to the table. "It''s probably not even true, I just ... heard it somewhere..."

    "Oh," said Clare.

    "Oh!" said Kitten. "Dumplings!"

    I can''t even pay for these, Mist thought, as a long plateful of dumplings was set next to her rapidly cooling soup. I have no merits left. We have six team merits. I shouldn''t have used them to get this silly slime badge. Buying it was not a good decision.

    "I like your accessory."

    Buying this slime badge was the best decision I ever made in my entire life.

    "Oh, this? It''s just, just, it''s silly, I don''t ... I mean ... I do think it''s cute, I like slimes do you like slimes they''re cute aren''t they do you like them? Slimes? Do you like slimes?"

    Clare set down the dumpling she''d been about to eat, spent a moment in thought, then nodded. "I''ve never seen one like Kitten."

    "I have a heart core," Kitten said. "That''s why I can talk to you."

    "Heart core," Clare repeated. "May I see it?"

    To Mist''s surprise, Kitten''s response was to immediately shrink into her teardrop shape, the change so sudden that there was a tiny gloopy thunderclap.

    "I''d be embarrassed," came the slime''s soft voice. Clare blinked slowly. Then she ate another dumpling. Feeling a surge of appetite Mist tried one of hers, the thick combination of seasoned pork and crispy-soft dough filling the valkyrie with courage enough to ask (after chewing and swallowing):

    "Have you been a hero long?"

    Clare nodded and ate another dumpling.

    "Were you ... are you a natural hero?"

    Clare nodded as she chewed. Mist felt a warm glow inside¡ªof course she''s a natural hero, how could she be anything but a hero? Never a fighter, never anything so coarse or common.

    "So, um, so it must be amazing, being a hero, I bet you love it."

    Clare stopped mid-chew. Her violet gaze was upon the table, but she wasn''t admiring the lacquered wood. Mist swallowed hard, ate three more dumplings in quick succession, then took a little soup. It was lukewarm.

    "Um," Mist said, desperately aware of the chasm between herself and the hero but clueless as to how to bridge it. "Um. Are you in a team? Or a party?"

    Clare shook her head, and the flames of hope ignited in Mist''s heart, kindled further when the hero opened her mouth to speak:

    "...these dumplings are bland."

    Which was a bucket of water on both Mist''s hope and the Blue Haven owner''s professional pride.

    Clare rose from the table.

    "I have two duels scheduled this afternoon."

    That was apparently it; Clare left without further words. Mist stared after her, the owner began cutting spring onions pointedly, and Kitten perked up, four dumplings in various states of digestion visible in her translucent blue body, and she said:

    "I don''t think they''re bland!"

 Episode 12.04

    After short negotiations¡ªsomewhat difficult with a man who appeared to never speak¡ªMist arranged for a tab to be opened at the Blue Haven, fervently promising to pay for the soup and dumplings just as soon as she was possibly able. After that matter had been settled she made for the team house with Kitten close behind, bursting in on Praetorian as he was heading out.

    "Ah, Mist," he said, from where he now sat upon the floor. "No, don''t mind me, I don''t use my nose much anyway. Is there blood?"

    "Oh my goodness, I''m so sorry, I was just excited¡ªare you okay?"

    "I believe that I''ll live," Praetorian said, as he got up and brushed himself off. "Now, if you would kindly clear the portal I shall attempt to make as dignified an exit as possible, considering the circumstances."

    "No, but before you go ... wait, where''s Amanda?"

    "Yes. Well. It seems that currently she''d prefer a loss of all consciousness and sense of self to an evening in my company, so she''ll be staying here. Do keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn''t wander off or anything."

    "Praetorian! You can''t just leave her!"

    "Believe me, given the choice¡ª"

    "There is a choice! Staying!"

    "Aha, but, you see, I''ve reliable information regarding the whereabouts of that rarest of creatures, an elf girl who finds me tolerable. Our mutual friend Slythaneile is acting the matchmaker, perhaps an attempt to atone for his switching of sides¡ª"

    "Sly? You''ve seen him?"

    "Despite everything I do feel something of a connection to the lad. Why ruin a burgeoning friendship over something so trivial as crippling betrayal, I say¡ªand besides which he''s my ticket to the mysterious world of pointed ears and almondine eyes. In any case this particular elf maiden has a thing for necromancers, personally I question her taste but it takes all sorts, doesn''t it. I''m off to try my chances. Not much to lose at this point, wouldn''t you agree?"

    "No! I wouldn''t! What about your responsibility? Isn''t that more important than anything else? I thought you took this seriously! I thought that was your redeeming quality!"

    Praetorian let out a sigh, then stepped closer to Mist. "I know you''re cursed with a kind of relentless optimism, but do try to accept this one little fact: Nala is gone and she''s not coming back."

    "W-what? I ... what does that have to do with ... I mean ... I mean ... I know."

    "Oh?"

    "I, well, I went to get you a stave, actually, but we don''t have any team merits left. She must have used them."

    "Ah. Well. I can''t say I''m surprised. Still, one can''t really blame her. Not with ... with all that occurred."

    Mist sniffed and nodded.

    "There, there. We all cope in our own ways, yes? Some distract themselves by running around like mad idiots, others seek refuge in the forgotten past, still others indulge in base desires. Incidentally why do you have a slime in your hair?"

    "I, um. Kitten wanted me to buy it. Or she wanted to cheer me up¡ªit doesn''t matter. Stop distracting me, what about Amanda? Where is she?"

    "Lumping around in a room, I''ll leave deducing which one as a fun challenge for you. Now, if you could simply take a step forward, or back, or slightly to the side¡ªreally any direction will do, pick your favourite and hop to it."

    Mist planted herself solidly in the doorway. Praetorian tsked a bit.

    "I do intend to leave," he said.

    "And I do intend to, um, not let you. Not without Amanda."

    "Ah, lovely. An impasse. Just what I desired."

    "I don''t think you''re really like this," Mist said. "I don''t think you''re truly horrible. But if you leave Amanda alone, knowing how she gets when you''re not around¡ª"

    "Believe me, none know better, but it is one single afternoon. She needs it as much as I do, such constant closeness is venom for the soul even if both involved are agreeable. You''ve seen us together, you must surely have noticed how we grate upon one another, could you earnestly state that continual contact with me is the best thing for young Miss Willow?"

    "That''s ... stop trying to be clever, you''re just trying to worm out of this."

    "Consider this, then; perhaps a few hours of non-consciousness will be good for the poor girl. It''s not as if she sleeps. Which must be rather uncomfortable for you, now that I think on it, sharing a room as you do. Does she just sit and stare at you all night?"

    "No! Of course not! I hope not? Mostly she just reads or lies there or sits down or looks out the window¡ª"

    Mist stopped herself, remembering her position. She resolidified her stance and set her firmest gaze on Praetorian.

    "I''m not the necromancer here," she said. "You are. So you have to tell me, is it ''best'' for her? Being apart from you? Getting like she gets? Is it responsible of you to let her go like that?"

    "Honestly, no, it''s remiss of me to allow a charge to lose themselves like that. It''s bad for the binding and carries certain risks¡ªbut as I said, this was her choice. I have given her every opportunity to change her mind, I have been beyond patient with her, but there is a limit to every necromancer-zombie relationship and she has pushed me past mine. She is unreasonable, and I use that word with great precision. It is without pleasure that I do this, but I really don''t see any other path. Dear goodness is that slime of yours doing a handstand?"Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "What?"

    Mist turned to look back outside¡ªshe saw Kitten, but the slime was performing no act more extraordinary than ''adequate trowel-handling''. She extended a tendril to give a little wave to Mist¡ªwho was whipping her head back around, just in time to see Praetorian leaping through the completely unoccupied back door.

    "Apologies!" he called, already out of sight. "But blocking an exit only works when there''s no alternative!"

    Mist let go of the door frame, deflating. She returned Kitten''s wave without enthusiasm, then went inside to find Amanda.

    <hr>

    "¡ªso then I had some more dumplings and asked her if she''s in a team and she isn''t but then she had to go because she had duels and I didn''t have enough to pay but the owner was nice about it, I opened a tab and I guess I''ll have to figure out how to get some merits because I still feel guilty about it. Then all the stuff with Praetorian happened, and I left Kitten outside doing gardening, I suppose she''s still there, and I came in to find you."

    Amanda let out a long rattling groan, and Mist patted her cold hand.

    "It''s okay," she said. "I''m sure he''ll be back soon. It''s not even getting dark outside yet, look. It''s a nice afternoon. Almost evening I suppose, the days are getting longer, have you noticed? Not as long as on my island, in the summer most people sleep before the sun is even down!"

    Amanda lolled a bit. Mist sighed.

    "Anyway," she said. "What I really wanted to ask Clare was if she wanted to join us. Because she''s single she''d be okay. Um! Um, I mean, not ''single'' single, but not already in a party. That''s what I meant. We can''t have anyone who''s already in a team unless they''re part of an official tournament team, don''t ask me why but apparently that''s how it goes. I guess that''s why Sly could join the elf team. But, if they''ve never been in a party they''re up for grabs! So that was kind of my idea. Try to get some people in our team. Like her. Heroes are good fighters, right? And there is a connection between us and them, heroes and valkyries I mean ... even if Nala couldn''t find it that doesn''t mean it doesn''t exist, right? Maybe ... maybe it''s ... oh, I don''t know."

    Amanda''s hand twitched, and Mist gave it a squeeze.

    "I keep thinking about Nala," she said. "And poor Tzugakk, of course. I try not to but it''s just ... it''s so unfair. It''s horrible. We don''t even know who did it. Summer has some ideas I''m sure, but she''s too scared to even leave her house. Maybe I should visit her. Um, I guess it''d have to be without you, sorry. But you think it''s a good idea, right? Summer might be able to help us." Mist stared at the wall, then nodded at it. "She might know someone who could join us ... that''s what we have to focus on now. Getting more people. Then we''ll try to figure out how to get a stave for Praetorian, and maybe something for you, armour or something, and I''ll read more about slimes to find a use for Kitten, and I''ll ... I''ll do my best. We''ll ALL do our best, and so maybe¡ªno, definitely, we''ll have a chance!"

    Mist''s words fell upon dead ears, but they did not go unheard. Not by Kitten, who was deeply engaged with her garden, nor by Praetorian, who was enjoying unexpected progress towards certain personal goals re: elf girls. No, the one who heard Mist''s speech was far away, far above, and far removed from her idealistic little world.

    "''...no, definitely, we''ll have a chance!''. Irritatingly chirpy girl, that one. Are you prepared to concede yet?"

    "No, Balgan, I am not prepared to concede. Not yet."

    The room was elegantly furnished in reds and blacks, filled with mementos and artefacts and other such clutter, and large enough that this clutter was magically transformed into ambiance. Occupying the room, aside from the clutter-made-ambiance, were two of the masters of Bright Battle Academy; Count Illyich Balgan, student liaison, and Caroline Hale, adventurer''s guild representative.

    "Miss Hale, you know I enjoy your stubborn streak but this has grown beyond a joke. The entire affair becomes more tedious by the day, I do wish you''d simply let me end the matter. No word on the dwarf, I suppose?"

    "None."

    "Do we at least know how she did it?"

    "No. No, and that is disturbing. She must have deactivated her safehold shard, but where would she have learnt to do that? When would she have learnt?"

    "Mm. I suppose it''s academic at this point, aha. She''s gone, and good riddance."

    "We''ll see."

    "Ah Miss Hale, you and your fascinatingly mercurial optimism. You have faith in her, it''s rather charming. Some manner of fellow feeling? ''She reminds me of myself, before the cold weight of this cursed world crushed my girlish dreams''."

    "Nothing so romantic. I''m loathe to discard a potentially useful tool¡ªor weapon. The Guild doesn''t care about race or class, all it cares about is results. Nala Greyward represented something new, and her absence feels like a loss."

    "My my, you little radical dreamer. Too late for speculation now, I suppose. The boulder has been given that vital shove, and so we have no choice but to stand aside and observe the chaos it wreaks. You should understand this better than anybody, ''watcher''."

    "Understanding is not acceptance. I''d like to confirm something with you, Count Balgan, in your capacity as student liaison."

    "Goodness, how official. Very well, Miss Hale. Go on."

    "The goblin''s death ... tell me that it wasn''t officially sanctioned."

    "Of course it wasn''t. I may be irredeemably flippant and naturally I dislike the very existence of a team such as the ''Blue Slimes'' but when it comes to the lives of my students, well ... in certain matters I am unfortunately paternal. Just can''t help but be protective of the silly little things. Oh, I''ll play games with them, spy on them, wind them up and watch them hack each other to bits but when it comes to actual death ... to be honest I find it rather distasteful."

    "This coming from a vampire."

    "Undeath gives a certain perspective. You can believe me when I tell you that I don''t wish death upon anyone, just as you can believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with this particular incident. Indeed, I''ve even dabbled in an investigation. Not openly of course, it wouldn''t do to be seen to care, but for my own peace of mind as much as anything ... yes, I am searching for answers. I want to know who killed that wretched little goblin. I want to know why."

    "Have you any leads?"

    "Possible suspects certainly, but little more than that. The lancer Cane Calfstrong is top of the list, though he pleads ignorance."

    "He was paired with the goblin in the game. Hard to believe he knows nothing."

    "My dear Miss Hale, you may trust that I had my most thorough minions question him. Either he''s telling the truth or he has been manipulated into wholly believing what he says to be the truth. We know that the goblin ran, we know that the goblin was found, we know that the goblin was murdered. Those are the facts, all else is supposition. Ah, aside from two rather pertinent titbits. The killer knew how to destroy a safehold shard, and they knew how to collapse an instance."

    "Not exactly common knowledge."

    "Indeed not. It seems likely that they had help."

    "From what quarter?"

    "Ah, who can tell. We are far removed from the earth, we exist in a world apart ... but politics reach us even in the land of the free sky. And upon that somewhat whimsical note I must depart¡ªunless you require anything further from me?"

    "For now I do not. Thank you for your time, Count Balgan."

    "You know me, always room in my schedule for a conspiratorial t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte. I''ll send a shadowtail if I turn up anything juicy, aside from that I suppose I''ll see you officially at next week''s meeting. Until then, farewell, Miss Hale. Do give my regards to the Guild. And please, don''t waste any further thought upon the Blue Slimes. Their manner of problem, well. I''ve found that it often ends up taking care of itself."

 INTERMISSION ~ a note from the author person ~

    INTERMISSION

    a note from the author person

    First of all, thank you for reading, and thanks for all your comments. It means a lot, that other people are getting into this story I love so much. I first started this thing six years ago, and it''s a project I''ve often revisited. Always in the back of my head and a weight in my heart. The biggest problem I had was figuring out how to get it out into the world. For a while I thought it might end up as something I just kept for myself, but I''m glad I found this avenue to share it. A story without readers is always a little cold. You need community for warmth.

    As for where we go from here, I''m still not completely sure. Not about the story, I''ve known how that goes for years, but in terms of release and in taking the time to get these second season episodes just how I want them. It might become something like a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule, with the rough goal of an episode a week. In terms of actual writing I''ve just finished episode 19, and it''s likely that season two will have twelve episodes, the same as the first season.

    I''m also thinking of going the Patreon route, but it''s hard to get that sort of thing started. There''s that weird catch-22, of having zero supporters, so nobody wants to be among the first, so you never get that momentum. Also I''m so rubbish at anything that''s not writing. Promotion and so on, it''s just death to the heart for me. It would be nice to just be able to write, for people who want to read. That''s the dream! That wonderful, impossible dream~This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Anyway. There will be a short break, then we''ll jump right into season two. Things are pretty dark right now, huh? The Blue Slimes are not in good shape. About all they''ve got going for them is the relentless optimism of Mist Reginleif, and how far can that take you? So maybe this isn''t just an underdog sports story after all. Maybe it''s a tragedy, or a blood-soaked tale of revenge. Maybe it''s about the mistakes people make, and the lengths they''ll go to in trying to correct them. Maybe it''s about secrets, and hidden motivations, and forgotten pasts, and hopeless futures.

    Or maybe it''s all just an excuse to spend time with this collection of hopeful, beautiful, diversely odd young students, at this hostile and unbalanced academy, on this mysterious floating island, in this dark and glorious world.

    Whatever it is, I hope you continue to enjoy it. Come along for the ride. We''re going some places, that is for certain.

    Love,

    BJK White