Malika

  Malika shot bolt upright, awakened by a powerful pulse of energy c through her body, leaving golden glitter-like sparkles dang along the wooden beams of the carpenter’s trash pile she had been sleeping under, and all along the walls of the dingy alleyway.

  Bursts of visible golden magic shot up from below, shards and fmes that passed through the pavement and on up through the buildings like they simply weren’t there. It was as if someone had detonated a vast magical explosion far underground, but Malika knew for certain that no mage in this godforsaken town was even nearly that powerful. Myrin’s Keep was far too miserable a pce for that.

  Heart rag, she huddled in the er among the broken boxes and discarded offcuts as the enormous energy of the bst, which had somehow failed to hurt her, began to fade to golden motes of light that drifted upward into the sky like a cloud of fireflies.

  What the heck was that? She was certainly no expert, but she had never heard of golden magic like this. Nor could she even fathom a spell of such power and energy that had yet passed through the pavement and whatever rock y below, buildings, and even herself without effect.

  I’m not hurt… am I?

  A loud crash followed by swearing startled her, suddenly snatg her attention from the lights.

  Shit! Adrik and Edrik!

  She instantly reized the voices of the twin enforcers of the Town Watd instinctively khat they were looking for her. Distracted by the bizarre phenomenon, she had not even noticed them approag.

  Her mind a raced as her body flooded with a surge of adrenaline. She ducked and rolled out of the wood pile and made a break for the end of the alley, sprinting as fast as she could. There was a rush, a crash, and a burst of pain as a heavy weight smmed her into the side of the building. Her head cracked painfully against the brick, and she bcked out briefly.

  When she came to, she found herself choking, barely able to breathe, hoisted off her feet by a powerful hand grippihroat. That would be Edrik. She could always tell them apart. Edrik was the one who enjoyed inflig pain, at least more directly than his brother.

  Did I just imagihat, or did the whole town just leap two feet into the air? The golden explosion had seemed so real, a both brothers seemed entirely oblivious to it.

  She saw stars across her vision as she struggled for breath, but all she managed was the iual scrabbling of her heels searg for purchase against the wall.

  “Got you, little rat!” he gloated, never missing an opportunity to shove the Street Rat title they had forced on her in her face. “Where’d you think you were going?”

  She screamed. Malika had long since abandoned her dignity in these shakedowns. If there were guards nearby and they heard her, there was a ce she would escape with fewer bruises and broken bones. Unfortunately, with his hand cmped around her windpipe, it came out more like a croak.

  He casually spped her across the face, making her head sm painfully into the wall again.

  “That’s f to run,” he said with a vicious sneer. “You know y this on yourself.” He punched her iomach, winding her. “And that’s f to scream again. I told you st time to take your punishment quietly.”

  His grip released just a little and Malika took a ragged breath, struggling for air.

  “Mr. Hawkhurst runs a respectable business,” he said, drawing in close and subjeg her to the rank caress of his breath along the side of her face. “That means you lift items and money for us so ay off the debt he so generously lent you. Hand it over. Now!” His voice grew progressively angrier and louder as he spoke, ending with him yelling in her face with spit flying.

  While most of the town believed Jax Hawkhurst to be a savvy businessman, owner of the Hawkhurst Trading pany, and an upstanding member of the Town cil, Malika khe uglier truth from personal experiehe Town Watch – and several anizations – in Myrin’s Keep, were secretly under his trol, used to keep his name aation pristine even while carrying out the shadier, and sometimes dht illegal, parts of his business dealings.

  If Jax caught wind of Edrik invoking his name in public like this, he would certainly have words with Kieran Mori. And then Kieran would have Edrik fyed. Of course, the only time she had ever tried to report the twins, she had woken up a week ter with a hefty new k of debt from the healers. Adrik and Edrik were awful, but Kieran Mori was truly evil.

  Malika retrieved a small pouch of s from inside her shirt and ha to Edrik. She knew from painful experiehat if she didn’t give him something he would start breaking things until she did. He snatched it from her and tossed it to his brother.

  “Where’s the rest?” he said, shaking her hard enough to make her teeth rattle.

  She had hidden the rest in the wood pile, but she wasn’t about to give that up. Without some money, she wouldn’t be able to afford the donations at the Temple of Lunaré to get herself patched up.

  “That’s all,” she managed, her voiot w quite right.

  There was a flicker of red light as he activated a skill and a surge of pain shot through her side as he punched her. Two or three of her ribs cracked audibly and she gasped at the sudden shock of pain.

  “Hey, don’t kill her,” Adrik said. “Besides leaving a mess, Mr. Mori won’t be happy.”

  “You always interrupt my fun,” Edrik pined.

  Through the haze of pain, Malika saw a most improbable sight – a glowing golden butterfly flitted between her and the thug while he was looking away, ing briefly to rest on her cheek before flying off once again. She blinked in fusion, w if she had been hit too hard in the head again.

  That’s too pretty to be a dream, isn’t it? She stared after the exquisitely detailed butterfly as she struggled to recile the delicate beauty with the violence of the explosion earlier. Who sent you?

  Seeing that Edrik was still distracted with his brother, Malika took aim and punched him in the side of the head with her left hand, eling every ounce of the martial arts training she had received in her youth.

  He rounded on her with a gre of pure fury. “Did you fet I have a Css, you moron?” His baded sp across her face left her ears ringing. “You ’t even scratch me, what the fuck are you thinking?” The return strike smmed into the side of her head. “Or did you think your daddy’s preartial arts are actually worth anything?” His straight punapped her head backward, crag her nose. “Oh, that’s right, he’s dead,” he tinued with a cruel ugh.

  A warm rush of blood streamed down her fad her vision bed before returning in a rush of light.

  A soft chime filled her mind and two lines of glowing blue-white script appeared floating in her field of view.

  Requirements met.You have gained one primary css slot.

  Malika groaned and blinked as her mind reeled from the impact, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth – she had bitten through the side of her tongue. But the notifications lingered, glowing words in her mind that beed for her attention, visible even when she blinked.

  “Stop pying with her,” Adrik said. “I fouash.”

  Without a word, Edrik fluo the ground and spat on her, gring down with a look of undisguised pt. The twin thugs sauntered off without a backward gnce, Adrik tossing and catg the small pouch of her hard-earned money in his hand while they chuckled among themselves, leaving Malika lying in a heap in the dirty alley. She stared in disbelief at the blue-white glowing words floating within her mind, but the tiny sliver of hope kindled by the notification flickered defiantly within her, refusing to die.

  If they find out, they will force me to take a Pickpocket or Thief css.

  She dreaded the thought of being beholden to these parasites for the rest of her life. They had already taken so much from her. First f her to evolve Identify into Appraise so that she could gauge the value of items in the marketpce. Then training uhe gentle ministrations of Edrik’s whip to unlock the Lockpig and Pickpocket general skills she so despised. And thereet Rat title that forever branded her as untrustworthy to anyone who used Identify…

  Will they take everything from me?

  She stared longingly at the notification once more. If I could just… She hesitated as if the very thought would cause the twins to return. If I could just get a real Css. Maybe then I could stand up to those thugs. Her thoughts drifted back to her previous life. Her parents’ dojo, and her childhood dreams of earning a martial arts css. Of making her parents proud. Of being respectable. If only they were still alive.

  Blinking back sudden tears of years-old grief, she shoved the memories and dreams bato the box they had escaped from with the proficy of years of practice.

  There had been talk in the market earlier today of a css initiation ceremony – to be held iown Hall, as usual. If she wanted even the remotest ce to avoid her fate, she o be there. She crawled over to the wood pile and levered herself to her feet, spitting the blood out of her mouth and wing at the pain radiating from her side. She wiped the blood from her fad pushed back her unruly bck curls.

  What I wouldn’t give for a haircut.

  Or enough money for a haircut.

  Then she chided herself. If I had money, I would be at the temple getting healed. Shit, I will need money for the initiation. If it hadn’t been for Adrik and Edrik’s shakedown, she would actually have had enough.

  There were tless rituals to influehe natural path of css acquisition among the ordinary folk; prayers and inse offered to the aors, or the gods of the local people of this kingdom, rites of sing, special food, the list was endless. However, Malika khem all to be er than superstition. And besides, she had prayed to the aors as a child, and they had forsakeo this miserable life. No, if she wanted a good css, and a better shot at life, she would definitely have to take it for herself. The only thing that worked was a Css Shrine, and that was not avaible to the riffraff, refugees, the poor – a Street Rat like her.

  Gingerly she bent over and began rummaging through the trash, eventually finding a rag that was not pletely soiled. Takireasure to a puddle, she dipped it ier and dabbed the blood still leaking from her nose. She fli the painful touch, but her nose didn’t actually move, so it probably wasn’t pletely broken. With her beauty regimen taken care of, she stopped to sider her options.

  I do this? She o get to the shrine iown Hall and find moo pay for it – and that was if she could even vihem to let a bruised and bleeding Street Rat in. All of that and she still o avoid Adrik and Edrik, and whatever terrifying sorcerer or monster was lurking in the sewers below the town, spewing powerful magical discharges and mana butterflies.

  Don’t be silly, she thought, chiding herself. The worst things down there are rats and spiders. Although she had heard rumors of a Kobold or two. Dangerous, yes, but nothing like what her overactive imagination had jured.

  I’ll just have to figure it out as I go.

  She limped down the alleyway and out onto the main street that ran adjat to the poorer slum distriyrin’s Keep. She received a few worried and scared gnces, but most people seemed to be scurrying away, fleeing, no doubt, from the sounds of fighting – or perhaps the crazy magical explosion from earlier, if they had even heard it. She still couldn’t quite tell if she had imagihe whole thing.

  I probably look terrible. At least her skin was naturally dark enough that the blood and bruises wouldn’t be too obvious at a distahe cuts and bruises didn’t worry her too much, but Edrik’s st punch left a lingering dizziness, and she could tell he had broken her ribs again by the way they shifted painfully as she walked.

  Malika hurried along the street, making her way towards the Town Hall, hoping against hope that Adrik and Edrik hadn’t made her miss it. I get a healer ter. As she drew closer, the worries ever lurking below the surface of her mind bubbled ain.

  She had been forced to do a lot of petty thievery for the Town Watd their crooked thugs. What if I don’t get any good css choices? She practiced her martial arts diligently every day. Well, some days after Edrik and Adrik e, I ’t even stand. But what if that wasn’t enough to offset the skills that had been forced upohe title? She just had to believe her bloodline and her persistent practice would be enough to give her at least one good css choice.

  Just one please, she sent the thought out. She didn’t believe the aors actually listened, but for this, she was willing to try anything.

  Malika reached the Town Hall without further i. It was one of the few inal buildings that remained – most of the rest had been torn down, burnt, and rebuilt many times over the years. You could tell by the superior craftsmanship; the way the heavy granite blocks had been seamlessly fused into a structure that had weathered the worst this town could throw at it emerging unblemished.

  Malika approached the doors and was stopped by the guard with a gruff, “You ’t go in, Street Rat. They’re busy.”

  Am I too te? If she couldn’t choose her css today, she was certain Adrik and Edrik would figure it out and choose for her. Heart ihroat, she forced herself to speak, to sound fidee the blood in her mouth and her swollen tongue.

  “I’m here for the css initiation?” She grimaced at the rising iion at the end that turned her fideo a question.

  “Oh, you’re a little te, they started already,” he said, throwing her a ed look. “Are you ok?”

  “It’s nothing,” Malika said, averting her broken face. “I… tripped.” She trailed off as her voice quietehe lie twisted in her gut.

  “Uh, right,” the guard said and opehe door. “Well, go in quickly, the mayor usually takes a while with his speech.”

  Malika blinked and looked up at him. Her heart jumped. His small kindness was so ued that she stumbled on her words. “Th… thanks,” she managed and rushed in.

  Malika had never seen the inside of the Town Hall before. It was enormous, easily able to hold over two hundred people, but with all the milling about and the gear stashed on the floor, it felt crowded. The early m sun streamed in through rge windows and lit up the polished wooden floor. Most people – the Humans, at least – became eligible for css adva a little before the age of twenty, so it was quite easy to pick out the applits from among the family members and friends who had e to support them. Standing in front of the crowd, Malika reized the mayor, William Turner. He ortly middle-aged man with a reddish flush to his face, but he still looked quite imposing dressed in his impressive official robes of offiext to him were several official-looking people she assumed to be the various Guildmasters presumably looking to recruit.

  Malika quickly found a spot to one side and tried to ighe disapproving gnces of some of the nearby people. Surreptitiously she wiped the blood that was still slowly leaking from her nose on her ragged sleeve and tried to pass it off as a sneeze. And then she saw it. On dispy upoable behind William Turood a two-foot-tall obelisk of polished stone. An artifact of obvious magical power. Its surface olished to a gleaming smoothness and elegantly etched with runes. Malika surreptitiously used her Appraise skill oifact.

  Shrine of the Sed PathAn artifact of elvish stru. Offers css experiend an alternate css choice. Owner: William TurnerMana: Unlock css experiena: Unlo alternate cssOwner’s Mana: Recharge the shrine’s mana reserve. 5000/5000Created by Nathaniel Sunstrider.Quality: RareValue: SoulboundShrine – Artifact

  No Value? That was a surprise – assessing value was the point of Appraise. But perhaps her skill wasn’t leveled high enough to tell, or perhaps it was because this was the first soulbound artifact she had ever seen.

  Malika turo focus on what the mayor was saying.

  “I am gd to see so many of you taking your civic responsibilities seriously and stepping up to acquire a css. This is your first step to being a productive member of our town. I am aware of how much work it will take to plete your trial once I unlock your csses, so I want to thank you for your itment and wish you all good lu unlog the best csses.”

  The guard at the door, it seemed, ot on; the mayor liked the sound of his own voice. Malika tuned him out again and, while he tinued his speech, she sed the crowd, quickly pig out her mark. Her information told her she would we silver pieces to pay for the use of the shri was an unreasonably cheap price for a css initiation. She had heard that most towns and cities with access to a shrine charged more than a gold piece for the service – sometimes, far more. The underground rumor mill held that the mayor had defied the nobility to keep the prices down, but even with such a gesture, the price was still way out of reaost of the poorer townsfolk – many of whom would be forced to accept whichever on css that fell to them by stead of having a choice.

  Malika could not afford to leave this to ce.

  Quickly, she slipped through the crowd, bumping into the elegantly dressed mert who seemed to be the father of one of the applits.

  “Watch it!” he s her.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, using her Pickpocket skill to deftly lift a small money pouch that he had tied to his belt, her Street Rat title making her as just a little less obvious to those standing nearby. She had picked him because he seemed wealthy enough to have some money, but not riart enough to secure his s inside a magical ste item. Her gut wre the necessary theft, and the irony of using her despised Pickpocket skill to try to avoid a Thief css was not lost on her. Retreating to the edge of the crowd with her loot, she worried once again that her aay have tipped the bance of css sele irretrievably into the realm of thievery and a life of crime.

  “If you are here seeking a crafter or mert css, please step forward o a time. Once I ehe shrine for you, simply el your mana to unlock css experiehen you may find yuild master or mentor,” the mayor said, indig the masters standing behind him, “and you will be giveails for your respective experierials.”

  As the illed about, trying tanize, Malika appraised her pilfered money pouch. By the weight and her skill, she could tell she would just barely be able to cover the price. But the heavy tension bearing down on her shoulders eased up a bit. As eaon-bat didate stepped up and pced their hand on the shrine, a brief fsh of light illumihe runes on the granite surface. One by ohey gathered into groups behind each guild master.

  There are quite a few merts and bcksmithing apprentices, she observed, w how hard their trials might be. But such was not the path for her.

  Ohe guild masters had their new charges ahe mayor wished them good luck, and they all filed out of the Town Hall.

  Returning his attention to the now much-reduced crowd, the mayor’s expression grew far more serious. “For the rest of you, acquiring a bat css carries an enormous risk. You must survive several fights against real monsters before you earn enough experieo gain your css. Most likely, some of you will not survive this trial.”

  In the silence as he paused, Malika could easily hear the soft sounds of people breathing nearby.

  “Oher hand, as you’re well aware, the bes of a good bat css are exceptional. You will bee strong, and Myrin’s Keep will grow with your strength. I will remain here for the rest of today; once you are notified that you have unlocked css choices, return and I will make the shrine avaible for you to select your css. I’m sure I do not o remind you what a privilege and adva is to be able to choose your own css. The garrison is immediate positions for anyone choosing a military css, and ander Gerald Brand will be present to advise you. Also, I should let you know that the newly formed Adventurers Guild is noting members under Guildmaster Vivian Ross. She will also be present at your css sele ter, should you be ied.”

  “Because of the necessary danger, I will only permit groups of at least five didates to uake the bat trial. If you do not have a pre-arranged group, please find others to group with now. You will o rely on teamwork to ensure your mutual survival – even fag a level one monster uncssed is extremely dangerous.”

  Immediately there was a hubbub and lots of shuffling around as people grouped up.

  Here, then, was Malika’s greatest problem. What w-abiding citizen would willingly group up with a Street Rat? Her stomach ed as her eyes darted across the crowd, seeking people foolish or desperate enough to sider teaming up with a lowlife like her.

  Most of the didates already had friends and groups pnned so the noise quietened down quickly before she could even take the initiative. Malika found herself ignored as usual – clearly, nobody wao associate with the obviously fn refugee from the wrong side of the border. Just as she was mustering up the ce to step forward, two boys walked over.

  A Beastkin and a Half-elf? The misfits and outcasts flock together, she thought. The non-humans were probably being avoided just like she was. She no longer had Identify, but their races were pin for ah eyeballs to see.

  The Beastkin boy was broadly built, sp a shock of reddish-brown hair and tannish skin. He was dressed in well-used leather armor and carried a short mace at his belt and moved with a fident power.

  Bear? The word ‘hirsute’ seemed to have been made to describe him. Whatever his heritage, it was rge, hairy, and very strong.

  The Half-elf, oher hand, had a lithe athletic build and carried a longbow. His u white hair was worn long and loose, seemingly inteo disguise his characteristic pointed ears.

  “Hey, I’m Mato, and this is ,” the rge boy said. “How about we group up?” His dired familiar manner put Malika immediately on guard, but she couldn’t afford to pass up this approach, she wasly swimming in offers.

  “Sure,” she answered, trying to keep her toral. She was not particurly good at ‘friendly’ after all this time spent surviving in the dark alleys and criminal underworld of the town. But it didn’t look like the two of them had many people cm to take the trial with them either. y really did make the oddest allies after all.

  “Great,” he said, sing the crowd. “Now we just o find two more.”

  “How about him?” Malika poio a tall boy with a sword and brand-new armor standing by himself, apparently not ied in finding a group. By his stand posture, she could tell he had been trained. And his gear, well, it radiated quality areme value, making her Appraise skill quiver when she used it. Everything was ented. Everything? Malika thought, doing a double-take. Crap, how rich is this guy?

  Mato grimaced. “Ugh, Donavan Asterford. Self-important jerk and bully. A him.” Malika was certaiwo boys had had some rather turbulent history to warrant such a ive rea. However, even she reized the noble family name. She was not usually allowed into the noble district, but the erford was synonymous with wealth and power in Myrin’s Keep.

  From behind her, she heard a soft female voice say, “ I join you guys?”

  Malika turned and her heart jumped as she immediately reized the Town Watch badge the girl dispyed on her pin bck cloak. She wore her brown hair cropped short and wore dark browher armor and two sheathed daggers at her waist. A pair of furry ears poked up out of her hair, and her catlike green eyes gleamed as she stalked over with a lithe feline grace.

  It’s just a ce. They couldn’t have found me already. Malika tried to quiet her rag heart. I got this far, don’t let anything spoil this …

  “I’m Ta,” she said when Mato introduced the rest of them.

  Malika fervently hoped she was just trying to get a css like herself and wasn’t here to hunt her down on behalf of Adrik and Edrik. The Watch has new recruits too, they’re not all trying to get you, she thought, trying to reassure herself.

  Mayor Turner looked across the room. “Donavan? Why don’t you join that group, and we get started?” he said, pointing over at their group.

  Donavan’s thin, angur face took on a haughty expression, which seemed like one he practiced. In front of a mirror. In a strident voice, he pined, “I won’t go with the Beastkin, he’s uncouth and boorish, I refuse. I’m fully capable of killing a few monsters on my own.”

  With a sigh, the mayor responded, “You either group with them, or you wait for the css initiation. The cil agreed to these rules, and I won’t break them. Not even for you.”

  With a sneer, Donavaed, “Fine, but my father will hear of this.”

  His arrogance was shog, leaving a ripple of whispers through the crowd. He eaking to the mayor after all, her notwithstanding.

  But Donavan turned and stalked over to the group. “I guess you guys join me,” he said. Gng at Malika, he wrinkled his nose, “Who ihis beggar? Street Rat? She’s not even wearing any gear.”

  Bristling, Mato interposed his bulky body between them, growling, “Are you looking for anht, Donavan?”

  Donavan just rolled his eyes and snapped, “Of course, Mato’s standing up for the strays again.”

  Malika’s anger fred instantly. “I don’t need your pity. And I don’t need your prote!” she s the two boys.

  “Whatever,” Donavaed, “I’m the leader of this group, let’s go.” He strode off toward the mayor and the shrihout even a backward gnce.

  Malika swallowed her anger. I ’t afford to create a se here, she chided herself, annoyed she had lost her temper. But Donavan was really creating a horrible first impression, his pt rankled – and she certainly did not need a boy to fight her battles for her. After all, her experien the alleyway this m showed she could get beaten up just fine on her own. Great. What a perfect day.

  Sharing wary gnces with one ahe rest of the party followed Donavan, and Malika found herself walking beside .

  “Sorry about that.” His voice was both soft ale. “Mato used to stick up for me against Donavan’s bullying when we were younger, so there’s no love lost between them.”

  To Malika’s surprise, she found only genuine siy and in his expression.

  “Hopefully we work well enough together today, and all get our csses,” he added.

  Somehow, as if by magic, she felt all the shame, embarrassment, and anger dissolve in his straightforward ho gaze.

  “Uh, sure … ok,” she managed. He seems way too nice for this crappy town, she thought. He must get taken advantage of a lot.

  Malika stood alongside her new panions while each of them used the shrine. O was her turn, she dropped her stolen silver pieces oable. Putting her hand on the cool granite surface, she sensed a resistao her mana. The mayor did something, and suddenly the shrine accepted a small infusion of her mana, and she heard a chime sounding in her mind.

  Css experienlocked.

  [Shrine of the Sed Path] Once you have earned enough experience, a css will be offered based on your choices, abilities, and as. You unlo additional css choice at the shrine.

  With a sudden rush of excitement, she checked her status.

  The blue-white glowi appeared instantly, h there – a personal illusion jured within her mind. It was, as always, invisible to everyone else unless she chose to share it, but she only ever did that when Adrik or Edrik threateo kill her.

  Everything was written there in those softly glowing words. Her itment to her meditation and martial arts, and the thieving skills she had been forced to learn. Eveitle, Street Rat.

  There was one ge, though, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the new ‘Css’ line – new sihe alleyway – now unlocked and ready for her to earn experienbsp;

  Name: MalikaRace: HumanTitles: Street Rat

  Css: [Unlocked]

  General Skills- Meditation – level 3- Basic Martial Arts – level 5- Dang – level 4- Acrobatics – level 5- Calligraphy – level 3- Lockpig – level 4- Pickpocket – level 3- Appraise – level 5

  Aptitudes- Languages: on- Bloodline (Ahn Khen): Dormant

  Attributes- Vitality: 8- Strength: 7- Endurance: 12- Dexterity: 13- Perception: 10- Intelligence: 9- Wisdom: 11

  Health: 17/80Stamina: 67/120Mana: 108/110

  It worked! Obviously, this was what she had wanted, but she had been suppressing her excitement, as if certain that at any moment someone would leap out and stop her. But the ge to her status was undeniable, and her rush of excitement threateo bubble over.

  The mayor spoke once more, “Now that everyone has unlocked their experience, ander Brand has assigned a garrison guard to guide each group to a suitable area for your trial. Good luck, and please be careful out there. The danger is real, and we do not want any of you to die.”

  In the gap of silehat followed his pronou, the mayor’s eyes surveyed the hopefuls, hesitating briefly when they met hers. Malika quickly diverted her eyes, a habit drilled into her over years of needing to be inspicuous.

  On that somber note, all the didates began colleg their packs and ons and saying their goodbyes to their family and friends. Malika took fort in the fact that their assigned guard was the same one who had shown her kindness at the door.

  “Sewers or Forest?” the guard asked them. “Rats and spiders, or wolves and bears?”

  “Which is more popur?” Donavan asked.

  “The forest for sure,” the guard answered.

  “We’ll take the sewers, then,” Donavan decided.

  Malika raised her opinion of Donavan a little. It was a smart decision, in the less popur area they wouldn’t o pete with the roups, and they would be able to finish quickly. She firmly dismissed her worries about improbable cults ue sorcerers lurking in the sewers.

  “We already have a rat, after all,” Donnavan added.

  Malika frowned, but she held her tongue.

  As they followed the guard, Mato muttered, “He thinks he just take over, I really want to rearrange his face.”

  , looking a bit ed, pced his hand on the bigger boy’s shoulder and said, “Not a good time Mato, just let it go.”

  As they left the Town Hall following the guard through the city, Malika felt her mood begin to improve, the potentially votile group dynamiotwithstanding. She had actually do. She was on her way to her trial. Feeling cautiously optimistic, she followed her eammates.

  A sheltered, far too nice Half-elf; a possible Town Watch spy; an arrogant noble; and a grumpy Beastkin, one ent away from a brawl. And a Street Rat – what could possibly g?

  Leading them to an alleyway, not uhe one she had slept in st night, the guard unlocked and removed a heavy iron grate c a hole in the ground. The vertical shaft of aged brick desded into the darkness, and the damp stench of the sewers smmed into her face like a wall of filth, making her gag.

  No wo’s not popur, she thought. I bet the forest smells better.

  “Ready?” asked the guard, a few lit torches.

  Gng at each other briefly, they o him. Malika took one of the torches, tug it carefully under one arm, and began to climb down into the sewer using the rusted iron hoops stapled into the a and crumbling brickwork.

  When she reached the bottom of the dder, Malika found herself in a small damp chamber, the sound of dripping unnaturally loud in the dim torchlight. Moss lined most of the crumbling, water-stained brick walls and floor, making everything somewhat treacherously slippery, while trickles of water ran out through the one open archway.

  Donavan immediately strode toward the open passage.

  “Shouldn’t we have a pn?” Malika asked, her voice eg a little in the dark chamber.

  “I’m not ied in your pn, you didn’t even bring a on,” Donavan shot back, “Just follow me and kill the monsters and we all get out of here.”

  Biting back her retort, she followed the group, irritated with their self-imposed leader’s disregard for her or any kind of prudence. But she was an outsider in this group, and she only had to put up with them until she earned her css.

  Suddenly she jumped, startled as a rge haly settled on her shoulder, wing in pain as her movement dispced one of her snapped ribs.

  “It’s not very powerful, but you look like you ,” Mato said.

  She stared at him in fusion for a sed before she saw the small vial in his enormous hand, stretched out and offered to her. The clear gss tainer was stopped with a simple cork, and the red liquid sloshed a little inside.

  Minor Health Potion – level 1e: Gain 50 health over 3 minutesQuality: NormalValue: 1 silverCreated by Morwynne Fizzlebang. “Wounds begone!”Potion

  She hated that he was right – and worse, that she would owe him – but she wasn’t going to be a whole lot of use in bat if she was doubled over in paiime she moved.

  “Thanks,” she said quietly, and dowhe expeion, feeling the warmth flooding her body as its potent magic began to work on her injuries.