When we appeared in front of Elise's manor, a dozen guards rushed at us, blades drawn.

  "Cute," Vral said with a snicker. "They think they can do something."

  "Vral..." Tristan put her hand on the goblin's shoulder.

  "What?" She looked up at us, her red eyes glinting, and grinned. "We could take 'em."

  "I mean, you're probably not wrong, but—"

  Before I could finish my sentence, a rough, booming voice echoed down at us from a balcony above. "Sentinel!"

  A glance upward revealed Kalnari, my former Pit-mate, standing beside Amira, Elise's guard captain. "Hey, Kalnari!" I waved at her.

  The guards, who'd surrounded us by then, hesitated.

  "Stand down, all of you." Amira thrust her closed fist into the air. "They are friends of Lady Elise." When the guards didn't move, she added, "You should know that the tall one's a Chosen, the pretty blue-eyed woman is a priestess of the Goddess, and the little one's nickname is the Slasher. Since I'm sure you know who that is, I wouldn't try anything if I were you."

  At Amira's clarification, nearly every one of the guards' eyes opened wide.

  "If she's the Slasher, that means..." One guard whispered.

  "The Sentinel?" Another answered.

  "S-sorry, sir," A tall, lanky guy of maybe sixteen stuttered as he bowed, then backed off. That spurred the rest of them into action. In seconds, they were standing in a clump and whispering to one another.

  "Pretty?" Tristan asked under her breath.

  "Very," I replied. At the same time, I wondered if that meant Amira liked girls. Who knew?

  "Come on." Vral rolled her eyes. "Are you actually gonna play the old 'am I actually that pretty' card right now?"

  Tristan blushed.

  "Kalnari comes to say hi!" Rather than exit through the doorway, the orc hooked her leg over the wrought-iron railing and nearly jumped before Amira grabbed her by the scruff and yanked her back.

  "You are a representative of the lords of Galden!" Amira hissed. "You will not jump off the railing!"

  "But, balcony not so high!" Kalnari struggled to get free. "I jump!"

  "No!" Amira pulled the squirming orc through the balcony's doorway. A few minutes later, the pair appeared out of the manor's front doors. Marching up to us, Amira extended her hand, which I took in my own. "Sorry about that." She glanced at Kalnari. "I've been tasked with taming this wild child. It's going about as well as you just saw."

  Had Amira's eyes softened when she looked at Kalnari? They totally had! Love really was blooming these days. "Hey, Amira. Kalnari. How's it been?"

  Kalnari, who'd been sulking behind Amira, pushed the latter aside and wrapped me in a big hug. "Happy to see Sentinel!" She lifted me into the air and shook me like a dog toy. "And little one!" Reaching down, she scooped up Vral and shook her next.

  "K-k-k-Kalnari!" Vral screeched. "S-s-stop i-it!"

  "NO!" Kalnari shook us harder. "BEEN TOO LONG!"

  Knowing that when she set her mind to something, there was no deterring her, I let myself go limp and took the abusive love.

  Eventually, when she had had her fill, she set us both down before turning to Tristan. "And priestess." She dropped to one knee, took Tristan's hand, and placed it against her forehead. "I will never forget you sitting at Sentinel's bed. 'Oh, love. Why let a mountain fall on one's head? Please, return to me." Her green eyes trailed upward. They were filled with mischief. "Very sweet. Very romantic."

  "T-thanks?" Tristan's face turned beet red.

  Amira's gauntleted hand smacked the side of Kalnari's head. "No picking on our guests, Kalnari."

  The orc chuckled. "Fine, fine." Giving Tristan's hand a kiss, she stood and took position next to Elise's guard captain.

  "What brings you three here?" Amira asked when Kalnari got settled. Her face tensing, she quickly asked, "Elise and Khadrel are well, I hope?"

  "Yes, they're perfectly fine. They seem to be having a great time, actually." I laughed. "Elise loves trying all the exotic fruits and nuts, and Khadrel's having fun working with Thokrim and the others."

  The guard captain relaxed. "I'm glad. to hear it." Then, with a soft exhalation, she visibly relaxed as she added, "Still, I wish they had taken us."

  "Second in command!" Kalnari thumped her chest. "Must keep cities running while Elise and Khadrel take a vacation!"

  "I know..." The stern captain sighed. "I just don't like it."

  "Second in command?" Tristan asked.

  "Yes. With Elise and Khadrel gone, Kalnari and I are acting in their stead." She looked to the west. "So it is true then that you three have founded a city?"

  "Us five!" Vral puffed her chest out. "Ro and Na-Ya are back at the big tree running things until we get our quest done."

  "Quest?" Amira cocked her eyebrow.

  "We're going to Embermist Keep," Tristan offered. "We hope to cleanse it."

  "Not know." Kalnari shook her head. "What is?"

  Not wanting to cut and run without catching up a little, and feeling no immediate pressure to leave, I extended my arms and took a step toward the keep. "Why don't we all catch up for a while? I wouldn't mind telling you about it."

  The two second-in-commands looked at one another and nodded.

  "Come!" Kalnari grabbed Tristan and my wrists. "Want show you new training hall!"

  "If you're staying, perhaps we can all eat together." Amira had a happy bounce to her steps. "I would like to hear all about this city of yours."

  The three of us nodded and, in unison, said, "Sounds great!"

  I had no idea how I ate so much. But I did. The food just kept coming, and I... I kept eating. For hours.

  "So full..." Vral groaned as we hooked a left out of the manor's front gate.

  "Did they have to bring out a second goat?" Tristan's face was strained.

  "The third was what did me in." Holding my gut, I looked toward the sky. It was way, way later than it had any right to be. "Maybe we should have stayed the night?"

  "Goddess, no." Her face turning green, Tristan added, "They might feed us to death."

  "You're so right." The second Vral had said she was kind of hungry, Kalnari ordered the cooks to prepare everything in the kitchen. Literally. Despite Amira's protests, the orc was insistent. So, we ate dozens of dishes, including many that were from her home up in Volkash. Those were great in that rustic, roasted-over-an-open-flame kind of way, but no one in any world would call Volkash food light fare. It was basically all meat.

  After waddling a few steps up the street, Vral slumped against the manor's wall. "I can't do it. I'm not gonna make it." With a sly look over her shoulder, she batted her eyes and asked, "My steed?"

  The thought of carrying her... "No."

  "Tch." She pulled herself off the wall and waddled forward, moving slower than I'd ever seen her move. "Rude."

  "You have two good legs, Vral. Use them, you big baby." Tristan brushed past her.

  "You heard the pretty lady," I said as I brushed past next. "One foot in front of the other, now."

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Ugh!" As her little footsteps quickened, she groaned. "Wait up!"

  "Nope!" I hooked around the wall and immediately ran into yet another familiar face, one who was wearing an odd-looking hat and was doing his best to drum any kind of interest out of a completely disinterested wagon full of people.

  "And this, my fine folks from fairer climes, is the manor housing the illustrious lady of the one, the only, the magnificent city of Galden!" With a dramatic flourish, the halfling sprang out of his seat and did a circle, waving his hands at everything and nothing as he did. Amplified by his magical microphone, the halfling's voice bounced off the mountains surrounding the city, pissing off a flock of birds and a dozen cityfolk.

  It looked like Arturus was doing some kind of tour or something. Not wanting to distract him, I waited for him to see me before giving him a wave.

  The instant he recognized me, he yanked on the wagon's reins, stopping the wagon in its tracks. "Hold on, folks! I've got some people I have to talk to!" The halfling sprang from his bench, landed on the ground, and rushed to us. "Well, aren't you three a sight for sore eyes!" Skidding to a stop in front of us, he leaned close, held his microphone out to the side, and whispered, "I took on a sightseeing gig, but man..." He thrust a thumb over his shoulder. "I don't know where the boss finds these people, but I couldn't have a worse audience."

  Looking past him, I watched as a kid picked his nose and wiped it on the side of the wagon. Another old lady was dead asleep, and a couple was loudly arguing in the back. "Sorry, buddy."

  "Huh?" His eyes had trailed over to Tristan. "What were we saying?"

  Vral smacked him. "Eyes off our main squeeze, you damn sleezebag!"

  Tristan blushed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  "Come on, man..." I shook my head.

  "Sorry." He chuckled as he rubbed his cheek. "Old habits and all that."

  Vral held up her hand. "Break 'em."

  He flinched. "Okay! Okay!" Stepping back, he gave us a theatrical bow and said, "Anyway, I heard through the grapevine that you three had some big breakthrough out east."

  "Yeah, some things have happened." I shook my head. "It's been wild, really."

  "I bet, I bet." He stood straight and smoothed his clothes. "So here's the thing... I want in on it."

  "On what?" I asked.

  "The whole thing!" His already animated face lit up. "You know! What we talked about last time! A fresh start! A new way of life!" Every statement got more excited than the last. "If you have a whole city under your name, think of everything we could do together!"

  I knew exactly what he was talking about. "You want us to build a colosseum in Caer-Elath, don't you?"

  His face split into a wide, toothy grin. "My man."

  I'd be lying if I hadn't thought about it. More than once. "You'd leave Galden?"

  He barked out a laugh. "I think about it every day."

  Stroking my beard, I asked, "Would you be willing to help as we put the city back together?"

  Nodding repeatedly, he said, "Tell me what to do and when, and I'm your guy."

  Nearby, a group of thuggy-looking men pointed at him and shouted.

  His face turned white. "So, what do you say?"

  Watching as the men ran toward us, I asked, "And you promise to be good?"

  "Yeah! None of this sleezy shit in our town!" Vral thrust the tip of her jaw at him. "Got it?"

  "Sure, sure!" He said, the panic clear on his face. "I can be good. I think. With training."

  He was a mess, but it would be nice to have an excellent announcer if we ended up building a new and improved Pit... "When can you start?"

  "Uh..." He shuffled. "Now?"

  "You bastard!" One of the men shouted.

  "Get him!"

  "You're dead, Arturus!"

  He squeaked and ran behind me. "Save me!"

  With a shake of my head, I grabbed the girl's hands, stepped on his foot, and visualized the Dreaming Crown. Then, I used my skill.

  [Recall]

  "Do you really think he'll be good?" Tristan asked.

  "No idea." I sighed. I had no idea if portaling Arturus to Caer-Elath-Sylnareth was the right call or not, but I was going with it.

  "Oh, he'll be good." Vral's face looked equal parts mischief and evil.

  Tristan gave Vral a look. "What did you do?"

  "I just sent out the word to my Ash Eaters." She cackled again. "If he steps out of line, they'll be there to set him straight."

  "Do I want to know?"

  "No."

  Tristan sighed. "I appreciate the honesty."

  Vral cackled in response.

  Stopping at an intersection, I looked around and realized I'd been there before. There was a well in the center of the busy street, and a tight, barrel-filled alley set into one side. When had I been here? "Hey girls, have we been here before?"

  Tristan looked around. "I don't think I've been here, but this intersection isn't too far from where you two fought all those people."

  Vral's shoulders went tight. "I... I know where this place is." She looked up at me and smirked. "Don't you remember, boy toy?"

  I searched my memories of that night, but it was all so hazy. "Didn't we clean up in that well?"

  She bit her lip. "And...?"

  "And..." We cleaned up the blood... wandered over to the alley... and... "Oh. Oh!"

  "That's my boy. You, too." She patted my groin. "I got well-acquainted with both of you that night."

  Tristan crossed her arms. "Wait, you two went at it after you fought all those people?"

  I shrugged. "It set the mood."

  "Damn right it did," Vral breathed.

  "How did I not know this?!" Tristan gave us both a look. "You two are animals!"

  With a massive eye roll, Vral shot back, "I had to hear you two fuck in that prison cell a half-dozen times! Hell, it wasn't just me, either. The guards took bets on how long you'd last! Compared to that, fighting then fucking was nothing."

  Tristan covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I did that."

  Vral's ears really were incredible. "Don't act like you didn't like it."

  Her red eyes were ablaze. "Did I say I didn't like it?"

  Tristan and I both looked at one another and cringed.

  "Anyway," Vral grabbed our hands and pulled us across the street. "Since today's pretty much shot, I figured we should go and see one more person before we leave for our quest."

  "Who?" Tristan asked.

  "Do you mean..." What was the word she used again? "Do you want to go see your... uh... Birt?"

  "My ka'dral." She pulled us to the right. "It's been a long time, and I never got to show Tris off to her, and we might die, so I should probably go see her."

  Tristan shook her head. "Who is she?"

  "She's like a stepmom." She smiled. "When the duke's men wiped out us Ash Eaters and snatched me up, she was another servant in the keep. She took care of me."

  "Aw!" Tristan gushed. "I'd love to meet her!"

  A wave of dread washed over me. The last time we were there, we drank way too much breskaya. We'd have to be good this time.

  "Mama!" Vral shouted as she dragged us into the Ratskull Tavern. "Three bowls of the good stuff, with extra funk!"

  "Yeah, yeah. Ungrateful girl." The top of Birt's head bobbed as she walked up and down the bar. "Bowls alright?"

  "Yeah!"

  Tristan looked at me, asking the question with her eyes.

  "It's good, I promise." That krasas stuff stank like funky cheese, but it really was good.

  "It's the best." Vral pulled us to a table, set each of us down, then sat herself.

  Birt appeared a minute later with a thick wooden tray balanced on one hand. Three wide bowls sat on it, each filled to the brim with steaming gragul. A mound of greyish foam sat on top of each serving.

  “The good stuff, with extra krasas,” she grunted as she thumped the bowls onto the table one by one.

  The smell hit immediately. Sour and funky, in a way that almost burned the nose.

  Tristan recoiled a little. “Oh... Thanks...”

  “It’s some kind of fermented thing,” I said quickly. “Trust me. It’s better than it smells.”

  “Um, sure,” she muttered as she picked at the bowl with her spoon.

  Birt’s eyes slid over the table to find me. "You're still with the big guy, huh?"

  "Yeah." Vral grabbed my hand. "I am."

  Birt nodded, then turned to Tristan. For a while, she studied the priestess before she jerked her chin at her. “Who’s the blue-eyed bitch?”

  Without missing a beat, Vral grabbed Tristan’s hand, too. “Our main squeeze.”

  Tristan choked on the first tiny bite she’d just taken.

  Birt glared at her. "Is there a problem?"

  With a hard swallow, Tristan croaked, "It's, it's good!"

  Birt grunted. Then, she dragged a stool over and sat down. “So, what have you been doing, my nu’thek? Causing trouble again?”

  Vral leaned back in her chair, grinning like she’d been waiting her whole life for that question. “Oh, not much. We just went into the Depths, fought a vampire guy, kicked some evil assholes' asses, beat a wyrm, found a big ass city under a tree..." She hitched her arms behind her head. "These days, our party’s been turning over a city we found. Alex is training some soldiers. Tris is cleansing the temple. And me?" Her grin grew. "I started a new Ash Eater tribe. ”

  Birt nodded slowly as she listened. Then, when Vral stopped talking, Birt continued nodding for a time before saying, "A city, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “New tribe?”

  “Sure did.”

  Birt folded her arms and looked at Vral for a long moment. "Not bad."

  Vral's face lit up. "Really?" She sounded surprised.

  For a while, Birt looked at her sort-of-daughter. Then, her lips twitched. “Never seen you so happy.”

  Vral blinked.

  Birt leaned back on the stool, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “Makes my old, withered heart beat with joy.”

  For once, Vral didn’t try to redirect. Instead, her ears drooped a little, and her red eyes got shiny. “I, uh...” she muttered, rubbing her face. "Thanks, mama."

  Birt snorted. “Don’t get weepy on me, girl.” She jabbed a thick finger at the three of us. “You've got work to do. I expect lots of grandkids." Her eyes slid sideways toward Tristan. One eyebrow lifted slowly. "But since goblins and humans can’t breed...”

  Tristan turned bright red. “I—that’s—"

  "We'll do our best, ka'dral." I bowed my head. I wouldn't mind trying again. For real, this time.

  Clearing her throat and wiping a stray tear from her cheek, Vral added, "We'll make sure to try really, really hard for you. I promise."

  Birt grunted again, apparently satisfied, then hopped down off the stool. She disappeared behind the bar. Bottles clinked. A cabinet slammed. When she came back, she was carrying a huge dusty bottle filled with thick black liquid.

  “Oh no,” I muttered.

  "Yes..." Vral hissed.

  "What?" Tristan asked.

  Breskaya.

  That was what.

  Birt set four tiny shot glasses on the table. "It's time to celebrate." Her bony thumbs worked at the cork.

  Pop.

  The cork came free.

  "Oh... no..." Tristan pinched her nose. "Is that...?"

  "Yeah." I nodded. "It is." The smell was strong enough to strip paint.

  "No saying no, now." Birt filled each cup with the dark liquor before setting the bottle down and raising her glass.

  “To my nu’thek,” she said. "And the idiots who love her." Her eyes moved between Tristan and me. Then, she threw the drink back in one go. With a loud gulp, she slammed the cup down and stared at us.

  Vral grinned. “Hell yeah.” She tossed hers back next.

  I stared at the glass. There wasn't any time pressure, right?

  This was fine.

  We could start the quest tomorrow.

  I shrugged and downed the foul black liquid.

  Fire ripped down my throat and punched me directly in the soul.

  Across the table, Tristan’s face had gone completely white. “Oh Goddess,” she whispered. "Guide my way..." Grabbing the cup with both hands, she let out a shout, then threw the stuff back... and immediately heaved. Her eyes crossed, she sputtered out, "Why?!"

  "Because the Dark Father's a piece of shit, that's why." Birt poured another round. "With Breskaya, we forget that fact for a while."

  My fist collided with an elf's jaw.

  Half his teeth flew across the alley, only stopping when they hit the far wall.

  "Damn, boy!" Vral shouted to my right. "Work it!"

  "Shake it for me!" Tristan slurred beside her. "Show me what you go under those—HIC!"

  Wiping the blood from his lips, the elf snarled and lunged at me.

  I ducked and drove a fist into his ribs.

  At least two of them shattered.

  Somewhere in the back of my head, a quiet voice was screaming that we'd done this before. That this couldn't end well.

  But honestly?

  "I do what I want!" My fist hit the guy in the nose, shattering it completely.