I stood in what had become a makeshift war room within the first outpost. The crafters had done some work to repair the leaks in the roof of the small wooden building and put together sturdier tables for us. Scouts had been busy updating our map of the tournament grounds, and we had regular pairs of people coming in to report their findings

Naia's fingertip dragged along our makeshift map. "It's only a matter of time," she said.

This had become a recurring argument among those of us who formed a loose leadership structure. The nobility had claimed the center of the map and they would be pushing out any day. Any hour.

Thorn sat at the edge of the room beside Sylara. He raised his big calloused palms. "Then let them come. We have a saying in the slave pits. Greet death with a smile, and perhaps he will mistake you for a friend."

"My strong preference is not to meet death at all, actually," I said.

Ramzi chewed on a piece of dried meat, flashing teeth that looked extremely white against his dark purple lips and skin. "I like her plan better, friend. Not today, death."

"Brynn should be—" I began, but I stopped short when the door swung open, letting morning light into the dim room.

Hector ducked inside, flanked by a stocky woman named Remalene. I was fairly sure they were sleeping together, and I deeply distrusted them both.

Hector wiped crusted blood from his face, sniffed, and then pressed a dirty index finger to a place on the map near the center. "Nobles gathering here," he said. "Pretty sure it was Kalcus and his crew."

"Alright, thank you," I said.

Remaline moved forward. Her brown hair was pulled back from her face, but clumped with grease and gods only knew what else. The rain was the closest any of us got to bathing in here, and it had been a couple days since the last rain. "Mark it," she said, tapping her finger where Hector had pointed, eyes locked on mine.

I picked up a piece of charcoal and made a scratch mark where he had indicated. "There. It's marked."

She licked her lips, moving closer until I could smell her stale breath. She was several inches shorter than me, but the two hand axes at her hips were sharp enough. And Hector… he was one of the strongest fighters in our group.

Behind them, I saw Ramzi and Thorn slowly stand up and move closer. Zahra's eyes went intense, and I was almost certain she was gathering mana for a spell. Sylara hadn't moved, but I noticed a knife was in her hand now. Naia moved closer to my side, ready to jump in if there was about to be violence.

I appreciated them all for it, but gave a subtle shake of my head. Ever since Brynn had withdrawn and begun doing more on his own, tensions in the "mongrel army" were high. Questions circulated freely, with the loudest centering around the idea that Brynn was just using us to hold his outposts while he power-leveled. The fear was he'd take out his enemies alone and then come finish us off himself when it was all over.

Some of us knew him well enough to know that was a ridiculous idea, but to the others, he was becoming more and more of a mystery by the day. He never took off his helmet. He rarely spoke to the others lately. And he only stopped by camp to sleep in his bedroll before marching straight back into the wilderness to hunt.

Hector and Remaline were the loudest voices of dissent and the de-facto leaders of the disgruntled. If there was a time where we could've easily banished them, it had long since passed. They had enough quiet followers now that any direct action against them would likely fracture the entire mongrel army.

"You know," Remaline said, resting her thick fingers on her axe handles and tilting her head. "I think a lot of us are getting tired of your excuses. Tired of you trying to tell us to 'trust Brynn'."

"Rem," Hector said, eyes holding something I didn't like at all.

She looked over her shoulder, saw the warning look on his face, and shrugged at me, smiling. "Just saying… He should be careful. We know he goes out every night and does all sorts of things without us. I bet anyone who eliminated him would get enough tourney points to guarantee a spot in the top ten."

This was dangerous, but I knew I needed to draw the line. She was openly challenging us.

I stepped forward, bumping into Remaline so she had to stumble back a step. Her eyes flashed with alarm and she half-drew her axe. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. I knew one movement toward my weapon would lead to violence, but I didn't reach for my spear.

I raised a single finger and pressed it in the center of Remaline's chestplate. "You should be more careful with your words."

The worry in her features melted away, quickly replaced with contempt. "You're pretty, but you must be bad at counting. There are twice as many who think like we do. You fools are the minority. If we wanted to take him down, we could do it, and there'd be nothing you all could do to stop us."

"Rem…" Hector said, though it only felt like a half-hearted reproach. If I read him right, he simply didn't think this was the right time, not while they were in this small room and outnumbered.

"I'll spell it out in simple words you can understand," I said, looking down at the woman. "You're all worried he is only using us, but there's something none of you seem to understand. He hasn't needed any of us for days now. He's not using you. He's trying to save your ungrateful asses. He's letting you drag him down and making himself vulnerable because he doesn't want any of you to suffer."

I found myself slightly surprised by how my voice had risen as I spoke and how heavily I was breathing. I believed every word, I realized. Even as some of my own doubts about his plans had crept in at the corners of my thoughts, deep down, I knew. Brynn had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and yet he was always making sacrifices to do the right thing. That was Brynn. That was what I'd seen back in Riverwell and why I gave everything up to follow him.

"Hm," Remaline said, stepping closer again until she had to tilt her face up to meet my eyes. "Must be easy to trust him to spare you when he's fucking you. But what about the rest of us? Why should we trust him?"

I felt my nostrils flare. It wasn't even worth dignifying with a response. "Thank you for your scouting report," I said stiffly. "If you don't mind, we need to discuss some strategy. Protus has soup in the barracks. I believe it should still be warm."

Remaline smiled as if she'd won, walking back to join Hector.

But she wasn't the one I was worried about. Remaline only wanted to struggle for power. To flaunt how many people they had convinced to join their way of thought. Hector, though…

I saw the darkness in his eyes as he left the building with her. And I suspected the words she'd spoken in this room had set something into motion we couldn't stop. Tensions had been at a boiling point for days, and I feared they were finally going to spill over.

"That went poorly," Thorn said after the door closed.

"We can't sustain this," I said. "When Brynn comes back, I'm going to tell him we've got to purge these people. Send them out on their own. Fight them. I don't really care, but they can't stay here."

Zahra folded her arms, silver specks twinkling against her deep purple skin. "I believe the dissenters out-number us almost two to one. We have us in this room plus Brynn, Protus, Erasmus, Yolo, and Tamrin. Yes? That makes ten of us and almost twenty of them."

"Yes," Ramzi said in his deep voice. He was one of the few in the mongrel army who had opted for leather armor instead of plates of metal. He lounged with one long leg crossed over a knee, eyes deep with thought. "The dissenters will not willingly give up all that we've claimed. They will think the crafters and the buildings should belong to them."

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Sylara tapped the edge of a dagger with her fingertip. "Why should we ask them to leave at all? Send them out in scouting parties and gathering parties. Take them out two by two. By the time they realize what's happening, it'll be too late."

"Brutal," Thorn said thoughtfully. "But maybe wise."

I shook my head. "You're all forgetting about Brynn. You saw what he was capable of in Beastden. You've all seen him disappearing each night and coming back covered in blood of every color. He's getting stronger. Fast. Only four dissenters are even Iron. If it came to a direct fight, Brynn could probably handle half of them by himself. We could take care of the rest."

Zahra looked doubtful. "You are right to say we know him better than the dissenters. And we know him well enough to know he won't want to slaughter twenty people. He'll want to find a way to mend this divide, even if it presents a risk to his own well-being."

"Damn it," I sighed. "You're probably right. But if it comes to a fight, he will help us. I know he will."

"I mean no disrespect to Mr. Helmet, of course," Thorn said. "But he would need to actually be here to help. He's rarely around these past few days unless he's stopping by to sleep in that horrible bedroll of his. And no offense to you, Lyria, but if he were sleeping with you, he would at least be around more often."

"Ah," Ramzi said, clapping his big hands. "This is an idea. Lyria can invite Brynn into her bed. If she performs adequately, he will remain in camp for some time, providing us protection."

"You make her blush, Ramzi," Zahra said with a soft smile. "The humans treat mating more delicately than sekmeti. She will not do this."

I was spared having to respond because the sound of raised voices outside drew our attention. Everyone stood, pushing open the door and rushing outside to see what the fuss was about.

Crafters were emerging from their buildings and people were coming into the courtyard from every direction. The front gates were opening, and everyone knew we had no scouts out at this hour.

It meant Brynn was back.

The gates lifted enough for me to see his Abyss Walker Boots first. Then I saw a rope dangling behind him and the strange shape it was wrapped around.

Was that… a man on the ground?

But the man was covered in something shiny and black up to his neck. His long hair dangled in the dirt as Brynn walked in through the gate, ducking to get below and dragging the man by the rope.

Everyone stared as Brynn came inside. Once again, he was covered in even more blood. This time, the blood was black, which was new. Pebble rolled behind him, using the grooves left by the dragged man like little ramps he could jump.

Hector and Remaline emerged from the barracks with soup bowls in hand, foreheads creased as they watched.

Erasmus was staring at the man being dragged.

One by one, everyone in the outpost drifted toward Brynn, drawn in by the strangeness of the scene.

We formed a rough circle and Brynn stopped at the center. He gave the roped man a soft kick. "Introduce yourself."

"Ah, well, hello," said the pale man with hollow cheeks. "I am known as vay'nar. Former member of the Bone Choir."

"Former?" I asked.

"Yes… Lord Ashmore was eliminated about an hour ago, meaning I'm the only remaining member of our… group. This terrifying young man has made a compelling case on our walk to your fine outpost here. He believes I should do what I can to help you all."

"Eliminated?" Yolo asked. The small tomte was decked out in heavy plate mail from head to toe with only his eyes and bushy brows visible through the eye-slit. Since all he could really do in a fight was heal, he had decided to make himself as hard to hurt as possible. "By whom?"

"Oh," vay'nar said. "Well, it was—"

"That's enough," Brynn said, cutting him off before he could say more.

"What if it's not?" Hector asked. He stepped in front of the group, joining the small space that had been left for Brynn and the roped man at the center. "What if we're tired of you keeping us in the dark? Sneaking out to get stronger while you keep us busy scouting and holding your outposts?"

There was some uncomfortable shifting in the group, but I could see it in their eyes. The others were just as pissed, and we were once again walking a fine line.

Hector stood in front of Brynn. Both men were among the biggest and most imposing in the group, but Brynn still stood an inch or so taller than Hector. And these past few days, a new sense of danger had seemed to gather around Brynn and cling to him like a foreign entity. It made him seem like a stranger at times.

And now as I watched him looking down at Hector, I wondered if I still knew him at all. Would Brynn hesitate to slaughter those who didn't trust him?

One thing was certain: if he felt any fear at Hector's challenge or the angry faces watching from within the crowd, he gave no sign of it. He stood straight-backed. Calm. Quiet.

Brynn looked around, seeming to take in the situation. He nodded slightly, looked my way, and then took a deep breath, raising his voice. "Trusting me probably isn't easy. I can understand that. But it's not going to get any easier, because tonight, you're all going to have to trust me when I say it's time. If that's a problem, I won't stop you from leaving."

I felt myself let out a breath I'd been holding. Thank the gods. He'd let them leave. I suddenly felt silly for worrying.

"Leaving?" Hector cut in. "Why would we leave? We helped claim these outposts. We helped build this. We helped hold them while you went off and did gods know what. Why should we leave?"

"Because if you try to take these outposts from us, then you'll be my enemies." He said the words so simply and with a matter-of-fact edge that made cold chills run across my skin.

I saw people swallow hard and a few step back, as if trying to disappear within the crowd.

Hector wasn't bothered. "And?"

"And," Brynn continued. "My extremely strong preference is to save as many of your lives as possible. If you don't want to help, that's fine. You can hide out and come find me when the dust settles. So either help tonight or hide. But if you try to oppose us in any way, you'll leave me with no choice."

vay'nar, who everyone seemed to have forgotten, nodded his head as he lay sideways on the ground. "He's really quite scary. I wouldn't—"

"Quiet," Brynn said, giving him another jab with his toe.

Hector turned to face the crowd, spreading his arms wide. "He tells you to hide. Do you all hear this? Is that what you fought for? Is that why your families sacrificed so much to send you here? To hide? To let someone else claim your glory?"

"I'm a slave," Thorn said, stepping into the circle. "I didn't come here by choice. My family is long dead, their blood spilled for the crowds. And I would've already suffered the same fate if Brynn hadn't helped. He's offering us a chance of survival. He's putting his own life in danger to help us. What are you offering, Hector? A glorious death?" Thorn spit on the ground between their feet. "Go find it, then. But don't insult those of us who only want a chance to live. When death finally comes for me, I'll face it. But I won't seek it out like a fool, either."

To my relief, I saw people nodding all around. Only Remaline looked defiant. She stepped forward. "We are leaving," she said. "Who's with us?"

Hector and Remaline looked around the group, but nobody made a move to join them.

Hector's lips curled. "Cowards."

The two of them walked out through the half-open gate, headed for the woods.

For several seconds, there were no sounds except the footsteps of Hector and Remaline in the dirt. And then breath by breath, the tension finally seemed to bleed out of the air.

"Tamrin, Erasmus," Brynn said. "Follow them. If they make any move against us, I want to know about it. If they try to claim any of our outposts or raid any of our supplies, they're our enemies. Otherwise, leave them be."

I listened to his words, noting how he raised his voice enough for everyone else to hear. The message was clear enough. He was standing by his word. Leave if you wish, but act against us and our outposts, and you'll be treated as an enemy.

Tamrin and the kiergard nodded and jogged out of the gates after the two deserters.

"Tonight," Brynn said. "Get rested. Eat your fill. And if you're planning to fight, be here in the courtyard. If you want to hide, that's fine. But keep your eyes toward the center of the tourney grounds. When you start seeing eliminations lifted toward the airships, make your way to us. We may not have time to come retrieve you from here."

Slowly, the crowd began to disperse as people drifted back to their posts, crafting stations, or meals in the barracks.

"Brynn," I said, moving to his side. "Are you okay?"

He looked at me for a few moments, almost as if there was something he wanted to say. "Fine. Yeah. I need to rest, though, and this guy is dangerous. The Hungry Dark will only last about thirty more minutes. Watch over him with a few people. I think he knows it would be very stupid to try anything, but just in case."

"Hungry Dark? Is that what this black stuff is?"

"Oh, yeah," Brynn said. Through the shadows cast over his eyes by his helmet, I could see a flicker of the old Brynn for a moment. The excitement he always had when he got new potions or was experimenting. "I've never had my bedroll in one place for this long. Well, not outside the Guild Hall, at least. Hoot cleaned up the dead bed bugs when we were in the guild. Out here, though, they… kind of accumulate."

I raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Well… naturally, I wondered what would happen if I tried to make a potion out of them." He produced his Alchemist's Kit and gave the sludgy black liquid inside a swish. "Tada. Hungry Dark. It's kind of like—" he trailed off, lips going tight as if he suddenly remembered where we were and what was at stake. "Anyway. Just keep an eye on this guy. In about thirty minutes, that'll wear off. And keep him away from any corpses." Brynn paused for a moment. "Hey, Vay'nar. Don't try to recover your mana or I'll have to do the thing again. Understand?"

The necromancer was already pale, but he somehow seemed to go even whiter. He nodded his head vigorously. "Believe me, I have no wish to upset you. I'll behave."

"Good. If you so much as touch her, I'll know," he said. "Touch her or any of my friends, and I'll very quickly stop giving a shit what you can tell me. You'll be dead. Got it?"

"No touching. Understood," Vay'nar said with a nervous smile.

"Why aren't we eliminating him?" I asked.

Brynn paused a moment, then shook his head. "Just watch over him please. And don't let him talk too much."

"Brynn… just tell me what's going on. You can trust me. You—"

"I know, Lyria. And you can trust me. I'm asking you to do that now."

I closed my mouth, teeth clenched as I felt my jaw flexing with annoyance. "Fine. We'll keep an eye on him."

He put a hand on my shoulder, smiling tightly. "Thanks. See you soon."

Brynn headed off to the small room where he slept, leaving me with far more questions than answers.

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