The morning he broke through to the 8th ring reeked of illegal activity.

  Not Elias’ or at least not fully his.

  “Why are you back again?” Elias crouched in front of the bruised teenager he’d hauled to the Enforcers last week. “With friends, no less.”

  “They were after my cubes.” Forest growled. “After my crates.”

  “You refused to pay up, innkeeper.”

  “Quiet, Weasel.” The teenager hissed.

  “I won’t be quiet, Squink. They have the nerve to assault us. When my brother hears about this—”

  “Oh, yes. Tell me what your brother will do.” Forest loomed, mana pouring out from every pore and weighing the courtyard down. At least Advanced stage, by the feel.

  The group huddled and Weasel’s face drained of blood.

  “Let’s not terrify them.” Elias said through gritted teeth. The pressure was indiscriminate, and his bladder was warning him to run. So that was what she was capable of. His bruises seemed minor now.

  Forest snorted, cutting off the mana instantly. “My crates. My goods.”

  Elias eyed her carefully, there was something almost animalistic about it. “Squink. What did I tell you last time?”

  “Look over the wall. Check for people, then slide down silently.” He glared at his companions. “They didn’t listen.”

  “We’re the Pentas Liberation Force! We won’t cower!”

  “Excellent naming.” Elias patted Weasel on the shoulder. “But breaking and entering isn’t nice.”

  “Don’t think you can get away with this, Forest. We know what you’re doing. My brother already told you to follow orders if you don’t want your—” The fist arrived in a flash, burying Weasel’s unfortunate skull a foot under the courtyard grass. It was a good thing Gareth kept the place clean.

  “A little excessive, wouldn’t you say? He’s just a kid.” Elias gingerly shuffled back two steps. Still crouched. Some dirt had landed on his new robes.

  “My crates.” Forest mumbled and refused to meet his gaze.

  “Squink. Go and get the medical supplies; you know where they are.”

  Squink shivered, glancing between Elias and Forest. Elias gestured for him to go, and Squink bolted for the door, stopping for a moment in the doorway. Elias frowned.

  Squink darted away.

  “They’re not after the cubes.” Elias remarked while pulling Weasel out with the help of one of the kids. Forest didn’t answer. Derek had built two dozen cubes, carefully wrapped and crated in the inn courtyard. Forest had engaged an array technician to engrave Elias’ designs into them. After patent submissions at the guild, of course. Elias moved through the forms with Varen’s muscle memory, only pausing to carefully explain the terms to his companions. That was met by boredom on their part, Forest was used to contracts. Derek quoted law shows until Elias pointed out that the law was different here.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He brushed soil off Weasel’s limp form and used mana to level the face-shaped impression in the ground. He didn’t really look like a weasel, more like a rabbit. A lumpy one.

  The crate creaked under Forest’s ministrations, counting each piece. The cubes were toys. With no history, the gangs would show no interest.

  Squink returned with a green bag, stuffed haphazardly with pills, potions, bandages, and a host of strange herbs. Elias turned a bottle of something green over Weasel and infused mana into the potion. The bump rising from the back of the kid’s head was an angry red in his vision. His rings spun quicker as the potion lit up in activation. He could feel the bump settle, reducing in size a little.

  Weasel’s eyes fluttered open.

  Elias’ 8th ring solidified. A puff of blue smoke escaped from his lips.

  It was like drinking a liter of cafeteria coffee. Horrid taste, enough to keep you up for three days.

  “Feel better, Weasel?”

  The kid shook his head, mumbling about brothers, armies of revenge, and his pet ferret Ginger.

  “Good enough. Let’s get you settled then. All of you up. In one line—Squink at the back, you short one, Garm? Garm at the front. Weasel lean on your friend here. Single line.

  How do you not know how to line up? Eyes on your friend’s head, arm’s length back. No, your arm, just reach out and touch. Yes. Excellent.” Elias clapped his hands. “March. One. Two.”

  He turned to Forest sulking in the corner. “You don’t have to explain what it is if you don’t want to, but it would be nice to be aware.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll sort this out.” She growled, fingering her sword and glowering at the marching kids. “I won’t be with you at the market.”

  “Hey. No violence.” Elias considered for a moment. Gangs were still gangs. “Less violence, at least.”

  He led the kids out of the inn, Squink eyeing the silk banner over the bar.

  “Forcing other people is illegal. It’s bad,” Elias lectured. “At least you should get an idea of how strong your opponents are. Stronger than you, run. Weaker—punch down. Same strength, look for advantage or gang up.”

  The kids watched him open-mouthed. Elias sighed.

  “Coercion never works. If you threaten people, it just comes back to hit you. You guys know Pentas better than me, haven’t you heard that saying? The fish shop auntie could raise the dead; the tanner’s uncle carries a demonic sword. What are you revolting against anyway? Does anyone look upset here?”

  “Did they bother you again, Elias?” The fish shop auntie called, a twisted wooden staff crowned with a crow skull smashing down to tenderize some meat. When did she expand her operations?

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Probably need a spanking. Weasel’s cousin really shouldn’t let him loose.” The tanner sharpened his wicked blade, sliding the stone across the barbed edges of his sword, Peace. Business must be slow.

  “Met him for the first time today. I’m sure the Enforcers will sort it out.”

  The kids exchanged looks. Weasel. bumbled along quietly, head down.

  They marched to the Enforcer’s headquarters under Elias’ curated lecture on how to act like a revolutionary army.

  Dara was on duty at the front gate. He laughed and ran inside to call Ila before Elias could explain. Under the Chief Disciple’s bemused gaze, Elias adjusted collars and gave final pieces of advice and asked Weasel to come back once he felt better. The kids bowed once and he nodded. Teachable kids were adorable.

  Ila offered him another silk banner and a warning citation.

  “On behalf of the Viridian Forest Sect and the joint city of Pentas, we thank you for your heroic efforts in keeping our town safe.” Ila read off the cheat sheet she’d used last time.

  Dara yawned.

  “However, I officially place this reprimand in your file for the use of excessive force in self defense.”

  “It wasn’t me.” He protested. He scratched his cheek. “I have a permanent record?”

  “Whoever it was, you can’t go knocking people around.” Ila shook her head.

  “Yeah that’s our job.” Dara said.

  “Why is the citation framed?” Elias caressed the elegant carved wood.

  Ila smiled, eyes flashing under the glare of the twin suns.

  Elias returned to the inn, quietly hanging up the second banner. He hesitated, heading to the opposite wall and nailing the warning in a corner.

  “I wonder if the walls are big enough.”