The Pit, Port Pelagie, Fleet Territory

  Mid-Dry Season, Year 17

  “What?” I asked, looking up from the scorpion that was scuttling towards our tent hovels. I shifted my grip on the block of wood in my hand, keeping it from falling while I was distracted.

  “It’s your turn. To get food.” Seiwuai put her hands on her hips, leaning forward with narrowed eyes - and taking any impact out of it, since she was now looking up at me from, like, waist height. I don’t normally remember that I’m tall but, every now and then, I meet somebody new and it makes me reconsider my relationship with the world around me.

  ...nah, it was just her, she was just tiny.

  “-and it’s been three days...are you even paying attention?!” Seiwuai said with an annoyed tone, pushing me in the shoulder again.

  “Yeah, I’m listening, I’m listening,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I hadn’t actually been paying attention but it had been three days of this so far. And by ‘this’, I mean sitting around in this damp pit, staring at nothing, and watching this weird girl sit still for hours at a time.

  Sometimes she’d spice it up and shift a leg, or sneeze. Amazing. Still, I’d bargained my way into this situation in exchange for finding out what the situation was so I’d at least take it with thanks that she was an easy person to keep an eye on.

  Except for the damn scorpions. Little sons of bitches were coming up from everywhere.

  Seiwuai’s eyes followed my hand to my hair, and I frowned as she looked at my scab - the solid coral bits capping my hair. She glanced back down and met my gaze, suddenly standing straight. “Anyway, just- just go! Just because I’m nice enough to teach you all this stuff doesn’t mean you get to take advantage of me, y’know!”

  I looked at her and put a hand to my face, letting out a slow breath and dropping the block of wood onto the scorpion before it could scuttle too far. I could point out all the people who I’d consistently caught eyeing her, despite us being in a nowhere space out of the way in the middle of the least salvageable wrecks; I could point out the seemingly infinite number of tiny scorpions burrowing up through the sand at night that I’d been dealing with; I could even point out the one pointlessly muscular redhead whose arm I had to twist when he got handsy, which she had somehow completely missed.

  Instead, I said, “Fine. I’ll get lunch and dinner today. You just…” I raised my hands helplessly. “Stay where I can see you.”

  “I’m not a child, I can take care of myself,” she said, pouting exactly like a child.

  “The entire point of this agreement,” I said, feeling the usual headache when I had to explain to a client yet again why me letting them do something incredibly dangerous would be entirely against the purpose of them hiring me as a bodyguard. I’d only just thought she was alright and was already reconsidering it. “No, you know what, forget it. Do whatever.”

  I threw my hands up, walking away towards the centre of the Pit, absolutely sure she was sticking her tongue out at me as I left. I tried not to judge people too quickly, but Seiwuai was pretty quickly establishing herself as some kind of brat. Parents probably didn’t spank her enough or...whatever the hell they did to make you turn out decent.

  I stepped away from the cover of the damaged tents into the broad area of clear ground in the center of the Pit, effectively unclaimed territory by anyone down here, and glanced around at the steadily increasing number of people. Normally, I watched this happen from a little further away, the crowd gathering for the supply delivery for our bunch of rabble. There were always a decent number of people, but they didn’t seem like they liked each other any more than I did. I just needed to avoid starting anything, and stand my ground when I was pushed. Simple enough.

  It didn’t take much longer for the pit to darken as a massive sand-coloured tarpaulin suddenly stretched over the entrance. It sunk inwards like an oversized drop of water pooling on the ceiling, descending until it touched the ground and then unfolding outwards. The edges fell just in front of the gathered crowd with learned discipline, revealing a sheet with a pile of baskets filled with clay jugs, breads in various colours, and gallon-sized wooden barrels.

  Our feast from heaven, dropped in for the second time today.

  Honestly, it was making me reconsider my thoughts on the whole ‘Fleets’ thing. I was mostly just willing to stick around because of, y’know, the “punitive hand removal” thing but this was some of the best food I’d ever had. The bread was soft and tender with a thin crust; the jugs had soup, thickened with potato and corn until it was rich like stew; and the barrels had spring water. As in, water from a spring instead of a busted old well that was probably too close to the pit latrines.

  I’d overheard a couple of people complaining about the taste of the sawdust in the bread, but I thought it was pretty consistent in how fine it was. The breads I used to buy had thumbnail-sized chunks of wood in them, more often than not. I didn’t even notice the taste here. Ungrateful bastards should just give me their fill, if they’re that unhappy about it.

  We didn’t really form a line, so much as we shuffled forward in clumps, grabbing up our portion of food then making our way back out of the cleared area. I took a bite of the bread I’d gotten for myself and a long drink of soup from the jug, throwing a glance back behind me at the slowly scattering crowd.

  I paused, considering an idea, then looked around me. No one was watching me right now. I crouched out of sight between two tents, wiping my mouth with my bread, then stacked the two loaves in the mouth of the jug - and settled in to wait.

  See, a lot of people think “oh, this guy’s just dumb muscle, he’s got no patience or appreciation for art” and half of that is true, but a fairly sizable chunk of all Muscle jobs are just waiting around. Security? Waiting for somebody to break in. Bodyguard? Waiting for somebody to jump your charge. Intimidation? Waiting for the job to end so you can go home.

  That made me very good at waiting, and watching the group trickle down to nothing went by in no time at all. The last person had barely stepped off the tarp with their food in hand when the whole thing started to rise, rapidly bundling back up as the corners rose into the air.

  I fucking moved.

  There were a few words hurled at my back as I passed but I didn’t hear them or stop to think about whatever the hell they had to say. I leaped as I got near the tarp, barely snagging the edge as the whole thing started to rise above head height. My legs were dangling beneath me and I hauled myself up, rolling into the bundle of cloth with a grin on my face, lying on my back and watching the opening of the pit approach.

  I never thought I’d be happy to be on a tiny pissbucket of sand in the middle of nowhere, but it’s amazing what a couple days in a literal hole in the ground will do. How was that for ‘growing capable’?

  Suck it, Ensign Otilia.

  *

  “That was the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen,” a voice chuckled from somewhere nearby.

  I blinked, pushing myself up from-

  The ground? Why was I on the ground? Where the hell was I?

  I looked around, the world a blurry dark mess that I was struggling to blink away. After a few seconds, the world resolved into dark earthy walls, rising dozens of feet into the air to the circular edge of the Pit. The same place I was about to make my escape from- and damn it, now I remember, what in the depths just happened?

  “Oh, he’s getting up,” another voice said, this one raspy and higher pitched.

  “Where...am I?” I asked, shakily, pushing myself to my feet with effort.

  “The ‘dazed sailor’ bit?” the first one said. “Kid thinks this is amateur hour. At least try something original.”

  I straightened my back at that, rising in one smooth motion and glancing around at the trio of people a half-dozen paces from me, squatting and leaning against the tents as they watched me. They were non-descript men for the most part, dressed in dirt-stained versions of the black Fleet uniform I had, but with variations from rolled sleeves to open tops and more. They weren’t armed from what I could tell, but they had a mix of light scars across their knuckles, hands, and faces, the kind that came from a life fully lived.

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  All three of them were around a makeshift table, playing some kind of thrown-together gambling game. I recognized rigged dice when I saw them. The first one who’d spoken, a man with big owlish eyes, was sitting on the edge of the table with his legs on a bench; the second sour-faced man was giving me an irritated look, but whether that was because of me or his broken nose, I couldn’t really say. The last of them favoured a bare-chested approach, jumpsuit open from the waist up, scratching idly at ridges of stony coral that ringed his shoulders.

  I resisted the urge to fiddle with my hair at the sight, ignoring the itchy feeling above my temples. “Alright,” I said. “Are we gonna have a problem, then?”

  “You already gave yourself one,” he said, chuckling again. He thumbed a hand at the bare-chested one, who seemed to be glaring at me for...some reason. “But, after what you did to Paul here? I’m obligated to beat your ass.”

  “Who?” I asked, looking at the man in confusion. He seemed more upset by that, for some reason.

  “Don’t play coy,” the second rasped. “It’s one thing to not be interested, but you didn’t need to go that far.”

  “Damn sure ain’t enough holes around for the tent poles,” the first man lamented. “And with his good hand gone until the medicine kicks in, he keeps asking for help. It’s gross. And I’m holding you responsible.”

  I looked between them, then back at the man, wondering what the depth I was missing. I genuinely had no idea who he was, but admitting that seemed like it wasn’t helping my case. “Would it help if I apologized?” I said, shaking my head. “I didn’t mean to do...whatever I did.”

  I probably did mean to, but lying was a survival tactic.

  “Too late for that,” the second one rasped. “Should’ve thought of that before you decided to show off for your girlfriend.”

  I frowned, looking at Raspy, then back at Shirtless as his red hair sparked a faint memory. Was...he...the one who tried to grab Seiwuai’s-

  “She wouldn’t even have noticed, man,” Giggles said, shrugging. “Your fault for showing that ass off like that. Could’ve just let him get a hand in, then quietly moved along and everybody’d have been better off. But no.”

  I stopped for a second, playing that back in my head. “Wait,” I said. “Were you trying to touch my-?”

  “You know damn well what he was trying to touch,” Raspy hissed. “Walking around with an ass like that. The sun is still out!”

  What? What did that even mean- no, move on. “Right, well, play stupid games” I said, looking between the three of them. “So, how about-?”

  The three of them stood up from their game and looked over to the side and I gave them a wary look, expecting some kind of trick, before I followed their gaze. A tired looking man walked towards us from deeper in the tents, looking like a half-peeled egg. He was pale white and wrapped in a patchwork brown blanket like a cloak from his forehead to his ankles, half-covering a big yawn with one hand as he meandered towards us. His hair was a mess of brown curls that just escaped the blanket, making him look half-dead and completely tired. He blinked slowly at us as he approached, smacking his lips as he took in the scene. He looked…tired and drawn, lines starting to set in around his mouth and eyes but it just made him seem like a prematurely aged young man rather than old - and he walked in a smooth, unworried way across the sand. His weight was perfectly even and level, the man gliding across the sand completely relaxed in a way that made me tense.

  The other hand was holding the blanket closed at his chest but for whatever reason, the ridiculousness of that just made me more cautious.

  “Kid,” he said slowly, coming to a halt a dozen paces away. “What the seas was that?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I was trying to escape,” I said. “Thought that’d be obvious.”

  He looked at me, slowly raising a hand to scratch the back of his head through the blanket. His eyes didn’t leave me, steady and unblinking the whole time. Finally, he said, “You really think everybody here’s an idiot, huh?”

  What? “What?”

  “You don’t think anybody’s tried that?” he said, tilting his head to the side. “We’re just all...here, sitting around in the bottom of this sandpit because we like the food and the company?” He shook his head, letting his hand drop to his side. The blanket shifted as it moved, revealing something like the handle of a sword stuck into the belt of his jumpsuit. It vanished from view a second later as the blanket fell back into place. “Please.”

  “I-” I raised a finger, then let it curl. “...alright, fine. Bad assumption, that’s on me. But this place wasn’t exactly inspiring confidence. You’re the one in charge, then?”

  He shrugged. “I’m as not in charge as I can get away with,” he said. “Why, you interested in the job?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering what the trap was.

  He chuckled, the sound much deeper and more resonant than his speaking voice. “Not exactly a fight for it, kid,” he said. “This is a training ground in the Fleets. You know what being in charge means?” He looked at me patiently, watching me for an opening-

  I shook my head, realizing he wanted an actual answer and not just for me to let my guard down.

  “It means you’re responsible. And based on that look in your eyes, I’m guessing you don’t know what that means.” He held up a hand when I opened my mouth. “Oh, I’m sure you think you do. But I recognize your type, kid. Your eyes. Streets recognize their own.” He put his hand down. “I’ll probably be the only person to tell you this bluntly: you aren’t out there any more. The rules are different in the Fleets. You rise or fall together, and the guy in charge falls first.”

  “You’re a real smart guy, huh,” I drawled. “What were you, a lookout? Numbers guy? Boss’ kid?”

  He laughed at that, throwing his head back, chest heaving for a dozen seconds before he got himself under control enough to get words out. “Boss’ kid- oh wooow,” he chortled. “Guess there’s something to do this Seeking thing after all.” He shook his head, wiping- a tear? No shit was he laughing that hard. “No. No, I was the boss. Last guy tried to have me pushed under a cart when I was 14, so I did him in first. Took over the town, ran it for some thirty-odd years until my kids started looking at me like an obstacle, so I left them to it. No point in an old man fighting for what he doesn’t want.” He shrugged. “Figured I might as well join the Fleets. Two years later…” He looked around pointedly.

  “Uh huh,” I said. “Thanks for the history lesson, but what was your point?”

  “The point,” he said, suddenly looking tired again. “Is that your stunt wasn’t the brightest of ideas, and it cost us a half-meal at dinner for trying it. And not everybody is too appreciative of you wandering in here and looking down your nose at them, just ‘cause your blood’s a little more briny.”

  What? What did that mean? “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said instead, filing that away as a question for Seiwuai. “There anything else?”

  He sighed, scratching the back of his head again as he looked at me. “Alright, I see you’re not getting it,” he said. “But it’s fine, I needed to remind everybody why we don’t do shit like that and Juya said you did...something or other to upset them. Sorry, kid, but a light working over’s in the cards for you.”

  His three goons slithered off the bench behind me, their feet hitting the sand as they shuffled into place around me.

  “That’s fair,” I said, shrugging. The trio around me grinned maliciously, Giggles cracking his knuckles and Raspy licking his lips. “I just hope-”

  I spun around, throwing a jab at Giggles’ nose. The man flinched backwards to dodge, hands coming up to block. That got a grin outta me.

  I opened my fist instead and grabbed his wrist, yanking him hard towards me. His guard flew open as he stumbled, my right hook cracked his jaw and crumpled him to the sound.

  “Juya!” Raspy yelled.

  Oh, that one’s Juya. Good to know, I guess.

  I let go of his hand as he fell, half turning on one foot. I raised the other leg, lining it up with Raspy and let it fly. The man’s eyes widened as I lashed out, my kick launching him off the ground to crash into a tent.

  “Hraaagh!” the last one yelled, darting forward, face literally red with fury.

  “Hey,” I said, swaying to one side as a punch came in. “No hard feelings?”

  “Choke on-!” he replied, gasping suddenly as I drove my knee into his ribs.

  “Damn, I’m trying to be nice,” I said, stepping him forward as he doubled over. I put my hands together and clubbed him on the neck with a double axe handle as he tried to catch his breath. “No need to be an asshole about it.”

  I glanced around, looking at the three men trying to pick themselves up from the ground, and raised my eyebrows in mild appreciation. Even for me, that was pretty clean. I wasn’t even feeling winded, really.

  “...honestly,” the man grumbled, letting out a heavy sigh. “Getting beat by a kid who can’t even hoist his own energy. Are you guys even serious about getting out of here?”

  I half-turned to look at him, shifting around Shirtless’ prone form on the ground so I could watch them for sudden movements. I wasn’t down to get rabbit-punched by a guy I thought was out of the fight. “I think this is the part where I threaten you and you let me go if I don’t beat you up,” I said. “But we can skip all that, and I just quietly walk away now.”

  “Yeah,” he said, shaking his head. “No. Then everybody’s going to come over here to try and start shit. And then I gotta beat everybody’s ass one by one so they remember why they leave me alone in my corner in the first place.” He sighed again, even more heavily. “I never realized how tired I was of this bullshit until I finally got away from it.”

  I tensed slightly, watching him for a sign of movement, but he just...stood there. He didn’t raise his hands or even step closer, but it was like the air around him was getting…thicker. Like the air was getting heavy with moisture and danger, the threatening weight in the moments before a storm hit. The scent of salt and surf was getting stronger, like waves were crashing around us-

  My eyes widened as a blurry shadow formed above the man, a blocky wall hovering behind him, menacing at me like the meanest of toughs. At a thought I hurled my body to the side-

  The sand exploded behind me! I could see the tail of a dark line of- of force that had thundered forward, the noise still rumbling in the pit around us. The ground shuddered and shook, rattled my bones as a shower of sand rained down on me, a hole the size of a dinner table in the sand where I’d been standing. “What the fuck?” I yelled, turning to look at him. “What the fuck?!”

  “Not bad,” he said, raising his eyebrows at me in surprise. He almost looked impressed. “But you missed the second shot.”

  I looked up at the wall as a heavy cylinder twisted in its hole to face me, erupting into a wave of noise and death towards my head.

  I threw my arms up to cover my face-!