Nichal was sobbing at Coatl-ome's table when the Great One tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up, wiping tears from his eyes, and saw her pointing to where Master Sai had just walked in through the door. "Master Sai!" shrieked Nichal, scrambling to stand up. "You're alive!" He tackled Master Sai and pulled the orc into a rib-crushing bear hug.

  "Yes, Nichal," gasped Master Sai. "I'm fine."

  Nichal embraced him for a moment longer before he put the orc down and punched him square in the face. Master Sai cried out, and Coatl-ome gasped, but Nichal didn't care. "How could you do that?" he shouted. "Why didn't you listen to me?"

  Master Sai glared up at him, rubbing his jaw. "I can't die, Nichal!" he shouted back Nichal shoved him, and the orc staggered back. "Stop it!"

  "You left me there!" Nichal shouted. "You abandoned me! And what if it had worked? We're supposed to escape together!"

  "But it didn't work!" insisted Master Sai. Nichal wound up to hit the orc again, but Master Sai held up his scaled arm. "Stop," he ordered.

  Nichal felt the shackles slide cleanly from his thoughts, the careful practice through which Master Sai had led him helping him to reflexively shrug them off. The attempt to shackle Nichal left Master Sai with no time to block or dodge or at all mitigate the lizard's attack. Nichal's fist caught him square in the nose. His head snapped back, and his feet lifted clear off the floor as he smashed into the wall behind him. The air was forced from his lungs, and he collapsed heavily to the floor.

  Nichal stood over the crumpled orc, his fists clenched. "I will not be a slave again," he hissed through clenched fangs. His voice slowly rose to a shout. "You do not get to give me orders. And is that all I am to you? A tool to be ordered around?"

  Master Sai groaned and wiped at the blood pouring from his broken nose. He did not try to rise. "Will you stop if I say please?" he asked, his voice trembling.

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  Nichal's heart dropped. "Oh," he said. What had he done? "Oh, Master Sai!" He knelt beside the orc. "I'm sorry! You're hurt!"

  "I'll be fine," said Master Sai, waving Nichal away. "I've been through worse."

  "I'm so sorry!" Nichal said, tears beginning to sting his eyes. "I don't know what came over me. You always seem so strong. I forgot how small you are compared to me."

  "Nichal?" said the orc.

  "Yes, Master Sai?" Nichal asked.

  "Please stop," said Master Sai.

  Nichal scooted back from the orc's side and sat on the floor. "Yes, Master Sai," he said.

  "Thank you," said Master Sai. He put his clawed hand to his face, and Nichal felt him channel the mana in his blood to mend his wounds. Soon, he dropped his hand, sniffing and trying to clear his mended nose. Blood still covered his face when he spoke again. "And it's okay, Nichal. You were angry."

  "That doesn't make it okay," Nichal insisted. "I hurt you!" He crawled back over to Master Sai and picked the small orc up. "Come on, Master Sai. You should lay down."

  He began carrying Master Sai to his bed, but the orc thrashed in his arms. "Stop it!" cried Master Sai. "Let me go!"

  Nichal set Master Sai down just inside the door of his bedroom, and Master Sai stalked away from him. Nichal stared at the floor. "But I want to make it better," he said.

  "Some things can't be fixed, Nichal," said Master Sai. "And I'm one of them. You were right to be angry. I abandoned you. I thought I'd found a way out and I took it without you." He covered his eyes. "And I'd do it again. Because I'm tired, Nichal. I just want it to stop."

  "Master Sai…" Nichal said. He let his tears flow. "I'm sorry I hurt you. And I'm sorry I can't make things better for you. But we're going to get out, Master Sai. We can get out of here. Together."

  Master Sai laughed. "You're a good person, Nichal," he said. He turned, and Nichal saw the blood and tears mingling on his face. "I don't know what you did to get trapped, but you don't deserve this."

  "Neither do you, Master Sai," Nichal said.

  "Right," said Master Sai. He wiped his face. It didn't help. "Get your things, Nichal. We have a vale to escape."

  Nichal smiled. "Yes, Master Sai!" he said. He hurried to the armoire beside his bed to grab the loincloth and belt Coatl-ome and Master Sai had made for him. But first, he found the linen pocket square the wearwolf had given him and handed it to Master Sai. It wouldn't do to escape the Vale with a dirty face.