It was the end of Biyu's third summer in the village of the Elves. The proverb that people could become accustomed to anything proved itself, as much of the hostility and resentment from her first year was now little more than a general undercurrent of disapproval and indifferent courtesy. She was a trainee hunter now, and would regularly accompany Hak or the hunting parties to cull poisonous lizards in the swamp, hunt giant salamanders for food, or accompany them on trips into the forests proper to hunt for deer or forest fowl. Biyu was still forbidden from hunting with a bow, so she used javelins that she crafted herself. Hak had taught her how to make and use them, and she was a fair enough hand at it that she was given opportunities to take game herself.

[Envenom] was a useful technique which gave her what amounted to an unlimited supply of the village's hunting poison. As long as she could pierce the animal its death was all but assured. There were only a few poisons she could safely use if the animal was intended for consumption, to prevent the meat from becoming tainted. Most of the time, she used the village's hunting poison.

It was on her return from a hunt with a hunting party that Indu called for her. She peeled off from the hunters hauling the deer carcasses, gesturing 'I am off'. She received offhand acknowledgment.

They hugged a greeting, something Indu had spent a year training her to do, before speaking. "Biyu, it has been decided that you will walk the Trail of Ancestors."

Biyu blinked. "I have no ancestors here."

Shaking her head, Indu said, "It'll be different from the usual. We won't tell you the stories about the trials, and no on will tell you how to find the path. Nor will you go alone. I will be your guide. Our destination is not the Village of the Ancestors. It will be the City in the Sky."

"What is the City in the Sky?"

"The village of Lost Souls and those who are not ancestors. Imperials who got lost and died in the swamp, or those looking to take a bounty on the Elves. Some of the Elves who exiled themselves from the Village of the Ancestors, due to their lack of achievements of failures in life."

"Why?"

Indu squirmed a little. "Master—Brandon—has been petitioning for you to walk the Trail ever since he met you." Her eyes turned away. "Mother has offered her own voice in support of allowing you to take the Trail, as it's part of your training as a god. The Sinner objected, but he had to admit there was no precedence in his histories. No one has a strong argument for why you should not visit Lost Souls. There is little you could learn to the detriment of the village."

"There is something you are not telling me," Biyu said.

"There is," Indu agreed.

Biyu considered Indu, and the way she nervously refused to meet her eyes. "What do I need to bring?"

"Some nice clothing. I already have the offerings for the Sacred Beasts ready."

"Sacred Beasts?"

"The Trials. Don't worry about it."

Biyu looked at the clothes she wore. "Do I need to wear a long tunic?"

Indu shook her head. "But a dress robe would be appropriate. You shouldn't need weapons, but do bring some food and your knife."

Biyu nodded, and trotted to her hut to prepare for a journey.

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Indu propelled their boat, the only one who knew how to find the path. Biyu was allowed to play her flute to pass the hours of travel. For some reason, Indu did not look happy to be with traveling with Biyu even though it meant that the two of them would be together for the coming weeks. The path was scenic, and Biyu's song was one Indu usually sang along with, but she remained mute and increasingly down.

A large frog, with eyes as large as Biyu's head, pushed up out of the water and rocked the boat. Biyu turned toward it reflexively, her hand reaching for a dagger she had brought. Being away from the village without a weapon left her feeling vulnerable.

"Give me flies, or you shall not pass!" It bellowed. Indu nonchalantly tossed it a satchel of insects.

The frog flicked it out of the air with his tongue. Satchel eaten, it blinked, eyes turning to Indu. "What are you doing here, Shaman?" it asked, its voice a rich baritone that made the water ripple and Biyu's bones vibrate unpleasantly.

"I'm escorting a Human to the village of Lost Souls," she told the frog.

"Oh! Should I have not challenged you?" he asked almost bashfully.

Indu reached out to pat his nose. "No, you did well Ash. Besides, I brought treats for all of you."

The frog croaked happily, the noise hurting Biyu's ears. His eyes turning to Biyu. "Greetings, Human. I am Ash!"

"I am Biyu. I thought Master was the only Sacred Beast in the swamp."

Ash chuckled. "Yes, she is. She killed me ages ago! I am a humble thrall, granted a body to tease children."

Indu gave a nod. "Mother is not unkind to the dead."

Ash shuddered. "Terrible when she's killing you though. Being crushed and poisoned? Awful!" He looked at them. "Well, I'm sure you must be going. Sheila and Eight Legs will be thrilled to get their 'treats.'"

They pushed away, and Biyu waited until they were a polite distance from the slowly sinking frog before she asked Indu, "Thralls?"

Indu gave an absent nod. "It is a little different from how Shishi brings the ancestors to us. During the Feast she makes part of her Hell and the world into nearly the same place. For the trials, she grants these Sacred Beasts bodies and minds, binding their souls into them. They are less than they were in life."

"She killed them?"

"I'm not sure about Eight Legs. I think a Human killed her far from here. A Lost Soul. But Ash and Sheila? Yes. She killed them long ago when the world was a much more dangerous place."

"Why do they serve her?"

"There is little reason for enmity. It is the way of nature for hunters to eat prey. The vengeful ones are part of Sucking Death now. The ones who accept their deaths need things to do, and providing the trials for the Trail gives them something meaningful to do with their eternity."

Biyu contemplated that, trying to make it into a lesson for when she had a Hell of her own.

Not much later they were being stalked by a wolf, who growled at them while moving through the trees menacingly. Sometimes it hid from view while growling, and other times it stood silent until they saw it when it would dodge back into hiding. It walked upon the water, its steps leaving no trace, not even a ripple. Indu raised her arms up over her head, and shouted for all she was worth, and the wolf reared back in surprise and fear before turning to bolt into the woodlands. That stopped when Indu whistled and threw a haunch of meat out over the water. The wolf turned and leaped, tail lashing wildly behind it, as it caught the meat and began gnawing on it happily.

"What if a youth fails these trials?" Biyu asked.

"Some do. They return to be mocked and cajoled before being pushed to try once more. We take them aside and tell them the truth of things. The Sacred Beasts remember the ones who run, and let them pass without trouble the second time through. Eight Legs makes a web high up, so that the Elves can tell there is a giant spider nearby. If they become too fearful, she'll let them pass unchallenged."

"How are they supposed to pass her?" Biyu asked.

"Be quiet, and be watchful. She only starts stalking them later, and the idea is that they shouldn't cry out in fear or panic. Fleeing will make them fail, since they'll end up losing the trail."

"Oh? Where is she?" Biyu asked, turning about to try and find the spider. She could see the web, hanging high up in the air.

Indu pointed behind her, where a giant spider as large as her head clung to the end of the boat, its pedipalps wriggling playfully near her face. It was brown and orange, and nothing like the spiders of the swamp. The hairs on its body were hard and bristly, and its eyes were arranged such that Biyu almost thought the spider cute. Biyu bore her arm, holding it up in front of the spider, who stared unflinchingly.

"Her venom doesn't work on people, Biyu," Indu said.

Deflating a little, Biyu stroked the spider's head instead, startling it into leaping off the boat to dangle from a thick branch.

"Poor Eight Legs. She thought she'd get a fright from someone brave." Indu shook her head. "Can you throw her this sachet? It attracts moths to her web."

Biyu tossed the scented pouch, and the spider flung itself out acrobatically to catch it.

That was the last trial, and mists arose as they went deeper. Biyu could make out indistinct arches of roots and branches in the fog, which Indu led the boat through. Biyu strained, trying to see, unused to such limited visibility. The usual fogs on the swamp were never this thick.

"You can relax, Biyu. We're beyond the dangers of the swamp. Well, there could be vengeful spirits."

Biyu lifted a charm, dangling it on a piece of twine. It was a piece of etched stone that shone slightly in the mist. A charm to hide them from vengeful spirits. She frowned, noticing something. "I feel weaker."

Indu nodded. "Our magics don't work here, so I'm not surprised yours don't either. There is no magic in Hell."

Biyu reached up with concern to her mask.

Indu gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry. The mask is greater spirit now, and so it will act according to its nature. Concealing your face is its purpose in life." She pointed at the charm. "That won't do us much good, but Mother will come if vengeful spirits bother us."

Mollified, Biyu relaxed to watch as they continued their journey. The fog lifted, and before them was a village similar to the Elven village they had left. This one was larger, and there was something strange as she looked at it. It was like someone took a village many times larger than the one she knew, crumbled it up, and stuffed it into a smaller space. Yet nothing was out of scale. It just felt like there was more in the same amount of space. A dozen people stood along the edge, and a few waved while another prepared to receive them. Indu waved them off when they called out to her. They shrugged and just waved and watched as they passed by.

After a turn around a broad tree, they found an immense structure balanced precariously at the top of what looked like a small rocky mountain. At first, Biyu could not comprehend the scale. It took her a long moment to realize it was a fantastically large building. Remembering the name of the place they were heading for, Biyu realized she was looking at the City in the Sky. Indu besides her looked no less impressed, her eyes staring up at the strange city as she continued to push them towards it.

A dock thrust out into the water from where the mountain broke the surface of the water. Along the side of the mountain to the city was a switchback trail. The path along the rock face was littered with small wooden structures with colorful awnings all the way to the dock. A cry went up, and men and women leaned out from their booths to wave at them.

Biyu grabbed the rope tossed to her by a man on the dock, and she leaned down to tie off the boat. A flutter of white moved past her. That gave her pause, but she dutifully finished her task before looking up.

The woman she saw was a distorted version of Shishi. She had pale white skin, voluminous frizzy white hair that touched her shoulders with short clipped bangs, cheekbones that made her cheeks look symmetrically lumpy, and red slit pupil eyes. Her bare arms were a little too long and thin, and while she had hips and a waist, the proportions were off and too stout. The woman stood taller than Biyu by half a foot. Her feet were bare, but she wore a long sleeveless white tunic made of cloth. It was belted a little low, making her body too long and her legs too short.

"It isn't very good, is it?" Indu asked, fidgeting as Biyu took her time to examine her.

That was a dangerous question to answer, and Biyu reviewed everything her tutors had taught her to find a diplomatic answer that implied everything and said nothing. She settled for redirection. "How did you change?"

"It is something my Mother allowed, since we are in her Hell. Here, she is all powerful. Remember, no more than a month, or we may be eaten."

Biyu gave a nod. "Shall we go?"

Indu shook her head. "I know I don't look very good. Can you help me? I can look however you like."

Biyu felt her heart sink. "That is… wrong. I was fine with how you looked before."

"I'm not. How I look is why the villagers keep their distance. It's one of the reasons I can't leave the swamp. Even if Humans can't tell I'm an Elf, they will still hunt me! It's a trap." Her voice had risen as she spoke, and she stopped to collect herself. "Sometimes I still get the urge to do so. To leave. It might be better somewhere out there, but I know it's so much worse almost everywhere." The taller Indu took hold of Biyu's shoulders, and looked her in the eyes. "I would risk it if you asked me to."

Biyu stared into the intense red eyes. "I cannot," Biyu admitted. "I could not protect myself. That is how I ended up in the village. I was sacrificed. I cannot protect you in the Empire."

"What if we avoid the Empire? Go north, past Lost Lakes, and into the wilds beyond the Empire's reach?"

"I have no idea how to go there, and what we would find."

"We could find out, Biyu. Find a place just for us. There has to be somewhere, doesn't there?"

Biyu swallowed. "Just us?"

Indu released Biyu, backing away. "I didn't…" She fidgeted, like she did as a serpent woman. It was different, seeing a humanoid form move like that. It was not as childish looking with legs, but what it was. The indecisive fidgeting of a young woman. Defeat came over her, her shoulders relaxing as she faced her. Her smile was tremulous. "No, I did."

Holding Biyu's eyes a moment, she reached a decision. Reaching into her travel pack, she started digging through it until she removed her own sheathed knife. She played with the dyed feather on the handle. "I thought about tricking you. I'm not sure if you know what it means to trade knives."

"I do," Biyu said. The queasy feeling in her stomached churned.

"The words?"

"Until— I know them."

Indu gave a sad smile. "Not for me? For Hak, then? I can call him here."

Biyu shook her head. "I cannot. I do not have those feelings."

"What kind?" Indu asked.

"A man for a woman."

"Lust," Indu supplied. She quirked a smile. "A man for a woman? Have you forgotten you're a woman, Biyu?"

"Am I one?" Biyu asked.

"Some might not see you that way. Having seen you naked, I think you are." Indu sighed. "You know, Biyu, that I'm like Mother. My desires last a mere week or two each year when spring becomes summer. There's no need for lust."

"You are Hu—an Elf now."

"I won't be offended if you call me Human. But no, the shape changes, but I am myself." Another puff of air. "This is a rejection, isn't it? You're just looking for the excuse I'll accept."

"I do not understand. I never understood. Why me? I am a small Human woman. Nothing like the men the villagers swoon over."

"Do you love me?"

"As a friend," Biyu said.

"That's enough, Biyu. There are couples in the village who have less than that."

Biyu pressed her lips together. "Friends is enough."

"I want to be chosen. No one in the village is going to choose me, Biyu. Maybe no one in the world! I want someone, just one person, to say that they want to be with me as long as they can." Her lip quivered, and there were tears in her eyes. "I want to know…" Her lips pressed into a tight line, refusing to finish.

"I am leaving in the spring. It will be over before it begins."

"It will end when we leave here. 'Until we separate.' The Elven marriage vow. Because most Elves live in fear of attack by Humans, and being forced apart. My village is lucky. Having a demon god has its benefits." She gestured around them. "Lost loved ones can visit once a year, and we don't fear the Humans coming for us.

"For them. So what if we'll separate? What if it is a marriage of just a month? It will be no different from the Elves out there who have no realm to hide away from the world in. It will be something." Indu's eyes became hard, determined, something she never showed before. "And you are the one who said we should enjoy our time together, make memories, and save mourning for later."

"What would be the point? In the Empire, it is not a marriage without consummating it. Even without that, there is no politics. No raising children for the future of the family. What would being married mean?" Biyu asked.

"It's a bit selfish," Indu said. "I want to be in love, and to marry. Children would be nice… but it would be like with Mother. Monsters who might be dangerous animals rather than people. I'm not sure if I could cast them out or…" She shuddered. "Who else will love me, Biyu?"

"Hak," Biyu said.

"That's not allowed… and even if it is…" She shook her head. "It's not what I want."

Biyu hurt to have her words turned against her. "What do you want?"

"To live together. To hug and cuddle and kiss. I want to try more, but I will not force you. We'll go dancing, and visit events together. When we go out separately, you will be happy to see me when we return. We'll bathe together. You will… you will call me your spouse." She took a deep breath. "If it is not real to you, then you can think of it as playing pretend like children do. I can be happy with that."

"You want to bed me." She was careful not to make it an accusation.

"I want to, but don't need to." Indu was quiet for a moment. "If I was a Human, would you accept?" Indu asked.

"I… I might. I do not know." Despite a Human face, and being easy to read in her natural form, her current face was too different. The expression was serious, and that was all Biyu could read.

"Is it because I'm female?"

Biyu shook her head. "No."

"Then, because I'm a Kin."

Biyu shook her head. Indu's face became angry. "What, then?"

"It feels wrong. Like this is not the way it should be."

"Do you want courtship?" Indu asked. "Visits, talks, and dancing? We've done all that. Some of the villagers think we are courting. Master Brandon did."

Biyu shook her head. "I am afraid that everything will end. I do not want that. I cannot have that. When it does not work… Is being friends not enough? Or sisters?"

Indu gave a bitter laugh, and shoved her knife back into her pack. She slung her travel pack over her shoulder, and Biyu collected her own. "Rejected, because you love me too much to love me," Indu murmured, obviously intending for Biyu to hear. Once more there was something Biyu had never heard in her voice before. Frustration.

Biyu could hear the thumping of her heart in her ears. She followed behind Indu.

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The stalls they passed along the trail to the city were festive despite the lack of a crowd. There was food on sticks grilled over charcoal fires, and balls of batter filled with meat or vegetables that were steamed or boiled in broth. There was no charge, the people happy to give out the fruits of their labors. Biyu wondered where the food came from. Along with the free food, they were warmly greeted and welcomed to the city of the dead. Indu put on a friendly face, but she avoided looking at Biyu.

They climbed up the rocky path, each of them eating a grilled skewered bird roasted with a smoky, savory sauce. They tossed the skewers over the side of the cliff into the waters below, checking there was no one to drop it on. It was a long hike, and Biyu and Indu were flagging when they finally reached the entrance to the city proper. A natural gateway formed between two large spires of stone served as the entrance to the city. Passing through they entered a large square. Above them was a smooth marble slab, the size of the city. The city was lit with the late day sun despite having no view of the sky.

There were no guards as they entered. Instead, they came upon a grand revelry. It was reminiscent of the Elven nightly gatherings. Drink was held in goblets, steins, and cups made from crystal. Most of the celebrants were Human, but when she looked carefully she found a pair of Minotaur holding court at a rowdy table, and she was sure she saw a pair of short fat Trolls, looking like potbellied goats on two legs, dancing among the celebrants.

Indu looked around in awe, her mouth agape. "It's so big," she murmured.

"It is," Biyu agreed, trying to decide what to do next.

"Oh, more guests have arrived?" asked a man in long robes. He looked out of place for a celebration as he ran over to them. He wore hessian robes bound at the waist with a simple bleached rope belt. His beard was modest and trimmed, and his hair was trimmed and waxed elegantly.

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

Indu offered a clumsy curtsy, while Biyu gave a slight bow. The man waved them off. "None of that. This is the Eternal Revelry! No titles or whatever crap the Empire does now, and that means no more than the commonest courtesy. 'Please' and 'thank you' and that's all!" He paused. "Well, I have to get your names and a little bit more. Come with me?"

They followed the man into a small stone hut with a green tiled roof. He lit up a light stone with a simple gesture, which let out a gentle glow that filled the room.

"Names?" he asked.

"Before that," Indu said, "you should know we are both still alive."

The man blinked at them. "You are? Are you sure? Some people are quite confused about that for a bit when get here."

"I am the Great Serpent's daughter," Indu said.

"Doesn't mean…" He looked at Indu's complexion, and the red serpent eyes. "Well, yes. We don't really get guests. Other than Lady Serpent." He looked at the book, a large tome that was open a third of the way through. "I'll just write 'Not Dead' and 'Guest' in the cause of death column, then. Maybe I should do reason for visit too?" He frowned thoughtfully. "Yes. That should do. So, names!"

They answered with their names, their race, and that they were here for the Trail of Ancestors.

"So, you came here to see if you could find an ancestor, learn a bit of wisdom, and… just visit?" he asked.

They both nodded.

"Going to Hell feels like it should be a more dramatic affair than 'just visiting'. Well, that's the minstrels' business! Welcome, welcome! So, a bit on the rules. Not really any, except don't be too much of an ass. Drink, party, and if you want to fight do it in the arena. Ask around, someone will show you the way eventually. Leave the Minotaur and the Trolls alone. If you have a bone to pick with them, forget it! You are dead—sorry, part of the spiel—so it doesn't matter anymore. You can be kicked out, and I'm told where you end up makes the worst in this city look palatial."

"Sucking Death," Indu said. Biyu shuddered. The man looked intrigued.

"Oh, you know what happens? Come, tell me. We can spread it around. Make sure louts know there are teeth in the threat."

Indu explained Sucking Death. The man looked at them with raised eyebrows. "Yes. Well, that is quite bad. Now, are you two sharing a place?"

"No," Indu said.

"Yes," Biyu contradicted at the same time.

The man waited as they looked at each other.

"You just refused to marry me. I want to brood and sulk. Alone." The onlooker's eyebrows rose.

"But we always sleep together," Indu said.

"You always sleep together, and you rejected her?" the man asked. "And… you are both women, aren't you?"

Biyu gave the man a look, and he put up his hands defensively. "Sorry."

"Separate rooms," Indu said. "Or we trade knives."

Indu scowled, and her mask morphed into an angry face. "Fine."

"Alright, two rooms with a shared space?" They both agreed.

"Right. You get a place in Falling Alley." He gave them directions. "Enjoy the Eternal Revelry as much as you want, or come back later. It is Eternal! Welcome to the City in the Sky! Feel free to check the book to see if anyone you know is here. Won't take long." He frowned. "Oh, guess if you're alive a hundred years might be. Well, you can just ask around the gatherings. There are a bunch of squares where people congregate, at least one on each level." Then, he left to rejoin the revelry.

"What will you do?" Indu asked.

"I want to see the Minotaur."

"Minotaur?"

"And Trolls. I saw both."

Indu nodded. "I'll follow along then."

Biyu led the way to the table of the Minotaur. They were where Biyu remembered them. Giants with heads like oxen and broad long horns, dressed only in a loincloth. They were bellowing with laughter and sloshing drinks. One, a chocolate brown, was obviously female with her bared breast. She sat at the head of her table. A male, larger than her and the color of midnight, sat in his own seat at her side and refilled her cup whenever she drank. Everyone at the table was holding wood cards, each of them tossing random objects in a pile at the center as they gambled on the hand.

When they arrived, all eyes turned to them.

"Newcomers!" the Minotaur woman bellowed. "Would you like to join a hand? You can bet whatever you want." The people around her all shouted a cheer and took a drink.

"We don't know the game," Indu said, taking an offered seat. Biyu moved to sit beside her, but when Indu put out a hand to prevent her, she found a seat further down the table.

"It's a bit tricky. Tell you what, you can watch my hand as we play," said an old bald man with a messy beard to Indu.

"You can join me, kid," a boisterous middle-aged man with large biceps told Biyu.

"She's an adult woman," Indu said, and all eyes turned to look from one to the other.

"You sure?" asked the Minotaur woman. "She's the size of a babe!"

"I am," Indu said.

"Woman?" asked a scantily clad woman, looking Biyu over. "Doesn't dress like one."

"I am," Biyu said.

Eyes glanced around, amusement dancing in their eyes. "Well, since you aren't playing, entertain us! How about a story?"

Indu began an Elven story, and the Minotaur shook her head. "No! A story about you. The both of you!"

That stumped them, until Indu spoke about meeting Biyu and deciding to make the mask. She skimmed over the ceremony for investing it with a spirit, but the audience listened with interest.

"Sounds like you too are pretty close," said the man with big biceps. "Having a spat?"

"We are," Indu said. Biyu remained impassive.

"Sounds like another story," the large Minotaur said. "But is it a story you want to tell?"

"I want to marry, and Biyu is against it."

That brought interest as a new round of cards were dealt.

"Marriage?" the female Minotaur Belinda, called Belly, asked. "I never got the point."

"What do Minotaur do?" Biyu asked.

"We've got our Games. Every year, when the boys who have become men move to another village, we have the men who want to participate all gather up and compete. They wrestle, run, throw a javelin or stones, and the do all sorts of things while we watch. When its over, one by one, they get chosen by the women of the village." She shrugged. "And so it goes every year. Women choose, and the men are chosen. Sometimes the same man is chosen multiple times. That can get a little messy, and the Matriarch might step in."

"So, you just pair off with someone new? No love?" Indu asked.

"There's love. Love of parents, love of siblings, love of the village."

"I mean, between men and women."

"Sure. But that is that, and this is this."

The large male nodded his agreement as he filled her cup again.

"So, you chose. What's it matter if your friend disagrees? Grab the man."

Indu laughed. "What if they don't want to be chosen?"

Belly shrugged. "Shouldn't have competed… but you can choose someone who didn't compete. We don't have marriage, and some people are just expected to compete, or choose, but you get the occasion where they don't like each other. That's a thing, and so you have to choose again. But if you don't, then why wouldn't you?"

"What if they were friends?" Biyu asked. "What if that ends the friendship?"

"You think it works that way?" asked Belly, snorting. "That if you take someone to your bed, that's the end of what you had? You just end up with happy memories with a friend. That's what actually happens." Then she broke out into a broad grin. "Or a funny story to wheedle them with if their bad at it."

Biyu shifted at the derision in the question, even though Belly's eyes laughed. "Maybe."

"Ever seen that?" Belly asked her male companion.

"I have, but only once or twice."

"Oh? I haven't." Belly turned. "What about you Human folk? I'm guessing a Minotaur perspective won't help here."

A few of the sober, brighter players were watching with keen interest, but most just responded with blustering answers. "Yeah. Had a good friend. Always put me off. The moment I got her into bed, bam! She was all about getting married." Said the thick armed man showing his cards to Biyu.

"You get that crap when you trade favors for money," said the scantily clad woman. "And you know the worst of it? Some of them think you'll marry'm if they pay enough. Gets weird, sometimes. Like, there are things you do for money that you don't want to do all day every day. You know what I mean?"

There were a few agreements, though another woman rolled her eyes.

"Guess it's that different," Belly groused. "I don't get the way you Humans do things. What was it? You find someone you like, try to be all coy, sneak away to grope around, ask your parents, then… uh… they buy each other? And then that's the only person you get to sleep with for the rest of your lives? I've got it right?"

"There's divorce," one person mentioned.

"It's not really buying each other…" said one man, but a few people gave him doubtful looks. He waved them off. "I mean, its tradition at this point, right?"

"Not always the way it goes, either. Sometimes the parents or Elders decide it all, and the young people are expected to go with it," someone else said. It was a reveler attracted by the conversation while wandering by.

"Too complicated. Better to just have sweaty men throwing stones, and see which one gives you that certain feeling," Belly said, to the amusement of the table.

"What is it like, in a Minotaur village?" Biyu asked. "I have lived with Elves, so I am curious how they differ."

"I suppose it is different. We have a Matriarch, who all the Elders answer to. It is a position you gain through respect. She is the Elder the Elders most respect, I suppose you can say. Her job is basically to decide which Elder to listen to when problems come up, and to arbitrate disputes. There are both men and women among the Elders, and there is a Patriarch. His job is mostly to oversee the tilling of the fields and managing the herds, or to lead war bands when necessary.

"In times of war, the Patriarch advises the Matriarch. She leads the people, and he leads the warriors. Pretty simple. Best way to do things."

"The Elves aren't like that," Indu said. "They have Elders, and the Chief can be a man or woman. The head of the hunters would be their war leader. Men and women tend to do different jobs… but they have the choice."

"Really? Men are so much better at pulling a yoke. Look how strong Wen is!" There was laughter from all.

"She's serious," Wen said.

"I know," said the scantily clad woman. "That's what makes it funny!"

Conversation continued, and after a little while Biyu excused herself. Indu remained behind, just giving her an absent wave to let her know she knew she was leaving.

Biyu moved through the revelry, a drink in hand, watching the people around her. She found the Trolls dancing, their short stout bodies bouncing up and down. One was male and the other female, wearing tunics and pants in yellow and orange. Their fur was white, and their eyes brown with square irises.

Noticing her attention, the dancing pair spun to a stop. "Hello," huffed the female, while the male looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

He said something unintelligible, and the female gave a beatific smile. "He asks if you need something."

Biyu shifted a bit. "I just wanted to meet a Troll. If I am bother, I can go."

"Well, would you like to dance?" the woman asked. She was a little taller than Biyu, maybe five foot even.

"Okay," Biyu said, and the female exchanged words with the man before he started muttering while walking away.

They started a dance, Biyu walking the woman through a few steps until she caught on. It was a simple step, little more than waddling along the dance floor, and the Troll woman smiled at her as they began.

"I am Hilda, and my husband is Gerwin."

"My name is Biyu. Nice to meet you."

The woman had a twinkle in her eye. "You can ask," she said cheerfully.

"Why do you know my language, but your husband does not?"

The woman gave what Biyu thought was meant to be a cunning smile. "I tricked him! We were getting bored, and I talked him into returning. So he doesn't remember a thing! Oh, aren't I naughty? So I'm pretending to learn everything just a bit faster than him."

"Returning?" Biyu asked, pausing to twirl the Troll woman, a little flourish as the song sped up.

"Oh? Are you new?"

"I'm still alive," Biyu said.

"Oh? I'm dancing with a real Elf? We have a few, but they tend to sulk in their own neighborhood, and my husband always says we shouldn't go there."

"I'm Human."

The woman squealed, surprising Biyu. "A living Human? Oh, I never thought I would meet one! Oh, what should I ask you?" Her body jiggled in her excitement as she danced.

"Most of the people here are Human," Biyu pointed out. "You could ask them."

"Yes, but I want a special memory! Something worth remembering for years and years!"

Biyu finished the dance, the music coming to an end. The woman puffed, a little out of breath, while her husband sauntered back over to them. He grumbled something, and the woman frowned at his words. They chatted a bit, and the woman gave a little sigh. "Oh, sorry dear, he wants to go to bed. You must join us for tea one day. You will, won't you?"

"Tea?" She had never had it. It was a rare new import from the northern parts of the Midlands.

"Not really tea. Its dried leaves you steep in hot water, but a little sweeter. It's just the best word, since you all have trouble with ours. I'll have Finley come by too!"

"Can I bring someone with me?"

"Oh, another living Human?"

Biyu shook her head. "She looks Human now, but she's a Kin."

That made the Troll's eyes widen. "Kin? As in, a child of a Sacred Beast?"

Biyu nodded. "Lady Serpent's daughter."

"Oh yes!" she said, clasping Biyu's hand. Her husband gave an unhappy snort. "Definitely! We come by here every few days! See you!" She waved energetically as the two of them left.

Biyu checked on Indu, but she had left the table. She asked around where Falling Alley was, and a friendly man offered to take her there since it was on his way. The trip was bizarre, and Biyu soon lost track of where she had been and where she was going. They entered a building only to end up outside another building somewhere else. They would go upstairs only to end up on the ceiling, the street the left now above them. It made Biyu's stomach lurch.

When they finally reached Falling Alley, it was almost the last straw. The road obviously curved, but she never felt like she was on a hill. Eventually, looking straight ahead, she saw the sun reflected off the black waters of the swamp, partially blinding her. At the end of the road she saw people fishing by casting lines straight out into the water. The poles were thick and bolted down, with reels to pull draw in the lines. When she watched a fish being reeled in, it was from her perspective coming from straight ahead.

The man called out to someone on the street, and they showed her where her room was. The building was long and narrow with multiple stories. The stairway and doors were along the narrow end. She went to the second floor, opened the door, and found a hall with doors on the right. She found hers, opened it, and found a large room. There were doors to each side, which she assumed were the private room, and the room itself had a corner dedicated to a cooking and a cupboard which had food inside. There were shuttered windows in the wall opposite the door she came in, and she had a heady view of the mists at the end of the swamp and the waters below. It took her a moment to realize that the water was down, the sky was up, and the mist was straight ahead. She closed the shutters, the sight unnerving. It was bad enough that the room she was in would not fit in the building she had entered.

Over the next week Biyu explored Falling Alley and places nearby. She was careful about going through doorways and arches, as they did not always lead to where she thought they should. Whenever she returned to the room, she looked for Indu, but there was no sign she had been there.

Fishing at the end of Falling Alley was strange, but also exciting. She saw fish larger than her hut in the village hauled up and marched through the alley to the triumphant cheers of the crowd. Her own largest catch was only about the same size as her, and she was told to toss it back because it was poisonous. She kept it to eat for herself, to add the poison to her [Poison] technique.

One time Biyu dared herself to move to the very end of the alley, and marveled at the bizarre view. So high up, and at an angle where she could look around by looking up, down, and side to side. She could just make out the village of the ancestors, but the view was limited by the mist wall that marked the edge of this Hell.

During Biyu's more adventurous excursions to the nearest square she would ask after the heroic name Kimmel. Eventually, she met a Mark Kimmel who was an old man with a bald pate and white fringe of hair. He was kept his beard short, and he was enthused to meet a relative of some kind. They talked a while, and the man thanked her profusely for what she could tell him about the family branch he was from.

One day, as Biyu was wandering, she came across a square that was still in the middle of summer. Children were running, squealing in delight, around a fountain while a woman trotted after them, her hands up and making 'scary' faces. She had wavy dark blue hair, a color Biyu associated with rare members of the Elf village, and dark charcoal colored skin. She wore green robes embroidered in a pattern of vines and leaves, cinched with a golden belt. What caught Biyu's attention was her red eyes. She knew if she was closer she would see the slit pupil. The woman gave a little wave, before pouncing on a little girl who was trailing the pack.

The girl squealed in mock fear, and the woman lifted her up over her head into the air and did a little twirl before setting the girl down. The children rushed back, dancing around the woman. She smiled and ruffled a head while making excuses. Collecting a bag, she walked toward Biyu, her smile still bright before passing her to a bench to flop down on. Biyu followed, feeling her stomach clench once more.

"Hi Biyu," the woman said, and Biyu confirmed the red serpent eyes.

"Hello, Indu." She looked over at the children. "You always did like children."

Indu laughed, brushing her hair back as she turned to look at her. "I do. Can I tell you a secret?"

Biyu nodded.

"One of my little dreams was playing with your children. I'd have them call me 'Auntie Indu'."

Biyu had no response to that, so she sat looking at the children. They had changed games, with one child standing with their back to the others who rushed forward, only for the child to turn around and point at a bunch of children who failed to stop in time. Then a few more that were jeering the first losers as they went back to the starting line.

Indu was smiling unreservedly as she watched the children. There was none of her usual nerves, just a tranquility that Biyu had never seen.

"I like it here," Indu said. She held up her arms. "What do you think?"

Biyu looked Indu over, taking in her form. The proportions were, as best as she could tell, close to ideal. Slender, but not thin. Feminine, but not exaggerated. Her face was attractive, but neither pretty nor handsome. It was a face that would be attractive in the village, but not turn heads. "You look good," Biyu decided, and Indu flushed. "I did like you as a serpent woman too."

The smile dampened.

"Why did you choose to look like this?" Biyu asked.

"I found someone who cared about how I looked," Indu said. "What they call here a flesh artist. I'm not the only one unhappy with how I look. She spent a lot of time talking to me, trying to find the 'real me' I wanted the world to see." Indu sighed. "Then I did the things I always wanted to. Played with children. Flirted with a man… and followed him home. Went drinking and dancing with a crowd of people who didn't know or care I was Kin."

Biyu nodded. "I am glad you are happy."

"I am happy, aren't I? It's nice. But, I did miss you." She looked at Biyu. "I'm sorry I was so upset… I guess I was desperate."

"Do you feel better now that you were 'chosen'?" Biyu asked.

Indu laughed, her hands going to her stomach. She had never laughed like that. Maybe she had not been able to. "It isn't being chosen when anyone will do, Biyu. He wanted to bed someone, and so did I."

Biyu hesitated. "… how was it?"

Indu brushed her hair back and leaned in closer, trying to read Biyu through her mask. Her mask betrayed her with a display of confusion. She was obviously disappointed at what she saw, lips pursing. "It was something new. I'm not sure if I enjoyed it. It was the first time I had done something like that. He seemed satisfied, which is a common complaint among the village women when they gossip. Maybe I'll like it more if it was the right time of the year? I am still myself, however I look."

Biyu gave a nod. "I am—"

A finger touched her lips. "If you are going to apologize for refusing me, you can stop right there. It isn't something you should apologize for. Neither is me being upset about it. What I want to do is take this time to make some memories." She looked at Biyu. "Do you want to see a play?"

Biyu brightened. "I would like to see an acting troupe."

Indu nodded. "There are some on the next floor up." Standing up, Indu waved with a smile at the children. A few of them looked at Biyu jealously, which was another new thing the city had shown her. In the press of the crowd, Indu took Biyu's hand with interlocking fingers.

----------------------------------------

The rest of their time in the city was spent together the way Biyu had hoped. Indu helped Biyu fish from the end of Falling Alley a few times. She managed to catch a rather large fish, and watching it dangle on the line over the mile they had to crane it up had been a spectacular sight that lasted too long. Men came to help her carry the fish, and Biyu followed. They entered a large warehouse, where the body was butchered by a team of people who just showed up. There was no rhyme or reason to the people. They came in and prepared the fish in a half hour, then turned it into a centerpiece of a huge feast. People wandered in from doors on all sides of the warehouse, proving they opened up to different city squares. People congratulated Biyu on her catch, and one old wizened man with wild white hair and beard gave her a carving of the fish she caught. She was in awe of its detail.

"Can I take this out of here?" Biyu asked.

The man smiled at her with missing teeth. "You can. Found out you are a person-person, so got my hands on some real nice wood." He gave her a wink. "It's selfish. Go show all your friends how good ol' Smoli is!" Biyu gave the man a careful hug, and he patted her back while cheering.

During their third week, they went to a noble style ball. Only a few people there were nobles of any kind, and most were Lords of the Land. Petty nobles who managed the lands under Barons and Fortress lords.

They danced together, and Indu was thrilled not to have to worry about her tail. Despite being such a different shape, she was able to dance all the steps Biyu had taught her.

That night Indu followed Biyu into her room, and for the first time since they came here they shared a bed. Indu preferred to sleep naked, while Biyu wore a tunic and short pants most nights unless it was truly hot. Indu nuzzled in against Biyu, her head against her shoulder, and she could feel how warm and soft Indu was in her arms. Used to Indu's scales, it felt wrong, and kept her up for part of the night while Indu slept deeply. It got easier on the following nights, and Biyu found she liked the feel of Indu's hair.

They saw plays, but Biyu was too unnerved by puppet shows to make it through even one. Indu had friends she could see them with, and Biyu would take the time apart to discover new things for them to visit. While she hated puppets, she liked listening to Indu talk about the show. She had a fondness for the intricate puppets they made, and would talk about the little details that impressed her.

They had lunch with Hilda, Gerwin and Finley, the Trolls. The latter was a tall, lithe man covered in shorter fur than Hilda and Gerwin. He was a different bloodline, the artificers, and when he was alive his gift was making magical items. They talked about nothing of consequence, Gerwin grumpily letting Hilda translate for him. All three showed a great deal of interest when Hilda managed to convince Indu to share her true form with them. They took turns feeling her scales, and she was pleased when they complimented her on how nice she felt. She was startled when Biyu gave her a hug, but hugged her back.

Time passed, and the limit of how long they could safely remain in Hell approached. Biyu began packing, the day of departure arriving. Indu was watching her, dressed on this day in a long blue tunic embroidered with silver filigree and sandals bound on with impractical looking broad ribbons. Biyu made sure she was wearing real clothing that would not fade to mist when they left the Hell, where very little was real. The rest of her supplies were packed again, and she pulled it onto her back. Indu was fidgeting, her hand on her knife, and Biyu felt a sinking in her belly and clench to her heart she could not place.

"These last three weeks were wonderful," Indu said, unfastening her knife from her belt, sheath and all. She held it out to Biyu.

"I…" she reached for her own knife, and Indu laughed and shook her head. "It was what I wanted out of a marriage with you, Biyu. But no, this is a keepsake. I've… decided to stay."

Biyu felt sick. "You will not be able to leave. Your soul will be stuck here."

"That's right. But… who knew that this is where I would find happiness? In the Village of the Ancestors Master Brandon was nice to me, but it was just like the village. Even when I changed, they treated me just the same. Here? No one knows I'm Kin, and I'm not sure most of them would care. The Trolls and Minotaur get by just fine. Here I get to be just another Human living life. Is there anywhere else I can be like that?" She fidgeted a moment, but only a moment, like the woman Biyu remembered. "I already asked Mother for permission."

"You said you wanted to stay with me," Biyu said. She knew it was a mistake when she said it.

"I do… did? What would that look like, if we did? Would I follow you out of Mother's domain, and have you kill me to wait for when you have time for me in your Hell? Or do I live in the village, with the same life I had before you came except pining for you to return?"

"I can find Kin. Build you a village with them."

"You know that isn't likely. Even if we did, the Humans would destroy it. And I'm afraid to have children. I don't want to have to…"

Biyu swallowed. "I wish I could bring you with me. But I do not want something bad to happen to you. There are ways I can bring you with me, but I have to be strong enough."

Indu touched Biyu's neck, stroking it. Biyu shuddered, unused to being touched there. "I don't want to wait. My whole life, I've waited for things to get better. I tried a few times. Gave gifts, offered to watch children, and the village rejected me. I'm a Shaman, and they don't care." Indu gently reached for Biyu's mask, and she allowed it to be removed. Indu leaned in, and Biyu did not pull away from the press of lips to her own. It was only that, a chaste kiss, and Biyu felt her eye start to tear. Indu then smiled, looking at her friend's face for the third and final time.

"You are my first friend. I do not want you to go." She looked at the knife. "If I…"

Giving a tinkling laugh, Indu admitted, "If you had accepted when we arrived, I would have listened to you. Listening to your spouse is a virtue, after all. No, Biyu. I love you. May your journey end well." She pressed her sheathed knife against Biyu's chest until she took it.

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The journey back was lonely, and when she returned to the village Indu's absence was noted. The Sinner and Elders all demanded explanations where their Shaman went, until Shishi intervened and told them exactly what had happened. There was reprimand in her tone, though she spoke not a single indictment against them.

Hak already knew, and while he did not avoid Biyu, she could tell they were no longer as close as they once were. The fall and winter came, and Biyu's loneliness deepened. The winter was darker and colder, and Biyu spent more of her time sleeping than she remembered the previous years. When the winter finally receded, Biyu was given her final task. She patrolled the northeastern marshes and swamp lands, culled a nest of poisonous lizards to keep them from fouling the marshes along the edge of Lost Lakes, and she proved that she could survive the spring on her own.

Returning from her trial, she packed up the items she would take with her. The gifts from Indu made up many of her possessions. Indu's knife, which she had offered to Hak who had refused it. The mask she wore. The bow and quiver she practiced with, and the Elves showed genuine envy of. She had two swords, two daggers, her own knife, and the rough spun clothes the Elves wore. Her fish scale armor she had a gown made to wear over it, making her look bulkier than she was. She took no javelins, spears or shield, just not having enough arms to carry that much. For a moment, she wished she had a squire to carry her items for her, and understood their purpose beyond just servants and Knights in training.

Biyu said her goodbyes. Hak was first, and he hugged her goodbye the way Indu would have. It gave her tears in remembrance. Biyu's former master was next, and the woman was clipped and stern in wishing Biyu well. She had blamed Biyu for Indu not returning, and was to all appearances genuinely upset. Invidia could not be found, so Biyu thanked Weapon Master, Archery Master, and Forge Master. The first admitted he was proud of her growing so much in three years. The second lamented how bad she would get without regular correction, but it was clear he was mostly teasing her. Forge Master was bashful, but he smiled appreciatively as she thanked him for teaching her to maintain her weapons.

Last was Shishi, and she looked up at her Master. They had spoken little since Indu decided to stay in the City in the Sky. Her Master had not blamed her, so far as she could tell.

"I am sorry," Biyu said after an awkward pause.

"For what, my adorable disciple?"

"Indu."

"That was our mistake. We had hoped you could take Indu away one day, to a happier life. I did not expect City in the Sky to appeal to her so much. Nor could I deny her when she asked me to stay." She considered Biyu. "You two were close. I thought you would accept her, and that she could wait."

Biyu gave a nod. "Mistakes were made. I should have said yes."

"No," Shishi said. "There is a nobility in living your life in service to others. Even I acknowledge that, though I do not do it myself. However, the decision is yours. You decided against it. You should keep yourself in mind when you decide things. Would it have made you happy to have Indu waiting, or in danger for traveling with you?"

Biyu shook her head. "No. But this does not make me happy either."

"Sometimes, there are no good outcomes. Still, I should not have allowed her into the City in the Sky. I thought it would help the two of you bond more closely." Shishi shook her head. "Being old does not mean you will not make mistakes. A lesson for us both, my adorable disciple."

Biyu nodded, then swept into a deep bow. "You have been kind to me, Master. I thank you for your generosity and hospitality. Should you require something of me, please let me know."

Shishi manage a smile, though it was a forced polite smile. Her hand rested on the back of Biyu's bowed head. She spoke, and her words had a rehearsed formality to them.

"Pray to me when you need guidance. Commune with me when you are ready to advance upon your Path. Remember, never kill only to grow your power. That is the Path to ruin. Go, see the wider world you Humans rule. Explore any interest that catches your eye. Find your domain, and follow the Path of Ascendance."