My foot crunched over the sand, finding a patch free from the snow. Shuffling feet and murmurs grew in volume as I approached the city.

After leaving the endless abyss behind, time seemed to move faster. Only the red strand of [Map Line] kept me tethered to the world. A step would blend into the next, and that one into the next, on and on and on. So it almost came as a surprise when the whispers of civilization flowed into my ears. It seemed Aleya had not been lying.

There was nothing of note I could make out as I approached, slowing down my pace. What I could tell was that it was vast. A wall stretched on for miles, surrounding the city like all the other places I had come across in this world. My fingertips brushed it as I approached close enough, the material proving to be sandstone. Just beyond it, I could hear the bustling of people in motion. Here and there, I picked up bits of conversation.

"Is the shipment arriving today?"

"...boats were delayed. The port master didn't give a reason."

A group of children ran close to the other side of the wall, their feet pounding into the earth. One laughed, urging them on.

"Come on, we gotta get tickets for tomorrow! Hurry before they're all gone!"

The others complained at his nagging but still followed. They soon left me in the dust as I continued to travel beside the wall. It wasn't long before I noticed an entrance—it seemed less used due to the boredom of a single guard standing post. He shifted his feet over the sand, yawning, his spear scraping the wall of the gate opening.

I made my steps heavier, slightly distancing myself from the wall. He turned as he noticed me, his body now radiating slight tension. Perhaps visitors from this side were more rare than I had thought.

"State your business!" he demanded, and I came to a stop not that far from him.

"I would like to enter the city," I told him, raising my arm. "I'm looking for work."

"Where do you come from?"

"The west." He tensed further, releasing a short laugh.

"Impossible. No one comes from the west. There's nothing out there but desert."

A bubble of something like amusement raised from my chest. Every place in this world seemed so isolated—so disconnected. They were their own little groups of discontent and conflicts, filled with their own beliefs. No information was shared, and no one seemed to search for anything new. It felt so different from Earth, where even if places were separated by an ocean, they shared news within a day. There seemed to be a lack of desire for exploration, and I found it odd. It felt so against the nature of the humans I thought I knew.

How did they live, when most seemed confined to their birthplace? With no outside knowledge? I'm sure some wanted more than what they started with.

The guard audibly gulped, drawing back my attention, before muttering, finishing his previous statement. "Well, besides the desert and Hellsgate."

I stepped closer, interest piqued. "Hellsgate?" I asked, even though I pretty much knew what he was talking about.

He scoffed at me. "You know, the place everyone passes through when they die? If you came from the west, you know what I'm talking about."

"Yes, I passed it. The pit that seems to grab you and drag you closer, where death is only a foot away." I emphasized, trying to earn his trust. He seemed to consider me for a moment, hand clenching and unclenching on his spear, the wood creaking.

"Where in the west?" He finally asked.

"A small town a couple days past the pit."

"Why'd you leave?" I wryly smiled at him.

"Why does anyone leave a small town? It was too small." He laughed slightly, but I could feel his eyes roaming over me.

"Still doesn't seem the best idea for you, given your missing arm and apparent blindness." He scratched the side of his head. "Not too sure anyone would hire you, given your state." I nodded my head, doing my best to be agreeable.

"That's part of why I'm here. I've heard of healers who can grow back arms in the east. I'm willing to work as payment." The guard seemed shocked to silence before he began to laugh. He laughed hard and long, full of disbelief and amusement. He started to wheeze for breath as it continued, and I waited for him to stop.

"You'll… you'll be an old man before you pay that off! If you even live that long!" he huffed out at me. Despite his humor, he confirmed that it was possible.

Standing straight, he composed himself. "Well, you don't seem to be a bad guy. I do know someone with a healer on hand, who will most likely hire you." He coughed, muttering, "He seems to hire anything that can move."

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"So I can enter?" I asked.

"Yeah, you're good. I'll direct you to Lifdol. I'm warning you, though, he works people hard. Like, really hard. My name's Alec if you ever want to get away for a night. Come find me, and I'll buy you a drink." I walked forward, and he patted me on my left shoulder.

"Thank you, Alec. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Welcome to Rakfall Kingdom."

***

The streets felt deserted, and they were narrow. The only frequent sound was the clattering of what seemed like chimes hanging from doorways. I figured this was a residential area, and I wondered if the people living here had tied something like stones together to create decorations. The wind felt pleasant as it fluttered against my neck, trapped between the buildings.

The occasional person passed by, their loose clothes swishing against their skin as they moved. The majority were heading toward the center of the city. Alec had directed me that way as well, his instructions short and not very concise.

"Head towards the center of Rakfall, where a crowd is now gathering. Wait in the line that is forming, and when you get to the front, ask the ticket dealer to see Zakren Lifdol. They will most likely ask you why, so tell them you would like to ask about Grathskin. Not many people know that name, so they should let you in. Whether to kill you, or let you see Lifdol, that's up to fate, my friend."

So many things I didn't understand and yet another threat of death looming. But did I really have any other choice?

As he had said, the streets grew wider, and a large group of people pressed together lay ahead. I couldn't hope to make sense of the shuffling mess, so I stayed behind, hoping I would end up in the line Alec had mentioned.

All the voices joined into a rumble, and it felt like an avalanche against my ears. After what felt like weeks of silence, the noise filled my head, and I struggled to not lift my hands to clamp them over my ears.

"What do you think it'll be this time?"

"Mother doesn't want to—"

"I've taken him before, he can do it himself—"

"Have you seen my coin purse!? I swear it was just here!"

"What's taking so long?"

"It's never been this crowded before, do you think—"

Voices blended into the next, and louder ones sometimes rose over the rest. Taking even breaths hadn't felt this difficult in quite some time. The smell of sand and dust mixed with human sweat filled my nose, the tang of salt entering as well. I attempted to focus my hearing away from the crowd to its outskirts, trying to find the sound of the wind. It worked, and my focus on the moving air made it seem like I was at a beach, feeling the breeze on my face.

I still paid attention as the crowd shrunk like a trickle of water through a dam. Then, following slowly, it didn't seem long until the rate the line was moving increased, and I pulled my senses back to normal.

"Seats are sold out!" A man shouted, not too far ahead of me. "No more tickets are available, but be sure to watch the matches from outside The Pit!" He yelled this a few times, and the rest of the crowd dispersed. I tried to tune out their grumblings.

I pushed past the stragglers, heading towards the man who had yelled. He was seated in a tiny building where I found that part of the wall was missing when I placed my hand onto the bottom piece, making it seem like some sort of kiosk.

"Didn't you hear me?" He asked, sounding tired. "Seats are all sold out."

"I heard; I'm just not here for that," I responded. "I'd like to see Zakren… Lifdol?" He tensed, hands curling into fists on the counter. I tensed as well, slipping my hand beneath my coat.

"What for?"

"I want to ask him about Grathskin." He leaned forward at that, and I felt his breath on my face.

"Where did you hear that name?" the man hissed at me. I didn't respond, keeping my face angled toward his. He straightened up suddenly, pushing his seat back. "Fine. follow me."

The ticket dealer exited the small stand through a door and started walking away from it; I followed him from a short distance. We left the now empty plaza, slipping into a street, where the man quickly entered a building. I slipped in after, closing the door behind me.

Three other people were in the room we had entered, their breaths and shifting weight giving themselves away. I turned my head towards all three as I followed closely behind the dealer, hoping it would somewhat deter them if they were planning anything.

The two of us left them behind as we went up a set of stairs, the man still remaining silent. At the top, we walked down a short hallway before he knocked on a door. A voice granted us entry.

The room was warm, the heat of the sun shining onto my face through what must have been windows. Only one person occupied the space. A man on the opposite side from the entrance rocked in a chair, and wood creaked in front of him as he seemed to press against it.

"What have you brought me this time?" he asked, his deep voice an unbothered drawl.

"A customer, it seems like."

"Oh? A customer, who is buying what?"

The ticket dealer tapped his foot against the ground. "Grathskin's services."

The seated man—Lifdol, I guessed—lowered his foot and sat up straight, hitting the wood floor with a quick stamp.

"How interesting! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Excitement mixed with malice filled his voice.

"Yes, sir." the other mumbled.

"You can leave now," Lifdol abruptly dismissed. The door clicking shut was a shotgun in the sudden silence. I shifted my weight, preparing to step back if needed.

"So!" his voice suddenly rang out, making me flinch. "You've come for healing, ey? It's pretty obvious from the looks of you. It's also obvious that you're not from around here. How'd you come to know about Grathskin?"

"A helpful man told me."

"Hmm, yes, lots of those around here." Lifdol stood, clothes rustling. "Now, the important part. How are you able to pay for what you want?"

"I've heard that you are looking for workers. I'm willing to work off whatever I will owe." I told him. He softly laughed.

"You've heard quite a bit, haven't you?" He paused before scoffing. "But I need men capable of fighting. I doubt you'd last a second."

"If I get my arm back," and possibly my eyes, I thought, "that won't be a problem," I told him, even though a shiver of trepidation lanced through my spine. Who knows if I could even stand my ground against whatever he wanted me to fight. I had no idea what lay ahead of me.

"Ha! Cocky, aren't ya? Well, I don't mind making a deal with a man like you." He walked over, grabbed my good hand, and shook it hard. I could feel the way he towered over me. "I look forward to it. Oh, this'll be fun."