Kolo stared at her reflection in the bluehole. Deep red eyes stared back at her. They had looked like that ever since the Iron God had lifted her back up. They looked so wrong, but so beautiful at the same time. Her breath caught in her throat and rippled the glassy surface. She reached out and dipped her finger in the frigid water. “Do you ever think about leaving, Aza?”

Azvalath’s reflection appeared beside hers. “Sometimes, yes. I think we all do.” He shrugged. “Where would I go, though?”

“Anywhere you want.” Kolo folded her legs under herself to crouch at the pool’s edge like a frog. “Someplace where you can relax, maybe?”

Azvalath stiffened. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Kolo made eye contact with his reflection. “You’re the ashcrow mobbing the eagle.”

The man folded his arms and scoffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“When I was out there, I used to follow the ashcrows. They always knew where food was.” Kolo remembered it with clarity she hadn’t had in who knew how long. “But they were cruel birds. They attacked bigger creatures just because they could. I used to wonder how anyone so small could spread so much misery. Now that I think about it, though, it’s starting to make sense.” She looked up. “I think the ashcrows were vicious because they were small, and it made them feel scared. You’re just like them, but why?”

“I’m not small.” A slight growl crept into Azvalath’s voice. “And I’m sure as hell not scared.”

Kolo could tell from his tone alone that he was lying on both fronts. “Oh, really?”

“Did Master Xigon make you grow an attitude?” Azvalath glared at her. “Good grief. He really has to make everything more difficult, doesn’t he?”

Kolo cracked a sly grin. “No, I grew it myself.”

Azvalath held his hands up and wiggled all of his fingers. “You know what these are?”

Kolo cocked her head. “Your fingers?”

“Wrong. It’s a garden of these.” Azvalath folded all of his fingers in except for his middle fingers.

She rolled her eyes. “Very funny.”

Azvalath lay down on the floor and sighed. A strand of his dark brown hair fell in his face. He brushed it off. “My chest still hurts.”

Kolo shrugged. “Sorry?”

He smiled. “No, you’re not.”

“You sure do complain a lot.” She twisted to crack her back and saw Master Qila walking up the stairs to the roof. She waved, but the old woman didn’t notice.

Azvalath chuckled. “You like Master Qila?”

Kolo looked down. “She’s nice. She’s like a mother.” Mother. She knew she had to have had a mother at some point, but a haze surrounded that thought. She couldn’t imagine it. “Did you ever have a mother, Aza?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “I was born, so someone had to have been my mother.” He pursed his lips. “Haven’t we discussed this already? I don’t remember a birth family at all, but Master Qila insists I had one. No way we could’ve popped up out of thin air.” He made a hand gesture like an explosion. “Say, Kolo, did you ever have anyone?”

“I did.” She knew someone had been there once, but whoever it was, they were shrouded in smoke. “Not sure who, though.”

“Well, that’s more than we had to work with before.” Azvalath sat up. “Let’s go see if Master Xigon can do anything else yet.”

Kolo flinched. “How about we don’t?”

Azvalath looked her dead in the eyes. “Now follow me to Xigon’s study.”

She had no choice then. His power compelled her to get up and follow him. As they approached the study, Kolo caught herself trembling. She didn’t want to go through that pain again, even if it were for a good reason. Was it a good reason? Was it worth it? She remembered the terror and the sound of her own screaming as Master Xigon’s eyes burned violet and his touch burned her from the inside out.

When they arrived and Xigon wasn’t there, Kolo’s face lifted in a smile. She smacked her hands together and laughed. “He’s not even here!”

Azvalath shook his head. “Let’s go find him.”

“Nope!” Kolo looked up at him with a wide grin. “You only commanded me to follow you to his study. And guess what? I can play this game too.” She retaliated with a command of her own. “Now don’t command me all day.”

The man glared daggers at her. “You little…”

“I love that your power has such an easy weakness to mess around with.” Kolo smoothed her wild white hair. “It’s really quite amusing.”

Azvalath rolled his eyes. “You’re a pest.”

“And you’re demoted.” After striking that nerve, Kolo darted into Xigon’s study, slammed the door in Azvalath’s face, and turned the lock. She heard him curse and laughed at him. “What’re you going to do, Aza? Go tell on me?”

“No, I’m going to stand right here and wait for you to get bored in there.” Azvalath kicked the door. “Can’t imagine it’ll take that long.”

“Whatever.” Kolo wandered over to Xigon’s desk and found a battered book that looked like it had been read hundreds of times and seen the worst of days. She picked it up and read the spine. Monochrome Dreams. A little farther down was a name. Kiriheska.

“Monochrome Dreams?” she asked.

Azvalath spoke up from outside the door. “Master Xigon’s favorite story collection. I think an older warrior wrote it. From a long time ago. Long before I came here.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Kolo squinted. “I thought you said no one ever left.”

“No one left,” said Azvalath. “But a lot of them died.”

She dropped the book with a heavy thud.

“Yeah, that’s something we don’t ordinarily tell new arrivals.” The door rattled a little as Azvalath leaned against it. “Apparently, when the masters first decided to strengthen the order by putting everyone through second ascensions, the majority didn’t survive.”

She shook her head. “Second ascensions?”

“That’s why my eyes aren’t red all the time like yours are. I can hide the light. And I can go outside during the day without going half-blind.” said Azvalath. “I’m also far more powerful than I used to be, far stronger physically, and I can always feel the Iron God’s presence.”

Kolo raised an eyebrow. “So, it either makes you stronger or kills you?”

“Mm-hm.” She heard Azvalath plop himself on the floor. “You bored yet?”

She went over to the door and sat down with her back to it. “You know, Aza, you’re actually not boring.”

There was a pause. Then he laughed.

She elbowed the door. “Shut up.”

Azvalath sighed. Then he yelped. “Master Xigon, sorry!”

Kolo heard Xigon’s eerily calm voice outside. “Aza, child.” There was a click and a thud. “Why is Kolo locked in my study?”

“No, hold on!” She bolted up and opened the door. As soon as Xigon laid eyes on her, Kolo felt a tingle on the back of her neck. She forced a smile. “Um…are you going to do that thing again? Please not right now.”

He inched his wheelchair closer. Even sitting, he was taller than she was. Azvalath shoved his way between them. “Yeah, now isn’t a good time.” He looked over his shoulder at Kolo and flashed her a nervous smile.

For a moment, Kolo couldn’t believe she was looking at the same man who had given her hell and nearly killed her. She never could have believed that the human behind the predator’s mask was such a strange and vulnerable creature. The way he looked at her wasn’t like a predator at all. She had to smile back.

Then Azvalath turned back to Xigon. “Sorry, we were just…”

Xigon interrupted. “I have a job for you two.”

Kolo peeked around Azvalath. The master handed him an envelope. “I need you two to deliver this report to the Wash town mayor.”

“All right.” Azvalath took the envelope. “Kolo, let’s get ready to go. It’s quite a trek down the mountain. Need to sharpen my sword too.”

Xigon put an arm out to stop him. “Students don’t travel with weapons.”

Kolo saw Azvalath stiffen and quake. “Master, what if we run into trouble?”

“Then solve it without bloodshed.” Slight frustration crept into the master’s voice. “Kolo, will you go with Aza?”

“I, well…” Kolo shifted between her feet. “I mean, I kind of want to get out for a bit.” She managed to smile again.

Xigon nodded. “Thank you.” Then he turned his attention back to Azvalath. “You must remember, we are not above this world. We and the people of these lands are one and the same. I don’t want you coming home with any more marks on your arm, lest you forget you’re neither a god nor a devil but a human being.” He put his hand on Azvalath’s shoulder and leaned closer, so their foreheads touched. “Are you afraid, Azvalath?”

Azvalath glanced at Kolo, and his look said it all. “Yes.”

“Look at me.” Xigon’s long fingers tightened. “There’s nothing to fear.”

Azvalath backed up and bared his teeth like a frightened dog. When Kolo saw his hand go to his sword’s hilt, she reached toward him. “Wait, Aza!”

The man drew his sword. Kolo jolted at the sight of it. She remembered it going through her chest. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run, but somehow, her mind kept her still as stone. Xigon sat unflinching, his face as cold and calm as a frozen lake as his student stepped up to him, that terrible blade poised to attack.

Kolo shook her head. Where was the human that she had seen a moment ago? Had she imagined him?

Then, at the last second, Azvalath knelt in front of the master and surrendered his sword.

Xigon took it from him. “Now go on. Earn your blade back, and by then, I hope you’ll understand you never needed it after all.”

Azvalath got up, scoffed, then beckoned Kolo to follow him. “First, let’s pay our crocodile a visit.”

“You’re feeding me to a crocodile now, hm?” Kolo laughed nervously. “Wait, are you serious? Hold up.”

Azvalath gave a halfhearted chuckle that was not at all reassuring.

Some ways down the hall, they stopped at a door Kolo hadn’t seen yet. A sign with jagged handwriting hung off its handle. Do NoT DiStuRB CroCoDiLE!

Azvalath gave a loud knock. “Hey! Rizval! Open up!”

Kolo relaxed. Then her eyebrows rose. She had never really gotten to know Rizval. What were they really like?

She heard shuffled footsteps, then a groan. “Please, I just got back from training.” Rizval opened a slot on the door and peered through with wide, wild-looking eyes. “What’s the password, kittycat?”

Kolo covered her mouth and tried not to laugh. She failed miserably.

“Oh hey, Kolo.” Rizval’s eyes brightened. “How can I help you?”

“It’d be great if you could make her some armor,” said Azvalath.

“Ah-ah!” Rizval stuck their finger through the slot. “It’d be great if she did the talking. Come on in, Kolo.”

She went in. The room was such a mess that it looked like a tornado had plowed through it. Kolo squinted. “How do you walk in here?”

“I assure you, there’s a method to my organization.” Rizval rifled through a basket by the door. “Ah, yep! Here we go.” They pulled out a jar of sparkling bluish-black sand. “Hm…this should be enough for someone your size.”

Kolo folded her arms. “Got a problem with it?”

“Oh, no, not at all!” When Rizval smiled, Kolo saw that their teeth were a little pointed. “Some people are tall, some people are short, some are prettier than others, some are male, some are female, and some are neither.” They pointed to their face and winked. “But everyone’s still a person, right? I sure think they’re all equally annoying.” Rizval struggled with the jar’s lid. “Damn, I screwed this on too tight.”

Kolo snatched the jar from them and unscrewed the lid with minimal effort. When Rizval scowled at her, she handed it back. “You loosened it.”

“You’re very generous.” Rizval peered into the jar, smiled, then looked back at Kolo. “Take your coat off for a second.”

Kolo took her coat off.

Rizval poured the dark sand onto Kolo’s shoulders. “Here’s the fun part. Hold still,” they told her, then grabbed her shoulders.

The sand wove itself together and crystallized around her torso, forming what looked like a shell of dark glass. Kolo’s eyes widened. “Whoa!”

“I know!” Rizval dusted off some of the excess sand. “It can fasten in the back, so you can take it off. Shouldn’t weigh too much either. Does it?”

“Nope.” She ran her finger along the crystalline armor. “Thank you.”

“See, kittycat?” Rizval yelled at Azvalath through the door. “She has manners!”

By the time Rizval was finished, Kolo had beautiful armor and Azvalath had an ugly temper. He didn’t speak the entire time they finished their preparations for the journey, except the occasional sigh or grumble about how things were harder than they had to be. Kolo didn’t bother trying to snap him out of it until it was time to leave, and for some reason they passed right by the bluehole.

“Why can’t we go through the bluehole?” Kolo asked as they took the stairs to the roof.

Azvalath looked over his shoulder and nearly tripped on an uneven step. He cursed, then answered her question. “Blueholes are quick, but not reliable. It could take us halfway across the world from where we need to be.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Can’t you choose where to go?”

“No.” Azvalath reached the top of the stairs and threw a hatch open. Snow fell all over him and dusted the stairs. “Sothyrion switches the connections around all the time so he’s harder to find. Come on up.”

She came up beside him and pulled her hood up. “Who’s Sothyrion?”

“The spirit who makes blueholes.” Azvalath waved his arm. “Out we go.”

To Kolo’s surprise, it wasn’t bright enough outside that she needed her snow goggles. She looked up and saw that the sun was already dipping down toward the west horizon, and it was obscured behind thick dark clouds. Deep red bled through the clouds like the glow that now lit her eyes. A blistering wind swept her white hair back. The snow stung like tiny needles.

Beside her, Azvalath let out a long sigh. His breath was visible on the frigid air.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

The man looked like he wanted to say something for a moment, then he straightened. “Nothing.” He pulled his own hood up. “We’ve got a long path ahead. Ready?”

She nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”