The jungle was thick, full of tall trees with dark brown bark and wide leaves. The ground was uneven and covered in vines and thorns, making it difficult for Three-sixteen to advance.

It had only been a few minutes since Three-sixteen left the clearing, and already he was considering turning back. He had to push aside branches, duck under leaning trunks and climb over fallen logs, all while being careful not to step on a thorn or get stuck in a vine.

Every step was a struggle. He wished he had a knife.

He glanced up at the sky through the canopy and decided it was best to keep moving forward. It was getting darker and he knew nightfall would be soon.

He’d spent so long under the ground that he’d almost forgotten that the surface had both night and day. In the mine, each cycle was measured by the dimming and brightening of various natural lights, but he didn’t think those correlated directly with night and day.

As he walked, he felt like he was being watched, like something was stalking him. He didn’t think turning back was an option. Whatever it was, it seemed to be waiting for something, but he couldn't guess what.

He pressed forward, hoping to out pace the creature, but he kept his senses alert and his body ready for an attack.

Three-sixteen kept looking back, but he never saw anything and he didn’t hear the creature either. As he climbed over a mossy rock, he stopped to examine his surroundings once more.

The trees had grown closer together, and there were fewer bushes and vines on the ground. The air also felt lighter, and it wasn't quite so hot. Three-sixteen thought it might be safe for him to rest for a few minutes.

He sat down on the rock, wrapping his arms around his grumbling belly.

It had been a long time since he last ate and he felt faint with hunger.

As he looked around for anything edible, he noticed a large red berry growing on a nearby bush. He rushed over to the bush and picked one of the berries, carefully examining it before taking a bite. It was sweet, and the juice ran down his chin, dripping onto his hands and arms. He ate it slowly, savoring the flavor.

It tasted amazing!

When he finished eating the first berry, he picked another. This one was sour and also much more juicy. Three-sixteen didn’t care for the flavor, but he thought it was better than eating a chunk of stale, moldy bread.

He ate until his stomach felt ready to burst. Then he drank some of the water that dripped off the leaves above him.

Three-sixteen felt much better now that he was no longer hungry, but he was also exhausted. He considered taking a nap near the rock, but it would be wiser to press on. He wanted to get out of the jungle as quickly as possible.

He climbed back up on the rock.

He could see a small gap in the trees ahead. It was still a ways off, but he didn’t think it would take long if he hurried.

Sliding down, Three-sixteen rushed between a pair trees and over a patch of raised roots.

As he tripped over a vine, he heard a rustling sound. He quickly looked back, but there was nothing there.

Three-sixteen slowed, then stopped to take a breath. He was just being paranoid.

He continued onward, moving faster than before. He didn’t stop until he reached the clearing.

The sight of the city was a welcome relief. He didn't know how far he had come or how he would go about blending in, but he was almost there and for now that was all that mattered.

He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was starting to set. The sky was filled with dark clouds, and it looked like it might rain soon.

He started walking again, moving faster now that there was no foliage to slow him. Then he stopped as he realized he would probably encounter the Magistrates soon if he kept going. It was a problem he had yet to resolve.

Three-sixteen looked back towards the jungle and the towering trees looked somehow more inviting than the buildings and paved roads before him. There would be pleanty to eat, and shelter in the trees if it rained. The ground would be softer and best of all, there would be no people. He would be safer there, but he wouldn't find Five-ninety-one, if she even made it that far.

Three-sixteen sighed.

He didn’t want to return to the jungle.

Something moved in the brush, a shadow or maybe a trick of his imagination. Three-sixteen felt the hairs on his neck raise as he strained his eyes to focus on the spot.

There was nothing, just a deep darkness beneath a large flat leaf. Three-sixteen thought he saw some sort of pattern in the darkness, but he’d never seen a shadow with a pattern before. It couldn’t have been real.

Two purple orbs blinked into existence, sending a shiver down his spine. When a second pair blinked open beneath them, he realized they were eyes.

They stared at him as he watched, transfixed by their glow. He wondered if they belonged to the creature that had been following him.

He stepped back, keeping his focus on the eerie set of eyes.

The beast must have known he’d seen it. A sound like metal scraping on rock reverberated through the air.

The eyes moved, advancing towards him in a great leap. The beast’s fur was black as night with a navy blue swirls that were almost indistinguishable from the darker fur. The creature had six powerful legs and was maybe half the height of a sifter, he couldn’t say for sure and he wasn’t trying to find out.

Three-sixteen retreated another step, then he turned and ran. His feet pounded heavily on the ground as he forced his body to move as fast as he possibly could. The city was just down the hill, he thought it was his only chance. They must have had some sort of defense against creatures like this one.

The beast gave chase. He hardly heard the soft steps over the sound of raindrops pelting loose dirt. They were faint, but the rapid pat-pat-pat pat-pat-pat almost reminded him of a strange gun he’d once seen a magistrate use. It was definitely not the sound of rain, and it was getting closer each time.

Three-sixteen reached the first building and ducked around the corner. The creature was still close behind, its hook-like claws tearing chunks out of the concrete as it slid and twisted to follow him.

Three-sixteen ran down the street, passing one building after another. It only occurred to him shout, “Help!” When he saw an elderly man stepping out of a building.

The man looked in his direction, then his eyes tripled in size as he scrambled back into the building and pulled the door shut behind him.

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Three-sixteen heard the horrific sound of the creature’s screech again, a sound so terrible it felt like knives carving their way through his ears.

The creature was closer than before.

Three-sixteen rushed into a narrow alley and looked for a place to hide.

The buildings were tall, at least three or four times his height, and made of brick and metal. There wasn’t much between them, but he thought the tight passage would at least slow the beast a bit.

He reached a turn and kicked off the wall to avoid losing momentum as he rounded it.

A sharp cut across his back let him know the creature was right behind him. Its claws were long and wickedly sharp, slicing through his skin as if it were paper.

Three-sixteen could feel blood trickling down his back, soaking his shirt.

He kept running, telling himself to move faster.

There was another turn, then wider area ahead. Three-sixteen hoped he’d find help there, otherwise he was dead.

He was exhausted. His legs burned, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. He thought he might collapse if he kept this up much longer.

As he was running, Three-sixteen glanced back at the creature. The beast ran between the walls seemingly unhindered. Its broad shoulders scraped against the brick buildings, but it didn’t seem to mind and it trampled over what debris were in the alley.

Three-sixteen tripped, rolled over himself, then slid on his back. He felt a sharp pain in his hand as it hit the pavement, but he didn't think it was serious.

He was more worried about the creature that now stood over him with globs of pink fluid dripping from its jaw. It stared at him, its eyes glowing a deep violet, and it growled low, sending a wave of vibrations through his bones.

The creature opened its jaw, revealing a row of jagged teeth.

As it lowered its head, a loud bang snapped the beasts neck to the right. It’s hung limp and it’s body collapsed on top of Three-sixteen.

Three-sixteen was covered in a hot, sticky fluid that smelled like rotting meat. He tried to push the creature off, but it was far too heavy.

“You’re supposed to be in the ship,” a shrill but familiar voice said.

Three-sixteen looked up and saw a female magistrate, one of the magistrates who’d taken him from the mine. She was holding a gun and wearing an expression of confusion.

Three-sixteen stared at her for a long moment before he finally managed to say, “I…I was let out.”

The woman scoffed. “By that danathi? I’m sure it carried you here, nicely, in its jaws too.”

Three-sixteen remained silent.

The magistrate sighed. She holstered her gun, then held out her hand, jerking it up as if lifting something.

The danathi lifted into the air, hovering above Three-sixteen as if it were floating in water.

The woman looked down and said, pointing at Three-sixteen, “You, stay.”

He nodded, cautiously pushing himself up into a sitting position. A stabbing pain rushed his arm from his right hand, and he quickly discovered a large shard of glass was imbedded in his palm.

He grabbed the shard with his other hand, closed his eyes and yanked it free.

He opened his eyes, expecting to see blood, but the cut was already starting to close. Maybe he hadn’t dreamt about being saved by a sifter. Maybe she really did take him to a secret crystal chamber, and maybe he had actually eaten lots of crystals, but if all that was true, he was in even more danger than he realized. The moment the magistrates discovered this sin, they would—

“Get up.” The woman was back.

Three-sixteen scrambled to his feet. He was shaking from adrenaline and fear, and the blood still leaking from his back wasn’t helping.

He could feel his wounds healing. The pain from the cut in his hand was already gone, but he didn't want to think about what might happen if she noticed this. What if she noticed his uninjured back beneath his blood soaked shirt? He needed to be careful.

He asked, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice, "Can I get a shower?"

The woman laughed. She looked up at the sky, saying, “This not enough for you? You must be privileged to be so bold. Was it Vianni? I hear she had a thing for breaking rules, of course she would have demanded you be primp and proper.”

Three-sixteen didn’t understand the question. He said, his voice low and cautious, “She was nothing but cruel until the day the mine collapsed.”

The magistrate looked at him, her eyes narrowing.

Three-sixteen felt like she snap his neck. He’d forgotten that honesty, emotions, or even slight gesture could be the tick that set a magistrate on a blood path. This was a magistrate he did not know, and he needed to exercise the highest levels of caution if he wanted to survive the encounter.

The woman laughed. It was a pleasant sound. She said, “You're funny, for a number.”

Three-sixteen didn’t know how to respond, so he kept silent, lowering his gaze to appear more meek.

The woman nodded, saying, “Right then, follow me and keep quiet.”

Three-sixteen looked around, wondering what she’d done with danathi, would she dispose of him in the same way?

With little choice, He followed when she moved, walking behind her and being sure not to look directly at her even as she swayed her hips provocatively. He thought he might die if she caught him looking.

Three-sixteen couldn’t help but notice that her hips seemed to move with more bounce each step. She was doing it on purpose, trying to make him look at her. He wasn't sure why, but he decided not to think too much about it. He was far more concerned about his own survival.

They walked out from a sort of alley courtyard into a shorter alley and then through the back door of a shoddy metal building. Three-sixteen thought it must have been the first structure erected in the town, and the most neglected. There was no door at the front of the building, just an empty space where there should have been one. On either side of the missing door there were oddly shaped windows, each with a very close view of a solid brick wall. Three-sixteen wasn’t sure if they opened, but it didn’t matter anyway, he couldn’t pass through brick.

The woman took him inside a small room and pointed to a large metal box.

She said, her voice firm, “Remove your clothes and put them in there.”

He didn’t move. He thought this must be some sort of test. Maybe if he failed, she would kill him.

She sighed, stepping forward to stand right in front of him. She stared deep into his eyes as she reached for the collar of his shirt and ripped it in two. “After earlier, I expected more assertiveness from you. Perhaps you're still in shock? I'll let you off this time, but if you ever disappoint me again, I will not hesitate to punish you severely. Do you understand?”

“Ye…yes.” Three-sixteen still wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. The thought of being assertive with a magistrate seemed counter to everything he’d ever experienced and yet she was clearly suggesting that he should be. Was she a rebel?

Tossing his shirt in the metal bin, she crawled onto a table running her finger between her breast as the black fibers of her uniform peeled back.

Three-sixteen thought she was probably just testing him. He wasn’t sure what the right answer was, but he couldn’t imagine anything good would come from trying to assert himself. He definitely didn’t think it would be wise to follow her lead and undress.

The woman chuckled. She hopped off the table, taking her hand away from her chest.

Three-sixteen felt himself blush, and he quickly averted his eyes, looking at his feet instead.

The woman sighed. She said, walking towards the door, “Clean yourself up in the sink.”

Three-sixteen swallowed hard. Judging by her tone he’d made the wrong decision, but at least he was still alive.

She turned her head to look back at him, saying, in a much colder tone, “I won't say it again.”

Three-sixteen moved. He rushed to the sink, turning on the water and trying to rinse as much muck off as possible.

A door opened behind him, and he heard the woman talking to someone in the next room. She sounded happy, like they were old friends.

Three-sixteen didn’t understand how she could change moods so fast. He also wondered who was in the next room. It had been empty when they passed through. He knew because he had looked, hoping to find something that might help him escape.

When he was done cleaning his hands, he shifted focus to his arms and upper body.

His back was already healed, but there was still blood mixed in with soot and dirt. He checked to be sure he was alone before removing his pants and continuing to wash.

He turned off the water and found a towel in a drawer beneath the sink. It was small, but it would be enough to dry off.

As he finished, Three-sixteen noticed the woman leaning against the doorframe, watching him.

Her eyebrows raised and she asked, “Need something?”

His instinct told him to say no, but Three-sixteen decided to take a risk. “New clothes would be nice,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She smirked. She took a step into the room, closing the door behind her. Then she said, her voice low, but filled with confidence, “You know, if the lord isn’t interested in you, I wouldn’t mind keeping you around. You seem like a nice, compliant, and very obedient little number. It would be a shame for you to end up in the mines again. Who knows what might happen to you there? You might even end up like that danathi I killed earlier.”

Three-sixteen was speechless. He wasn't sure how to respond to the proposal.

The woman stepped forward, running her hand down Three-sixteen's chest.

Three-sixteen shivered, his body going rigid as her fingers trailed down his stomach.

She leaned close, her lips brushing against his ear.

He thought she would kiss him.

She whispered, her breath hot on his skin, “Your heart is beating so fast. Do you want me to touch you that much?”

Three-sixteen didn’t think she was waiting for him to answer, but he said, his voice cracking, “No, I—I'd rather not.”

She laughed, then stepped back.

He was grateful for the space.

She said, sounding disappointed, “Too bad.”

He didn’t know what to say or do. He looked at the floor, trying to think of anything but her.

She said, her voice suddenly bright, “If you want new clothes, you'll need to earn them.”