The morning sun shone through the stained-glass window of Yinu Kin Yinu. The colourful collage depicted a young Libri girl, draped in an ancient robe, her white hair flowing freely against the breeze, sailing on a primitive AirCanoe. The sunlight cast a spectrum of colours inside the small teashop.

Izai and Olav sat opposite an Libri man. Slightly younger than Tai, his head full of hair, though it had begun to fade to black. His blue nose was shaped like a lumpy potato, and he had bushy moustache that covered most of his mouth. Every time he spoke it looked as if a caterpillar had been crawling against his lips.

“You enjoy the tea, no?” he uttered hoarsely. He chewed on an apple and read the paper.

Olav rested his hand on the oak table. It was wrapped in gauze. He had been burnt real badly.

“It really is good tea,” Olav sipped.

“Better for your arm, yes?”

“Stiff,” he shook it a bit before resting it against the table, “but the IceSap wrapping is working as intended I guess.”

“Good. Good.” The Libri name, whose name Izai had now just remembered as Koralo, had now diverted his attention to him. “You Push out of your mouth. Yes. Few Kin can do that.”

Izai nodded. “I had no clue either,” his tone was singed with guilt.

“No clue this guy says,” he flashed a smile, revealing, one missing tooth in the middle. “Your friend call Pa Remi, last night. Panicking. ‘Help. Help. My buddy took potion and now Pushing out of mouth.’ So he calls me to check on you guys. I come see ceiling black. Friend’s arm burnt bad bad. Really impressed me kid. I told Manu,” he pointed to the elderly Libri man, who sat by the entrance in a rocking chair, absorbing as much sunlight as he could. “Manu, was impressed.”

“Huh?” Manu leaned forward. The blanket that had been draped over his knees dropped to the floor. Koralo stuck out his palm, and Pushed GaleStone: the blanket lifted, and from where they sat, in the booth at the end of the small shop, Koralo gracefully laid it back on Manu’s knees.

Koralo told Manu just to enjoy his morning sunlight. Izai apologised for the inconvenience. “Inconv.. Incon..” Koralo tried to sound out the word.

“I’m sorry I wasted your night,” clarified Izai.

“No. No. Very good to see unique Pusher. You know Minos? The KY Fighter?”

The name sent a shudder down Izai’s spine.

“Well, he can Push through mouth,” Koralo added.

“And nose too,” Manu’s voice spilled out weakly from across the room.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Izai looked down at his cup. It was wide and had a shallow bowl shape. It felt cold against his skin and yet the left the tea at an ideal temperature.

“You know,” Koralo leaned in, “During divine wars. They capture MegaFolk mercenary. Tough bastard too. The Kinayi soldiers tied him upside, hands and feet bound with FrostSap rope. But with time, yes with time, as he upside and blood flowing to his brain and getting smarter. He learned to Push a Vine out his ass.”

“No fucking way,” Olav smiled slightly.

Koralo nodded vigorously with eyes wide open. “Used Vine tail out of ass to set himself free. They call him the Taur from then on.” He tapped on his cup and a waiter came and refilled the tea. “So, why young nice TalentBorn Folk getting into Ina Iya’s business.”

The name Ina Iya also sent a shiver through his spine. Everyone in the city had known for the past twenty years she had been the leader of the non-Folk Family. Everyone had known how brutal she was. Yet every picture of her on magazines, newspapers, and television was followed by a liturgy on how much she had helped the Polassa’s forgotten.

The boys regarded each other for a moment. “What are we supposed to do?” mumbled Olav halfway through sipping his tea.

“Army. They pay good yes? Also Police. Private Security.”

“I don’t care for either of those,” he responded.

“You could be healer too. Good profession.”

“You’re in this business too,” Izai pointed out.

Koralo waved this off. “Different. All I do is arrange shipping quietly. And you know. Take a few score here and there,” he winked, proud of himself. “From rich or criminal not innocent mind you.”

A moment of silence fell between them. The different blends of aromas emanating from the kitchen had a calmful effect on Izai’s mind. He almost felt guilty for writing off any Libri cuisine.

“So, you want to be KY fighter yes?”

Izai thought about it for a moment. What exactly had he wanted to do? Did he expect that one day he’d be making a living off of this? And what of Remi and what he had committed to him. He simply shrugged.

“Good. Good idea. Lots of money, fame, and fucking too. I’m very good at Capta. You know. Folkling Fighting Art. Maybe teach you a few things some time yes?”

Izai nodded, still feeling his energy low from the previous night.

“Stand,” Koralo said as he went to the floor.

Izai raised an eyebrow.

“I want to show you move.”

“I don’t want us to damage any property,” Izai said.

Koralo looked back at Manu. “It’s fine. Every Folkling business is his business. Plus,” he stamped on the floor hard, “Use best GaleStone Sap. Floors are unbreakable.”

Manu slightly leaned forward in his chair with a smile waiting to watch what happens next.

Izai stood in front of Koralo.

“You know in Pulse. When I grab you can’t move?”

Izai did not understand. “I’m not quite sure yet how it all works.”

“Like this,” Koralo grabbed Izai’s wrist. And for a moment he was frozen solid. He could not move. Could not speak. He wasn’t quite sure if he was breathing until Koralo loosened his grip.

Izai shook his head to try and stop the room from spinning.

“Capta is who can slam each other to ground first,” he grabbed a hold of Izai and smacked him into the ground.

Izai stared at the ceiling. He still felt lethargic. A slight throbbing had been pounding against his temple all morning. He stood.

“With Capta, all about using Pushing to defend against grabs and throws. Try grab me,” Koralo smiled.

Izai was unsure but did, and as he did the Libri man Pushed Air to loosen the grip.

“Maybe I teach you that with Fire yes? That way when a Taur try to slam you, you can surprise him.”

Izai agreed as they both sat. They returned to what they had been doing before. Olav sipped his tea staring at the wall absent mindedly. Koralo had moved on to another apple. And Izai still felt a pit in his stomach and could barely look at Olav.

“I… was… almost GKYA World LightCell Oja Champion once,” Manu said after a while, each word a labour to bring out.

Koralo shook his head. “I’ve seen tapes. He was never going to win.”