The entire recruitment process was just for show and everyone who took part of it was a fool. If that was true then it made Younie Kasom the biggest fool of them all. He'd spent days with the small trade caravan, suffering from the heat and the homesickness just to visit an insignificant school in an insignificant clan just on the off chance that maybe there were a couple of people mad enough to think that a life at sea was better than working in the fields. It was truly an errand fit for only the most foolish. Who would possibly prefer a life of a sailor?

Younie had once been one of those mad people who dreamed of a life at sea, but he'd been lucky and smart and hadn't been facing farm work as his only other prospect. He doubted he would find anyone as mad as he at the Inilos school. It was a small set of buildings, roughly equal distance from a cluster of villages that served the school with the necessities of life. Two miles away, along a road that was barely more than a ditch, was Inilos itself. A small town whose only claim to fame was the school. It was just like every other school he'd visited in the past ten years. The best thing about it was that it had a shaded courtyard with one or two benches.

For the first time in months his legs actually ached when Younie sat down on the bench. He supposed it was the lack of a decent breeze, or his imagination, or maybe his age was finally catching up with him. He hoped it was the lack of sea breeze, that would give him a reason to leave the pathetic excuse for a recruitment run far behind him. He knew that his days on the ocean were limited and even a few nights spent on land felt wasted. Younie would have to stay at the school one night at the very least, all the recruiters and students would spend the night drinking and celebrating. For some recruiters, those from the larger sects such as the blacksmiths or spinners would spend almost every night of the year celebrating in one of the clan's schools. The rest of the time would be spent travelling between them. Graduations were staggered, with each school looking after students born in a specific week and the recruiters would often race each other from one to the next to grab the best students.

Younnie, who was barely even able to ride a horse, had arrived later than all of them only to find that his promised student had already been recruited into the Clan Diplomatic sect. It was unfair more than anything else. The Kasom Clan Navy didn't ask for much, it never had, but Younie had always operated on the assumption that what it did ask for it would get.

Cursing under his breath he leaned back against the wall of the courtyard, feeling the heat from the sun on his face. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend he was on the deck of his beloved Deathknell. That great warship that fifteen years ago had put fear into the hearts of the Lasrom Clan. These days it didn't feel quite as impressive, not when the Lasrom were producing ships such as the Dominion, twice as high and twice as long with many times the firepower of the Deathknell. But it was home and it, like the Kasom clan clung onto life in battle after battle.

He gazed across the compound’s courtyard, eying all the myriad tests that had been designed over the years. In the center was the climbing block, huge bricks of stone designed to test a person’s athletic ability, to the right was an obstacle course that tested brute strength while to his left was another course made out of hundreds of thin ropes with bells attached to monitor agility. There were many other tests of course, those were just the permanent ones. The testing was an almost continuous fixture for student life.

He'd never really been bothered with any of them. Younie had been lucky in that he'd not only figured out what he wanted to be early on, but also figured out how to play the system. He knew which tests you needed to excel on in order to get the job you wanted, and which you needed to fail to avoid being recruited into another. He could always tell when one of the teachers was watching him and above all else knew what to say to the right people. Most students never learned how the system really worked and so fell into one job or another. If they were lucky, it was a decent job that wouldn't kill them.

The Navy only maintained a single test in the courtyard, although it would of course take into account students’ scores on others. It wasn't a very difficult test, once you knew how it all worked you could do it in your sleep. That was the idea though, anyone who figured it out would be suitable. He didn't pay any attention to it, it wasn't uncommon for students, having already received their assignments, to having one last go at a test they liked or wanted to crack. Besides, seeing a student on the test would just raise false hopes in him. Once assigned it was impossible to get them transferred.

It was late in the afternoon when Younie decided to move again, thinking that he might as well try and recruit a couple of deck hands. Few of the remaining students would be willing, at least if you worked in the fields you got a bed and roof at night. A couple of those he recruited might even cause some trouble, but that would quickly stop after a few days on board the Deathknell when they realized that they only way to stay alive was to do exactly what he told them do. He wouldn't even have to punish any of them, the smart ones soon learned, and the stupid ones soon got themselves killed.

The Navy's test though stuck in his mind; he'd come all this way to be disappointed. That part of him that had seen the Deathknell through fifteen years of impossible battles did not want to give up just yet. What if there was a unassigned student at the test? They probably wouldn't be very smart but maybe, just maybe they could be useful. Younie made it almost all the way across the courtyard before glancing over to the Navy's single test. It was a small, curved lake with a bridge over it. The challenge was to get a small model boat from one end to another without it hitting one of the bridges pillars and sinking. To his annoyance he saw a student kneeling there, winding up a spring on one of the boats. She had to be already assigned. He sighed and came to a halt. The schools administrative building was only a few meters away, they would have food and drink and terrible company. He glanced back to the girl by the lake, it was a difficult choice, but Younie knew that if he didn't at least ask it would bug him for the rest of the day. It wouldn't take but a moment and then he could go inside and pretend to be nice to all the other recruiters.

He wondered over to the lake and stood a respectful distance back. The student was a small sandy haired girl who was so caught up in her work that she didn't notice him until after she had released the small boat. She gave him a quick glance before turning back to watch the little boat as it sailed towards the bridge. The first spring had almost unwound before the second kicked in and the little boat turned towards the largest of the pillars. Younie knew that it was a decent attempt but doomed to failure. Any idiot could wind up some springs to move a boat this way and that, the trick was to think outside the lake. Sailing was not just about water.

Younie saw the girl tense, either she had understood the whole premise, or she already knew she had failed. He smiled as the boat began to turn to the left ever so slightly. He knelt down for a better look and saw that the girl hadn't just been working on the springs on the ship. The foremast had been twisted around so the sail ran along the side of the ship at a 90-degree angle to normal.

Clever girl, Younie thought and felt his smile turn into a grin as the boat vanished under the bridge and reappeared a moment later on the other side. The second spring had lost all its tension and the propellers were still, but the momentum and a slight breeze carried it to Younie's feet. He reached down and plucked the boat out of the water and pretended to spend a minute inspecting the craft fully.

The girl walked up to him and stood with her hands behind her back. Respectfully waiting for him to speak. He'd have to work on that.

“Who are you?” He continued to examine the boat, as if he was more interested in its new sail design than her, but he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

“Raini Linal Kasom sir,” the girl said, with just a hint of surliness in the final word.

“What did your parents do?” he gave Raini a quick glance and saw her hesitate for just a moment.

“My mother was a seamstress, I don't know about my father, but my teachers say he was someone important.”

Younie suppressed a grin and turned back to the boat. It was the same story all over the clan these days. “So, how’d you figured this out?”

She shrugged, as if the answer meant nothing. “The wind changes as you walk around the lake. By the bridge it's coming in from the east, from the side of the ship, but when you start it's behind you, but you need the wind from the side to push you under the bridge right.” There was a pause. “Everyone always tries to mess with the springs and the propellers, thinking it's some difference between the two to get it right, but it ain't anything to do with them, it the wind.”

“Really,” Younie said, trying to sound amazed. “Why does the wind change?” Raini pointed to the climbing blocks not too far away.

“Them, they block out most of the wind but channel a bit of it over here. It's only for a few seconds as the boat nears the bridge, but it's enough to get it going in the right direction.” Perfect, he thought and handed the boat back to Raini. The girl took it eagerly. The test hadn't changed in twenty years and the answer had been almost word for word what he had once said.

“My name is Admiral Younie Invay Kasom. I'm wondering if you've been recruited by anyone?” He braced himself knowing that such a smart girl, even if she showed no other skill, would have been given something. Raini shook her head but didn't say a word and Younie reminded himself to savor what he was about to do. He didn't often have a chance to exercise his power away from his ship. Or get a measure of revenge. He took a deep breath, turned towards the compounds administration building and shouted. “Kaysen! Get yourself over here!”

Raini's eyes widened and she spun around and snapped to attention, a minute later the short black form of the school's administrator rushed out of the building and crossed to him.

“Admiral Younie,” the man said, already out of breath and covered in sand from his short run. “What can I do for you?”

Younie smiled as if he'd greeted a close friend and slapped Kaysen on the shoulder. “You can get me the file for young Raini here.” Kaysen's expression fell a little, he opened his mouth to speak but something held him back. Younie guessed that he wanted to ask why he hadn't just shouted that request and saved Kaysen the trip, but you didn't say that sort of thing to admirals so he could do nothing but rush back inside the building.

A minute later he returned clutching a few loose papers. Younie tore them out of his grip and watched Raini as he pretended to look through them. Finally concern for Raini prompted Kaysen to speak up.

“You can't possibly be thinking of making her a crewman, look at her, she's a slip of a girl and wouldn't last a year.” Younie watched her eyes fall to the ground. She brought he hands out in front of them and held them together. Obviously, she wanted to argue back, but years in the school had beaten that impulse out of her. That didn't concern him too much, a few weeks with him would drive it right back in again.

“No, as an officer,” Younie responded, they eyes didn't even flicker.

“With her scores?” He could hear the words almost catch in Kaysen's throat.

Younie glanced down at them for a moment, but he saw nothing too alarming. “Nothing wrong with these.” He was still annoyed that someone had stolen the one student he had wanted to speak to, and this felt like a good way to get back at Kaysen who had stood by at let it happen. The fact that technically Kaysen couldn't have done anything to stop it was meaningless.

“But her mathematics scores, history scores, how is she....?” The voice trailed off as Younie turned to face the man. He knew his appearance was sometimes described as hard as stone. He'd spent decades on the sea, and that life was not easy on anyone.

“What's five plus seven?” Younie asked the girl.

“Thirteen,” she said without a pause.

“28 plus 97?”

“125” The pause was slightly longer.

“587 times 299” Silence. He laughed and gave Raini a slap on the shoulder that almost sent her into the lake.

“Don't worry about it, I couldn't do it in a million years.” He turned to Kaysen. “Does she have any other offers?” He asked, keeping his voice low.

“No. Not yet.”

“So, if not this then she will work the fields instead, correct?” Kaysen merely nodded. Younie smiled. “Would you be so kind as to fetch me her recruitment papers then.” That felt good but the feeling faded as confusion crossed Kaysen's face.

“Er... they should be with the ones I just gave you, unless...” Younie took a deep breath and felt something dark stir inside him. There were limits to how far he'd allow himself to be pushed. There was a shout from the administration building and a man, perhaps about Younie's age pushed himself through the door. At their age the similarities ended. He was shorter, with a soft face and a round belly. In one hand he carried a walking stick that bent with every step. Where Younie's uniform was worn and faded, his clothing was brand new, it didn't even appear to carry a layer of sand that covered everything else in the school.

“You're too late admiral,” the man said triumphantly as he approached. “I picked up her recruitment papers a hour ago.”

“You didn't tell me that,” Kaysen said. Younie glanced down at Raini and saw her trembling a little. His eyes narrowed as he realized that they knew something he didn't.

“What job?” Younie snarled. Kaysen held up a hand.

“Admiral Younie, can I present to you Minias Trovan Kasom, of the Clan Mining sect.” The other man held out a hand for him.

“What job?” he asked again.

“As a miner of course. With her scores she could hardly be anything else.” Younie felt his eyes narrow, and he opened his mouth to curse but before he could do so Kaysen was suddenly in front of him, snatching Raini's papers out of his hand and whispering something.”

“The bastard stole half of my students for the mines, they say he gets a commission on each one.” Younie took another deep breath and once Kaysen had moved out of the way took Minias' hand. He could have crushed every bone in it and then thrown the man into the lake.

“So, I'm very sorry but it looks like you'll have to find someone else,” Minias said with a smile that could suck the warmth from the dessert.

“There is no one else,” Kaysen said and Youni realized that despite his earlier misgivings the administrator was now on his side.

“Well, isn't that a shame. Still, rules are rules, the papers signed and so now's she'd a miner.” Minias said as if it meant nothing to him. Younie let go of his hand with all the bones intact.

“But she can't be a very good one,” Kaysen said while Younie just stared at the man.

“Well, that is my problem, I just fill the mines, perhaps you should have been more diligent with her physical education,” Minias said.

“She won't last a week!” Kaysen said and a tiny cry escaped from Raini's lips. So, was that Minias's game? Recruitment didn't cost anything; you could feed them based on how much you mined so you always made a profit. If they died, well, you could always get another. Minias leaned down to Raini's level, then spoke with a odd mixture of concern and contempt at the girl.

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“Why don't you run along and play somewhere else where you won't disturb the admiral?” It wasn't a request, but Younie was quick enough and as the girl tried to run he grabbed her by the arm and dropped her on her feet in front of him. The smile slipped just a little from Minias's face.

“Couldn't you reconsider?” Kaysen asked. “You've taken twenty others today and the Navy needs people.”

“I've already signed the papers,” he said.

“But she'd just a slip of a girl!” Younie exploded. “This is murder.”

“I don't care. She will serve the clan in the mines for the rest of her life. She-” Minias was cut off as Younie grabbed hold of him by the lapels of his expensive coat and lifted his bulk into the air until they were face to face.”

“Listen to me you clanless piece of filth,” Younie said quietly. “She's coming with me; I don't care what that scrap of paper says. Understood?”

The smile only grew wider. Minias gave a loud whistle.

“Do you think I've never had this problem before?” The door of the academic office swung open and out stepped a tall and incredibly well-built man. A permanent scowl wasetched into his face. He was shirtless, with a wooden cudgel in one hand. What was most impressive however was the way his three companions had the same air of nonchalant violence with them.

“We don't need any trouble,” Kaysen said.

“Isn't that right admiral?” If Younie had been younger, he would have tried it. He'd still loose, but Minias wouldn't be able to travel for a few weeks at least. That would save some other school graduates from the mines if nothing else. But not today, today his arms were getting tired already, and an admiral didn't resort to that sort of violence. He dropped the man to the floor where, to Younies satisfaction, he collapsed to the ground in a heap. Malias knocked away the hands of his men as they tried to help him to his feet.

“I don't mind admiral. If I were you though, I'd suggest that you get a head start to Valis, there's at least twenty or thirty more there that I plan on taking as well. After all, we get through them so fast these days.” He dragged himself to his feet and then, after a slightly ironic bow, he turned and left for the administration block. Younie snarled as he went.

“You'd better go back to your dorm and pack your things Raini,” Kaysen said. The young girl nodded and began to run towards one of the larger buildings. “I'm sorry,” Kaysen said quietly after her.

“How can he do that?” Younie asked. He'd heard recruitment was cut-throat these days, but he never expected the recruiters to have to bring their own guards. Then again, they'd be useful on the trip back to the mines when the new recruits would, if they had any sense, be doing their damned best to escape or cause trouble.

“Because the Clan council is desperate for ores these days.” Kaysen looked defeated. “She'll be dead in a week, two at most, but he'll have his commission.”

There had to be away around this Younie thought. “Can I appeal to anyone?”

“You can try, but do you honestly think anyone important enough will care about her? If she had famous family, then it would be different. Even if by some miracle you find someone, they won't be able to get her out of the mines before she's dead. It will take weeks.”

“What about the Dead?”

“If you know any of them then by all means tell them.” Younie didn't, and he doubted Kaysen would ever meet one. They hung around high ranking clan leaders, not school administrators.

“I know one or two people that I suspect are watching me,” Younie admitted after a few moments of thought. “But I didn't bring any of them with me.”

“Did you bring anyone at all?” There was a hint of something in Kaysen's voice that Younie couldn't quite put his finger on.

“I have a small escort back at Inilos. I'm an Admiral after all and they keep telling me I'm too important to be on my own. I guess I should have listened to them.” Kaysen took a step towards him, and his quiet voice took on a lighter quality.

“And you’re not going to take his advice about getting a head start to Valis.” There was a sudden tension in the air.

“No. I'll be spending tonight at the guest house at Inilos.” Kaysen nodded and smiled a little.

“Good, good,” he said. “I suggest you…er…commiserate your failure by staying up all night and-,” he ran out of words.

“Drink?” Younie offered.

“Maybe not too much, but certainly take your time.” Younie smiled. In truth he liked the bureaucratic administrators like Kaysen. They hadn't been given his gifts of courage or strength, but they served the clan the best way they could. Younie laughed and slapped Kaysen on the back. He almost jumped out of his skin.

“Good suggestion,” he said after Kaysen had finally stopped wincing.

***

“Would just sit down for one moment,” Younie snapped at his lieutenant. Younie’s escort was not a big one, just one other officer and two marines, and the lieutenant had started to grate on Younie’s nerves. There was nothing inherently wrong with him. He was a good officer who shared Younie's enthusiasm for finding the enemies of the clan and beating the hell out of them and was one of the few people who could match Younie’s drinking pace. The problem wasn't with the officer, it was with the tension in the air. The top floor of the Inilos High Guest House was large and almost deserted. The patience of the one remaining servant had waned hours ago and the two marines were bursting for a night of heavy drinking. Now most of that night had slipped away while the four of them waited and the servant had waited on them. They'd eaten, drunk a little, eaten some more, told stories and because they had eaten so much decided that it was safe to drink again. Younie had cut them all off a hour ago when they had started to slur their words and they'd been getting more morose since then.

“It's too cold outside, she's probably on the road frozen to death without a cloak or a blanket.” Lieutenant Tain said and Younie was glad that he had at least stopped pacing.

“If she isn't...” Younie offered. Tain's lip twitched.

“If she isn't it will be a damned miracle. Four miles, in the middle of the night, impossible.” He reached for a cup and tried to drain the last remnant of ale out of it. He'd done the same thing four times in the past hour and now, as it had been the last four times, it was fruitless.

“I have to give her a chance,” Younie said, although he'd be the first to admit that his words didn't sound to hopeful. “One chance is better than nothing.”

“Yeah,” Tain said bleakly. He walked back to his chair and collapsed into it. The heavy crossbow on the table wobbled a little. They were, Younie had to admit, all well-armed. Everyone but him had a crossbow and a dagger, while resting against the back of Younies chair was his old boarding axe. You couldn't swing it around below decks without taking out a post or someone’s head, but above the deck, in a melee, it was the biggest and nastiest weapon Younie could ever hope for. It killed so beautifully and effortlessly.

“We could-” Tain began but was cut off when someone knocked loudly on the guest houses door. Younie jumped to his feet but a moment later the door was kicked in and the cloaked figure of the guest houses Protector rushed forward carrying a child’s body. Tain cursed and even from this distance Younie could feel the rush of freezing air from outside.

The Protector ran inside towards the room's fireplace. Without saying a word to any of them he laid the girl down in front of it and then began to try and stoke the fire back to life.

“Can somebody give me a hand?” It was more a demand than a request, but it snapped everyone into action.

“Vekay fire,” Younie ordered one of his marines. “Anavin, Tain, blankets.” His other two companions nodded and rushed towards the stairs to raid the bedrooms on the floor below. If they were smart it would be their own rather than some poor city official. Younie rushed over to the Protector and saw that the child he'd brought in was indeed Raini. Her eyes were closed, her lips blue but he could see her short and shallow breaths. She was wearing the standard shift and a thin cloak, almost nothing at all compared to what any sane person would have put on to travel at night.

“What happened?” He asked as he placed a hand on her brow. It was freezing.

“I don't know. I didn't see her until she started climbing the stairs, I was about to shout her away when she collapsed,” the Protector said. “She could have come from anywhere.”

“The school,” Younie said. Vekay had restated the fire and the servant had appeared with a warm bowl of soup. Younie pointed to the closest table, she was in no position to eat yet.

“Den's Grave,” the Protector cursed. “How did she even get passed the walls?”

Younie took a hold of the thin cloak and felt the material. “And where did she get this from? This is expensive.” The Protector shrugged.

Raini's hand twitched and her eyes fluttered open. “Admiral....” she whispered, and he took hold of her hand.

“You made it. Well done.” He couldn't think of anything else to say. He'd never heard of anyone actually managing to escape from an assigned job and he was very aware that he hadn't thought everything through just yet.

“Well, isn't that a disappointment.” Malias' confident voice slipped in from behind him. Younie and the Protector turned to see the man standing there with six of his own guards. There was a utterly insincere look of concern on his face. “I was hoping to avoid having to entangle an admiral in this girl's crime.”

“What crime?” the Protector said and Younie saw him place one hand on the hilt of his sword.

“She's a runaway from a legally assigned job.” Malias began walking towards them, his escort following him in a long line. They were all big men armed with wooden cudgels and mean but dull expressions. “I have her paperwork with me.”

“That's far enough,” the Protector said. Younie glanced back at his table, where the axe lay uselessly out of reach. “Identify yourselves in the name of the clan.”

“Why?” Malias said, “All I want is the girl.”

The sword made a clean sound as it was drawn from the scabbard and Malias came to a halt. “I am Sinas Tranceval Kasom, Protector of this house, identify yourself and your right to enter or I will remove you from it.”

“Minias Trovan Kasom, of the Clan Mining sect.” He said without any emotion. Younie shifted himself a few more inches towards the axe. If he could get within leaping range at least it would be something.

“And your rank?” Sinas said.

“Tertiary administrator,” he admitted. Younie moved another inch. There was a chair between him and the axe. If he could shift his weight just a little, he might be able to cover it in one leap.

“Your rank is not enough. Leave immediately.” To Younie’s surprise Malias just laughed. Most of his other men began grinning as well.

“That's not how it's going to work Protector. That girl is a criminal, she tried to escape. So I'm going to take her back to the others I've recruited and hang her as an example to the rest. That is my right.” There was venom in that last word. “I have another four men outside, so you and the admiral are a little outnumbered.”

“The Clan Council-” Sinas began.

“The Clan Council think I'm the greatest thing ever to come out of the mining sect. Last chance, hand her over or the two of you are dead.”

“Three.” Vekay said and stood, crossbow in hand. The Marine must have dived to the floor the moment they had entered and then crawled to the table where the crossbows had been abandoned. Malias glanced at his own guards in amusement and laughed. They did likewise.

“One bowman. It doesn't make a difference.” Malias sounded like he believed it, and to Younie's amazement the guards looked like they did as well. He felt a smile creep across his face as for the first time he saw what they really were. Malias was using them as guards, but at their core they were nothing but strong men and bullies. They could beat a half-starved or exhausted worker. They could use their cudgels against those who were unarmed and unable to defend themselves, but Younie, Sinas and Veykay weren't on that list. They were on the list entitled 'heavily armed and professional killers who knew how to kill in more ways than you could count.' Younie stood, knowing that he could win this, and he felt the anger begin to rise in him again.

“Protector Sinas, do you need help removing these trespassers.” The formal nature of the question was merely a cover for the anger.

“It would be greatly appreciated admiral,” Sinas said. Younie eyed his axe.

“Enough talking, lets-” Malias was cut off as Younie leapt into the air and cleared the chair by a good foot. He heard the dull thud as Vekay fired the crossbow and landed hard. Five of the six guards rushed forward while a sixth stared down at the bolt buried in his chest. The guards threw the chairs away and leapt over the tables, but they slowed as the injured man began to scream. The aura of invincibility that they had all shown off vanished and the man closest to Vekay realised that the Marine had dropped the first crossbow and scooping up the second. Sinas was advancing on the other side, sword outstretched. The axe fell into Younie's hands, and he charged forward, throwing the table to one side before swinging the axe around in a wild and insanity driven arc that obliterated a guard's head. The surviving four halted their advance and suddenly they were running the other way, dropping their cudgels behind them.

Malias turned and ran, he tried to push his way through his guards as Veykay fired the second crossbow but missed. Younie advanced towards the group as the one closest the door suddenly staggard backwards, holding his stomach and screaming. At the doorway stood Tain, his face a mask of fury, a short sword held in each hand. The two blades flashed wickedly and Malias and his remaining guards recoiled. The guards turned in time to see the Younie had entered axe range and promptly threw up their hands. Malias squealed and ducked to one side. Sinas advanced but the administrator just ran with his head down and arms flailing towards a window. Everyone watched in amazement as he threw himself through it, smashing the glass into a thousand shards and screaming as he fell. There as a thud and then a moments silence before the sound of footsteps disappearing into the distance reached Younie.

“Jackal damn it all,” Tain said as he ran a finger over a cut on his forehead. “First fight I'm in and I mess it up.”

Younie looked at the battlefield, at the three dead men and the terrified survivors. “Actually, I don't see how this could have gone any better.” He said and dropped the axe to the ground. The guards stared at it as it fell. “You took your times though Tain.”

“We saw him storm up the stairs and decided to outflank. It wasn't easy, there's only one entrance to this and the second floor so we had to climb out the window,” he said with a shrug.

“And ran into the bastards four friends outside?” Sinas said.

“Are they alive?” Younie asked. A couple of bodies inside the building wouldn't be a problem, the Protector had warned them after all, but six or seven. That would require at least a word with Ilios's magistrate and Younie didn't think he had enough hard cash to get through that.

“I think so. We did stab them quite a bit.”

Younie sighed and shook his head.

“Younie...” An impossibly tiny voice said from behind him. He turned to see that Raini had somehow gotten herself to her feet. She looked like half the girl she had been this afternoon, which was a lot better than the corpse she had been when she'd come in. He rushed over to her and took her hand, there was a little more warmth in it this time.

“Congratulations,” he said. “You're now a cadet in the Kasom navy.” Raini smiled weakly as his escort gave a cheer.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Can we drink now sir?” Tain asked.

“Of course, we have to give Raini here a warm welcome.” They all cheered again.

It took two hours for Malias to stagger and then crawl back to his encampment and he spent most of that time either swearing at Younie or plotting the most elaborate revenge possible. It helped to lessen the pain. He was tempted not to wait, he could just collect his remaining guards and return, either with the garrison as backup or waiting until they were all too drunk to fight. However, it would be more satisfying to wait a few weeks and utterly destroy Younie politically as well, but he didn't like retreating for so long. Malias's philosophy was to attack as soon as possible with overwhelming force, aggression was the key to fighting, he'd read that somewhere.

He reached his camp to find it oddly quiet. The new recruits he'd picked up in the past month should have been asleep, but he had a score more guards for them. The camp was on a small plain about a mile away from the school, it had tents for himself and the guards and a few fires, but as he approached, he still couldn't see any of them. Malias forced himself onwards towards the central fire. It wasn't until he was about ten meters away that he saw one of the shadows stand up. Whoever it was too tall to be a recruit, but too thin to be a guard.

“Just who do you think you are?” Malias shouted through the pain in his legs as he staggered forwards. The man had been kneeling over one of the recruits and at the sound of Malias he turned and put a finger to his lips. Malias followed as the man walked a few meters away. To his surprise he saw that the man wasn’t even wearing a cloak. He had the light blue uniform and white sash of one of the clan's doctors. Malias approached, his lack of guards now playing greatly on his mind. “Who are you?”

The man gave him a slight nod of respect. “Are you Malias?” he asked.

“Yes,” he admitted with a shiver running down his back. It was unlikely that a doctor would out rank him, but not impossible.

“For the past six month's you've been traveling to every school and recruiting as many people as possible, is that correct?” He was a few years younger than Malias, but he spoke with that quiet authority that he'd seen in so many clan elders.

“Yes. I have that right.” To Malias's surprise the man laughed.

“Did no one tell you about how the system works?”

“I know everything about the system. I haven’t done anything wrong. I'm allowed to try and make as much money as possible,” Malias said, there was no deference in the doctor's voice, nothing that would indicate rank. Malias felt as if the floor had been knocked away from under him. How could he play the system if he didn't even know where he stood?

“Oh, I'll admit you've played the rules very well, however it appears that no one warned you. Everyone wants recruits, some sects pay the recruiters per recruit, some pay based on quality, others don't pay at all. That's not the point. If every sect just grabbed hold of as many recruits as possible, the clan would fall. There are unwritten rules here. It is all give and take. Sects that desperately need people, like the Navy, get them. Do you understand?”

Malias reached into his own cloak and felt the reassuring presence of his black powder pistol. He preferred not to have to use it, simply because he should be above getting his hands dirty, but that didn't mean he wasn't capable of killing a man.

“What I understand,” he said as he felt his confidence return. “Is that if the Council has a problem with me then they should inform me which law I am breaking. If they cannot do that than they are welcome to change the law, but until that time I am safe.”

The doctor's face fell a little and he sighed. “You don't get subtlety do you. I'm giving you the warning now. You can take some of these recruits, the strongest and most suitable of them, but most are coming back with me to the school. We'll fiddle the paperwork and compromise a bit and above all else, the system won't fall down.”

Malias eased the pistol out a little, if the doctor noticed then he didn't show it. “No. These recruits are legally mine,” he spat the last word out. How dare this man, who refused to even identify himself, dictate to him.

“Last chance,” There was no harshness in the man’s voice. Malias snatched the pistol out of his cloak and aimed it at the doctor. He was aware of a blur of motion in front of him as he fired the weapon, and on some fundamental level aware that he'd missed even before he pulled the trigger. He'd never fired the weapon before, and the light from the burning black powered burned into his eyes. He managed a tiny yelp, closed his eyes and tried to turn away from the blast but halted as he felt a knife at his throat.

“D-don'-” he said and felt the knife press into his skin. “I'll pay you money.”

“The Dead do not care about money.”

“The Clan Elders won't-” The knife jabbed in a little deeper.

“The Dead do not care about the Clan elders.”

“I only took the bad students! Only the worthless children. Who cares about them?” he screeched.

“We do.”