Yinari and the rest of the Winterforge's delegation left Tuwallo the next day, their time in the city seemingly at an end. In his more self-aware moments, Seph had to admit that he'd hoped for the vulcanite to visit him again. He had a vision of the Winterforge himself knocking on Seph and Nax's door, begging them both to return to Gorunhold with him and citing Seph's intellect. He wasn't proud of that particular fantasy, but he couldn't help the upswell of hope after his chips were returned to him.

Seph continued carnacle harvesting, new woes and new scars tracing their way over him just like they had for the past few years of his life. And all the while, he turned the words from Yinari's letter over in his head until they had lost all meaning.

'Young Tarmin', the note had read. 'I trust this letter will remain in your possession long enough to read it. I've recovered the prize promised to you so that all might know a Lutetium's representative is not to be made a fool. I, as well as the rest of my party have taken steps to ensure that you should have no more unfortunate run-ins with any miscreants native to Tuwallo.'

Seph had enjoyed Durge's skittishness tremendously. He didn't know the particulars of the Lady vulcanite's orders, but he was relatively sure they stipulated Durge not speak to him. The man practically sprinted in the opposite direction when Seph was nearby.

'The world of vulcanization is oft fraught with betrayal and hardship. It is the way of those who struggle to lash out at those closest, as a drowning man might pull his savior into the depths alongside him. I hope those closest to you are a source of strength through your journey, both in Tuwallo and beyond it. Should you manage to become the world traveler you desire, you can call upon me at Gorunhold in Terundria. I look forward to introducing you to one of the Winterforge's true puzzles, those that put all other vulcanites to shame.

Seph had used those words to fuel both him and his research, and though Nax complained about the hours Seph spent at the Tuwallo repository, even he had to admit his friend's knowledge of animus had grown by leaps and bounds. Seph had finally completed Nax's pattern and had even begun developing his own. But what truly pushed him forward was the end of Yinari's letter.

'It is the fate of all vulcanites to struggle against the world, attempting to master it and make it their own. Only a scant few succeed, and all of them have one thing in common: they stand alone atop the peak. I pray that you might find yourself as the first Lutetium with a true friend when the rest are surrounded by rivals and acquaintances. Good luck, Seph Tarmin. And may you find that which you seek in this world.'

It was said that one faced ascension alone. Seph had always found that to be a sad notion. What was the purpose of facing the heavens if you could not do it with those you loved? He had vowed early on that where he went, Nax would follow, and Nax had said the same. Every step forward would be accompanied by the sound of the other's boot, every hardship endured together, and at the summit, they would look down at how far they had climbed as brothers.

He had to admit, hearing his dream put into words by the strongest vulcanite he'd ever met made it more vivid than he could've imagined.

Nax noticed the change, and though he clearly wished to read the letter, he never asked. Seph didn't volunteer it, though if Nax had asked to read the letter he would have allowed it. Not because he wanted to hide the contents from Nax, but because though the dream was theirs, Yinari's words were for him and him alone.

But the tides moved in and out, and as it had so many times before Seph's luck seemed to run dry.

"Verrin says I'm too much of a risk," Nax said, fists slamming into a sand-filled bag suspended in the hovel he and Seph shared. "After I beat that vulcanite his fellows shattered his crucible. The Tidewatchers found him in an alley with his throat cut and his crucible cold. Some of the Hollow gangs apparently decided to encroach on Lithium territory after my bout. They were swatted away so hard half their teeth are still on Lithium grounds."

He changed to a kick, his shin striking the bag reminding Seph of a drillbeak hammering against an ironshell.

"They're too scared to set off the vulcanite gangs. Apparently my bout was supposed to be a demonstration of how futile it is to fight vulcanites as a Hollow. Instead, all of the outskirts saw a man take on a demigod and win. Not that any of them cared he couldn't fight worth a damn."

Nax stopped striking the bag, his hands coming together to prevent it from swinging back and forth while he spoke.

"I can't stand it Seph. I know I didn't strike the final blow, but I killed that Lithium all the same. Signed his death warrant when I knocked him out in front of thousands. And what do I have to show for it? A few chips and a sore neck. I know they sent him in there to humiliate me, but I can't help pitying him. They killed him for being weak. Those are the sort of people whose ranks we're trying to join."

Seph shook his head, eyes poring over borrowed tomes from the city repository. "You can't lay that at your feet. If that were the case, Verrin killed him by scheduling the fight and he killed himself by losing. The only ones who killed that Lithium are the vulcanites who shattered his crucible, and I'm pretty sure you're not one of them."

His eyes lifted from the page and met with Nax's. "Enough awful things happen every minute on Asin that you could blame everyone for everything. Hell, you could say the same thing about Omata. And where is Lailatt? In his fortress, watching his people eat themselves. Let it go, Nax. You took a fight and won. It burns me, what they did to him, and after we ascend we can make sure that's the sort of thing that never happens again. But we're not ready yet and we won't be for a long time. And we certainly won't be ready if you decide not to become a vulcanite because you're disgusted with the ones we have now."

"You're right," Nax sighed, slumping onto his bed as he removed his threadbare fist wraps. "It just seems like I did the impossible, and instead of bringing us closer to ignition, it pushed us further away."

Seph snorted. "And yet, even with the money we've given to Farris we're a bare 500 chips from igniting you. Be patient, Nax. If all goes well, you'll be a vulcanite inside the cycle."

"I'll admit I like the sound of that. They say a vulcanite can control their body to the most minute detail. Do you think it's true?"

Seph threw a pillow at the other boy without looking, though it was swatted out of the air with little effort. "If you'd ever read anything I recommend you'd know yourself. Yes, they can control their body with more precision than a Hollow. The degree depends on your advancement, but the consensus is that Zirconium is when your control reaches perfection."

"Why would I read anything when I have a library on legs right here?"

Seph tossed a tightly bound sheaf of paper at the other boy's chest.

"I'd say you'll want to read that if I don't miss my guess."

Nax grumbled as he lifted the cover of the small kelp-bound booklet Seph had been writing in the past few weeks, before stilling as he read the words. "The Stellar Descent."

He looked up, his eyes piercing Seph as Nax realized what he held. "This is my pattern? You finished it?"

"Finished is a strong word. I think I'll be improving that until the day I die. But I can't do any more without considerably more resources. It's your pattern, yes. Perfectly suited to your style. The name is subject to change, but I thought you'd like it. Who can stop a star from falling to earth?"

"A few Lutetiums, I'd bet," Nax grinned. "But you're right. The Stellar Descent. I could get behind that."

"I thought about the Fearsome Fisting. Figured you'd like this better."

"I might've killed you," Nax laughed, hugging the booklet to his chest. "Thank you, Seph. Truly. I can't wait to see where your pattern takes me."

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"Not my pattern," Seph replied, shaking his head. "Yours. I gave you the outline. Now you have to make it your own. And it relies on you to be near-perfect technically in a fight, so the margins are razor thin. But if you are..." And here Seph smiled, his vision of Nax as an unstoppable juggernaut rising to the forefront of his mind's eye. "Well, if you get it right I'm not sure anyone at your level could stop you."

"I'd like to see that," Nax said, staring at the sheaf of papers that outlined his future. "Maybe when I'm smacking Lutetiums around and kicking the Sunscourge between the legs I'll visit you every once in a while."

"I'm sure," Seph said. "Careful, or I might make some unwelcome additions to your pattern."

They both chuckled, but the mirth faded when Nax turned back toward their lack of income.

"I mean it though, Seph. If I can't get fights scheduled I can't win the purses. And we can't make any chips betting on them either. Ritri won't even look at me ever since I smacked her boy around for pickpocketing, so I can't harvest, which means the only jobs left would either cripple me or make so little we wouldn't be able to give a single chip to Farris. Not to mention no one will give me a short-term contract, and that means giving up on fighting for months at a time." He sighed and fell back on the bed. "I don't know, Seph. Seems like every time we take a step forward we take two steps back."

Seph clasped his hands together in thought. "I hear you. I'll speak to Verrin, see if we can get something scheduled. Maybe put you in a new costume, have you throw a fight. Do you think your pride can handle it?"

"Fuck pride. I'll be as proud as I want when I'm a Lutetium. Just don't bet on me throwing. I'd prefer we don't get dumped into the bay for the Tidewatchers to find."

"Me too, Nax. Me too."

----------------------------------------

"No chance," Verrin said, clapping his hands together over his driftwood desk.

This wasn't the first time Seph had been in the fight coordinator's dingy office, but he hoped it would be the last. The room was large enough to accommodate a well-worn desk, two leather chairs that had seen their best days ten cycles ago, and a small bar populated by dirty glasses and cheap liquor.

"The boy is a liability. Either he demolishes every Hollow in Omata, or I stack him up against a Lithium. If I put him in front of another Hollow, it's a guaranteed win. No betting money to be made, because there isn't a single person in Tuwallo who'd believe he'll lose to a Hollow now. If I schedule him against a Lithium again I'm signing both our death warrants. The vulcanite gangs in the outskirts are already upset that one of theirs lost to a Hollow, no matter how good he is. Imagine if it happened again to someone who wasn't well known for being one of their dregs."

Verrin smoothed his hand from his forehead back over the top of his skull, greasy fingers trailing through sparse growths of hair the man was desperately trying to hold on to. He took a drink of some swill that smelled like ironshells and finally made eye contact with Seph.

"I'm grateful for what that boy has done for me, don't get me wrong. He's the finest fighter this side of the Thale Sea, and maybe across it as well. Watching him in the ring is a treat. But he's still a Hollow, gifts or not. He can't fight all the vulcanites in Tuwallo's slums. And that's what we'd be up against if I let him in the ring again."

Seph sighed, rubbing his forearms and trying to massage the dull fire from the scars he'd collected this morning. "I hear you, Verrin. Believe me, I do. But we're not asking for another premier bout. I'll dress him up however you want, he can even take a fall if necessary. We need the money."

Verrin spread his hands wide, the gesture irritating Seph more than he cared to admit. "We both know I can't put him in the ring dressed as anyone else. Nobody fights like he does. I buy that he could take a fall, but then I'd have vulcanites that bet on it calling for my head. I don't care how good he is, he can't hide the way he fights from a Barium. And that's the sort of folk who are watching these days." The man brought his hands back together and wrung them with worry.

Much as it pained Seph, he understood. Verrin was wealthy, as much as a man could be in Tuwallo's outskirts, but he would've been beggared retaining vulcanite guards. The expense was simply too much for a Hollow like Verrin. Seph knew the man spoke the truth, slipfish though he was. Verrin survived by running entertainment for the outer rings to placate the masses, and that required staying out of the vulcanites' ways. Rock the boat too much and they'd be happy to install another fight coordinator.

"So there's nothing we can do? You know what we're aiming for, Verrin. I'm not asking for handouts. Just an opportunity."

Verrin hesitated, and Seph could see the man's greed warring with his pragmatism. "There is another possibility. Have Surestrike train another fighter. Bring them up from nothing under his tutelage. Then, when they've developed sufficient glory of their own, schedule a fight with another Lithium. Only this time, his protege loses. Badly." Verrin gulped down another mouthful of his swill, his hands gesticulating wildly as he warmed up to the idea. "Show the people that Surestrike isn't something they can aspire to. That he's a freak, a singular occurrence no one can hope to imitate. The only fighter in Tuwallo's history to overcome a full stage of vulcanization. Surestrike fades into legend, and instead of being a rallying cry, he becomes an enigma. Something utterly, truly unique."

Seph winced. "You'd be signing their death warrant, Verrin. You know that. The vulcanites won't stand for a simple victory. They'll make an example out of anyone he trains. They'd be lucky to live as a cripple. If I were putting chips on it, I'd bet everything on them dying in the ring."

"Yes," Verrin nodded, his thin hair waving around on his balding pate. "But it solves both of our problems. Do this for me and I'll pay the remainder of Nax's ignition fee after the final bout. How close are you, a thousand chips? Between the fight purses, betting proceeds, and the final bonus you would have more than enough to ignite him. Then you can both leave the city, just like you've always wanted." Verrin smiled, and Seph had to admit that despite his disgust for the man it felt genuine. "Hundreds die in the ring every year. Whoever it is will at least have the privilege of training under the best fighter Tuwallo has ever seen until the end. And who knows, they might even survive the bout."

Seph could see the lie in Verrin's eyes, but he couldn't afford to dismiss him out of hand. "Let me speak to Nax. We'll have a decision by tomorrow evening."

Verrin nodded, leaning back in his chair like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Don't take too long, Tarmin. This opportunity must be pursued quickly. If we let the tension rise to a boil again I fear for Nax's safety."

The revulsion came back, stronger than before, and Seph remembered why he tried to speak to Verrin as little as possible. Preying on people's fears was most of why a Hollow still ran the fighting pits, despite Verrin's lack of strength. He preferred a quiet word to a loud fist. With anyone else, Seph would find that admirable. The problem with Verrin was that the quiet word was seldom truthful.

He took his leave from Verrin's office, returning to the apartment he and Nax shared, and the two of them came to a swift agreement. One that Verrin received with his usually, albeit slimy, aplomb.

They would not train someone just to walk them into the leviathan's mouth.

But Seph could not support both of them on just his harvester's wage, and they certainly couldn't move any chips toward Nax's ignition. So the boys thought, and talked, and slept, and worked, and spoke again. Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, and as their contributions to Farris dried up so too did their reserves. But what were they to do?

"We can't keep going like this," Nax declared one night after Seph had returned from the bay. "I'm sitting here useless while you barely keep us afloat. The only thing I've ever been good at is fighting, and if I can't do that I can't make any chips."

"And what would we do instead? Verrin was clear. The only way you get back in the ring is as a trainer. And we'd be throwing your fighter to the depths." Seph shook his head. "I can't be party to murder, whether we swing the sword or not."

"What if they know?" Nax asked.

"What?"

"What if they know the risks? What if we take someone from the skirts with nothing to lose and we tell them the truth? How many kids did we know that would've jumped at the chance to make some real chips, even if they knew the chance of surviving was one in ten? Depths, I'd bet half the outer rings would do it."

Seph wanted to rail against it. He wanted to deny the truth of what Nax had said and tell him that no one in their right mind would fight knowing their death was all but assured, just for a few bent chips before the end. But he knew better. There were thousands in the city desperate enough to accept. There were probably thousands who'd accept even if their death was a certainty.

"It doesn't sit right. Letting someone sign their own death warrant, knowingly or not." Seph pressed his hands together, his chin resting in the space between his thumbs and forefingers.

"Yes. But you're forgetting something."

"And that is?"

"I'm training them," Nax smiled. "If they have a quarter of the talent I do, I'll have them smacking around every other Hollow in Tuwallo before the cycle is over. We might just be able to win enough for my ignition before we get to the final match."

Seph returned a smile at Nax's bravado, but he couldn't match his friend's enthusiasm. "So we can leave before our fighter gets killed? I don't know, Nax. How is that any better?"

"You don't understand," Nax said, shaking his head. "We get the money for my ignition, and we disappear. With whoever we train."

There was silence for a moment while Seph's mind spun.

"It could work. Tell them going in that we'll help them get started in a new city." Seph had to admit, he liked the idea of leaving Verrin holding the bag.

"Or," Nax replied, "We offer to ignite them. We get the best of the best, and we bait the pot with ignition. And the best part is, it's the truth. Once I'm a vulcanite we'd be able to afford ignition for two almost as easily as one."

Now Seph smiled fully. "Lift someone else out of Tuwallo alongside us, and break Verrin's oars doing it? I like the sound of that. Is there someone you have your eye on in the fry?"

Nax grinned. "You could say that."