Cadivus grunted, the blade stuck in his foot. Silverhand got to his feet and grabbed at the sword’s hilt. The blade moved back and forth in the wound, and Cadivus cried out. He got his foot free and headbutted Silverhand as hard as he could throw his head. Silverhand’s head went dizzy, and his vision blurred. Cadivus released the blade from the floorboards and—in a fluid motion—sliced upward, cutting open Silverhand’s chest and splitting his chin in half. A few choking noises later, Silverhand collapsed onto the ground, bleeding out.

Cadivus reached down toward his left foot and removed his boot. A piece of his foot had been cut off. He held it up in disgust, slightly nauseous.

“Well, well, look at that,” Ekio said. “Looks like you’ve decided to give me your toe after all.”

“Relax, psycho. I’m not giving you this toe…maybe I can sew it back on or something.”

“Be a man and fulfill your promise. You owe me that much, mzungu.” She held out her hand.

“I’m not giving it to you.”

“Give…it!”

“No…thanks!”

Ekio reached out to grab it, but he closed his fist around it and placed his arm back and over his head.

She grabbed at his face and reached for it.

“Give me my token!”

He lost his footing and fell backward over some rubble. She stood over him, toe still in his hand. He looked up at her, back at the toe, and then back up at her again.

“Don’t you dare!” she threatened.

Cadivus shoved the toe in his mouth and swallowed it, a look of victory intertwined with disgust on his face. Her jaw dropped, and her scowl transformed into a…wide smile. She laughed, doubling over. Her eyes filled with tears.

“Have you completely snapped, or is physical comedy different in your homeland?” he asked.

She tried to talk through her laughter, but it was unintelligible. She finally caught her breath and was able to get out a few words.

“I…was…was just…” She laughed some more, holding up a finger. “Messing with you…And…and you ate it! Idiot!” She fell to her knees, laughing.

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He sat there, dumbfounded.

“You know what the worst part is?”

In her laughing fit, she shook her head and mouthed, “No.”

“It was kinda tasty, and now I’m worried.”

She laughed even harder.

He laughed with her. “Please make sure that’s the last time I do that. I’d hate for it to be my thing.”

“I will try my best.” She rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply when her lips pressed against his. He wanted to grab her and pull her into him. Instead, he just softly kissed her back and let the moment pass.

“Gods your nasty,” he said.

“You have no idea,” she replied.

“Well I’ll say this—”

The floor beneath them turned to mud with different consistencies. Cadivus was stuck, but the floor beneath her was slippery. She struggled to stand and hold her footing as Gorstin barreled toward her, threw her to the ground, and tried to choke her out.

“Killed my brothers, you bastards!” Gorstin screamed. “I’ll end your miserable lives with my bare hands!”

Ekio, feeling the grip growing stronger, turned her body around so her face was buried in his chest. She placed her knee up against his body and used the leverage to drive her fist into his stomach. She kept punching until a crack sounded, and his grip loosened on her. Now free, she mounted his pained body and rained down punch after punch.

Cadivus looked on to see his mud-covered woman straddling a mud-covered man.

“Is this really appropriate?”

“Shut up!” she shouted between her punches. She kept up the relentless pace until she spotted her dagger in the upper corner of the room. She reached down with her left hand, choked Gorstin, and summoned the wind behind the dagger to draw it toward her. It didn’t move much. Without a loud grunt, she forced it into her hand. She slid the dagger into his neck and continued choking him as she twisted the blade.

First, his grip on her arm faded. Then the struggling chokes subsided.

The mud around them retreated slightly, and Cadivus found that it no longer had its sticky nature. He crawled over to her, who was breathing heavily with a thousand-yard stare. She rubbed at her neck.

He gently grabbed her face.

“He’s gone. It’s over,” he repeated until her eyes met his.

She nodded and slowly stood, still taking deep breaths.

He hugged her muddy body. “Good work, bucko,” he said.

“Eh, it was okay. Not really a fan of getting my hands that dirty though!” a voice called out from behind them.

Chronic stood in one of the new openings made by the stampeding elk. On his finger, he spun a golden harmonica.

“Seems you're having a rough go at it. Having to be in front of me twice.” He stopped spinning the harmonica and grabbed it in his hand. “Won’t be a conspiracy this time at least. I’ll make sure to finish you off after.”

Ekio tapped Cadivus shoulder three times.

“Run!” he shouted as she tried to drag him outside. “No! Not me! Let go! Just run!”

“I’m not leaving you!” she shouted back as the tune played.

He struggled, but she dragged him out of the home.

Chronic finished his tune as the two left and turned the corner. He closed his eyes, flared his nostrils, and raised both of his fists in the air, setting off an explosion on the other side.