Valtin is burning. Or at least that’s what I think the first time I see it in the distance. Massive plumes of dark smoke rise over the city. As I fly closer, it becomes apparent the smoke comes from many towers spread through the city, rather than any actual fire.

The nearer I get, the fouler the stench of the air becomes. I would usually be attracted to the scent of burning coal, but there is something attached to the odour that makes me cringe in disgust.

It only took me a few hours to fly here. The winding roads continue through the nation, not limited to the border at the edge of Zadok. Mountainous landscape is hardly an issue when you can fly.

A train’s horn blares as it departs the city, heading north through a tunnel dug through the mountainside. Didn’t the Ursu claim to have created the train? How did they get their hands on it so far north? Wait, the Henosis had a perfect understanding on how to use them. Did they have them too?

I shake my head. It hardly matters if the ursu created the trains or not. I’m here to find my friends.

As I land on the ledge of a building, I look down on the people walking the dark streets. Albanics are still the predominant species, but there are others now. I spot a few of those strange six-limbed creatures and several other beings completely alien to me.

Near constant banging reverberates from all around, overwhelming the sounds common in other populated cities.

Under the smoke darkened sky, I’m far more visible than I want to be. Before anyone spots me, I find a secluded place and regain my legs.

I brush my hand against the wall of the alley as I come out, only to bring back a thick layer of black muck. I scorch the lingering substance off my hand and look up at the wall it came from. The entire building is coated in it. Not just that, every building is. Alright, no touching the walls then. I look down at the black road before me. Not the ground, either.

This is hardly what I imagined after all that talk of a better place to live than the dredges of Zadok.

It took a while to find Mr Marshall’s Mill. The people on the street weren’t particularly willing to help, often ignoring my questions outright. Eventually, I got an answer and made my way to one of the larger factories in the area. A long brickwork building with two massive chimneys on each side.

The air reeks with an intensifying musk as I close in on the mill. I don’t think I’ve ever smelt something I want to avoid burning as much as whatever is causing this stench. It’s like something rotten, but at least I would be fine with burning a decaying substance. This just makes me retch.

I try to ignore the scent as I walk through the gate into the premises. The gate guards barely pay me any mind. I find it odd that they sit facing the mill rather than outward, but I’m not here to judge how they do their job.

As I approach the entry where many people, adults and kids alike regularly pass through a narrow door, I feel tension rise within my chest. It’s the same as back at Finn’s fort. An irritating, illogical fear that I’ll be trapped once I walk inside the enclosed space of the building.

I stand there, garnering stares from the passing workers as I bemoan the ridiculousness of being unable to walk into the building. The door is made of wood; there’s no way it could stop me if I want to leave. I try to reason with myself, but the tension doesn’t disappear as I watch the door.

“Solvei? Solvei!” before I can turn to the voice, I’m tackled from behind.

“Oh Belobog, I’m so glad you’re okay. We thought the worst when you never caught up to us.” It’s Kerry.

I’m so happy to see her again. To know she is safe brings a smile to my face and I hug her back.

“C’mon, you have to see the others.”

Kerry pulls me by the arm around the back of the textile mill toward a small outbuilding in the corner of the fenced property. A couple metres from the door, I have to tug at her arm to stop her from bringing me any closer.

“Can you bring them out here? Please?” I ask, rubbing at my forearm.

She gives me a confused look before agreeing and entering through the door. In the moment I have to look through the gap, I’m horrified by the conditions within. Dozens of kids lay beside each other in the cramped confines of what I’d thought of as a storage shed. Most of them look no older than eight or nine.

It’s the filth inside that shocks me the most. That black muck I’ve seen through town is caked on every surface within. It’d be cleaner if they slept outside.

I don’t have to wait long. Soon, they are rushing outside. Even the twins, who I assumed didn’t really care for me considering our lack of interaction. I’m quick to notice Leslie isn’t there and while Ash and the twins hurry to crowd me, they look exhausted. Filthy too.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Solvei? You’re actually okay? Thank Be—”

“We knew you weren’t dead!” “We knew you were alive!” the twins say together as they crush me between them.

My smile is irremovable as we reunite. I feel bad that I thought they didn’t care. It’s a bit difficult to return the hug of the two taller boys, but I manage.

“You have to tell us what happened. Where have you been?” Ash speaks over the teary eyes of the twins.

I nod to him. “I will, but I want Leslie to be with us first. Where is she?”

The joy of the reunion wipes off his face, instead replaced by fatigue. His eyelids droop and arms seem to flop at his side as he looks toward the main building.

“She’s still working. They gave her more hours for an… outburst of hers a few days ago.” His eyes fall back on me before he frowns. “You should probably leave while you still can, too.”

“What are you talking about, Ash? If anyone can help us out of here, it’s Solvei.” Kerry glares at him before turning to me. “Right Solvei?”

I look between them, slightly confused.

Ash is about to respond, but is interrupted by another kid coming out through the door. “I know you lot are new, but you should really get inside before the overlooker comes out with his cane.”

The girl, likely the same age as me, has deep discolouration around her eye. Deep hues of purple and red dye the skin above her cheekbones. As I look closer over her body, I spot many other causes for concern. Her body is skinny, far too much to be healthy. Her fingers have a similar level of bruising to her eye. Scabs and scars cover each digit.

“Okay. We’re coming.” Ash says as he, Kerry, and the twins move back inside.

I lower my eyes to each of my friends’ hands, seeing much of the same bruising along their fingers. My jaw clenches and I have to focus to settle the sizzling within me.

Ash stops at the door. “Solvei, aren’t you coming in?”

I turn to the large adjacent building. “No. I think I’m going to have a little look around.”

“You can’t! You’ll get hurt.”

I give him a glare that makes him take a step back.

“Don’t get into trouble, okay? We still want to hear your story.” I ignore Ash and walk toward the mill.

I’d have to be blind not to notice the foul nature of this place, even if it wasn’t permeating the air. Horrid sleeping conditions, work that leaves them so exhausted, and the isolation and entrapment. Those guards were looking inward for a reason.

There are too many parallels to my time with Gloria.

I want to have a look at what it is they are doing inside the building. I’m still unable to just walk inside, but I should be able to get a decent idea looking through a window.

A huge machine takes up the entire open floor. From wall to wall is a large moving mechanism with thousands of strings connecting to other parts of the machine it moves back and forth from. Adults stand working on one side while the kids crawl after the moving apparatus under the suspended threads.

I watch for a while, but there are no breaks. They all just keep crawling back and forth, trying to keep their fingers away from the wheels that hold the machine. Eventually, one of the boys is unlucky; he screams over the constant banging within the building as he finches back, holding his fingers.

I can’t see their condition from where I am but despite the other people inside watching the kid who looks no older than nine holding himself in pain, none move to check on him. After only two rotations of the machine without the kid underneath, the threads stop moving.

A door slams open at the far end of the building and a man thunders down the aisle towards the boy. I can’t hear what he is yelling, but as soon as he reaches the kid, the man’s cane is already swinging.

I have to look away. My inner flame is already bubbling within me. Should I watch any longer, I fear my anger would explode to the surface. It truly pisses me off to see this happening and there isn’t a chance I’m leaving it as is.

I approach the front door and burn off its hinges. There’s no fear of entrapment when there’s no door to close. The people around say nothing, but move out of my way regardless.

As I step into the mill, the reek of the air almost sends me running back out. Whatever they are burning is disgusting. The heat inside is rather nice, but isn’t it too hot for albanics? Also, with the amount of dust floating about, I wouldn’t be surprised if the very air itself is flammable.

I rush over to where the man continues the pummelling of the young boy and stand between them. It’s a struggle to hold myself back from torching the man, but I’m worried that might send the whole building ablaze.

“Leave him be!” I stand before him with clenched fists as the heat within me does nothing but intensify.

The man is momentarily stunned by my presence, but is quick to regain his composure and scoff in my face.

“Who do you think you’re talking to, child? He’s not done his job properly, so he must be punished. As shall you for the backtalk.”

He raises his cane and swings it at me. I stare him dead in the eye as the stick passes right through my head. It’s hard to clamp down on my flame before it ignites the air, but I manage.

Shock and confusion are plastered on the man’s face. The first attempt isn’t enough of a warning for him, though. He tries to whack me again, only to receive the same outcome.

“Don’t you dare move! The owner will be out to deal with you in a moment,” the man declares as he scurries back the way he came.

Once he’s out of sight, I look down at the boy hugging himself on the floor with pity. This is horrible. Once I get everyone out of the building, I’ll burn it to the ground. First, I need to find Leslie.

Another door blocks the way to the stairs and with a careful application of cinders to the hinges so that only the wood of the door burns, I have another door lying on the ground. I don’t know what I’m gonna do if I need to enter a place that I can’t cause such property damage, but I’ll worry about it then.

I tear into the second floor and immediately spot her along the side wall. She looks far too tall to be crawling under the machine with the other kids. Leslie, of all people, I couldn’t imagine taking this sort of treatment sitting down. And of course, as I approach from her side, the consequence of her resistance becomes apparent.

A brace is locked around her leg, connected to the wall with an iron chain. Her back looks horrible, much of the cloth and skin is torn off in alarming gashes. She doesn’t notice me even as I stop behind her.

“Leslie…” I start. It’s hard to even look at her in this state.

She jerks at my voice. “Solvei?” she looks up at me. Before I can even process it, she has me in a death grip. Tears streak down her face as she presses into me.

“You’re here to get us out, right? You’ll save us,” she sobs.

Leslie was always such a strong person, never backing down from a fight, even against the adults we stole from. Now, she’s like a different person. To see her pleading for help like this is just wrong.

“Of course. Once everyone is out, this building is cinders. The people who did this to you will wish I was as quick when I deal with them.”