The first four days of our journey were rather pleasant, filled with conversation, laughter, and some light bickering. On the second day of travel, we passed a group of three Kurskins traveling in the opposite direction, but other than some suspicious glares, they had left us alone.

  It was on the fifth day of our journey when we ran into trouble.

  The morning started fine, though the road was growing rougher as we traveled. We were in that empty spot on the map, too far from any city for the roads to be maintained to any reasonable extent, and too few people around to justify building a roadside inn.

  The boys and I were in the back of the wagon today, and the ladies were in the driver's seat. Delen went about teaching Kitz math while I dozed under the tarp's shade. Rest had been hard to come by lately, and I relished every minute of blissful unconsciousness.

  I was deep in sleep and drooling on my arm when Delen woke me with a soft kick in the leg.

  I opened my eyes and was about to say something to him when I noticed his finger covering his lips. He wanted me to be quiet. Something was wrong.

  Then I heard the voices from outside the wagon.

  “Pardon the interruption, ladies,” a gruff voice said. It was coming from in front of the wagon. “But there’s been a lot of trouble on these roads lately, and while they’re in a sorry state, these are still the king’s roads, and while we may not be fighting that blasted war, we’re still the king’s men.”

  “I appreciate you fine gentlemen keeping these roads safe from bandits and unsavory types,” Tabby said. “Let me assure you that my companion and I are of no such persuasion.”

  I heard someone hock a loogie and spit, but it was off to the side. I wondered how many were out there and considered peeking past the tarp but decided against it. It wasn’t worth the risk. Best to let the women try to talk their way out of this before I get involved.

  “Ma’am,” the man replied. “I hold no such delusions. You seem like good folk. In fact, that’s why we stopped you. See, we're collecting taxes for the king. The crown needs money if we’re ever going to get these damned roads back in shape.”

  So, it was a shake-down. If we had to toss a few gold at them, that was fine with me. I just wanted to get moving.

  “We would, of course, gladly support King Constance,” Tabby said. I could practically hear the fake smile on her mouth. “Would two gold coins satisfy the king’s coffers?”

  He clicked his tongue. “Unfortunately, taxes have been raised rather high of late. Two gold ain’t gonna’ cut it.”

  “How much then? Tabby asked.

  “All of it,” he said. “And whatever we feel like taking from the back of your wagon.”

  “No,” Ersabet said, speaking for the first time. Her soft, liquid voice had been hardened into ice.

  “No?” The man laughed. “I know all you Dalari think you’re tough, but we’ve fought your type before, and you ain’t so tough when you’re outnumbered. Now, do as I say or I’m going to have to darken that shade of blue.”

  That confirmed my suspicions. These were deserters who had turned to banditry to survive. I didn’t blame them for leaving the army, but I couldn’t let them shake us down for everything we had. I stayed quiet and indicated for Delen and Kitz to do the same.

  “It is unwise to speak to your betters in such a disrespectful manner,’ Ersabet said coolly.

  I heard grumbling outside the wagon and some slight movement. My best guess was that there were six of them. They wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

  “Listen here, you blue freak,” the man said. “You’re going to do what we say, or we’ll make you regret it. Now get off that wagon and give us everything you’ve got. One wrong move and we gut the both of you.’’

  What’s it like out there, Val? I thought to my sentient map.

  “Seven men, armed with an assortment of weapons. They’re not much of a fighting force, but they’re still dangerous. All desperate men are.”

  “I will not leave this wagon,” Ersabet said from outside. “And if one of you lay a hand on my companion or me, I will remove the offending hand and force it down your throat.”

  “How ‘bout I just put this here crossbow bolt through your eye?” the man growled. It sounded like he meant it.

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  Sometimes Ersabet was a bit too proud for her own good. She’d risk death to avoid bending from her rigid self-ideals.

  “Stay here,” I whispered to Delen and Kitz. “I’m going to try to talk them down before Ersabet starts a fight.”

  “Good luck,” Delen said.

  I opened the flap and walked around the wagon and into view with my hands in the air. My cloak, armor, and weaponry were on full display, and I was more than happy to show them off.

  The deserter who noticed me first raised a stone hammer and pointed it in my direction.

  “Don’t move,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “Boss, we got another one.”

  By now, everyone, including the boss, was looking at me.

  “I’m just here to make sure we settle this peacefully.” I pointed to Ersabet. “I’ve been fighting a war against her people for months. She captured me, but instead of killing me, she showed mercy. Knowing how rough things can be for deserters, she offered to bring me to Nessa and get me set up with a merchant guild. She’s one of the good ones.”

  “That’s mighty fine of her,” the boss said. “But she still has taxes to pay. So do you, by the way.”

  Okay, maybe solidarity wasn’t going to work, but I gave it one last try. “Where’d you fight? My last battle was in Cedona Valley. It was bad,” I shrugged. “But I guess they’re all bad. At least for us humans.”

  “Where I fought don’t mean spit right now,” the boss said. “For pestering me, we’re taking the wagon too. Now, you ladies got one minute to climb out that wagon before we start killing. That clear?”

  “Very,” Ersabet said.

  I closed my eyes and sighed. I didn’t want this. These were humans. They weren’t innocent at this moment, but they were forced into this reality.

  Someone screamed, and my eyes opened back up. The boss had sunk into the ground up to his shoulders. Then a gust of wind formed into a violent, concentrated mini tornado that tossed two other men at least eight feet.

  Those left standing were in shock at what had just happened, and I took advantage. I used a simple distraction, which worked wonders: the man with the hammer jumped about 4 feet into the air and turned around, so that his back was completely behind me.

  I pulled out a dagger and threw it. It hit its mark; the blade embedded four inches deep into his left butt cheek. His scream made my ears ring, but I ignored it and sprinted toward the nearest man, who turned and ran when he saw me coming. The remaining men followed the runner, realizing that they were on the losing side of this fight.

  The two that were tossed by Ersabet’s cyclone were already coming back to their feet, so I tackled one to the ground and was pleased to see Ersabet take down the other shortly after. We hogtied them both and left them where they were.

  My next stop was to the guy I knifed in the butt. I kind of felt bad because I had aimed there on purpose. I didn’t want to hurt him too badly, but I needed to level up my Shurikenjutsu Competency, and I assumed flesh was worth a few more points to my next tier than throwing into a tree.

  Was that selfish of me? Yeah. Cruel? Maybe. But he was dangerous, and I made him un-dangerous without hurting him too badly.

  He was currently lying on his belly, reaching helplessly for the blade. I slapped one of his hands away, grabbed the blade, and ripped it out. He screamed like a stuck pig, but only for a few seconds this time.

  “Your friends ran off into the woods,” I said. “If you hobble after them, maybe they can stitch your ass back together.”

  He didn’t even thank me for pulling the knife out as he gingerly limped away.

  “Why let him go when you could just kill him?” Ersabet asked. “You need the experience.”

  “I’ve killed enough humans. I’ll do it if I must, but I’m not going to let this game take my humanity away again.”

  “Good luck with that.” Ersabet walked toward the man she had trapped in the earth. The poor guy was buried so deep that only his head was sticking out.

  He cussed at her, so she stepped over him, turned around, and crouched behind his head. She reached over and hooked his nostrils with her fingers. He squeaked as she lifted, pulling at his nose and forcing his eyes look to the sky.

  Ersabet leaned over him, blocking the sky from his view. “Your recent decisions have been very foolish. Perhaps we can change that trend. What is your name?”

  “Marshall,” he said. “Marshal Bronte.”

  “You were in the Kurskin army?” Ersabet asked.

  “Yes,” he said, eyes beginning to water from the pain.

  “Deserter?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Ersabet said. “The Kurskin are disgusting monsters. Here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to untie your friends, and they’ll spend the rest of the day digging you up. Maybe those who fled will come back to help. Either way, you’ll eventually be free. When you are, you will travel to Danver. There’s work there for you.”

  “What kind of work?” Marshall asked as if he had any say in the matter.

  “There was a fire in Danver. It was devastating, and the rebuilding efforts have only just begun. They need labor. Go now, and you’ll have work for the next year.”

  I found myself nodding my head in agreement. She wasn’t just letting them go. She was giving them a purpose.

  “If you do not go to Danver,” Ersabet continued. “And I discover that you have been preying on the innocent, I will hunt you down and kill you. Do we have a deal? Blink twice if the answer is yes.”

  I couldn’t see his face, but Ersabet released her hold on him. She stood and brushed her hands together. “We are in agreement. John, would you please go unbind the others?”

  I did as asked, shocked by how well this encounter ended. I also noticed that I didn’t receive any experience points. Those were only awarded when I killed someone, completed a quest, or discovered a location. Other situations granted experience, but those were the main three. I knew my Competencies were constantly leveling up in the background, but they didn’t have an experience bar to gauge my progress. I just had to do things often and eventually would reach a higher Competency Tier.

  The system encouraged killing. Murder was a marker for success. It was fucked up. Is this what happens to all civilizations when they reach their peak? When everyone can have whatever their heart desires, what else is there to want? Forbidden things would become most valuable. Evil things, like this fucking game.

  I explained the rules to the other two humans in case they didn’t hear Ersabet and sliced open their bindings. They did as told and remained in place until I was aboard the wagon. I joined Ersabet and Tabby on the driver’s bench. It was a tight squeeze, but we managed. Even if Marshall and his men did as they were told, there could be more danger on the road ahead. We needed to be cautious for a couple of days while we traveled through this empty part of the world.