4 Three Days
Kira took him to a shop called "The Broken Blade," which sold used equipment at prices even poor mercenaries could afford.
The owner was a wiry man with burn scars covering half his face. He looked Vex up and down with professional disinterest, then pointed at a rack of clothes near the back. "Kids section. Everything's five copper crescents unless marked otherwise."
Vex picked through the options with care. Most were worn, some were stained, but they were infinitely better than his torn nightclothes. He settled on practical traveling pants, a simple gray shirt, and a leather vest that was slightly too big but would fit better as he grew. Boots were trickier—the cheapest pair that fit cost eight coppers, which made Kira wince, but she paid without complaint.
"Consider it a loan," she said as they left the shop. "You'll pay me back once you start taking contracts."
"How much do contracts pay?"
"Depends on the job. Escort duty might net you five silver crescents for a week's work. Hunting down a wanted criminal could be fifty silver or more. Assassinations pay even better, but Velk doesn't let recruits take those until they've proven themselves." Kira led him through a maze of side streets. "The Gray Blades take a thirty percent cut of everything you earn, but in exchange, you get training, equipment maintenance, healing, and information. It's a good deal if you survive long enough to benefit from it."
They stopped at a street vendor selling skewered meat, and Kira bought them both lunch. The meat was tough and heavily spiced, but Vex devoured it. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until food appeared.
"So what's the initiation trial?" he asked between bites.
"No idea. Velk changes it every time. Last batch had to survive three days in the Rust Maze—that's a section of the city that's basically a giant deathtrap of collapsing buildings and territorial gangs. The batch before that had to fight each other in single combat until only half remained." Kira's expression darkened. "The batch I was supposed to join had to retrieve an item from a Folded Space—that's a pocket dimension that doesn't follow normal physics. Three of them never came back. Just vanished."
"Encouraging."
"The point isn't to pass. The point is to see how you handle pressure, fear, and violence. Velk doesn't care if you fail as long as you fail with dignity. Show cowardice, though, and she'll blacklist you from every mercenary company in Merzhan."
They finished eating and continued walking. Kira gave him a tour of the Rust Quarter, pointing out important landmarks. The public well where water was free but fights broke out daily. The Temple of Forgotten Gods where you could sleep on the floor if you had nowhere else to go. The Guttermarket where stolen goods were bought and sold without questions asked.
"Stay away from the eastern edge," Kira warned. "That's where the flesh markets operate. They trade in slaves, mostly children. The city guard pretends not to notice because half of them are on the traders' payroll."
Vex filed that information away. Someday, when he had power, he'd burn the flesh markets to the ground. Not out of morality—he didn't have that luxury—but because slavery was inefficient. Dead slaves couldn't buy things or contribute to society. It was wasteful.
But that was a problem for future Vex.
They returned to the Gray Blades headquarters as evening fell. Kira showed him to a small room on the third floor—barely more than a closet with a cot and a tiny window. "Recruits' quarters. Not much, but it's yours until you either join officially or fail the trial. Toilet's down the hall. Breakfast is at dawn in the common room. Don't be late."
"Thank you," Vex said, and he meant it. Kira had given him more than he'd had any right to expect.
"Don't thank me yet. Get some sleep. Tomorrow we start preparing."
She left, closing the door behind her.
Vex sat on the cot, which was harder than it looked, and stared at the tiny window. Through it, he could see a slice of Merzhan's night sky—brilliant with stars and the glow of artificial lights from the city below. Somewhere out there, beyond this continent, the Crimson Spire stood. Lord Kaine lived in luxury, probably already forgetting about the Kareth family he'd ordered destroyed. The Executor who'd watched Vex's home burn was likely training new killers, teaching them efficiency and cruelty.
They thought he was dead or soon would be.
They were wrong.
Vex lay back on the cot and closed his eyes, but sleep didn't come immediately. His mind churned with plans, possibilities, and problems. He was twelve years old, alone, and surrounded by killers who would gut him without hesitation if he showed weakness. The initiation trial would likely try to kill him. Even if he passed, the training would be brutal.
But he'd survived this long. He'd walked through the Ashwood Forest, crossed between dimensions, and impressed a mercenary commander who'd seen a thousand broken souls.
He could do this.
He had to do this.
Because somewhere in his fragmented memories of the Fold Gate crossing, he'd seen himself standing atop that mountain of corpses, wearing crimson robes, smiling at the ruins of his enemies.
That future existed as a possibility.
Vex intended to make it reality.
The next three days passed in a blur of preparation.
Kira woke him before dawn each morning and dragged him to an empty training yard behind the headquarters. There, she drilled him relentlessly on basics. Stance. Footwork. Blocks. Strikes. Nothing fancy, nothing advanced, just the fundamental building blocks of combat repeated until his muscles remembered them without thinking.
"You're not trying to become a master swordsman in three days," she explained, correcting his grip for the hundredth time. "You're trying to not look like a complete amateur. There's a difference."
Vex learned quickly. His old combat instructor had given him a foundation, and his natural coordination filled in the gaps. By the second day, his movements started to flow. By the third, Kira nodded approvingly.
"Not bad. You're still green as grass, but you won't embarrass yourself. Probably."
Between training sessions, Vex explored Merzhan. The city was a living textbook on the Fold Realms, and he absorbed information like a sponge. He learned that the Seven Great Powers—the Crimson Spire, the Azure Court, the Sovereign Order, the Void Collective, the Golden Throne, the Eternal Archive, and the Shattered Crown—controlled most of the known continents through a combination of military might, economic control, and monopolies on certain types of power.
He learned that the Fold Gates had been built by the Ancestors, a civilization so advanced they'd treated reality like clay. They'd vanished ten thousand years ago, leaving behind their gates, their Relic Technology, and ruins scattered across a thousand continents. Nobody knew what happened to them. Some said they'd ascended to godhood. Others believed they'd destroyed themselves. A few claimed they were still out there, watching from beyond the voids between worlds.
He learned that power in the Fold Realms came in many forms. Bloodline Abilities—inherited powers passed through families, ranging from minor enhancements to reality-warping capabilities. Fold Magic—the art of bending the fabric of reality itself, requiring years of study and dangerous practice. Martial Cultivation—training the body beyond human limits through specific techniques and meditations. Relic Technology—ancient devices from the Ancestors that could do anything from healing wounds to leveling cities. And stranger things still—pacts with entities from other dimensions, symbiotic relationships with parasitic organisms that granted power at a cost, alchemical enhancements that transformed the body itself.
The Kareth family had no Bloodline Ability. They'd been merchants, wealthy but ultimately powerless. That's why they'd died.
Vex would not make the same mistake.
On the evening of the second day, he met the other recruits.
There were eleven of them, gathered in the common room for a mandatory dinner. They ranged from fifteen to twenty-two years old, and they all looked at Vex like he was a particularly interesting insect.
"That's the kid?" said a tall boy with a shaved head and tribal tattoos covering his arms. "He looks like he's twelve."
"Thirteen," Kira said firmly, sitting beside Vex. "And he's here, same as you, so show some respect."
The boy snorted but didn't push it.
The recruits were a diverse group. There was the tattooed boy, whose name was Grath. Twin sisters named Mira and Sera who moved with identical grace. A stocky girl called Fen who had a blacksmith's build and a permanent scowl. A nervous boy named Jorel who jumped at every loud noise. Others whose names Vex didn't bother remembering yet—he'd learn them if they survived.
They ate in tense silence, everyone sizing each other up. These were potential allies but also potential threats. In three days, some of them would die. The rest would be comrades or competitors, depending on how the trial went.
"So what's your story, kid?" Grath asked eventually, his tone making it clear he expected something entertaining.
"Family died. Joined up." Vex kept his voice neutral. "Same as half the people here, probably."
"Cold." Mira—or maybe Sera, Vex couldn't tell them apart yet—smiled approvingly. "I like him."
"Don't get attached," the other twin said. "Small ones always die first in the trials."
"Not always," Fen rumbled. "Sometimes they're smart enough to hide while the big idiots kill each other."
"Are you calling me an idiot?" Grath's hand dropped to the knife at his belt.
"I'm calling you big. The idiot part is just observation."
Tension crackled across the table. Vex watched with interest as Grath and Fen stared at each other, both clearly calculating whether a fight was worth it. Finally, Grath laughed and relaxed.
"Fair enough. We're all idiots for signing up with the Gray Blades anyway."
The tension broke, and conversation resumed. Vex listened more than he spoke, learning what he could about each recruit. Grath was from a warrior tribe on the outer continents, sent to bring honor to his family. The twins were street rats from Merzhan's lower districts, looking for a way up and out. Fen was a blacksmith's daughter who'd killed her abusive father and needed to disappear. Jorel had gambling debts and creditors who wanted his fingers.
Everyone had a story. Everyone had a reason.
Vex's was simpler than most: he wanted power, and the Gray Blades were a stepping stone toward getting it.
After dinner, Kira pulled him aside. "Tomorrow's the trial. Get a full night's sleep. Eat a big breakfast. Whatever Velk throws at you, remember—she's not trying to kill you specifically. She's testing everyone equally. Stay smart, stay aware, and don't do anything stupid."
"What counts as stupid?"
"Heroics. Self-sacrifice. Trusting people too quickly." Kira met his eyes seriously. "You're twelve years old, Vex. In a group of older, stronger recruits. They're going to see you as weak, and some of them will try to use you—either as bait, a meat shield, or a sacrifice. Don't let them."
"I won't."
"Good." She squeezed his shoulder. "I've got a good feeling about you, kid. Don't make me regret it."
That night, Vex lay in his cot and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow would determine his immediate future. Pass, and he'd have access to training, resources, and connections. Fail, and he'd be back on the streets, alone and vulnerable.
He couldn't afford to fail.
He wouldn't fail.
Sleep came eventually, and with it, dreams of burning estates, crimson robes, and a future written in blood and ash.
Dawn came too quickly.
Vex woke to someone pounding on his door. "Recruits to the common room! Now!"
He dressed quickly in his new clothes, splashed water on his face from the basin in the corner, and hurried downstairs. The other recruits were already gathering, looking various degrees of nervous or excited. Kira stood near the back, giving him an encouraging nod.
Commander Velk stood at the front of the room, arms crossed, her scarred face unreadable. Behind her, three other Gray Blades stood—senior members, judging by their equipment and the casual confidence in their postures.
"Listen up," Velk said, her voice cutting through the nervous chatter. "Today is your initiation trial. You'll be transported to a location outside the city. Your objective is simple: survive for twenty-four hours and return here. That's it. Survive and come back."
"What about the ones who don't make it?" Grath asked.
"We'll recover the bodies if we can. If we can't…" Velk shrugged. "Well, that's the risk you took when you signed up."
Nervous murmurs rippled through the recruits.
"You'll be working in teams of two," Velk continued. "I've already assigned partners based on complementary skills. When I call your names, stand together."
She started reading from a list. Grath was paired with Fen. The twins were together, obviously. Jorel got paired with a quiet girl named Ash.
"Vex," Velk said, and Vex's stomach tightened. "You're with Kane."
A boy stepped forward from the back of the group. He was maybe sixteen, lean and wiry, with dark hair and darker eyes. He looked at Vex without expression, then nodded once.
Vex nodded back. At least his partner didn't seem immediately hostile.
"Your transport leaves in ten minutes," Velk said. "Grab any supplies you need from the equipment room. You get one weapon each, one waterskin, and basic rations. Everything else, you improvise. Questions?"
"Where are we going?" Sera—or Mira—asked.
Velk smiled, showing teeth. "The Bleaklands. A lovely spot about fifty miles north. Dead continent, harsh environment, crawling with things that want to eat you. Should be fun."
The Bleaklands. Even Vex had heard of them—a continent that had died centuries ago when something had corrupted its Fold Gate. The land itself was poisonous, the water undrinkable, and the native wildlife had mutated into aggressive, nightmare creatures. It was used as a dumping ground for criminals and a training ground for suicidal idiots.
Perfect.
"Move," Velk barked, and the recruits scattered toward the equipment room.
Vex followed his new partner, Kane, who moved with economical efficiency. The equipment room was organized chaos—weapons on one wall, supplies on another, armor in the back. Kane grabbed a short sword and a waterskin without hesitation, then turned to Vex.
"You know how to use a blade?"
"Basics."
"Good enough. Take something light. If we run into trouble, you're the distraction while I do the actual fighting."
Vex's pleasant smile never wavered, but he filed that information away. So Kane saw him as disposable. That was fine. People underestimating him was an advantage.
He selected a long knife—not quite a sword, but more reach than a dagger. It felt balanced in his hand, comfortable. He grabbed a waterskin and a pouch of dried rations, then followed Kane back to the common room.
The other teams were assembling. Grath and Fen looked ready to murder each other already. The twins moved in perfect synchronization, which was eerie. Jorel was pale and shaking.
"Transport's here," one of the senior Gray Blades announced, jerking his thumb toward the door.
Outside, a large wagon waited, pulled by six of those strange six-legged horses. The recruits climbed in, sitting on benches along the sides. Velk and two senior members climbed into the front.
"Twenty-four hours," Velk called back as the wagon started moving. "Try not to die too quickly. It's embarrassing for the rest of us."
The wagon rolled through Merzhan's streets, out through the north gate, and onto a road that led into increasingly barren territory. The vibrant city gave way to scrubland, then to rocky wasteland. After about three hours, Vex saw it in the distance—the Bleaklands.
The continent was gray. Not the healthy gray of the Ashwood Forest, but a diseased, dying gray that looked wrong even from miles away. The sky above it was darker, the clouds thicker. Even the air tasted different as they approached—bitter and metallic.
The wagon stopped at the edge of the Bleaklands, where healthy land met dead.
"Everybody out," Velk ordered.
The recruits climbed down, looking at the wasteland with varying degrees of horror or determination. Up close, the Bleaklands were worse. The ground was cracked and dry, dotted with twisted vegetation that looked more like tumors than plants. In the distance, Vex could see the ruins of what had once been a city, now just broken spires reaching toward the poisoned sky.
"Your twenty-four hours start now," Velk said, checking a pocket watch. "There's a marker five miles into the Bleaklands—a red stone tower. Reach it, take a token from the supply cache there, and return here by this time tomorrow. Teams that return with their token pass. Teams that don't, fail. Teams that don't return at all…" She smiled grimly. "Well, I hope you made peace with your gods."
"What's in the Bleaklands besides us?" Fen asked.
"Poison Jackals. Spine Worms. Occasionally a Rust Drake if you're really unlucky. The land itself will try to kill you—the water's toxic, the plants are venomous, and if you're not careful, you'll fall into sinkhole pits that go down for miles." Velk gestured at the wasteland. "It's a charming place. Try to enjoy it."
She pulled out a whistle and blew it once, sharp and clear.
"Go."
The teams scattered into the Bleaklands like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
Vex and Kane ran together, heading northeast toward where the red tower presumably waited. Behind them, Vex heard shouts and the sound of people already splitting up or arguing. Ahead, the Bleaklands stretched out like a corpse waiting to claim more bodies.
Kane set a brutal pace, apparently unconcerned whether Vex could keep up. Vex pushed himself, his new boots pounding against cracked earth, his breath coming hard but steady. The air tasted worse the deeper they went—like metal and rot mixed together.
After about a mile, Kane slowed, scanning their surroundings. The ruins were closer now, empty windows staring at them like dead eyes.
"We're being followed," Kane said quietly.
Vex had noticed ten minutes ago but hadn't said anything. "How many?"
"Two. Staying about fifty yards back."
"Other recruits?"
"Probably. Either looking to team up or planning to rob us." Kane's hand dropped to his sword. "We lose them or confront them. Your choice."
Vex thought about it. Confrontation meant potential combat, which meant risk. But running meant showing weakness, and weakness invited more attacks.
"Confront them," Vex said. "But let them make the first move."
Kane gave him an approving look. "Smart. Come on."
They continued walking but slower now, watching for their followers. After another few minutes, two figures emerged from behind a collapsed building—the twins, Mira and Sera, moving with that same eerie synchronization.
"Fancy meeting you here," one of them said, smiling. "Mind if we travel together? Safety in numbers and all that."
Kane studied them coldly. "What's your angle?"
"No angle. Just practical thinking." The other twin gestured at the wasteland around them. "Four people survive better than two. We help each other get to the tower, get the tokens, get back. Everyone wins."
It was a reasonable proposal. It was also probably a trap.
"What's to stop you from taking our tokens once we have them?" Vex asked.
The twins looked at each other, then back at him, their smiles widening.
"Nothing," they said in unison. "But what's to stop you from taking ours?"
Fair point.
Kane looked at Vex, clearly leaving the decision to him. Interesting. Maybe his partner wasn't quite as dismissive as he'd first seemed.
Vex considered the options. Four people did survive better than two in hostile territory. But the twins were clearly dangerous, clearly coordinated, and clearly had their own plans. Trusting them would be stupid.
But using them? That might be smart.
"Fine," Vex said. "We travel together until we get the tokens. After that, everyone goes their own way. Deal?"
The twins exchanged another look, that strange wordless communication that only twins seemed capable of.
"Deal," they said together.
The four of them continued into the Bleaklands, an alliance of convenience that would last exactly as long as it benefited everyone involved.
Vex kept his hand near his knife and his awareness sharp.
The trial had begun.
[End of Chapter 4]