Fiyu was doing her best to give Deuxan the benefit of the doubt, but it was still a blinding hellscape during the day.

The sun itself was abominable, though not as bad as the one on Tatian and rendered tolerable by Companion Theo's shielding chamber. What truly offended her was the way every surface was constructed from such bright materials, all of which conspired to redirect the sunlight directly into her eyes. Fiyu readjusted her mask and pulled the curtain within her soulhome tight, but it was always going to be miserably bright.

What frustrated her more was that the city was clearly ruled by complex social rules and no one would explain them to her. Tatians were simple: they would smile too much and surround you and try to touch you. It was distressing but not particularly malicious. But here on Deuxan, every detail of clothing and stance held great meaning and they seemed offended if someone didn't understand.

As Companion Nauda negotiated trades with others in the market, Fiyu managed to unravel a few details. The Deuxans wore their clothing as carefully as anyone on Ichil, with heavy badges positioned to indicate different positions in society. Fiyu was uncertain about the meaning of the colors, which appeared hazy through her mask, but she thought she understood the beginnings of the system. She had also come to comprehend that they used physical stances differently: she saw embraces that looked appropriate only for family, but both sides held their core muscles stiff, as if engaged in a conflict.

"You truly won't accept any assistance?" Companion Nauda had been attempting to negotiate work with a representative of one of the local groups, who now shook his head.

"The Evigne family cannot afford to look weak now, of all times. Our offer is not open to outsiders."

"But if you truly need to hire rangers, then you need the help more than ever." Though Companion Nauda kept her facial muscles fixed in a smile, Fiyu had come to realize that the back of her neck tightened as she grew frustrated. "We have significant experience at such ranging, and it would benefit us both."

"Your generosity is most welcome, but the Evigne family is not in a position to grant even one side of a deal to outsiders. If you are confused about court politics, there are many books available for you to edify yourself."

Companion Nauda's neck tightened further and her smile broadened. "Even granting your knowledge on fumbling outsiders is generosity I would not expect from such a noble family. Thank you for setting me straight."

Fiyu looked back and forth between them, hoping that she understood the truth beneath their words. Though she occasionally heard the words of others in different inflections, she understood that this was a translation in her soul and their languages were troublingly free of inflectional classes. On Ichil, rudeness was performed with clear linguistic signs, but on Deuxan it appeared they preferred to cast dire insults in the form of kind words. It was subtly different from the odd "lyingwit" that Companions Nauda and Theo used at times, and she thought more maliciously intended.

"Let's go, Fiyu." As she turned back, Companion Nauda's hand moved toward her and shifted mid-motion, instead waving for her to follow. Fiyu took hold of Nauda's sleeve to calm her and spoke in a low voice as they walked from the market.

"You are upset. They were insulting in their refusal?"

"It isn't that, it's how every one of these families is focused on themselves above all." Once they got a short distance away, Companion Nauda rubbed her forehead with one hand. "It's my fault, for assuming that their ideas about community or family would be anything like normal. They don't care about anything else."

"Is that so upsetting?" Fiyu tilted her head to the side, shifting her perception to analyze Companion Nauda's signals better. "It is good to help others, but I would risk my life for you or Theo, and I would not go to the same extent for strangers. You are traveling companions, so you deserve more."

"Oh, it's my fault for making assumptions. Wait, where did Senka get to?"

"I... do not know. I attempted to keep her nearby in the market, but she wandered into a crowd."

After a brief pause, Nauda unclenched her shoulders and some of the tension passed from her. "Well, she'll have to take care of herself, if she wants to wander off. Let's go find out if they have any suitable vehicles available."

While they traveled to the next market, Fiyu puzzled over how she should best help Companion Nauda after the angering encounter. An Ichili would need distance and peace, but Fiyu thought that Tatians desired community and warmth. Fiyu considered raising a hand to touch her arm, like Companion Theo did so easily, but she knew that her attempt would be artificial and might make things more uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the vehicle market proved to be a better environment for them both. Though it seemed that the noble families sponsored and favored various workshops that built them, they were not present in great numbers, so Nauda was able to relax. The density of people was still too high for Fiyu, but here she finally found a reasonable market.

On Tatian and even at the earlier markets, everyone yelled about prices, uttering words that should have started wars just to negotiate a slightly lower price. Based on how Companion Nauda had relaxed, it was only another verbal game, but Fiyu would never been comfortable with the process. In addition to that, Tatian had a confusing quantity of different coins.

Here, each of the vehicles was labeled with a clear price on a small card, almost like a good Ichili market. This struck Fiyu as very honest, because otherwise the merchant could tell one price to one person and another price to another, which wasn't fair at all. Here, not only was the price of everything known in a simple currency called Silver Crowns, many of the vehicles were familiar to her, so she eagerly set about understanding the local market.

Though most sold wagons and carts, Fiyu passed by those as inadequate for their purposes. The minimally adequate sledge that could travel on rough Tatian ground cost roughly fifty Silver Crowns, depending on the exact style. Some were cheaply made and others covered in fanciful golden embossing, but she found well-crafted sledges for that price.

However, she thought that her companions wanted a vehicle that could carry them at speed, and without a beast of burden that would require food and care. The very smallest variety she discovered was a toboggan made with sublime materials that would hover, which cost over a thousand Silver Crowns. It was so small they would have to bunch together unacceptably close.

Beyond that, Deuxan seemed to favor more elaborate sleighs, which made her wonder if they could have snow in such a warm place. A floating sleigh with enough room for all of them would cost at least two thousand, with others that had offensive or shielding armaments available for up to five thousand. Fiyu discovered steadily more elaborate and expensive sleighs, but though the prices mounted from ten thousand Silver Crowns to twenty five thousand and even higher, she didn't understand why anyone would spend so much for no functional improvement.

"I suppose they're a status symbol here," Companion Nauda said as they looked at a particularly expensive sleigh. "Only a noble family could afford something this expensive."

Fiyu shook her head. "I do not understand why they would. They could purchase an equivalent vehicle of similar quality for a far smaller price."

"It's about proving their wealth, not function. You would never do something like this on Tatian, but they still have games of status. The quality sleighs are already too expensive for most, but those who can afford it want to prove even tiny differences between them."

"But we do not need to do that. I think that we could purchase an adequate sleigh for 2000 Silver Crowns. Do we have enough?"

Nauda gave her a strange look, then only some of her facial muscles shifted in an unusual smile. "Fiyu... even after selling what we don't need, we have about seven Silver Crowns. That's enough for food and lodging, not anything like this."

"Oh, I see." Though Fiyu was deeply disappointed, she struggled to find a smile to encourage Companion Nauda. "Now I understand why you have been seeking work at every location. Surely we could find employment as guards or demon hunters."

"We could do at least as well as other first tier soulcrafters, but everything is tied to community politics here. Some of the dangerous jobs require an Archcrafter and wouldn't even consider us. We would have more options if I ascended, but I don't want to risk destroying sublime materials in a failed attempt..."

"How long do you think it would take us to earn enough money by working normal jobs?"

"Half a year? Even more? Too long. Everyone seems to be talking about an upcoming hunt as a way to win money, but I don't know about the rules and it seems tied to these noble families. We might be able to earn more, but it could also draw us into further problems."

"Let us find a place to rest." Fiyu caught the edge of Companion Nauda's sleeve and this time pulled her into the terrible crowd. "We can restore ourselves, find Theo, and do some soulcrafting. Perhaps a better solution will become clear from a new vantage point."

Though Nauda's head shifted after her oddly, she responded with warm thanks and followed her. They left the sledge market and entered another one of the horribly packed streets, but at that moment Fiyu felt a gap in the density of the city. She sought it out and the space became clearer in her senses: a small circle of grass set apart from the rest of the city, with a bench for resting and even a tree for shade. Since it was unoccupied, she guided them toward it.

Fiyu was uncertain why all of the Deuxans were ignoring the empty bench, but they seemed very serious and determined to reach their next destinations. The important thing was that Companion Nauda sat down and the tense muscles in her body began to relax. It was also pleasantly shaded beneath the tree, but Fiyu would have braved even the Tatian sun if it helped her.

Before they could speak again, a small form moved toward them at high speed. Fiyu experienced a brief moment of alarm before the exact dimensions proved it to be Child Senka. The small being ran up to them carrying something, only to trip and fall directly on her face.

"Fenka ftho-" Child Senka spat out a cobblestone and triumphantly raised a filthy sack. "Senka found something!"

"What's this?" Companion Nauda took the cloth gingerly, but her distaste vanished when she began counting the rings of silver within. "This is... almost twenty five Silver Crowns. Where did you find this?"

"Senka found it in the city, silly gurfoop!"

"What I mean is: did you 'find' it in someone's pockets?"

Child Senka stared at them, utterly uncomprehending. It was possible that she had indeed stolen the coins, but Fiyu couldn't find it in herself to incriminate the child. Whatever world she came from, she radiated an aura of cheerful innocence that Fiyu found calming. For some reason, Companion Theo disliked her, but other than occasional noisiness, Fiyu enjoyed her presence.

"Do you think we need to do something about this?" Companion Nauda glanced over at Fiyu with a sour expression, already hiding the money in the cloth again. "Everyone takes offense so easily here, I could see this getting us into trouble."

"I do not think Senka has any great skill with theft," Fiyu said, "so perhaps she found coins that had fallen on the street."

"Senka did her best!"

No one appeared to be chasing her and the small space remained peaceful, so they eventually accepted the good fortune. Child Senka crawled onto one side of the bench and curled up to sleep, so Fiyu reached over to stroke her hair. It was said that children needed an unnatural amount of touch in their early years, so whatever her origin, perhaps she still required it.

Though Child Senka seemed to enjoy the touch, Fiyu noticed that she almost never embraced back. It made the childcare far less draining for her, but she wondered if something had happened in Child Senka's past to make her afraid of others. Occasionally when Fiyu's back was turned, she felt Senka's muscles shift to an uneasy wariness.

At the moment, however, everyone was at peace. Fiyu had been thinking about her soulhome during all their travels, so she drifted inside to continue her work. The only brute force work that remained was refining the exterior of the tower, so what she truly needed was insight to improve her inner chambers. She thought that she had a new...

She felt heavy footsteps of soulcrafters and left her soulhome immediately, ready to attack.

A group of eleven walked toward them: three Archcrafters, six first-tier soulcrafters, and two others. All wore Deuxan robes, though she noted visually that one appeared to be Tatian. The man who walked at the head of the group had a pair of gauntlets hanging around his neck, heavy enough to be an armament. Many of the others carried weapons, some at their side and some merely hard elements hidden within their clothes.

Though Fiyu did not consider herself an expert with expressions, she was fairly certain they were unhappy. One of the Archcrafters, a muscular man who shadowed the apparent leader, took a step toward them and struck the base of his pike on the ground.

"Are you seeking death? Why insult the Armeau family like this?"

Immediately Fiyu went completely still, only just preventing herself from slipping into her stealth technique. She was uncertain what the insult could possibly have been, but recognized that they had stumbled into a dangerous social situation. With no experience in this environment, she froze and hoped that Companion Nauda could guide them through.

"We meant no offense." Nauda rose to her feet, placed her staff in a nonchalant position, but her fingers remained tense, ready to wield it as a weapon. "I'm afraid I don't even understand what we've done to insult your family."

"You think a bench is just set in the middle of the city for anyone to sit on?"

Companion Nauda hesitated for just a moment, and Fiyu surmised that she had thought that too, since it seemed senseless to leave a resource unused. Though Companion Nauda was usually much swifter than Fiyu with such things, her moment of confusion was instantly set upon by the group, and it looked as though they would descend and tear her to social pieces.

Before they could, the leader of the group made a calming gesture. Unlike all of the others, his body was completely relaxed, with no outrage real or feigned in his muscles. "I'll forgive them this time, Delarde," Stranger Leader said. "They look like they're far from home, no doubt confused and weary. The Armeau family has enough surplus to be generous."

"You're fortunate." Stranger Delarde stepped back and returned his pike to his side, while Stranger Leader gave them an odd smile. Before he could say more, however, the one Tatian woman stepped up beside him.

"Being foreigners doesn't give them the right to take anything they want. My family would never have done such a thing, not even in our first days here." She focused on Companion Nauda, the muscles in her legs set to advance. "Be cautious, Esaire. If you don't watch them, Tatians will take everything."

"I'll remember your warning, but I don't think they mean any harm." Stranger Leader Esaire gave an expansive shrug that felt like a clearly practiced motion, though Fiyu was just happy that he seemed unlikely to initiate violence. "My father spent time on Ichil, and he said their dark world has little time for our niceties. No doubt the Ichili lady is simply very tired."

Fiyu nodded, but to her surprise Stranger Delarde growled at her. "So exhausted that she can't even hear?"

"I am tired, but not s-" Fiyu cut off as Companion Nauda tugged on her sleeve, pulling her up. Once on her feet, Fiyu felt the slight easing of tension and realized that they must have wanted her to get off the bench. She didn't think it was at all fair of them to have expected her to understand that, but remained silent.

"We've just arrived in your city," Companion Nauda said, "and we are still finding our way. Thank you for your understanding."

"It's no trouble at all. If Armeau isn't strong enough to welcome strangers, who is?" Stranger Leader Esaire gave them another smile, and there was some sort of tension, but Fiyu wasn't sure she understood it. "The two of you seem to be soulcrafters, so perhaps you might even join us in s-"

"That's her!" Abruptly the last Archcrafter in the group shoved a finger toward Nauda. "That's the Tatian who tried to stop me from completing my assignment!"

Fiyu flinched as she finally recognized him, remembering his anger on the road. Companion Nauda set her feet differently and several in the group of strangers shifted in response, but once again Stranger Leader Esaire raised a hand to hold them back. This time, it seemed that Stranger Delarde actively seethed at the command.

"No doubt only another misunderstanding, and as you said, they didn't stand in your way. Perhaps we should formally introduce ourselves and move past such problems." The leader gave a sweeping bow that sent the half-cape on his shoulder flaring. "My name is Esaire ai Armeau. And you are?"

Companion Nauda remained silent, but Fiyu felt certain that she understood this formula, so she spoke up. "My name is Fiyu ai Ichil. I did not mean to steal your bench."

"No trouble at all. And your companion?"

This time when Companion Nauda smiled, Fiyu felt the tiny ripples of smaller muscles moving as well. "My name is Nauda ai Tatian, and I-"

"Liar!" With that cry, the Tatian woman lashed out, flinging a wooden sphere directly at them. Companion Nauda knocked it aside with her staff, all relaxation vanishing, but they only stared at her as she fumed. "You have nothing to do with our family, and no right to claim otherwise!"

"I meant no offense, I only thought..."

"You knew exactly what you were doing, claiming to be part of our family. Just who sent you? They think they can undermine us after so long?"

Though forbearing tension had been building up in Companion Nauda's body, she now released some by stamping one sandal against the ground. "I don't know anything about your family! I may have misspoken, but I-"

"Hold." Stranger Leader Esaire raise a hand, immediately cutting off both of them. "Hauloe, is this really a matter of your honor? A duel is your right, if you want one, but this is your countrywoman... don't you have a more Tatian way of resolving your differences?"

Some of the others in the group laughed inexplicably. Stranger Hauloe immediately shifted her weight, though Fiyu thought that it was an affectation. She stepped beside Companion Nauda and swung her hip against the other woman, sliding an arm around her waist.

"I suppose we could. You said your name was Nauda? Perhaps you wanted to actually join our family?" She spoke with an excessively personal tone and many of the others laughed, despite a lack of apparent humor.

As Companion Nauda stiffened, Fiyu stared and wished that she could be certain how to act. Was this appropriate behavior? In her experience Tatians touched one another an alarming amount for all manner of reasons and this might be merely another case. She was already troubled and confused by the conversation and didn't want to make things any worse with further misunderstandings.

Yet other details couldn't allow her to relax. Though Companion Theo often touched Companion Nauda's back, when he did so, her muscles eased slightly, but now, her entire posture stiffened. There was also a sexual element to the touch that had never been present before, and though Fiyu was still young and the subject baffled her, she had very strong feelings about unwanted touch.

"Let go of her." Fiyu stepped forward, letting her hands fall to her sides.

"This has nothing to do with you, outsider." Adversary Hauloe sneered at her, but Companion Nauda took the moment to step out of her grip. The other Tatian woman cracked the knuckles of one hand and drew cantae from her soulhome. "If you feel so strongly about it, then I'll challenge you."

"Ha!" Adversary Delarde seemed to find the entire thing very funny and clapped his hands together vigorously. "Not the duel I expected, but I'll take it! Enough talking, let's settle this like civilized soulcrafters."

Fiyu took a deep breath and began to gather cantae, despite the odds, but to her surprise the whole group shifted to herd her in another direction. She had heard the word "duel" but still assumed that they would set upon them using their superior numbers. As they walked across the city, she remembered what Companion Theo had told them about concepts of honor on Deuxan.

It struck her as a strange tactic. Though Fiyu lacked Companion Nauda's ability to peer deeper into soulhomes, she thought herself an adequate judge at a glance. The Archcrafter they had confronted previously had a poorly-crafted soulhome, along with several of the others, but the Tatian woman and the other two Archcrafters felt formidable. Stranger Leader Esaire in particular possessed a soulhome with two full floors built from shining silver, an unbeatable opponent for any of them.

As they walked, Companion Nauda came up beside her, but Fiyu spoke first. "I am sorry, Nauda. I did not intend to cause offense and lead us to problems."

"It's not you, Fiyu. They came here looking for a fight and they just needed a justification. This Hauloe especially has something she needs to prove."

"This is to be... a duel? Like at Myufuru?"

"I'm not sure." Companion Nauda chewed her lower lip and looked around them as if desiring to escape the Deuxan group. "I wish Jake had gotten back first. He said that he needed to learn more about how duels work here. I guess we could have used that lesson too."

The use of Companion Theo's travel name reminded Fiyu that they had more than a simple fight at stake. Though their mysterious enemy no longer seemed to be looking for them, she knew that she needed to be careful. Use of her primary skill could cause damage that might offend the Deuxans further, so perhaps the best strategy would be to force her opponent from the ring.

Though the group of Deuxans laughed and jested on their journey, they didn't attempt to talk to Fiyu. She looked for allies, but only spotted Child Senka, who had hidden herself remarkably well on their arrival and now followed at a distance. It seemed that she would need to bear the burden of this duel alone.

Before Fiyu could grow comfortable with that idea, they arrived at their destination: another empty courtyard, this one marked by a circle inscribed on the ground. Because Adversary Hauloe moved to walk into the circle, Fiyu presumed that their duel would take place there. She followed but hesitated at the edge, looking to everyone watching.

"Does the duel end when one of us leaves the circle?"

She had hoped for Stranger Leader Esaire to answer, but Stranger Delarde laughed and spoke first. "Maybe on Ichil, but not here! No ring-outs."

On the other side of the circle, Adversary Hauloe cracked her knuckles again, gathering more cantae. "This isn't going to end until I feed you your own teeth."

Then the duel was to the death? Fiyu frowned at the abrupt brutality, but the jeering Deuxans around her forced her to step into the circle. If this was their custom, then she would obey it, even if it was cruel. After one more look at Companion Nauda, troubled and anxious, Fiyu resolved herself and focused on Enemy Hauloe.

Others had gathered around them, but Fiyu withdrew her senses, remaining alert only for attacks or major movements. This duel would require different tactics than she had first anticipated. Her opponent used cantae like a physical fighter, but she had shockingly little awareness of her surroundings, even compared to her non-Ichili companions.

"Come on!" Enemy Hauloe dropped into a fighting stance. "I'll let you have the first hit and then I'll-"

Fiyu spread her veil over herself, vanishing from sight and briefly shocking the audience. Enemy Hauloe jumped back in alarm, eyes darting over the ground to look for evidence of her movement, but the veil of stealth covered the ground beneath her feet as well and it would be over before she understood.

Stepping beside her enemy, Fiyu released the briefest burst of light she could manage. Her enemy's soulhome fortified her enough to endure the blast, but she flinched back. While she stumbled, Fiyu tackled her to the ground, driving a hand against her neck and drawing back her other hand, preparing a blade of cantae to finish the fight.

Several sensations struck Fiyu in succession. First, she heard a low whistle from home, warning her to stop immediately. Second, her expanding senses identified Companion Theo, standing in the crowd with his body tense with worry. Third, she saw that he was crossing his wrists, urging her not to strike. Fourth, her cantae faltered as she reconsidered her understanding.

The next moment, a fist collided with her jaw and Fiyu slid across the ground. She tasted blood in her mouth, though her teeth remained intact. Enemy Hauloe scrambled back to her feet, mostly unharmed but furious, raising her fists.

"Hold." Adversary Leader Esaire raised his hand again. "This is your win, Hauloe. She had a few nice tricks, but when it came down to it, she didn't have the taste for battle."

How could it be over? Fiyu stared in confusion at the Deuxan faces all around her, some laughing and mocking while a few looked puzzled.

"I expected that to be more interesting," Adversary Delarde said, unnecessarily loudly. "She had a real killer's stance at the beginning, didn't she? Almost like it was a barbarian fight to the death!"

His meaning was obvious and Fiyu whimpered as she fully understood. Their terrible words still troubled her, but it seemed that somehow they had never intended a duel to the death. She didn't understand why anyone would begin a fight and say cruel things if they didn't intend to kill, yet it seemed that this was only another layer of this awful society.

If not for Companion Theo, she would have killed a human being and potentially drawn down greater hatred upon them. That revelation, combined with the loud jeering around her, made Fiyu draw her legs closer to herself miserably. As soon as they noticed, the Deuxans laughed louder, and no matter how she tried to block them out, their laughter was too loud, and the city was too bright, and...

Companion Theo stepped in front of her.