Sir Folliun looks over at Mistress Lyrei with disdain. “You’ll have to excuse me. I have something I must discuss with the overseer.”

Mistress Lyrei inclines her head and keeps her features placid. “Of course, I’m sure you have duties you need to tend to. I will only be too pleased to take the opportunity to attend to my own obligations.”

Sir Folliun stands, and then briefly inclines his head, “Farewell Mistress Lyrei.” He then barks, “Jokalyn attend me.”

Mistress Lyrei watches Master Jokalyn rush past her and kneel. “Yours to command.” Sir Folliun then turns and strides from the platform towards Overseer Elicyne followed closely by Sir Jokalyn. She feels Master Ardreth approach her.

Master Ardreth whispers, “He knows exactly how far he may venture without risk and guarantee his own security. He is very adept at tormenting only the safest kind of victim, merchandise. However, I feel on this occasion he’s approaching the limit of what is acceptable. I will report what has happened here. I will await the report Overseer Elicyne will make regarding the loss of valuable merchandise with anticipation.”

As she watches Sir Folliun talks to Overseer Elicyne whilst gesturing to Kracc who is standing a short distance away. He’s a child, she thinks dispassionately. A spoiled, vicious child, venting his anger on those helpless to defend themselves. “Do you think he’s been sent here to keep him out of the public eye?”

“That may be part of the reason, though I suspect that’s not the only reason. His father has clashed with Baroness Yegella in the past and usually been the worse for the encounter.”

Mistress Lyrei nods and then casts one final glance at Alex in the distance before turning to leave.

As Alex walks further away from the scene of his fight, he falls victim to his own guilt. He tries to think if he could have done anything differently and experiences outbursts of anger and self-pity at the results of his actions. He senses his heart pumping faster, and that his emotions are a jumble of being scared, guilty, and nervous all at the same time.

As he walks, he contemplates that it isn't easy to kill a man in cold blood, unless one is entirely heartless or, as he was, numb with fear. Gazing around, he feels the sentiment of being unfairly judged, the torrent of supposed disapproval and his self-hatred freezes him in his forward momentum. He becomes trapped by the thought I have killed which resounds in his mind. A guard brusquely gives him a shove from behind to keep him moving.

He continues walking and as he approaches the low building he quivers and looks down at his sweat-drenched hands, then lets out the breath he’s been holding. His shoulder slump and as the tension leaves him, he realizes it was the only thing that had been holding him up. His knees buckle and he falls to the ground.

Hordric rushes back to the training hall and finds Alex still kneeling on the ground outside. Before the guard can approach he crouches down, “I’m imagining that this was the first time you’ve killed someone, even if it was a gob. Well, you didn’t do anything wrong. They put you in a situation of kill or be killed and you decided not to die. You just did what was necessary to do to survive. I mean he was massive.”

Alex, however, stays silent, consumed by shame and worry that he was no longer a good person. Alex slowly lifts his head and looks at Hordric. “But, I killed a man.”

“The damn elves here don’t care about your pain or suffering, they only care about the profit you will bring. Look, you need to get your head together. Kracc, will take this badly and see it as a blood-debt that must be repaid. He will try to kill you in revenge.”

“Alright, you filth, inside and start some strength training.” Shouts one of the guards.

The guards begin herding the others towards the low building. The humans in their orange tunics lead the way, followed right behind by the half-goblins. Alex's gaze moves among the crowd, noting everyone and looking at a sea of angry faces. He notes a face that he saw with Kracc before and catches the eye of a half-goblin who bares his teeth and snarls in response.

Alex continues to watch from a distance, as the trailing half-goblins casually greet each other. Alex then looks over trying to find Kracc, but without success. A group gathers by the entrance to the low building and Alex continues to look over now and again. One of the large half-goblins looking over at Alex suddenly smiles. Not understanding what it's all about, Alex turns' around. Standing there is a pair of guards. They proceed to wave their batons at Alex and Hordric.

One of the guards barks, “You finished lazing around? You better get over to the weight gym as fast as you can before I start beating on your ass.”

Hordric and Alex stand quickly and walk forwards, with the guards following closely. Alex can hear the whistling of the batons as they are swung behind them and he tenses waiting for a blow to land. By the time they reach the entrance, all of the others have entered and they are pushed roughly through the doorway by the guards.

“Get to the weight room now.”

Alex enters the weight room and in a matter of seconds, his presence is known and the others stare at him. A few of the half-goblins turn away in disgust and walk to the opposite side of the room.

Hordric quietly murmurs. “Stay near the guards and whatever you do, don’t wander off on your own.” He then grabs Alex’s arm and leads him over to the apparatus for leg lifts. A human stood near the equipment begins to move away as they draw closer. The man abruptly moves quickly to another group of humans as Hordric puts Alex onto the apparatus.

Hordric whispers, “You’d better start doing some exercises or you’ll be in even more trouble.”

After a short while, Alex watches as Kracc is escorted into the weight room and followed by Overseer Elicyne. He watches as the Overseer summons one of the larger guards over and confers quietly with him. Alex then turns and gazes at Kracc as he moves across the gym and greets some of the other half-goblins with fist bumps. One of them says something to Kracc and he turns to look over at Alex and stares him down.

“Remember, don’t get caught on your own.” Hordric whispers.

After numerous hours of using different apparatus Alex’s shoulders begin to bow under the weight of the current apparatus. He drops the bar with a bang as he eases himself into a crouch and hangs his head.

“How are you doing there?” Alex turns his head and sees Hordric standing there.

After a pause, Alex responds, “All right. I think.”

“Well, it’s off to get our basic, and then it’s only a half-hour until we’re back in our cells. The guards have been sticking pretty close to you all afternoon, so I don’t expect any trouble. But I would still keep my eyes open if I were you.”

“Alright, you pathetic creatures, it’s time to get fed. I don’t want any trouble or I’ll break your head open,” a guard declares while he smacks his baton into his hand.

It’s not long before Alex takes the orange bottle from the guard and walks towards the table he shares with Hordric. As he progresses through the cafeteria Alex is unaware of the eyes that track him. He navigates his way through the sea of tables divided by race. He spots the table in the back corner favored by Hordric.

As he approaches, he unexpectedly finds Kracc in between two tables, blocking his way. A second figure looms to his right, and a third appears on the left. They all stand frozen for a heartbeat. Alex then grabs the neck of his bottle and waves it towards Kracc. He hears a lot of shouting and crashing of tables behind him, but he does not turn to look, as his gaze locks on Kracc.

Kracc pulls his hand from behind his back and Alex perceives the flash of a knife. All three launch forward and Alex backs up, swinging his bottle trying to hold them at bay, whilst maneuvering through the maze of tables. They keep coming, tense and guarded, eyes riveted and gauging his every move, trying to outflank him.

Alex trips on a table leg. That's all it takes. They rush him in an instant, kicking and stomping. Alex gets yanked to the side. The figure on the right applies a chokehold from behind and he is propelled forward across the gap and he slams against a table. Alex kicks and struggles, but the arm around his neck is immovable. His head bounces on the table and it re-opens the head wound. He wonders how damaged his head is, relishing the pain and confusion as deserved. Hordric suddenly barrels into the half-goblins holding him around the neck knocking them all down.

"That's it. I’ve had enough," Alex screams.

The half-goblin struggles with Alex, body tense, hands grabbing for his tunic. "You’re gonna die pretty boy." Then he manages to grab Alex’s arm and tries to stop him from standing.

Alex jerks his arm free as the second half-goblin rushes forward. There’s a smack as he catches the foot swinging toward his face. He grips, twists, and throws it away as the half-goblin screams and spins to save his knee and hip. Twisting, Alex kicks out catching the second half-goblin under the chin.

He ignores the figure as it slumps onto its back as he notices Kracc pushing others out of his way. He crouches in a fighter's stance, hands slightly extended, the fingers relaxed. Kracc moves forward, feet stomping on the floor, knife held in front of him and eyes fixed on Alex.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kracc crooned. "Ape boy, you just shouldn't have done that to Drosz. I'm going to kill you now. And after, well, that beautiful girl of yours is going to want a man to look after her. A real man." Teeth shine white between parted green lips. "And you're not going to be much good to anyone soon."

Kracc’s fingers twitch and a red light flares on the polished steel. He surges toward Alex, his knife hand swept back, then slashing forward, the flaming six-inch blade swinging in a vicious arc toward the pit of the stomach.

Kracc was fast, but he had signaled his intentions and Alex took the opportunity to drive as much prana as he could from his core into his arms, just as Kracc reaches him. He steps sideways, knocking clear the strike, causing Kracc to momentarily overbalance. Taking the opportunity he grabs the wrist of the hand holding the knife, then he lifts it, and he feels the prana rush from his hand into the blade as it erupts into a blinding flash of searing red light.

Kracc flinches from the intense light and Alex strikes Kraccs elbow with his other hand, using the momentum to swing the blade in a semicircle that ends in Kracc’s chest. Kracc chokes and then staggers before dropping to the floor, bright blue blood gushing from his chest, eyes bulging from their sockets. Alex locks eyes, seeing the fear, the sweat on his brow, the pain in his face, the blood spurting from the wound, and the desperate cries "Help me —" he said. "Help—"

Alex begins to step away to avoid the fountain of iridescent blue blood, his face cold, hard, registering neither pity nor satisfaction as he watches. He’s killed someone for a second time today to prevent dying. Then there is a crackle followed by an explosion of incandescent blue lightning, which arcs from Kracc’s chest, hitting Alex and knocking him off his feet insensible.