"I already got sight of the Motherwealth employees," Ezra says as soon as he walks out of the bakery. He points towards the town hall.

It still stands, white and bright. A stark contrast between everything else in this town.

Memories flood my mind from when I was last in there. I signed an agreement to go to Regal, unaware of the danger is was. Town hall was clean, neat, perfect. I thought all of the Motherwealth was like that. I now know it to be a lie. Only Regal holds that kind of wealth.

"They are all there. I've thought about what I'll say to them and I'm just going to say I brought you home to pick up some herbs that only grow here that you need for your training." He pulls out a small bottle of dried leaves that I recognized as kannabis.

"Do you know what that is?" I ask cautiously. I know a lot of towns, Hell included, did not take kindly to this kind of leaf.

He shrugs and places it back in his pocket. "It looked important. Found it deep under the sink in your house. So I thought why not?"

"I don't know if your plan will work. That stuff is illegal in the Commonwealth."

His eyes widen. "Then why do you have it?"

He doesn't deserve an explanation. There is so much that I never got from him. Call this even. He doesn't need to know that Kol used it more than I did or that he kept more in his room.

He looks back towards the direction of my home. I know what he is thinking. But I don't want to waste any more time. I push him forward.

"If you didn't recognize it, other Capital folk won't. We should be fine," I say in the most confident voice I could muster.

With my head held high, I continue my path on the uneven sidewalk towards the town hall. After a moment, I turn to see if Ezra is following me. He isn't. He is frozen in place with a look of distraught on his face.

"Come on, Ezra."

"What other things do you participate in that are illegal?"

I roll my eyes although I want to slap him. He is not one to judge being from the Motherwealth and knowing what the training program was for. He is no saint. Out of all the things he can be hung up on, it was this?

"You really think this is the time for that?"

He nods.

"Walter, Ezra. You have lost your mind. You want to talk about illegal? You broke me out of the capital and ran away with me."

He frowns then kicks a rock with his leather brown shoes. "I didn't think about that."

"Of course you didn't. Because it seems like you don't think of much. Now, come, we have to continue on." I glance at the town hall, hoping that the small scene isn't as dramatic as I think it to be. Hopefully no one notices us.

"It's just- I never broke the law before."

"That's obvious," I say a little too quickly. He clearly followed everything anyone said. That was his downfall.

"You clearly have."

I nod. "I live in Hell. We need to break laws to survive."

There were so many times that I stole or worked a shift unregistered just to get a little bit more. The laws for the Motherwealth are not sustainable for the Commonwealths.

"But Ezra, can we talk about this another time? We need to get back."

He sighs as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Do you think the people will know what the bottle of leaves are?"

I shrug. "Don't know. Probably not."

He bites his lip. "Alright. Let's go." He starts forward again.

Thank goodness.

As we get closer, one of the Motherwealth officials stop and smirk. It leaves an uneasy feeling in my stomach. That official knows Ezra.

"Now what are you doing here, Ezra? Your daddy isn't here to protect you so far from home," he says with a chuckle.

The corners of Ezra's mouth turn downward.

This mission just turned into something impossible. Nothing is simple about the smirk on his plump rosy lips. This man has a grudge on Ezra and he is going to make our lives difficult.

"What brings you here to Hell?" the man asks, crossing his hands over his chest, showing his round biceps.

He is nearly double the size of Ezra. He could easily break his neck and kick him to the side of the road if he wants.

I clench my firsts, ready to defend myself if needed.

Ezra swallows loudly. "She needed some herbs for training, and I accompanied her to make sure she didn't run," he says confidently, although I see a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.

"What are these herbs she needs?"

Ezra fishes the bottle from his pocket and shows it quickly before wrapping his fingers around the container, hiding it from view.

I bite my tongue, unsure what to do but I cannot tear my eyes away. I have to watch the events unfold.

Ezra looks uncomfortable. Maybe he can sense that this man has the upper hand. Maybe this is the first time this has happened. I think the man in front of us holds our fate in his hands and he knows it.

The air is thick with tension. Seconds pass in silence and my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears.

Ezra's posture turns more rigid with every second.

The man's dark eyes blaze with fury. "Oh, go to the Commonwealth will be good for you, Alex. I don't think you'll do anything grand in the capital."

Ezra's jaw tightens.

"Well, looks like I'm about to do something grand here." His lips curl into a mocking smile.

Ezra clenches his fists.

The tension snaps like a taut wire. Ezra lungs forward, his fist swinging towards Alex.

Whap.

Alex staggers back, clutching his jaw.

Alex recovers quickly, his eyes narrowing as he launches himself at Ezra.

A yelp escapes my mouth which I quickly cover as I step back, avoiding any fists that come flying.

Everything moves quickly. In a blur of fleshy colors, the two toss around on the ground. The fight is brutal and chaotic, a flurry of punches and kicks. I can see the raw hatred in their eyes, each strike fueled by resentment. Blood splatters the ground, and I wince at the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

I want to scream, to run and get help, but my feet are rooted to the ground. I can only watch, helpless, as the two of them tear into each other. The world around me seems to fade away, leaving only the violent dance of their struggle.

"Son of a twister. What is going on here?" A voice roars.

My eyes snap to a tall figure approaching. He wears a frown as he rushes closer.

"Walter, is that Ezra Deam?"

Ezra scrambles to his feet then wipes the blood from his mouth. His chest heaving, his face a mask of exhaustion and concern.

"What brings you here, son?"

Ezra places his hands on his knees as he struggles to calm his breathing. Blood drips from his mouth. He spits. "She needed some herbs to help her training." He thumbs to me.

He frowns. "You haven't heard have you..." his voice trailing off.

"What?"

"The neighboring country bombed the campus. There isn't much of a talent program now. It's all rubble."

My stomach twists in knots. I am not sure if I am grateful or terrified for all the people on campus, all the people I left behind. What about Ari? What about all the others? Were they safe?

"If you want to take her back, you can catch a ride with the next draft wave." He points towards a hovercraft. "We will be leaving shortly."

"Thank you so much."

He nods. "Just be safe out there." He turns his attention to Alex. "Now, get your slag self together. Wash up and return to your post."

Alex gives a sharp nod, wiping the blood from his eyebrow, but not before glaring at Ezra.

Hatred. No, not hatred, loathing. Alex wants Ezra dead. It written all over his face.

Ezra gives little attention to Alex as we walk past him towards the hovercraft. But I turn back to see Alex staring us down. My gaze is soft as I meet his. What happened between them? Ezra looks completely unbothered by the scuffle, as if it has happened before. Maybe it has.

"Who was that?"

Ezra frowns as he touches his bloody nose. "It was an old acquaintance."

"Looks like enemy would be a better word," I quip.

His face twists up as if eating something sour. "It was an old rivalry. Someone that didn't see eye to eye with. Telvi, I don't want to talk about it."

I nod as we get onto the hovercraft. "Alright." Although the pit in my stomach grows. There are so many things Ezra doesn't want to share. It is infuriating.

After days spent together, there is still little I know about him. We are two strangers on this strange journey together. Two different souls from two different lives. Only to briefly be on the same path, if only for a moment.

"The ride is going to be bumpy. Fair warning. The attacks haven't stopped, and it makes the trek difficult," the pilot says to Ezra.

"Thanks for the warning." He sits down in an empty seat, and I follow right beside him.

I look around at the people sitting on the craft. A lot of them I recognize. I think they would recognize me too if they actually looked up to meet my eyes. All have tired faces. Some wear anxiety, some look indifferent. These are people I grew up with. They hated the Motherwealth just like myself. are they going to Regal willingly like my brother? What did the Motherwealth promise them?

In a moment, I am sucked back to a time when I was in their shoes, going to the Motherwealth for the first time. I cannot help but wonder if I looked like this when I first went to the capital.

We wait a few moments in silence. Not one person says a word. It fills the space with an uncomfortable feeling. Sickening. I wonder if they are worried about the impending danger they will be involved in. Did they get drafted against their will? Are they getting compensation like Kol did when I agreed to go to the capital?

"What is the Motherwealth giving you for going?" I ask out loud, hoping someone will answer me. I shut my mouth, quickly regretting the question. It is best to not say anything at all. Blend in. That is anything but blending in.

A few look up at me with a frown. Probably wishing I never said anything.

Me too, bud, me too.

"Money for my family," one says. "I need it to pay for food which only gets more expensive. They promised a stipend."

I don't recognize the man who spoke up. He looks young, maybe a year or two younger than myself. His worn-out jeans are slightly too large on him. They are held up with a shoelace tied around his waist. They probably will never fit him.

"Were you drafted then?" I ask.

He nods. "But I'll go willingly. It's either this or the mines and I don't want to go there."

My stomach sinks. I understand what he means. That is why I went. I didn't want Kol to go there.

"I think we got everyone. Let's take off," the man who broke up the fight says as he get onto the craft, closing the door behind him.

"Rodger that," the pilot says and with that, the hovercraft thrusts into the air.

Once again, I head to Regal.

I rub my side to ease the pain.

Ezra notices and calls the man who broke up the fight over to us. "Do you have any dew water?" he asks.

The man nods. "I do."

"Can I have some? It's for her," he points to me.

He frowns. "I don't get much of this and it is in high demand now with the war."

"I know, but she really needs it." He looks at me, cueing me in.

Silently I pull up my shirt to show the wound. It does not look any better as it did last night.

"Oh. That looks bad," he replies as he fishes a small vile with clear liquid in it. He hands it to Ezra. "Keep it. I'll get another vile in camp."

"Thanks," Ezra says as he turns attention to me. "This will heal things up quickly but it'll burn."

I nod. It is already burning. I cannot imagine it hurting any more. "Let's just get it over with."

He opens the vile and moves closer to me. I suck in a breath and look away.