I landed on my leg, which snapped like the brittle twig it resembled. My vision became fuzzy from the pain, and even though I was screaming I was only faintly aware of how it tore at my throat. I writhed on the ground, my leg exploding into shards of glass with every spasm, inciting more flinching, provoking more pain, drawing it out until I tired myself out and let the creeping blackness embrace my vision.

I woke up a few hours later in the medical house, and the first thing I did was grasp the nearest arm and shout at its owner.

"Who threw it?! Where do they live?!"

The pharmacist glowered down at me. From what I knew, his name was Konal and he had a reputation for collecting bones. He was not actually a professional pharmacist. The local adults traded the job around because no one in the village was interested in any occupation that didn't involve smashing skulls.

"If it's revenge you want, you're welcome to a good try if you've got a hearty death wish," Konal scoffed.

He slapped my hand off of his arm and returned to his bigger priority, which so happened to be the greasy lamb leg he was busy scarfing down. Meat particles and spittle tangled in his pale blond beard as he tore at it. It was so disgusting that I couldn't stop watching.

"Doesn't it make you frenzy?" I asked, wincing as I propped myself up to a sitting position.

"Wot, the meat? The flesh?" he grunted. "Naw, lass. The rage doesn't take me anymore. It's spit me out like a gob of bogers."

"I really didn't need that description," I replied. "But it doesn't matter. Who lobbed the rock?"

"No one lobbed any rocks. They used a slingshot," he corrected. "It was a good shot, you got to admit."

"Yes. Very good," I grumbled. "So good that I'm going to return it to him, right in the head."

"Lass, Lass." Konal shook his head, giving me a pitying look over his lamb leg. "You're off your head. As much as I'm one for petty revenge, burnt brats should keep away from fire. Especially brats that resemble a bloody pile of sticks, because that lad will knock you straight into Myrkheim."

"Is that what you think will happen?" A dull ache throbbed in my palms, and I didn't need to look down to see that my hands had clenched of their own volition. "You think I can't get even? You do realize that I despise that... that... that utter brute. He killed my friend!"

"It was just a joke, Lass." He wasn't smiling anymore. The lamb leg slightly dipped away from his mouth. "And it was only a snake. C'mon, now. No one likes the little buggers anyway. How in the heims was he supposed to know it was your pet?"

"I don't know, the fact that I had him in my hand? Adr wasn't even bothering anyone! Alve is just an... an absolute barbarian!"

"Of course he's a bleedin' barbarian, everyone from here to Helheim is!" He hit the wall with his lamb leg for effect before taking a big, angry bite out of it. "You know, Lass, wot I reckon the reason is for your troubles is that great tongue o' yers."

Fed up, I tore the sheets off of me and limped away. I pushed past the daggers tearing at my leg, hobbling with a sense of purpose I never knew I had. The pain sank into the background as my vision went red, fracturing and distorting my path as I flung the door open and left.

Konal watched, but he didn't stop me. I wish he did.