The morning air hit Twill right in the face. He moaned and rolled around while trying to grab a cloth to get the mixing scents of smoked venison and fragrant soaps slashing away at his sense of smell.

"Twill! Get up! Time to start sellin!" Terry yelled from outside the door. Twill listened to the creaking footsteps of Terry hit hard against floorboards while he walked in the direction of the kitchen.

A long burst of mumbled obscenities and groans accompanied his tired body as he sat up looking out of the open window. The smoke began rising throughout town, signaling the start of a new day of selling and a new day of coping. He had let the poor kid Damien down. He barely knew him, but judging from his sheltered life and lack of knowledge he believed he had no idea what hit him. Twill combed his beard out with his fingers and let out a small sigh to himself before rising up and stumbling out into the new day.

~*~

Damien collapsed, barely able to breath. Looking up, he spotted railings and windows carved against a dark mountain overlooking the rest of the world below. Sweat dripped from his scalp, his forehead, and any other places throughout his body he could think of. His trousers stuck to his thighs from moisture and his hair became clumped in perspiration and grit.

     "We're here," Erin said bending over to help a clammy Damien rise to his feet. Tara stood beside him and caught him with her body as he began swaying off balance.

     The sound of the gate at the base of the mountain made Tara and Erin pause and look. Damien, still winded, bent down to rest his hands against his knees. He wheezed at the mountain air and felt his ear pop out of place with a small sting. A woman, tall and muscular with a stern look walked out of the gate with a determined pace.

"Gwen!" Erin smiled at the woman who in turn softened her demeanor and gave her a partial grin with one side of her mouth.

"We need to see Dia," Tara pointed out, eyeing Damien.

"That's why I've been sent to retrieve you," Gwen stated. She looked over the young man they had brought with them with slight distaste at his state of cleanliness and dress," bring him as well."

     Damien was escorted through a large rusting gate that screamed as it closed behind them. Two other women, also cloaked stood on either side facing one another in silence without so much as a glance in Damien's direction.

The path through the gate sent goosebumps through Damien's body, not only from the uncertainty but also the chill that swept the whole lower level. Spiraling stairs carved out of the rough mountain swirled up for what seemed like miles. He paused and peered into the illusion towering above him.

"Hey kid, don't look up. It makes the hike much worse when you see how far you have to go," Tara stated.

     Damien dropped his head, exhausted but gave into the fact that he had no other options. He walked slowly and steadily up the spiraling case following Erin and Gwen with Tara right behind him. Each floor appeared to have the same plans with just simple squared rooms. One floor, he assumed to be the kitchen had men and women running and back and forth carrying baskets of what appeared to be food. He began salivating and slowed his pace.

     "Hey kid, keep moving," Tara said, her walk suddenly halted by Damien.

     "I think he's just hungry," Erin added.

     Damien slowly nodded his head, watching the precise movements of an older woman carrying a tray with loaves of bread.

     "Mabel!" Erin called quickly. The old woman stopped in her tracks confused until Erin ripped half a loaf off her tray and thanked her. The old woman attempted her best small bow and carried on with her work.

     "Here, eat this for now," Erin handed the bread to Damien who in turn gobbled it down to the very last crumb, sighing with relief as the rumbles in his stomach subsided.

     "Now can we move on?" Tara asked.

     How many minutes had passed? It was hard to tell but more and more floors vanished beneath them, lined with separate doors that appeared to be sleeping quarters. On occasion Damien could see women stepping out and descending the staircase below them.

     "Wait here," Gwen said.

     Damien watched her disappear behind a large wooden door adorned with brass embellishments followed by silence. No more than a minute later she returned.

     "Dia will see you now," she said. Gwen took her post beside the door standing at attention and facing straight ahead.

The scent of the elaborate quarters made Damien debate whether or not eating was such a good idea before entering. He held his breath until he couldn't hold it anymore then let out a long gust of wind before taking another deep breath. Erin tried to stifle a giggle and Tara remained statuesque.

"I send you two out and it wasn't even a mission and you return with this boy?" Dia asked as she walked in from her balcony overlooking Lethra.

Her long dark hair laid prominently against the powder pink dress that adorned her body. The low cut of it showed off a large gem necklace that wrapped around a long slender neck, and matched perfectly with her favorite set of bangles; always jingling from her over abundant hand gestures.

"He actually ran into us ma'am," Tara stated.

Dia paused, her right hand in the air, and looked at the boy questionably,"you ran into them?" She asked in disbelief.

"I didn't know I did anything wrong," Damien replied. Dia began pacing back and forth in front of the three of them.

"Everyone on this side of Lyra Pass knows about what happens in the dark. No one smart bursts out into the night seeking us!" She yelled into Damien's face, spraying a little spittle through clenched teeth.

"I'm not from this side miss," Damien said keeping his eyes to the ground. His stomach felt as if it were turning.

"Where are you from, boy?" Dia asked.

"Originally from Dockside, but I needed to get away."

Dia brought her hand to rest below her chin. She extended her pointer finger and began tapping it against her lips, pondering the situation.

"Well, boy. I have no time to give you a history lesson on the rules of the western portion of Maber, but I'm sure the other nones will be happy to educate you."

Damien's body stiffened from her attitude and closeness. The smell of the sandalwood began to dwindle into the background as soon as he realized that what was happening was actually real, and judging from what he'd seen so far--there was no way he'd be able to escape from it.

"What do we think our new little none should do from now on?" Dia looked at Erin and Tara who stood on either side of Damien, expressionless.

Erin spoke up,"maybe kitchen duty would be a good fit."

Dia turned back towards a quiet Tara,"what do you think Tara?"

"Kitchen duty sounds like it would be perfect, ma'am."

Dia turned and began walking towards her armchair. Before she said anything she spun to face the three of them with an evil smile plastered on her lips. She stared at Damien for another moment before speaking.

"Bring him to James in the boneyard."

"But ma'am--" Erin started.

"Don't question me, just do it," Dia snapped back at Erin with teeth clenched tightly together.

Erin and Tara bowed their heads before pulling Damien out of the room.

"What's the boneyard?" Damien whispered, frightened simply based off the name of it.

Erin and Tara remained quiet, refusing to answer as they led him back down the spiraling staircase to face what agony he would endure for the remainder of his life. They kept their heads low and felt the shaking of a scared boy beneath their fingertips.