Kole spat out a glob of blood, running his tongue along the inside of his top teeth to make sure none of his eating soldiers were loose. Besides for a little sensitive, they held strong after taking the brunt of a hellish left hook.

Four rounds in, and Kole could feel his muscles tiring, but not his mind. The Withania kept him on his feet. If not for the drug, he'd have succumbed to injuries—new and old—two rounds ago, but luck had him still swinging, if luck was the right word.

Fingers gripped the back of his neck and yanked him to his feet. Kole's lifted his arms in front of his face as the fist hurtling towards him. He caught it in one hand and twisted; the man's howl cut short with Kole's uppercut to the sensitive spot under the jawbone. Kole heard the crowd's calls for more. They hadn't come to watch men brawl like bears. They paid for a show, and Kole was in the mood to perform.

He sprang, latched onto the man by the head, and kicked the man's chorded chest with both feet. He did not see where the larger man fell, though he heard the crowd whistle and hiss their appreciation in a way that must have meant the landing was not pretty. Kole somersaulted in the air and landed in a crouch. took the opportunity to soak

The crowd cheered, igniting his desire to please—to perform. Their awe and bloodlust fueled his own, spurred him on even though he knew he teetered on the edge of a chasm far too dangerous to dare. Yet their roars built strength into his muscles, fortified his bones and guided his aim. Sera had always called him a showoff...

There was little he missed of The Pits, but up above he never received admiration for his antics the way he used to all those years he spent fighting for his coin in the underbelly of Lethilian. He uncoiled hearing the echoes of Porter's heroic stories ringing in his ears. The man had always known how to spin a tale. Images of brave heroes and cruel villains woven into his mind and embellished with his own imagination. Wars were always fought in slow motion in his head. Each movement a slow dance of strength and power.In The Pits Kole used to imagine he was one of those heroes, and like them, the last thing their opponent always saw was his eyes.

"One for the dramatics, I see?"

Haze. Kole searched and found the man with his foot resting on a felled opponent's chest, hands on hips, and a lazy smile tugging his lopsided lips.

"And you're not?" Kole raised his eyebrow and nodded towards a specific man who lay face down, bum high.

Haze cackled and hopped over his latest opponent. "Time for the last show, eh?" He extended his hand, and Kole grasped it, shaking it once.

The crowd groaned in unison.

"You'd think after the last three rounds they'd catch on." Haze sighed. "Suppose we can't expect them to be bright folk."

"Can't blame them for being disappointed." Kole shrugged. "They're thanking their lucky stars they thought tonight a good night to see a fight. Men pay Ghoal a good fortune to place bets on the likes of us."

Haze sucked on his teeth and spat out a blob of blood and saliva. "Suppose you're right. Here comes our biggest fan."

Kole turned and watched as the fight master ran over, his face as red as the previous times.

"The two of ye gonna be causing me death if ye don't stop this shit!" He stepped over one of Kole's opponents and sneered. "I can't be controlling these beasts all night, ye ken? They be wanting a winner outta the two of ye and if ye don't give em one, I ain't gonna let ye fight."

"Is that right?" Kole yawned. "Tell me, don't you think they will be more upset if we stopped fighting, got our things, and left? Look at them, mate. You can't tell me making us fight won't get them more fired up, eh? And you know how the coin flows when men get fired up."

Haze gripped his forearm and leaned close to his ear. "Your sides are purple. Don't you think it's time we call it a night?"

"I'm not ready to call it a night," Kole answered, his words a fierce whisper. "I got one more in me at the least."

Haze's temple twitched as he held Kole's gaze.

"You don't owe me anything, Haze. I'm not asking you to fight by my side all night."

"Oh aye? You've painted quite the target on your back now. Unbeaten in four rounds, and you expect to walk outta here in one piece?" He laughed. "There are men in the rafters waiting to lay into you the moment you step outta here alone, and the only thing that may give them reason to pause is my presence."

Haze was right, but Kole wasn't about to admit that out loud. "One more" was all he said, and repeated the words to the fight master. The man swore under his breath but nodded, backing away to address the crowd.

"Tonight's reigning champions have asked for more blood! More violence! And..."

"I hope whatever shadows your thoughts is worth dying for," Haze said as he exhaled.

Kole considered Haze's words. Oblivion, that is what he sought, but death brought its own solutions. "Death comes for us all."

"Usually," Haze agreed, "but I know the signs of a man who is searching for it. The question is why you would look for it here and not out there where answers may find you before death does?"

Kole looked at Haze, his slightly slanted eyes studying Kole. He was about to say something when the crowd's shouts and whistles interrupted them. Four new opponents entered the ring.

"Shit," Haze hissed.

"What?"

'These are not Cage men."

"Yeah? Who are they then?"

Haze cleared his throat and stepped away from Kole to face the new group. "They sometimes fight in the main arena. They're a group of beasts—monsters, but that's just their disguise."

"You're weaving some tale there, Haze."

"Oh aye? Wish it were a tale, mate. Alas, monsters disguise the trained assassins they are."

Kole straightened. "Assassins..."

Haze nodded and rolled his shoulders. "Four rounds in, and we finally meet a challenge that could perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?"

He did not respond, instead he stared ahead and took three absentminded steps forward before freezing.

"What is it, Haze?"

"Run."

"Run? Why would I run?"

"It's not a fight, Kole. It's Ghoal's men." He pushed Kole. "Run!" Haze sprinted ahead. Kole followed and soon caught up. The crowd's appreciation slowly died as they realized something was different, that their entertainment was no longer in the mood for entertaining.

As they reached the Cage's edge Haze roared, running towards the wooden slates. Haze wasn't a big man, but running at break neck speed saw him through the wooden fence, dispersing the crowd. Kole snickered with appreciation for a moment before the reality of the situation settled in.

"We gonna freeze out there dressed like this," he said looking over his shoulder. The four men were running towards them. "Why are they running so slowly?"

Haze didn't answer. Kole turned to the man, but as he did a giant hand clasped around his throat and squeezed. His feet lifted off the ground just slightly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Haze cornered by three more men with his palms in the air. Instinctively, Kole bunched his legs into his chest and kicked his captor in the chest. The fingers released, and Kole fell back into two more sets of arms that pinned his elbows behind him and placed a dagger at the small of his back. He froze.

The crowd stood in a circle, giving them a wide berth and speaking in hushed voices behind hands, eyes wide. Kole struggled to loosen the men's grip on him, but it was as if he battled with iron shackles, whoever these men were they were strong.

"Ye know," Ghoal's disembodied voice said, "I thought ye smarter than this, boy. I thought I saw the last of ye mug the other night, but unlucky me...here you are."

Kole waited for Ghoal to enter his field of vision. The short, foul-breathed man hobbled in front of Kole, hands folded in front of him, his belly straining the buttons on his dark shirt.

"Or maybe it's lucky me that I now get the chance to pay ye back for me nose." He pointed to the massive bruise that stained most of his face, especially the crooked nose that now was the focal feature of his rotund face.

"It's a vast improvement," Kole sneered.

Ghoal laughed. "Can ye believe this fool?" he said to his men. "Captured and about to die, he still be spitting out bullshit."

Without warning, Ghoal gut-punched Kole so hard that Kole's body folded over. Coughs wracked Kole's body, and his ribs flared up, violent strokes of heat whipping through his abdomen. The Withania was wearing off.

"He just earned ye a mighty sum o' coin, Ghoal," Haze interjected. "If I were ye I'd be thanking the man and not punching him in the gut."

"I'll deal with you later," Ghoal roared. "I don't pay ye to betray me–"

"Ye pay me with the coin I earn for ye!" Kole had never heard Haze raise his voice. It rang across the arena silencing everyone that watched. The next he spoke was a menacing whisper only meant for those near Ghoal. "Need I remind you I can leave when I want to Ghoal? I owe ye nothing and can do what I want."

"Ye ungrateful–"

"Don't speak to me of ungrateful." Haze pushed passed the men that blocked him from Kole. "There are other ways I could choose to survive in this shit hole, but I stay here, earning ye coin. Don't be giving me the reason I need to leave 'cause ye'd be losing more than just yer star fighter, and ye know it."

Haze sneered. The two men faced off for a few minutes, giving Kole enough time to catch his breath and straighten.

"He owes me coin," Ghoal eventually growled. "Ye hear me," he whipped around to Kole. "Do ye hear me? I want me coin! From years back and the other night."

Kole glared at the man wanting nothing more than to pull his tongue from his mouth. "I owe you nothing."

"Kole," Haze warned, throwing a warning look in his direction before turning to Ghoal. "Ghoal just think about this for a moment." He stepped closer, lowering his voice further. "Ye got the bloody Black Coin owing ye..."

"So!" Ghoal snapped. "I don't give two shits for his rep..." he trailed off, his beady eyes rounding. "His reputation...Hah!" He grinned and slapped Haze on the shoulder. "Alright, boy! I'll spare ye a beating, but ye gonna do something for me."

It was Kole's turn to laugh, and he did, spitting out blood at Ghoal's feet. "You mean run a job for you? I aint in the death dealing business anymore."

"It aint a body I'm after," Ghoal grinned. "I want ye to steal a book."