and my stomach protests with a surge of acid.
"Yeah, me too. I can't do it anymore, Junco." She turns in a sudden jerking movement. "Life like this isn't worth living. I want to do something else, anything."
"I'm not too familiar with the rules here, Esta, do they let you do that?"
She shakes her head. "Not really. Lucan must agree to it."
I huff. "Well, fucking forget it then, I don't see him giving a shit about anyone but himself."
She looks into my eyes, pleading. "That's not true, Junco. He listens to you guys – you warriors. He'd listen to you, for instance."
I laugh. "Esta, he hates my guts. He literally told me he was going to break me in half back there in the conference room."
She searches my eyes, desperate.
"Plus he hates Tier, and he thinks I love Tier, so–" I look for Ash to avoid her gaze and when I find him he waves me over. "Hey, he's calling me over now so…" I get up and she follows. "OK, you can come too."
He's standing at a long desk, like you might see in a hotel back on Earth. Behind him, in another room farther off, I can see other avians who must be Fledge participants as well. They are looking out at us with interest. "So, Ashur – am I the last one here?"
He smiles down at me. "Yeah, Fledge actually started last week. You don't get to train before the first fight, but you'll be fine, Junco. I'm signing up as your sponsor so I'll come back the day after and we'll train for the second fight, OK?"
I shrug. "Whatever."
"I'm a sponsor too," Esta pipes up to the avian guy manning the desk.
He's about middle-age and a little overweight in the middle. His wings droop low down his back, like they're broken or something and the stubble on his cheeks might look good on any of my teammates, but on him it looks unkempt. "Who the hell are you?" he asks Esta.
"I'm an Aves Mother, and I'd like to sponsor one of these participants. Are there any left?"
Ash takes a deep breath but says nothing. Not our fight, his eyes tell me.
"Lady, I can count on one hand the number who have sponsors, which one do you want?"
She strains to see behind the man, her eyes darting back and forth and then her hand extends and her finger points. "Him. I want to sponsor him." The kid is easily the youngest one in view. He looks to be about ten years old. Half my age. If they're all this young I might have to grow a conscience. I'm no child killer. I look over at Esta as the words form in my brain and I have to hold down a shudder.
The fat guy yells, "Hey, kid, get over here. You want to accept this lady's offer of sponsorship?"
His eyes don't even register Esta. He looks at me and then at Ash. "Sure, why not."
Esta almost claps and I look up at Ash, but he shakes his head at me.
"Day after tomorrow, Ashur?"
He nods to her.
"Great, we'll come together."
Ash leans over and gives me a hug. "Junco, the first fight is a slaughterhouse, just kill anyone who comes near you and don't try and make it to the top. It doesn't count in the first fight. Your scorecard is the only thing that matters."
Esta looks over at her charge. "Just do whatever she does, kid. She's a trained killer, she can't lose."
Ashur grabs her by the shoulder and turns her away as I laugh. I look down at the kid. "Well, shit, you gonna show me where to go or what?"
"I'm not your slave," he says, jutting his chin up at me.
"No, but I'll keep you alive tomorrow if you're nice. So shut the fuck up and take me somewhere."
I'd make an excellent Aves Mother.
Chapter Eight
From my vantage point on the claimed bed I can see the entire dorm. The bunks are stacked seven high and they line both sides of what is a relatively small and narrow room when you consider that the better part of a thousand people are sharing quarters.
Lined up like soldiers in formation, the tables down the middle play host to several dozen smaller groups of participants. Apparently I missed the application deadline for joining one. But I'm not
"Yeah, me too. I can't do it anymore, Junco." She turns in a sudden jerking movement. "Life like this isn't worth living. I want to do something else, anything."
"I'm not too familiar with the rules here, Esta, do they let you do that?"
She shakes her head. "Not really. Lucan must agree to it."
I huff. "Well, fucking forget it then, I don't see him giving a shit about anyone but himself."
She looks into my eyes, pleading. "That's not true, Junco. He listens to you guys – you warriors. He'd listen to you, for instance."
I laugh. "Esta, he hates my guts. He literally told me he was going to break me in half back there in the conference room."
She searches my eyes, desperate.
"Plus he hates Tier, and he thinks I love Tier, so–" I look for Ash to avoid her gaze and when I find him he waves me over. "Hey, he's calling me over now so…" I get up and she follows. "OK, you can come too."
He's standing at a long desk, like you might see in a hotel back on Earth. Behind him, in another room farther off, I can see other avians who must be Fledge participants as well. They are looking out at us with interest. "So, Ashur – am I the last one here?"
He smiles down at me. "Yeah, Fledge actually started last week. You don't get to train before the first fight, but you'll be fine, Junco. I'm signing up as your sponsor so I'll come back the day after and we'll train for the second fight, OK?"
I shrug. "Whatever."
"I'm a sponsor too," Esta pipes up to the avian guy manning the desk.
He's about middle-age and a little overweight in the middle. His wings droop low down his back, like they're broken or something and the stubble on his cheeks might look good on any of my teammates, but on him it looks unkempt. "Who the hell are you?" he asks Esta.
"I'm an Aves Mother, and I'd like to sponsor one of these participants. Are there any left?"
Ash takes a deep breath but says nothing. Not our fight, his eyes tell me.
"Lady, I can count on one hand the number who have sponsors, which one do you want?"
She strains to see behind the man, her eyes darting back and forth and then her hand extends and her finger points. "Him. I want to sponsor him." The kid is easily the youngest one in view. He looks to be about ten years old. Half my age. If they're all this young I might have to grow a conscience. I'm no child killer. I look over at Esta as the words form in my brain and I have to hold down a shudder.
The fat guy yells, "Hey, kid, get over here. You want to accept this lady's offer of sponsorship?"
His eyes don't even register Esta. He looks at me and then at Ash. "Sure, why not."
Esta almost claps and I look up at Ash, but he shakes his head at me.
"Day after tomorrow, Ashur?"
He nods to her.
"Great, we'll come together."
Ash leans over and gives me a hug. "Junco, the first fight is a slaughterhouse, just kill anyone who comes near you and don't try and make it to the top. It doesn't count in the first fight. Your scorecard is the only thing that matters."
Esta looks over at her charge. "Just do whatever she does, kid. She's a trained killer, she can't lose."
Ashur grabs her by the shoulder and turns her away as I laugh. I look down at the kid. "Well, shit, you gonna show me where to go or what?"
"I'm not your slave," he says, jutting his chin up at me.
"No, but I'll keep you alive tomorrow if you're nice. So shut the fuck up and take me somewhere."
I'd make an excellent Aves Mother.
Chapter Eight
From my vantage point on the claimed bed I can see the entire dorm. The bunks are stacked seven high and they line both sides of what is a relatively small and narrow room when you consider that the better part of a thousand people are sharing quarters.
Lined up like soldiers in formation, the tables down the middle play host to several dozen smaller groups of participants. Apparently I missed the application deadline for joining one. But I'm not
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