of shit, piss and rotting meat. Not least because of the piles of animal parts and rotten vegetables beside the food stalls. Even so, Daniel’s mouth oozed saliva at the smell and sight of unidentifiable lumps sizzling in pans over open fires beside the stalls. He could eat just about anything now, after hours of walking on what little he had managed to keep down last night.
“How many people live here?”
Guy glanced at the stalls as they passed. “Five hundred, probably, either working for the King or selling to the rest. But it gets bigger all the time, as new shipments of newbies arrive. Then there's the slaves, and all the traders passing through, looking to buy or sell whatever they have. More of those than actual city people, I'd reckon.”
“And this is the biggest city on Hades?”
“First city on Hades, and the biggest I've been to, but who knows what's over the mountains, or on some other island?”
“No-one's been to see?”
“Some of the merchants say there are cities in Over The Sea that make Kingston look like a village, but the lying shits will say anything to make a shiny.”
“I need to find a way home.”
“Kid, I don’t know what you think you're going back for, but you're just wasting your time dreaming. There's no way back. The shits who sent us there made sure of that.”
“I just don't want to end up like...”
“Me? Life's tough when you can't rely on other men to kill for you. I just get on with it. One day you'll understand.”
Guy wandered across the street to one of the food stalls, pointed to some of the items on display, and handed over a shiny. The man behind it wrapped two pies in large leaves, and gave them to him.
A high-pitched voice yelped. Daniel spun around. Metal clattered against metal as a man wearing a rough chainmail suit with a sword on his belt strode along the boardwalk. He led a girl behind him, by a leash around her neck.
Daniel's heart jumped.
Long, dark, brown hair. Perky breasts beneath the thin cloth that hung over her body. Could that be? He stared into her sad brown eyes for a second, before she pouted and looked away.
No, it wasn't Erica.
He had to stop looking for her. She wasn't on Hades. She couldn't be Condemned. Her comrades would make sure of that. She was back home, safe in her barracks.
He would never see her again.
Ever.
Guy strolled back, dodging passers-by and carts entering the gates, and held a pie out to Daniel.
“Don’t worry, there aren’t any animals in it this time.”
“What about people?”
“Kid, I don’t want you to starve, but I’m not wasting my shinies buying you the good stuff. It’s all plant shit. Just eat.”
Daniel took it and sniffed. It smelled sweet, more like fruit than vegetables, and was wrapped in some kind of leathery pastry. It certainly didn't look, or smell, like the rabbit from the night before.
“It’s good,” Guy said, and bit into his. He stared at the slave-girl's wiggling ass as the man led her away along the street.
Daniel bit into a corner, and chewed. Sweet and crunchy, and... oh. His mouth began to burn as the heat spread across his tongue, and around his lips. He gulped it down, and coughed as the fire seared his throat. He opened his mouth wide, and sucked cool air over his tongue, until it carried some of the heat away. If that failed, he was going to have to stick his face in the river to cool it down.
“Oh, yeah,” Guy said. “It’s pretty spicy, too. Helps hide the taste of the crap they put in it.”
Daniel wafted air over his face. It was slick with sweat, and glowing. He wasn’t going to risk another bite until he’d cooled from the last one.
Men yelled.
“What’s that?”
“Slave Square, and the King’s slave market is open. Come on, let’s take a look.”
“I don’t need to see that.” The experience on the boat had been enough for one day. More would only trigger him worse.
“Yes, you do.”
Daniel followed Guy along the street, chewing as
“How many people live here?”
Guy glanced at the stalls as they passed. “Five hundred, probably, either working for the King or selling to the rest. But it gets bigger all the time, as new shipments of newbies arrive. Then there's the slaves, and all the traders passing through, looking to buy or sell whatever they have. More of those than actual city people, I'd reckon.”
“And this is the biggest city on Hades?”
“First city on Hades, and the biggest I've been to, but who knows what's over the mountains, or on some other island?”
“No-one's been to see?”
“Some of the merchants say there are cities in Over The Sea that make Kingston look like a village, but the lying shits will say anything to make a shiny.”
“I need to find a way home.”
“Kid, I don’t know what you think you're going back for, but you're just wasting your time dreaming. There's no way back. The shits who sent us there made sure of that.”
“I just don't want to end up like...”
“Me? Life's tough when you can't rely on other men to kill for you. I just get on with it. One day you'll understand.”
Guy wandered across the street to one of the food stalls, pointed to some of the items on display, and handed over a shiny. The man behind it wrapped two pies in large leaves, and gave them to him.
A high-pitched voice yelped. Daniel spun around. Metal clattered against metal as a man wearing a rough chainmail suit with a sword on his belt strode along the boardwalk. He led a girl behind him, by a leash around her neck.
Daniel's heart jumped.
Long, dark, brown hair. Perky breasts beneath the thin cloth that hung over her body. Could that be? He stared into her sad brown eyes for a second, before she pouted and looked away.
No, it wasn't Erica.
He had to stop looking for her. She wasn't on Hades. She couldn't be Condemned. Her comrades would make sure of that. She was back home, safe in her barracks.
He would never see her again.
Ever.
Guy strolled back, dodging passers-by and carts entering the gates, and held a pie out to Daniel.
“Don’t worry, there aren’t any animals in it this time.”
“What about people?”
“Kid, I don’t want you to starve, but I’m not wasting my shinies buying you the good stuff. It’s all plant shit. Just eat.”
Daniel took it and sniffed. It smelled sweet, more like fruit than vegetables, and was wrapped in some kind of leathery pastry. It certainly didn't look, or smell, like the rabbit from the night before.
“It’s good,” Guy said, and bit into his. He stared at the slave-girl's wiggling ass as the man led her away along the street.
Daniel bit into a corner, and chewed. Sweet and crunchy, and... oh. His mouth began to burn as the heat spread across his tongue, and around his lips. He gulped it down, and coughed as the fire seared his throat. He opened his mouth wide, and sucked cool air over his tongue, until it carried some of the heat away. If that failed, he was going to have to stick his face in the river to cool it down.
“Oh, yeah,” Guy said. “It’s pretty spicy, too. Helps hide the taste of the crap they put in it.”
Daniel wafted air over his face. It was slick with sweat, and glowing. He wasn’t going to risk another bite until he’d cooled from the last one.
Men yelled.
“What’s that?”
“Slave Square, and the King’s slave market is open. Come on, let’s take a look.”
“I don’t need to see that.” The experience on the boat had been enough for one day. More would only trigger him worse.
“Yes, you do.”
Daniel followed Guy along the street, chewing as
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