Kain watched as his brothers hurried around the cabin, gathering their meager possessions. While Ash threw items haphazardly into his pack, Redd carefully folded each article of clothing.


    Talon methodically sorted through their shared supplies, dividing them equally. Kain observed the controlled chaos of their preparations.


    He felt a strange mix of excitement and apprehension churning in his stomach.


    . . .


    Morning came too quickly. Kain had barely slept, his mind racing with possibilities and plans.


    When the first light of dawn crept through their window, he was already dressed and ready. Talon, naturally, was as well.


    "Everyone set?" Kain asked, surveying their packed bags lined up by the door.


    Ash yawned dramatically. "As ready as I''ll ever be at this ungodly hour."


    Redd closed his journal, having written one final entry before departure. "I still think we should leave a note for Garik, in case he comes back."


    "He won''t," Talon said quietly, but he handed Redd a scrap of paper anyway.


    They took one last look around the cabin that had been their home. It wasn''t much—weathered walls, creaky floorboards, and the lingering smell of Garik''s pipe tobacco—but it had been theirs. Kain felt a pang of nostalgia through both bodies, not knowing when or if they''d ever return.


    "Let''s go," he said finally, shouldering his pack.


    The walk to the docks was silent, each boy lost in his own thoughts. Ravencall was just beginning to stir, a few early risers nodding at them as they passed. No one seemed surprised to see the orphan boys leaving. On an island like this, people came and went with the tides.


    The ship to Krevane was a weathered trading vessel, its hull patched in numerous places. The captain, a gruff man with salt-crusted beard, barely glanced at them as they paid their fare with a few of Garik''s berries.


    "Cast off in twenty," he grunted, pocketing the money.


    They found a spot on the deck, away from the small crew. As the ship pulled away at 7 AM sharp, Kain watched as Ravencall receded into the distance. The island looked smaller than he''d ever imagined, a dark smudge against the horizon that quickly disappeared altogether.


    The hours passed in a blur of endless ocean and nervously excited conversation. Ash paced the deck restlessly, while Redd studied a worn guidebook to Krevane he''d borrowed from the island''s small library.


    Just after midday, a dark shape appeared on the horizon.


    "Land ho!" called the lookout, unnecessarily.


    Krevane grew larger with each passing minute. Unlike Ravencall''s modest hills and scattered settlements, Krevane was dominated by a central mountain range with a sprawling city climbing up its lower slopes. Even from a distance, Kain could see fortifications and what looked like military encampments scattered across the landscape.


    "It''s bigger than I thought," Redd murmured, coming to stand beside Kain.


    "And more fortified," Talon added from the opposite railing.


    By 2 PM, the ship docked at Krevane''s main port. The harbor bustled with activity, but Kain immediately noticed the military presence—uniformed guards at checkpoints, weapons carried openly, and an underlying tension that hung in the air like storm clouds.


    . . .


    The town beyond the port was a stark contrast to Ravencall''s simple village. Buildings of stone and timber crowded narrow streets, many bearing scars of past conflicts—bullet holes in walls, hastily repaired roofs, reinforced doorways.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    People moved with purpose, eyes watchful, conversations hushed.


    "We need information," Kain said as they huddled in the shadow of a warehouse. "This place is more complicated than we thought."


    Redd nodded. "We should split up, cover more ground."


    "Ash and I can check the eastern quarter," Talon suggested. "Kain and Redd take the west."


    "Meet back here in one hour," Kain agreed. "And stay out of trouble."


    Ash rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother."


    As the pairs separated, Kain watched Ash confidently striding toward what appeared to be a market square. While Redd was consulting a crude map of the town.


    "This way," Redd murmured. "I heard there''s an area where day laborers gather. Might be a good place to start."


    . . .


    Kain and Redd walked through the western quarter of Krevane, keeping his eyes sharp for any potential sources of information.


    The streets here were narrower than at the port, the buildings leaning toward each other like old men sharing secrets. Unlike Ravencall''s open friendliness, people here kept to themselves, shoulders hunched, eyes averted.


    "This isn''t working," Kain muttered after their third attempt at conversation with a local shopkeeper ended with a slammed door. "Nobody wants to talk to outsiders."


    Redd pointed toward an alley between two buildings. "Look there."


    In the shadows, a cluster of men and women huddled around a small fire burning in a metal drum. Their clothes were tattered, faces gaunt but eyes alert.


    "The overlooked see everything," Redd said quietly. "Garik taught us that."


    Kain nodded, appreciating Redd''s memory. They approached slowly, making no sudden movements. A few heads turned their way, expressions wary.


    "We''re new here," Kain said, keeping his voice even. "Looking to understand Krevane better."


    An older man with a scar bisecting his left eye snorted. "Understanding costs berries, boy."


    Kain reached into his pouch and produced a few coins. Not too many—showing wealth would be dangerous—but enough to demonstrate goodwill.


    The scarred man''s companion, a woman with prematurely gray hair, gestured for them to sit. "What do you want to know?"


    "The civil war," Redd said. "We heard about it on Ravencall, but..."


    "Ravencall," the woman interrupted with a bitter laugh. "Your little island gets the sanitized version."


    For the next forty minutes, Kain and Redd listened as the homeless group painted a picture far bleaker than anything they''d imagined. The civil war wasn''t just political—it was personal, with families divided, neighborhoods turned into battlegrounds. The government forces controlled the ports and main thoroughfares, while rebels held the highlands and mining districts.


    "Civilians?" Kain asked quietly.


    "Caught in between," the scarred man said. "Both sides claim to fight for the people, but both demand loyalty, food, shelter, information. Refuse either one..." He drew a finger across his throat.


    "What about mercenary work?" Redd asked. "We heard there might be opportunities."


    This earned genuine laughter from the group. "Sure," said a younger man missing three fingers on his right hand. "If you don''t mind being cannon fodder. They''ll take anyone with a pulse these days."


    As their hour drew to a close, Kain thanked them with a few more berries. The scarred man caught his wrist as he stood to leave.


    "Word of advice, boy. This island eats the unprepared. Whatever you came for, it''s not worth it."


    Kain met his gaze steadily. "We''ll be careful."


    "No one''s careful enough in Krevane."


    . . .


    When they returned to the meeting point, Ash and Talon were already waiting, Ash practically bouncing with excitement.


    "You won''t believe what we found," he said before Kain could even greet them.


    Redd glanced at Kain. "Let me guess—trouble?"


    "Better," Ash grinned. "Opportunity."


    Talon, more measured as always, explained, "We learned things about the civil war—it''s worse than we thought. The fighting is brutal, and civilians are suffering the most."


    "But," Ash cut in, "we also heard about this underground fighting club. People from both sides of the conflict compete there—neutral ground, sort of. They bet serious berries on the matches."


    Kain frowned. "And this helps us how?"


    "Think about it," Ash said, eyes bright with enthusiasm. "We came here to get experience, right? To learn how to fight? What better way than actual combat where we can control the stakes? Plus, we can make money while we''re at it."


    Redd looked skeptical. "We came here to understand a real conflict, not participate in some gladiator games."


    "Who says we can''t do both?" Ash countered. "We need to start somewhere. We can''t just walk up to either army and ask for jobs—they''d laugh us off or worse. But if we make names for ourselves in the fighting circuit, doors will open."


    Kain considered this. What they''d learned about Krevane''s conflict was sobering. Perhaps rushing into the middle of it wasn''t the wisest first step. With the fight club they could get introduced to some key figures and learn how to have a proper fight while they were at it.


    So far, the four brothers had only sparred with each other and Garik. Plus the occasional fight with a beast or two, but that wasn''t anything close to a real fight with a living, breathing, and scheming human being who wanted nothing more than to tear you limb from limb.


    "Where is this place?" he asked finally.


    Ash''s grin widened. "Underground—literally. Beneath the old brewery district."


    ****


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