Clean up the mess

Taiwo came eventually, but Atrox was already back in his tunnel, digging away at the wall with the strength of ten men. He had so much starsalt around him that he had to pick his way around large piles as he made his way out when he was called.

Taiwo's lips were pressed together when she saw him. She was accompanied by Tiber, Slya, and Eron, all of whom vibrated with excitement—except for Taiwo, who narrowed her eyes at him.

Tiber grunted. "Well? What do you think? I wasn't there, but Slya said she could have sworn that he disappeared and reappeared."

Eron snorted. "It's just his speed! Haven't you seen Knights fight before?"

"Hush!" Taiwo said and focused her eyes on him.

Atrox felt her essence-sensing wash over him weakly as she tried to determine if he was a Squire or not. He sighed. He couldn't undo what had happened, but he could control what happened next. "Yes, I'm a Squire."

"A Squire!" Slya exclaimed. Although she and the others had been expecting something like this, they were still shocked. Right here in the Borderlands—or anywhere else, really—Squires were more powerful than normal humans. They were far more common than other ranks of Knights, so people were used to seeing their powers more often, to the point that they both feared and respected them in equal measure.

Tiber grinned. "Well, that's surprising. To think a Squire would agree to come to the labor camp—and to this wing!"

Taiwo scowled. "That's right. Unless he's a very weak Squire, I can't even feel his aura. But why did you pretend you weren't a Squire when we met? Wait... why couldn't I sense you then?"

Atrox shrugged. "I've had no access to essence for the past three years, so I have none in my core for you to sense."

Taiwo shook her head. "I've never heard of not having access to essence—unless you were in... a special prison?"

Atrox shrugged again. Now that he thought about it, he should have found it strange that his core was drained of essence and hadn't refilled even once in all those years. The prison was meant for holding Knights, after all.

Slya shook her head, looking at him in a new light. Envy shone in her eyes, and she didn't try to hide it. "I can't believe you're a Knight."

"A Squire."

"That's just a rank. Once you activate your core and get your mark, you're a Knight."

"People believe it's when you've aspected your essence," Atrox said with a small smile.

Taiwo sighed. "That might not even happen for a lot of Squires," she waved dismissively. "But leave all that. Atrox, you just killed someone."

She paused. Atrox paused, then raised his brows. "You can't tell me I'll get in trouble for that—not for killing Trion. He's useless and not important enough."

Taiwo took a deep breath. "Well, you're right. But what do you want to do now? I'll write this off as the favor I owed you."

He stared at her. "Clearing up the mess I made isn't enough for what you owe me."

Taiwo nodded. "True, but it's taken a big chunk out of it. We'll talk later. And don't forget—you're still part of my wing."

She left then, dragging Trion's body with her and leaving a trail of blood behind.

Slya's eyes glinted. "I have a mind to drag you somewhere and make you tell me how you became a Squire. It's something I've always dreamed of."

"Have you tried the manifestation?" Atrox asked.

Tiber grunted. "I've tried it before and wasn't lucky. Not destined to be a Knight."

Atrox nodded slowly. "Unfortunately, that's the only way to gain power in the Eternal Skies. I've heard of a continent beyond the Divide that has some kind of sword power."

Slya and Tiber shared a look, seeming to communicate silently. Tiber took a deep breath. "We don't know you well, Atrox, but to be honest, now that you're a Knight, things have changed. How about this: let's make a deal. We'll provide you with full information on all the workings of the camp."

Atrox wasn't new to this. "And in exchange?"

They shared another look before Tiber spoke. "In exchange, don't forget us if there's a chance for you to elevate yourself. Don't leave us behind."

Atrox smiled, his green eyes gleaming. "You want to be my subordinates—but only if I'm going to rise in rank? Alright, that's fair. But make sure the information you provide is useful."

What a crafty deal! They didn't know if he'd become powerful or remain a weak Squire, so they settled on what might benefit them. Atrox didn't mind, though.

They agreed and followed him into his tunnel.

Atrox leaned against the wall. "So, what do you have for me? It should be worth it."

Tiber nodded. "Trion belongs to a gang with some influence in the labor camp. That's why the overseer ignored what he did, but that guy was really a small fry."

"So, who's the real deal?" Atrox asked.

"Kade. A wing-one worker… he doesn't really work, but, well, he's the leader of the gang. I'm sure you've gained his attention now, even though he won't care about Trion."

"But he'll pretend anyway," Atrox added, familiar with situations like this.

They nodded, and Slya shot him a look. "You should watch out. The guy's trouble, and even team leaders avoid him. But then again, it's just teams for this layer."

That jolted Atrox. He had a lot of questions to ask, especially about Kade, but first: "What's the first layer you guys keep talking about, and how does it relate to teams?"

Tiber frowned. "This is going to take time, and we still have to break starsalt for our carts."

Atrox smiled. He could still feel strength thrumming through him. In fact, he could feel his core more clearly. He raised his pickaxe and slammed it into the wall.

'Bam! Crack!'

Dust, rock, and starsalt rained down. "Just keep talking. I'll be your worker for today."