Gesell have always been power players. In terms of influence, they easily have the greatest, even after the Glory Days. They created the politics of the new world and the foundation of societal interaction. However, they know this all too well. Owning a city means running it. Running it means influence and power. And influence and power lead to corruption. If Gesell had one flaw, it would be that they are out for themselves. Any help you get from a Gesell is only because it benefits them as well.
-Romer Sollins


Kai’s clothes flapped wildly as he pushed blindly into the storm. He was two days out from Lon now, and the journey had been mostly as expected. Boring desert sand after boring desert sand with the sun beating down like a hammer from above. He had found two more waystones on the way, one an unhelpful stump and another that provided shelter from the wind the night before. Now however, he had no stone to shelter him from the desert wind. It had increased steadily over the course of the day, disturbing the sand into the roaring swarm it was now. It battered his clothes and shoved him side to side mercilessly. He had secured his pack doubly to be sure it would not be lost. The wind was harsh, and many would stop and take some small shelter against the wind, but Kai knew it was useless. If he stopped now, a Ventruos would appear, and nothing besides a solid wall could guarantee him safety from that. And so he shoved on. But sand and wind do not provide ideal traveling conditions, and the shifting ground sapped his energy. Even his considerable endurance could not hold for long in such conditions. Crouching low, he stopped for a moment to rest under the roaring wind.

He sat quietly, his head pounding and legs sighing with painful relief as acid pumped through them. His throat was dry, but bringing out water in these conditions was foolish, and so he endured. His respite was short, however. As he tried to forcefully soothe his legs, he heard it. It was not quite howling, nor quite screaming. It was like the hissing cry of a banshee brought by the wind and reflected by the sand, a prophet of death to come. It was a Ventruos.

It hadn’t reached him yet, but he could tell it would arrive soon. They always did. And so he began preparation. He pulled out a steel ball hook. It was spiked, heavy, and designed to grapple and hold. He dug into the sand, which pulled away easily. Once the hole was a decent depth, he buried the grapple. He finished just in time as a roaring wind ten times as powerful as the ones before slammed into him. He flew backwards, but the grapple held. The rope that connected him was sturdy, and it latched to his body like a leash. The sand was blinding and nothing was audible over the Ventruos’ furious cries. His anchor to the ground and life strained under the weight of him and the wind. But it was a heavy weight and strong rope, it would hold. He hoped it would, anyway.

And as minutes dragged on and Kai became accustomed to the floating and rolling of his body in the wind, something unexpected happened. The Bakdan desert was not small, though only a very specific area was normally traveled, and very few people even traveled on this path. The chances of encountering someone here was not impossible by any means, but the likelihood is that your journey across would be a lonely one. And despite this, Kai found another traveler at this moment, in the form of a body, flung by the Ventruos, directly into him. And while the rope may have carried one body, two was another story. The projectile collided and sent Kai flying as the rope snapped. Tangled with the newcomer, Kai flew backwards, nearly flying only to be thrown to the ground and back up again. As he crashed into the ground, he was suddenly thankful for its softer nature, which cushioned the blows. He couldn’t tell exactly how far they flew for the mere minutes it threw them, but the speed and unceasing travel told him he was well off course. And then, they stopped flying. Or, to be more specific, their flight was interrupted. By a fall. He felt them drop out of the Ventruos’ path and plummet downwards. A few seconds later, he hit the ground, and the body fell on top of him.

He had felt the stranger land on top of him, but Kai’s nerves didn’t seem to register anything. He wasn’t unconscious, but he couldn’t move. His body was not responding and it seemed to be regathering itself after the shocking journey. Then, after a few minutes, he could move his fingers. His limbs began to rapidly regain feeling as he tried to sit up. It stung. He ached all over, and he didn’t want to imagine the bruises that would come later. The body still lay over him, and he pushed them off to stand. His legs shook, and he fell back down. He wouldn’t be moving on tonight. Sighing, he turned to the human bullet that had caused the problem. They wore classic desert wear, but they were clearly not equipped for a desert excursion. They had nothing other than an empty water pouch and a small pack tied to their back. Kai had been less stocked on food than he’d hoped recently. Maybe this was a time to restock. Contemplating his next step, Kai leaned down and pulled the hood from their head.

Underneath the thick desert mask was a girl. She had long, furiously crimson hair, and her skin was a similar tone in the arid desert heat. She had a delicate face and she had carefully trimmed features. At least they had been, but the desert climate seemed to have worn away her pampered look. With one glance, Kai would tell what she was. Gesell, probably a richer one at that. The city dwelling Gesell almost never left their walls, so the girl’s tribe was surprising to Kai. But, an opportunity was an opportunity, and food was food. Kai drew the long knife with the polished bone handle from his belt. Leaning down, he grabbed the girl’s cloak. But as he prepared to do the deed, he felt a sting of conscience. The girl was probably younger than him. She was at the moment in her life where she would choose her path. She wasn’t a child, one of the few things Kai refused to butcher as a principle. Nor was she an adult, which Kai could have killed without much (if any) hesitation. Sighing, he pulled the cloak back over her and sheathed the knife.

Kai observed his surroundings. They had fallen from the desert to a stony alcove with a sandy floor. It was large, and through the dusty air he could see the cracks run up the stony walls that encircled them. He turned from where they fell. He vaguely saw another wall a distance away. Moving forward he squinted to see further. The wind howled above him and the sand, though not as bad, still obscured his vision. And then there was a gust of wind and his footing slipped. Yelling, he tumbled downward, further than he should have. He was beginning to fall. His arm shot upwards and latched onto the ledge he had tripped from. Gasping, blinded by sand and reeling from the fall, he pulled his other arm up, shaking. Dragging himself over the lip of the cliff, he looked down. A giant chasm lay in front of him. Down below, sand flowed irregularly and shadows lay undisturbed. It stretched out further than the mind could fathom. This was one of the Crags.

The Crags were just a more common name for what was more officially referred to as the great canyons. Most people believe they appeared after the Cataclysm, and they are easily the greatest natural features in the world. They stretched for miles and fell downwards further than seems possible. And despite this, people still managed to reach the bottoms by means of scaffolding connecting the few alcoves like the one that currently held Kai and the girl. At the bottom of these monstrous valleys, Old Places lie undisturbed or inhabited by Barbars. The Old Places were remnants of the days before the Cataclysm. Some people even believed that the catastrophic event caused the Crags to appear, earth and the Old Places crumbling into giant canyons. Ancient buildings and texts were contained within, and many an explorer would venture into them in hopes of finding valuable artifacts. They were a treasure trove for any young, thrill-seeking adventurers. Kai, on the other hand, found them a pain. They were an obstacle to get around, and right now he didn’t need any more of those.

Under the muffled howling above, he heard shuffling behind him, and then a groan. The girl was stirring. Kai drew his knife and turned to face her, double checking his goggles and mask. His decision to spare her wouldn't live long if she saw his eyes. She lay on the uneven earth, shaking slightly. Then her arms found the ground and she slowly pushed herself up. Her eyes grew wide as she looked around, until eventually they fell upon Kai. She jumped and, surprisingly quickly, backed up into the stone wall. “Who, who are you?” Her eyes were wide and her legs shook. Kai opened his mouth, but she continued. “Where am I, what did you do, how-“

“Do you intend to let me answer or not.” Kai tilted his head. The girl fell silent and her eyes moved to the knife in his hand. Seeing this, Kai sheathed it slowly, maintaining eye contact with the girl as he did. “Ok.” He spoke slowly. He didn’t need her to panic. That would make things even worse. “First question.” She watched him carefully, still frightened. Then she took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. Even with the goggles, it made him uncomfortable.

“Where am I?” She appeared to have calmed down, though she still seemed nervous.

“You are in the Bakdan Desert, though you should probably already know that. We are currently in an alcove on the walls of a Crag, with a Ventruos blowing overhead and a nasty drop below.” The girl’s eyes grew again, but she seemed to keep control over her panic this time.

“So,” She spoke again, “The Ventruos blew me all the way here?”

“Yep. Sharp aren’t you.” The girl glared at him. “Any more questions?”
“Who are you?” He sighed. Of course she would ask that.

“An unfortunate soul who happened to be blown away by the wind when a certain someone flew through the air into them.” He stared at her pointedly. Her face, already red from the desert air, grew a deeper hue of crimson.

“I-I had no control over that.” She stuttered. “I wasn’t equipped to face winds like that.”

“From the looks of it,” Kai gestured to her entirety, “You weren’t equipped for much of anything.” Her face fell once more and her head turned to face the sandy floor. Kai sighed. Tenderness was not his strong suit. “So,” He continued, “Mind if I ask what you were doing here?” The girl began to shake again. Kai couldn’t hear it under the sound of the wind, but her movements were like that of the village boy. She was crying. Kai watched her carefully. It did not particularly touch him, though he still felt a small sting of guilt. He had learned to treat those of differing tribes in a variety of ways. Talking to a toughened desert village child and talking to a pampered Gesell girl were two very different things. “Never mind.” He waved the question off, though it didn’t look like he would’ve gotten an answer anyway. He looked up to the sky. The sun was rapidly descending in the west. He wouldn’t have time to try and leave the alcove today. And he didn’t need another delay. He looked over to where the girl continued to sit sullenly. The awkward silence persisted, till Kai spoke simply, “We should set up a fire.” The girl started, looked up, and nodded. Nodding back, He turned away and began to set up a camp.

While they were in the desert, the Ventruos and the night time air would drop the air to freezing. Kai had brought some firewood in case of trouble like this, but he would rather find a substitute. The alcove was rather large but it was open, and he easily found what he was looking for. The wrecked remains of a scaffold lie rotting in a heap at the very end. It had undoubtedly served some foolhardy adventurer in the past, and it would serve his needs well enough. Scooping up a suitable pile, he returned to where the girl sat. She had stopped crying, but her knees had been pulled up to her chest and her face was buried in them. Working his way around her, Kai set up a pile of wood and kindling. Though the wind first denied the sparks, eventually the kindling caught, and a small fire grew. Kai sat down opposite the girl and stared into the flames. They stared in silence for a while, as the orange flames flickered and twisted in the wind. It had begun to calm, and the noise and strength, though still great, had calmed in their alcove haven. Then, the girl spoke.

“I’m running.” She said it softly. Kai wasn’t sure why, he hadn’t asked this time. But, in yet another string of unlike-him decisions, he chose to listen anyway. “I lived in Verdes, the city to the east of here.” Kai knew of it, everyone did. The largest city in the known world, Verdes held a population of nearly 300,000 behind its solid stone walls. The girl continued. “My father, he,” she paused, “he’s a rather important person there, and has been for quite a while.” She looked up and smiled sadly. “And, well, being important means making enemies. And if you have enemies, you want any weak links. Weak links like… like a…” Her eyes began to tear up. Kai simply nodded. He knew the tactic. It was common for Gesell. Children got in the way, even more so for the higher class. If one’s daughter was kidnapped or killed under your watch, you could be deemed unskilled or incapable of handling higher positions. Strangely enough, killing your own child to remove a weak link was considered impressive and efficient. It was a cruel paradox. “So now,” The girl had wiped her eyes on her knees, “I’ll be killed if I go back, so I tried to run.” She laughed a little, “Though that hasn’t helped me avoid death so far.”

“Apparently.” Kai responded. The girl looked at him curiously. The she laughed. Kai tilted his head, he hadn't been joking.

“It’s funny.” She said, “I don’t even know your name, and yet here I am throwing my sob story all over you.” Kai didn’t think much of this. He didn’t see much to sob about in that story. “My name is Ariana.” She looked at him and smiled sadly, “If I may, could you tell me your name?” Kai thought about it. He could not tell, lie, or tell the truth. They all had merit.

“My name…” He paused, thinking for a moment, “It’s Kai.” He looked back down into the flames. They flickered and danced, their colors dulled by the mask that hid his eyes.

“What, did you forget for a second there?” Ariana laughed a little, then stopped when Kai didn’t. She shuffled awkwardly. After a while longer, she lay down and curled into a sleeping position. Kai waited till her breathing evened and slowed into a monotonous, steady rhythm. Then he closed his eyes and let his breath do the same. The fire flickered as the last of the Ventruos slowed and evened with their breathing. And even as the breathing evened, Ariana rose. Her breath did not, it remained as a sleepers, but her body stood with purpose. Slowly, carefully creeping across the uneven, sandy floor, she approached Kai. She slowly unraveled a cloth cord from her hands. As she neared Kai’s sleeping figure, with its slow rising and falling of breath, the cord tightened in her hands. The rope approached his neck, and slowly crept around it, a vice of death. Ariana took a deep breath.

Her breath was knocked out of her as a fist collided with her stomach. She coughed and gagged as her breath escaped her lungs against her will. Kai’s hand lashed out at her wrist and she pulled back. Too slowly, however, as his hand snapped against it. She cried out and let go of the cord. He snatched it, even as she kicked for his head. He caught her foot, twisted, and yanked her leg down. Using his body as an anchor, he pinned her to the floor face down. She spat and cursed into the sand. Kai let the silence sit for a minute until she stopped resisting. Then he spoke.

“Tell me,” He spoke slowly but forcefully, “Who are you really?” She snorted with amusement.

“Guess I didn’t fool you huh?” She laughed, “A shame, I was always proud of my acting abilities.” He pulled roughly against her arm. She cried out, then laughed again, weakly this time. “Being awfully rough aren’t you? I swear you don’t know how to treat a lady.”

“Though you may be right in that aspect,” Kai responded, “This is a different matter entirely. I am asking who you are.”

“Well,” She attempted a smirk from the ground, “What I told you was mostly true.” He pulled on her arm again. She shuddered with pain. “I’m not lying! My name is Ariana du Lac. My father is Orion du Lac, one of the members of the Verdes city council.”

“That pit of filth and corruption?” Kai looked down on her, raising his eyebrows. While most Gesell cities had systems which bent things in Gesell favor, especially to those in power, Verdes was undoubtedly the worst. It was large and diverse, but the council was only Gesell, and only the rich ones at that.

“Hey.” She attempted a shrug, “I can’t deny it’s a shithole. But still,” She looked up at him, “it’s not like out here is much better.”

“And yet you’ll notice you, the city-dweller, was the first to try to stab me, the outsider, in the back.” Ariana laughed again. “And you seem all too cheerful considering your position right now.”
“What can I say?” She said, smiling,

“I’m used to this sort of thing. ‘Cept I usually can act well enough to get out of it. Maybe I just find it funny to be outwitted for once.” Kai stared down at her. She didn’t feel like she was lying. Of course, she hadn’t earlier either. It was only his latent distrust of people that had kept him awake. And alive. So far, she had been rather good at telling half-truths that qualified as “not lying.”

“I have one last question,” Kai spoke quietly now, “Is your reason for being out here as you said earlier, or do you have other reasons?” His grip tightened on her as he finished. He didn’t think she had connections to any bounty hunters, but he couldn’t be sure.

“Ow!” Ariana flinched against the sudden pressure, “No, I told the truth earlier. Mostly, anyway…” she sighed relief as Kai let up on her arm. He breathed slowly. He ought to get rid of her. It would be easier, quicker, and cleaner than if he left her alive to attack him again later. And yet, he didn’t do what he knew he ought to. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt a strange conviction within him. For some bizarre reason, he couldn’t quite bring himself to do something he had done for years. But he still needed to neutralize the threat. Being sure to leave one arm pinning her down, he took the cord she had just moments before tried to use to kill him and wrapped it around her wrists. Pulling it tight, Kai knotted it into a makeshift pair of handcuffs. Ariana flinched as it burned her skin. “So now what?” She asked as he finished tying her arms,
“What do you plan to do to me?” Despite her bold words, Kai heard a quiver of uncertainty in Ariana’s voice. She was afraid, and didn’t want to show it.

“What makes you think I’m going to do anything?” She scoffed and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” She sat upright, her hands tied behind her back, “Do you honestly think I’d believe you won’t do anything to me? I have no doubts about my looks. A young, beautiful, helpless Gesell princess. Outsiders like you would kill for a chance with me.” She laughed, but Kai could see she was acting brave. “You’re not a saint, so don’t try to pretend.” Kai smacked her. She fell back to the ground, disturbing the dust and kicking up a cloud. Fighting against her bonds, she struggled to push herself up. Kai loomed over her.

“Don’t assume you know everything.” Kai words were steel. “Some of us just want to survive.” She stared up at him, eyes wide. “And,” his voice softened slightly, “Something tells me that you’re no different.” Her head fell as she looked away from him. Kai turned away as well and internally face palmed. If he was always this soft, he’d be dead before he hit twenty-five. He turned back to face her and was surprised to see her looking back at him. Her eyes looked tired despite the angry look on her face.

“You just said it didn't you. 'Don't assume you know everything.'” Ariana spat the words at him before laying down and rolling over. "Don’t talk about things you don’t understand." Pulling her bound hands into the best position she could, she curled up and closed her eyes. Kai watched her as she fell asleep. When her breathing had become normal and he had made sure that she was asleep this time, Kai lay down himself and let his eyes close, slowly allowing himself to finally rest.