That had gone smoother than Jer-kal-thuli-mal had expected.

  Vernisha turned to Jim and asked, “Why didn’t you say no?”

  He turned slightly toward her. “Why do that?”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal spoke with a touch of aggression. “Because fuck them.”

  Jim shot her a disapproving look.

  She sighed, meeting Vernisha’s gaze. “Excuse my language.”

  Vernisha asked, “Is it always like this for you all? That seems like hell.”

  “Not always,” Jer-kal-thuli-mal replied. “But if a mission doesn’t go smoothly, yeah. It becomes a lot of complaining and things like this.”

  Vernisha tilted her head, considering it. “Hm, is it any different in your country?”

  “In a way, yeah. It’s very different. How much do you know about Kmew-hul?”

  “Not that much. I’m guessing vlandos are treated better there?”

  Eh?

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal raised an eyebrow. “Is that a trick question?”

  “What? No, no.”

  “Really now?”

  “… Sorry.”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal studied her for a few seconds, trying to understand what was going on in the child’s mind.

  But she seemed serious.

  “You’re serious?” Jer-kal asked.

  “Yes. I am guessing that vlandos aren’t treated better back at your home?”

  “Not really. Which is funny, since we’re the only major nation to have predominantly vlandos rulers.”

  Both the Sharlac and Keryui were vlandos, the equivalents of queens and kings, each functioning as a representative of their respective families, royal-like families.

  “How bad is it?” Vernisha asked.

  “Segregation and forced monster combatant service for life. That bad.”

  Vlandos were forced into Gyuinjio, the names of the monster zones inhabited by individuals in Kmew-hul.

  “Oh, so that’s why you’re here?”

  “That’s why I’m still here.”

  Vernisha seemed deep in thought. “I don’t get why your people would treat vlandos so badly. That would just build hatred and develop their desire for revolt.”

  “Because the vlandos there understand the reason,” Jer-kal-thuli-mal said. “They know it’s to create a society that keeps functioning. They educate us on the great power we possess. That because we are of a proud race and country, we must learn to use this power to protect our people, our country, and help it prosper.

  “And until we become monster combatants, we shouldn’t leave our homes, the monster zones, because we’d endanger everyone.”

  To be honest, Jer-kal-thuli-mal did not disagree with it. It was not like regular people treated them badly. They respected them, like heroes.

  “But isn’t the segregation thing annoying?” Vernisha asked.

  “Not being able to walk the streets of the regular cities is annoying. We can when we become monster combatants, but that’s stupid. Terrafall might be a mess, but the freedom here is nice.”

  “I’m surprised. The way people treat you never made you want to go to another country?”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal gestured at Jim. “This boule de viande doesn’t want to.”

  She clicked her tongue. “Sorry for that.”

  Swearing was second nature to her, but it was not like Vernisha knew what boule de viande meant.

  Vernisha looked at Jim. “She always calls you that?”

  He shrugged. “When she’s angry.”

  Vernisha made a slight “yikes” expression. The word was not really charged. It just meant flesh ball.

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal decided to ask, “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with your mother or something?”

  “She’s tired. I just wanted to do some networking. You never know when I might need one of your guys’ knowledge or whatever.”

  That seemed fair.

  Jim seemed impressed. “You’re really smart for a kid. How old are you, by the way?”

  “Twelve,” Vernisha replied.

  “Thought you were a little older.”

  “How old do I look?”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal joined in. “Your exact age. I have no idea what Jim is on about.”

  “Doesn’t she look thirteen? Or is it the hair?” Jim said.

  “I think it’s because she’s the same height as James,” Jer-kal-thuli-mal said.

  “You actually may be right.”

  Vernisha asked, “James is his son?”

  “Our son,” Jer-kal-thuli-mal said. “But his biological son.”

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  “Oh. You guys are lovers?”

  Many would respond with shock or disgust if they heard that one of their fellow humans was involved with a gum skin, a word she hated more than death itself. But Vernisha just seemed genuinely surprised.

  “For a while now.”

  It had actually been about four years.

  “Damn, you two really don’t care about what people think. Wait, wait.” Vernisha turned to look at Jim suspiciously. “How old are you?”

  “Why are you asking? Especially with that look.”

  “You don’t look that old, and I'm now processing the age difference.”

  “Ah. I’m twenty-nine.”

  “And you got a thirteen-year-old?”

  “Yeah. It’s weird.”

  “But why’d you have a kid so young?”

  “Don’t worry about that.”

  She was too young to understand anyway. A Starlight had liked him a little too much. His parents had been more than thrilled about the relationship, seeing it as their ticket to live like high nobles because of her heritage.

  That Starlight had a child with him, but she had to get rid of it because the family only reproduced with other Starlights to keep their traits in the family, and other stupid reasons that boiled down to not wanting his dirty blood mixing with their divine blood.

  She had not gotten rid of the baby, though. She had dumped it on Jim.

  Vernisha seemed to understand that Jim did not want to talk about it and accepted it. “I see. Um, so how did you two meet each other?”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal asked, “Why are you so curious?”

  Vernisha shrugged. “Sounds interesting. Could have cool drama.”

  “Drama, huh.” There had been a lot of that. Jim’s family. His own son.

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal had always known she was prejudiced against humans, for petty reasons. Accents, languages, handwriting, cuisines, and more. Of course, it was not just her. Everyone hated those their country had wars with. They harmed friends, families, and society. Which country was the victim meant nothing once everything went to hell and the other side was at fault.

  Dealing with the bullshit in Jim’s life had only turned that prejudice up a notch. Jer-kal-thuli-mal had started thinking like Falsker, a punchio emperor who once tried to conquer the whole continent just to rid the world of every single human.

  Jim’s mother. The way that dusty old whore used to look at Jer-kal-thuli-mal, like she was lower than a rat. Like something to pity, as long as she kept her distance from Jim. She had told her son, in front of Jer-kal, that he should not be around her so much, that people would think he was a gum fucker.

  They had only been friends at the time. Jer-kal-thuli-mal had come to this country after escaping trafficking, when it was busted by the Vanquishers. She had found refuge in Retuia, a small piece of land bordering Kmew-hul, with a fifty percent Julioes population.

  As time passed, her anger shifted. It was hard to keep wishing death on an entire group when she was dating someone from it, making friends in it, and sympathizing with some of them.

  She still hated a lot of humans simply because they were humans, but it was mutual.

  Jim spoke up. “You’re a bit too nosey, kid. How’s your family holding up? Anything looking better for your father and brother?”

  Vernisha made an annoyed expression. “Same thing for now. Until we get to the capital to see a doctor, things are just going to get worse. It’s not like we can walk to the capital, even if the monster wasn’t out. It would take us so many days to get there.”

  “As soon as we’re done, you’ll all get a ride to Sundawn. I promise you that.”

  “Thanks, that’ll mean a lot. Can I ask some more questions?”

  “Depends,” Jim answered.

  “Why did you two become adventurers? And why stay adventurers, when people treat you like shit?”

  That was not a question Jer-kal-thuli-mal had expected, and even Jim looked a bit surprised. She chose to remain silent, letting Jim tell her whatever noble lies he wanted.

  “They may treat us badly, but we’re important,” Jim said. “We come across treasures like you and the chief, people who appreciate our work. And we just have the calling for it. To help others, no matter what.”

  “Even if they slur at you, wish death upon you, wish death on your child?”

  Jim maintained a fake smile. “Yeah, even then.”

  “Be honest with me,” Vernisha said. “You still have the heart of a human, of a regular. You must hate those who treat you terribly. Sure, maybe you had those feelings in the beginning, but eventually all the hatred must eat away at your mental health. I’m always hearing how much people fear and hate you all. You, a vlandos, must feel similar toward regulars, whether they’re humans or not.”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal was surprised. The kid was smart. She sounded like she had experience.

  That noble bullshit was nothing but a fairy tale. There was not a single vlandos who became an adventurer because they wanted to do good. They did it because it was one of the few legal jobs available. Because they had been socially engineered to believe it was their purpose. If you were a vlandos, you should be killing monsters. Why not get paid for it?

  What other jobs existed for them, besides ones that weaponized them? People looked at them, near seven feet tall or taller, and immediately thought, “Fuck. One of them.”

  There were exceptions, of course. Adventurers who believed in the noble ideals, or some warped version of them. New adventurers. Those from sheltered communities. Those who wanted to make a difference. They were the most annoying ones.

  The type that made you want to beat them to a pulp. They always agreed with regulars, always “understanding” their point of view.

  If a human told them to beat up a fellow vlandos to prove they cared about humans, they probably would.

  “Look, I’m one of the good ones. Want me to lick your boots too?” They would probably suck off a homeless man’s dirty dick just to prove it.

  They were more annoying than hateful humans. At least hatred was expected. At least the distance made sense. It was them or us, like cats versus dogs.

  But someone on the same side, desperately seeking validation from the other side, the same side that talked shit behind their back and would kill them in an instant, that kind of thing made you want to do more than break their neck.

  It made her feel a rage that barely felt normal.

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal stopped spiraling and tuned back into what Jim was saying.

  “You know what, you’re smart,” Jim said. “I’ll keep it real with you. It’s the same damn reason your father does farming. Does he like it?”

  “No. I don’t think anyone does,” Vernisha answered.

  “Exactly. It’s just the only job available to us. The only job that isn’t too morally disgusting or humiliating. The money isn’t worth this. It’s never worth the stress. It’s never worth knowing when you’re going to screw up and mess someone up.” He lowered his voice. “But you know you will. One day you will. You just don’t know when, or why you’re going to finally lose self-control.”

  “That’s scarier than dealing with monsters?” Vernisha asked.

  “Sometimes, yeah.”

  One fear came from not knowing when the day would come. The other was terrifying because you knew it would happen, eventually.

  Vernisha slowly nodded. “Let’s say my brother is a vlandos. Hypothetical, of course. If he was one, what advice would you give me to give to him?”

  “Uh. Lucky him, he lives in a faraway village, so he can live a free life. But since he’s going to a doctor, his blood will be tested, and he’ll be added to the database.”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal noticed Vernisha’s surprise. “They register vlandos?”

  “Yeah. How do you not know that? You never heard of people going from village to village, checking kids for vlandos signs?”

  “No. Never happened in mine," she said.

  “That’s why I said your brother is lucky. These government workers are lazy shits.”

  “I see. Now what if he wanted to become an adventurer?”

  “Don’t,” Jim said. “He’ll hate it.”

  “But how would he get a job?”

  “Maybe the circus. He might get lucky and meet people who don’t care.”

  “How about Knights and Vanquishers?”

  “I’d strongly advise against that,” Jer-kal-thuli-mal cut in. “Better someone kills themselves than become one of those.”

  Vanquishers were disgusting enough. A Knight was worse.

  “Oh.”

  Jim spoke more gently. “Let’s stick to the simple stuff. If your brother hypothetically becomes a vlandos and doesn’t get lucky and needs a job, let me know. Adventuring is a shitty job, but it’s the best of those options. Knights and Vanquishers are worse. I’ll give him all the tips and tricks to make sure his adventurer career isn’t too hellish. Got it?”

  Vernisha nodded with a small smile. “I will. Thanks. You’re a really nice guy.”

  “So are you,” Jim said. “It’s really cool that you feel comfortable around us.”

  Jer-kal-thuli-mal added, “You’re better than most kids.”

  Vernisha looked at her. “I suspect you’re very nice too.”

  “No. And no, me healing people doesn’t count as being nice. Not when I’m on the job.”

  “Okay, okay. I get it. How’s the monster hunting going? Still no sight of it?” Vernisha asked.

  “No,” Jim started.

  In the distance, a bright fire lit up the sky. A cruel, disgusting voice followed.

  “Ma… mmy… run… me!”

  The monster was back.