“I’m sorry Marius, I can’t stay here any longer.” Sadness swelled in Eliza’s voice, but her lips formed a resolute line.

“You’re going to leave me alone?” he asked, more horrified than surprised. He’d lost his mother and Tobben in Lyridia, while living in that damned little house. How could he possibly stay on his own?

“You don’t have to say,” Eliza said, seeming to read his mind, “you can go anywhere. You could come to the floating city with me, maybe even find work as a groundskeeper at the Sisterhood chapter house.” She reached out to touch his shoulder. “I know it’s not an exciting life, but it’d be safer and better than what we had here.”

“Here we have each other,” he flinched away from her and took a step towards the door, “up there you’ll only have your gods. Go suck Y’edda’s tits then,” he swore, “I need a drink.”

“Marius,” his sister scolded as he stepped outside, “you know I don’t like you spending time with that--” her final word cut off as he slammed the door.

The youth trudged through the muddy streets, a light autumn rain slicking his hair and dropping a chill down the small of his back. Marius shivered as he reached the fish-smelling wharf and slipped into a tavern called Freebootin’ Al’s Folly.

None of the patrons took particular notice as he wound his way through the teeming tables to the bar at the back of the room. Although he was the youngest man there by a good few years, they still considered him a man.

The bartender gave him a curt nod and reached backwards to rap on the office door before returning to the never-ending task of washing tankards. Marius settled himself on a stool and sighed, elbows rested on the bartop. His face sank into his palms and he rubbed his temples in rough circles, trying to feel something other than overwhelming dismay.

“Ahoy there laddo,” said the only voice he wanted to hear, “what be yer’ troubles today?”