The wind moaned over the fields and whistled around houses, tousling Jeice's hair as he stared out his bedroom window. The pinpoint lights of scattered stars threw a weak glow over the world below. Jeice sighed and closed his eyes, willing away the throbbing headache that seemed to be coming back. He could feel pain from every place Cheada had hit him. That had been no sparring match. The more Jeice thought about it, the more convinced he became that Cheada would have killed him if he hadn't retaliated.

'That's not what stopped him, though. It didn't even faze him, but he left without killing me. Why?' Whatever Cheada's reasons for sparing his life, Jeice was grateful, but the entire situation was deeply disturbing, particularly where his mother was concerned. She acted like she'd somehow expected this, and moreover, she seemed to know what was to follow. She revealed nothing, however, in fact she'd barely spoken at all since Cheada had left. It was positively maddening, Jeice thought. He of all people had the right to know what was going to happen to him.

A golden glow at the horizon heralded the coming dawn. Jeice rubbed his eyes and stretched, trying to wake himself up. He'd spent the entire night alternately pacing the room and gazing out the window. He couldn't bring himself to settle down long enough to sleep. Some part of his mind expected Cheada to burst in at any moment to beat him to a bloody pulp--Jeice nearly jumped out of his skin as his door flew open, slamming back against the wall. He whirled, ready to fight, only to find Lureine standing in the doorway, eyes wild, with a pack slung over her shoulder and another in her hand; this she tossed to Jeice.

"We're leaving."

"What? Why? What's happening?" Lureine gestured for him to follow her; he obeyed, but with more than a few misgivings.

"They're coming for you," she said as she lead the way out the back of the house, "but I won't let them take you. I won't have you turned into one of those--monsters."

Jeice had never seen her so incensed, so--animated. She'd always maintained an air of reserve, staying impassively aloof even in the face of Cheada's tirades, when he would shout so loudly even the people in town could hear. Now she was no longer the unfeeling goddess, but as frantically desperate as any mother trying to save her child.

She maintained this state of mind even as Cheada and two other soldiers landed in front of her. She shoved Jeice behind her and turned to face her husband, her face set and eyes ablaze with fury. She looked like she wanted to hit him, but, taking a deep breath, managed to regain a fraction of her cold demeanor.

"What business have you here?" she demanded.

"We've come to take Jeice. He has been chosen; he is to become a warrior." Jeice gasped, unsure if what he felt was excitement or terror. He noticed Lureine was shaking slightly; she didn't seem to notice.

"You can not have him," she rasped, her breathing suddenly harsh. "I will not allow it." Cheada looked down on her with a trace of pity.

"It's not your choice, Lureine," he murmured. "I have my orders; I must carry them out." He moved to walk past her and she moved to block his path again. Planting her feet and crossing her arms, she lifted her chin defiantly.

"You'll have to kill me first." Cheada's expression altered slightly and Jeice realized with horror that it was no idle threat. He grabbed his mother by the arm and hauled her back, stepping forward to face Cheada himself.

"If you dare harm her, father--" One look from Cheada stopped him cold. Cheada spoke slowly, as though measuring every word.

"Remember what you're feeling now, Jeice. Remember what it was in you that made you stand up to me. Remember what Lureine sacrificed for you, and you will always have something for which to fight."

He motioned to the other two soldiers and they grabbed Jeice, dragging him back behind his father. Lureine bolted after them, never even seeing Cheada's hand slicing through the air above her; the last sensation she registered was a thick snapping sound as her neck cracked. By the time her limp body had crumpled to the ground, she was dead. Cheada bowed his head as an otherworldly shriek from Jeice signaled the start of his training.

*****

"Fresh blood, guys. Check it out."

"Crikey, is it just me or are they throwing 'em in younger and younger these days?"

"Ah, he's young all right, but not the youngest, I'll wager. Let's wake him and find out." Scuffling sounds, coming closer; then a softer voice, still somehow commanding.

"Leave him be. He's got enough ahead of him." Sounds of the two moving away. Sullenly:

"Yes, sir."

Jeice drifted a little further into consciousness. He could feel now: the damp stone beneath him, his wet clothing weighing him down just a bit--and a strange weight on each of his wrists. Another moment and he could smell the stale odor of mildew and sweat, mixed with the sharp tang of vomit. He shuddered and slowly opened his eyes, eventually focusing on a tall thin figure standing at his feet. The stranger's lean face bore an inexplicable air of authority as he graced Jeice with a tiny smile.

"Really did you over, didn't they? What did you do?"

"I--I don't remember," Jeice muttered through swollen lips. He tried to move his arms, but that same heaviness bound him. He heard metal scraping on stone.

"In case you can't tell, you're chained," the other remarked. "Whatever you did must have been spectacular."

Jeice grunted and pulled himself into a sitting position, choking back the sudden wave of nausea. When at last he felt it safe to open his mouth, he spoke to the lanky stranger.

"Who are you? More importantly, where are we?"

"I am Suiz; and this, as near as you, I, or anyone else can guess, is Hell."

"Feels like it so far," Jeice groaned, reaching to brush back his hair and clunking himself in the face with the thick manacle. The world swam for a moment, then resolidified as he cursed to himself. Suiz gave a dry chuckle.

"They take a little getting used to, eh, kid? Don't worry, they'll probably let you out soon. You need to start training."

"Training? What--" The memories returned in a sudden rush: his father threatening to kill him, his mother trying to flee, challenging Cheada--Lureine's corpse sprawled unceremoniously in the dust. Jeice nearly screamed again, holding back only because he lacked the strength. Shoving the images away, he focused on Suiz, who was explaining.

"This is where the warriors train, where the elites are chosen, and the unworthy weeded out. Within a week it should be clear whether you are to live or die; beyond that, there's not much excitement."

"Except when they throw in a new playmate for us," sneered one of the others. "Then it gets interesting for a little while, until we kill 'em."

"Camber, hush," Suiz admonished. "If you want a plaything, pick up a rock and practice bashing it into your head; that should keep you occupied for a while." Camber's companion snickered, hastily muffling the sound as Camber turned to glare at him. With a snort at Jeice and a disdainful glance at Suiz, Camber stomped off. The other came forward, smiling awkwardly.

"Don't mind Camber, he's still pissed about being reprimanded yesterday. He'll get over it. My name's Ghud, by the way. I don't think I caught yours--"

"Jeice." Ghud nodded.

"As Suiz said, welcome to Hell, Jeice. There's no finer place to die."

"I have no intentions of dying."

"Nor does anyone; but it happens pretty regularly. Somehow I don't think personal choice is really involved."

"Not unless you drive him to kill himself before he's even been here a week," Suiz chided. "Let's not make him feel too doomed; not yet, anyhow."

"Okay, Jeice, looks like you have to reschedule the death of your faith for next week. For now, maybe you can tell us how you got here?" Jeice shut his eyes, replaying the scene in his mind again; he shivered.

"No." Ghud looked confused, but Suiz's expression softened a little.

"That's okay. You can tell us when you're ready."

"No proclamations of doom or tales of woe? Now what'll we do?" Ghud wailed.

"Well," Jeice offered, "you could help me lose these damned chains."

"Impossible, I'm afraid," murmured Suiz. "You'll have to wait until they come to take them off."

"They?"

"Our highly respected superiors," Ghud drawled.

"Cheada?" Suiz looked stunned.

"Why would he bother to come down here? What business could he have with you?" Jeice drew a slow breath.

"None, I guess," he muttered. "Never mind." Suiz and Ghud looked at each other and shrugged.

"Heads up!" Camber called. Suiz and Ghud snapped to attention as Jeice attempted to rise. He managed to stand with his manacled hands propped on his knees, wheezing. A rash of whispers broke out and suddenly his two companions stepped away. Jeice stared at the ground, refusing to look up as the heavy tread approached. A hard hand grabbed his chin, jerking it up and forcing him to look his tormentor in the eye.

"Show a little respect when your commanding officer approaches, brat," Cheada snapped.

"Fuck you." Cheada's eyes grew suddenly wider and the other boys shrank back even further.

"What the hell is he doing?" Ghud hissed. "No one talks to Cheada that way!"

"Look at them," Suiz whispered. "Look closely. You know what I think--"

"You can't be serious!"

"I can be and usually am, Ghud. I think that's it. No wonder he was chosen so young."

"If he keeps it up, he won't have a chance to get old."

Jeice clamped his jaw, glaring hatefully at Cheada. 'Remember what Lureine sacrificed for you--' He didn't look away until Cheada threw him back against the wall, cracking his head painfully on the cold stone. Jeice leaned back against it, bracing trembling knees to prop himself up and straining to focus on his father's stony face.

"Don't start fights you can't finish, boy." Digging a key from his pocket, Cheada removed Jeice's chains. Jeice lost his balance and pitched forward, catching himself with shaking hands on Cheada's broad shoulders.

"I--will finish it," he rasped. Cheada pulled away and Jeice collapsed.

"You'd be a lot more convincing," the warrior growled, "if you could stand. Training starts tomorrow; be prepared to defend yourself." He strode away, ignoring the over-enthusiastic salutes from the other young recruits. Ghud and Suiz edged forward and tried to help Jeice to his feet, but he waved them away.

"Please. I just need to--rest awhile," he gasped, feeling the pain roll over his body. Squinting, he saw Cambert approach. Suiz stiffened and glared at him, but Camber was no longer on the offensive.

"Well, Jeice, it seems Suiz here was right; you've got more than enough trouble ahead of you. It's usually my job to filter out the weak recruits, but you needn't worry about me; if Cheada's got it in for you that's plenty enough." He paused. "However you got in here, I hope you live to get out and make that bastard pay." He turned and left; Ghud scurried after him, asking questions to which he got no answers. Suiz watched with keen interest.

"Now what do you suppose that was all about?" he asked quietly. His only reply was a faint snore from Jeice, either asleep or unconscious. 'Either way,' Suiz thought, 'he needs the rest, if he wants to survive tomorrow.' With a pensive frown he returned to his usual corner, leaving Jeice to his dreams and nightmares.