“Well let's get started then.”

——— One month earlier ———

The Bloody Barrel is an old tavern located in Mains, one of the five places in the Grimes with something resembling order. It’s one of the few taverns that serve only slightly watered alcohol and as such it’s ferociously protected by its customers.

So when people come running, breaking down doors and spewing nonsense the customers do what's expected of them. They break bones, memorize faces, and give the bastards the good boot.

It's not often the owner takes interest in such cases.

So what's different today. Why today of all the damned days, when I'm here, on the one day of the week that I get to drink.

A shriveled looking man is on the floor sobbing his eyes out. Distaste fill my mouth, an acrid, disgusting feeling. I want to punch this man's face out and throw him as far out of here as I can, but that would disrespect the owner who spent his valuable time calming this man down.

“Derek, get some wet towels and a cup of warm broth.”

The owner's voice is smooth, too smooth for someone who lives in the Grimes, but no one would ever say that out loud. Not after he first established himself here six years ago. Before his reputation was built, he had to keep his tavern civil himself. And only the people with high enough personal strength or those who were backed by one of what at that time was four “safe” zones could keep their business running.

I was there then, when one of the first men tried to rob him at dagger point six years ago, honestly it was closer to a shiv than a dagger, but the point still stands. The owner, Maximus, as I later came to know, just stood there waiting for the thief to stab him while the onlookers just observed.

I had never seen such a hopeless death before.

The thief ran at Maximus, blade ready to stab up into the man's throat. As the blade was coming up Maximus moved his hand in front of the shiv’s path letting the blade slip between his middle and index finger, settling his fingers around the thief’s. Then all motion stopped.

Maximus still not having moved an inch, squeezed. The screams as the bones in the thief’s hand broke, music to my ears.

But back then a few broken bones were not enough.

The thief lashed out at Maximus's face with his other hand in desperation when he realized that he was out of his league. Maximus casually slapped the base of the man's fist, his wrist, with the back of his hand, blocking it, but also breaking the man's wrist, prompting another scream. With one arm disabled and the other held in place with Maximus's grip, the thief could do nothing but stare in horror as Maximus wrapped his fingers around the man's neck with his free hand and lifted him off of the ground.

It was then that I realized Maximus was a Delver and not just some low class one either. Maximus's tall slender frame could not have held that much strength within unless it was tempered in an Abyss.

“Let me go.”

The man wheezed out through his crushed throat.

Maximus leaned in close to the man's ear as whispered

“No.”

As calm as ever, Maximus, his hand still gripping the shiv, slowly pointed the blade to the man's own heart.

I can still remember the veins on the man's neck pop out, as he struggled to keep his own arm away.

The effort didn't even slow Maximus down as he effectively made the man stab himself in his own heart.

Maximus, still not having moved an inch, drops the man like a sack of rotten potatoes.

“Derek. Clean this up.”

A boy, hardly a teenager, scurred from behind the bar and cheerily grabbed the dead man by the feet and dragged him out the back door into the alleyway behind the tavern, an innocent smile on his face the entire time.

Maximus then addresses the crowd in his tavern that stayed to watch while wiping the blood of his hands, somehow none of the blood got on his black silk suit or face.

“I'm sorry for the disturbance, I hope we can keep things civil in my tavern from now on.”

He smiles, a perfect smile measured in every inch.

He went back behind the bar and began to polish his cups and bottles all over again, like nothing out of the ordinary happened. And nothing out of the ordinary did happen, it was just the ease and finality that was displayed during this common event that was extraordinary.

And today, I didn't expect Maximus to personally take action as he once used to six years ago.

He pulls up a chair for the sobbing wreck of a man. And sat him down in it.

“Now, tell me, what happened down there. If you didn't go lower than the first floor like I advised you should have been fine.”

“I s-swear w-we didn't g-go any lower, w-we listened to your advice.”

“Hmm. The other guys you went with died down there?”

The man nods

“I'm the only one… I carried James up as far as I could, he was bad Maximus, real bad. I had to leave him, I couldn't climb the rope with him”

Maximus frowns and quietly says.

“How bad?”

“His chest… collapsed, these stone things came from the walls as we was lookin’ ‘round, and his face, oh his face. Like a rock scraped his face straight off.”

The man buries his face in his hands.

Maximus’s frown deepens, an ugly shadow cast over his face.

I swear Maximus was thinking of killing the man. The man doesn't see it though, he has no idea how furious Max is.

“He was alive when you left him?”

“Yeash” the man blubbers out.

“Why didn't you kill him?”

Maximus asks quietly, his face reset to his default non-expression.

The man looks up at Maximus in desperate horror, tears stealing down his face.

Pathetic.

“I couldn't do that to ‘im, Maximus, he was there with me from when we was in the child gangs, from the beginning. He always had my back. I just couldn't do that to ‘im.

Max nods, his face rigid like steel and voice soft like silk.

“I understand Henry, really I do. But you did not give him mercy. You gave him a long, painful death. You see, what you should have done was end his suffering, quickly, cleanly. And if you couldn't do that you should have died trying to bring James back up. That would have been sad, true, but no one would have blamed you. But when you let a fellow Delver suffer like that…

Maximus shakes his head.

… you forsake any and all pity. And you will have none here.”

Henry’s eyes open wide as he stares into Max’s deep black eyes.

Oh this is getting good.

I take a quick swig.

“I strongly suggest, Henry, that you get ready to go back into the Abyss; settle your debts and say your goodbyes. One month from now go back to the Abyss and beg forgiveness from James’s dead body. Then go back to what's left of your teammates and beg forgiveness from them, and if you manage to make it back to the top of the Abyss alive that means your teammates have forgiven you. In that case you let the Abyss take your body, because it certainly does not forgive you.”

Everyone in the tavern looks at Maximus as he casually sentences the man to death.

Still as terrifying as ever.

I've felt the pressure of Maximus’s suggestion before. It's like the weight of all the cobblestones in the Grimes on top of you, you don't just ignore it. I have never felt the suggestion when he was mad, though.

The blood in Henry's face flees when the weight settles on him.

I take a deep, long, loving swig of the Rha’shale in my cup.

It may seem cruel to the onlookers, but Maximus has, strangely enough, only suggested things that leave you better off.

I grimace as I look at the empty space on my left hand where my pinkie used to occupy.

I know first hand, heh. It's likely that Henry would kill himself anyway, this way he gets closure.

Henry stumbles out of the bar in a pale-faced daze.

Going to settle things I guess.

After the door shuts someone calls out to Maximus from some corner in the tavern.

“What waz tha Maximus, you's advice ain't neva killed no men 'fore.”

Max looks at the corner through the shadows as if they arent even there.

“No man is infallible, Balaz. Especially when concerning the Abyss.”

“But you ain't no man no more, are ya. You' s a Delva, and Delvas ain't no more men than beasts are.”

The shadow of a man stops moving as Max tilts his head. And in realization of what kind of position he's in wakes him of his drunk stupidity

“Ah, I meant nah offense Maximus, I just heard once ya get to the bottom of one a dem holes you lose what makes a man, or is it Tha you get somefin more than a man? But you a fine being even if you ain't no man anyway, good taste in rum too.”

The man says as he lifts his cup as if displaying Max’s taste in alcohol.

Max nods his head crisply.

Wouldn't be good to kill your customers after all.

“That's a fair interpretation, but even that does not make me infallible, I seem to have underestimated this Abyss.”

Maximus frowns in contemplation then address the people in his tavern, his domain.

“Spread the word. No one is to go in the Abyss, not if you value your life. At least not until the A rankers check and clear it for public.”

Everyone suddenly gets up and floods out of the tavern, forgetting the drinks and the food, once a Grime Lord makes a statement, everyone needs to know, and they need to know it yesterday.

I sigh and drain my cup in one swing, and make my way out as well, the Under King should know whats going on in his kingdom, even if it's my one day off.

No rest for the weary.

I saunter to the door but get stopped by Maximus right before I leave.

“Illvian, stay for a bit.”

I look over my shoulder

“Yes Max?”

He smiles warmly

“How's your hand?”

Maximus gestures at my left hand.

That's spooky. A man with his strength should never be able to look so deceptively approachable. And he still wears that ridiculously over the top suit, this is the Grimes not some noble court in the Inner City.

“Ah, it's fine, the stumps a bit sore but it's better than nothing.”

Maximus nods.

“Good, good. I was worried the rot had spread further than the finger. But it seems that worry was unfounded.”

Maximus takes a deep breathe as sighs.

“I'll get to the point, I need you to tell the Under King to send runners to the other Grime Lord's with the following message: “I underestimated the Abyss, do not send any men or try to check it out alone. We need to meet to decide further action.”

I blink in surprise, a Meet hasn't happened in like, what? Nine months already?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Abysses are a big deal, a bunch change is going to be happening. Oh God, all that extra work.

“You memorized it?”

I nod.

"Of course."

“Send one of the fast ones, I heard about quite a fast kid a while ago, what's his name, Nickolas?

“Uh, Nikolai, I think.”

“Ah, yes Nikolai. You can tell him to come see me if he wants a job afterwords. I feel like I'll need another helper soon.”

“But… hm”

Shit. Being a bearer of bad news twice in my free day. I'll be killed at this rate.

“What is it?”

“Remember the spat between the West Lord and the East Lord about a year ago? Nikolai’s group was working for the West Lord during that.

“Oh, so he's dead? Shame. Derek told me he had potential, I was even going to offer an apprenticeship.”

“No, no, he's not dead, but the West Lord ran the rest of his child gang into the ground, he's the only one that was able to keep up with the orders, it was very impressive. But, you know, after his core members went down…”

I shrug.

Now that was a strong kid. Really a shame.

“Ah, I see, he lost the will.”

I nod.

“He hasn't ran for anybody after that. We can't even pinpoint his location, he's a wiley one. We just get some vague reports on his location here and there. I wouldn't be surprised if he fakes a few of those to keep us guessing, though.”

“The West Lord didn't finish him off though? That's interesting.”

I let out a soft smile.

“Well from what I heard a certain adviser, who happens to be an old softie, brought the matter to the Under King’s attention who interestingly enough, also has a soft spot for children.”

“Is that so?"

Maximus absent mindedly swirls some wine in a glass cup while staring into its depth.

"And how did this adviser know Nikolai?”

He asks after a while.

“Oh he doesn't really know him. He just saw him here and there, it reminded him of his past self, see, and so he decided to let the kid have some peace.”

“I do see. Well alright then I'll leave it alone for now. Ah, well anyway, I'll have to ask you to send whomever is second fastest, we really do all need to meet as soon as possible.”

I head to the door sweat running down my back. Telling a Lord "No" even as indirectly and with as much backing as I have is dangerous.

“Goodbye Illvian.”

“Goodbye Max, I'll get the message delivered."

I turn around and briskly walk out the open tavern door.

As I walk down the street I remember the second fastest recently hangs around the first fastest and just like him is fairly untraceable. I suddenly scowl.

Ah whatever I'll just send the third fastest. My day can't be any more shit than it already is, so damn much to think about now.

Oh, and I need a better intelligence network especially now that the Abyss is here, these fools can't even track children.