Ashmark — Dawnlight
Smoke coiled from the forge's cracked chimney like a dying prayer. Inside, Mira danced between glyph circles, her bare feet whispering across the cold floor. Rask meditated in the corner with salt lines around him, whispering forgotten verses from a faith he no longer believed in. Kaien sat alone near the anvil, sharpening a dagger with a piece of cursed glass — not for use, just to keep his hands from remembering worse things.
Braken was on the upper walkway, sitting cross-legged with his backpack open, tuning the mana-draco resting across his knees. Its barrel still hissed with echo-heat from the night before.
He was adjusting the charge coil when footsteps echoed outside.
Then the forge door creaked open.
Tali's voice cut through the warm quiet:
"Visitors."
She didn't sound happy. She didn't sound scared either.
Braken stood. Slung the draco over his shoulder. Walked down the steps and says "what's up with all the visitors it's really starting to piss me off"
—
Outside the Forge
Six figures waited in the redlight mist. All dressed in patchwork dustcoats. All marked with brass fang tattoos on their throats and jagged charms hanging from their belts.
At the front: Rukka Bonewhip.
Tall, wiry, grinning like a dog with a knife in its mouth. His whip — a long coil of stitched spine segments — dragged through the ash behind him. His voice was high and oily.
"Nice place. Looks like you cleaned up real good."
Braken didn't stop walking.
"You lost, or just stupid?"
Rukka's grin didn't fade. He nodded at the forge.
"Ashmark sits on Tullik soil. You build here, you buy in."
"We're not interested."
"You will be. Ask around. No one builds in Southdell without feeding the boss."
Braken took one more step forward. The mana-draco on his back hummed — faint but sharp.
"Keep talkin', I'm already in a foul mood and see how fast your face eat the soil it belong to."
The other Tullik Boys tensed. One reached for something tucked under his coat.
That's when Tali stepped forward.
She didn't yell. Didn't even raise her voice.
"Enough."
She stood between Braken and Rukka — calm, deadly.
"Rukka. You made your point. And Braken's made his. We're not paying."
"Then you're not staying."
"Then leave now, while the choice is still yours."
Rukka tilted his head. Smiled wider. But he stepped back. Motioned for his crew to do the same.
"Heard your forge got ghosts. Guess we'll come back when they're quieter."
He pointed at Braken.
"And you?boy? You better hope you get strong quick. 'Cause next time, it won't be a conversation all ways new gen of kids every year think their the prophecy to something greater just to die every time." Rukka yawns while saying
Braken was already raising his draco — about to draw, about to end it right there — when Kaien's hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Hard.
"Not now," Kaien said, voice cold.
"Let go of me you all starting to act like some hoe ass pussy I wanna brawl these losers talk to much shit," Braken growled.
"You pull that trigger, and you'll bury this place in smoke."
The Tullik Boys backed into the mist. Gone.
—
Inside the Forge — Minutes Later
Braken slammed the forge door shut and kicked a bucket of smelted copper across the floor.
"We let 'em walk? After threatening us what is this world full of suckers?"
Tali crossed her arms, brow sharp.
"They weren't threatening. They were offering a warning."
"They think I'm soft."
"They think you're young. Which you are. You're thirteen, Braken."
He turned, furious.
"So what? I can't lead 'cause of my age?"
"You can't challenge the Tullik Syndicate while you're still coughing blood after training rounds."
She stepped closer.
"They're not just Southdell rats. They're tied to the Ten Great Land Emperors. You know what that means?"
"That they're scared to fight straight."
"No. It means if you die to them, no one's coming to save us. Not god . Not the rebels. Not even your Draco."
Braken turned to Kaien like he wanted backup.
Braken says "come on kaien you the other me let's go kick their asses"
Kaien didn't blink.
"You talk about being king," he said softly, "but a king protects his people. Not just his pride."
Braken's fists clenched. But he didn't speak.
Even Rask looked up from the corner.
"Let this be a lesson. You want to change the world, Braken? Start by surviving it."
The forge fell quiet.
Braken looked down at the outlaw medallion still around his neck.
Then at his mana-draco — still fully loaded.
"Fine," he muttered. "But next time, I don't wait."
Kaien looked at him — eyes dark as the night sky.
"Just make sure there's a next time." Braken says "once we leave we get stronger you say 10 land emperors I'll make each once bow down to my Draco and show this is the new era this my era I'll rule this cause where I'm from it's just gotta happen" the ash marks members smile one by one "Mira says can't believe I'm following a little boy who's 2 years younger then me" vye says "he was able to defeat me this boy something special in the making might become the devil of emperors soon".