Foruna knew she was only half crazy. People believed that hunting monsters required some madness, but from her point of view, living a life under duress and the yoke of a venal mayor was far worse. In fact, in her job, being crazy could be a good thing. It kept panic at bay. And the longer you stayed chill, the better your chances were to survive in the underworld.

  Lying at ease on a wooden bench, she took a sip from her large hydromel mug. She had settled into a quiet corner of the tavern.

  Heavy footsteps approached. An incoming overweight man followed by his six bodyguards was heading toward her.

  ‘Shit, what now?’

  The noble could have been a perfect appetizer. A meat bag, juicy, half muscle, half fat. Too heavy to run.

  She licked her lips, watching the living bacon heading toward her with loud breaths.

  They exchanged a glance.

  “Huntress Foruna, I presume?” said the man between two breaths.

  He immediately crashed into a chair, not waiting for any confirmation.

  Foruna stifled a curse. She couldn’t even see the chair under his ass. But she could, surely, hear the wood creak and squeak painfully. She watched him sponge his forehead with a luxurious piece of tissue.

  How funny.

  The big guy was dressed in a rich outfit that had probably cost more than a year of Foruna’s job. Ridiculous. His blood-red jacket was streaked with gold, embroidered with soft white lace. On his chest adorned the coat of arms of the Floating Rock. An island floating over a furious sea. This guy was someone for sure.

  In total opposition, the woman was an athlete. Tall, muscular, warrior's confidence spreading away.

  “Possibly.” she answer. “To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

  The man sighed with disdain.

  “A mountain of muscles. Tanned skin. Black eyes.” he confirmed. “The guild said I couldn’t miss you. They sure forgot to mention your rude manners.”

  Rude? She watched her posture in doubt. She was half-slumped on the backrest, an elbow dangling over the back. What’s wrong?

  “What do you want?” she quickly said.

  He wiped the air with his hand, putting an end to the basic conversation.

  “I’m here as the mayor of this Rock. I need a dive. Now.”

  Straight to the point.

  ‘The fucking mayor of course!’ she thought.

  She removed her feet from the table.

  “A dive? Sure. As soon as the Ashing passes.”

  A dark smile waved across the mayor's face.

  “I’m afraid it cannot wait.”

  Foruna glanced at the window, bored. It was early in the morning, but the sun was already spreading through a cloudless purple sky. Today was going to be a wonderful day. She had planned only her favorite activities: rest and food. But more importantly, this flawless sky was a bait.

  “You know the Ashing is upon us, right?” she asked. “You know… The tide, the ash, the monsters…”

  “You will be paid generously.”

  He paused, as if money could close the conversation.

  “The destination is about a week away. You can make it in time if you leave now.” he added.

  Foruna took a few moments to think about this. A well-paid job was certainly something she would take, but the risk was real. The Ashing. That wasn’t something that could be ignored. But she needed money, so badly. And, well, it seemed that money wasn't a problem for the mayor.

  “Five golden raks,” she said.

  Silence came over the table.

  “I’m sorry, how much did you say?” repeated the mayor.

  The nearby groups of people had lowered their conversations, intrigued. This man was the mayor of this land after all. Just sitting here with his rich finery in a low-class tavern. This was unusual.

  “Five golden raks,” she repeated without a sigh.

  The mayor loudly stomped the wooden table with his palm, shaking mugs and plates.

  “This makes no sense! We’re talking about a simple dive!”

  The six heavily armed bodyguards reacted in seconds, approaching the table as summoned by the stunning reaction. A hand on their swords, they ensured the mayor was not at risk and their gazes eventually ended on Foruna.

  The big man frowned.

  “Don’t make me waste my time in this shitty tavern. You insult me, diver. Three bronze raks are way enough for that kind of service. Unless your little Pebble got some impressive achievements, you cannot ask for this price!”

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  He watched her for a moment, and finally relaxed on the back of his chair.

  He laughed out loud, in rhythm with the squeaking of his seat.

  “Oh! Miss diver, you got me! You were joking!”

  The people around finally relaxed in turn, and everyone laughed for a moment. A golden rak, she said. That was, indeed, hilarious. No average job could pretend for a single golden rak. Even the leaders, the roks, were struggling to put a hand on this rare metal.

  But Foruna had plans for the future. And she needed money for that kind of luxury.

  She shook her muscular shoulders, covered by a large beige cotton lace-up shirt. Earlier, she was about to ask for a comfortable five bronze raks, but the man was so big she asked more.

  Greedy.

  Her dark eyes stared at the rich man, maintaining his gaze. He looked like a pig. Soft, and flapping cheeks. And a rich one, with all the golden rings and shiny stuff on his priceless outfit.

  The mayor wiped a tear and eventually resumed the conversation.

  “Do you even know what a golden rak represents? Come on, that’s a whole month of profit for an entire rock. But, you’re a funny diver! I will give you one silver rak, for the joke.”

  She took her time to drink. Finally, she added:

  “It is a good offer. But we have to discuss the shipment first. Tell me about it.”

  The mayor glanced at the tavern. He came closer, lowering his voice.

  “I need my daughter to join another rock before the Ashing.”

  Foruna stopped her gesture, leaving the mug at the very edge of her lips.

  ‘A passenger?! On the edge of the Ashing?!’

  That changed a lot of things. She looked at him in astonishment. A dive was already dangerous for hunters. Include a weak human was a very risky move. Plus, the Ashing would make the dive under high pressure, leaving only a few days for the divers to reach their destination. And he wanted his daughter to go? This made no sense! What kind of father could bend his own daughter to such a dangerous trip?

  “You know the risks, right?” she asked, suddenly doubting his knowledge.

  “I didn’t ask for a lesson. I asked for a service,” huffed the mayor. “Do we have a deal?”

  The rich man grunted. He was taller than other men but still smaller than the black-haired huntress. He should have been strong in his current status: he was the damned mayor. But at this moment, he felt like a newbie trying to bargain for his first shitty weapon in a fucking poor, bankrupt armory.

  “I don’t think you understand, Mr. Rok,” started Foruna. “We need to prepare for such a dive. No sane diver will accept your offer, even for a damned golden rak.”

  She paused, reading his reaction on his face.

  “But you came to me, asking for my services,” she continued, realizing the opportunity.

  She looked at the bodyguards with their shiny armors.

  “Why don’t you ask your men to come across the rift in the middle of the ash tide, instead?”

  She mocked, relaxing her posture.

  “Of course not. No one will follow. Ash is coming, and you all know it. You can feel it in the air, poisoning wind and earth. Raklys stares at us. It is time to bury, to shelter, to give a weapon to every human that can fight. But you want me to go through this hell? And for what exactly? A 'simple' shipment? You won’t fool me: you could just wait for the Blooming and deal with any other divers.”

  She maintained the tension for an instant.

  “But you came to me,” she repeated. “You need my services because every other diver has refused your offer. There’s definitely something wrong in this deal, and, well, the risk is priceless in my job. We’re putting our lives on the line for our customers. But I’m a nice woman: I gave you my price.”

  The mayor loudly breathed, embarrassed. He didn’t like killing people, especially at breakfast. He watched her grab her mug on the table and drink all the hydromel. That woman wasn’t easy to impress.

  “That’s a bit expensive, yes,” she added. “But you’re the mayor of the Floating Rock. This is affordable for you, isn’t it?”

  Of course, he was rich. He had ruled this island for many tides now. But this wasn't about raks anymore, it was a matter of pride. He judged her. From head to toe.

  The warrior noticed his gaze. She had to be careful. That kind of rich man didn’t bother much about lifes.

  “Look, as you all do, I have to make my Pebble out of the ash for the Ashing. That’s it. No more.”

  “Fair enough,” he interrupted. “Five silver. Last offer.”

  “It’s too dangerous for your daughter.”

  The mayor suddenly turned red and, despite his status, went mad.

  “Fuck, you insane ash divers! You mock me in my own city?!”

  He gestured to his men.

  “Kick me that ass out of my rock.”

  At his words, the six armed men drew their swords with the rigor of obedient soldiers.

  Foruna’s heart rushed in her chest. She had crossed the line. She kept her composure and raised her hands in a gesture of peace.

  “Fine, we were about to leave anyway,” she lied.

  She lurked at the table, searching for any decent weapon. Just in case. Never know. A plate? A mug? A chair?

  ‘Shit!’

  She felt the large hunting knife pressed into her lower back. The hunter’s best friend. Robust and invaluable during a hunt… But… it was not in her best interest to turn that situation into a bloodbath. It was actually the opposite. Killing a human would give the leaders a reason to chase her. Not a good trade. But the real reason was simple: she wasn’t a murderer. Plus, they were on a rock: it was supposed to be safe. At least, from the beasts lurking in the ash. Still, human pieces of shit remained. And she had at least one of them just in front of her.

  Six swords against her fists. Plus a big piece of bacon.

  Not that fair. As the mayor decided.

  He stopped his men, raising a hand. He relaxed on his tiny chair, enjoying the power he had just brought to the negotiation. He sniffed in disdain.

  “You’re going to accept the deal, or you will die here,” spat the mayor. “See? That’s a fair trade to me. How much does your life cost, uh?”

  He stared at the female, from legs to breast.

  “Not a golden rak for sure. But I’m a generous man, here is my offer.”

  He threw one silver square coin on the table.

  “Go back to your caravan and prepare for shipping. I will come to you in an hour. You better be there or your Pebble will get into trouble. You get it?”

  He gestured to his men.

  “Get this moron out of my view. I’ve had enough jokes for today.”

  A young guard in dark leather armor came to get her. He grabbed her by the collar.

  “On your feet, my lady,” ironized the man.

  But he soon realized she was not only taller, but also larger.

  Foruna looked down at him.

  “I’m no lady, little boy.”

  He received a tremendous punch in the stomach that bent him in two. The black-haired warrior quickly grabbed his opponent’s hair and violently raised her knee to his head.

  The man’s body jerked in a terrible shock and collapsed to the ground in no time, unconscious, bleeding from his nose. The other five men froze in place, startled.

  The tavern grew deadly silent.

  “He’s fine,” she said.

  The body started to convulse at her feet.

  “He’s OK,” she lied.

  Without a breath, she turned to the mayor. This negotiation was coming to an end. She needed a deal, or she would get into trouble. For real.

  She rolled up her right shirt sleeve, exposing a dark bronze tattoo. A brown-yellowish glowing stone was inserted at the center, half visible, half under her skin. A frightened murmur immediately ran through the tavern. Some people left the place in a hurry.

  “This is forbidden in the city!” said the mayor. “This is a serious offense, diver. You could be judged for this.”

  Despite the mayor’s threats, his men didn’t move. They knew too well what this shiny thing did. And they didn’t want to try it.

  Foruna placed her hands on the table, slowly closing the gap with the mayor.

  “We, divers, are specialists, Mr. Rok. We’re not just soldiers you can use as you wish. In this deal, I am doing the favor. My Pebble is your best chance to achieve this mission.”

  She forced a smile, letting him have time to think.

  “The question is, how badly do you need us?”