Thern hadn’t visited the New Moon district in years, not since he joined the glaives. He was glad to leave and never wanted to return again. As he rode the train with Gaius deep into the depths of the undercity, he was reminded of a rule he had forgotten:

Life didn’t care what he wanted.

The tunnel walls vanished, revealing a monstrous cavern. Far below them lay a blanket of lights from innumerable buildings cramped together in the massive space broken up by the massive columns supporting the Full Moon District miles above.

Thern watched their descent through the window, the details growing increasingly clear. He hated it. He hated the cramped buildings, the constant bright lights casting harsh shadows, and the smell of fear, filth, and death.

“Not a fan I take it?” Gaius asked.

“Is it that obvious?”

“You’ve worn that frown since we stepped on the train.”

Thern sighed. He didn’t want to talk about it, but Gaius was saving his life. “I grew up here. I don’t have happy memories here.”

Nothing was said for a while. Thern had almost forgotten about their conversation when Gaius spoke again. “Well, I can speak from personal experience when I say the Full Moon is no better. That place reeks of a different kind of filth.”

Thern knew that already. The first time he came to the upper city, thought it would be the paradise he imagined it would be. Instead, his dreams were shattered when he discovered being in the light just made the filth easier to see. The Full Moon district wasn’t cleaner, it wasn’t nicer, it wasn’t better. It was just different.

But that didn’t make him feel any better about his childhood home. Like it or not, he was stuck under the dome with the millions of other canids with no hope of escape.

Lunaris was the only known settlement in the world. Only Afflicted could survive outside the dome. Anyone foolish enough to test that theory never returned.

Lamenting his life and his powerless to change it was getting to him so he turned his mind to other things.

He looked at Liam who sat in the chair across from his. Given his close proximity to an Afflicted, it was decided that he was to be brought in as well for testing. But unlike Thern, if Liam was deemed safe, he would be free to return to the glaives.

The hound stared out the window, paying no heed to him. Thern wondered what he was thinking. This was the first time they had been in the same room since that night. Liam also hadn’t spoken at all or even looked at him.

Thern would rather do anything else, but he needed to know how much the hound knew and what it would take to keep quiet about it.

“Gaius, is that you?”

The three turned to the interloper. Pushing through the crowd was a female jackal. Her eyes carried an icy stare that made Thern shiver. Her well-kept sandy fur betrayed her ratty clothing, but her straight posture and stern stare gave her an unquestioning air of authority.

Liam and Thern straightened up as if in the presence of a commanding officer. Gaius, however, grinned as if seeing an old friend. Their friendliness was confirmed when they embraced.

“Auriel, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Gaius said. “I thought you were occupied with the situation in the 5^th.”

“It turned out to be a false alarm,” Auriel replied. “The Afflicted was nothing more than a prank gone too far.”

Gaius’ ears fell. “Another prank call? Do they not comprehend the gravity of these matters? We’re stretched thin as it is and can’t afford to chase ghosts.”

“You assume their callousness is born of ignorance, my friend.”

“I find the alternative much more disturbing. Oh! I almost forgot. This is Thern and Liam. If all goes, they’ll be added to our ranks.” He patted her on the shoulder, his grin widening. “This is Auriel Rhodes, my most trusted friend and the finest member of our order.”

“You are the only fool who believes that, Gaius,” Auriel said.

“The others refuse to acknowledge you out of jealousy, nothing more.”

Thern stared at the floor. It felt so strange to hear Gaius address this canid so casually when she looked like her gaze alone could freeze fire.

He felt a strange presence and dared to look up just in time to see Auriel staring back at him. It was like being under a spotlight. “You look familiar, have we met?”

“No, ma’am.” Thern mentally kicked himself for the slip.

Instead of being angry, the jackal laughed. “Ma’am? I doubt you’re that much younger than I am.” She leaned closer, a devious half-smile adorning her muzzle. “And also, only certain canids can call me ma’am.”

Thern swallowed, his ears burning with embarrassment.

She chuckled and turned to Liam, all traces of humor vanishing. “Hello, Liam.”

Liam stiffened and played with his paws. “Um, hello, Auriel.”

“You know each other?” Gaius asked.

“Know may be an overstatement,” Auriel said, with a low growl. “I do not know him, but I know enough.”

Liam snatched his head up, the look of fear and embarrassment in his eyes now replaced with hurt and fury. “That wasn’t my—”

“What’s done is done,” Auriel interjected. “Whether you’re innocent or guilty, it won’t change the outcome nor my opinion of you.”

Nothing more was said. Thern swore under his breath. They hadn’t even joined yet and things were already awkward. The situation didn’t seem likely to get better with time either. How would they react when they learned the reason he was there?

The other canids paid no attention to them or they were good at hiding it. Neither would surprise him. Canids in the New Moon knew to stay out of things that didn’t concern them, another one of their aggravating qualities.

Thern was glad when the train finally reached its destination and they could get off. The air felt different, denser, and glossier as if a light fog covered everything. He knew it was because of the aether. Naturally, it would be denser underground.

“All right, good sirs, we’ll be going straight to our destination,” Gaius said. “I take it this is where we part ways, Auriel?”

“I have business at headquarters, so I will accompany you,” Auriel said.

Not wanting to deal with yet another awkward silence on their way to the destination, Thern approached Gaius. “So where exactly are we going?”

“To the paladin headquarters or the Citadel as we like to call it.”

“Okay, and where is it?”

“You’ll find out when we arrive,” the fox said. “Apologies, but we don’t share the location freely. To avoid retaliation mostly. Given the nature of our work, there are many who don’t support what we do. And many canids tend to lash out in times of grief.”

“You would think they’d be grateful,” Liam mumbled.

Tension fell over the group. Thern decided it would be a good idea to change the subject.

“So why’s it called the Citadel?” he asked.

“It just seemed fitting,” Gaius replied. “Or perhaps it had something to do with our founding. We had been calling it the Citadel for centuries. Much like cerberus stations, there’s one in every ward. We’re of the 18^th ward.”

“Wow, even I didn’t know that,” Liam said. “I knew you had stations but I didn’t know you had one in every ward. Do you have them topside, too?”

“Not as many, I’m afraid,” the fox replied solemnly. “Not enough bodies to manage it, you see.”

“It’s for the best as there aren’t nearly as many Afflicted sightings in the Full Moon district,” Auriel said. “It would be a waste of resources which we sorely lack.”

“But paladins are the only force dedicated to deal with Afflicted,” Liam said. “You should be swimming in funding.”

“Ha! You clearly don’t understand how the world works.”

Gaius quickly cut in before more shots were fired. “What she means is the paladins are more of a private force. As such, we are responsible for our own funding and recruitment. We receive some compensation, but a larger portion is derived from donations and private backers.”

“But why?” Thern asked.

“So that we maintain our independence,” Auriel replied stiffly. “Unlike the Cerberus force or the glaives, we answer to no one and are free to do as we like.”

“So long as we behave and act like law-abiding citizens,” Gaius added. “Cerberus is quite happy to look the other way for minor disturbances, but  that doesn’t give us free rein to shoot up the streets.”

“I didn’t know that either,” Liam said. His tone suggested he wasn’t happy with the knowledge.

Nothing more was said for the rest of the trip. They eventually arrived at what seemed like any other rundown inn. Thern recalled staying there a few times and that the only thing that stood out about the place was the size of the roaches.

Gaius entered the building without hesitation.

Thern noticed that none of the staff did more than glance at them as they crossed the lobby to the stairwell. He couldn’t believe that he was this close to the paladin’s headquarters without realizing it.

At the bottom of the stairs was a wide metal door with no handle or keyhole. He wondered how they were going to open it when Gaius pressed a paw against the door. A familiar tingling feeling washed over him, making his fur stand on end.

He quickly looked the fox over but saw no sign of an arcanist’s collar. “You’re a weaver?”

The door swung open soundlessly. Gaius turned to him with a sly smile. “Does that bother you?”

“No, but you don’t have a collar. Aren’t weavers supposed to be registered?”

Auriel stepped past him into the passage. “Consider it another perk being an independent organization. And who said we weren’t registered?”

“As any weaver, we are registered, however, paladins are not required to be collared,” Gaius added. “They’re actually detrimental to us.”

The door swung closed behind them, dousing them in darkness. As if on cue, aetherlamps beside them sprang to life, revealing a narrow hall leading to another door at its end.

“Paladin arcanists don’t have to wear collars?” Thern asked. He fought the urge to back away. After all this time with the fox, it would make little difference. “Isn’t that dangerous? Aren’t you worried about the aether sickness?”

“As a paladin, it is not our concern.”

Thern tilted his head. It made little sense, but he had learned that a lot of things about the paladins made little sense. So many rumors surrounded the group, he was better off approaching as someone who had never heard of them before.

They passed through the second door into what looked like the same stairwell. If they hadn’t walked down a single hallway, he would have assumed they had gotten turned around.

After ascending the stairs and passing through another door, they entered a large hall. Lining the walls were more doors like the one they came out of. Various canids walked around, each of them dressed in well-worn clothing. As Gaius had said, Thern didn’t see a single collar on any of them. His tail tucked between his legs. Weavers were registered and collared to protect them and others from aether sickness. Even the ones in the glaives were required to wear collars.

A paw fell on his shoulder, bringing him out of his worrisome thoughts. “All will be made clear soon,” Gaius explained. “Just know for now that every paladin here hates the afflicted and would never contribute to spreading them.” Maintaining a firm grip on his shoulder, he steered him to the far end of the hall. “Now, we have a lot to do today and there is someone you must meet.”

A wall of desks greeted them at the far end of the hall. Each desk had a long line of canids standing at it. Gaius steered him past the lines to the one archway tucked into the corner. As they passed, Thern noticed several of the candids had a patch of white fur somewhere on their bodies.

If he remembered correctly, white fur was a sign of aether sickness. He chose not to mention it, however.

“Now that we’re here, can you tell us how this all works?” Liam asked.

“It’s better to show you,” Auriel said.

Something felt wrong. A strange tension hung over them again. This time was different, it wasn’t full of contempt but sadness. He knew that feeling, that sense of a horrible truth everyone knew but no one dared say out loud.

“You’re not required to accompany me,” Gaius whispered to Auriel.

“I would rather you not face this alone.”

He wanted to ask, to demand that they tell him what they were keeping from them, but part of him didn’t want to know and didn’t want to think about it.

Either way, was in no position to refuse. He hadn’t forgotten he was cursed. The others didn’t know, but his arm tingled ever since they arrived in the New Moon district.

They reached a sturdy unmarked door. Thern took a moment to remind himself why he was there. Doors like that were only used to keep something out or in.

“This is it,” Gaius said. “Unfortunately, this final process must be undertaken separately. Auriel, would you mind--?”

“Actually, I’ll take Liam. There are a few things that must be cleared up. If there’s anything you want to say to him, now is the time.”

“What are you talking about?” Liam asked.

“There’s a chance you may not survive the initiation process,” Gaius said solemnly.

“You didn’t think to mention that sooner?” Thern cried.

“If you recall, I did.”

“It’s fine,” Liam said. “I’m used to dangerous work. Hey, Thern, just in case one of us doesn’t make it, it wasn’t your fault.”

Thern could only watch as the hound was led to a door further down the hall. That wasn’t the goodbye he had been expecting. He thought Liam felt the same way as everyone else.

A tap on the shoulder brought him back to reality.

“Shall we?” Gaius asked.

Thern took a deep breath and entered the room. Immediately the smell of whatever was used to clean the place hit him. Counters and large pieces of medical equipment he didn’t recognize took up most of the space. In the middle of the room, under a bright lamp, was a single flat table. Standing at one of the counters was a sand-colored vixen. Judging from the thin shape of her tail and the floppiness of her ears, she was a half-breed. She looked back at them with a deadpan stare.

“Thern, this is Bayli, one of our doctors. Bayli, this is Thern, our newest recruit.”

Bayli nodded to him. “Got a new one, do we? All right, fine. Take off your clothes and get on the table.”

“Wow, straight to business, huh?” Thern asked with a weak smile. “I don’t even get dinner first?”

The vixen didn’t share his amusement. “Just hurry up. I don’t have all damn day. Oh, hold on.” She turned and began rummaging in what sounded like a drawer full of clutter. After several seconds, she spun around and a bright flash nearly blinded Thern.

“Whoa, hey! What was that?”

“Relax, I just took a picture,” Bayli said.

“Okay, but why?”

“So everyone will remember what you look like. Now I’m not gonna tell you again to get undressed. All of it, including the underwear. You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before and I’ve likely seen worse anyway.”

He did as instructed, not appreciating her attitude but it wasn’t necessary to do her job. He noticed Gaius sitting in a chair by the door. “Uh, I don’t mean to be rude, but do you have to be here for this? It’s just an examination, right?”

“No,” Bayli replied. “This is your initiation. Now stop talking and hold still.”

She picked up his injured arm and examined it in the light. “What’s the grade of the Afflicted that bit him?”

“I’m unsure,” Gaius replied. “Judging from his report, I would say grade 3.”

“He faced a grade 3 and this is the worst it did to him? Not bad.”

“I’m right here, you know,” Thern said.

Bayli’s ears rose. “Yes, and?”

Thern dropped the subject and let her continue the examination. She poked and prodded his body with no regard for his comfort or personal space. Thern was used to being examined, but her treatment made him feel violated.

The only thing that distracted him was Gaius’ explanation of the initiation. “As I mentioned before, becoming a paladin is a much more involved process.”

“I can see that.”

“You do not understand. In order for you to be better equipped to deal with the dangers you’ll soon face, you must become more resistant to the detrimental effects of extreme aether exposure.”

“What do you—umph!”

She shoved a thermometer in his mouth without warning. “Just be grateful I’m not sticking it in the other end. Although I can do that if you wanna keep running your mouth.” When he didn’t respond beyond a vengeful stare, she pressed a stethoscope against his chest. “Deep breaths.”

Gaius cleared his throat and continued. “As I was saying, we deal with afflicted regularly. This puts us in greater danger for contracting the aether sickness and becoming afflicted ourselves unless we strengthen our bodies against it. That is the purpose of the initiation.”

Thern had more questions, but the looks he got from Bayli made him sit there quietly while she inspected his throat.

“If you’re wondering why this is not commonplace, it is because it is dangerous.”

“And technically illegal,” Bayli added.

“Wait, what?” Thern asked.

“Oh, relax. I’m pretty sure you’re just a model citizen.” she chuckled and moved on to look inside his ears. “And I’m the queen of Lunaris.”

He frowned but remained silent.

“As you are no doubt aware, any experimentation on canids or afflicted is illegal,” Gaius said, his voice heavy. “Unfortunately, the initiation falls under that category. However, since our goal is to eradicate them and keep the populace safe, everyone looks the other way.”

“Hey, you want pups?” she asked.

Thern’s ears rose. He couldn’t tell if it was a threat or a proposition. “I’m sorry?”

“Pups,” she repeated in the same dry tone. “Do you want any?”

“I…I hadn’t thought about it. Why?” Now that it had been brought up, he realized that he never considered what would happen if Hena ever became pregnant. That was never something they had discussed. They had always been careful, and obviously, something like that could never be allowed, but the possibility was never considered.

Bayli’s ears rose as she spun on Gaius. “You never told him?” It came as a surprise to hear anger, or any emotion, in her voice.

The fox shrank away from her, holding his paws up in defense. “A lot has happened, and I didn’t wish to overwhelm him. Also, you interrupted me before I could.”

“Could what?” Thern asked, panic creeping into his voice. “Tell me what? What’s going on?”

“The process makes you infertile,” Bayli called over her shoulder. “So if you want pups, you better say so now so I can extract a sample, otherwise, tough tits.”

“You know what? I’m good. I don’t want any pups.” Even if he did find a female willing to bear his young, he didn’t have a legacy to be proud of. The offspring of an oathbreaker, a hard life was guaranteed. That and the thought of how Bayli would retrieve a sample of his seed terrified him.

Bayli shrugged. “Just as well. You can’t raise a pup and do this job anyway, so you’d be leaving some poor tramp to raise it herself.”

“All right, what is your problem?” Thern shouted. “You’ve been nothing but—”

She shoved him. The reaction caught him off guard and he fell back on the table. It also shocked him that someone half his size could generate that much force. Immediately, she snapped her fingers and restraints clamped on his wrists and ankles.

“What the--? What is this?!”

“It’s simply a precaution,” Gaius said. “This part of the initiation can be dangerous so you must be restrained.” He shot a nasty look at Bayli as he added, “Something that should have been explained instead of thrust upon you.”

He didn’t struggle against the restraints, but he began to question his choices. Rumors of secret organizations experimenting on canids no one would miss came to mind. Up until now, he had dismissed it as crazed paranoia.

“Do you have any next of kin?” Bayli asked. She approached the table, carrying a needle and large vial of a glowing liquid.

“What?”

She rolled her eyes. “Is that hard to pay attention? Do. You. Have. Next. Of. Kin? Spouse? Lover? Best friend?”

Thern shook his head for every question. The glaives were his family, and the king was one of his closest friends. He doubted any of them would come if they needed to.”

Bayli shrugged and filled the needle. “Well, if you die, just know we’ll put flowers on your grave.”

“Wait—”

She shoved a mouth guard into his muzzle then jabbed the needle in his neck and pressed the plunger before he could protest further.

It felt like his blood boiled in his veins. He thrashed against the bindings, his vision blurring from the pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on Hena. Images of her laying next to him, the sun shining on her naked form, distracted him from his muffled screams. He felt her paw curl around his. He squeezed it and took in her scent, overpowering the sterile smell of the examination room.

She pulled him close, his chin resting on the top of her head. It felt comforting even though he knew it was wrong. She was supposed to be holding someone else, not him. That thought only made him want to wrap his arms around her tighter, but his body refused to budge.

Hena quietly shushed him. “It’s going to be all right. I don’t blame you.”

He wanted to tell her how sorry he was. How he failed her, and he would do anything to make it right. But his mouth wouldn’t form the words. All he could manage was a choked sob.

She squeezed his paw tighter. “You’re not done yet. There’s one last thing you have to do.”

Before he could ask what that something was he felt a strong pull. They were ripped apart with ease. The instant he let go of Hena, the world around him went dark.