Chapter 1.2 Quicktongue

I weave between the old buildings, avoiding the traps set by the gangs that live in the seventh ring. I and the other three had earned the right to pass through here freely when I'd beaten the leader of the Bear gang in solo combat.

Each year the gangs hold tournaments to decide the Overlord. Last year is had been Irontooth of the Bear gang, now it's me. I usually left most of the problems to Irontooth as he had been both a capable and good leader, and could settle matters faster that I could. I just have final say in matters. Not everyone was willing to listen to me, since my group, Wolf pack, is made entirely out of misfits of other gangs.

"Nightclaw!" A Viper gang member calls to me. "Walking home again?"

"Yah, my dad isn't here again. How have you been Quicktongue?" I raised my hand in our traditional greeting between friends and Quicktongue responds in kind.

"Busy. Darkscale and Snakebite have been keeping me on my toes recently, preparing for the next tournament. Will you be competing again this year?"

"Do I have a choice?" I raise my eyebrow at him. "I thought it was required for the Overlord to compete." Drake and the others round the corner behind me. Quicktongue exchanges greetings with them all, then turns back to me.

"Technically, you could let someone else compete in your place, but that doesn't seem to be your style." He grins when I roll my eyes.

"If anyone thinks that I'm not competing, they are so very wrong." I say.

"Thought so. I've got to get going. I'll see you later Nightclaw. See you Wolfpack."

"You too." We chorus "See you at Tournament." Quicktongue waves, then runs toward the wall.

We hold the tournament in Seventh, since it's the only place where we won't be bothered by patrols. This year's tournament is hosted by the Vipers, last year the Lions. Snakebite and Darkscale were close friends of Drake during beginners school, and it was Snakebite who stopped people from teasing me and Drake. First year of middle school Snakebite became the leader of Viper gang with Darkscale as his second in command. After learning from them, I'd decided to create Wolfpack, a group for misfits like me.

Not paying attention, I walk straight into a light pole and trip over it's base. Ryan laughed when I fell before helping me up.

"It's a good thing we aren't in Fourth tier. You'd have been run over already." Ryan said. I flinch a bit at the reminder. We'd already lost one to a car chase in tier four, we didn't need to loose another.

I sigh and jump over a tall section of broken wall. Ryan swings her legs over and sits on top while Sarah scrambles onto a lower section. We climb onto the roof of one of the buildings and run across and jump to the next. Despite their dilapidated nature, staying on the rooftops was the fastest and safest way to cross Sans Nom Mountain City. Seventh had traps from the gangs scattered everywhere, and the higher rings held the dangers of moving vehicles and the guard.

Running from one roof to the next, we worked our way to the crumbling wall between the sixth and seventh rings.

"Claws out." I said as we approached the wall. Everyone slipped on the clawed gloves we had and activated the claws hidden in our boots. Instead of slowing down to climb the wall, we sped up and leapt forward, hitting the wall and leaping for the top. We pause at the top of the wall as usual and look over the city in front of us before sliding down, our claws digging into the rough stone to slow our descent.

Every gang has their own style of combat, travel, and gear, based off the creature that the gang was named for. Wolfpack's wasn't an exception to that, but we did have mixed styles from our previous positions.

We quickly made our way through the sixth ring to our home to prepare dinner. A little after we arrived, it began to rain.