"Come closer," Durak’s voice rang out with strength and authority. Then, his tone shifted—sharper, more boastful. "I’m not going to eat you."

  The room was spacious and tall-ceilinged, with walls lined in natural rock and metal, evoking a cave or the underground hall of some long-lost palace. Lamps emitting a soft, warm, and inviting light hung from the ceiling like stalactites. Numerous weapons and combat trophies adorned the walls, each with a small framed plaque beneath it—presumably explaining its story.

  In the center stood a large table made of solid stone, from which a 3D map of the hive emerged, marked with numerous annotations. Around it were eight stone seats carved with battle scenes. At the top of each seat, a number of precious minerals were embedded, increasing in quantity from one to the next. The ninth seat was a stone throne, its headpiece crowned with weapon-shaped points that held a massive garnet.

  Surrounding the table, set a little apart from it, were several smaller tables with more modern chairs and dozens of monitors. A few operators, wearing the same protective gear as the dozen guards stationed around the room, watched the screens intently, ensuring the cameras scattered throughout the hive detected nothing suspicious.

  Leaning against the throne, occasionally glancing at the dimly lit screens, stood Durak, leader of the Stone Guard.

  "At the slightest suspicious move, we won’t hesitate to kill you," said the guard who had led the group the entire way, without the slightest change in tone.

  Raven looked at the guard, and without saying a word, stepped forward resolutely toward the leader of the draua gang, while all its members kept their eyes on him.

  Elio watched him.

  Raven had his hair shaved on the sides, exposing his mutilated ears. Apparently, his mother had bitten off the upper parts of both ears during a euphoric fit caused by an overdose. From the center, like a crest—though a bit wider and with longer hair—fell black strands that snaked down over the shaved area. As usual, over his synthetic fiber armor and Akro plates, he wore a sleeveless leather vest with the gang’s symbol engraved on the back. Strapped across his back, secured by a small magnetic clasp, was his massive greatsword. Short but thick chains hung from both sides of his wide pants, gently striking the thigh guards he wore. Hanging from his belt were his combat knife and his large-caliber pistol.

  After everything Raven had been through, how could he walk with such confidence and resolve? When he moved, it felt as though everything around him shrank in his presence.

  Was he never afraid?

  After being beaten and mutilated nearly to death in that street, Elio had promised himself never to do anything irrational again—yes—but also to be strong and brave like him. These days, he was no longer afraid to walk alone in the street as he had been during the first few months after that fateful encounter, and even though he hadn't fought directly in any battle, he had stood his ground against more than one enemy. He had even managed not to run away when Brako, Tania, or Zhekog had threatened to kill him after he'd run out of arguments.

  And yet, surrounded by so many enemies, he was still terrified. Just like that time when the Iron Fists had surrounded him. He no longer had flesh-and-blood legs, but it felt as if they were trembling. His whole body seemed like butter.

  "Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you shit yourself," said Tania, then arched an eyebrow, thoughtful. "Wait, do you have a flesh-and-blood butt and little tail, or are those junkyard parts too?"

  Then he felt a strong hand firmly grasp his shoulder and collarbone, transferring a sense of security and calm.

  "Don’t worry, kid," said Brako. "We’ve got your back. Let’s go."

  Elio took a deep breath and adjusted his glasses.

  "Thanks," he whispered, and with slow but determined steps, he continued, keeping his eyes fixed on the drauo’s back, as if it were a lighthouse in the middle of a deep night at sea.

  Tania scoffed as Elio passed by her, ignoring her. Raven looked at him and nodded in approval.

  Upon reaching the stone table located at the center of the room, Elio studied Durak. The leader of the Stone Guard had a grayish skin tone, but unlike Brako's, which was a hue similar to rhyolite, his was much darker, like slate. Elio was by no means an expert, but from what he had read about the drauos and rocks during those hours when he excluded himself from the cruelty of the streets, this had to be a type of sedimentary rock. However, the minerals that ran across his body and face like tribal tattoos appeared to be garnet, quartz, and pyrite, suggesting that he might have an igneous origin. If that were the case, he must be a metamorphic drauo—one whose body was made up of several types of rocks and minerals.

  “A hybrid…,” thought Elio. “What will his dominant nature be? Will it be the sedimentary?”

  Durak’s eyes, or rather, the only eye he had left, were blue. The other was cybernetic, though much more advanced than his own. His face was covered in scar marks, as if someone had tried to sharpen countless weapons on it. In addition to the eye, the drauo had a steel arm and a steel leg. Although he was sure that, unlike him, the drauo’s implants were the result of countless battles, not a brutal beating where he had been unable to do anything. Still, part of Elio felt a sense of relief to see that there were many people with implants in the Hive Zones.

  His body, covered by the typical armor of a barrok, or gladiator as they were commonly known, was almost petrified. The only part of his face that remained unchanged was his eye, and the area of his face where his beard grew mixed with minerals. This meant that the leader of the Stone Guard was quite old.

  “How old is he? Or rather, how much time does he have left?”

  No one, or at least from what he had read, knew exactly how long a drauo lived, but what was clear was that as they aged, their bodies gradually turned more and more into stone until they became completely petrified and reached eternal sleep. He once read about a drauo who had lived around two hundred and eighty years. He didn't know if that was a lot or a little for one of his kind, but it seemed impressive to him.

  "How are you, Brako?" Durak asked energetically and gave him a hug. "How long has it been? Three years?"

  Brako returned the hug, and then they grasped each other's forearms. A common gesture among the barroks. Although, from what he knew about his past, the igneous drauo from the Exterminators had never been one.

  "Less, old friend. A little over one."

  "Just one?" Durak laughed. "I see. The passage of time is something I’ve almost stopped perceiving." Durak spread his arms. "Anyway, sit down. Go ahead." He pointed to the chairs. "Normally, I sit here with my captains, but today is a special day, so go ahead, take a seat."

  He was the first to sit down. Then Raven and the rest of the Exterminators followed. No other member of the Stone Guard sat down. The closest ones, who were the ones looking at the screens, were about five meters away.

  "One of two things. Either he trusts that with his old friend here, we won’t do anything, or he believes he’s strong enough to face all of us. Impressive. Does Raven have the same confidence?"

  Just a few seconds later, some drauos brought beers served in stone mugs and some meat appetizers.

  "Go ahead, don’t hold back." Durak laughed. "It’s not poisoned. Also, it’s real pork. Something you’ve probably never eaten in your life." Durak raised his mug. "But first, let’s make a toast."

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Real pork? How much power and money does he have?"

  Raven grabbed a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. Even his sinister face changed at the taste.

  "I don’t drink alcohol," Elio said. "Could it be…"

  "Today, yes," Durak said authoritatively. His cheerful face turned serious.

  Elio swallowed.

  "Cheers," everyone said. Elio wet his lips but didn’t drink.

  "I don’t know how they can drink this crap."

  "So?" Durak asked. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

  Raven grabbed another piece of meat with his hand and put it in his mouth.

  "We want you to join us," Raven said bluntly.

  Durak took a sip of his drink. A streak of garnet glowed softly on his petrified forehead as he gave a contemptuous smile.

  "Straight to the point, I like that," Durak said in a cold, distant tone. "But why would I want to ally myself with a smaller gang that has also made enemies with the most powerful criminal house? In fact, if it weren’t for Brako being with you, I wouldn’t have even bothered to meet with you."

  "Because we’ve taken control of nearly all the drug production in the hive," Raven said.

  "And why should I care about that? In case you haven't noticed, my business isn’t drugs."

  "Maybe not," Elio intervened. "But when we were coming here, whether by chance or not, we saw several customers arguing with the security personnel at the Drogocubos, which means people are starting to get anxious, and we all know how drug addicts react when they don’t get their merchandise." Elio held back the temptation to look away. "The Stone Guard is responsible, in exchange for money, for maintaining order and the reputation of peace and safety in the Rock, which in turn guarantees trust for the local businesses that are increasingly choosing to hire your services."

  "Go on," Durak said dryly.

  "Also, we know you take a percentage of the drugs that come into your territory, so I'm sure we could improve that. And not only that, think about it—if we allied ourselves, you’d maintain your independence, and we, along with our future distributors and buyers, would need more security, which would mean more income for you."

  "I'm not going to lie to you, kid," the drauo said, raising his jewel-covered hand. "What you're saying is tempting, but not enough to get me into a war with the biggest house in all of Catlon."

  "Come on, old man," Raven said, drawing murderous glares toward him. "We know you're slowly spreading out to the east and west sides of the hive under the guise of your security and fighting businesses. But I'm sure what you really want is to take control of the entire hive and create your own version of the Rock all over it. So sooner or later, you’re going to have to face the Copper Criminal Houses, and we can help you take control of it. Our idea is to finish off the Venomous Serpents and take over all the hives in Catlon. Once we do that, we wouldn’t mind if you kept this one to do whatever you want with it."

  Durak leaned back in his stone throne, staring intently at Raven. His expression was a mix of skepticism and calculated curiosity.

  "Your words are convincing, Raven, and I see you’ve done your homework on my little expansion," he said slowly. "But your idea of taking over all the hives is too big, and I’m already too old for something that grand. Besides, you still haven’t given me a solid enough reason to risk everything I’ve built here over all these years."

  "What’s not solid enough?" Elio thought as he adjusted his single-lens glasses. "And if it’s not about taking control of the entire hive, why is he expanding more and more, risking everything he’s already achieved at The Rock? Something doesn’t add up..."

  Elio tried to remember the little he had been able to talk about with Brako regarding Durak while walking to the room they were in now, as well as the information he had researched earlier. From what the drauo from Los Exterminators had told him, Durak had been a gladiator who was forced to flee to the hive after brutally wiping out an entire cell of a loan shark mafia that had killed his mining parents. Once he arrived in El Cobre, he had dedicated himself to street fights until he, along with other drauo fighters, created what later became La Guardia Pétrea.

  But what use was that information? Elio cursed inwardly. Why hadn’t Raven told him that Brako had been close to Durak? If he had, Elio was sure he could’ve gotten more useful information.

  "Well, if you don’t have anything else to offer me, you better finish your beers and leave."

  "You’re making a mistake, old man," Raven said.

  The sound of heavy footsteps and weapons being unsheathed echoed.

  "Are you threatening me, kid?" Durak’s face hardened. The minerals in his face glinted, and the lines of his stone-carved face became more pronounced. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.

  "It’s a warning, not a threat."

  The members of Los Exterminators moved their hands closer to their weapons.

  "Wait, Durak," Brako intervened. "I’m sure there’s a way we can reach an agreement."

  "What would the son of miners, who has gained fame and power, want?" Elio thought, still absorbed in his thoughts, oblivious to what seemed like the end of the meeting.

  "I’ve already risked a lot by agreeing to meet with you, and I’ve only done it because I owed it to you for the time we've known each other." Durak stood up from his seat, unsheathing his sword and mace. His guards approached, and Los Exterminators, except for Elio, stood up, ready to fight. "But this isn’t going anywhere. So, if you don’t leave, I promise I’ll kill you right here."

  And then, the legend that circulated about the origin of the name of the Hive Zone of El Cobre came to Elio's mind. If it was true, somewhere within it, there must have been the small open-air copper mine that gave the Hive Zone its name.

  "Is it the vein he’s looking for?"

  Elio had read that the vast majority of Ibelirian drauos had a great appreciation for rocks and minerals because they deeply believed they descended from them. Additionally, Durak was, or at least mostly, a sedentary, so he must have had great respect not only for traditions but also for his ancestors.

  "It has to be that!" Elio thought. "But with all the time that’s passed, it's practically impossible that there's still any vein left. Why would he want to search for it? Or doesn’t he know how much time has passed since the creation of the hive?"

  "Sometimes you have to take risks, Elio," Raven's words echoed in his mind.

  Elio adjusted his glasses and looked at the leader of La Guardia Pétrea with determination from his seat.

  "We'll help you find the copper vein."

  Everyone turned their eyes to Elio.

  "What did you say, human?" Durak asked.

  "That's it! I was right!" thought Elio.

  "If you ally with us, we'll help you find the copper vein on which this hive was built. That's what you're looking for, right?"

  "That's just a legend."

  "Maybe," Elio said, fiddling with his glasses once again. "But all legends have a kernel of truth. And if that vein really exists, it would be a treasure, not only in economic terms, but also emotionally and symbolically for you, right?"

  Durak fell silent, his gaze lost on a distant point. The mention of the copper vein seemed to touch a sensitive spot, evoking memories of his past and the legacy of his parents.

  "Think about it," Raven said, taking advantage of the leader of Stone Guards′s moment of reflection. "With our help, you could not only expand your influence, but you could also discover and claim what by right could be yours. And in the process, help us overthrow The Poisonous Snakes and the other houses that oppose us."

  "Durak," Brako intervened again, but this time with the intent to convince him. "I've fought by your side, and I know your honor and your word are worth more than any treasure. But I also know Raven, and I can assure you he will honor his word. An alliance with us is not just an opportunity, but also a pact of honor between warriors."

  The leader of The Stone Guard gave a slight nod in Brako's direction, acknowledging his comment with a growl of approval.

  "It seems you've finally found someone to swear your loyalty to again."

  Brako nodded.

  Durak snorted, and after briefly closing his natural eye, he finally nodded, slowly lowering his weapons. The rest of the stone guards did the same. The Exterminators followed, relaxing a bit. Elio smiled.

  "You have audacity, Raven, I'll give you that. And you, Elio, have a surprising insight," said Durak, shifting his gaze between the two Exterminators as he stroked his mineral-speckled beard with his stone hand. "Alright, I'll consider your proposal. But in return, I want guarantees that you'll help us search for it, and if we find it, it will be mine to do with as I please. Along with the area where it's found. Also, while we're in El Cobre, I want control of sixty percent of the territory we control. Once we've taken control of the entire hive and start expanding into the others, El Cobre will also be mine. As for the other hives, I have no interest in them, so you can take control of most of them. That is, as long as you make use of our security services and give us a share of the drug profits from the territories we control."

  "Sounds fair," Elio replied. He hadn't expected to speak with Raven, but he knew very well that Raven wouldn't object to this matter.

  "Good. Then we have a deal. But before we officially sign, I have one more condition," said Durak.

  "What is it?" Raven asked, somewhat irritated.

  "You will prove your worth by fighting five one-on-one battles in my fighting pit," Durak said with a sly smile. "After all, if we're going to form an alliance like a Criminal House, I need to make sure you're strong enough to live up to it. If you win, we will join you under the conditions we've discussed. If you lose, we'll forget this whole conversation, and each of us will go our separate ways, as we have until now."

  "Done," Raven replied without waiting for Elio's opinion. Though he hadn't needed it.

  "Ah," added Durak, looking at Raven with a hint of challenge and amusement. "And you, you'll face me personally, boy. No one offends me and leaves without fighting me."

  "Sounds great, old man," Raven replied, emphasizing the last word. Both of them seemed eager to fight.

  Tania, who had remained silent, watching the interaction with a mix of boredom and curiosity, leaned forward with a mischievous smile. Her red and black strands of hair fell across her freckled face.

  "Looks like the party's finally going to start. Huh, Raven?" Tania said. Her tone was playful, but her blue eyes glinted with a flash of challenge.

  Raven smiled. His gaze reflected confidence and determination, but also held a hint of madness—an instinctive reflection that appeared when he thought about his revenge.

  "Yes."