Blake trudged down the empty street. After saying good bye to Narisa and Isaac she had begun the long walk home. Something kept pushing itself to the front of her mind, she hadn't been to the square yet to check on the local news. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she also still hadn't eaten. Not that it mattered much. Blake walked, lost in her own thoughts, until she reached a crowd of people. She pushed her way through the mass of tightly packed bodies until she came to a clearing in the centre, where a man dressed in armour held a strip of papyrus in one hand and a steel sword in the other. He cleared his throat and looked up, waiting for the murmurs to die down. " The king sends his warm regards to the outskirters, to whom this new law applies to. I regret to inform you that, due to a shortage of warriors, all that wish to enter a class will have to first reach a titled rank as..." At this remark the crowd began to shout insults. The man waited for things to once again become silent before continuing. " as a foot soldier. As always, the top 12 from training will still be allowed to qualify to become a Paladin." The crowd fell completely silent. Blake slowly shook her head, stupid aristocrats. Even she could see what they were trying to do. They were trying to keep the people who lived in the outskirts, the people who lived through hell every day, out of their precious city by saying they could only join the most dangerous classes. Someone near the back of the crowd found the courage to speak up. " Why don't you Tommies just pass a law saying you don't want people of our rank in the city? " A few people murmured in agreement. " Pardon, but what is a Tommie?" The armoured man asked. A few of the younger children began to giggle, like he had just asked the stupidest question ever to come out of someone's mouth. " You is obviously new!" Someone yelled. " Tommies is what we call you aristocrats!" The man just looked even more confused. It was at this point that Blake joined in. "You know, like the cat. 'Cause that's all you guys are. Lazy, stupid house cats!" At this every one around her began to laugh, a few slapping her on the back and praising her. The man frowned and searched the crowd for the person who had made the remark, without success. He turned and marched off, forcing his way through the people who couldn't get out of the way fast enough. As soon as he'd gone people began to get back their daily business. Before anyone could catch her and say what a good job she'd done, Blake slipped down a back alley. One last thing left to do : find something to eat.

Blake kicked away a pile of used hay and sighed. No food anywhere. She should have started to look earlier, not when the sun reached the highest point in the sky. She sat down and held her head in her hands. Their plan had gone to crud, and now she probably wouldn't eat today. She wished that the king would think before letting the crap fly from his mouth,  or at least know what was going on in the outskirts. Was joining the most dangerous class worth escaping this place? For the first time in her life Blake wasn't sure if she wanted to leave the outskirts. She spent the next five minutes feeling sorry for herself and doing the 'oh woe is me' act before a piecing scream split through the air, followed by the inhuman howl of a corrupted. Blake pulled out her knife and sprinted off in the direction it came from. If there was one thing the outskirts didn't need, it was another blood thirsty monster roaming the streets.