And I walked straight into somebody’s fist. Yes, I should have seen it coming, but I thought they wouldn’t bother. I’d already served Remnant’s purposes by walking in on Lanya’s fight on Saturday night. The hearing would get me banished and the Pathmakers branded as ‘unclean.’ There wasn’t much else I could do for them. I don’t know how many there were. Four? Four hundred? The first punch knocked the breath out of me. Something soft dropped over my head, the lights went out and I gagged on a mouthful of cloth. Couldn’t see. Couldn’t breathe. Someone behind me grabbed my arms and a fist landed in my gut. I doubled over, gasping, then straightened up fast as I could, heaved my shoulder upwards and connected with something, a jaw maybe. Its owner grunted, twisted my arms up my back then hurled me forwards. I hit the ground hard, on knee and shoulder. Pain went ringing through me. Still couldn’t breathe or see. I tore at the cloth around my head, but a boot rammed into my ribs, folding me up.
