MAD HATED CITIES. Perhaps it had been her tumultuous upbringing bouncing from one urban orphanage to another, or perhaps the memories of Frigidum's barren landscapes were still too fresh, but the tall and tightly-clustered buildings made her skin crawl. Malleus was small as cities went (though Mad's reference points were admittedly limited), but there were still enough shadowy corners and slightly ajar windows to make an assassin's job (and Mad's lifespan) much shorter.

"The ...