The airship Merryweather travels to Fauxpas, the capitol of Gallis, and is denied permission to land in one of the nicer ports. Instead, it lands in the Mongrel Quarter, with low prospects of getting good prices for its wares. Willow is sent out to try to look for sales prospects, and she takes Testament-Blaze with her, in hopes of helping him escape being sold into slavery.

Out in the streets, they soon encounter a grisly spectacle, the "Miles Mortant" race, where four Gallee carriage drivers rampage through the streets, running over or otherwise maiming and killing Gallah mutt peasants for "points" in a perverted contest of death. Willow saves a puppy from getting run over, and ends up getting one of the carriages to crash into a wall, killing the driver. She then flees along with Testament-Blaze, rescuing a mutt beggar by the name of Copy. Willow escapes with Copy, while Testament-Blaze tries to distract the guards that come to deal with looters.