Chap sighed and shook his head at the youngest male in their group. He was disappointed. Not in the young man’s choice but the reason for it. It was blind stupidity at its greatest. Something that a lot of people foolishly followed.

Not that he could blame him that much. A lot of people fell into the same trap, often because they were just uninformed. Lived their lives in complete ignorant bliss. Either that or they weren’t passionate enough and followed others into making the same decision they were. Chap could concede that it might not have been ignorance but apathy.

But the decision was Aydin’s… technically nothing wrong with it but still very disappointing.

And chap wasn’t the only one that felt that way, Rick was right there with him when it came to Aydin’s ill advised decision.

“Oh come on. They’re overrated! They’re good but not the best ever. Best right now maybe but that’s still not the best ever.”

“How? They’ve won more championships than anyone else!”

“No, they haven’t!? Dipshit, you don’t know what you’re talking about. The Celtics have just as many titles.”

“And they’ve got a better record, bro. 21 finals, 17 championships. Lakers are what? 32 finals with 17 championships?”

“Yeah but no one watches the Celtics.”

“Those are probably fightin’ words in Boston. And Chap, what do you know? You like the Timberwolves.”

“Hey! Don’t dis the wolves… We’ll get there eventually. Probably right after they leave Minnesota. The Lakers did pretty well after they left…”

They marched along debating basketball teams and Chap was glad they’d stuck with professionals, he didn’t follow college ball much. It was just one of many topics they’d brought up to distract themselves as they headed south. From basketball to an ill fated game of fuck, marry, kill that Chap had to put an end to when ‘Doza threw up herself, Lindsey, and Karli for consideration.

Chap was on a different planet following a gnoll across a desert filled with strange plants and animals. He had no idea where home was and could only rely on himself and those around him…

but that being said, with his luck there was a Senior NCO or Lieutenant somewhere that would overhear and make them all sit through a sexual harassment awareness briefing. Not a bad lesson but anyone in the military that has had to sit through one of those knows it’s pure torture consisting of boring slides, skits filmed with a potato with people that cant act, and if it was due to an incident at least… AT LEAST 2 speeches from higher ups in the unit, basically all saying the same thing.

Be nice to each other. Sexual jokes are bad. Touching each other is really bad. Like the military had a problem with sexual assault…

Okay, they actually did have issues with that. Some big ones. Hence the reason why he put a stop to it. If it had been three of his friends that he and ‘Doza knew it wouldn’t be an issue but Chap wasn’t going to go down that road with Karli and Lindsey.

The only briefing he wanted to listen to was Aydin getting a lesson on why he shouldn’t be an ill informed bandwagoner. A briefing that Rick was more than willing to provide. He let the gym rat have it and moved along their line to Karli.

“Everything good?”

Chap was trying to make it a habit of periodically moving to each of them and getting them talking as the day rolled onward. Particularly Karli and Lindsey, mainly because they were the quietest members of the group. Besides being another way to pass the time he was watching for signs of heat stroke with them and reminding them to hydrate. As well as looking to see how stressed they were.

Things were getting back to difficult, which was actually a distraction against the big picture but could have its own problems. Emotional stress mixed with physical exhaustion and heat related illness? Not a good combination.

Karli just looked up at him and nodded. She didn’t talk much to begin with, but the short redhead with pale skin and freckles was even quieter since they left the ruins. A couple days on end moving till it got too hot and then hanging out in the shade till the sun was less intense before moving on again was tough for all of them. But Karli was almost literally cooking in the sun.

“Doing okay, Sir. Don’t worry… I’m hydrating.”

“Just don’t drink to-”

“Don’t drink too fast. I know.”

“Said it before, huh? Don’t worry too much. Vyk said we should be getting to a village today. It’ll only get easier after this. Sunblock, desert clothes, maybe get a ride to Sa’liquen… We just need to-”

“Press on… Sorry.”

He guessed he did sound like a broken record so he couldn’t really say anything. Chap walked alongside her for a while in silence as the debate on basketball moved on behind them.

There wasn’t much else to do. The Chotaxl had a few noteworthy landmarks but none of them were anywhere near the group. They luckily weren’t in sight of the salt wastes. A region with just that, salt and monsters that had adapted to the region. It was large compared to many of the landmarks and noteworthy points of the Chotaxl, the Western Crescent, but compared to Belaros? It was a blip.

But a blip was still larger than many places. Still, even the less than blips weren’t anywhere near the group. All except the Itli river and the mountains looming ahead.

Chap stayed with Karli for a little while longer to make sure she had nothing she needed to say. As luck would have it she was curious about a few things.

“Sir. Just wondering. Why engineering?”

He wasn’t expecting that but there was no reason for him not to answer. It was probably just curiosity or wanting to have a conversation that didn’t involve sports.

“Just making conversation.”

Yup, old fashioned boredom.

“I dunno. I just like to know how things work I guess, I’m good at math, problem solving… Picked up physics pretty quickly, at least the parts I got the chance to study… Still not sure what I wanted to do with it when I graduate but I still had years to figure that out… How about you? Why linguist?”

“Got a 118 on the DLAB and it was one of the only career paths my parents would sign the waiver for. They figured I wouldn’t get deployed and if I did it’d be to safe places with people protecting me like, well-”

She pointed at Chap, specifically his beret on his head with a white falcon soaring over crossed runways on his flash and his career’s motto ‘Defensor Fortis’ across the bottom. One of two symbols of his career field.

Karli wasn’t wrong, the little Chap knew of linguists was they rarely deployed and usually worked in air conditioned bunkers when they did. Bunkers on bases guarded by Security forces. The in the field translating was left to the Army, Marines, or third country nationals for the most part.

“So what’d you want then if that was just the easy choice?”

“I don’t know… linguist, anything… I just wanted to get away from home and my parents. Not that they’re bad parents. My mom and dad are just… overprotective.”

Chap gave Karli a careful look. The discussion of people back home wasn’t an easy thing to deal with for any of them. But talking about it a little helped considering they were in the same situation and all of them had to a varying degree. Except for Chap but he could deal with his own issues.

“I think the only reason they went along with me joining was because they couldn’t stop me when I turned 18, at least with the waver they had some say in what I was doing… How about you, why’d you join?”

“College and wanted to get out of my home town. It wasn’t bad either but most of the people I grew up with never left, they acted like the world ends at the state line… I knew a few people growing up who’ve never been out of North Dakota. Like my dad’s best friend. The guy hasn’t gone more than 150 miles from home in his entire life and he’s in his 50s. I personally didn’t like that idea, I wanted to see more than just a little farm town… Guess I can check that one off the list now.”

He waved his arms around them. Chap really had gotten a long way from his quiet little hometown. Not that it was ideal. He was thinking Europe, not Belaros. Or if he was forced to go somewhere with high heat and a lot of sand… Egypt. Maybe.

The pyramids would have been cool to see.

They walked in silence for a moment longer and he gave her a wave as he moved up the line further to Lindsey at the front but stopped as a call came out from the back.

“Hey, a horse!”

And it was. A brown horse was running at a full gallop towards them but despite having a saddle there was no rider. Aydin acted like a dipshit again and moved to the side, putting himself in the horse’s path.

“Grab it!”

“No, get away from there. It is spooked. I doubt it will stop easily.”

Chap didn’t know horses but Vyk did. The gnoll’s word had been law when it came to the wildlife of the western crescent and it still carried weight when it came to the horse. Aydin stopped and looked back at the gnoll before moving out of the way, quickly. The horse soon ran right past them and Chap thought he saw a flash of something poured over its back.

Vyk sniffed it as it passed.

“Blood…”

Vyk turned to look behind them just as two more horses came into view, both with riders pushing them hard. They weren’t moving directly towards the group but the speed at which they were going was troubling even without a blood drenched horse.

It took Chap a moment to realize that they weren’t actually horses though. It was two centaurs running as fast as they could while glancing backwards every dozen steps. What they were looking for revealed itself when a third person came running into the very limits of Chap’s vision and one of the centaurs began to turn but tripped while the other hesitated.

It wasn’t hard to figure out why, even at a distance everyone of them could see the third man on foot flailing wildly, small shadows being thrown off him as he struggled. But he didn’t struggle long. Something nearly the size of a pony with far too many legs came from the side and barreled into him.

A sense of dread dripped down Chap’s spine.

“What the fuck is that?!”

Chap got ready to draw his pistol when the centaurs spotted them. The injured one rode towards them waving his arms and cupping his hands over his mouth to yell. He turned to Vyk but the gnoll was standing with his ears straight and hair standing on end.

“Run!”

Vyk turned the other direction while giving his one word command and started running without waiting for the others. But a glance back at the sight of more large insectoid monsters coming into view was enough to get them all moving. It only was seconds later that Chap heard a voice on the wind.

“Crelers!”

It didn’t’ come from the centaurs behind them. One with long hair was sprinting into the desert while the second limped as fast as he could towards them. No, the voice had come from the front, Vyk was yelling as loudly as he could.

“Move! Come on, push! Let’s go!”

Chap barked the senseless orders that everyone was already following as the monsters drew closer to them. He wasn’t sure what good it would do as the juvenile crelers slowly overtook the panicked centaur. Even injured he was moving faster than any of the humans could, or even the gnoll that had left his furless companions in the dust. And it would be less than a minute before they caught him.

But still, they ran after their gnoll guide. If nothing else but because the other directions weren’t promising.

It didn’t take them long to figure out why he was yelling despite giving them no information as he ran away. They scrambled up a small hill and spotted a village from its crest.

Tervas.

It was only a few dozen houses, a bridge, and a ditch filled with some sort of thorny bush that Vyk had warned them about. It gave a painful sting followed by a rash to anyone who touched it… it was the only line of defense Chap could see and doubted it would work against what was coming. He had no idea what a creler was but he didn’t need to.

The sound of screams and panicking people from the village told him all he needed to know. Vyk only had to yell out what was coming and the people devolved to basic instincts. The primary one, the will to survive. And to do that they had to either run or fight.

And there wasn’t a whole lot of anyone preparing to fight… none in fact. Not even a willingness to trust in their plant based barricade. The people of Tervas were fleeing.

But just because the people didn’t trust the thorny ditch to protect them from Crelers, it still hindered the Earthers as they reached the ditch and were forced to run around it looking for an opening. The moment they found it, the screaming increased, and Chap spared a glance back to see insects crossed with nightmares pouring over the top of the hill.

It was like time stood still for a moment. The crelers looked down at the village and made retched noises while the people screamed but for that moment, just a second. Nobody really moved.

But that was how long those things lasted usually, without a Skill. So after the brief pause both parties, people and monsters, renewed their movement with purpose. Luckily for the people most had gotten a head start thanks to Vyk.

“You can’t leave us! Help!”

Even then there were people still in the village, those left behind while the rest fled. Some were coming out of their homes carrying heavy bags on their backs only to drop them and move as fast as their feet could take them, deciding it wasn’t worth it to try to save their belongings. But a group of twenty or so were locked in a large wooden cage. They were beating the wooden bars with their fists and ramming the door with their shoulders. Going as far as hurting themselves in a desperate attempt to escape.

“Get to the bridge!”

Chap veered towards the cages, praying that the lock was something easy but his confidence faded when he spotted a heavy iron padlock on the door. He glanced back to see some of the first monsters entering the village.

“I can’t, I’m so-”

“[POWER STRIKE]!”

Rick sprinted past and swung at the doorframe with his mace. A powerful running strike that he put everything he could into besides the swing.

The wooden bars shattered and sent splinters flying

Primarily, the damage was the part of the frame that was holding the padlock and chain. giving the residents of the back of the cage a brief moment to cheer while the ones at the front quickly opened the door. From there it turned to a mad dash.

“Hurry! They’re going to raise the drawbridge!”

The two, plus all the formerly detained from the cage, ran back into the street that was quickly filling up with horrible pill bugs with spider like legs that charged straight after them.

They can’t be that bad. I mean, there’s a lot of them but they’re not that big. At least not these-

Chap’s thoughts screeched to a halt when an armored woman that he’d just freed tried to swing on one with her fist. She didn’t even get in one hit before it and a group of its friends piled onto her. They brought her down and within moments started tearing her to shreds.

“Bro, ain’t doing that!”

“Just go!”

Chap put his hands on Rick’s back to push. Both of them had had the same momentary thought followed by the same gruesome realization.

They had to get across that bridge!

Even with different mentalities on fitness, neither Chap nor Rick were slouches when it came to fitness. Even with the packs on it didn’t slow them down as Chap could almost feel the adrenaline flowing and his heart beating rapidly. Even carrying the pole axe didn’t slow him down. Their pursuers only made him move faster. Chap stretched out his stride and tore down the street right behind Rick.

It was enough for them. But not all. And not because they were really that fast.

Every few steps Chap heard the sound of someone screaming in pain behind him. He saw a lizardman go down to the side and rapidly try to get back up but before Chap could even adjust his course to help the man, the poor soul let out a different kind of scream that was instantly cut short. A scream of terror.

It was the last thing the man did before juvenile creler was on him, its sharp legs slicing into the Lizardman’s throat in an instant.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Rick let out as he looked behind them. Chap glanced back and his eyes went wide. He reached to the would be Marine and grabbed his pack, throwing both of them to the side as another large creler barreled past them.

“Get up!”

“No need to tell me-“

There was no time for thought, no time for banter, or anything else. The only thing that had saved them from the creler that had almost gotten them was the fact it had kept going and started ripping apart someone else.

“They’re going to raise the bridge! Run!”

Vyk’s voice reached them as they got onto the bridge. A swarm of Crelers behind them…

—

Chap breathed deeply to catch his breath as he looked back across the river. To his horror, he saw a few people on rooftops desperately trying to defend themselves as the horde of crelers climbed up the walls. It had only taken two minutes for them to reach the towers in the middle of the bridge where the drawbridge was located but in those two minutes, nearly everyone from the cages had perished. Chap, Rick, and a few others only survived by being the lucky ones who just happened to be faster. Not faster than the monsters but faster than their fellow people.

That was a joke, wasn’t it? That you didn’t need to outrun the monsters you just need to outrun the person next to you and let them get eaten?

It wasn’t that funny to begin with and now it wasn’t even a joke, it was a horrible but valid strategy.

Chap had seen some of the people of Tervas use just that as they tripped one another or pushed each other out of the way, dooming their neighbor in an effort to buy themselves only a few more seconds.

“Please, Can you put me down now?”

“Huh? Oh yeah…”

Chap carefully placed the Dullahan he was carrying over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry back down. He knew one of the crelers had driven a sharp leg through the cloth armor on her leg before getting knocked off by a wild swing of Rick’s mace but he actually didn’t remember picking her up. She took off her head and bowed it to him from the ground.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome… OOOF!”

The breath Chap had just caught vacated his chest as something slammed into him with enough force to crack his ballistic plate and throw him backwards. His head rang as it slammed into the hard cobblestone when he landed. Enough that his vision darkened. Yelling started before he even hit the ground but he didn’t even notice it at first.

His head was ringing from the impact.

“They led them right to us! As a [Sergeant], he should know better!”

“I didn’t say Sarge led them to you. I said he led US!”

Chap listened to the voice of his favorite dipshit starting to argue with the unfamiliar one

But when Chap sat up a little bit he only caught a glimpse of a centaur’s haunches While Rick and ‘Doza stood by him readying their weapons before a hand pushed him back down gently. He looked up to see Lindsey looking down at him but his vision was still swimming.

“The fuck is wrong with you?! We didn’t lead them anywhere! By the time we knew they were coming, we were-”

“I did not say you did so willingly. He led you, you led THEM!”

“It was not them, nor me. There were others that came from behind us, two centaurs that were trying to outrun them and at least one more. Lizardfolk. They were the ones that led the crelers here… What would have happened if we were not there to warn you? Many more would have died, no?”

Vyk growled, actually growled at the centaur. Chap could still see them now that the centaur turned to the armed gnoll and backed off slightly. The centaur’s height, speed, and weight advantage didn’t matter with Vyk having an arrow nocked and ready to loose.

Even on Baleros, the denizens had heard of the gnolls’ fondness and capabilities concerning bows.

“Then where are they? These centaurs?”

“They did not make it, I think. One for sure, the other broke away and ran into the desert.”

Vyk continued to explain to the angry centaur while a second person appeared in his vision. ‘Doza looked him over and started taking off his carrier.

“You come anywhere near him and I’m going to shoot- Chap where the hell is your weapon?”

“He tripped on the bridge and it went over the side. It’s in the river.”

Rick answered for him.‘Doza growled and gave him a pained look. She didn’t need to, he felt just as bad about it being gone. After a moment of mourning their most reliable weapon, ‘Doza dropped it.

It didn’t matter anyways. He had it out for a reason and three rounds? It took seconds for him to use them but he wasn’t even sure if he killed a single creler. And at the time he lost it, it was empty. His choice had been reaching for the pistol or grabbing his pole axe…

Chap dropped it from his thoughts when she started checking him over. Which consisted of quickly poking and prodding him while asking if it hurt.

“Just give him a healing potion and be done with it.”

She ignored that and finished up what she was doing. Chap realized that it was beyond their training, so either she had taken a course on the side at some point or she was faking it. Most likely faking but he didn’t voice his complaints, she was a [Medic] after all. Maybe she had gotten some knowledge from her Class.

Or she was just faking and trying to act like a medic should in hopes to raise her [Medic] class. Which was actually the case. ‘Doza was more of a fighter than a healer after all. A whinny, vulgar, somewhat lazy fighter but a fighter nonetheless.

“Plates gone but I don’t think anything’s broken. And guessing a concussion…Where’s- ah, thanks. Alright Chap, drink this… Always trying to save your ass. This, when you fell down the stairs, when you caught your hand in the slide, all the times I tried to save you from that blonde cunt.”

He focused a bit more on that and frowned at her again with his eyebrows crossed. All while ignoring the shooting pain from his chest.

But still, Chap opened his mouth and let her pour the potion in. It reminded him of cherry flavored cough syrup which wasn’t great but he sighed in relief as some of the pain in his head and all the soreness in his chest and legs dissipated. It didn’t do much for his headache though and his mind was still a little flustered.

Still, he wasn’t just going to let his friend bring up a dark part of his past like that. It wasn’t the time. It was never the time as far as Chap was concerned.

“’Doza, drop it. Not in the mood.”

He got to his feet with Aydin’s help and was startled to see more than a few people looking at him. Lizardfolk mainly. Although the number looking at him was still a minority of the hundred or so people that had made it across the bridge. Most had their sights on the far side of the river.

“Feeling alright Sarge?”

“I’m fine. Don’t be a dipshit.”

His response was laced with sarcasm. He was better than a moment ago but he’d still been kicked by a horse essentially. Hard enough that chunks of a ballistic plate were falling out of his carrier.

Those things could take a beating too but it was designed to take a hit from an AK47 round or a few lower caliber shots, not the business end of a centaur’s primary natural weapon. Still, it had taken the hit and dispersed the force that should have led to a much worse injury.

Chap dug inside the carrier and pulled the rest of it out. Even though most of it was still held together from the fibers inside the ceramic composite it was basically worthless at that point. At least to him, the dullahan he’d saved seemed interested and picked up a chunk from where she knelt. He didn’t care and let her have it while he put the rest in his bag of holding.

But Chap had missed her curious looks. Her eyes glanced from the chunk of the ballistic plate. From there she looked to Chap and his largely uninjured chest and then to the large hooves of the nearest Centaur.

It wasn’t the same one.

But Chap looked back just in time to see a spark ignite in the cloth armor ladened dullahan’s eyes.

“Nagas help us! They’re going into the water!”

Chap looked with everyone else as some of the crelers began to swim towards them while most continued to tear through the village. Screams and shouts indicating that there were still survivors.

Their saving grace was the fact that the Itli was a wide slow moving river coming from the south of Tervas and continued to be wide and slow moving to the south. But at Tervas the banks narrowed and funneled the slow moving water into a fast moving channel by sturdy natural stone on its banks.

The Crelers were strong swimmers and would eventually make it across but not directly across, the powerful current would push them downriver some.

“Chap, you good enough to sing? Could use that skill of yours.”

He paused and looked at his group. But after a moment he nodded and put his beret back on as the lizardfolk around them took notice.

“Wait what skill?”

“Does he have a movement skill? He’s a [Sergeant] right?”

“Do you think it would work on [Farmers]? We’re not [Soldiers].”

“Neither were the minutemen.”

“The what?”

Karli sucked her lips in and bit them while she looked at the ground but no matter what she could do, the words were out there now and a few dozen eyes turned to her. She hadn’t said it loudly but it had come out in a moment of complete silence.

Chap imagined she wished she hadn’t opened her mouth but she did answer.

“They were farmers and craftsmen that formed a militia back home… Where we’re from. They could be called to fight with a minute’s notice so they were Minutemen but they weren’t soldiers either… They were still just farmers. I was just saying.”

“I’ll be a [Minuteman] if you can use your Skill on us. Better than getting eaten. What does it do?”

Chap looked at the Lizardman then around to the eyes that darted between him, Karli, and the approaching danger. He wasn’t sure how long it would take the crelers to cross but he could at least tell they didn’t have long. It was worth a shot.

“It gives you energy while you march… Form up I guess. We can try it.”

He looked around at the gaggle of lizardfolk, centaurs, and dullahans. No one moved until ‘Doza clapped her hands loudly.

“Let’s go people. You! Stand here, I want… fifteen behind him. You! Right here with another fifteen…”

‘Doza stepped up and started organizing the mass of bodies or at least the ones that could walk. A few wagons had been able to get across the river or were already there. The wounded and young were already climbing aboard to get pulled by horses or centaurs along with whatever the people of the village had managed to save.

“When he says march, you step with your left foot first. When he says double quick-time, march. You start jogging at march.”

Chap watched as she answered a few questions. He looked at Rick and held out his poleaxe.

“Wanna be the guidon bearer? Need a decent pace setter.”

Rick smiled and accepted it.

“Why not, bro.”

They ran around, getting everything set within a minute. Still impossibly slow by military standards. Even with the lax stereotype the Air Force had they would have been formed up in second at the order of ‘fall in!’. But they weren’t Airmen, they weren’t soldiers.

Chap took his place next to the formation that was more spread out than he was used to in order to make room for the tails but it still worked.

“Minutemen! Forward! HARCH!”

He didn’t want to say Flight, as that was an Air Force thing and there was no such thing as an Air Force according to Vyk. Just Wyverns, griffins, old bloods, and garuda.

Still, Chap didn’t want to say company because it had a deeper meaning in Baleros. But Karli had already mentioned the concept of minutemen, so that is what he called them and he was surprised to see them step in unison, almost.

There were some who hesitated or stepped on the wrong foot but it didn’t matter that much thanks to the increased spacing. After calling out a few lefts and rights to get everyone in step they picked up the pace.

“Double Quicktiiiime! HARCH!”

Again, with only a few hiccups, the people of Tevlas began to jog with Rick at the front setting the pace.

“Lo, Right, A lo right a lay-O…

Chap activated his [Project Voice] at the same time as [Cadenced March: Endurance] and felt a soothing feeling come over his body as he began to sing the jodie that was technically a Marine cadence but he liked it and it was easy to change to avoid unnecessary questions. He changed ‘Marine Corps’ in the song to ‘Minuteman’ and called it good. A lot easier to change up than ones that mentioned C-130s or steam rollers.

A soothing feeling slowly ramped up as the formation beside him began to chant back. ‘Doza had forgotten to explain that part but they caught on quickly when his 5 fellow Americans and their gnoll guide answered back. By the time he called out the next line, he felt like his Skill was working as intended.

Chap watched the others in formation and was happy to see that they seemed to feel it too, everyone was stepping a little lighter with the boon given by his Skill.

Even more so as others tried to game the system. Farmers were a hard working type, no matter what world you were on. And While the ones on Earth might have had it easier because of technology, many of them would still pay to have Skills like [Shaded work], [Gentle Breeze], and [Fieldhands: Steady backs]. The last from Tervas’ highest level farmer.

But even then their Skills were only part of it. Chap had them beat in a way.

It wasn’t a bit of relief from the sun, a cool breeze, or even a bit of added strength to help them along. It was energy!

Not a huge boost like pumping you full of adrenaline, but a steady trickle that made it feel like you could run all day. Or at least till his skill ran out or his voice failed, Chap had no idea of the limits of the skill having only tested it that morning.

But it was also soothing, his body didn’t protest the activity even after they completed the first mile at a record pace as far as he knew. An eight minute mile for a formation run with a bunch of civilians in the desert… that was impressive.

Best of all he realized that even when the first cadence ended, it didn’t immediately stop the Skill. It took two minutes before the Skills effect started wearing off and he had to start again. Chap smirked as he thought of the next cadence. It fit what was to come.

One mile, no sweat! Two Miles, better yet…

And they ran. It was hardly a grand moment, their pace was slow and there was more than one force that would have looked at them while shaking their heads.

But they ran. Even though Master Grimalkin of Pallass would have both admired their determination but harshly corrected many’s running postures.

Still, they ran. Down the even cobblestone road until they got far enough from Tervas for it to only be packed earth. Across the barren landscape with the river to one side.

They ran. Until they reached the foothills of the mountains, which was luckily an abrupt change and not far from Tervas. But once there they…

Yup, they ran!

—

“Fuck me.”

Chap groaned as his legs barely functioned below him and blisters tore up his feet. He’d long since found the limit of his skill but they pressed on. Even through the hottest part of the day, they pressed at a walking pace. There was no telling if the crelers were behind them but no one wanted to sit around and let them catch up if they were.

It’d taken six hours of marching at quicktime and double quicktime to cross the thirty miles from where they started but it had paid off. Even if their quick paced jog had turned into a slow paced pained shuffle.

Yet, Chap looked in the distance at the fortified town they were still steadily headed for.

He looked at the stone walls and towers, then at the distance they still had to cover. It was still a little ways off. He sighed and looked up at his passenger as sweat dripped from his face. His voice was raspy from calling for hours and the hot, dry air didn’t help but he somehow hadn’t lost it completely.

“Hey bud, think we got one more in us?”

The lizardboy on his shoulders looked down at him and nodded.

“Which one?”

The kid scratched at his neck frill as he thought. He’d been riding on Chap’s shoulders for two hours and Chap was lucky the kid wasn’t any bigger.

They’d had to pull him off the wagon along with other little ones to make room for people with twisted ankles and heat exhaustion. The desert hadn’t been easy on them even with following the road. Even with their destination in sight Chap knew that some of them would probably need some sort of medical attention.

“Mamma told Johnny not to go to town.”

Chap nodded then cleared his throat to project it the best he could without his other Skill. His [Project Voice] had only lasted an hour while the cadence Skill had lasted for two. As he began though he tried to activate his Skill on a whim and suddenly felt an amazing feeling spread through him and the people in formation next to him perked up as they felt it too. He wasn’t sure when but his Skill had reset.

The tired people got back into a rhythm and called back to him. His sore muscles in his legs from the trek and shoulders from carrying the kid and his pack relaxed because the trickle of energy he’d started growing used to began to fill his system. Chap didn’t even call for them to pick up the pace.

With a bit of energy to restore them and their goal in sight, the entire formation did it on its own. Nearly running down Rick in the front until he got the memo and sped up.

They ran all the way to the gates and luckily there were a few people he vaguely recognized waiting for them. Three centaurs that had run ahead to explain the situation trotted out to meet them, smiling ruefully, it’d been a long day for everyone but they’d made it.

“Everyone line up! The Company is aware of what happened but we still need to check you all before you can come in… That’s it, we’ll get you through quickly. There’s water here if you need it!”

Chap looked at the guard as the people he’d been leading began to follow instructions. Not just the people of Tervas, the centaurs who ran ahead warned two other villages and by the time their formation reached them, they were already packed and ready to fall in.

Chap spared a look at the gate guard. It seemed cruel to deny people fleeing their home entry but he couldn’t fault the guy, it was gate duty. Chap knew as well as any other in his job that there were rules that had to be followed.

Those few moments of distraction or a soft heart that ignored protocol could have dire consequences.

So, instead of getting in line with the wait, considering no one could argue against it, Chap walked to the side in the shade of the wall and stripped down to his undershirt before sitting. He nearly moaned when he could finally feel the slight warm breeze blow against him, the [Farmer] with the skill had long since run out of juice with it.

It felt amazing, even better than the cool breeze from the Skill because not only was his uniform top, not the most breathable, his plate carrier was anything but. Chap had largely missed out on that pleasure.

“Hey! Don’t just sit down. You’re gonna cramp. Here, put your feet shoulder width apart and bend at the waist like this…”

Chap watched as Rick stepped in to do a cool down with the people. Not all of them did it but some did… Chap did do some stretches from his seated position.

That was good enough right?

No, Chap knew that but he didn’t care. Rick had been traveling in a pair of shorts. Chap had almost his full kit on. He was more worried about heat than cramps.

“Hey, Chap. Joining your B.O. wet t-shirt contest over here.”

The [Sergeant] opened his eyes to see ‘Doza taking off her uniform top to reveal she’d sweat through just as bad as him. She plopped down beside him and joined in with resting his head against the wall. He must have dozed because he heard a voice in his head.

[Skill: Lesser Endurance obtained!]

[Sergeant Level 6]

[Skill: Unit: Second Wind obtained!]

“You just level up? Me too. [Corporal] and [Medic]!”

Chap looked at her and blinked.

“Guess I’m not the only one ready for a nap.”

Not only had ‘Doza helped keep things organized and checked him out after getting kicked, but ‘Doza also was the one to care for anyone that had been injured or gotten sick during the trip. Apparently being responsible for the health of more than 60 people that grew to 150 during a rough period helped. Either that or it was the fact he was the sole leader in command. It wasn’t like he had a Senior NCO directing him or an officer.

“Get anything good?”

“Just [Field Diagnosis] for the [Medic] class… Did you know you have blisters on your feet that need taking care of and are on the verge of dehydration? Not to mention a strained muscle in your big ass?”

Chap chuckled and laid his head back again.

“[Lesser Endurance] and [Unit: Second Wind].”

“Dammit, that would have been nice if you’d gotten that a few hours ago.”

She wasn’t lying. Though he felt a little different with the endurance skill, he held off on firing [Second Wind].

Besides being warned that his Skill likely just postponed the drain and they would all soon crash hard. Chap figured adding to it with a second Skill would be even worse. Plus he didn’t want to be more awake. He wanted to take a shower and go to sleep, not even eat. He could do that when he woke up, it was too hot to eat. But that was a plan that required him to get up, which after reminding himself that he couldn’t just sleep in the dirt he did. Slowly.

He joined the others at the back of the line that was quickly shrinking while listening to the questions being asked and preparing himself for when he got to the front.

But they turned out slightly different.

“Reason for visit.”

“Ah… I’m with them.”

Chap watched as the truth stone flashed between two colors in the lizardman’s hands. A half truth. The guard looked at him with a critical eye but Chap corrected his statement.

“We’re going to Sa’liquen after this. Shouldn’t be here long.”

It glowed a bright orange and seemed to be enough. It kind of annoyed Chap that the colors varied by crystal.

“Are you a wanted fugitive in any location controlled by the Crimson Sand Company?”

“No.”

“Do you intend to break the law or otherwise attempt to subvert, damage, or inconvenience the people or leaders of Ayaviri, or the Crimson Sand Company?”

“No.”

“Are you here to sell or buy goods?”

“Ah?”

“Are you a [Merchant] or [Trader]? We’re not asking if you’re going to sell some random thing or go to the market. It’s for tariffs.”

That hadn’t been one of the questions he’d asked the villagers but in retrospect, the guards had already known they were refugees that were not there to trade.

“Oh… Nope.”

“And are you the [Sergeant] that led the people of Tervas here?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Okay, please follow me. Welcome to Ayaviri.”

It wasn’t the gate guard who’d asked the last question. Instead, it was another massive snake man, a Naga, or something else. Chap second guessed himself but quickly decided there was no way the snake people on the barge had been anywhere as large.

“[Watch Captain] Tumbez, first time meeting a gorgon?”

“… Yeah, sorry. [Sergeant] Chaplin.”

Tumbez led him to a building just inside the gate. He glanced back at the others who were all watching him except Vyk, who was already explaining something to the [Guard]. He didn’t feel like being separated but felt there was little choice in the matter.

Once inside Tumbez slithered behind a large desk and pointed to a chair. Chap took the invitation while the gorgon pulled out a quill and parchment. He finished by putting a crystal on the desk between them.

Time to start the interrogation.

“I just have a few more questions. As you can understand, a creler infestation of that size and that close to Ayaviri is a concern but so is an officer of another Company being involved. First I must ask, what company are you from.”

Chap was worried but he at least knew how to answer that. He’d gone over it with Vyk and ‘Doza. It wasn’t that big of a concern according to the gnoll but with the two of them having a military class it was likely to draw attention of other mercenary companies.

“None, I’m not from Baleros. I’m a [Sergeant] in my republic’s military.”

Tumbez nodded and made a quick note after keeping an eye on the truth stone.

“How’d you end up in the Western Crescent?”

“I was on a transport with a few others and something happened. Something magical, I’m not sure what it was. We ended up getting split up and stranded.”

A transport could be a ship, right?

“So you won’t be remaining here?”

“No. I’ve gotta make sure I have everyone I can find first but we’ll try to arrange a way to leave as soon as we can. We don’t mean to be stepping on anyone’s toes. It was… unexpected.”

It was the truth. Except it was about more than just the crescent.

“Very well… I do hope you find your people. Any casualties?”

“Thank you… Ah, we lost three. wildlife got them along the river… Not crelers!”

“And sorry for your loss… Do you wish assistance in finding the others?”

“No, I think we can manage. We might look through posting notices or one of the guilds but we can figure it out. It wasn’t many.”

Kind of the truth but thankfully it was vague enough to ring true. The option had come up but it was a last ditch effort. No one wanted to draw more attention to themselves than they currently did.

Thankfully the gorgon [Captain] seemed to understand and moved on.

“Understood… Lastly, recount the incident with the crelers. What did you see, number of juveniles, any signs of an adult or the nest? Any information you can give us can save lives.”

Chap began to go over what he’d seen in detail. The content was pure fantasy to him but the format was familiar as he gave his official statement only pausing when a [Guard] came in to hand the [Captain] some papers.

He left out that they’d been staying in the ruins and fighting slavers but he did mention passing the area that gave him an uneasy feeling, that Vyk said smelled like crelers. And he had to ask for verification, not knowing what an adult creler looked like.

But Tumbez didn’t seem concerned that Chap didn’t know what they looked like and breathed a sigh of relief after he confirmed that there were no house sized monsters out there, at least to his knowledge.

“Sounds like the same that hit Patli. They’re spread out but the town will sleep a little easier knowing nothing like that has been seen. And at least Tervas wasn’t as near of a complete loss. Very well, we have two more items to cover. First is the disposition of the gnoll named… Vyk of Silverfang.”

He held up one of the papers that was brought in. Chap didn’t get the chance to see what it said but the [Captain] explained.

“He’s an [Indentured Hunter] that hasn’t completed his contract before his master died…”

The gorgon gave Chap a meaningful look. There was an immediate worry that Chap would get called out for killing Vyk’s master and the slavers but the [Captain] didn’t question it. He’d have to talk to Vyk later to figure out what had been said.

“Normally this would be an easy issue to deal with, his contract would go to his former master’s next of kin. Being that they were traveling, it is not as easy of an endeavor and the gnoll doesn’t know if his master even had a family. He had also stated that he’s acting as your guide. So, for simplicity’s sake, I’m signing him over to you until an heir can claim him or his contract is fulfilled. Consider it a thank you from the Crimson Sand Company for your assistance in evacuating the people of Tervas with your Skill. Please sign here.”

He slid Chap the form and the [Sergeant] quickly read it over. It wasn’t nearly as complicated as contracts he’d read before but it still didn’t sit well with him. His American values immediately recoiled at the proposition.

Vyk would be expected to do Chap’s bidding and serve him until he’d paid off 42 more gold. It did at least say that Chap was required to pay him a set wage of 2 silver a month while keeping another 7 to put towards the debt. It would be a long time before Vyk could be freed.

But Chap’s disgust over forced servitude was one thing. He continued to read before he ran his hand through his hair and signed. It was the last part, where Vyk could end up as a [Slave] that pushed him to do it. If servitude with pay was bad, Chap wasn’t going to sit back and let the gnoll become a full [Slave].

“Good… Now, this. This is a gift from the people of Tervas. Or one in particular. [Master] Besaind is offering one of his [Slaves], a dullahan [Clothier] named Teena Derand. He apparently stated that she would have been a loss if it wasn’t for your actions and wishes to reward you for your assistance in evacuating the village, the early warning your people provided, as well as a means of apology for… accidentally kicking you? Hmmm? This will transfer ownership of the [Slave] in question please sign here.”

Chap rubbed the back of his head where it had impacted the ground while a pit began to form in his stomach. A spike of pain shot through his head and it wasn’t a simple lingering pain from his now healed injuries.

Still, he looked at the second sheet of paper, it was a form indicating he’d own a person if he signed it. He didn’t even really read it, just stared at it before looking up at the [Captain], who seemed to understand his dilemma.

“Not everywhere practices slavery but I will give you a word of advice. If you don’t sign, [Master] Besaind will retain her as his own. If owning a [Slave] truly causes alarm for you, you can give her an indentured servant contract at the Town Hall or the Watch Barracks. You can also free her outright if you wish at the Town Hall but there is a fee and it will take much longer to process.”

“I… ah…”

Chap swallowed and under internal protest, accepted the new contract.

He skimmed it quickly and put his name to it before gently placing the quill back down while bile formed in his throat as he held the document.

Over 150 years… that’s how long it’d been since slavery had been abolished… The contract was exchanged for a small key. He could only guess what it was for but Chap held it in his hand for a moment and stared. If nothing else it was a symbol. He literally owned someone…

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

“Very well… I’ll bring these with me. You can receive copies from the Town Hall if you wish but it will likely be tomorrow at the earliest that you can receive them… [Sergeant] Chaplin, I’m pleased that this worked out as smoothly as it did. If we have further questions, we’ll find you. But for now, I bid you farewell.”

Chap rose from his seat and shook the [Captain]’s hand before being shown the door. He thanked the gorgon politely as he exited and was immediately met with the sight of his people, including Vyk and a young Dullahan woman in cloth armor named Teena.

She was standing next to a member of the town’s guard force and Chap’s eyes were immediately drawn to her. She was young, wearing a padded gambeson that reached down past her hips and all the way to her wrists. Her legs were likewise armored in a similar fashion while her hands and head were covered with leather gloves and an iron helmet respectively.

Teena noticed Chap’s stare and looked at him curiously, still holding a piece of his ballistic plate in her hand until a voice came from behind him.

“You can release the dullahan. The [Sergeant] has signed the [Slave] transfer. He’s now her master.”

Chap cringed at the words and the reaction of every American around him. They stared at him with an incredulous look. His mind was racing as fast as it could in his tired state, which wasn’t that fast. But Lindsey was the first to speak.

“You’re her what?”

She sounded confused. It was a lot to process for Chap and he understood the reasoning behind it at least.

“I’ll explain…”

But he didn’t. At least not fast enough. Chap had a sound mind and normally took charge, god knew he did. But that was due to training, going over ‘what if’ scenarios with others or just in his head, relying on precedence set by non-commissioned officers he’d dealt with in the past.

None of it had prepared him for literally violating the constitution and for a good reason.

“You’ll explain? You’ll explain? What the hell, Chap? That whole civil war thing slip your mind? Pretty sure we ended slavery with that.”

“’Doza, maybe we should give him a chance.”

Chap gestured them to the side, away from the [Guards]. He snapped back to his senses a little and gave everyone a pointed look.

Privacy before they started talking. Or at least not just standing in a crowd of strangers.

All seven of them gathered around him while he quickly explained. The eyes of his countrymen lost a bit of their anger and confusion while Vyk’s ears drooped when it was mentioned that he was still an [Indentured Hunter] but rose again slightly when it was mentioned that Chap was now his master and didn’t like that either.

The biggest change was Teena. She stood by quietly with her head tucked under an arm while her new master spoke. Chap kept feeling his eyes drawn to her and not just because she took off her head, a sight he’d only seen a few times. When he got to the important part her eyes shot up and made contact with his.

“You’re going to free me, master?”

“Damn right he is. Slavery was abolished over a hundred years ago where we’re from… Okay, where do we have to go to do this? We’re doing it now or I swear I’ll fucking bring up Macy every chance I get- Fuck. Okay, that’s too much but I WILL bug the crap out of you till you do it. I’ll save bring up the-”

“‘Doza.”

Chap’s tone was only slightly threatening. He’d meant it to be a warning tone but his emotions had gotten the better of him. Thankfully ‘Doza relented and stopped.

Although the Senior Airman turned [Corporal] already openly did what she had threatened. So, it wasn’t much of a threat in the first place. Still, most of it had slipped past the group’s attention until that moment.

But Chap had to force himself to ignore that and turned to Tenna instead. To answer her, he handed her the key. Which was for a belt around her waist. It made sense that her kind couldn’t wear collars like the ones they’d found in the bags. She could remove it by taking off her head. After a bit of encouragement, she removed the belt and it went in a bag. Chap felt a bit of relief but his mood soured quickly.

“Who’s Macy?”

It was a question he didn’t want to answer and Chap ignored Aydin. He shook his head, there was one person responsible for bringing that up. But she at least looked guilty. He couldn’t even glare at her.

“So you’re going to free her the rest of the way, right?”

“That was already the plan, ‘Doza. We just need to figure out where the Town Hall is.”

He sighed and pointed down the road into the heart of town. He could have just asked a [Guard] there by the gate but he figured he could ask someone on the way. The sooner they got it over with the better.

“Seriously, Sarge. Who’s Macy?”

——–

She watched as the strange, dirty humans walked away from the gate. They didn’t even seem to realize how much attention they’d drawn with just their clothes. All of it was soiled but well made. Brighter colors and strange fabrics… and two of them wore matching mottled cloth that broke up their silhouettes as they walked through the urban environment. Despite the attempt to hide, it turned heads just by walking past the crowds.

More than that, people had heard the outburst. Most thought it actions of strange humans from distant lands or ignored the raised voice altogether. But she noticed, and she paid attention.

Talk of freeing a [Slave] not because she earned it but because it was their way. A way that had led to a civil war to abolish slavery where they came from. Infighting even over the mistaken idea that one of them would keep the dullahan as a [Slave]. Even the pained look on the man’s face at the idea of what he now possessed.

Oh, yes. There was something there. She’d have to keep an eye on them.

It was all good information and she knew people that were always interested in good information of that sort. She started making her way to the Town Hall via a different route, she could almost feel the gold in her pocket already. A little more information could only raise her reward.

——–

“How you feeling Jonus? Gonna do that again?”

“Probably. Did you see that big donkey’s face!? …Maybe his mother was a [Prostitute] or something… Seemed a little standoffish, if I don’t say so myself. Of course, perhaps as a gentleman, I should refrain from such juvenile antics… No, I’m doing it again. Might wait a bit.”

Darian couldn’t help but laugh while Umbert did too, shaking his head at the brief posh attitude the crazy man let out. Although he didn’t look that amused at the same time.

Darian didn’t doubt that Jonus would get himself into trouble again. By the sound of it, getting posted was a normal occurrence for the [Hostler], and not only did it barely faze him, he proudly strutted around with his shirt off. Despite Jonus’ carefree attitude, Darian still winced when the man turned around, thick scabbed over welts stretching across his back. It was just new wounds to add to the tapestry of scars on the man’s back.

Umbert seemed to take a little pity on him as well. The [Sergeant] also cringed at the scars. Or maybe it was just that Jonus was exposed to the big bright, warming light that Umbert hated so much.

At the same time, he didn’t seem to care as he stood in the shade and picked at his snaggletooth.

“You done with your work?”

“Nope.”

“Do you still need your Skills?”

“Nope.”

“A’ight, let’s get that collar on ya then.”

[Sergeant] Umbert didn’t get any problems from Jonus as the slave collar went back on. The man even helped chain himself, figuratively. The enchanted steel collar had a place to connect a chain but didn’t have one on it at that moment.

“Alright, listen up. When we get going, were going in a single column in the middle of the caravan. Our placement is directly behind the client, so watch your mouths… Jonus, you’re at the back. Now the client. The client is actually an entire family moving to Zaniya with their servants and the entire household. They’re paying good coin for this, so don’t mess it up. If you don’t recognize someone, don’t talk to them unless they talk to you first, and even then be succinct but polite. I don’t care if it’s one of their [Slaves], you treat them with respect… We’re going to be surrounded by soldiers on all sides, leave them be as well. Risks are the normal. Terrobirds, traveling stones, bandits, lowland prowlers, spiders, and we also have to keep a lookout for a group of escaped slaves. Ten of them made their run last night. They’re not dangerous but there is a reward. That ain’t important though. If we come under attack, our priority is the safety of the clients, then ourselves, and finally the rest of the folk traveling with us. Any questions?”

Gabriel raised his hand and it took Umbert a few seconds to realize it meant he was looking for permission to speak.

“What do we do if we’re attacked?”

“If it’s birds, keep the horses from bolting. If it’s bandits get down and try your best to avoid an arrow to the face. If it’s bad enough, we’ll fall back and evacuate the clients. It’d have to come down to a complete defeat that puts the company’s very existence at risk before the [Captain] would arm you. But keep in mind there’s 3000 soldiers here plus some adventurers and caravan guards joining in. It’d take a rival company to route us. Your duties start once the fighting stops. Running potions and carrying the wounded off the field… Anything else? ….No? Good. Now get those wagons in line. Boy, you’re with me.”

Darian gave Gabriel a little wave and climbed up into his seat before pulling the wagon up onto the road behind Kallea with Soteneus and Umbert with Gabriel. He looked out at the convoy getting in place. It’d grown overnight and now there was a total of fifty wagons, carriages, and carts not including theirs.

There was also a stream of people going on foot. Most of them lined up in the back, some wearing collars similar to Jonus’ but quite a few stood waiting next to the client’s wagons ahead. A few horsemen rode beside the luxurious carriage that likely held the clients themselves.

Besides that, three thousand [Soldiers] moved into position, marching in squads surrounding the front half of the convoy while the rest moved out further to all sides giving two lines of defense. Maybe it was just professionalism now that the actual clients had arrived or maybe it was because even the [Soldiers] were nervous about the [Captain] being in a foul mood but Darian swore they even lined up straighter than normal. He gave a nod to the soldiers that had lined up beside him when his wagon shifted.

“Scoot over.”

Darian looked at the newly arrived and did as Lana asked and offered a hand but she ignored it and pulled herself up on the wagon. Once she was up she pulled her loose pant leg up to her thigh and started unstrapping her prosthetic before scratching furiously.

“Stinking tree moss damned thing always itches…”

Her leg was wrapped in cloth but underneath it had been irritated. The tight leather straps left a good amount of red marks and blotches that only got worse as fingernails raked over them at high speed.

“Thought you’d ride with Jonus.”

“What? You don’t want me here?”

She smirked at him.

“Didn’t say that.”

“Humph… I can leave if you want- Dead gods, don’t you know how to banter. This is child level stuff… I’m not riding with Jonus, I’m not that dumb. He might be fun to listen to but he’s got a target on his back right now.”

She rolled her eyes and he realized she had a dry sense of humor to go along with her more boisterous one.

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“It really would have been fun though, maybe next time, even just listening to him. Does he always talk to himself like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like he’s doing right now.”

Darian turned and looked back at Jonus. He couldn’t make out anything the man was saying but his mouth was moving. He didn’t think Jonus had done that before but everyone else just ignored it.

“Yeah, he’s back there trying to inspire himself or something ‘Won’t be long now, bye, bye Tlanex. We’ll be a long way away by nightfall. Yep, we’ll be moving soon. Just gotta wait.’. You’ve never heard him do that?”

Darian gave Jonus another look while the man happily sat on the rickety wagon. He gave Darian a wave when he noticed he was being watched. Darian returned the resident lunatic’s wave and turned to face the front.

“No, but it’s Jonus. Maybe that’s just what he does when we have a contract. Or maybe he’s just bored, he gets weird when he’s bored. Who knows?”

“Weird when he’s bored? HAH. He’s going to be a fun one to be around. As long as he doesn’t get too weird. Crazy I can deal with.”

“Wait until he teaches you his crazy eye technique. He swears it works as the perfect way to intimidate someone half the time.”

Darian tried his best to make his eyes bulge and let his jaw slack in a goofy grin. It probably looked nothing like Jonus but that wasn’t a bad thing. He’d feel a little down if he could actually pull off the look of the crazy man flawlessly.

“That? Do that to the wrong person- Oh… Dead gods-”

Lana realized he’d said it only worked half the time and face palmed before starting to laugh.

“How does he even have any teeth left? I’d kick them in if someone looked at me like that. You know, if I could still kick. Screw that, I’d still kick them with my stump. Hoof! …Really? …Hey buddy, keep your eyes to yourself. I’m not a [Slave] or a [Servant] and this is MY leg, not a piece of meat for you to drool over. Yeah, that’s right. Keep staring at the back of his head like you weren’t just licking your lips.”

Lana had demonstrated her kick with her injured leg, her pants still pulled up as high as she could go providing a good look at her thigh, and noticed a soldier or two checking it out.

Darian had missed that part because he was looking at her leg too. It was a nice leg, he guessed. The parts that were left at least… But he was more dumbfounded by what she’d just done and assumed the soldier was too.

Lana had just effortlessly kicked up to a point where she could kiss her shin bone, while seated. It wasn’t just slowly raising her leg either, it looked like it would have hurt if she’d accidentally kicked herself in the face. He wasn’t sure if she noticed him looking but adverted his eyes and looked at Kallea in front of him. His heart sank when he heard a giggle from beside him.

Lana nudged him with a wink, then pointed to the [Soldier] she’d berated with a look of utter joy on her face. The [Soldier] was blushing as hard as a lizardman could go and was staring at the helmet in front of him like it was a very interesting piece to study. His squadmates only started to realize she was just picking on him but made no move to inform him. Instead, they laughed silently behind his back.

“Everyone always looks when I do that. I’m very bendy. Veeery bendy.”

Darian laughed awkwardly, not really sure how to respond but luckily a horn blew and the convoy began to roll out. He snapped the reigns gently while Lana blew the [Soldier] a kiss when he finally dared to look over again. It was at least going to be more interesting than riding with [Sergeant] Umbert. The man was growing on him as he began to understand him but the [Sergeant] was still lazy most of the time. And had a disgusting habit of picking at his snaggletooth on the road. His one canine was longer than his other teeth. It made him look like a character from a certain Rick Moranis movie. He was always messing with it.

Possibly vampiric snaggle toothed sergeants aside, they rolled on for half the day before they stopped to give the soldiers a short rest. The entire time Lana had kept him and the squad marching beside them occupied with light flirting and stories of her adventures. The rest of the time was spent with her tinkering with her fake leg and arguing with an officer that noticed she had her bow and a quiver of arrows. He’d thought she was indentured and had armed herself.

It was during that break when the [Sergeant] came down the line of wagons to inform them of either good news or bad, depending on how one looked at it.

“Change of plans. We’re leaving the client in Pachacuti and cutting west. Ever fought crelers before?”

The question was directed at Lana but Darian noticed a few of the soldiers in their personal squad suddenly pay attention.

Darian had no idea what a creler was but didn’t like the looks they’d suddenly had on their faces. The relief of getting the chance to stop walking left their faces way too quick.

“Twice. Just larval the first time but there were a couple juveniles the second time. We were with a gold rank team that took those… Why?”

“A large nest popped up next to the Itli and now they’re on the rampage, nearly wiped out a couple villages, and have been spotted near Ica. We were planning on heading that way after Pachacuti but the clients don’t want to risk it. Good for us though. Crimson Sands is dragging their feet. They probably don’t want to deal with it either and just sent us a [Message] offering a contract to kill as many of the damned things as we can. AND the client is willing to wait till we make the road to Zaniya safe and return to escort them. As long as it doesn’t take too long, we’ll get paid for both contracts… They’re spread out, so we won’t be facing a full horde of them but we’ve got from Ica to Ayaviri to clear if we can. Thing is, most of this lot has never fought crelers before. We’re soldiers, not adventurers, so if you know any tips, spread the word.”

“Will do.”

It was as serious as he feared. It wasn’t just the soldiers that looked dour at the news but Lana was suddenly extremely serious while she explained her tips and then elaborated.

Giant, flesh eating, mutated bugs with nasty teeth dripping with poison and razor sharp claws that would attack and kill anything in sight. It wasn’t the best picture she painted with her words but she swore it was the truth.

Her best tips to kill them were to stab them in the squishy bits or hit them really really hard to crack their tough carapace for the larval ones. For the Juveniles, it was the same but she added that they should go for the legs first as they were a lot more dangerous and could move quickly. She thankfully explained in detail where the squishy bits were and the soldiers were all paying close attention. None of them spoke up until she was done with her short briefing.

“What if there’s an adult?”

Lana looked around at the three thousand [Soldiers] then at the ones closest to them. She seemed to make a decision quickly but still hesitated to say it. The soldiers waited with bated breath.

“I’ve never seen one but I’ve heard stories. They’re big, mean, intelligent, and always have a bunch of the smaller ones running around them… You don’t have enchanted weapons, or most of you don’t at least. Only a few mages, no siege weapons, no alchemical weapons… If there’s an adult, you might have a chance with sheer numbers but be ready to run and hope it goes after someone else if it goes sideways… someone better pick my ass up and run with me if that happens. I’m not gonna outrun a monster like that on a damned peg leg. My nice ass hobbling away into the desert on a stump… Let ya grab my ass if that happens as long as you carry me out of there… Speaking to you mister likes to stare at my legs. Hmmm?”

There was a round of laughs and a few of the soldiers offered to toss her up on their shoulders if it came to it. Lana stood up and gave a one legged twirl on the baseboard by their feet, giving the soldiers a good look at her.

It surely lightened the mood.

They began to talk about the levels they were going to get and if they’d all get the title of Hells Warden in the event they took down an adult. The soldiers seemed worried but they let their bravado out in full along with a bit of flirting directed toward Lana.

But Darian didn’t get to enjoy the levity for very long. As soon as they started moving again she leaned into him and spoke so only he could hear.

“Seriously. A company like this, small, poor, and low leveled… If there is an adult, jump on a horse or that centauress’ back if you have to, just get out of there. I won’t be waiting for ya. Anyone that stays behind dies.”

“I thought you said they had a chance.”

“Of course, I’m an adventurer, there’s always a chance but even then it’s not good odds. There’s going to be a lot of dead even if they win.”

“Do you think there is one?”

“I don’t know but there’s a reason Crimson Sands doesn’t want to send their own soldiers to fight. Their army is ten times the size of this one.”

—

“Bravo. On me.”

‘Doza called out, somewhat pointlessly to Aydin, Lindsey, and Rick. They were already standing near her but tightened the gap.

The four of them were standing at the edge of the market outside of the Town Hall. The others were noticeably absent.

The decision was made to split into two fireteams. With Chap, Vyk, Karli, and Teena heading in to take care of business while the others went shopping. They already had their list together, it was the same one they’d had when the plan had been to get what they needed in Tervas before deciding to push through, then forced to run through. Thankfully, their new locale gave a few more options.

Also, a few more things to think about.

Lindsey idly wondered how long the others would be. She didn’t mind shopping but she was curious about how the process worked. Moreso she was curious about how their society worked as a whole, even with slavery being a part of it.

The people of Ayaviri had a baffling array of development. In some areas, they looked to be in the modern era or even beyond, such as a magical television broadcast they’d seen that looked like any modern news channel if not for the species of the anchors.

But in others, they were extremely primitive, with levels of agricultural technology that she’d compare to late Roman levels of advancement.

Yet still in others, like armor and weapons technology, they were somewhere in the medieval period. Maybe borderline, pre-gunpowder renaissance… All in all, Lindsey wasn’t sure how a society could produce such a massive difference in development, it was a curiosity but understanding could potentially help them.

But she also knew it made sense to split. Chap and Teena both needed to be there, Vyk knew the process a little already, and Karli was taking notes as always. And it didn’t make sense to have the rest of them sitting around.

“Okay, ‘Doze. Sarge isn’t here, who’s-”

“If you say Macy, I’m going to fucking hurt you. Seriously. I will kick you in the dick… I shouldn’t have brought that up. That was my bad, so leave it.”

That was another mystery that Lindsey was curious about. When ‘Doza said that name, Chap’s entire posture changed and the look of moral confusion over Teena flickered to one of pain for only a moment but she’d seen it.

It had warranted another peek at Chap’s ring finger but that didn’t reveal anything new. There wasn’t any sign of him ever wearing a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have anyone. Then again, she hoped ‘Doza wasn’t so heartless to bring up Chap’s girlfriend that was still on Earth. He seemed stressed enough as it was.

That was always a possibility and thankfully the group didn’t have a lot of ties back home. They of course had parents, friends, and family. But no one was married and no one had kids. Plus only Aydin had anything like a girlfriend. It seemed more like a short term friends with benefits situation to her though. He didn’t seem all that worried about it.

Still, she decided that she wouldn’t pry though. Instead, she focused on the task at hand. So she threw in her two cents.

“Vyk said we could probably find sunblock and burn ointment at an alchemy shop. We might be able to figure out what some of these other potions are too. Two birds, one stone.”

“Alright, alchemy shop it is. I don’t really feel like picking out clothes for the rest of them anyways. We’ll get our own stuff and after that, we’ll find the baths and see if there’s a hotel next to it or something… Hey, is there an alchemy shop near here?”

‘Doza walked up to one of the guards in front of the Town Hall and quickly got directions to a shop down one of the main roads leading to the market square. The four of them set out on their own little quest while the more morally superior one was already happening behind them.

Lindsey followed behind them quietly while inspecting the things for sale from various stalls and stores.

Most of it was mundane. Food, clothes, and household items but it did give her some answers. Such as watching a [Tailor] mend a tear on a dress in moments, her hand blurring as she stitched the repair. It dawned on Lindsey that the lack of development made some sense with that.

Why would they ever need to invent a mechanical sewing machine, even a simple one, with Skills providing everything they needed. She looked at a boy selling a handwritten newspaper and she realized it was probably written by a [Scribe] with skills like Karli’s, so who needed a printing press. Even Chap’s [Cadenced March] skill by itself and more, the people of Tervas had wondered if it was a speed Skill. If things like that were common, why would they need to develop transportation systems like trains or cars?

It really did make some sense after she thought about it.

There were very few developments throughout history that were spontaneous if there wasn’t any societal pressure to innovate.

Sure someone could just stumble on it and make a steam engine for the hell of it but even then, why would anyone consider a relatively primitive technology in a world with Skills and magic. Steam power revolutionized Earth but the early ones were basically worthless. Even if someone made one, there would be no pressure to improve it.

The same thing could be seen in the United States. Mass transit systems like high speed rail were non-existent. Even though the US was more than wealthy and advanced enough to have it. Why not? Lindsey knew it was in part because of how the US was set up. Large amounts of the nation were remote places where people had to drive 10, 20, 30 miles event to buy groceries. Because of that, most Americans had cars. It was that automobile culture that stemmed from the 1950s that largely killed other forms of travel for the masses.

Some cities even had extensive mass transit networks like trolleys but shut them down when the age of the car rose.

Only recently had societal pressure for better mass transit come up and start to push for change, largely due to climate change, gas prices, and population.

It was bad for Lindsey to assume but it was a decent hypothesis on the varying levels of technology used. And Even had relatable information she’d read about in the real-

On earth.

But in their new world, people had things that could work with Skills and magic but had completely forsaken the more mundane path of development because of that. Sure there was a [Merchant] selling magic wands and the [Guards] were carrying magical truth stones, but she didn’t see a single bicycle, steam powered machine, printing press, there was a lack of window panes, showing they hadn’t developed a way to mass produce glass cheaply, or even a horse drawn omnibus to indicate the earliest of mass transit systems. They even slipped into superstition as a vendor tried to sell a yellow powder he called ‘brimstone’ to ward off insects in the home. Though she backed up her thought when she got closer, it was a tub of sulfur.

“That might actually do it, uggh.”

“What was that?”

Rick had been walking next to her and heard her comment.

“Oh, the sulfur. That might actually work to get rid of bugs. Not sure though, I’ve never heard it used like that before. I’ve only ever heard it used in…”

Lindsey let her words fade off, not willing to actually say it. She had no idea what all needed to go into it, the ratios needed or the process but she could only think of one use for the foul smelling element. Rick didn’t seem to know what she was getting at though, so she ‘shot’ a finger gun at him.

“The powder.”

His eyebrows shot up and he looked back at the vendor. Quickly got her meaning.

She wasn’t sure if it was useful but she’d put money on either Chap or ‘Doza knowing it. Chap because of he seemed like the type that would know a bit about gunpowder for the sake of knowing it, he had worked hard to get an education despite deployments and his work schedule making it hard. It was something she liked about him, his path was different than hers. But he liked to learn.

‘Doza on the other hand seemed like the type that just liked things that exploded, so there was a chance there too. Lindsey grinned slightly. She wasn’t averse to the things that went boom either.

But Lindsey would have to bring it up privately though, Vyk had told them the world didn’t have firearms and the closest they had to chemical explosives was alchemical ones. Thankfully, Rick seemed to be thinking the same thing.

He gave looked at her meaningfully then gave a glance at ‘Doza but soon his eyes switched to the Town Hall at the other end of the square before looking Lindsey in the eye and giving her a nod.

If that was what it took, they were going to make something dangerous. It was a dangerous world after all. If any of them knew the process. Still, that would have to wait.

“What are you two making eyes at each other for? We’re here I think, ‘Hotepius’ Grand Elixirs’…”

‘Doza shrugged at the sign that Lindsey noticed had a symbol of a mortar and pestle sitting next to a potion bottle. Her mind moved from the idea of gunpowder to the fact the large symbol over the door was a method used throughout Earth’s history.

In modern times it was about brand recognition but in the past, it indicated a lack of literacy. Especially if it was a common symbol used for every similar service. Lindsey would have to pay attention if they ever saw another one and gave a quick glance to other storefronts and saw other representations of what was there. Scissors and thread for a [Tailor], a shoe for a [Cobbler]a mug of beer for a tavern… though the last one, the Golden Amaru, had a strange winged beast that was painted yellow mounted on the mug.

Still the same thing.

The four of them entered the shop and got down to it. ‘Doza approached the lizardfolk store attendant while the rest browsed the wares. Lindsey wondered how things were going in the Town Hall but soon dropped it when she noticed the trip vine bags.

—

“Thank you for waiting. I trust you found a way to entertain yourself?”

“Yep.”

Chap extended a finger and an orb of white light appeared at the end of it. They’d been sitting in the Town Hall for a couple hours by that point and he assumed that the others were long since done shopping but they hadn’t made their appearance yet. He didn’t have a [Guard] come looking for him, so he hoped that they were safe and not in trouble.

While they waited though, Chap had at first taken the time to peruse the newspapers provided and a chess magazine until he heard someone announce that the [Mage] tester was available.

Curiosity got the best of him and he ended up sitting with an elderly dullahan [Mage] who instructed him, Karli, and Teena on how to produce a [Light] spell and evaluate them. It didn’t cost much but Vyk had opted not to participate, saying his people used a different kind of magic.

In the end, it turned out he could do it but was the only one of the three with enough mana to make it work. Although the tester said that it could take time and practice, Chap had apparently done it quicker than normal. Only a few hours.

Still, it’d burned up the majority of the time they had to wait.

“Congratulations… Now as I understand it, you wish to free your [Slave]. Is that correct?”

“Ah, yes… and see about getting rid of that indentured contract.”

One of the reasons it had taken so long was that the [Clerk] had to wait until the proper paperwork could be located. It didn’t come in from the town watch until later. Chap was also buying a copy of each contract for his own records and had to wait for a [Scribe] to make the copies.

“I see… I regret to inform you that if you’re speaking of the gnoll, I cannot. There is still a possibility for you to be challenged for ownership of the contract, so we cant invalidate it, but I can start the process for your [Slave] for a fee of 15 gold coins. The fee is non refundable and payment does not guarantee that the liberation of your [Slave] will take place.”

“Why not? Isn’t that my choice as her master?”

“In some places perhaps but in these lands, it can only be granted by the Crimson Sand Company, a matter of law I’m afraid. The request would be denied if she were to say, have been sentenced to a life of slavery for crimes committed against the Company. One cannot just buy their way out of a criminal sentence in most cases. Do you know the manner in which she was enslaved?”

Chap didn’t. He looked back to Teena who’d taken up position a step behind him to his left. Even with her head reattached to her shoulders and looking down at the floor she noticed his look and anticipated his question.

“I was born a [Slave], master.”

There was a red glow from the pouch on his chest and the [Clerk] glanced down at a ring that glowed in a different hue on his finger.

“That makes it more likely. That will be 15 gold and we can get started.”

Chap dug out the sizable amount of coin from his pocket, his bag of holding had gone with the others, and handed it over. It was a considerable chunk of what they had but it was for a good cause.

After the [Clerk] asked a number of questions such as where Teena was born, who her previous masters were, her parents’ names, and how they’d been enslaved. She could only answer for her mother’s information but the [Clerk] said it didn’t matter and it was a common occurrence for child slaves to go with the mother.

Strangely he never asked her directly and every question was directed towards Chap, leaving the [Sergeant] to look to the [Clothier] for each and every answer. Even then the process didn’t take long and soon the [Clerk] was signing and stamping the paperwork.

“Very well. As I have said, this does not immediately grant freedom. It will have to be checked at the Crimson Sands headquarters in Port Zaniya but I see no issue with it. Would you like the decision to be sent here or…”

“We’re heading to Sa’liquen next.”

“I see… then check in at their City Hall when you arrive and they can arrange to have it delivered to where you’re staying for a fee. It usually takes a month or two for it to make it to Zaniya and back up river to Sa’liquen but could be longer with current circumstances… Until then, keep your [Slave] with you. This paper will show that she is being processed and can travel but with certain limitations. She must be within the city you’re in or its immediate hinterlands. If she leaves and is caught before receiving the proper documentation, she will be considered a runaway [Slave] and will be resentenced. If you wish for her to become indentured, I can do that as well but she’ll remain a [Slave] in the eyes of the law until it is determined she hasn’t been sentenced to a life of slavery. If it’s determined that she’s been sentenced for crimes, the indentured contract is invalidated and she may be seized from you depending on what crimes she’s committed. It takes just as long to process officially but can result in her losing her [Slave] class sooner and prevent you from getting offered [Slaver] class repeatedly. Are you interested?”

Chap ended up paying another five gold to protect himself from becoming a [Slaver]. In the end, Teena was still bound to him but as far as he was concerned she was already free, and soon she’d be legally free as well. He carefully folded the paperwork he received and handed her the ‘in processing’ document.

Teena stared at it wide eyed and her eyes sparkled with tears. Chap also felt a weight raise off his shoulders at the look on her face, a moment that he needed and was cut short by the [Clerk].

“If there is anything else I’m afraid you’ll have to get back in line. Thank you.”

The four of them stepped away and Chap handed the copied papers to the waiting Karli. The girl accepted them and immediately opened them to study. He ignored her as she quickly went through them, mumbling about formatting and wondering why the ink the stamp used ‘felt’ different. Instead, he looked at his two Employees? Wards? He wasn’t about to start calling them servants.

Teena seemed out of it, rereading the paper he’d handed her. He wasn’t sure what to say to her, so turned to Vyk instead.

“Sorry we couldn’t, you know.”

“Hrmm… it is well. I thank you that you tried. Perhaps with some luck, I will still be able to leave for Izril one day soon. I do not feel you would be as opposed to me earning silver and gold to pay off my debt faster as my former master.”

“Do you. But don’t you have that meeting to get to?”

“The meeting of tribes? Yes. But I haven’t found all that I was looking for. It would be better for me to find it before I return, yes? Even if it does not go to all the tribes I would still bring something of value back to mine.”

“I thought with basketball and all that…”

“These are important but it is not all I set out to do. Until then I am yours to serve.”

“Yeah… no.”

“I must earn my pay like anyone else, yes? Think of it as I am your employee or pa worker.”

Chap couldn’t argue against that, even if he wasn’t sure what a pa worker was, but he still didn’t like someone serving him. But given the gnoll’s area of expertise, he could at least think of something that could help. They’d already discussed it briefly while they traveled.

“So about them crossbows?”

“I will see what materials the market has available. I have not made them before but I’ve seen how they’re crafted, my people prefer traditional bows.”

Chap wasn’t an archer but he could use a crossbow, point, and pull the trigger, easy and familiar. He’d brought it up before and they discussed different designs. He’d considered paying Vyk to commission one already, they needed more range, especially after the loss of the M9.

Chap knew squad tactics, even at close range but it required ranged weapons and hand to hand combat, and bows and swords weren’t in his toolbox.

“Mast- [Sergeant], I thank you.”

Teena had finally spoken and still looked like she was on the verge of tears.

“It’s alright, there’s no need to thank me. You can call me Chap if you want.”

“Thank you.”

She seemed overwhelmed and went back to looking at the paper in her hands after a slight bow.

Chap couldn’t imagine what it was like, being born a [Slave]. She’d spent her entire life in servitude and had maybe never more than hoped she could be freed. He patted her shoulder and jerked his head to the door.

“Come on, let’s go find the others.”

and a bed or just a nice piece of floor to lay down on.

———-

She watched as the four of them left the inn. They truly were a strange bunch.

They seemed almost lost as they moved around looking at even weak stamina potions like it was liquid truegold and for some reason, two of them kept looking towards a tub of insect repellent for your cupboards when they returned to the market.

But there was also a sense of order to them, a hierarchy for lack of a better term. The shorter female in the mottled clothing was in charge of the small group. That she was sure of and even though they seemed lost, they were extremely careful to not say anything identifying about themselves. They didn’t say classes, full names, or where they came from. They didn’t even provide any information about their strange clothing, even when asked directly by a cloth [Trader] who was interested in the larger male’s tight, almost silk like shirt.

In fact, any time one of them was going to say something that might have been valuable, the others would cut them off. Usually, it was the shorter male being cut off by one of the females.

She realized she was lucky to have heard anything in the first place, the emotional outburst must have been a rare slip. Though that in itself was valuable. There was much to say about people that knew the value of information. Just the fact they knew to keep their mouths shut was important enough to include.

Instead of following them back into the market though, she walked into the inn they were apparently staying at to book herself a room. The smell when she entered was somewhat pleasant and the inn in question was extremely busy.

She took the moment to enjoy the aroma, the good and the bad. She’d changed while they were in the bathhouse and it’d been a while since she had a body fresh enough to still have an acute sense of smell. She could have followed them more but decided to wait for them as the one thing she picked up was that they were all exhausted from traveling and the shorter female had loudly stated she wanted a drink before bed. She knew they’d be back.

—

A pop sounded in his back as Darian stretched, finally at the end of the first leg of their journey. It’d be another day and a half before they made it to Pachacuti. A full week from then till they made it to Ica. Feeling a little better after sitting on the hard bench for hours he jumped in and helped get their tents set up for the night.

“You should have seen his face. Poor man must not have had a female in a while because I didn’t know lizardfolk could be that quiet or go from green to red to pale like that. Could have made him faint if I dropped my drawers and let him see a cheek. I’d get myself into trouble with that but he’s gonna be fighting crelers soon, so might pull up my other pant leg tomorrow, give them a little treat. Let them get a good look at what they should both look like, not just the one that was gnawed on.”

Snickering laughter let out while they worked and talked about the day’s events. For most of them, it had been completely uneventful but Darian had been lucky to have Lana riding with him. She pulled up both pant legs to show them her intended reward for the [Soldiers]. One was long and slender but toned, while the other was wrapped in cloth with leather straps going above her knee.

“What do ya think?’

“Eh… I had my shirt off all day and not one of them tried to eye me.”

Jonus said it like it was a letdown that he hadn’t been ogled.

“You’ll just have to try harder tomorrow, amigo. Maybe do a little dance.”

They were treated to a scarred old man trying a little jig. One of the drivers stepped in to try to teach him a few moves but Darian didn’t have time for that, he had more work to do. He hopped up on the wagon again and pulled it around to bring it back to the others now that the tents were unloaded. That’s when the first of three weird occurrences happened.

When he was lining back up he noticed a pair of female Lizardfolk walking away from the wagons. Both were in rough clothing and looked tired from a day of marching but he knew they weren’t supposed to be there. He worried for a second that he should call them out in case they took anything from supply but he saw the [Sergeant] standing there, watching them go. He hopped down and walked up to Umbert, sparing them a glance one more time.

“Don’t worry, they didn’t steal nothin’, I checked. They came asking about the crelers… Not sure how they got past the guards, though. I’ll havta deal with that. We can’t be letting just anyone walk through here. But that’s my problem, you get that wagon over to the mess, that good for nothing [Cook] has soldiers he needs to poison.”

Darian did as he was told and soon had the wagon outside the kitchen. He poked his head inside to let them know.

“Wagon’s here.”

He turned around to see a second strange occurrence, two soldiers only wearing pieces of their armor were standing in the rickety wagon, one with a couple yellats in his hand.

It was strange because the soldiers knew better than to mess with supply.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh? On we’re ah… Sorry.”

They both hopped down. The two lizardmen were both very thin, to the point their armor barely fit them right, and looked nervously at him. Even if they respected Umbert, it wasn’t a look that he got from the fighting men and women of the company, ever.

Darian was taken aback by it at first but didn’t recognize them at all and had to assume they were some of the [Thugs], [Toughs], or [Urchins] that had just been recruited. More so because of their thin frames and mismatched, incomplete armor.

“I’ve got orders to get this unloaded, food’ll be ready shortly.”

“Oh… sorry, didn’t know. Can we…”

He held up the yellats in his hands. Darian looked at them and double checked that no one was coming from the kitchen before giving them a nod.

He didn’t blame them for wanting to cook it themselves or eat them raw. The one without yellats grabbed a couple as well before the two of them half jogged away with their spoils.

Darian probably should have told them not to say anything but it was too late. Still, no one was going to miss a half dozen yellats. He watched them go for a moment before getting back to work.

Bags of flour, yellats, dried meat, and some spices were unloaded and brought into the tent. He exited as the cook sprinkled some charcoal into the pot for flavor, a heavy stench of burning herb coming from the puffer in his mouth. Darian shook his head and debated on just having ration bars for supper again.

That was when the third weird occurrence happened. Or rather when he parked the wagon again with the others.

Darian climbed in the back to shift the cargo around so that it was secure with a chunk of it taken out and stepped on something metal.

“Whatcha got there?”

Darian turned the slave collar around in his hand and then held it up for Umbert. He tilted his head from under his awning and actually got up to come to Darian. A surprise for sure. The [Sergeant] inspected the slave collar for a moment too before tossing it back in the wagon.

“Bury that and don’t mention it to anyone.”

“What’s going on?”

“Those escaped slaves… They had to have had help… [Captain]’s not going to like this. Just keep it quiet. Damn, she’s going to be mad. Stay here and watch the wagons.”

Darian pushed a sack of yellats onto the collar and immediately revealed a second one. He held it for a second but Umbert had already stalked off towards the command tent, so he hid it as well. He stood around for a few minutes until Zek came and got him. His fellow [Quartermaster] looked halfway amused as he sat down under the [Sergeant]’s awning.

“[Captain] wants to see you.”

“For what?”

“Dunno, but the runner she sent to your tent didn’t look happy.”