《Project Burnout》 Prologue: Observation A man walked down a royal hallway, modern silken curtains hugging the medieval stone walls. But for him, this was a sight no more common than his own reflection and his papers held more importance to him, his eyes hooked to what they said. He did not even need to pay attention to the forest door, which opened from slaves of earth at his arrival. ¡°Thank you,¡± His response was ignored as if he thanked the door itself. Inside the door was a room old and new as in the room the men and women were absorbed by their screens, only breaking from their trance once he entered.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Morning,¡± ¡°Morning,¡± a monotone drone replied to him. He took his seat and handed the ancient paper, surprising many. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, as you are aware the soldiers will be arriving soon. Each one of us needs to be collecting the information provided by these soldiers to provide back to earth. Is everyone aware of their respective scouting parties?¡± A unison agreement satisfied him. ¡°That is good. Now we have also been sent a multitude of requests in terms of military support. The tribes of the south are starting to form alliances and take over some of the military camps,¡± weak murmurs matched many of their physiques. ¡°So should we respond to the request?¡± the earthen slaves closed the wood walls shut. Chapter 1: Unfair Introduction A vehicle drove across a clean field through a graveled and torn path. Patches of grasses and weeds grew chaotically with some bearing their roots in shattered vehicles. Inside there was enough space for a dozen soldiers, to be armed and toned for a battle. But instead, only two sat in calm silence. One asleep who''s chestnut hair cushioned her head, the other, a worn and older fellow was flipping through papers as if to find something new. With a slow halt, the vehicle stopped moving, and the older soldier stood up with a small stretch. He shook his comrade up who jolted. ¡°Hmm, I was still paying attention.¡± When leaving the vehicle the front window rolled down. ¡°Aye Kiorif,¡± The older soldier turned to the driver. ¡°Make sure Rookie gets some of ya luck.¡± The driver laughed to himself as he drove off, with Kiorif cracking his lips. ¡°What is he talking about?¡± his lips sealed back into place. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, come on.¡± They reached the gates of a mass wall, it stretched out from both ends of a metallic black that began to fade and pale away. At the gate was a set of soldiers, contrasting the loose and mixed match armor that Kiorif and Rookie wore. They stood up straight to salute their arriving guests. ¡°Good Evening soldiers.¡± Kiorif saluted back. ¡°We need access to get in.¡± ¡°Yes Sir,¡± One of the guards got out what looked like a primitive radio. ¡°Open the gates, the EarthBound Soldiers have arrived.¡± For a moment they waited in silence and Rookie paid attention to the people around her. ¡°So what''s with the armor? Isn¡¯t it dangerous to just wear all of that?¡± ¡°Well,¡± One soldier spoke out, his cheeks hued red as Rookie moved closer to him. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to establish a new mining station due to some tribes blocking the south, so we have to reuse and reforge some of our old gear.¡± some of his fellow soldiers looked uncomfortable and embarrassed but Rookie smiled. ¡°Ah okay, thanks. Don¡¯t worry, we''ll look into this and you¡¯ll be good as new in no time,¡± As she said that the gates finally creaked open, the sound seemed alienated to its look as the sound of gears cracking and occasionally metal scraping shrieked out in pain. The gates only opened wide enough for Rookie and Kiorif to walk in comfortably, with Rookie saying goodbye to the soldiers. Inside the place seemed to hold a fake smile, as the buildings inside acted new but not like the ones on Earth. They had a mixture of rustic and their own style. The people inside had clothing that seemed to be at least similar to their own comfortable clothing instead of rags and still had cars driving across streets. But the most unique feature was the lack of the iconic orange barrier above them, something that they were promised would be above them. But even then they still contrasted those around them. ¡°So where is Mr.Apollo¡¯s estate?¡± Kiorif got one of the documents and flipped through, placing his bag on the floor.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°According to his request, we should be heading towards Fridith park where we¡¯ll be picked up.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s great, but where¡¯s the park?¡± ¡°Let us find out. Oi?¡± Kiorif walked over to a woman, child tight to her hand. ¡°Do you know the path to get to Fridith Park?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± The woman''s nose flared while the child clung onto her closer as Kiorif towered above him. ¡°Alright next,¡± Kiorif walked off to find another person, but Rookie intervened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him, we aren¡¯t around here and he¡¯s tired. Interplag, inferplant, interplak. We got jet lag from traveling from earth.¡± The child giggled and was less constricting, with Rookie beaming at him. ¡°Yeah he is grumpy right now, so I¡¯ll ask nicely. Okay here goes. Mrs, do you know how we can find Fridith Park,¡± The woman seemed to have frozen for a moment, but she eventually thawed. ¡°Just keep walking down this street, you¡¯ll find a sign that has the parks name,¡± ¡°Thank you so much, and again sorry. Kiroif, I found out where we are going,¡± While unamused he kept his pace equal to Rookie¡¯s skips. People fixed their eyes on them as they walked past them, some in an utter spectacle of their armor alien to their own. Indeed their suits glowed around the town around them. Fridith Park showed a change to the false richness, instead being natural to the eyes. It had plants tangled and a welcomed growth, with vines hugging the fence posts as they walked past them. While songs were sung from the trees above, a mix of home and alien. Rookie took a seat at a bench and admired the beauty around her, even standing out from the stiffer citizens who were in more comforting clothing to her unified suit. Kiorif continued to have his emotion matching his title, looking at the problems rather than the beauty. His eyes latch onto the sight of a woman, dressed unaware of the situation around her of flushed colours and layered makeup. But what drew him to her was not her factory beauty but rather the cleaned slate following her. A false golem, short and robust with skin-matching marble, and clay. Coloured markings stripe over its face and horns and possibly underneath its simple cloaked garment. While half her height its strength seemed tenfold to hers as it carried a wave of boxes and bags. ¡®So this is what the terrifying soldiers had fallen to. From killers to walking handbags,'' and as if to respond to his call a faint cry sparked behind him. ¡°Master Alvah,¡± A fair and soft voice called to him. The sound of a child, or young man. ¡°Listen boy I¡¯ve never had someone call me-¡± But when he turned no eyes looked at him, a clear view. ¡°Down here sir,¡± Kiorif¡¯s head tilted down, one of the supposed terrifying soldiers finally had their eyes met his. His swirled markings of jade matching grass grew out of the pure snow of his clay colour. His cloak wrapping him showed clothing that contrasted the servant of the woman, not a bare wrap but true clothes. ¡°Great,¡± ¡°Sir, I was told that you would have company, may I ask where she may be?¡± Kiorif looked over to Rookie, who was looking at the animals within the leaves of the trees. ¡°OI, Rookie,¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± When her attention turned towards the small figure, a smile grew on her face. Picking up her things she rushed over towards them, squatting down to have a better look at the alienated being. ¡°Oh my goodness, hi there. You are so adorab-¡± ¡°Rookie,¡± Looking up to Kiorif¡¯s colder grimace, she rebuilt herself and stood upright. The small being did shrink, slightly flustered. ¡°Right, sorry. Ahem, so who may you be?¡± ¡°My name is Tomobi and I will be escorting you to Master Apollo¡¯s estate,¡± Rookie continued to battle her smile while Kiorif showed a slight twist in face. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he pick us up himself,¡± ¡°He had received an unannounced meeting that he is now attending, meaning that there was no means to pick you up aside from myself escorting you,¡± A slight annoyance pricked Kiorif, which was added on to Rookie¡¯s back pats. ¡°Come on, it can¡¯t be that long of a walk. He reached here,¡± Taking in a breath to cool off his heat he looked back down to Tomobi. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t what I expected for a welcome. Come on boy show us where to go,¡± Tomobi weakened his tense body slightly and guided them out of the green back to the dulled grey. Chapter 2: Old School Housing Kiorif''s fatigue crawled over him, despite the sky keeping its healthy blue and Rookie poured her words over Tomobi, who had to sponge as many as he could. ¡°What time is it here?¡± ¡°It was around 6 o''clock when I left to escort you, Miss. So I believe that it should be 15 past 6,¡± ¡°How many days till it¡¯s night?¡± ¡°In another day,¡± ¡°So the whole 60-hour thing is true?¡± ¡°Not truly miss. What happens is a cycle a normal day, then a day where there is no sunlight or only sunlight. After which the sun begins to rise in the latter half of the day. Then the cycle repeats,¡± ¡°How are we meant to sleep while the sun is out,¡± ¡°We tend to keep things shaded to block out the sun. I hear for earth people that sleep masks can be used to block out the sun if they still feel uncomfortable,¡± "What about during the 24 hour night?" "We still act like it is a normal day, time is still the same. It is just without sunlight," ¡°What do you do?¡± ¡°I serve Master Apollo¡¯s household,¡± ¡°Do you get paid?¡± ¡°I provide free service for accommodation. Master Apollo provides me a room within his estate,¡± ¡°Oh okay,¡± Rookie¡¯s questions jabbed Kiorif who wanted to seal her lips, but her next question sparked an interest. ¡°How many gifts can you use at once?¡± ¡°Two Miss. On my head and torso¡± ¡°Now have you ever used a gift?¡± her question paused Tomobi momentarily but continued his walk as if he remained at his pace. ¡°No Miss Rookie I have not used a gift before,¡± ¡°Not even once?¡± ¡°No Miss was not given a chance,¡± Rookie noticed a quiver syncing into Tomobi¡¯s walk and weakened her lips. ¡°Hey, Tomobi are you okay? If the whole gift thing upset you,¡± His head turned to her and a smile was painted on his face. ¡°Of course not Miss, do not worry," "But-" "We are here now,¡± Rookie''s comment was cut off as her and Kiorif¡¯s eyes went to see a house of a much older age. One similar to those of the 20th century, with a porch resting under a second story. It stood alone from the modern houses with a moat of green, with a stilled and calmed garden instead of a barricade of grey fences. ¡°Nice place,¡± Rookie said as she noticed a warm light beckoning from the second floor, moving past the previous conversation. Led by Tomobi when they reached the door. When his knock was not responded to he turned to one of his pockets to a collection of keys. And ignoring the faint squeal from Rookie as he stretched his arms for the lock, opened the house to them.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Now Master Apollo is busy with a long-distance call, so I will be leading you to your accommodation for the time being. Your bags please,¡± Kiorif scoffed as he dumped his bag in front of Tomobi. ¡°Now you want to pick up our stuff? Let¡¯s see then,¡± ¡°Kiorif," Rookie shot through her teeth. "Be nice,¡± Rookie gently passed her bag to Tomobi. ¡°But do be careful they are heavy,¡± But to their surprise he lifted both bags with relative ease, leaving Rookie bugged eye while Kiorif an eyebrow raised. ¡°If you follow me,¡± He showed them upstairs to a spacious room, barren except for two welcoming beds. ¡°Unfortunately master Apollo could not provide a more suitable room for you on such short notice,¡± Tomobi placed their bags on their respective bed''s feet. ¡°If you need anything just ask me and I will be able to provide,¡± ¡°Tomobi,¡± Rookie began to remove some of her armor to let air seep towards her. ¡°Yes, Miss?¡± ¡°The first thing I would like is for you to only call me Rookie. I like the classy feel but I don¡¯t need it,¡± ¡°Very well. Mast-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me master,¡± Kiorif demanded, not even looking towards Tomobi. ¡°As you wish,¡± Tomobi closed the door to leave them alone. ¡°Kiorif do you have to be mean to him,¡± ¡°He will be fine. He¡¯s a VitaNav, not a child,¡± ¡°Yeah he is. Plus Tomobi has been very nice. At least acknowledge him,¡± ¡°There will be no point, besides I think he would prefer my silence to your babbling,¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know gifts were personal to him. At least I think they are personal¡± Rookie babbled after removing her armored husk she threw herself onto her bed. ¡°This is nice,¡± Kiorif however opened into his bag and pulled out clothing of more comfort. ¡°You enjoy your sweat. I¡¯ll find the shower,¡± Rookie paused for a moment before taking a faint whiff of her body, and repelled herself afterward. ¡°Blurgh. Hey Kiorif can I get the first shower,¡± Kiorif closed the door as she finished her request. ¡°Asshole,¡± She murmured to herself as she got her own clothing. Kiorif viewed down his hallway of options. The first door opened showed a room that seemed to have been Tomobi¡¯s, quaint and simple. Although his ocean of books differed from his calm nature. Kiorif still closed the door and tried the next room, locked, and with a faint wisp of chatter. His stench overruling his curiosity he tried the next door. Finally, the shower he wanted. After figuring out how the shower worked, his moment inside was quick and he left out to see Rookie waiting. ¡°You change in the shower?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think our guests would want to see soldiers only wrapped in towels,¡± Rookie stood for a moment, then making a quick dash towards their room came out with a pile of clothes wrapped in her arms. ¡°Hey Kiorif, how do you work the shower?¡± ¡°Just turn the nozzles,¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Rookie went into the shower and looked at what she had to do. "Okay do I turn them left or right?" Although given simple instructions the shower was still a challenge. Kiorif walked back down to the bottom floor to further explore the house. Generally more open and empty rooms, and with no locks could explain their lack of Apollo. But the kitchen was filled. An alluring smell of food taunted Kiorif¡¯s nose, who let himself be hooked by the smell. Going deeper in he saw a window open to let the smell further net out, welcoming in more of the unnaturally extended day. Pots boiled and bubbled their foods while ingredients laid themselves out, and all of this surrounded Tomobi. He fluidly moved around the kitchen to ensure the food was as fluid and unified as himself. When letting the heats of the pots die he noticed Kiorif¡¯s watchful eyes and began to freeze his movements. ¡°Ma-Kiorif, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Finish making the food,¡± Kiorif walked through the kitchen and headed out the shielded backyard, fencing that prevented eyes from peering at him. Matching the front a garden of calm plants grew, showing themselves as fuel to the smells of the kitchen. The sun still held strong, but Kiorif welcomed the warmth that seemed into the verandah as he rested onto the wooled seat. Chapter 3: Cold Dinner A screen rested as a man stood from his desk. His face opposed Kiorif¡¯s, soft, clean, never faced a battle. Although his eyes showed some form of his own battles. A mix of red lines and heavy purples forced themselves to his eyes, with a faint sting with each close of his eyes. But for him, they would be temporary compared to the thoughts written in his mind. ¡®It¡¯s always what we want first,¡¯ though his thought was cut off when he heard the faint tap of the shower through his door. Opening the door the smell of the kitchen had crawled up to the second floor and filled his nose with life. When he entered the kitchen he saw Tomobi¡¯s creations, a stew with slabs of toast for a welcoming dinner. ¡°Tomobi this looks stunning as always,¡± When Tomobi heard these words instead of a frightful and lifeless response, his jade markings hued under his clothes. ¡°You are just saying that Si-¡± Apollo looked over to Tomobi. ¡°I mean Apollo,¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, come sit,¡± Apollo sank into his chair, the steam danced in his face, pushing his face up to smile. ¡°Would you like me to call in soldiers?¡± The steam retreated to let his smile fall. ¡°They are here? Argh, that was who was in the shower,¡± ¡°That would be Rookie, Apollo,¡± Apollo freed himself from the hooks of dinner to rush upstairs, Tomobi went outside to get Kiorif. Apollo tried to flatten out his worn clothes to make himself presentable. ¡®Wait should I be greeting them when they leave the shower? That could make me look weird,¡¯ he stopped himself and went down a step. ¡®But it¡¯s rude that I haven¡¯t introduced myself,¡¯ a step up. ¡®Though at the shower,¡¯ a step-down. ¡®I mean, what customs does the earth have now?¡¯ a step up. The click of the door though kept Apollo¡¯s pace upwards. ¡°Ah good that we finally get to meet. Please to meet you si-¡± but his image of a rugged soldier boy was replaced with a smooth soldier girl. ¡°I mean Miss, I am Apollo please to meet you,¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t bother calling me Miss. Rookie¡¯s cool,¡± She went to offer her hand but took a whiff of the air. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± A trickle of drool almost leaked from her maw. ¡°Tomobi¡¯s cooking. He had prepared dinner for us,¡± ¡°Say no more,¡± Rookie slipped and slid through the hallway to her room, erupting seconds later with more layers of clothing attempting to wrap around her. With Apollo following her, they came to a shift in the kitchen. The faint bubbling smell of lime came from the pots being filled with soap, with Tomobi gluing himself to the sink.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Kiorif meanwhile already had torn through his bread and his soup half empty. ¡°Guess you were too hungry huh?¡± Apollo tried to spark a conversation but Kiorif¡¯s eyes washed away the thought. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, we are both starving,¡± Rookie took her seat, breaking into her bread. ¡°I see. Tomobi, come join us,¡± Tomobi placed the soap, replacing it with a towel. Only when Tomobi sat down did Apollo finally dive a spoon into the soup, and when Rookie realised this she choked on her bread. ¡°Oh, were you waiting for him? I¡¯m sorry about eating-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine you both haven''t eaten anything. You are our guests, you shouldn¡¯t worry about those things¡± Apollo waved a hand to cool Rookie¡¯s reaction. ¡°It¡¯s just something that we do,¡± Apollo beamed to Tomobi, who kept his head low as he drank his soup. ¡°So how was the trip here?¡± Apollo redirected himself to Rookie and Kiorif, who were more likely to respond. Kiorif ignored him while Rookie smiled. ¡°It was crazy. We spent three days on a ship from earth, it was big but then we were told that we had to take another ship. Something about being a target, then we were placed in a random field with a whole bunch of trucks-¡± Rookie¡¯s story continued with the dinner, and as the last droplets of soup rested at the basin of their bowls Rookie story began to close. ¡°Whew, that was some good food, let me tell you. The trip was one thing, but the food,¡± Her laugh caused Kiorif¡¯s temper to raise an eyebrow ¡°But what can you do,¡± she proceeded to grab her bowl. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Apollo stood up, with Tomobi collecting Kiorif¡¯s instead. Both went to the sink and worked in unison. ¡°I¡¯ll be helping Tomobi pack everything away. Could you two go into my office? It¡¯s the big room with books and desk,¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Rookie followed Kiorif out of the kitchen. Once out of view Apollo turned to Tomobi. ¡°What do you think of them?¡± ¡°I believe that they are both fine soldiers,¡± Tomobi focused on drying his own bowl. ¡°Come on, you know that isn¡¯t what I meant. Like on a personal level,¡± he looked back to when he saw Kiorif, and in the short time, it took for Rookie to try to connect with him. ¡°Miss, I mean Rookie is nice,¡± ¡°And Kiorif?¡± he remembered his cold remarks, and an old feeling twisted inside him. ¡°I¡¯m unsure,¡± Noticing a faint twitch in Tomobi¡¯s hands, Apollo patted Tomobi¡¯s shoulders to overrule Tomobi¡¯s feelings. ¡°It¡¯s alright. He just seems cold, I¡¯m sure that he isn¡¯t that bad,¡± ¡°Y-yeah,¡± ¡°Anyways,¡± Apollo dried off his hands. ¡°When you finish, could you do the curtains in their room? I''m pretty sure they aren¡¯t used to our long days. After this, I¡¯ll do the rest, consider it thanks for thinking ahead for me,¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course, why make you do all the work in the house? I don¡¯t wanna get lazy,¡± Apollo left the familiar to the alien conversation appearing, opening the door to see Rookie and Kiorif. Both sat for his entrance. Apollo''s breaths eased him before entering the battle. ¡°Let us get on with it shall we,¡± at his desk, he pulled out a brick of paper. *** Tomobi sunk into his bed with books for companions, it would be all he did when freed from the drags of playing servant. The pages would swallow him, showing him cities of green, battles of the ancient, and beasts that cheated themselves into the game of life. But what did that matter, all he would do is confine himself to the mocking walls of the city. Forcing himself to be chained to a man who wanted to free him, but that was his nurture. While wrapped in the book he remembered Kiorif¡¯s grimace, the broken ice tone, and his soulless body. The thoughts latched themselves to the sounds of air cracking and a heartless crackle. Tomobi clamped his book shut. A cold shiver slid its finger down his back. To try to get rid of the thoughts, he decided that he would try to burn them with water. With faint twitches, he forced his body down to the kitchen. ¡°That¡¯s all I know about VitaNavs,¡± that sentence shattered through the thoughts and even the notion of water. Chapter 4: Mission Resources Tomobi drove the vacuum into the carpet as if to clean his own thoughts as well. Tempted by the difference in those pages, it turned his thoughts into a blank page. Though the sounds of chairs scraping stained his interests, having him scutter back to his room from the conversation. But a part of him tore at him for it. ¡®I should¡¯ve stayed. I could ask, right?¡¯ ¡°Tomobi,¡± his thoughts scampered as the vacuum became loose from his grasp. ¡°Yes?¡± regaining a hold he turned to see Apollo. ¡°Well, I was gonna ask you for something. But with that reaction, are okay?¡± ¡°Oh no. I mean yes, S-Apollo I was just thinking,¡± Apollo gave Tomobi a glance of doubt, but patted his shoulder. ¡°If you say so. Mrs Samson just brought over some chunks of wood, apparently, she¡¯s renovating and had to get rid of some trees. So after this, I want you to chop some, I¡¯ve got another meeting with Kiorif,¡± Apollo left Tomobi back to his cowering thoughts ¡®Should¡¯ve asked him then,¡¯ Doing as he was told he was welcomed back to the garden, with the ordered vegetables overshadowed by the amalgamation of brown. The pile even towered over him, and he looked over to the weapon of choice. ¡®Maybe a chainsaw would be better,¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s all of this?¡± Rookie came out to witness the piles of wood. Her clothing was freer for her movements as her arms spread open to hug the sun. ¡°Just something Master Apollo asked me to do,¡± The axe he held was small in stature, but when holding it seemed to have been near his body length. A faint squeal came from Rookie as she saw Tomobi attempt to hack at some of the wood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s just that the axe looks so big and you''re so small. Ah, you look so adorable,¡± When Tomobi¡¯s marks brightened, Rookie looked in shock whilst a laugh slipped through her lips. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I only hear Apollo call me cute, I¡¯m not used to it,¡± Tomobi masked his face into his shirt. ¡°Ah now you¡¯re too cute,¡± Rookie nearly fell from her awkward squirm. But this paused erupted as her hand rang onto the veranda. ¡°Hang on, don¡¯t do anything,¡± She ran inside whilst Tomobi stood outside. His mind was trying to think of the connection she had with Kiorif. When she emerged from the door her clothing was now suited for the garden, matching with the wood. ¡°Give me one,¡± That was when it clicked in Tomobi. ¡°Oh, you want to do this?¡± ¡°Spare your chivalry, I¡¯m bored out of my goddamn mind. Plus I need to keep these bad girls in shape,¡± her chest was filled with pride as she flexed her arms. Tomobi let out a puff of laughter, which Rookie hooked onto.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°HA, I made you laugh, not an emotionless servant now are we,¡± Tomobi cracked under her pessimistic pestering and provided her with an axe to spare. ¡°Alright race ya,¡± She lifted her axe high above her head. *** Kiorif¡¯s hand slammed down on the table. ¡°What do you mean guns are questionable?¡± Apollo scampered through the sea of papers and walls of screens. ¡°Look I understand that this is kind of different from what you are used to,¡± ¡°Our mission involves us to specifically to go out to the freakshow of the wild and you expect us to run in empty,¡± ¡°Hey, guns aren¡¯t that important. Some of the tribes are quite friendly,¡± ¡°Then what about the others,¡± Apollo¡¯s words glued to his lips. ¡°I thought so, guns aren''t that important," Kiorif mocked Apollo, building tension. "How can resources be that limited?¡± seeing an emotion from Kiorif for the first time, Apollo chipped through. ¡°It is just that military resources are needed for defensive purposes. I mean you should know what exists around us, and we need to protect key things to keep our world spinning,¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t spare some for people who actually live on a world,¡± A flash of red managed to pop through Apollo¡¯s skin. ¡°You can buy it, don¡¯t act so entitled,¡± this comment poked at Kiorif, who removed the emotion off his face. But his eyes, his voided eyes had absorbed them all. ¡°Oh right, I¡¯m entitled. After all, it¡¯s just the lack of gear to make sure that Rookie and I don¡¯t get skewered, not like how you have to tongue a screen. We can just pull out the money that we force into our pockets," Apollo pulled himself away from Kiorif¡¯s eyes. ¡°I thought so, so if you don¡¯t have a solution-¡± ¡°I do actually,¡± Seemingly from nowhere Apollo threw himself into the battle once again. ¡°Whilst government bodies aren¡¯t able to give you resources, it hasn¡¯t been drained to the point that they are non-existent. You can do what the guards do here and buy some from a shop. I¡¯m even certain that if you explain your position that they can bend the price for you,¡± Kiorif¡¯s hand tried to grab the strain of his mind, whilst Apollo tried to keep his fire in his throat. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say that guns are solved. Provisions, transportation, toiletry, what about those?¡± Apollo¡¯s fire spread to his fingers, drumming a misbeaten rhythm. ¡°Well vehicles are a bit risky, sure you can use them in places that people are around. But once you start leaving these areas it would be like a portable toaster. And I can¡¯t guarantee things like food,¡± ¡°So we have to rely on the pocket money we have? I¡¯m sorry but even if Rookie passed me hers I couldn¡¯t exactly get a full course meal,¡± ¡°Look I get it, I don¡¯t even know why they couldn¡¯t spare a few coins but that is just how it is. I heard that this assignment is a bit freer on your option. So you deal with where you¡¯re going, I¡¯ll deal with the money,¡± Both felt defeated, neither moved forward and had a tear from the other. Kiorif took his leave and left the room to Apollo¡¯s thoughts. ¡®Don¡¯t have time to deal with an empty bucket,¡¯ Kiorif went to the kitchen to have water cool his scratching fire, but the window provided a better solution. Rookie and Tomobi had rummaged through the stiff blob, wood being splattered and piled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you right now Tomobi. When I saw you pick up our bags I was so shocked, but this, this is something else,¡± Rookie¡¯s attention turned to Kiorif stalking from the window, her waves an attempt to lure him out of the house. Though it was Tomobi¡¯s pile of enlarged splinters that hooked him. ¡°Hey Kiorif, how was the talk?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk about it later. What were you doing?¡± ¡°Tomobi was gonna cut all this wood, so I thought to make sure I wouldn¡¯t have fat for bones I would help him out a bit. Isn¡¯t he incredible,¡± Unknowingly her comments had a spark infecting itself into Kiorif¡¯s mind. ¡°I guess so. Tell me Tomobi, how much can you carry?¡± ¡°I am unsure,¡± Confused to the question, with Kiorif taking a lesson from Rookie. ¡°Then how about survival?¡± Chapter 5: A Modern Day Squire ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Apollo¡¯s eruption even had his chair flail to the ground. ¡°Look we may have had a spat when we were talking about how you could clean your arse. But this is pushing the line,¡± ¡°He can provide us with help to ease the mission,¡± ¡°Tomobi¡¯s a child,¡± ¡°A VitaNav child. He was made to travel and fight, not cook and clean. He is meant to be a soldier, not a housemaid,¡± Tomobi stood outside during their ethical strife, unsure of what to feel. Their bickering clashed over him, leaving him to shield them from their choice of weapons. Rookie came down to see him clenched against himself. ¡°Hey,¡± her hand soothed his wounds, lowering his guard. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to this, how about you go upstairs? I¡¯ll deal with these two,¡± Obediently Tomobi dragged himself away from the battle, with Rookie ready to take his place. ¡°It is programmed into him,¡± ¡°Tomobi could die,¡± ¡°OI!¡± Rookie¡¯s howl seized the fire between them. ¡°At least you both have chivalry. Now that I have both of your attention I think we should talk about the bigger problem. The fact that the two of you are bickering like you are going through a divorce right now,¡± Rookie took her own seat and was now ready with her artillery. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed you two are really picking at Tomobi. Yeah he is meant to be a genetic soldier that could supposedly kill us, but that was decades ago, now we have VitaNavs that cook and clean and act like goddamn children. So-¡± Her rant left her unaware that she truly did have their undivided attention, even Kiorif had shown her more observation than he had ever done before. ¡°So. uh. Yeah. You shouldn¡¯t, awe shit,¡± a splatter of red painted on her cheeks showed that her performance was over. For a moment waiting for a sequel to her act Kiorif finally continued. ¡°Apollo, you have to understand. I¡¯ve been told that we will not be provided with constant supplies, will have to go into unknown territories, and will have to do additional chores. So I¡¯m going to make this clear, the VitaNav will be protected from Rookie and myself. All I¡¯m asking from him is that he works for us,¡± ¡°But why Tomobi? I think he is too young for this,¡± ¡°I think you are worrying too much. You aren¡¯t his father,¡± a sharp response caused a new wound, those words drowned and tore through Apollo¡¯s mind. ¡°Kiorif,¡± Rookie now had a new battle to deal with, but Kiorif¡¯s hand objectified her position.Stolen story; please report. ¡°I¡¯m not finished. You may have baby-sitted him, but he can now take care of himself. So I¡¯ll be asking him tomorrow and we will see what he wants then,¡± He looked over to Rookie for his closing statement before leaving once again, this time progressing in his warfront. Leaving the two to sit in his damage. ¡°Apollo, don''t listen to him. He¡¯s just annoyed about the whole mission plan,¡± ¡°Rookie I would like to be left alone,¡± for a moment she wanted to object, but this was a moment to listen. Leaving Apollo to his devices. ¡®What if Tomobi says yes?¡¯ this thought mocked and celebrated in his head, which only increased in burden by the darkened sky, even with a meal prepared. Tomobi once again danced through the kitchen, with the strong scent of bacon and eggs attempting to start the night. ¡°Tomobi you are the first VitaNav I¡¯ve met here and you already cook better than any of my brothers,¡± Rookie tried to set the mood, with Tomobi showing a chip of a smile. Apollo and Kiorif sat opposite each other, showing a colder interaction compared to Tomobi and Rookie. ¡°Tomobi, remember what I asked you yesterday?¡± Kiorif made the first move. ¡°Y-yes,¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to push further. I want you to come with us to work as a serving boy, you will cook and clean for us. Don¡¯t worry we won¡¯t throw you into things if they get tough, but your help would make things easier for us,¡± Though the demand was high Kiorif made no notice of it, Apollo controlled his flames by facing away from the fuel. Leaving Tomobi to ponder, while the risks of the moon were high and life outside of what he had known would be unstable. But the temptation of freedom was what truly dragged him. A drug he was itching to have, for any price. ¡°On one condition,¡± this comment changed the rules of the game, this comment got everyone¡¯s attention, this comment would change things. ¡°Tell me what you plan on doing?¡± Rookie caught a smile and Apollo fixed his stature, whilst Kiorif remained unfazed. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°That is all,¡± it seemed that the confidence that Tomobi built was flammable to Kiorif¡¯s humor, whose faint chuckle blew a cold breeze towards Tomobi. ¡°Your words are in my favor, I¡¯ll tell you what we are doing,¡± Standing up to face Tomobi, who despite supporting himself on a stool could never meet Kiorif¡¯s eyes, which pierced into his own. ¡°Rookie and I will be traveling this rock by foot, we will be looking at the mutated jokes on this rock by foot, and we will be having you join us on this rock by foot. Do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°U-understood,¡± Tomobi limped back into his shell. ¡°Good, we have a week to prepare. But I recommend that you start now,¡± instead of leaving the room again like his previous battles, there was no need to. The war was won, and he enjoyed the spoils given to him. Nothing could be done. Apollo couldn¡¯t object. Rookie couldn¡¯t comfort. Tomobi couldn¡¯t hide. Though Kiorif could relish seconds. *** Tomobi wrapped his cloak around him, still clinging onto his human clothing. He was doing one more last inspection of the list ingrained in his mind, making sure that nothing was missing. Although his bag was nothing but a sac compared to the burden that he would bear as he looked over to the fused monster of Kiorif¡¯s and Rookie¡¯s belongings. A faint buckling of knees was all that was needed for him to posture himself, though his composer could not be kept when he caught a glimpse of the emotion in Apollo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Have you packed everything?¡± ¡°Yes, Apollo,¡± ¡°Tomobi I know you have to go, but if you ever want to come back just call me. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the next town over or even some barren outpost, just tell me if you want to,¡± to add to this bittersweet moment Apollo lowered himself in an attempt to wrap his arms around him, though was entangled within the straps and zips. ¡°Probably should¡¯ve let you take off the bag,¡± Apollo pulled himself back ineptly. Tomobi wanted to rip off the bags but a hammering knock by the door stopped him. "Tomobi gets out now," Kiorif''s tone definitely stomped the heartfelt mood. Only able to give Apollo a smile as his last gift, Tomobi left to the door. Chapter 6: Midday Campfire Tomobi''s emotions blended inside him. The freedom of leaving home, the fear of leaving home, the fight of the weight of the bags. Even as a VitaNav he knew that the bags would probably be a bigger threat than whatever could come from a simple scouting mission. ¡°Thank you gentlemen,¡± Rookie called out to the guards of the gate, entering the tramped down the path. ¡°Can you smell that Tomobi,¡± She vacuumed all the air around her before exhaling it all away with a growing grin. ¡°That¡¯s the smell of fresh air, refreshing isn''t it?¡± when Tomobi mimicked her he smelled something different, dried dirt, mauled plants, and something that should¡¯ve been flushed. ¡°What about you Kiorif? Wanna breathe in this beauty,¡± Kiorif though already had a map of paper open. ¡°I¡¯m already breathing it in Rookie, now we need to head south,¡± Kiorif led forward with Tomobi and Rookie trailing behind. ¡°Now that we are traveling it is obvious that we aren¡¯t going to do this smoothly. However, I do have rules that I want you to follow Tomobi,¡± Rookie snorted while Tomobi focused on his words. ¡°Rookie that includes you too,¡± ¡°Wha- why do I have to follow rules? I¡¯m not a child,¡± ¡°No but you are under my rule, and last time I checked you act like one,¡± Rookie now fell silent while Tomobi tried to hold in his own laughter. ¡°Moving forward. Tomobi when I tell you to make our food you make our food,¡± Kiorif added rule after rule throughout the day, each a piece that Tomobi had to organise in his mind. His attention was latched so deep to Kiroif¡¯s lips that he paid little attention to the grazing bushes, glowing swarms nor the occasional tombstone of a torn and splattered vehicle or home. ¡°This one is an important one,¡± his rules worked as a campfire story as Tomboi prepared a fire, with a tilting tree being their only shield against the sun. ¡°If you are ever in a situation where you get your hands on a gift, I don¡¯t care how you do it but when you will notify me or Rookie as soon as possible. The other things I may be lenient with but this is the one rule you must follow, do I make myself clear?¡± Tomobi felt a drop in his heart, but his mind tried to pull him back up. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter, you haven¡¯t used one. Don¡¯t be weak,¡¯ ¡°Yes Kiorif,¡± a faint wisp of supposed weakness did blow through his voice, which breezed towards Kiorif and Rookie. Looking over to Kiorif, Rookie used her eyes to talk to him, pointed at Tomobi. Both bickered with their eyes until it seemed that Rookie won. ¡°Okay, for now here¡¯s the last rule,¡± Kiorif¡¯s nose flared. ¡°If you ever feel like you need to take a break, I may let you take a break. It would be problematic to have you faint if a quick break could help,¡± Tomobi looked up to see Kiorif avoiding his eyes for the first time when talking.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°However, I won¡¯t be doing it every hour,¡± he returned his gaze towards him. After the pill of rules, Rookie took her chance to be a speaker for the three of them, spitting words between spoonfuls of her meal. ¡°Hey Tomobi, what type of things do you think that we¡¯ll see on this trip?¡± ¡°I guess it would be nice to see something different. Like the landscapes, I¡¯ve heard that they look better in real life,¡± ¡°Trapped too much in the wall then,¡± Rookie tossed her bowl in front of her, rummaging through her bag. ¡°I suppose,¡± ¡°I can¡¯t blame you, I remember that I did so much hiking back home, the best place to be. Like no offense the moon¡¯s nice and all but earth, oh earth¡¯s the real deal. Not as much genetic risks,¡± Rookie pulled out a small book and passed it to Tomobi. ¡°Check through it, it has some of the places that I¡¯ve been at,¡± looking through Tomobi saw an army of Rookie, all younger than her with differing hairs, clothes, and even bandages, though all shared the same smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got a huge family. Neighbours always called us rabbits cause we would mob them when they gave us food,¡± Tomobi was in utter awe from Rookie¡¯s openness as she told her stories. She acted as though he was somebody she knew, listing the mischief she caused and the successes that led her to where she was. ¡°Am a helluva good shot I am, that¡¯s how I got to meet Kiorif,¡± an even bigger surprise was the true smile that ruptured from Kiorif¡¯s face. ¡°I remember the first time I met him, he was so disappointed. But then I grew on him and he wore down,¡± she then burst into laughter. ¡°Though I¡¯ll save it for another time. Enough about us, how about you Tomobi? Got any good stories?¡± On the spot, Tomobi was unsure what to do. ¡°Oh I¡¯ve spent most of my life with Apollo, I don¡¯t have any good stories,¡± Tomobi grumbled, with a sense of disappointment trying to carpet him. ¡°Hey it¡¯s fine, trust me. With me around you¡¯ll definitely be having stories that you could tell, who knows, may even get somebody with them,¡± Rookie sneered as she sat next to Tomobi. Their surprisingly uplifting meal slowly drained as both they and the fire steadily tired. ¡°Alright Rookie and Tomobi you get some rest,¡± Rookie traded her book for her mask as she and Tomobi slid into her wrapping blanket. Their days became cloned though. Constant walking with only the stories from Rookie¡¯s library to warm the fires within their little world. But if given the chance to peek through their shielded view, they could see the unique and same creatures that battled with man with their support. Greened beasts had bouquets of flowers decorated along their backs, calming moving in groups of walking forests. Or armored boars bellowing from afar, charging at a victim out of sight. Though Kiorif kept them blind. ¡°If they don¡¯t help, don¡¯t bother,¡± stamping it into Rookie¡¯s mind again as her vision drew itself to the sight of horses patterned with beasts so same yet so different. ¡°I know but just look at those horses, they¡¯re huge,¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be riding one. Come on, Tomobi¡¯s already preparing us food,¡± Rookie¡¯s sulk strengthened as she was passed her never-ending bowl. ¡°Stew again? Tomobi. I love you and I adore your cooking but we¡¯ve been eating the same old thing, could we try to spice things up instead?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Rookie, but with what we have I can¡¯t really try anything new,¡± Tomobi poured for himself and shared a similar taste, Rookie mixed through her food, and Kiorif finished his food. ¡°You two finish, we need to keep this pace,¡± ¡°Fine, hey Tomobi, have I told you about the time my uncle got in a fight with a kangaroo?¡± Kiorif zoned out Rookie¡¯s retold tale of her uncle''s recklessness and kept his eyes focused around them. The sun was finally resting and purple grew itself across the sky, the supposed horses and beasts were supposed to continue to mix their patterns of grazing and resting. But some faced a direction within Kiorif¡¯s peripheral. ¡°-and while my Dad was calling from the truck to get back into the car-¡± One of the larger beasts charged forward to slash at the grass at an unseen threat. ¡°Rookie get your gun,¡± one of the horse mimicking beasts roared and the horses scattered away. Chapter 7: Sharp Tongue Rookie rushed past Tomobi, gun ready, and pointed to the source of the commotion. ¡°Should we move in and engage?¡± Rookie¡¯s tone was hardened to stone, her attention focused and unwavering. ¡°No. It may not bother with us, wait to see if it calms down. Stay on guard. Tomobi light out the fire,¡± unsure of what was happening Tomobi followed Kiorif''s orders, quickly hiding behind Rookie. As the night finally took over their fire''s embers were Tomobi''s light, his sight. Kiorif and Rookie meanwhile pulled out binoculars to see around them. The silhouette of the horses showed that the threat was still present but pacing elsewhere. With daunting sounds and the faintest movement of grass dancing out of the way of whatever was stalking them out. The hustling rushed over towards them until it stopped. Silence, motionless. All three kept focus on the empty field, now waiting for whatever caused the threat to show itself. Rookie could hear her own heartbeat hammering in her head. A faint glow grew in front of her. The silence was disturbed by a screech. The tension broke from a blur launching itself forward. Jaws open, tongue out. The sound of crunching led echoed as Rookie fell. The beast was unlike any seen. A squat body stitched to legs, glowing and most importantly, gnawing on Rookie¡¯s arm. Though it was not alone, many more burst from the grass to gallop towards them. Kiorif though remained unfazed and replaced Rookie to fire into the knot of beasts. The flash and clashing of his bullets scattered the supposed fearsome predators. ¡°Tomobi deal with that freak,¡± Kiorif roared out to him, seeing some unwavered to the lead threat. Still unsure, Tomobi went over to Rookie empty-handed. ¡°Fat shit,¡± Rookie let go of her gun and jabbed the creature''s socket. Startled, it moved from its discomfort, gun dropped. Rookie took her chance. Gun pointed and fired. ¡°Little fuckers,¡± standing she rushed ahead and let a roar of gunshots towards the remaining swarm. The horses from afar cried in terror, running away. Her cry continued as the creatures retreated back into the shadows of the grass. ¡°AND DON¡¯T EVER FUCKING COME BACK,¡± Red rage, screaming. Her breath being the only thing pausing her. ¡°IF YOU DO I SWEAR I¡¯LL STICK YOUR TONGUE SO FAR UP YOUR ASS THAT-¡± ¡°Rookie,¡± Kiorif stopped her from continuing, pulling her back. ¡°It¡¯s enough, they¡¯ve learned their lesson. Let¡¯s deal with your wounds,¡± as her breath slowed she calmed down. She rested by the fire to see the damages. ¡°Tomobi can you at least go help Rookie,¡± ¡°Yes Kiorif,¡± Tomobi looked over to Rookie, her armor cracked and her face scratched. ¡°Hey easy where you stick that, I¡¯ve had enough trouble for today,¡± Tomobi continued to treat Rookie¡¯s wounds, though she stayed irritated.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Kiorif paid no attention to them, continuing to examine the remains of the lifeless monsters. Getting a better look at the squat, toad-like body. Its stitched, muscular legs were decorated with cloven hooves and the source of its glowing was splattered across two sturdy rods like limbs glued to its back. Rookie¡¯s bullet allowed a leak of blood to flow into the beast''s maw, revealing stubbed fangs but a bladed tongue stretching itself out to catch the dripping blood. ¡°Ouch that stings,¡± Rookie¡¯s cries distracted Kiorif, though she finally had bandages covering herself. ¡°And look what it did to my armor. Has a couple of chips in it now,¡± She continued to vent. And each word she said stabbed Tomobi, if he actually did something this would not have happened. ¡°Rookie, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Her train of thought was pulled back. Looking at his defeated face her red was washed away. ¡°Now would I be mad at you? You didn¡¯t pin me down,¡± Tomobi looked up, with a mixed look of guilt hidden in his eyes. ¡°But I didn¡¯t help you,¡± ¡°And I got up. You aren¡¯t used to this type of thing, so it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t think that everything¡¯s your fault,¡± she tried to give herself a smile but her body still held onto scrapes of anger. A sense of irony grew as she continued to comfort Tomobi. Kiorif continued to examine the creature though and began to scan the area. ¡°Tomobi come here,¡± Leaving Rookie¡¯s comfort Tomobi came over to the stench of the beast. ¡°You know what this is?¡± ¡°Yes, we call it a Dromeo-Toad,¡± ¡°So you knew about this?¡± ¡°I mean I knew that they exist,¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°They eat meat and hunt in groups,¡± ¡°Well we know that now, is there anything else?¡± ¡°No Kiorif,¡± Now Kiorif had steam built up in him, looking around at his non-existent options as the night grew even darker. ¡°Well we still need rest so we can¡¯t leave now, so we¡¯ll have to be more on guard. Now we will have two people up for lookout. Tomobi relight the fire¡± Though two would sit together neither would say a word, paying attention to the shifted world around them. When it turned to Rookie and Kiorif words were finally spoken. ¡°How are you doing Rookie?¡± ¡°A little sore but I think I can still keep our pace,¡± ¡°Any bruises yet?¡± ¡°Nah. But they will show sooner or later,¡± ¡°Are you really not mad at Tomobi? He should¡¯ve helped you,¡± Kiorif could see Rookie choosing her words. ¡°Look, he shouldn¡¯t be here. Remember things have changed, we got overgrown running toads, we are breathing on the moon and they aren¡¯t all soldiers anymore. He¡¯s a child, and you should treat him like one,¡± Kiorif went to object but a ruffle showed the return of the beast, the Dromeo-Toads had come back. ¡°Oh, these f-'''' Kiorif though held Rookie¡¯s gun. ¡°Wait,¡± The toads stayed cautious of them, prancing back and forward. Some had eyes on them, whilst others had on the fallen comrade close to their fire. Soon the two sides were close enough to view each other fully, but the toads merely tugged and dragged away the carcass. ¡°See they just want the dead one,¡± and once out of the reach of them, they lashed their tongues to dissect the dead toad. Rookie turned away repulsed while Kiorif paid little attention to their cannibalistic feast. As the hours passed so did new creatures, with each of them seeing the other creations revealed themselves to feed on the leftovers from the masticated mess. So by the time the group had backed away their campfire the deceased toad now turned into a butchered mess. ¡°Alright because of what has happened, we are going to pick up the pace. Rookie, are you sure you can still keep up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll be so fast that these Domino-Toads won¡¯t be able to catch me,¡± ¡°Dromeo-Toads,¡± ¡°Close enough,¡± She picked up her sack and steamed ahead, though with a faint limp. Kiorif and Tomobi followed suit into the extended night, both wanting to say something but not knowing what. Chapter 8: Seeds Of Doubt While they wanted their pace to be sped up, Rookie''s wounds finally demanded rest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m fine,¡± her facade exposed from her clouds of breath and patterned skin of bruises when resting. ¡°I can wait till we reach the next town, which should be-what-is-the-name-of-it-Kiorif?¡± ¡°Fresh-Root,¡± ¡°That¡¯s right Fresh-Root, there we can have some peace and quiet,¡± her smile stayed strong as she tried to stand up, but her body kept her down. ¡°But for now I think I¡¯ll sit here, rock is in good shape,¡± Rookie calmed down as Tomobi joined Kiorif. Since their incidence he would constantly look for threats that didn¡¯t exist, this time eyeing a field of moving shrubs. ¡°Tomobi, what can you tell us about Fresh-Root,¡± his focus still on the shrubs. ¡°Ah, well, from what I read it is primarily an agricultural area. They produce both normal and genetic produce,¡± ¡°What about the VitaNavs?¡± ¡°I think that the tribes work alongside the town,¡± With what he wanted he broke his focus, and his silent order had Rookie pause her break. As the sun started to change to an earth day it shone over an ancient town. Fields grew on flat fields, and livestock could be dotted across the mismatched fences. And the housing itself also glowed with the agriculture around them. ¡°This place looks crazy, we should check this place out,¡± Rookie smiled as she attempted to rush down the path, though a few paces forward a shock ran through her. ¡°On second thought, can we find a hospital first?¡± Kiorif sighed and when reaching Rookie, and helped her to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m going to get help, Tomobi keep her company,¡± he ran off towards the town as Tomobi began to assort the bags to Rookie¡¯s comfort, a makeshift bed of sacks. ¡°Thanks, Tomobi,¡± Rookie kept her smile as she gasped from the blunted stabs pressing against her body. ¡°And here I thought that I could last a few more steps,¡± ¡°Just relax, Kiorif will bring help,¡± Tomobi had a small pace, which drew in Rookie. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s me who needs to relax. Come have a seat,¡± Patting beside her Tomobi followed. ¡°Tomobi we left New Salvich, what, two, three weeks. And in that time we¡¯ve only dealt with some overgrown frogs, only seen some of the weird stuff for a couple of seconds. I remember that you said that you wanted to see what the moon has to offer, but do you think you should do that now?¡± Tomobi knew his answer, he felt that he shouldn¡¯t be here. After all, what would a serving boy, and a VitaNav, in addition, could do for earthen soldiers. But for now, he would keep it to himself.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, I¡¯m fine. Just relax, you¡¯ve been hurt,¡± ¡°Yeah and I walked it off for a bit,¡± a chuckle managed to pull itself out. ¡°Besides I¡¯ve dealt with way worse back home, plus talking to you can help keep my mind off of it. So, you¡¯re thinking about calling Apollo?¡± But before Tomobi could open out to her Kiorif shut the doors, bringing a car and men to carry her away. ¡°Hey careful, I¡¯m still a lady,¡± Rookie joked as she was placed in the car, while Kiorif and Tomobi piled bags at the back. ¡°Tomobi after we find Rookie help, you are coming with me,¡± *** Kiorif opened the doors to a city office, its walls separating itself from the rural world. A woman sat at an office, a screen holding her eyes. An empty cough brought her attention towards them. A man in an army suit, handsome but tired and a VitaNav, cloaked but in human clothing. ¡°Right you can have a seat, your servant can wait outside,¡± She waved her hand to ward off Tomobi, Kiorif took a seat. ¡°Wait outside Tomobi,¡± once Tomobi closed the doors behind him, the woman smiled. ¡°I can say that your arrival was a surprise. But at the same time, earth soldiers aren¡¯t exactly known for randomly coming here,¡± ¡°We are just staying here so my soldier can recover,¡± ¡°Soldier? So there aren¡¯t any more of you here?¡± ¡°No there aren¡¯t any more Ma¡¯am,¡± ¡°So is that all? Two soldiers and a servant,¡± ¡°We lacked resources, so I have had to do with what we have,¡± ¡°Okay, is there any other business that you have with FreshRoot? Perhaps interested in our products. I hear that one of the younger farmers got an impressive orchard,¡± ¡°We have no interest in your food," Kirof sharply cut her off. "But I do need to know and care about any VitaNav tribes living in or by this town. And I would like it to be done without the small chat. So please, give it to me,¡± The woman¡¯s smile cracked, her nose steaming. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s about them then? And I just have to offer you a place to stay and then you forget this place,¡± ¡°I¡¯m expecting that you have a place that we could stay,¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I don¡¯t. Cause we didn¡¯t know that we were going to have soldiers randomly run around and still focus on the VitaNavs,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be petty,¡± ¡°DON¡¯T INTERRUPT ME!¡± Kiorif remained unfazed as she stood up, looking down at him. ¡°Now we don¡¯t have to go babysit you, so go find yourself somewhere. So, other than your precious ¡®list¡¯ is there anything else you need?¡± Kiorif had to remain calm, but his tongue burned and his chest flared. ¡°Can you tell us where the gun shops are,¡± outside the doors shielding the hall from a bellowing rant, Tomobi sat on a wooden stool, surrounded by seats filled by humans, some of which were amused by his position. So his heart rose when he saw Kiorif open the doors, inciting his departure. ¡°Is everything alright Kiorif?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. We¡¯ll get our stuff and find a place to stay,¡± as they walked through the dirted paths, looks were given to each. Men glared at Kiorif. VitaNavs glared down Tomobi. But both kept walking. Inside one of the few wards Rookie was shifting back into her suit, and a smile grew when she saw the two of them. ¡°Hello boys, missed me?¡± Kiorif chuckled while Tomobi stacked the sacks. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing great, you should¡¯ve seen it. Was expecting a doctor to come and just start probing but you know what happened? Boom! VitaNav comes in, basically hugs me, and my bruises are solved. Then we both got something to eat,¡± her face did fall though. ¡°Though, they did say that we need to pay them,¡± ¡°They used nothing on you,¡± Kiorif protested as he picked up his things. ¡°They say otherwise,¡± Kiorif looked at what he had and his pocket money was not going to be enough, Rookie and Tomobi saw what they had as well. ¡°Here¡¯s your payment,¡± All together they managed to slap a pound of money to the doctor and VitaNav, who both shared a matching composure. So when the group left the hospital their pocket money was now loose change. Chapter 9: Backyard Battering The enticing heat from homes did not welcome them at all, with the cooling, dirted road being the only one offering them stay. Its pathways were occupied by others who showed little consideration, little compassion, little care. And all they could do is find a roadside bench for comfort. ¡°Are you sure we don¡¯t have enough to find a place?¡± ¡°Rookie, we didn¡¯t have much money to begin with. And our next payment is too far away,¡± for a moment they could hear the sound of crunching dirt. ¡°Man this sucks,¡± though Rookie disturbed this. ¡°We just had enough money to pay for me, how were they expecting us to live here? Where are we gonna sleep?¡± ¡°Just be patient, as for now, we¡¯ll see where we can sleep?¡± Rookie rose up. ¡°Do you mean there is a motel or something?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll just go and find a park,¡± Rookie had her face scrunched and she looked Kiorif up and down with cheeks filled with disappointment. ¡°Nu-uh, I know we are soldiers that are meant to be living off the field, but we¡¯ve slept outside for too long. Plus to sleep outside in a town is insulting. Tomobi come with me, I¡¯ll get us a place to sleep. Kiorif if you change your mind come join us as we sleep in a comfy bed,¡± The two left Kiorif to his own thoughts, passing past the enforcement of calming pillars and walls of brick and wood. ¡°So what is the plan Rookie?¡± ¡°Well if these people were fine with us I would just use my feminine charm to get a discount. But,¡± her back slouched. ¡°They hate us, so we¡¯ll do a trick me and my siblings would do when camping by people¡¯s places. Now we just need to find a barn,¡± Rookie¡¯s scavenger hunt led them to one of the small farmlands scattered around the town, with a river swimming into a myriad of hills. ¡°Tomobi, I present to you our hotel,¡± Tomobi had doubt and confusion splattered on his face. ¡°By the farm?¡± ¡°What no, think broader,¡± She tapped his head, turning his attention towards a barn outgrown, shielded by multiple fences and what seemed as resting beasts. ¡°That is the random barn. Service is a bit weak, but I can say that it has a nice rural view for those who love the open world. All in all, 3 out of 5 stars, now I¡¯ll help you get over,¡± ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea,¡± doubt trickled into his voice, with him continuously looking around for no eyes to see them. ¡°I¡¯ve already said I¡¯ve done this before. Trust me, I have a clean record, best of the best of my siblings at this. Well aside from my cousin Madeline, but she had a car so she would park it - I¡¯m getting off track, give me your bag,¡± Tomobi pushed over the enlarged leather and fabric for Rookie to attempt to guide gently to the ground.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Geez, could¡¯ve gone with lighter things?¡± Rookie breathed out, pulling Tomobi over the stoned fences. ¡°Okay,¡± She drew in the air and slithered to the ground. ¡°We need to be quiet, else we wake up the managers for the hotel,¡± Rookie joked, giggling to herself. The two dragged their bags behind them as they crawled across the dirt and grass, surrounded by beast-shaped trees. ¡°See we are almost there,¡± Rookie grunted as she crawled under the rooted feet of the trees. That was until a wrench hit their plan, the faint chirp of an opening door. ¡°Shit,¡± Rookie went to raise her head, but she was blocked by the stump raised above her. She managed to hold in a muffled groan, but the plant above her didn¡¯t. The clacking of its bark stabbed into the silent night as it began to move, its roots stomping past Rookie. But it didn¡¯t stop there, the other tree-like beasts began to move away from the source of commission, each making just as much noise as the first. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± *** A sack was thrown by an arrangement of bushes, with Kiorif following suit. A barren park was his chosen bed, with plants shielding him from the occasional breeze passing by. A faint smile grew. Peace and quiet at long last. No stories, no shuffling, no VitaNavs. Peace. ¡°Oi, soldier,¡± The smile died with his peace. Kiorif¡¯s eyes showed him a burly man, defiant and proud looking down at him. Dulled grey pants let a fresh blue singlet pop out even in the setting night. ¡°Don¡¯t worry when I finish sleeping I will leave,¡± ¡°It¡¯s about your partners,¡± Kiorif had a small groan grow inside him. But that didn¡¯t stop him from following the man towards the scene of the crime, where people and VitaNavs soothe the trees around them. Kiorif kept his eyes on two individuals sitting by the fence. ¡°Relax he doesn¡¯t really get mad, we will be fine,¡± Rookie¡¯s faint hum really raised his temper. ¡®Oh you''re dead,¡¯ when he picked up his pace past his guide Rookie caught notice of this, and her face fell. "Oh shit, never mind. It''s too late for me," "What?" Tomobi felt a small sense of panic, which only grew as he saw Kiorif steaming towards them ¡°I was wrong, stay behind me. When I give the signal run, don''t look back,¡± Tomobi stayed closer and closer to Rookie as Kiorif got closer and closer to them. ¡°Uh, high Kiorif. Did you find yourself a good place to sleep?¡± ¡°You know Rookie I did,¡± Kiorif grit his tone through his teeth. ¡°And from what I see you failed,¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kinda funny isn¡¯t it,¡± ¡°Very,¡± Though no laughs, not even a chuckle could grow in the barren conversation. Except. ¡°I mean I thought it was,¡± their attention was turned to a man with a VitaNav joining the conversation. The man had whiter hairs than the strands Kiorif had collected, and his darker skin seemed further tanned from his work out on this supposed farm. The VitaNav though had a pebble-washed colour across her, with forest clover markings planted across her body, and the smallest nubs crested above her eyes to give her a calming look, like a statue in a garden. ¡°It¡¯s a nice break from the common days. Change of pace. what do you think Sprout?¡± ¡°Yeah it was a nice break,¡± her voice was calm and soft compared to the man''s upbeat and erratic tone. ¡°Thought it was a threat, Sprout, and what do I come out to see?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Our Bluorangions running away from a soldier and a sack heavy VitaNav,¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t really sound threatening,¡± ¡°Right,¡± ¡°Excuse me this is a private matter,¡± Kiorif was not ready to shift the tone. ¡°Yeah about my livestock, well the ones I focus on. So this is now public,¡± the man turned towards Rookie and Tomobi. ¡°So what brought you to our farm? Bet it wasn¡¯t to see little old me,¡± Seeing the tone steadily sift Kiorif turned away. ¡°You see we are kinda in a pinch, so we were just looking for a place to sleep,¡± ¡°Really,¡± the man¡¯s tone was difficult to reveal if there was sarcasm hidden within it or not. ¡°Well, I think I know what we can do about this now,¡± a promise was given to the three of them. Chapter 10: A Giving Call The Bluorangions groaned as they continued to slowly graze with the sun blazing above, allowing Tomobi to take a glance at them. Their rooted legs pillared underneath them to carry their hefty mass, with a branch of a tail held behind them, and two more growing from its back. From their back branches, leaves flushed spread in a thick mass, with buds poking themselves out from the leaves. ¡°Beautiful ain¡¯t they,¡± the man walked over to Tomobi, his eyes on them. ¡°They are starting to bud, soon they¡¯ll flower and we might get some more of them. Just gotta make sure that the bulls don''t pick a fight,¡± ¡°You seem to know a lot about them Mr. Actually, I haven¡¯t gotten your name yet,¡± ¡°Spoon is the name. And before you ask, yes it isn¡¯t a nickname and I don¡¯t have a sister named fork. Though I am in a relationship with Dish," it took a moment for Tomobi to catch the jokes but smiled once it clicked. ¡°So what are you going to do now,¡± ¡°I just need to pack these away and I will be free Spoon,¡± ¡°Goodman,¡± Spoon patted Tomobi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Though you¡¯re gonna be alone for a bit, your friends are still busy. Maybe you can join me for some-¡± ¡°Spoon,¡± Both their attention drew to Sprout, who calmly stayed by Tomobi. ¡°He¡¯ll finish if you let him work. Be careful about him Tomobi, he has a thing for us VitaNavs,¡± Tomobi took a step back. ¡°Hey don¡¯t say it like that, Tomobi I¡¯m clean I swear,¡± Spoon began to stutter, while Sprout had a faint crackle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Tomobi, what I mean to say is he thinks of us like baby animals. All we are to him are cuties that he wants to hug,¡± ¡°I guess I kind of know what it is like,¡± remembering all the times Rookie would treat him like a child. ¡°Come on Tomobi, I¡¯ll help you,¡± together Sprout and Tomobi carried stacks of wood away from the fence to the barn, which when closer revealed patches of differing ages, colour, and textures. VitaNavs joked and laughed amongst each other while working at the barn''s mouth. ¡°Sprout thanks for getting us the supplies. We¡¯re almost done with filling in the holes,¡± ¡°I just brought these ones to you, should be thanking Tomobi. He¡¯s the one going back and forth for you,¡± though the VitaNavs paid little attention to this, few giving a passing glance. and continued their work. Tomobi felt further defeated and began to walk off. That is when they went back to their chattering selfs. ¡°Look it¡¯s probably crawling back to the kitchen,¡± That along with the faint chuckle of the few burned themselves into Tomobi¡¯s mind, but he couldn¡¯t just turn back. Sprout and others though kept silent. The inside kept the welcoming feeling as of the outside, along with its aging looks. He could do nothing as he sat on a sofa, still spewing out dust. There his body shook, feelings in his chest were ripping at his lungs and clawing at his heart.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®What do they know? I should¡¯ve turned - no they would wanna fight. Why can¡¯t I fight? Can I fight?¡¯ his attention turned towards a phone. He could soothe his pain, make it go away. Just one call. Just say enough. ¡°Hey,¡± Sprout¡¯s soothing voice made Tomobi jump. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just. Thinking,¡± Tomobi avoided Sprout¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay well stop doing that,¡± Sprout instead latched onto his arm. ¡°Come with me, somebody wants to talk to you,¡± Sheepishly following her, they passed the livestock, the barn, and to the hills. The sun still beaming above them, it illuminated a cluster of dirt, wood, and stone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everybody is basically working in the town. Nobodies going to bother you,¡± they continued walking towards the assortments of supposed buildings, though with each step Tomobi saw a clearer and clearer view of them. Grass-infested dirt was scattered across any ledge or roof available, while the stone had to burden the wood resting above it. Though one thing that was the same was the VitaNavs, like in the village, like in the barn, they glared at him. ¡°Ignore them,¡± Sprout patted Tomobi¡¯s back. ¡°They¡¯re just skeptic, it¡¯s cause you stay close to those humans you stay with. Some think that you¡¯re a human born slave,¡± ¡°Well, do you think that I¡¯m one?¡± Tomobi stopped his pace, waiting for an answer. Even the faintest pause from Sprout grew doubt. ¡°No,¡± a cold tension spread under the sun glazing above them, not a word was spoken as they walked past the overgrown huts. "No I think you are your own person," Tomobi didn''t know how to read those words. ¡°Well here it is, they are waiting for you,¡± Tomobi glanced at Sprout. ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s private, I¡¯ll wait outside for you,¡± stomach knotting Tomobi went into the hut. ¡°Um - hello?¡± Inside not a grain of dirt was not welcomed, with a drowsy warm cooing Tomobi, well lit he saw an elderly VitaNav sitting on its bed. Horns worn and faint crack-like marks sketched across its body. ¡°Ah boy, it is a pleasure to meet you, come here,¡± offering an empty seat beside the bed, Tomobi moved as little as he could. ¡°I hear that the others are giving you a hard time, hear that you are with soldiers,¡± ¡°Yes, Miss,¡± ¡°Miss?¡± She crackled faintly. ¡°Haven¡¯t been called miss in a while, you can just call me Nana. Now how do you feel about it?¡± Tomobi wanted to vomit out his problems, but he kept it down. ¡°I¡¯m not really bothered by it,¡± ¡°Really?¡± her tone scratched at the comment. ¡°Not angry, don¡¯t feel like giving up?¡± Now, this Tomobi didn¡¯t know how to answer. The thoughts of his old life were seducing him, yet there was a slight repulse from the notion. ¡°It is rude to not answer the elderly,¡± brought back to the question, but still with no answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± there was a moment of silence. Then Nana grabbed his head and pulled him next to her. ¡°Hold still,¡± She began running her fingers all across his head, poking at certain points. ¡°Where do you carry your gifts?¡± still searching, she continued to prob at him. ¡°I can carry one on my head and chest Nana,¡± he tried to say between the constant jabbing. ¡°Okay, where?¡± ¡°The back of my head and opposite to my heart Nana,¡± finally stopping her search she ran her fingers across where he mentioned, feeling nothing more than a faint lump in the area. ¡°These are nothing, why don¡¯t you use your gifts more often?¡± Tomobi gulped at this comment, a topic he would rather avoid. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have any Nana,¡± looking at a defeated child, she freed him of his grasp, understanding the situation. ¡°Oh, oh you poor boy,¡± now her sharp arms were replaced by a soft knot, hugging Tomobi as he returned his arms. ¡°I should¡¯ve known, even I didn¡¯t have that bad of an experience,¡± her comment connected to Tomobi. ¡°Were you-¡± ¡°I was. Younger than you when I broke free, it was probably worse than you but I got help and got out. It wasn¡¯t easy, fitting in and all, now look at me. Definitly demmanding the respect of some of the snob ones,¡± she patted Tomobi¡¯s hands, becoming soft and fragile. ¡°It¡¯s not easy being a human born, but I can continue the generosity by helping, ease the tension. Over there,¡± Tomobi¡¯s attention drew to a hefty bundle hanging off the wood of her bed. ¡°Bring it to me,¡± even for just a short time touching it he felt a tingle in his body. It felt warm and cold. Hard and soft. Alive and dead. Opening it he saw stone-like objects inside. Some glowed faintly and twirled, others had ornaments flashing proudly. ¡°Hmm. Let me find the right gift for you,¡± Chapter 11: A Farmers View Kiorif finished another lap around the farm''s borders, nothing like the day before and most likely the same the day after. ¡°Yo, Kiorif,¡± Turning to see Spoon waving at him, his nose flared and faint swears grew under his breath. ¡°Could ya come here for a second,¡± tempted to continue his march, but he decided to see what he had to say. Reaching Spoon, whose focus was on his livestock he kept his composure. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Wow, is that how you treat your host? Geeze, I expected a ''yes sir'' or something, you need to learn some manners,¡± Spoon mocked as he tripped jumping over the fence, failing he decided to stay with the Bluorangions. ¡°I only have to guard till I get the data. I don¡¯t have to give a cheapskate fool manners,¡± "Oh okay, I see," Spoon turned his attention to one of the Bluorangions, approaching it calmly and scratching against its barked skin. ¡°You know I know a lot bout them, be pretty foolish for me to not. I can tell you right now these are the domesticated versions. Don''t have thorns like the wild ones, smaller too. On the plus side, they are way calmer, except when trying to get a partner. Then things can get pretty crazy,¡± Spoon chuckled at his own words as Kiorif leaned on the fence, his patience running drier with Spoon''s talk. ¡°Although, when they get pushed the wrong way they still can fight back. Got their tails, heavy kicks, and most importantly a primal instinct. So it would still be foolish for a predator to think that they could attack and annoy one, especially when they have the upper hand,¡± and Kiorif saw Spoon shoot a look at him, just for a moment, before turning back to his foolish grin. ¡°But then again you wouldn¡¯t attack one anyways, wouldn¡¯t gain anything from it," Spoon kept his beam while Kiorif kept his glare. "Well, you should also know that predators still attack things when pushed the wrong way too," Successfully jumping over the fence, unlike Spoon. Kiorif looked down at Spoon, who tried to puff his chest. "If a predator thinks it can kill, it will try," giving Spoon a true cold glare, Spoon looked away and shrunk. "O-oh. U-u-um right. Okay, yeah. Glad we had this chat, I¡¯ll leave you alone now,¡± "Good," Kiorif left Spoon to himself, returning to his repetitive track. Spoon took in deep breaths once Kiorif was out of sight, leaning against one of the Bluorangions. ''Holy shit that was scary. So that is what they mean when you dance with death," ¡°Spoon,¡± Pulled out from his thoughts the burly man, now dressed for work, walked over to him. ¡°Yeah?¡± "Can we talk for a moment?" "Yup, of course, was just taking a little break right now. Got all the time in the moon," Spoon smiled at his own pun while the man held his temper. ¡°Anyways. Me and some of the others have been talking and we just wanna know. Why did you let them stay?" "Huh?" "The soldiers Spoon, the soldiers. You know how everyone feels about soldiers and EarthBound people. So to have both for the price of one. Like even you don''t like them, it just doesn''t make sense,¡± Spoon stopped his smirk and looked away.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Hudson, you know about our recent problem. Sprout is telling me that the VitaNavs are getting paranoid about what they saw. Don¡¯t wanna stay as long anymore once night hits, and considering the damages it did to our barn and how we could''ve lost our livestock I can see why,¡± ¡°And two soldiers are meant to solve our problem?¡± ¡°Well we can¡¯t afford anything else. Besides you said so yourself, they are EarthBound. They already hate everything here, why not let them go kill something,¡± ¡°You really are lazy,¡± Hudson chuckled and Spoon shrugged. ¡°Yeah, although you could say it was also charitable. Rookie was really friendly, thought she would¡¯ve been like Kiorif. I mean, it would be rude to abandon a helpless lady. Especially one so cute,¡± Spoon looked back to Hudson with a small smile, but with a smaller blush. ¡°Oh, now I see why,¡± Hudson grew a faint smirk. ¡°Huh, what do you see?¡± ¡°I already knew you¡¯re a perv, we all did. Just didn¡¯t expect you to be that desperate,¡± Hudson left, and once again Spoon''s words shot himself. ¡°Hey wait. No, it ain¡¯t like that, Hudson wait up,¡± Spoon chased after Hudson. *** Tomobi chopped away at the vegetables. This time their meal was taken outside under the sun, with umbrellas to give shade. Others were working around Tomobi, adding and changing the food around them. And while he would¡¯ve been fine to work by himself, his thoughts wrapped themselves towards the little gift hidden inside his pocket. ¡®I think this one will suit you,¡¯ Even out of his sight its beauty still enchanted him, a smooth pearled pink, with the faintest whiff of flowers from it. That was what had his attention as he instinctively cooked. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡®Pah if I just told you you might not use it. Many have rejected it when I have told them, could not understand its potential. Try it out yourself when given the chance, trust me when I say that it has saved my life more times than I thought imaginable,¡¯ he had a faint glimpse of excitement dancing inside him. ¡°Tomobi, how''s the lettuce going?¡± Sprout noticed him fading away, and brought him back. ¡®Lucky you, first gift. I¡¯m sure the humans will be excited,¡¯ ¡®Um actually, could you not say anything about it? I¡¯m actually meant to not have one,¡¯ ¡°Oh I¡¯ve just finished,¡± Tomobi now had a step of confidence under him, getting along with Sprout, trusting her. But now he felt a step going down when looking at Rookie and Kiorif. He was not only actively one of Kiorif''s rules but one he actually cared about, the only mandatory rule. This guilt dug further into him when Rookie glanced at him and smiled. ¡°Great, cause I¡¯m getting hungry,¡± Sprout carried away the salad to be added to the mix-matched buffet across the differing tables, after which another VitaNav dragged her away to some seats. The group sat together, surrounded by human farmers and a few VitaNavs. ¡°So what did you do today Tomobi?¡± Rookie hungry not just for food but for a conversation with Tomobi. ¡°I just worked,¡± Tomobi tried hiding the lie between his words. ¡°Really I saw you go with Sprout somewhere, all I did was run in circles. Really nice though, remembered a song while doing my 2nd lap,¡± Rookie''s comments indirectly put Tomobi under pressure from his white lie. ¡°I just showed Tomobi one of the local tribes, thought he could see what life is like outside human settlements,¡± Sprout called out, her head barely sticking out from the rest. ¡°Really,¡± Kiorif now pushed himself into the conversation, with Rookie trying to pick her own food around Kiorif''s invasive arm. ¡°Could you tell us a bit about i-¡± ¡°OI EVERYONE," Hudson bluntly cut Kiorif and called out to everyone. "I¡¯ve got some crazy things to talk about. You all hear the news? ''Parently supply runs are now gonna be rarer for us, but get this. That¡¯s cause they are taking our stuff and giving it to the soldiers that are trying to pick another fight with an Aspissis outpost down south,¡± there were cries from everyone, booing and mocking laughter. Hudson grew his ego as he stood up with a drink in his hand. ¡°And to make matters worse, ''cause there¡¯s been an increase in attacks on the actual roads their supposed ¡®safe transport plan¡¯ has failed. Now they want us to pay for soldiers to guard our supplies as they, get this, now use the paths that we normally use,¡± there was an increase in the uproar, Tomobi didn''t know how to feel while Kiorif and Rookie stayed strong, both keeping their comments to themselves. ¡°Right? So not only did they waste our money on a road they don''t even want to use, but the government that is meant to be for us is now telling us to pay extra just to make sure we can help them. Last time I checked we give you all stuff, and while we now have to pay more that bitch of a mayor sits in her office and gets paid more,¡± some began to arise into a riot. Though an erupt bang roared over their chanting howl. They all fell silent. Tomobi had a ring in his head while Rookie looked annoyed, but Kiorif. Kiorif held the culprit of the noise. ¡°Excuse me, but last I checked we are eating. So take it somewhere else or shut up,¡± Hudson gripped tighter around his glass. Noticing this Kiorif glanced straight at Hudson. Now. Now everyone was silent. No one was eating. Chapter 12: Rising Tension A figure crawled steadily towards the farm, its eyes piercing at the fresh food trapped for it. But an enraging eruption from afar screamed at it, causing it to flee. Though the sound was not for it. Kioirf rested his gun, though nobody else was as relaxed as him. ¡°What did you tell us?¡± One of the farmers snarled at him, all eyeing him now. ¡°Did I stutter,¡± Keeping his eyes focused on his meal. ¡°Go take your riot somewhere else,¡± he waved his hand at them, like a woman scooting pests in her house. Hudson though was not going to be brushed away, coming closer, between Kiorif and Rookie. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± rattling plates as he hammered his fist into the table. Tomobi wanted to sink away even further, but Kiorif still ate. ¡°Stop eating this shit,¡± Hudson grabbed Kiorif¡¯s plate to throw it away, but Kiorif latched onto his arm. ¡°I¡¯m not finished,¡± Kiorif finally glared at Hudson. ¡°Yes you are,¡± breaking from Kiorif¡¯s grip he threw his plate aside, and now turned his attention to Kiorif. ¡°Who do you think you are, filthy Earth Bound. Think that you can tell us what to do?¡± ¡°I thought it was established, you broke immigrant,¡± Kiorif now stared down Hudson, only to see a fist rocketing itself at him. Kiorif opened his eyes to see that he was on the ground. With a quick ring being silenced by the reborn howl around them. ¡°You fucking stick,¡± He saw Hudson stomping towards him, now knowing his situation and forgetting his lesson he stood up. ¡°Guys come on, not at lunch,¡± Spoon tried to break up the fight, but everyone formed a wall around the soon-to-be fight. ¡°Rookie, can you help?¡± ¡°Aim for the liver,¡± Rookie tried to push herself through. ¡°Damit, Tomobi, can you help me get through,¡± As both tried to shift into the crowd they heard the howling chants echo inside them. ¡°Dent his gear,¡± ¡°Smash his nose,¡± ¡°Turn him into a rake,¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. All these calls were itching at Kiorif as he had to trade blows with Hudson. With nothing but his bare clothing, each strike was like one of a hammer. He could feel the damage pile up. A constant ring settled in his mind, Hudson though remained felt unfazed. Even the pouring of his own blood could not pull him out of the fight. Though one last strike was enough to return Kiorif to the ground. ¡®Fuck I should¡¯ve said no,¡¯ his thought was interrupted as he felt another strike against him. ¡°Does this look familiar,¡± Hudson mocked him from above, picking him up for another strike. ¡°Hey he¡¯s done,¡± One of the farmers held onto Hudson¡¯s arm. Pausing the fight. ¡°You¡¯ve won,¡± ¡°Get the fuck off me,¡± Hudson swung her away. ¡°I¡¯ll say when he¡¯s done,¡± As Tomobi finally pushed himself into the circle he didn¡¯t know what to do. It was the Dromeotoads again. But surprisingly he chose an option that was worse than doing nothing. Stepping forward he got in range of Hudson blood driven attention, striking him. ¡°Didn''t you hear? The fight¡¯s over,¡± Whilst most were in confusion, Rookie¡¯s face collapsed as did Tomobi¡¯s. ¡®Tomobi I thought you were smart,¡¯ both thought as Hudson dropped Kiorif. "Excuse me?" Hudson dropped Kiorif for his new punching bag. ¡°What does a fucking slave know,¡± Hudson foamed at him. ¡°He knows when somebody is taking things too far,¡± Spoon stepped between them, his body shielding Tomobi. ¡°Move out of the fucking way,¡± Hudson tried to find another route, but all his options had Spoon at the end. ¡°No, you need to calm down. Last I checked you aren¡¯t in charge of the farm, and most certainly not our guests," ¡°Guests? They are fucking parasites, thinking they are better than us,¡± ¡°And so you¡¯re gonna keep acting so they keep thinking like that?¡± Hudson turned red, wanting to roar. But he was only able to channel his anger to his feet as he stomped away. ¡°Alright, all of you clean this up. Mary get the doctor, again,¡± everybody scattered away. ¡°Rookie, can you help me get him inside,¡± Both dragged Kiorif away inside, whilst Tomobi still stood where he made his fatal error. ¡°Hey, you okay? Kiorif¡¯s inside,¡± Sprout asked Tomobi, though once she placed an arm on him his knees kissed the ground, his body shaking. ¡°Why did I do that?¡± His breaths weakened. ¡°He would¡¯ve beaten me up,¡± ¡°I doubt that,¡± Sprout still stayed by his side. ¡°He probably wouldn¡¯t hit a child. Plus if he did you are stronger than you-¡± "No, I''m not,¡± Tomobi cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m not like you, or anybody else here. All I am is some Human Born,¡± Sprout wanted to reach out again, but Tomobi¡¯s aura was far too thick to reach him. Leaving him there, he sank into the dirt. *** Kiorif stood by the hills, spending as much as he could away from the farm. Not even Rookie nor Tomobi could talk to him, with his time focused on hoarding information he collected from those few that would offer. ¡°Hey, Kiorif we¡¯re going to eat, wanna join?¡± Rookie cautiously asked. ¡°No thanks I would rather not be hit in the liver again,¡± she wanted to talk about it, how she didn''t think it would escalate. But knowing that these were frail excuses, she left him to join the rest for their quieter meals. The sound of calm chatter and clanging cutlery could not even echo beyond the table. ¡°Hey Sprout, where''s Tomobi?¡± ¡°He said that he would go fishing for us, way upstream,¡± Though looking at the array of foods she noticed the stacking of a few fillets along with remembering the stories of his flaws she knew that wasn''t true. Her thoughts split, telling her to go and stay. Picking the latter Rookie sat down, the food losing its taste with each bite. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the fight was going to escalate,¡± Rookie mumbled, thinking about what could¡¯ve been done differently. With the night crawling in, things were going to change, as the creature emerged to slither past the farm. And the river that Tomobi isolated himself in was its route. Chapter 13: Trouble Bubbling The creature scoured the land more confidently, with the night covering its body from the sights of those around it. Its interest was not towards the farm, as the erupting sounds had ward it away from the time being. For now, it would rely on the rivers for its meals, with the hills to shield it from sight from everything. After enjoying itself a hefty shoal it decided to venture further upstream, with nobody around. Well, all except one. Tomobi had a rod laying next to a starved bucket, eyes away from even a droplet of water. His focus was on his given jewel. ¡®Could¡¯ve used this against Hudson. No. Kiorif would¡¯ve known. But. Don¡¯t even know what it does,¡¯ pressing it against his head, he felt a cool soothing sweep across him. ¡®I guess there is only one way to find out,¡¯ A wind tickled his bare torso as he looked at the grove he drew the gift closer. His heartbeat was harder and heavier next to it as his chest kissed the gift before it was enwrapped into his body. Looking down at it glowed its flushed colours that were exposed to the world. His body felt a sensation coursing through his body, a faint jolt that warmed him. ¡°Okay, now what?¡± he went for a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever he was going to do. Remembering the list of what could happen. Ready for anything. When he exhaled a bubble flew from his mouth. He wasn¡¯t ready for that. ¡°No,¡± another bubble grew to respond. ¡®Great, this was just some sort of joke. There had to be a catch,¡¯ smacking his head he felt a cool splash. Looking at his hands they started to foam. ¡°Perfect,¡± What was he expecting, Nana and Sprout probably thought of this as some sick joke. It only got better for him as a trickle went into his eyes. Now irritated he let out a groan, his throat stinging from his rare note. Stumbling towards the river, he cleaned away the soap. The creature got closer, Tomobi didn¡¯t look behind him, it started getting a better look, Tomobi dunked his head, the bucket was knocked over, Tomobi turned his head. Both eyes greeted each other. After everything Tomobi now needed time to think, once it clicked though his thoughts were too quick to catch. Repulsing from the creature he panicked back to the graveled bank, but there was no chase. Blocking his path, it circled around him. Forcing his stinging eyes on the creature he could make out what it was. It was something he had never seen before.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A charcoaled beast that had the searing colours of fires burned on its underside, leading down to muscular talons. Above this ruptured spines ran across its back as they slowly shrunk down to its whipped tail. His mind panicked. His pants were soaked. His body was foaming. It stayed cautious. It was indecisive, but most importantly, it was distant. Both stayed apart from each other, neither sure what to do. The whim of a soaped bath washed over them, but their eyes were kept locked. ¡®Okay, it hasn¡¯t tried anything. Maybe it just wanted to see what was happening. I¡¯ll just take a nice step, breath,¡¯ As he tried to create a steady breath, bubbles would eradicate spawn. The bubbles drifted towards the creatures, dancing around its head until one popped at the edge of their snout. Suddenly standing up it began to chase after the bubbles, childishly following them as they glided around it. Seeing an advantage, Tomobi slowly backed away with his continuous breath. His mind was not as stable, focusing solely on the unexplainable happening before him. But that didn¡¯t matter, all that mattered was blowing enough bubbles to entertain the beast. Though the crackle of dried gravel opposed this, calling the creature out of its soaped trance. Their eyes returning to the other, Tomobi had to wait for it to do anything. ¡°Tomobi,¡± the echoing call traveled to alert both of them. Tomobi recognised Rookie¡¯s voice, whilst the scaled oddity did not, rushing away from the area. ¡°Are you close?¡± ¡°Y-yes Rookie,¡± Tomobi scattered around to hide his tracks, rushing into his shirt. ¡°Just let me get everything,¡± fumbling to carry the rod and bucket he waddled towards the now visible Rookie. ¡°Oh, there you are. You¡¯re soaked,¡± ¡°I tripped when trying to catch a fish,¡± blurting out the lie, Rookie took it and walked along with him away from the river. ¡°You were gone for so long and then it turned dark, not to mention the cret-,¡± her eyes turned to the glow inside Tomobi¡¯s shirt, now realising the quality of Tomobi¡¯s response. ¡°Hey, Tomobi,¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°Take off your shirt,¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°I said take off your shirt. Come on hussle,¡± as he took it off he realised why she ordered him, the pink glow now outlying itself against his green. ¡°Can you explain what this is?¡± Rookie¡¯s voice lost its welcoming tone. ¡°Rookie I can explain,¡± ¡°Then do,¡± Looking up to Rookie showed a changed face. Her eyes were void of her sibling care, her smile killed. ¡°Well, I just got it,¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I found-¡± ¡°Tomobi don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Rookie¡¯s words clawed Tomobi, making him want to run back to face the beast. At least it would be distracted by the bubbles. ¡°You are already in trouble, which I didn¡¯t think was possible from you. Not only did you break a rule, but it is the most important rule. You were supposed to tell us if you found a gift straight away. Hell, what I¡¯m meant to tell Kiorif,¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s just, I never got an opportunity,¡± Seeing him defeated, Rookie looked away for a moment for a change of air. ¡°Take it out,¡± knowing nothing could help him, Tomobi went to take it out. As it left him his body calmed itself as if losing a piece of himself he never knew he had. ¡°Thanks Tomobi,¡± but as soon as she looked at his defeated face she cracked. ¡°Damit, why do you have to be so adorable. Urgh-Okay, I will still be giving this to Kiorif. But, I¡¯ll tell him that you just found it here. Nothing else okay,¡± ¡°Yes, Rookie,¡± ¡°Good, now. How did you not catch anything,¡± Her lifeless tone was replaced with her usual spunk. ¡°I tried but I¡¯m not really good at it,¡± ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about it, once we can catch a break I¡¯ll show you how. Reminds me of a story about my brother,¡± The two continued the story as they walked away from the creature. Though from afar it noticed how the other plated being joining the glowing one. And within its different mind, a confusing plan grew. It changed where it was going to travel. Chapter 14: Pieced Plan The gift was held in Kiorif¡¯s grasp as he looked at the screen of a map, scrolling and dragging his eyes towards different titles of the map. His mind was dreading their next stop, not sure what to do next. ¡°You need to relax, we figure out where to go next,¡± Rookie leaned herself on him, poking his cheeks. Though he wanted to disagree, his stinging eyes found this as a reasonable excuse to leave the screen. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit Kiorif. Come on, we are up for the next shift,¡± Outside though had its own draining issues. Still given a wall of silence, Kiorif ignored the quiet eyes as he passed the varied livestock. ¡°Hey, how are you doing with the data?¡± ¡°It was tough, to begin with, now the fight and this gift aren¡¯t helping our image. We may need to spend more time here,¡± ¡°How about I ask them? I¡¯m fine with most of them,¡± ¡°Do you know what to ask?¡± Rookie paused in motion. ¡°Uh, no. But it shouldn¡¯t be that hard,¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It isn¡¯t just asking what their favourite colour is,¡± ¡°Mine is purple,¡± Rookie spat out. ¡°Rookie,¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Okay, I¡¯m serious now, seriously. So what do I have to ask?¡± ¡°We need tribe numbers, the technology they use, how they act around humans, how they act with each other,¡± ¡°This sounds like a lot,¡± ¡°It is a lot Rookie, which is why I¡¯m the one asking. We need to collect basically anything we can find about them. I mean they shouldn¡¯t even be living here in the first place,¡± ¡°Maybe keep your voice lower about your opinions,¡± Rookie eyed some VitaNavs who paused for a moment distant from them. But looking back Kiorif walked off. ¡°Hey wait, so what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°The same thing you always do Rookie, shoot any problems. And right now one problem is whatever is running around this place,¡± Rookie was left behind as Kiorif returned to his guarding pattern, following an invisible path. Rookie wanted to block him, but she couldn¡¯t challenge him. Returning to her own path, she stayed alert for any problems.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. *** Tomobi wasn¡¯t sure what to do. He needs to tell somebody about the creature, one that could be the problem of Spoon¡¯s farm. But there was one small problem. He no longer had the gift. Sprout and Nana were the only ones who knew about the gift. And all the possibilities of what could¡¯ve happened next made his stomach knot. ¡°Tomobi,¡± the voice he didn¡¯t want to hear was right behind him. Sprout showed a half-smile under her drooping eyes. ¡°You good?¡± ¡°Uh, yes,¡± ¡°Good. So, what was it like using a gift for the first time?¡± She got closer to him with a sprouting smile. ¡°It felt,¡± What did it feel like to him? He couldn¡¯t use the right words to describe it, or even if there were any. ¡°Well,¡± ¡°It felt, different,¡± ¡°That¡¯s all? Different?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t describe it,¡± ¡°Alright, but what did it do?¡± Now he didn¡¯t worry about that, but now it hammered itself along with the lost gift. How would Sprout react? He didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I don¡¯t have it anymore,¡± ¡°What?¡± Sprout¡¯s smile wilted from Tomobi¡¯s blurt. He knew not to do that again. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t have it anymore?¡± ¡°Well it is complicated,¡± Seeing the stress streaking across his face, Sprout took a soothing breath and calmed from her quick spike. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go inside so you can explain,¡± A wise choice as to when Tomobi explained what had happened, the gift, the beast, Rookie, all of it was lifted from Tomobi and placed on Sprout. Her expression made it seem she balanced it well. ¡°And then that lead to you asking about everything and I panicked,¡± ¡°Ah, okay,¡± ¡°Thanks, Sprout, I¡¯m surprised you handled everything,¡± Tomobi had a nervous chuckle. ¡°Oh no I¡¯m freaking out,¡± she dropped everything explained to her. her expression didn¡¯t match this, but Tomobi saw her eyelids rose slightly, so maybe that was a sign. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m good now. So what we need to do is tell everyone about everything. Then we can go deal with the creature. But first,¡± She stood up, grabbing Tomobi¡¯s arm. ¡°We need to get your gift back. Where is Kiorif?¡± ¡°Hang on, we can¡¯t just ask him for it back,¡± ¡°Sure you can, we just need to convince him to do it though. Now come on,¡± Tomobi sheepishly followed after Sprout as she began her search for the treasure, collecting her tools for the quest. And as they ventured out of the safety and view of the farm, where the creature now acted out its plan. Tomobi didn¡¯t know what made him more nervous, the silence of their walk or what Sprout had with her. A shovel was carried with her, along with a small bag jumping against her body, with a faint glow that allured Tomobi. ¡°So you made soap?¡± Sprout¡¯s question snapped him out of the trance. ¡°Y-yeah it did,¡± ¡°Well, it ain¡¯t the weirdest thing I¡¯ve heard. And from what you told me about it you handled it pretty well for somebody who ain¡¯t use to them,¡± ¡°Really,¡± Tomobi still felt unsure about the bubbles but something told him Sprout was to raise his ego. ¡°Oh yeah. I remember Nana only let me get to use a gift a couple years younger than you. I was given Root, cause a lot of problems I did that day,¡± ¡°What does Root do?¡± ¡°Right I should¡¯ve taken a guess, given all the gifts'' simple names. Too much effort just describing them, I¡¯ll tell you what when we get back I might show you,¡± ¡°You still have it?¡± ¡°Course. When Nana gives you a gift you take it, can¡¯t trade or return it. Whatever gift Nana gave you, you would use it, not like gifts fall from the sky,¡± ¡°No, I guess not,¡± ¡°Anyways I think I found who we are looking for,¡± far ahead they saw the silhouette of Kiorif. ¡°Get ready to defend yourself, cause I¡¯m only gonna be starting it,¡± ¡°Wait what? Sprout I don¡¯t know-¡± The two paced steadily towards Kiorif, all whilst the creature moved to its next step as it picked up the pace. Chapter 15: Pieced Mess Kiorif noticed Sprout and Tomobi reaching closer to him, unsure what they wanted he began a slow pace towards them. A faint rustle did catch his attention, so he picked up his pace. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°We need to talk about Tomobi¡¯s gift, that¡¯s what we need,¡± Kiorif relaxed for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that right now. We¡¯ll talk about this later,¡± As he turned away, Sprout pushed Tomobi forward. ¡°Come on,¡± Whispering encouragement Tomobi finally spoke. ¡°Um, actually Kiorif it can¡¯t,¡± Sprout supported him but she did pause for a moment as she saw Kiorif turn around. ¡°Tomobi, do you remember the rules that I gave you when we left?¡± ¡°Uh, yes,¡± ¡°I told you that I might be lenient with them, but one of them I wouldn¡¯t be. And that was you would tell us about any gifts you get your hands on,¡± ¡°I know but-¡± ¡°But nothing, you¡¯ve followed the rule so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems,¡± Sprout let out a faint huff to express her problem with Kiorif, though he didn¡¯t care. Kiorif went to turn around when Tomobi spoke out. ¡°I wanna use the gift,¡± This comment distracted the sound of the closer rustling as he glared at the VitaNav below him. ¡°Excuse me? You want to use this gift?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± When looking at Kiorif¡¯s eyes, Tomobi felt a sense of danger. ¡°Now you listen here-¡± Kiorif¡¯s growl was drowned by a deep below synced with the clashing of crushing grass. The creature revealed itself to all three of them, though it focused on only Kiorif. ¡°Shit,¡± Kiorif pointed his weapon whilst the creature showed its, the barrel of a gun against rows of fangs. ¡°Tomobi get back,¡± Sprout pulled Tomobi back, grabbing a gift which she planted in her arm. The creature didn¡¯t like this as it hissed at them, hammering its foot into the soil. Kiorif responded to the signal, firing at the creature. The bullet flew into the creature''s hide. As the gun calmed the beast was enraged. The last string snapped. The beast launched itself on Kiorif, pinning him to the ground. Under the weight of the creature, his gun now turned shield to the beast. But its cracking showed it was weakening. Pinning Kiorif to the ground it roared out at him, jaws crawling out of its throat as it snapped at him. Jaws getting closer to Kiorif¡¯s head, scratching against his checks. The crack of a whip was introduced to the song of the battle, with the creature forcing itself off. With Tomobi helping him up, Kiorif saw as Sprout attempted to fight back the beast. Her arm branching out as her fingers grew out as roots, lashing against the creature. However, she still was overpowered. The creature grabbed a hold of her lumbered arm, and began to rip at her bark. It held her head down to muffle her screams as it lashed out again and again, trying to find her true arm.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Another coughing roar was launched at it again. Pausing its mauling, it saw the armored being with its object smoking. But it was still pointed at it. Going for another roar another shot was fired. Knowing that this was a failed plan the creature rushed off back into the grass, not before giving one last glare at Tomobi. And he was the only one who was not scratched. *** ¡°Man Lillia is gonna kill me,¡± Spoon held medical equipment as the doctor patched her wounds. ¡°Calm down Spoon. It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± Sprout took calm breaths as her wounds were soaked and patched. ¡°Hey Doc couldn¡¯t we have just had Marcus quickly patch Sprout up. You know, gift magic,¡± ¡°For the last time Spoon, Marcus already has enough to deal with as a real doctor,¡± The doctor snapped at Spoon, leaving Spoon to shut up and pout. ¡°And him using the gift can get tiring, so I ain¡¯t going to waste his time with small things. Like these small scratches. No offense dear,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Doc, I¡¯m more worried for Tomobi,¡± meanwhile in the room opposite the medicinal VitaNav, Marcus, was looking at Kiorif¡¯s wounds. ¡°First it was the girl with the toads now we have you with the beast. Are all Earth Bound reckless,¡± he mocked as he instead used his gift to close up Kiorif¡¯s wounds. Kiorif wanted to say something but Rookie cut herself in. ¡°We¡¯re sorry sir, just not use to dealing with this stuff,¡± ¡°Well, the supposed government is to blame for that. Dumping us all on the moon with the freakshows around here,¡± Marcus continued to ramble on as he pulled himself a sandwich, ripping through the bread. ¡°Like last I checked we are sentient and we are treated as tools, and you heard about their passion project. What absolute hypocrites, especially in that VitaNavs aren¡¯t allowed in politics,¡± Marcus continued his rambling as the three of them still waited for their report. ¡°Um doctor, what about Kiorif?¡± Rookie finally spoke out, which plugged Marcus¡¯ rant. ¡°Oh right, well you¡¯ll still be a little bruised. But as far as I¡¯ve checked the bite marks should be fine, maybe a little mark on your checks, but otherwise, you should be fine. And,¡± Marcus sighed. ¡°I would ask for payment again but considering how the government failed you too. I mean how could you throw people here with no money,¡± ¡°Doctor,¡± ¡°Oh right. Ah, I¡¯ll just wait till you get some cash in your pocket and I¡¯ll come to snatch it. Otherwise, if anything happens with your body come to us and we¡¯ll check it,¡± There was a stilled silence as they all reached back to the farm, which displaced this with its own uproar. VitaNavs and People alike were bickering over each other, with Spoon lowering their voices. ¡°Hey, hey, hey. What is with all the arguing?¡± one VitaNav stepped forward, throwing down a shovel ¡°Well we¡¯ve seen the creature, so we are out,¡± ¡°Hold on, out? Are you serious?¡± ¡°We are going to have a debate about it with the rest of the tribe,¡± ¡°Cause we finally saw it?¡± ¡°We told you that there was something dangerous once you nearly lost some of your goats. Now not only has it attacked us, but one of our tribe members. We going to find somewhere safer,¡± ¡°To where? You were fine with all the basilisks and dromeo-toads running around, but not one overgrown lizard,¡± ¡°They don¡¯t stay so close to us for so long,¡± Spoon brought back the volume as he joined the argument, with a handful of dirt being thrown at him. Chapter 16: Turning Point Tomobi sat uncomfortably in the living room with Kiorif facing him, whilst the Spoon and Sprout mobbed behind him. Rookie was tough to talk to, Sprout was embarrassing to talk to, but Kiorif, Kiorif was going to be terrifying to talk to. ¡°So you broke the only rule that I told you that was important, used it, encountered the problem at this place, failed to tell us, and then tell me that I should bend my own rule,¡± Tomobi could only look at the floor as he felt his body burn slightly. ¡°Well I-'''' he couldn¡¯t piece a sentence together as he looked up, Kiorif¡¯s eyes were void of emotion. Tomobi fell into silence once again. ¡°I thought so. Which means that until you can say something that could actually help us you are going to stay here to not cause any more problems. So how about you do something you are good at and go make us something to eat,¡± Kiorif left the weight of those words for everyone else in the room, they wanted to say something but could not find the right words either. That is except Rookie who went after Kiorif. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Rookie stormed over him, though his focus was only on his damaged gun. ¡°You can¡¯t say that to a ki-¡± ¡°Rookie enough,¡± Kiorif stood over Rookie. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he is a kid, or if things have changed, or any other excuse you can pull. The mission is more important than the feelings of one individual,¡± his unwavering voice could be heard inside as well, with the remaining two looking over to see what could happen. ¡°So if that individual puts us in a compromise for the mission then it becomes our problem. And in case you haven¡¯t seen, we have little money because he couldn¡¯t help you, we are right now working for some farmers. And the final nail in the coffin is that we now might not be able to continue because my gun got broken by the same thing he didn¡¯t tell us about,¡± Rookie remained unfazed from this. ¡°We can figure something out,¡± ¡°No we can¡¯t, it''s not like earth. There is no backup or no repairs, no calling out. We are on our own until we finish this mission. Now let me try to fix this,¡± Kiorif sat back down to tinker with his gun, though Rookie still stayed beside him. ¡°Are you talking about the gun or your plan?¡± Kiorif paid no more attention to her. Spoon and Sprout both ran towards the couch to hide their knowledge of the argument. Once inside Rookie looked over to Spoon and sighed, joining them on the couch. ¡°Man we¡¯ve only been here for a couple of weeks and we are already dying,¡± ¡°Oh come on, it isn¡¯t that bad,¡± Spoon¡¯s words had no impact as Rookie looked at him with doubt. ¡°We need to get rid of that creature,¡± ¡°Easier said than done. We¡¯ve been trying to do that before you guys reached here, what makes you think it will be done?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Wow Spoon, for somebody who tried to just cheer me up, you sure didn¡¯t know when to,¡± As they continued to debate, Tomobi paid little attention to it. Kiorif¡¯s words broke down all the progress he had for the past couple of days. With Kiorif, with Sprout, with Rookie, with even the creature. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have any bait to lure it out, besides it¡¯s seen Kiorif so maybe it¡¯ll leave?¡± ¡°Yeah but you two aren¡¯t going to stay here forever, sooner or later it might come back or worse, bring more,¡± ¡°We can try to figure something out,¡± Spoon Sprout and Rookie leave to prepare a strategy, leaving Tomobi on the couch in the empty room. And whilst his body stayed motionless, his mind ran a mile. ¡®This stupid loop,¡¯ his thoughts clawing inside him. ¡®Why do I always move back when I try something different,¡¯ he didn¡¯t know what to do, he wanted to yell, fight or at least do something to calm the fight inside of him. The phone glowed with temptation once more. This time, no one would interfere. ¡®I¡¯ve caused enough trouble, I should just leave before I cause more,¡¯ But another thought slashed at him. ¡®Am I just going to leave them though?¡¯ he pulled himself away from the thought of home and looked beyond the window. Outside Rookie was chatting with Sprout and Spoon openly and free, and he wanted that. His eyes even turned over towards Kiorif sitting afar, still toying with his broken gun. A childish thought came to mind. ¡®I might as well try to help them,¡¯ Now abandoning the phone he went outside to join the conversation. ¡°Sprout, do you have anything that could help?¡± Sprout had a moment for thoughts. ¡°I actually do have my own that you could use. Just wait a moment,¡± Sprout left while Tomobi joined. ¡°Great, how about you Spoon?¡± ¡°I think we do have some old guns in the barn, see if we still have any slugs,¡± ¡°Perfect try to find them too,¡± Spoon also began his own scavenger hunt. ¡°Tomobi do you have any weapons-sorry-I-got-caught-in-the-moment. Let me restart, what do you need, Tomobi?¡± ¡°What can I help with,¡± Tomobi kept a calm composure whilst Rookie had a sense of confusion. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± ¡°No really I want to, I have to make up for what happened,¡± a sense of surprise sparked in Rookie. ¡°Really? You really want to make up for what you did?¡± a small, sly, smile grew across her face. ¡°Cause it¡¯s gonna have to be a lot,¡± ¡°If it means I can help fix this then-¡± ¡°No time for self-growth, go and apologise to everyone,¡± ¡°Wait what?¡± ¡°You heard me,¡± Rookie raised her voice. ¡°I let the gift thing slide, but you messed up by not telling us about the creature. Now go tell everybody in the farm you are sorry about it, NOW SOLDIER,¡± Rookie¡¯s bark had Tomobi running about to follow her order. Pausing the time of each person to apologise for his actions. Rookie had a small laugh as she looked over to Kiorif, noticing how he heard her yell. ¡°How is fixing things?¡± Rookie cooled the fire she had with Tomobi. Kiorif focused on fixing the gun, before finally grunting a response. ¡°Not good, turns out the gun hasn¡¯t just cracked but now it has been crushed. Has a bent that makes it harder for bullets to fly,¡± ¡°So more likely to get jammed?¡± Rookie sat down next to Kiorif. ¡°And less likely to shoot,¡± now Kiorif relaxed his body. ¡°Things are becoming a mess,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, you''ve just had to carry a lot. Now we Sprout and Spoon are gonna help us with that,¡± ¡°What about Tomobi?¡± Both looked over as he talked to one of the VitaNav workers and were surprised to see him get chased off. ¡°I¡¯m making say sorry,¡± ¡°You are punishing him?¡± Kiorif now had that sense of surprise. ¡°You were sorta right, just a smidge bit. I couldn¡¯t let him get away with everything. He did say that he was open to whatever we told him?¡± to add to the change of emotion Kiorif did give a faint smile. ¡°I suppose I can see what you are trying to do,¡± ¡°That would be nice, can I try to see what¡¯s wrong with the gun,¡± Kiorif passed the gun to her as he finally took in a deep breath. Chapter 17: Setting Up An odd pile was spread across the table with all eyes focused on it, but it exactly wasn¡¯t a sight to see. Two rifles, one broken, a couple of shotguns, slugs fewer, some gifts, most were taken and tools with the facade as weapons. ¡°So I would say that we have a pretty good layout,¡± Rookie¡¯s dry comment was not quenched. ¡°Hang on we¡¯ve got some that are actually good,¡± Sprout placed down an odd contraption that looked old and new, being a mismatched crossbow and gun, mixed with plastic, wood, and metal. ¡°Hello,¡± Rookie looked excited as she got a hold of it, getting a feel of the alien weapon. ¡°Now what is this?¡± ¡°Guns are rare for open places and aren¡¯t allowed for VitaNavs, so many tribes have been looking for substitutes. This is one of the most effective ones created,¡± Sprout placed bullet mimics onto the tables as well. ¡°I call it the ¡®VitaGun¡¯, hey? Pretty good name right,¡± Spoon burst out, with only Rookie replying with a smile, everyone else keeping silent. ¡°It can¡¯t shoot as far as your guns, but at close range, it doesn¡¯t have to. Plus fixing it shouldn¡¯t be as hard nor should it have that much of a recoil, and while these metal points should be used the right stone can be a weak substitute,¡± Kiorif also took a turn with the VitaGun ¡°But is it enough to handle what we are dealing with?¡± Sprout looked at Kiorif for a moment with tension. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± an underwhelming comment had Spoon snorting. ¡°Sorry this is meant to be serious, I¡¯ll go get everybody else,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± Sprout and Spoon left the two of them to get their recruits while Tomobi came back with faint huffing. ¡°Tomobi, you¡¯re back,¡± Rookie smiled as she passed the VitaGun to Kiorif. ¡°Do you now know the problems of hiding stuff?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes,¡± ¡°So you can say that to us,¡± Rookie¡¯s and Kiorif¡¯s eyes stabbed into him, his body told him to look away, but his mind stayed hooked to theirs. ¡°Ye-yes. I know it was stupid to not tell you two about what I saw. But I promise I will make up for it, I said I would join you two and I¡¯ll make sure that it won¡¯t be as trouble,¡± a faint squeak scurried out of Rookie but she kept most of her composure, whilst Kiorif looked away. ¡°Then set up some seats for us please, people are coming over,¡± The tone was strict, softer, but still strict. Tomobi followed through as he started to fit in the pieces of the seated puzzle.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Sprout and Spoon came back with many of the local farmers and a few VitaNavs. Even Hudson appeared though it had seemed that his temper had not burnt out as he did not acknowledge them as he entered. ¡°Okay we¡¯ve brought everybody, and Lillia,¡± Spoon felt defeated when mentioning Lillia, who magically crushed his foot. She seemed much lighter in colouration, with lime markings covering a marble white body. One thing noticeable was her pair of horns, with one being snapped. ¡°Yes and I am thankful for you inviting me,¡± Spoon bit his lip as Lillia walked past him with Sprout by her side. People sat across the menagerie of chairs, all their attention on the soldiers in front of them. Many were stone-faced, others had animosity. Only Spoon showed any positivity as he smiled childishly at the back. For a brief moment of silence, Rookie volunteered to take the lead, though a faint pink was across her cheeks. ¡°Uh, okay, hi. So it¡¯s pretty obvious why we are all here, it¡¯s about the creature that has been bothering you all and is now our problem because it actually showed its ugly face,¡± a faint chuckle was heard, which Rookie held on to. ¡°And man was it bad, cause not only did we end up with broken gear but also we failed to shoot it. In broad daylight,¡± this shift in tone was welcomed by some who also smiled along with the concept of this failing. ¡°Of course many of you had Tomobi say sorry for this. Some more welcoming mind you, but from it sparked an idea. You all tried to hunt it and it backfired too, then we were told to do it and we failed. This is why Kiorif has thought of a plan that can help give him a round of applause,¡± Kiorif buried his face into his hand as only Spoon clapped along, though looking at the rest of the room slowly killed it. ¡°Rookie that wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± Kiorif muffled, lifting his face. ¡°I know, but these guys aren¡¯t soldiers. Can¡¯t just tell them what to do,¡± she whispered to him as she took the backpedal. ¡°Alright, I know for a fact that you all don¡¯t like me,¡± Kiorif immediately started talking, undoing some of Rookie¡¯s work as few scoffed at this speech. Now Rookie had her hand across her face, not from resting but a small sharp slap. ¡°But we both want to get rid of the creature. And thanks to certain incidents that have occurred recently we suspect that there is a possibility that we can do so,¡± ¡°And how exactly are we supposed to do that?¡± Hudson finally spoke out, not with a condescending tone but with interest with the hope of dealing with the problem. ¡°We have the gear and you have the knowledge. Now we need to trade what we have because you all weren¡¯t open about how much of an issue it was and until then we won¡¯t offer our services,¡± Everybody had a different thought shown on their faces. ¡°Hang on,¡± Hudson opposed. ¡°So we are just to expect that you will leave us because of something we didn¡¯t know,¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve known something, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have made us work,¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± Hudson stood up. ¡°How come you think you can call the shots,¡± ¡°Because you attacked me,¡± ¡°So?¡± Some people were shifting in their seats, ready to see a rematch in a new arena. ¡°Do you know what happens to people who attack the army?¡± Hudson showed the thought across his face. ¡°In case you didn¡¯t know, things can happen. Rookie,¡± ¡°I hate to admit it but it can be a couple years imprisonment. Gets worse on the reason and who to,¡± While Rookie shrunk slightly from this, Kiorif showed a rare smile. ¡°But I do not want to start another fight, we have more important things to talk about,¡± His attention turned to Sprout as Hudson sat defeated in his chair, he didn¡¯t win the rematch. ¡°Sprout, do you know anything about the creature?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I have,¡± She gave a faint shrug. ¡°It was big, like an overgrown monitor drake. Also black and sort¡¯ve armored, it looked so weird,¡± ¡°Right and it launched itself at Kiorif and you when you tried to have Tomobi speak up. Plus when Tomobi was by himself, which isn¡¯t much,¡± and that is when Kiorif thought of another, somewhat cruel, idea. ¡°Actually that might be just what we need,¡± Looking over at Tomobi, he was going to break his own rule. Chapter 18: New Plan Deja Vu struck Tomobi as he sat back at the river, the gift in hand. But things were also different. The day took over the night and his clothing was kept. A bucket was full and he knew what he had to do. He had to lure the beast, feeling a sense of fear he focused on the gift. Placing it back on his body had the same sensation take over, his body felt ecstatic, he felt whole. And knowing what would happen, he distracted himself to see what he could do with the bubbles. The smell of flowers bloomed around him, distracting him from the burdens within his mind. ¡°Aw he looks so cute with the bubbles,¡± Rookie and Kiorif were on the lookout from afar, with Rookie¡¯s eyes glued to a pair of binoculars. ¡°Focus,¡± Kiorif held the only working gun, seeing a blur of what Rookie could see. ¡°Remember, you¡¯re going to-¡± ¡°I know, tell you when to shoot. You''re right, sorry. But it¡¯s just that we don¡¯t know if this is going to work. I mean, I kind of hope it doesn''t,¡± "Well it has to," Tomobi though still tried to focus on his bubbles, as he to grew more and more anxious about the mismatch plan. And the gift tried as it made bubbles that could swallow children, bubbles that could kiss a finger, bubbles floating freely, or even sinking into the water. The sense of a short-lived freedom in them felt unsettling familiar. And a crackle of gravel supported this. Bubbles burst as Tomobi turned to see the creature, now in full daylight and with no others to interrupt. Its black back could no longer hide it under the night and its fired belly now belonged to the sunlit stage, though slightly more drabbed than at first. But its physique still remained unchanged, with its spines and claws not exaggerated. Tomboi kept his breath steady and took a step forward. ''Oh it is here,'' the creature sniffed the air once more, and seeing Tomobi it stopped its pace, cautiously looking about. ¡°Kiorif the creature is in sight, but it¡¯s out of range. Should we change our location?¡± Seeing the creature for the first time, Rookie felt a trickle of worry as it opposed Tomobi. ¡°No, this is a good location as it is. We are relying on it to come to Tomobi,¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No, we are staying here,¡± Rookie bit down on her tongue, Tomobi though felt his heart hammering against his skin.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Not sure what to do he went to the bucket, the creature was just as skittish as him, it taking a step back as it quickly shot a look around. It was not welcoming as it was before, as with Tomobi¡¯s newest step it snapped towards him. Seeing himself at his limit Tomobi lifed the bucket higher, the creature responded with its head raised, exposing its underside with a deep hiss slithering out of its opened jaws. "Kiorif," "Hold," Tomobi''s heart no longer hammered against his skin, it tried to fly out. But he still tried to follow through the plan, he tried to show what was inside the bucket. The hissing lowered, but it still kept its body high and its eyes were now on the bucket. Revealing a fish, the creature went for a step forward. But as Tomobi took a step back it paused and began to take another look around, sniffing the air. ''Wait it might find them,'' Tomobi realising the creature was losing interest he began blowing bubbles towards it while he moved forward. "Tomobi no," Rookie shot herself up and began to move. "Rookie, what is happening?" Kiorif blindly left his position as well and followed her. "He is moving towards it," his blood beginning to bubble, Kiorif sweared under his breath as he ran past Rookie. Tomobi kept moving slowly forward, keeping a steady stream of bubbles to distract it. ''Just need it to get closer,'' and the creature did so, wearingly taking step after step forward. Soon the two were close together, a space between them, but still close. ¡°Hey, are you hungry? Tomobi attempted to tempt it. ¡®Really you¡¯re asking that?¡¯ feeling a knot in his own stomach, he got closer with what had the creature''s focus. Its eyes glued to the bounty. Offering the bucket, the creature gorged into the prize. And with itself now vulnerable Tomobi tried getting closer, soon by its side. His hands were drawn closer and closer to its body. And while a faint kiss with his fingers caused the creature to jolt for a moment, it soon accepted a full embrace from Tomobi¡¯s hand. Getting to feel it felt different to see it, despite its cold cruel skin it was like the fire painted on it, warm to his touch. He could feel the pulse and breath as it did something as simple as eating. His hand did shift as it moved forward into the bucket, tipping it by the water. Turning to Tomobi, it returned its curiosity to him. Now it tried getting a feel, rubbing its scaled head against Tomobi¡¯s body. Not knowing why, but Tomobi still felt obligated to do something. So copying the creature, he began to return the favor with a scratch to the side. A reward the creature had seemingly greatly enjoyed, a faint coo being sung. Although this song was stabbed with footsteps entering the stage. Arriving was Kiorif and Rookie, both gasping for breath whilst focusing on the creature. Another incomplete repeat was to occur. The peaceful coo morphed into a monstrous snarl, the gun was raised with a pistol to support it. ¡°Tomobi, move away from it,¡± Rookie kept her focus on the creature, which snapped at them. ¡°Wait. If I can-¡± ¡°No more Tomobi,¡± Kiorif¡¯s voice was solid and rough. ¡°I get that things had changed but we¡¯ve got it. Now we need to finally deal with this thing,¡± It had seemed that the creature had agreed, with a bellow erupting as it took a step forward. ¡°Now move,¡± Kiorif now took a step forward, a gun cocked. It had all led to this. ¡°WAIT,¡± The creature pushed Tomobi to the side, both soldiers were aimed, a gunshot was heard with a moment of silence. Most importantly, the outcome was not one that was planned. Chapter 19: Splits in Plan The creature was left standing, Kiorif knelled, one bullet had crashed into the ground, another being lost. ¡°ROOKIE WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?¡± Kiorif rose up to pick up the gun in a heff of protest. ¡°WELL LOOK,¡± Rookie snapped back with her free hand towards the creature and Tomobi, and it was an odd sight to see. Tomobi was shielded in full view of the creature, it still snarled whilst leaving itself exposed to what could have happened. Not taking a step further. "Tomobi could''ve got shot," ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. It is a dangerous thing,¡± ¡°So shooting him is not?¡± Kiorif was about to make a comment, but Rookie rashly started walking forward. ¡°Rookie stop,¡± Kiorif ordered whilst she moved closer and closer, the creature seemed to have shared the idea as its focus was on Rookie. It kept still as it snarled towards her, keeping its body closer to Tomobi. ¡°Hey it¡¯s okay, Tomobi is my friend too,¡± Rookie riskily lowered her guard as she continued to move forward, though a hand was close to her hip. "It''s just that you have been scaring people and we need to find out what to do for you," Her hand now isolated from safety reached out the back of the creature. Its back raised for just a moment and grew into a bellow. And when her hand touched it the creature moved back, herding Tomobi as it moved back. ¡°Okay no touchy,¡± Rookie moved back, the creature still stayed on edge whilst Kiorif looked with unwavering focus. Seeing that Rookie won''t try anything else its eyes focused on Kiorif as well, it growled at him. Tomobi was unsure what to do, but he calmly patted the creature. And while it jolted at first, it slowly relaxed. ¡°You like that huh? Tomobi, go scratch that side,¡± in an out-of-place moment, the tension was weakened as they began to message the same beast they were to slay. *** ¡°But his face was absolutely priceless by the end of it,¡± Rookie laughed at the end of her story, with Spoon and Sprout joining in. Though they were the odd ones out, as others were more cautious with the large-scaled monster planted by their farm. The creature was just as cautious, staying close to Tomobi who kept scratching to keep it calm. ¡°Well I was actually expecting some sort of crazy battle story,¡± Spoon lowered his smile slightly to a soft wince.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Speaking of battle,¡± Kiorif reentered the conversation, showing a little emotion under his face. ¡°Where were you? We told you that if we were to do anything you would follow,¡± Spoon and Sprout both looked awkwardly. Though Spoon was brave enough to continue the conversation. ¡°Well, you see,¡± *** Sprout, Spoon, and some others were sitting further behind Rookie and Kiorif. "Alright is everybody ready," Spoon tried rallying the group, which responded with half-hearted cheers and groans. ¡°Great, so what''s the signal again?¡± Spoon didn¡¯t get a response from anybody. ¡°Wait, none of you know?¡± ¡°You don''t either,¡± One of the women snapped back. ¡°Mary you know me, you shouldn¡¯t set the standard high,¡± ¡°That¡¯s for women, not common sense. Now can anybody remember-¡± ¡°Hold up, what are my standards with women?¡± everybody looked away, though one of the VitaNavs spoke out ¡°Spoon don¡¯t take offense, we like you and all. But, you have to admit that you are kinda a perv,¡± Spoon raised his hands in shock. ¡°You¡¯re calling me a pervert, what about 3 weeks ago with Abi you slimeball,¡± The group bickered with each other while Sprout started to rest her head on a thick patch of grass. *** ¡°I had to defend myself, my pride was on the line," Kiorif had a faint twitch in his eyes as Spoon started to sweat. "But hey it¡¯s kinda a good thing that we didn¡¯t interfere, with you guys getting along with it. So, all well end well right Sprout,¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree with that,¡± both moved slightly as Kiorif steamed through his nose. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you all,¡± ¡°Well like we said it¡¯s kinda a good thing right. Everything has been solved, we got the creature,¡± ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t. We need to find out what it is, then what to do with it,¡± ¡°Relax,¡± Spoon boldly cut him off as he placed his hand on Kiorif¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can contact somebody who can take care of it,¡± Spoon pulled his hand back as Kiorif looked over it. ¡°Really?¡± Rookie looked over to Tomobi and the creature. ¡°Thought we could keep it,¡± ¡°No,¡± Kiorif was blunt as he turned to Rookie. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s just a joke. I know it''s not like we can keep it or anything,¡± Rookie brushed it off. ¡°I mean you could,¡± Spoon blurted out, Sprout sharply jabbing his gut. ¡°You serious?¡± Rookie had excitement burst into her eyes, Kiorif had a faint groan instead. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with what he is saying, he''s an idiot,¡± Sprout tried pushing Spoon away but had his hand instead cover her face. ¡°Yeah, you can. I remember a bunch of tribes that have traveled here had got critters with them. And they ha-OWOW¡± Sprout bit on Spoons hand. ¡°Spoon they were different,¡± Sprout finally spoke out. ¡°Those were galliraptors and dromeo-toads. Not giant beasts like that one,¡± ¡°What about those big boars?¡± The two continued their debate while Kiorif kept his eyes on the creature. ¡°It would be a helpful guard,¡± Rookie whispered to Kiorif, who brushed her off. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to pet sit. We need to go find somewhere to restock and fix things,¡± Turning to Sprout and Spoon he separated their scuffle. ¡°Where is the closest place to get my gun fixed,¡± both thought about where a good place to be. ¡°Well anywhere near the capital, they are filled with brainiacs and it is a rich place,¡± Spoon suggested. ¡°And how far is that?¡± ¡°Well it should take you a couple of mont-Oh right,¡± Spoon¡¯s face fell. ¡°Alright, can you say a reasonable place,¡± Kiorif looked over to Sprout. ¡°Hmm,¡± she rubbed her chin to think. ¡°What an outpost or military base? They got weapons and stuff, so they could fix it,¡± ¡°Then I will be using your computer again,¡± Kiorif and Rookie went inside while Tomobi continued to stay by the creature. It cooed and licked his hand in return as it brushed its head against him. Chapter 20: A Home Call Apollo took down notes as his fellow members debated amongst themselves. Unlike his home office or even his bedroom desk, the city council¡¯s table was unified and orderly, the papers aligning with their owner''s bodies. ¡°Cutting costs again?¡± an elderly woman commented as she looked through her papers. ¡°People are already feeling uneasy with the recent instability, now we have to deal with a potential inflation?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t our choice,¡± a younger woman cut her off, her skin paled with a sprinkle of freckles. ¡°The Defence Minister has already announced to the public about the start of another battle with southern tribes, and that requires funding to be taken from somewhere,¡± ¡°Shauna this is directly cutting into our own protection and maintenance. People are still demanding for the walls to get fixed, and now we have to tell them that we can¡¯t because we can¡¯t afford it for another battle,¡± ¡°But at least we still have a wall of sorts,¡± a droopy-eyed middle-aged man butted in. ¡°From what I have heard the farming communities are being hit harder with them now having to directly pay for the security of their resources or to transport it themselves,¡± ¡°And how are they to do that? They are not allowed to use trucks because of what is out there,¡± The elderly woman started to boil. ¡°Well, there has recently been an increase in the trend of using wagons and more simple means,¡± ¡°The Earth has already pushed past us as it is with its technology. We should not be going backward with what we can use and should not be thankful for getting the bare minimum, this isn''t the 1800s,¡± everyone¡¯s mind paced, wondering what they could do. ¡°It doesn¡¯t just have to be violence. Could we try a negotiation?¡± the freckled woman, Shauna, asked. Everyone¡¯s attention turned to Apollo, his shallow breath showing his faith in this. ¡°It is not like we truly could. If you see in a couple more pages, budgets have also been cut from departments related to VitaNavs. This means that we are also lacking resources, many are in fact being let go,¡± Apollo grit his teeth saying this. ¡°Aren¡¯t you part of it,¡± another member called out, many now feeling uncertain for Apollo, however, kept calm. ¡°I¡¯m getting to that, they are providing a small loan to many of us until we can crawl out of this. Fortunately for me because I¡¯m working with the militant report program with the earth soldiers I am being further compensated, along with keeping my position, so I will still be here to help everyone. The more important thing from this cut to the VitaNav departments is that not only are politicians being removed but other members such as the few translators, negotiators, and consultants available. So we technically can¡¯t afford to set up negotiations in the first place,¡± the office was feeling pressure being built up from what they were told.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I know that we are not supposed to be interfering with what is happening without acknowledgment from the Defence Minister but could we try to fund enough money to do so,¡± an individual similar to Apollo in age blurted out. ¡°We could try to make it seem innocent, a fundraiser or a parad-¡± ¡°Li we can not lie to the people about this,¡± Apollo cut Li off. ¡°And besides it isn¡¯t just money. The tribes in question are under the rule of the Aspissis, and they have a long history with fighting humans that I¡¯m sure they want to continue,¡± even more pressure was placed in the room. ¡°So we should move on from this for now and start talking about what we will do about the budget,¡± *** ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how they have cut into your budget,¡± Shauna grumbled as she walked with Apollo out of the building. ¡°Well, there isn¡¯t really anything I could really do,¡± ¡°You could at least make a complaint about it, this is your job we are talking about. Well, I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t rant about it to your VitaNav when you get home,¡± ¡°You mean Tomobi,¡± ¡°Yeah him, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s got a nice meal prepared for you and you can tell him your problems,¡± Apollo had his stomach slightly clench. ¡°Shauna didn¡¯t you know, Tomobi¡¯s not here anymore,¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry for your loss. I didn¡¯t know,¡± Shauna quickly sputtered out. ¡°Wait no, not like that. He¡¯s just not around anymore. He joined those soldiers I was talking about, he¡¯s helping them with cleaning and all those other things,¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± the misunderstanding left an awkward tension between them. ¡°In that case, wanna get something to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I actually have some housework I need to deal with. Maybe some other time,¡± Feeling bad he saw the same smile Shauna always wore. ¡°Yeah, sure. I get it,¡± "Again sorry, I will make it up," Apollo left Shauna with her smile, though once out of sight her smile fell. Though their chat did not pay any more thoughts as he worked around the house furiously. ''Finally getting used to this,'' Apollo thought to himself proudly as he prepared himself a meal. His skills were not in their prime as he added a small charcoaled burn to his food, but he managed. ¡°Delicious,¡± grumbling as his stomach grumbled louder. But a louder call came from the kitchen bench. ¡°Apollo, you are receiving a call from UNKNOWN ID,¡± a tablet rang. ¡°Answer it,¡± his response was just as lifeless as it. ¡°Apollo,¡± Kiorif¡¯s voice came out from, giving him a surge. ¡°Kiorif, how are you,¡± ¡°Fine,¡± ¡°Where is Tomo-¡± ¡°He is alright, now where is the nearest military outpost,¡± Apollo now understood the call. ¡°Oh right, actually before that did you collect any data about any VitaNav tribes?¡± ¡°We have collected data about a tribe close to Fresh-Root, I am scanning it now so it should be sent later,¡± ¡°That is fine. Now I do not know the exact locations of the outposts, however, I can get into contact with somebody who could message you later. So just give me a couple of hours and you should be fine,¡± ¡°Good now I will let you do that,¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Apollo felt a small knot in his stomach. ¡°Can I talk to Tomobi for a moment,¡± there was a silent pause between the two of them. ¡°No, he is busy helping pack things away. Now is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°U-uh, no,¡± Apollo felt defeated. ¡°Good, also could you try to find an animal expert or a scientist of sorts,¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We just need to check up on something,¡± ¡°I guess,¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Kiorif hung up without a second thought, leaving Apollo to his own. And looking at the one empty plate on the table, it was not the only one alone. Chapter 21: Picking Up Tomobi packed the last of their baggage as a faint wisp of flowers entered the room. ¡°You¡¯re Tomobi right?¡± turning he saw Lillia at the entrance, this time with a calmer and softer smile. ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°And you¡¯re finished?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°Can you say anything other than yes?¡± ¡°Ye-,¡± Tomobi cut himself while Lillia laughed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m just teasing, come on Nana wants to say some things before you leave tomorrow,¡± Tomobi felt a drop, Sprout knew about the issue with the gift. ¡®Did she tell Nana?¡¯ That thought followed him as he followed Lillia. ¡°You know Sprout has been talking a lot about you lately,¡± Lillia started a chat. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s told me about how impressed she is with you and everything,¡± Tomobi had that lifting his soul as he saw Nana sitting on Spoon¡¯s sofa. ¡°Tomobi, it''s good to see you. Come sit,¡± he felt stiff as he sat next to her, she looked at Lillia and eyed the door. ¡°Ah well I need to go deal with something, Nana,¡± no sooner did Lilla leave the two of them Nana started talking. ¡°So how was the gift, as from what I heard it must have helped with the beast outside,¡± Tomobi kept silent for a moment. ¡°Well spit it out boy,¡± ¡°It, it was different,¡± he tried to piece the right words together. ¡°Not what you were expecting?¡± she looked over with a smug smile. ¡°Trust me when I say that it is quite helpful. One thing humans think about us is that all our gifts are dangerous weapons so we brute force things. But, some of the most powerful ones were ones that required a little thinking. You¡¯ve already shown it,¡± thinking about the creature Tomobi did have a sense of pride blooming in him. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. But Kiorif-¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t be a stooge to that stick. If you actually speak your mind you will for sure get your gift back. And you will have to,¡± her tone shifted, placing a hand on his. ¡°The little trouble you had before coming here will be nothing compared to the open world. They¡¯re going to be bigger, and you will see way more once people become a rare sight,¡± Tomobi absorbed her words like a sponge.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°And don¡¯t trust all you meet. Violence seems to be something that humans and vitanavs have in common, especially in more desperate areas,¡± Kiorif¡¯s stopped the flow of words as he barged in. ¡°Tomobi we¡¯re going now,¡± ¡°Could I have a few more words,¡± Nana asked, but her tone showed she wasn¡¯t asking. ¡°You¡¯ve had your conversation, besides the sooner we leave the better,¡± leaving Nana grunted. ¡°Well don¡¯t forget what I said, also do me a favour and bite back at him a bit as you travel. Can¡¯t have him walk over you,¡± *** The three of them waved off to Sprout and Spoon at the end of Fresh-Root, with data collected and some extra baggage with them. ¡°Good luck,¡± Sprout faintly cheered, though Spoon¡¯s call was louder. ¡°Don¡¯t die,¡± Rookie chuckled as Tomobi followed closely behind her. Kiorif meanwhile kept an eye behind him, as the creature followed them at a distance. ¡®Well it¡¯s not like we tried putting it somewhere. We just can¡¯t hold it,¡¯ Spoon¡¯s words still annoyed him as the creature followed too. Like a lost puppy, it kept its eyes on wherever Tomobi stepped, following his steps closely as possible. Even with the path changing from cobble mixed dirt to a batter asphalt it still followed. This kept Kiorif on edge, not allowing the creature to come near. But every time it did he tried to scare it off and it would still stay. Even as they rested it would be in their line of sight, with their eyes on the creature. ¡°Say Kiorif where are we heading next?¡± Rookie trying to break the tension. ¡°Well if we stick to the road and keep moving south for a couple more weeks we should see an outpost that would most likely fix the gun. In the meantime, Apollo has sent the locations of another city and a couple of towns, so there could be a chance that we could fix the guns there instead,¡± ¡°And the outpost?¡± ¡°We would still need to go there, give in reports we find in the meantime, and possibly stock up on other resources,¡± ¡°How about our money issue?¡± ¡°I managed to get us some from the military report program, though more could be nice. Apollo still hasn¡¯t thought of any ideas yet, but we should manage better for now,¡± Tomobi finished their conversation as he gave them their bowls to enjoy. Even the creature got a whiff of the cooking and looked over to them, only to notice Kiorif¡¯s eyes meeting its. ¡°I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s still following us,¡± Rookie spat out as she ate, with it resting out of range from their campfire kitchen. ¡°Thought it would just run off, or pick a fight,¡± All their attention was now on it, each having questions about it. ¡°I mean it just seems so weird like I remember one time one of my aunts found a baby roo and raised it for a bit till they could find it a home. Even now it will sometimes come home with joeys and show it off to her, they¡¯re so cute. Hang on, I think I¡¯ve got a photo,¡± Kiorif still had his own thoughts about it. He thought about all the times it showed itself and his eyes turned to Tomobi. Tomobi had his attention on the creature, sometimes missing his spoon to the bowl. Then at the creature as it laid in their sight, keeping its own eyes on them. ¡®I wonder,¡¯ ¡°Tomobi I want you to go to that thing,¡± Rookie stopped her search, and Tomobi dropped his spoon. ¡°Huh?¡± Rookie called out, getting closer to him. ¡°You said that it was weird, obviously one factor is how it acts around Tomobi. So I want to see something,¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know how it will act now. Plus didn¡¯t Tomobi have the gift with h-¡± Kiorif covered Rookie¡¯s mouth with his hand. Seeing some excitement from Tomobi with the mention of the gift he wanted to kill that out. ¡°You won¡¯t be using your gift,¡± He wanted to keep that gift away from Tomobi for as long as possible, wishing they could have given it to someone else. ¡°Ignore her and go to it. If it does anything we will be ready,¡± following Kiorif, Tomobi started to get close to the creature again. Keeping a steady pace and breath he was now next to the creature. Chapter 22: Natural Oddity Since they continued their travels they had separated themselves from it. It was fine with the tall ones being ahead, but the smaller one was also not allowed near it. It wanted another scratch and smell that sweet, soft scent. Even as they rested it was not allowed near them, making food that smelt alien with their looks on it. Though now the small one started heading towards it, but with a lack of that sweet scent. Unlike before with eyes bursting with curiosity and life, they instead were emotionless and calm. From their end Rookie kept her attention on Tomobi, Kiorif was more focused on the beast. ¡®Let¡¯s see if you still like scratches,¡¯ Keeping this small positivity Tomobi reached his hand out once more against its scale. The ground faintly vibrated as the creature further dug itself into the dirt. ¡°Oh that¡¯s good,¡± Rookie calmed herself and took in a heavy breath. ¡°Seems like it is actually fine with him even now,¡± Kiorif¡¯s test only brought more questions. ¡°If that¡¯s the case I know the next thing we gotta do with the creature,¡± Rookie moved her bowl away. ¡°What is that?¡± Kiorif felt dumb for asking her. ¡°Gotta name our new pet,¡± Kiorif felt dumber for asking her. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get attached to it,¡± ¡°Already trying,¡± Rookie went off to the two of them, once catching their attention the creature stopped its humming and glared at her. ¡°Hey, don''t mind me. Remember I¡¯m the friendly soldier, I didn¡¯t try to shoot you or see you as a monster,¡± but a humming snarl told her to back off. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± She stopped herself and stood awkwardly between the two of them and Kiorif, after which the creature returned to its happy humming. ¡°Looks like it doesn¡¯t remember you were friendly enough,¡± Kiorif mocked behind her. Rookie copied his words in a quiet, childish tone. She thought of ways to get closer to them. ¡°Hey Tomobi, any way to get it closer?¡± Seeing Rookie¡¯s attempt, Tomobi tried. Getting up Tomobi walked closer towards her until he felt a small tug. The creature gently nibbled on Tomobi¡¯s clothes, looking into his eyes with a soft gaze. ¡°Uh, well you see I gotta go to-¡± The creature paid no attention as it dragged him calmly back to itself, seating him beside it. It wasn¡¯t done with Tomobi. ¡°Ah, well,¡± Rookie looked a little annoyed at this. ¡°That, that is bullshit,¡± while she was annoyed, Kiorif got a little worried about it. Tomobi tried again, unclenching its maw and pacing towards Rookie.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Immediately it tried to go after him, rising up and slowly following him. Tomobi tried ignoring it, but it went to grab him once more. This time Rookie intervened. ¡°No, drop it,¡± Rookie shot with a stern tone. It wasn¡¯t aggressive, but it stepped back and let go. Everyone was shocked. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think that would work,¡± Rookie moved closer to them, the creature still unsure it shifted. ¡°Okay, stay still. I¡¯m going to pat you and figure out a name,¡± She paced towards the creature, keeping calm and allowing her to get near it. ¡°Pats?¡± it arched its body away from her hand. ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m gonna be closer to you from now on. After all, Tomobi is my friend too,¡± While Rookie tried talking to the creature, Kiorif thought of what had happened. ¡®Could it follow basic commands?¡¯ a growl interrupted this. Though this time it was not from the jaws, but from the stomach. ¡°Looks like somebody spent a little too much time eyeing Tomobi,¡± Rookie chuckled. ¡°Come on,¡± it surprisingly followed slowly behind her. ¡°Tomobi made us some nice, fresh stew. You¡¯re gonna love it,¡± Rookie grew a small smile from the whiff of the pot, though it snorted and moved away. ¡°Wha-how could you not like this?¡± it huffed and began to breathe deeply. Its tongue stuck out and it began to move off. ¡°Should we follow it?¡± Rookie got closer to her gear as it moved further away. ¡°Give it a moment, if it doesn¡¯t come back sooner or later we can deal with it,¡± Kiorif seemed surprisingly relaxed with his response. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re letting go off. You¡¯re getting soft,¡± Rookie grew a smug look as she shifted through her sac. ¡°No, the opposite Rookie. Things have changed,¡± Kiorif returned to his stern voice. ¡°So you¡¯re hard-wait. Forget what I said,¡± Rookie spat out, Kiorif sighing. ¡°Rookie listen to me, this thing-¡± ¡°Scales,¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Well, we still need a name for it. No? Ah, no matter. It¡¯s a work in progress,¡± ¡°As I was saying, this thing is not normal, even with the standard of the other freakshows. Not only has followed us and is showing a near-obsession with Tomobi in such a short time, but also managed to understand your commands,¡± Tomobi cleaned up their lunch, but his head was getting messy. ¡°But it isn¡¯t that weird right? They were made by us so they should have some brains and be used to us, so maybe it goes for VitaNavs too? Plus aren¡¯t most of them originally fighting animals, so they should understand basic commands,¡± Rookie caught on to Kiorif¡¯s curiosity, with her cogs turning as well. ¡°Not all of them were made to be smart, I believe some of them were meant to be fodder animals, like the toads from before. There is also the fact that those who could understand human commands existed centuries ago, most of the things we see are technically feral. So that would mean either their ability to follow orders is ingrained in them or,¡± Kiorif had a shot of worry hit him. ¡°Or is it something else?¡± Things had become further complicated. Kiorif and Rookie continued to think while Tomobi finished packing up the last of things. ¡°Well, could I try to help?¡± Both looked over at him, both having different looks. ¡°Tomobi, I¡¯m happy that you wanna help but it¡¯s best not to try anything with it. Like it¡¯s great that it¡¯s friendly with you, but we don¡¯t know what would happen if you pry. Not saying that you¡¯re annoying but-¡± Kiorif raised his hand to cut Rookie off. ¡°If you are to help you have to take a risk, we don¡¯t know what it could do and what could happen if you get it mad. Although you are so far the only thing that can get close to it,¡± ¡°Kiorif,¡± Rookie wanted to say more. ¡°If you are going to spend more time with it, make sure at least one of us can keep an eye on you two,¡± Kiorif continued to cut her off. ¡°And if you need anything within reason, I may consider it. As long as it benefits us,¡± Tomobi continuously nodded to this. After their little talk, the creature came back, a rabbit of sorts as its prize. Though dead, its ears glowed in markings of reds, purples, and blues. Sprawling towards them, it sat by Tomobi¡¯s side. ¡°So does it want us to cook it?¡± Rookie¡¯s question was soon answered by a sharp crunch and a spit of blood. Chapter 23: Rule Changer Now with Tomobi being allowed to be closer, the stiff tension was now drowned by invasive demands, solely from Tomobi. With any chance given, the creature would push against Tomobi until it got what it wanted, whether it was a scratch, a raw snack or just wanting to stay close. ¡°This is bullshit,¡± Rookie was left behind with Kiorif. ¡°It is getting way too handsy with Tomobi, it¡¯s basically all over him,¡± ¡°I see it too,¡± Kiorif still felt uneasy from its abilities, and now seeing a wild animal show so much affection seemed unnatural. ¡°Like how come it gets away with all those hugs,¡± Now Rookie¡¯s jealousy was shown. ¡°Well, you wanted to keep it,¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know it was going to be so needy,¡± looking over they saw the creature pushing its head against Tomobi, who had to give it another hug. ¡°Lucky,¡± Rookie bit down on her fist in jealousy. ¡°Calm down,¡± Tomobi meanwhile was being pushed about in front. The creature¡¯s freedom allowed it to constantly want attention, which Tomobi could only give so much of. ¡°Okay I gave you a hug, but we¡¯ve gotta go and move,¡± Trying to walk away but it would just push closer. Rookie was ready to lash forward but Kiorif had to hold her back. ¡°Tomobi,¡± Kiorif got both their attention. ¡°We are going to take a break,¡± sitting down was a rare thing for them, with meals and sleeping being the main time they did. As Tomobi sat down, the creature smothered against him. Rookie took in a deep breath while Kiorif remained calm. ¡°Tomobi we gotta talk about it,¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Tomobi felt unsure about what he did, the creature just laid beside him. ¡°The thing, it-¡± ¡°It is way too personal,¡± Rookie shot out. ¡°Rexy is practically on top of you,¡± She looked over to the issue in question, no response. ¡°Anyways,¡± Kioirif took back the conversation. ¡°It is being quite close to you. And while there aren¡¯t any real problems now,¡± Rookie was about to object but Kiorif gave a quick glance to quiet her. ¡°But it may become a problem once we meet other people, or more importantly if it becomes aggressive. Because you have seen what it could do,¡± Remembering its fight with Kiorif and Sprout, it contrasted the attention-seeking soul beside him.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°So we may have to separate you for n-'''' Now the creature cut Kiorif off as it huffed and placed a claw on Tomobi¡¯s lap, staring down Kiorif. ¡°How clingy,¡± Kiorif kept his tone, but he started to overthink. `Could it know more than commands?¡± Kiorif had another question about the creature stack in his head. ¡°Actually, for now you two can stay close,¡± the creature still kept its grip on Tomobi. ¡°But I want you to try to figure out what it knows, maybe this thing is smarter than when it showed itself,¡± it still had not broken eye contact. ¡°Well you still need to work, and it would be harder to do so with this around. So I want you to try to deal with it. Alright break¡¯s over,¡± Kiorif rose immediately and started walking off, with the group rushing after him. *** The night started to set in, and with it, the normal pitch dark was replaced with a glowing hue from the trees around them. Their bark glowed pale and leaves a lush green as they would¡¯ve replaced what would¡¯ve been headlights on a once-filled highway. Now, the roads were broken in some patches as plants, both natural and artificial, grew amongst the cracks. And the road itself was empty except for two soldiers, a VitaNav and a scaled monster traveling across it. The glowing trees also had spread away from the road to start their own forest, with some creatures being seen scampering away. Some glowed with the forest whilst others did not. ¡°Now this is amazing, sorta like the ones on earth,¡± Rookie kept her eyes on eyes on whatever she could see. ¡°It¡¯s out of control,¡± Kiorif paid little attention to it, focusing on Tomobi ahead of them. ¡®How do I see how smart it is?¡¯ Tomobi was between Rookie and Kiorif of focusing on the forest but was also unsure on what to do, but the creature interrupted his thoughts as it went for another nudge. ¡°What is it?¡± The creature stared at his backpack and opened its jaw, it was something it did when it wanted a snack. ¡®Well, it¡¯s smart enough to ask for food,¡¯ ¡°No not now, we¡¯ve gotta keep walking,¡± It showed little care as it kept its jaw open and started to groan. ¡°Seriously?,¡± Rookie stopped her sightseeing as she saw the creature groan and try to block Tomobi, Kiorif kept walking. ¡°Is it throwing a tantrum or something?¡± Rookie asked Kiorif as they passed Tomobi, with Kiorif ignoring him to see what he could do, along with not being allowed to by the creature. Rookie still kept her eyes on them. ¡°It might be, though it does remind me of you when you drink too much,¡± ¡°Yea-huh, hey. What? Kiorif, since when did you shoot low?¡± Rookie was now distracted by Kiorif, leaving Tomobi to figure it out on his own. The creature started to push itself on the bags, attempting to find the food itself. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re going to finish all the food,¡± Tomobi turned the page away and that is when he remembered a test that Apollo talked about to see how smart an animal is. ¡°Okay I will give you more food,¡± It stopped trying to get the food. ¡°If you wait till we have to rest again,¡± he slowed his voice and softened his tone. He also felt dumb, talking to an overgrown scaled monster like a child, especially one that could overpower him. But it may have surprisingly worked, as it closed its maw a short bit afterward and began to push Tomobi ahead. ¡°Well calm down, it is still a walk,¡± That seemed to not be enough, as it tried to pick up Tomobi, but the bundle''s shape made it hard to clamp down to pick him. Though seeing how far it would go Tomobi started to pick up his pace. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try to hurry up,¡± practically jogging, they passed the soldiers. Rookie smiled as she saw Tomobi keeping his speed for a short time until huffing. ¡°Looks like he did something,¡± She nudged Kiorif. ¡°Seems like the creature being smarter will be helpful to us,¡± Kiorif took a calm breath. ¡°We will see, as long as it doesn¡¯t create new problems with its intelligence,¡± ¡°Relax,¡± Rookie sped up her walk, her smile growing to a grin. ¡°Will just shows us that things are gonna get more interesting,¡± Kiorif had a soft sigh and followed behind. Chapter 24: Negotiation ¡°Okay calm down,¡± Tomobi struggled to get the creature its snack, but it was practically digging into the bag itself. ¡°Okay, wait,¡± Rookie and Kiorif were impressed as it moved back to let Tomobi reward it. ¡°Um, sit please?¡± Asking it he even was in awe as it rested its bottom for its treat. ¡°Here you go,¡± Feeding its slab, Rookie had a smile grow. ¡°Aww, this is sweet,¡± Rookie¡¯s had her gun close while she helped Kiorif set up their new tent. While second hand and sewn in some awkward patches it would work for its purpose. ¡°Now, did you stick in the stakes?¡± ¡°Almost,¡± Kiorif struggled a bit as he tried to stick in the stake. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s just like the military ones. You should¡¯ve been used to this by now. Let me help,¡± Not one to struggle with things Kiorif felt a little heat as Rookie managed to finish up what Kiorif tried to do. And seeing Kiorif¡¯s face she grew a sly smirk. ¡°It¡¯s okay, not everyone can handle camping,¡± ¡°Not everyone lived outside,¡± Kiorif mumbled as Rookie started setting up more camping gear. ¡°Aye, you say something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Tomobi gets the food ready¡± Kiorif and Rookie continued to set up while Tomobi thought on what to make now. The creature just sat there, it learned that while Tomobi made food it could not bother him. That didn¡¯t mean it liked this, as it tried to find something to do. It wasn¡¯t hungry enough to go get its own food, so a rock was now the target for its boredom. Chasing and kicking, though once it rolled far enough it lost interest. And with Tomobi still cooking, it had to sulk and wait for him to finish, now looking around the glowing forest behind them. Looking a bit deeper, critters would bolt away from it, glowing eared rabbits bolted away and even bright birds flew out of its reach and screeched at it. Seeing that even the forest could not entertain it, it returned to see that the group were finishing their meals. And with a memory coming back that was when it struck. ¡°What are you doing,¡± Trying to get into Tomobi¡¯s shirt, it sniffed about for the sweet scent that lured it. Even seeing the pink hue would be enough. Rookie though broke into a giggling fit, Kiorif focused more on his meal. ¡°Hey don¡¯t lick there,¡± it found where the pink glow was, but it wasn¡¯t there anymore. Moving its snout away it continued to sniff for it, circling about the camp. The pile of bags didn¡¯t have it, it wasn¡¯t hidden amongst the food. But it picked it up from Kiorif. ¡°What?¡± Kiorif noticed it focused its eyes on him. It slowly stepped towards him, keeping its body low. Kiorif though just shifted, with it still following. Up until Kiorif had stopped shuffling it went for his pants. ¡°Oi,¡± he tried his best to push its snout away but it kept searching until it found the pocket. Trying to grip the gift it was finally pushed away. ¡°Stay,¡± Kiorif barked at the creature, leaving it hesitant but determined as it still took some steps forward. It still eyed the bulge in Kiorif¡¯s pocket.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Tomobi, you should start teaching it manners,¡± but the creature just huffed, eyes still focused. Seeing this, Kiorif decided to take out what it wanted. The gift now in his hand, even Tomobi had his attention attracted to it. ¡°Is this what you want?¡± its eyes now on his hand, with a deep coo in response. Now Kiorif grew a sinister growth in his mind of the creature''s intelligence ¡°Then stay,¡± it finally stopped its slow march. ¡°Sit,¡± it followed. ¡°Step away,¡± it was a little reluctant now with a huff of protest. ¡°I said,¡± he held the gift closer to himself. ¡°Step away,¡± the creature still huffed, but reluctantly moved back. Unknowingly, it now setted things up for it. ¡°Tomobi,¡± and now Tomobi was the next target. ¡°You wanted to talk about using the gift right?¡± While it was something he wanted, Kiorif gave him a sense of risk with the potential reward. ¡°I-I did,¡± Kiorif now had the lure, keeping a small smirk to himself. ¡°Well I do think that this could be fair to talk about it,¡± Remembering how Kiorif talked to Hudson about the plan from his shifted tone, Tomobi¡¯s sense of risk grew to a small worry. A worry of what could happen, seeing this tone meant that Kiorif could get power. When he looked over to Rookie, her concerned emotions were trying to hide underneath an emotionless face. This is something she couldn¡¯t help him. She couldn¡¯t defend him this time. ¡°Now normally I planned to get rid of the gift if you were to ever find one,¡± Tomobi had his heart drop. ¡°But I suppose that the gift could be used more frequently, as it has shown its worth with the creature,¡± which in question was now forced at a distance, unsure on whether he would strike out a new command for it. ¡°Which does mean that it could still be useful to us. So I think that the rules must change slightly,¡± the unsettling tone was replaced with the same emotionless tone Kiorif normally had, which had a bittersweet calm to it. ¡°Although it should be kept with us and will be used under our supervision, as you¡¯ve shown before the problems that arise when you break our rules,¡± And those words showed the reason for the return of the lifeless voice as they dug themselves, it seemed Kiorif still kept on to what Tomobi did. ¡°So could Tomobi use it now?¡± Rookie tried to break the tension, though it was less than her eccentric self. A short silence added to the possible tension of the answer. ¡°I suppose it is fine, but I do want improved behaviours of that thing,¡± and as Kiorif left his final order for Tomobi he gave him the gift. But Tomobi was unsure what to do. His body and soul were celebrating the power that had returned to him, but his mind told him that this gift had come with a cost. A cost he was not sure he knew all about. A faint chirp brought him back from his thoughts, the creature regained its confidence and began to rub against him in comfort. He returned the embrace, with Rookie regaining her smile from the awkward moments before. ¡®Looks like it¡¯s not just in it for the food and bubbles,¡¯ ¡°Hey Tomobi, I¡¯ve been trying to name our new friend and haven¡¯t gotten any luck. How about you give it a shot,¡± these were her last words as she left Tomobi and the creature to their own. But the name could wait for a moment as he finally placed the gift back into him. The sensation rushed through him again and he prepared himself. Gently blowing out bubbles the creature ran about and caught them, using different parts of its body to pop them. Even with what could be seen as a simple game they played for so long, both childishly trying out different things with the bubbles. With Tomobi seeing how big he could make the bubble and the creature seeing if it could pop them. Eventually, both got tired and Tomobi had a slightly parched throat, so by the time they finished both got a quick snack and were ready to rest. And as it wanted to join Tomobi in the welcoming sleeping bag it was too large. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you can¡¯t fit, besides Rookie can keep you company for now,¡± in which Rookie was still outside with a tired smile. ¡°Anyways good night,¡± and as he entered the tent he finally thought of a name, one hidden deep in his memories from the ocean of books he had at home. ¡°Seeno,¡± he faintly muttered to himself as he went into his sleeping bag. Chapter 25: Bandwagon Inn A faint mist now grew with the rise of the new morning as the group continued to follow the road. The same roads that would occasionally have somebody pass them, with few starting at the odd group. With most picking up pace at the sight of the newly named beast, Seeno. After some time Rookie looked behind herself as a faint clattering could be heard on the aged asphalt road as a wagon was pulled by two horse-like beasts. Like the ones from the wild they grew past the size of their normal counterparts, but now seen closer size wasn¡¯t the only odd thing. From a closer view, it seemed that these horses looked like a horse¡¯s and a dinosaur¡¯s accidental love children. With a weird sloping hunch as its forelimbs seemed stunted compared to their slightly longer hind legs, even weirder were the sprouting of claws from the front and a falter hoof in the back. But the wagon they pulled was equally as odd. Like the horse-like freaks, it was an odd mix match of two things, with a frame of an old wagon seen centuries before them but with the innovations and tech of the modern moon. Rookie was fascinated by this new sight, but the man riding it had his own thoughts. ¡°Fucking filth,¡± and with a spit to their boots, he scoffed ahead. ¡°Well he was a charmer,¡± Rookie gritted as they moved on, though it turned out he wasn¡¯t the only gentleman on the road. As they continued to see more people, both on foot and on their own modern carriages, the bravest of them would shoot their own insults. Their words would be thrown at them to slash at the soldiers, but Kiorif and Rookie kept their resolve and ignored them. However they weren¡¯t alone as some of the people would throw Tomobi along with them or for some be the target, and for him, he didn¡¯t handle it as well. The insults gnashed and ripped at him. Even as time passed on he still had their words dug deep in him. ¡°Hey Kiorif, is anybody nearby?¡± Rookie quickly asked. ¡°Not anybody that I can see,¡± Kiorif responded with a quick glance around them. ¡°Cool, can I go deal with something?¡± ¡°Did they really get at you?¡± ¡°Well, I ain¡¯t thick-skinned like you. Hey Tomobi, wanna join?¡± Confused, Tomobi just agreed and followed her off the path. They walked for a bit before they saw a small clearing, Seeno lay down as Rookie dropped her stuff. ¡°So what are yo-¡± ¡°FUCKING BASTARDS!!!¡± Her roar made Seeno jump while Tomobi fell into his bags. ¡°WHAT I WOULD DO TO SHOVE YOUR BULLSHIT UP YOUR SCRAWNY ASSES YOU USELESS CUNTS. BET YOU WOULD BITCH ABOUT, USELESS FUCKWITS,¡± After her one-sided rant to the air she took a deep breath and relaxed.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ah so much better,¡± She turned to see Tomobi struggling to pick himself up while Seeno seemed tense. ¡°Ha sorry about that, guess I should¡¯ve explained what we were here for. Sometimes Kiorif lets me blow some steam by letting me yell my cap off. You should try it,¡± ¡°Ah well,¡± The idea did tempt him. ¡°I don¡¯t really know if I co-¡± ¡°Aw come on,¡± Rookie pulled him from the bags and to where she stood. ¡°Just take a deep breath and let it all out. Think of all those assholes that you wanna put in their place,¡± Seeing Rookie¡¯s gleaming face, he knew he couldn¡¯t back down. Taking a deep breath he thought of the insults that clung to him. ¡°Ah,¡± but he only let out a coughing bark. ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t for everyone,¡± Rookie chuckled. ¡°Rookie,¡± Kioirif¡¯s call meant that there was no second chance. ¡°Well next time,¡± Rookie helped Tomobi with the bags as Seeno followed behind them. ¡°You took your time,¡± Kiorif huffed as he started to walk ahead. ¡°Just letting Tomobi try it out,¡± Though Kiorif paid little attention to that. ¡°If we keep moving forward I believe we can find somewhere to take a break. So we need to pick up our pace,¡± As they sped up they continued to see more people but the insults died down, as many wanted to avoid the presence of Seeno. People going in their direction would mostly rush ahead. ¡°Well this is nice,¡± Rookie joked as somebody ran past them. Kiorif seemed more relaxed at this as he kept to himself. ¡°Apparently people really don¡¯t like us,¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s another reason,¡± looking ahead a faint wisp of smoke had grown against the clear skies, this gave an incentive for the group to see the source. And from afar they could see the beauty, clear of the forest was a girthy building standing above shrunken shakes. And as they got closer they could see that unlike Fresh-Root it seemed like it could hold itself just fine, with smeared grey stone layered into multiple stories. Though one thing that made the place stick out even further was the fencing and silhouettes moving about its borders. ¡°Welcome to the Campfire Inn,¡± now at a gate one of the silhouettes, a spindly but scared man was letting people in. Though for them he stopped right in front of them. ¡°¡°Hold it, what is your business here?¡± His tone was like Kiorif¡¯s. ¡°Getting in,¡± Rookie shot back at him ¡°We have to see if you¡¯re allowed,¡± ¡°But you let that guy pass,¡± ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t have what you all carry,¡± ¡°Then you should know not to pick a fight,¡± Kiorif now pushed himself in, both glared knives at each other. ¡°Hey Kiorif we don¡¯t need to go that far,¡± Rookie tried pulling him away, but he stayed put. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Profession, weapons, and pets,¡± ¡°Earth soldiers, rifles, pistols, and knives, you can see the thing behind us,¡± the man kept a blank face for a moment, then stared down at Tomobi. ¡°You?¡± ¡°U-um. What about me,¡± ¡°Profession, weapons, or gifts?¡± ¡°I just cook and clean, no weapons and a gift that makes bubbles,¡± the guard went into another awkward pause before stepping aside. ¡°Welcome to the Campfire Inn, hope you all enjoy your stay. Creatures have to be discussed with the owner¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Rookie and Tomobi moved past, but Kiorif stopped for a moment to continue a chat with the spindly guard. ¡°Oh boy what is he doing no-¡± Rookie went to stop him but surprisingly the two seemed calmer and even shook hands. ¡°Wha-what happened,¡± ¡°I just needed to talk to him for a moment,¡± ¡°Really, seems like you just started to get along fine,¡± Rookie pouted. ¡°Yes, he is a good man,¡± the group was ready to see inside. Chapter 26: Conflicting Welcome The entrance was calm with furniture patterned about for no guests with a smooth counter having a single man. Far past Kiorif¡¯s age though they both shared a worn and fatigue fashion to themselves. But one thing that truly separated him was the warm smile he had for the person at the counter. ¡°Hope you enjoy your stay, the buffets open,¡± and as his previous guest moved the group replaced his spot. ¡°Ah welcome, how can I hel-¡± the man paused as he glanced at Rookie and Kiorif¡¯s set. ¡°Soldiers aye, that¡¯s a rare sight. Where you from?¡± ¡°Eart-ouch,¡± Kiorif jabbed into Rookie as she shot her comment out. ¡°Earth aye?¡± The man looked at both of them, Kiorif shifted slightly. So far they weren¡¯t a crowd favourite, so things may become complicated. ¡°Well that¡¯s wonderful,¡± Rookie smiled back at the now gleaming man whilst Kiorif was left in confusion. ¡°Soldiers are always a great thing, and EarthBound ones are no exception. Always appreciated your work, even got a little flag in my room. Could say I¡¯m a patriot for the Earth,¡± Kiorif relaxed as the man started a quick chat with Rookie, maybe they could catch a break. ¡°Been saving a bit so that I could go on vacation there, might try Hawaii, or Australia,¡± ¡°Okay, I recommend going to Queensland during New Year, beautiful show,¡± ¡°Excuse me, but we need a room and a stall for our creature,¡± Kiorif cut their vacation short. ¡°Ah right, what size is it?¡± ¡°What are the sizes?¡± ¡°For extra small to small-medium, it can stay in the rooms depending on the species. But if you need a stall it must be a medium to extra large, cost more the bigger it is if we take care of it,¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get a medium,¡± ¡°Okay, a medium stall for your pet and we¡¯ll get two rooms for you,¡± ¡°No need,¡± Kiorif kept calm as he shuffled for his money. ¡°We¡¯ll take on-¡± ¡°Actually I would like the two rooms,¡± Rookie calmly cut him off. ¡°Why would you need that? We will be fine with one room,¡± Kiorif clenched his wallet tighter. ¡°Kiorif are you serious,¡± Rookie¡¯s looked at him with doubt. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten I¡¯m a woman, I need me time and enjoy myself,¡± ¡°And in case you have forgotten we don¡¯t have the money to waste for you to enjoy yourself,¡± ¡°I can give you the rooms for free,¡± the man still beamed at them. ¡°Seriously?¡± Rookie smiled while Kiorif clenched the wallet harder. ¡°Of course, anything for a pair of heroes. Though are you fine with a smaller room miss?¡± ¡°Sure, any room is fine,¡± ¡°And a single bedroom for you to sir?¡± ¡°Two beds, it isn¡¯t just the two of us,¡± The man peered over the counter to see Tomobi. ¡°Ah sorry boy, didn¡¯t see you there. Thought we had these strong soldiers carry the bags here,¡± ¡°Oh you,¡± Rookie blushed slightly as the man smiled at them. ¡°Alright two rooms, a single room with a single bed and a double room with two long single beds. Here are your keys, enjoy yourselves,¡± ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Rookie got her keys and was ready to walk off but Kiorif got some notes ready. ¡°Sir I said that the rooms were free,¡± the man calmly rejected. ¡°I¡¯ll still pay for mine. How much?¡± Kiorif asked. ¡°Bu-¡± ¡°How much?¡± Now he ordered. ¡°$158 for your room and $63 for the stall,¡± placing extra notes down Kiorif took his key. ¡°We¡¯ll be staying for two nights,¡± *** ¡°Hey chuck us some extra beer over here,¡± Polished pristine planks stretched across the floor, white walls waned around tables and seats filled with people. A mix of all types of people, some large with treasures stuffed in bags whilst others small but armed and all in between. Each raised their voices to be heard as stories and jokes clashed. Darting between them were people holding feasts in their arms, carrying and placing plates as they were shot with the noises around them. And in this landmine of chaotic joy, the group sat at the outskirts. ¡°Kinda reminds me of home,¡± Rookie laughed as their dishes were served to them. ¡°Well you shouldn¡¯t get too excited, like I said two nights and we are out of here,¡± ¡°Say why two nights?¡± ¡°There might be things here that we could learn,¡± Kiorif¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t in the buffet but on the outside. ¡®How does he pay for so many guards, this place is already well protected,¡¯ ¡°Excuse me,¡± a soft yet gritty voice caught Kiorif¡¯s attention. The owner of the voice was built like Hudson, though it wouldn¡¯t seem humiliating for Kiorif to lose to him. With a toned and scarred body, this man lacked the beer gut. But what truly caught Kiorif¡¯s eyes was one of his arms that were more managed than the other, and most importantly, having something mechanical replace the hands. ¡°Could we borrow some seats, my wife and I don¡¯t want to be caught in that ruckus,¡± ¡°Of course, Tomobi moved over here,¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be back in a moment¡± Rookie and Tomobishifted while Kiorif stayed silent, eyes still locked on the hand mimic moving away. A shift in his breath and a devil thought clawing at his mind, didn¡¯t help with the loud chattering now acting as music for the attack on his mind. ¡°Kiorif you good?¡± Rookie¡¯s words boiled and pushed the thoughts back. His eyes opened to see Rookie and Tomobi with worry in their eyes, with Rookie especially not having her usual blinding smile. ¡°Yes, just was thinking about something,¡± Kiorif breathed out through a calm but heavy breath. ¡°Are you sure, cause if you need to sleep then-¡± ¡°Rookie it is fine, don¡¯t worry about me,¡± there was a moment of silence between them in the screaming room. ¡°Alright Kiorif, just don¡¯t be careful,¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± The man¡¯s voice broke their conversation, he carried some plates and set them in front of their own. ¡°Things got a lot more crowded than expected,¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about it, where is she?¡± Rookie dropped the conversation, but she had Kiorif in the corner of her eye and back of her mind. ¡°Right here,¡± he moved for his wife. Chapter 27: Quiet Questions A woman appeared behind the large man and the both of them sat at the group''s table. Rookie and Tomobi paid attention to her Kiorif focused on his plate. What could¡¯ve been seen as a clean, fair beauty was tarnished, just as scarred across her body and even her face showed damage against her paper doll face. It seemed that she joined in whatever her husband did with Tomobi even hearing a faint wheeze from her every breath. ¡°Again thanks for the seats,¡± The man brought their attention away from her, with Rookie now being even more confused. ¡°This is your wife?¡± Rookie looking for reassurance, focusing on the size difference between them. ¡°Yeah,¡± the man continued to cut into his food. ¡°Feel sorry for your wi-,¡± Rookie was cut off with Kiorif¡¯s heel jabbing her shin. The two of them didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°What happened?¡± the man looked around for the noise, Kiorif continued to cut his food. ¡°Oh it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t get your wife''s name,¡± Rookie lied through her teeth, feeling her leg heating up. ¡°Or yours for that matter, I¡¯m Rookie,¡± She stretched her hand across the table. ¡°I¡¯m Arthur,¡± the man said with a pause from Rookie¡¯s personality, giving a hand in return. ¡°This is Meili,¡± she waved. ¡°And you two?¡± ¡°Tomobi sir,¡± ¡°Kiorif, now what do you two do?¡± food finished he turned his attention to them, a feeling made him uncertain of them. ¡°Oh, um florist,¡± Arthur replied with an awkward grin, though Meili jabbing his arm said otherwise. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re hunters,¡± ¡°And what exactly is it you hunt?¡± ¡°Wait can I ask on-¡± ¡°What do you h-¡± Kiorif cut Arthur off. ¡°Kiorif calm down,¡± now Rookie cut Arthur off. ¡°We can answer some questions, ask away,¡± ¡°Well if it¡¯s about jobs, then can I ask what you do?¡± ¡°Soldiers,¡± Kiorif was one to answer, his eyes locking on Arthur.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Thought so, because of the armour and stuff,¡± despite his frame, Arthur was not as bold as Hudson. ¡°I wanna ask a question,¡± Rookie seemed interested in the game she created. ¡°What do you guys hunt, like it has to be worth the pay if you¡¯re doing it as a job?¡± ¡°It depends on what we¡¯re asked to deal with, sometimes it¡¯s something easy like dromeo-toads which could give us a couple days pay but we can deal with bigger things like rabid vampires,¡± ¡°Vampires?¡± Rookie tried to shuffle closer. ¡°Didn¡¯t like those very large bats, seen a lot that grow bigger than you. Those things give a heavy sac depending on how dangerous they are¡± ¡°Really,¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how I got this,¡± Arthur pointed to a scar running down his natural forearm. ¡°But what about you two, what are you-¡± Arthur stopped as Meili tapped his shoulder, and to the group''s surprise, she moved her hands fluidly, before pointing a finger to Tomobi. ¡°Right I forgot, sorry. So about the VitaNav,¡± ¡°Tomobi,¡± Rookie added. ¡°Yeah, how come you two have Tomobi with you? Aren¡¯t there heavy restrictions with VitaNav soldiers?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a soldier, there should be nothing to worry about,¡± Kiorif said, the words being a little rash towards Tomobi. ¡°Now about your wife,¡± Kiorif turned his attention to Meili, who did keep her attention on him as well. Her eyes weren¡¯t like Arthurs, having a sharp glare behind a calm look. ¡°The sign language?¡± Arthur tried to break the staredown. ¡°Uh yeah, Meili is on mute right now. Hears everything fine, but just needs to use sign language to get her say,¡± ¡°Does it get difficult?¡± Rookie seemed more intrigued. ¡°Sometimes when we can¡¯t see each other, we already learned a bit so that we could keep quiet during hunts. It wasn¡¯t that hard to learn the rest,¡± ¡°Ah, I should learn sign,¡± Rookie said with a smile. ¡°Speaking about that, how come you¡¯re a mute?¡± Kiorif¡¯s newest question was not as welcomed. ¡°Kiorif,¡± Rookie tried to stab into his shin but failed. ¡°You did say that you knew some of it before, so that means that she wasn¡¯t always mute. Care to explain,¡± Meili¡¯s hands were now clenched tight while Arthur looked away for a moment. ¡°It-it was during one of our hunts, the same one where this happened,¡± he raised his animatronic hand, eyes still not facing there''s. ¡°What we hunted got the best of us that day, really don¡¯t wanna think about it,¡± Kiorif felt a jolt at the hand but still wanted to continue, but Rookie pulled him out. ¡°Yeah sorry about that, it¡¯s been a bit tiring for some of us,¡± two groups sat in relative silence in the chattering room with the clattering of cutlery being heard between them. *** ¡°Enjoy yourselves,¡± Rookie waved Kiorif and Tomobi off as she went to her own room. An awkward silence between the two of them, as normally Rookie was there to bridge the two of them together, and even then it was not a perfect path of talk. ¡°Um, Kiorif,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk unless it¡¯s important,¡± Kiorif shot down any chance of small chat. ¡°Okay,¡± Tomobi was now left to himself. Meanwhile Rookie had been a little freer. ¡°Ah time to live like a queen,¡± Rookie looked over to the bath and grew a devilish grin. ¡°Bubble bath,¡± Through her attempt to figure out how the taps work she enjoyed her moment of peace and relaxation. ¡°And a bed to boot,¡± after her bath, she flopped onto her soft bed, as the time at Fresh-Root did not have a proper bed to rest. Tomobi though was stiff on his bed, looking like a child on such a large bed for his size. Kiorif sat in silence looking through things that he had, keeping to his thoughts. It was this way for an uncomfortable amount of time, until. ¡°Tomobi I¡¯ll be dealing with something, stay here,¡± Kiorif ordered as he left, outside he looked over to Rookie¡¯s room for a moment. Thinking about bringing her, his judgment said otherwise as he went down the hall back to the more public areas. He had a couple more questions to ask. Chapter 28: Respect and Guards As Kiorif walked down to the bar some gave him a glance, though others were less calm with his presence. Even without his uniform some scoffed or shot slurs as he passed them, with a man leaving his seat as Kiorif sat near him. His eyes slashed at Kiorif, being gruffed and rigid. ¡°Leech,¡± he spat as he left the bar. ¡°How can I help you,¡± the bartender arrived at Kiorif, with her voice being softer than those around him. ¡°Just waiting for someone,¡± Kiorif kept to himself until he heard a familiar voice. ¡°You are the earth soldier, correct?¡± He turned to see the guard from before still wearing his gear, though he had a small smile. ¡°I believe you had some questions for me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be so happy about them,¡± ¡°Well as long as they aren¡¯t pointless. Black Irish whisky¡± the soldier sat next to him as he received his drink. ¡°Drinking during work?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a real job, only a casual contract until I move on to my next bounty. What could be done when at a place like this which is quite isolated from towns is if the owner agrees to allow people like bounty hunters or soldiers to act as guards in exchange for a room. You may have seen it,¡± ¡°Yes I have,¡± Kiorif remembered his time in Fresh-Root, so Spoon¡¯s offer was not as odd as he thought for the moon. ¡°If that is all you can leave, I would like to enjoy my drink now,¡± ¡°Things aren¡¯t as simple, this isn¡¯t something seen on earth,¡± ¡°Go figure,¡± the soldier drank his fill. ¡°How come this is still allowed, wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to have trained individuals do this,¡± ¡°I¡¯m trained,¡± ¡°Ones who are actually competent at security,¡± the man scoffed hearing this. ¡°Please, politicians already tried that, and all it did was give people God complexes and impossible prices. It ended with one¡¯s not on the government''s leash to being the actual competent ones,¡± Kiorif kept calm, the man may have had a similar personality, but clearly, his beliefs and thoughts were more different than he thought. ¡°You had some fine weaponry,¡± Kiorif decided to move past politicians for now.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Get to the point,¡± ¡°In the town Fresh-Root they didn¡¯t have enough of an arsenal compared to yours, more limited and in some cases primitive. It doesn¡¯t seem cheap so the money must have come from somewhere,¡± the man sighed and stayed silent for a moment. ¡°Another refill. Besides I believe you already got the answer from Arthur, killing monsters pays well when they¡¯ve become a reality. At first, it may be hard, and many die trying to get the money. But once you start getting the money to actually defend yourself, things do become easier to take down. And like I said, the trained ¡®professionals¡¯ were an embarrassment on the government''s part. Do you really think they would get rid of us?¡± ¡°Once they find a solution,¡± both had their small stare down, with the refill of alcohol calming the pressure. ¡°We are similar. Both men who don¡¯t want to add extra to things that don¡¯t matter, but one thing I suggest is being careful when you¡¯re the one who needs answers. You¡¯re lucky Arthur is mostly a push-over cause not everybody is gonna welcome this,¡± ¡°And I shouldn¡¯t need to take advice from somebody who is similar to me,¡± Kiorif now left his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll let you enjoy your drink,¡± Kiorif drily shot ¡°And I hope you enjoy a night¡¯s rest,¡± he tirelessly remarked. Kiorif felt annoyed with his meeting, part of him raising his pride whilst another tried to humble himself. ¡®It would be beneficial to be more cautious with my choice of words,¡¯ though when he stopped he heard a faint thud ahead. Turning the corner nobody was there, but he did feel cautious with a potential new issue. *** Rookie slept without a care in the world, tucked under bed sheets with dreams writing themselves in her mind. These dreams would be a wall for her mind and the outside, with the outside having a less-than-ideal reality. Her door creaked open quietly, a figure sulking towards her bed. She didn¡¯t feel its presence even as it reached a hand out towards her exposed body, until. ¡°Oi wake up,¡± the hand shook Rookie¡¯s shoulder. Taking a deep breath she woke up to see Kiorif above her. ¡°Hmmm-wait. Kiorif I¡¯ve finally got a proper bed, just give me five more minutes,¡± ¡°It¡¯s half past 10,¡± ¡°2 more minutes,¡± ¡°You will be out of your room after 2 more minutes,¡± leaving her room he saw Tomobi leaving their room as well. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tomobi paused for a moment. ¡°I just want to check on Seeno,¡± Tomobi felt nervous as Kiorif kept his eyes on him, still unable to tell the difference between his emotions. ¡°Alright you can go check up on it, but I want you back before twelve,¡± ¡°That much time?¡± Tomobi was shocked by the leniency. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Oh no, thank you Kiorif,¡± Tomobi picked his pace and paced down the hallways. ¡°What,¡± Kiorif turned around to see Rookie growing a sly smirk. ¡°You gave Tomobi so much time? I remember that you would only give him five minutes for potty breaks,¡± ¡°Well,¡± Kiorif avoided Rookie¡¯s eyes. ¡°We don¡¯t need him behind us all the time,¡± ¡°Yeah of course,¡± Rookie smiled as she nodded. ¡°So can I get an extr-¡± ¡°No,¡± ¡°Ba-Wha? You didn¡¯t even hear what I was gonna ask,¡± ¡°I know it will be something stupid, come on and bring the broken gun,¡± ¡°What are we even doing?¡± Rookie called out from her room as she got the equipment, lost on why she had to wake up. ¡°From what I learned the hotel has guards correct,¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± ¡°And they have weapons to protect themselves correct,¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± ¡°So where do they get these weapons to guard the hotel,¡± ¡°Yea-ohhhh, I get you now,¡± Rookie nodded as she followed behind Kiorif. And behind them, a figure stayed behind a corner. Chapter 29: Brave Chicken Seeno sulked in a corner, it knew that it couldn¡¯t do anything risky here with more armoured figures around, especially ones with weapons. That didn¡¯t mean it was entirely compliant, when it first saw where it had to stay it pulled itself away. *** ¡°Come on get it,¡± some of these part-time guards barked as Tomobi couldn¡¯t lead Seeno into its stall, pulling its head away. ¡°Move,¡± one guard pushed his luck as he probed his gun against Seeno¡¯s tail. And with a surge of instilled fear and instinct, Seeno lashed its tail at the guard and roared. Some guards got defensive while Tomobi tried to regain a hold on the reins with Rookie¡¯s and Kiorif¡¯s help. ¡°Calm down it¡¯s okay,¡± Tomobi boldly held onto Seeno¡¯s head, pausing its rampage to see Tomobi¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, just follow me,¡± the stiff tension still held as Seeno slowly moved into its stall. Guards kept their distance as Tomobi was the last to leave Seeno. When the gate closed Seeno groaned and pushed against it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll stay here for a bit then we¡¯ll leave. Just be patient,¡± though as time passed it huffed whenever it remembered Tomobi¡¯s words. ¡°Just be patient,¡± *** Close by and overshadowed by the inn, a stable of sorts held a menagerie of life. Tomobi knew exotic life existed, moulded by man and only limited by their creativity. Some even matched the oddity of Seeno, dogs with sabres, armoured pigs and many other oddities were found, some being cared for by people. And Tomobi joined these people as he reached over to Seeno¡¯s stall. ¡°Seeno,¡± without saying another word Seeno rushed to the barred gate and began slobbering over Tomobi with kisses. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here,¡± though another large beast entered the stables. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Rookie¡¯s friend. Tomobi right?¡± Arthur towered over Tomobi, who craned his neck to maintain contact. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Arthur lowered himself seeing Tomobi¡¯s strain, though Tomobi still felt a little unsure about Arthur. As even with his seemingly softer demeanour, he still seemed imposing. ¡°Ah, right you¡¯re here. In the stables, with that behind you,¡± his awkward sentence made Tomobi feel slightly eased. ¡°Um yeah, I¡¯m here for Seeno,¡± Tomobi patted Seeno¡¯s snout from behind the gate, though its eyes were still on Arthur. ¡°I thought you were with soldiers,¡± Now he had questions that he wanted to pry at Tomobi.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°We found Seeno at Fresh-Root, then it decided to follow us,¡± Tomobi managed to say after being drooled on. ¡°Well looking at it it wasn¡¯t like you could say no,¡± he tried getting closer to Seeno, who rammed the door and hissed. ¡°Ah I see,¡± Arthur awkwardly moved back, bringing the attention of other people nearby. ¡°Hey what¡¯s wrong? He¡¯s fine,¡± But Seeno still bared their fangs. ¡°No no, that was my fault. I just thought that since it was so calm with you and how you were with the soldiers, I should¡¯ve known not to get around,¡± Arthur stopped talking as he tried to get a better look at Seeno. ¡°Actually I have no idea what it is,¡± ¡°Um so why are you here,¡± Tomobi tried to change the conversation, still unsure about Arthur¡¯s reaction towards Seeno. ¡°We were letting our hunting chickens stretch their legs, Meili¡¯s just training them,¡± ¡°Meili training your chickens?¡± ¡°Well they already understand hand commands, she¡¯s just testing to see if they can do it without hearing a voice. After all, they do listen to her a bit more than me, even though I spent more time with them,¡± Arthur sighed. Though as he kept talking Tomobi realised that while he was large and imposing, he was a little awkward. ¡°Would you like to see them?¡± Arthur¡¯s offer got Tomobi¡¯s attention. ¡°I can,¡± ¡°I guess, no harm. You could bring out Seeno with you if you want to,¡± Now Tomobi felt a little excited, opening Seeno¡¯s gate. ¡°Okay Seeno, we¡¯re gonna go for a walk. Behave yourself,¡± Seeno made a scoffing chirp as it slowly followed beside Tomobi. ¡®What is it, I mean can¡¯t be a drake. Maybe, no. Unless?¡¯ He juggled these thoughts in his mind as they reached Meili, and if Arthur hadn¡¯t said otherwise the two creatures in front of her would not be mistaken for chickens. Their bodies modelled like their ancestors with clawed wings, elongated tails, talon-like spurs and a fanged maw, Tomobi was looking at a modern dinosaur. These wolf sized dinosaur mimics were pledged with mottled brown feathers sprinkled with white dots, only having bright red wattles and combs along with the occasional deep cluck revealing their nature as chickens. Both waited as she raised her hand, sticking a finger out while both sat down. A small smile grew as she pulled out two mice in one hand. Both got excited as they chirped out, though with her free hand out she held it out like an officer, signalling they must wait. The larger of them, with larger snowflakes splattered on their feathers, was a little skittish and shook slightly for the mice whilst the smaller chicken dinosaur, whose white pattern was less bold, sat perfectly still. Looking over to the smaller one, she signalled it to rise. It was given mice and was silently ordered to sit back down. Quickly afterwards the larger chicken finally calmed down and followed the same process to get its reward. And with the last twirl of her hands, the two creatures rose and she welcomed their embraces as they huddled around her legs, both pruning her pants. ¡°Meili,¡± Arthur called out, getting the group''s attention, a beautiful smile painted across her face as the two creatures ran over to greet Arthur. ¡°Hi boys, how are you,¡± The larger of the two responded by jumping on Arthur, forcing him to carry the feathered puppy as it started to prune and pick at his beard. "Hi Arthur we just finished things off." Meili signed to Arthur, who walked over to her with a chicken dinosaur still in his arms. ¡°That¡¯s good here, I actually brought some company. Trust me I think you¡¯ll love it,¡± "What do you mean?" Meili¡¯s question was answered with the sight of Tomobi and Seeno. And while she was shocked, the two trained chickens immediately stayed closer to Arthur and Meili, with Arthur having his chicken flap out of his arms and holding a cautious pose. ¡°Meili you remember Tomobi right. Well, he has a friend,¡± Tomobi awkwardly waved while Seeno saw the chickens, and boldly started to move closer to them. Chapter 30: Analysis Seeno was very steady as it walked over to the nervous chickens, it had seen some in the wild but in larger groups and smaller stature. ¡°Is it tame?¡± Meili seemed just as cautious too, scratching the chicken''s heads to comfort them. ¡°Uh, well, it follows him around peacefully,¡± Meili shot a discouraging look and pointed at Tomobi. ¡°Ask him about it,¡± ¡°Oh right, Tomobi is Seeno tame?¡± Tomobi thought back to all the times Seeno has and hasn¡¯t listened to him with varying results. ¡°Um, I guess,¡± he stiffly shrugged while Arthur puckered his lips. ¡°See it¡¯s fine,¡± Arthur also shrugged, Meili rubbed her forehead. She then started to quickly signal to Arthur as he tried talking to her too, Tomobi took this time to try talking to Seeno. ¡°Seeno I know that you know what I say sometimes so please, don¡¯t bite any of them,¡± he wasn¡¯t sure that he got through to Seeno, but a soft mouthing on his hand gave him some hope. It lowered down to a crawl when getting closer to Arthur and Meili, keeping an eye on the chicken dinosaurs as it bobbed its head. The larger of the two flapped its wings and strutted away while the smaller hissed and still stayed close to Arthur. Seeno moved back for a moment, before going back to where it originally reached and laid down. ¡°Is this fine?¡± Arthur glanced over to Meili, who chewed on her tongue as she thought about it. ¡°Fine, but if it does anything you¡¯re sacrificing yourself as a chew toy,¡± Arthur gave Tomobi the thumbs up and sat close by Seeno. Meili and the smaller chicken sat by Arthur while Tomobi got to lean by Seeno, both getting eyed by the couple as Arthur stroked the raptor chicken. ¡°Do you know what Seeno is?¡± Arthur blurted out, getting pinched by Meili. ¡°Um I really don¡¯t know animals, so I was kind of hoping you knew something?¡± Clicking his tongue Arthur looked Seeno up and down. ¡°Hm well, I know it could be a drake. They¡¯re lizards that are active like mammals, not truly cold-blooded and stuff,¡± he tried scooting over to Seeno, but its glare and baring fangs told him he wasn¡¯t welcomed. ¡°Okay,¡± Hands up he shuffled back. ¡°It looks like a mountain-ridge,¡± Meili signed, signaling an analysis between themThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°True but besides the scales and head shape it¡¯s too small and seems lither. Maybe a plain sprinter and mountain-ridge hybrid,¡± ¡°Plain sprinters have only been found breeding with viperoot drakes, and even then the offspring struggle to last,¡± ¡°Then what could breed with mountain-ridges?¡± Tomobi tried following the conversation. ¡°It might be a genetic defect, dwarfism?¡± ¡°But we dealt with one before, it could¡¯ve been bred like that,¡± ¡°No tribe is stupid enough to try to domesticate a drake,¡± ¡°What about that one with the Roman Boars, if they got those beasts I¡¯m sure somebody has tried with drakes,¡± ¡°Tried, not succeed,¡± ¡°Um sorry to interrupt,¡± Tomobi managed to pause their debate, when both looked he did feel a-little out of place. ¡°Uh, could you explain what Meili has been saying, I am a little lost,¡± ¡°Oh right, sorry. It¡¯s just well,¡± Arthur tried using his hands to help him explain. ¡°Seeno isn¡¯t something we¡¯ve really seen,¡± Arthur went on to explain the oddity of Seeno. *** Kiorif meanwhile had his broken gun and Rookie behind him as he met the owner. ¡°Ah my favourite soldiers, how can I help you,¡± ¡°Do you have a gunsmith?¡± ¡°Gunsmith?¡± ¡°Someone who can fix guns,¡± ¡°Oh, ah, I guess you could ask some of the guards. They¡¯re mainly the ones who fix their stuff,¡± ¡°Is there at least a workshop?¡± ¡°Yes we do, it¡¯s a shed. Have to go around behind the inn,¡± Kiorif walked off, leaving Rookie to thank him as she followed after Kiorif. ¡°God, you¡¯re so confusing, nice to Tomobi, mean to me and the owner,¡± ¡°Not letting you sleep is not mean,¡± ¡°Excuse me but I need my beauty sleep,¡± ¡°Then you should have slept earlier,¡± ¡°Wha-¡± Rookie was left confused. ¡°And sleep at what, eight? I¡¯m not a child,¡± Rookie continued her childish rant as Kiorif focused on finding the shed. While doing so his eyes caught on a familiar scaly lump resting on a field. ¡°Hey isn¡¯t that Seeno? I wonder where Tomobi is?¡± ¡°Foc-¡± Kiorif was about to redirect Rookie to the gun but his eyes caught on to the hunting couple. ¡°Instead I will go to check what has happened to the gun, go check on what they¡¯re talking about,¡± ¡°Okay now I¡¯m so confused with you, are you some two-faced villain or something. Are you sure you want me to go?¡± ¡°Quit testing me,¡± ¡°Okay okay, I¡¯ll take the chance I get. Hey Tomobi,¡± Rookie split off from Kiorif as he continued to the shed. ¡°Tomobi,¡± another call of his name got Tomobi¡¯s attention, turning to see Rookie smiling at him. ¡°What you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to Meili and Arthur,¡± after his reply he looked past Rookie to see Kiorif still walking, but having a sharp stare in his attention. He felt a shiver and was about to overthink what Kiorif could¡¯ve said, though Rookie acted as a healthy distraction. ¡°Hey you guys. I actually wanted to chat with you guys, not like a soldier going, you know, interrogation mode,¡± Meili smiled and offered a seat. As she sat down she noticed the chickens, with the larger now going down to sit down as well. ¡°Nice dinosaurs,¡± ¡°Chickens,¡± Arthur corrected. ¡°This one is Donut,¡± His hand reached behind him as he scratched the larger chicken. ¡°And his brother Biscuit,¡± The smaller one rubbing by Arthur closer. ¡°Aw cute names,¡± Rookie fitted herself in the conversation as Kiorif finally reached out of their sights, finding the shed. Dainty compared to the inn, it was still spacious. Kiorif opened the door, inside a person didn¡¯t seem excited to turn to see him. Chapter 31: Guards and Respect ¡°Ah shit,¡± Kiorif recognised him as the man who told him off before at the bar. Getting a better picture of him he was a messier man, dirt blonde beard kept unkempt with a false lion''s mane for hair. But his eyes made up for it, sharp and cold with a body to match it. For those eyes were held on a body heavier than Kiorif¡¯s, especially in the arms. ¡®It looks like our training isn¡¯t compared to them,¡¯ Kiorif thought as he looked at the man''s physique. ¡°Oi can I help you? Or are ya just some fuckin¡¯ perv,¡± Kiorif could feel the urge snap back at this man, but there were more important things. ¡°I am not here for you,¡± Kiorif looked around the shed. A sharp contrast of the clean and welcoming rooms of the inn, with a pasty light bulb coughing out light into the shed. The windows were small and dainty, and unfortunately, the tools seemed worse. Moving past the man Kiorif looked at what tools looked like they could work. As Kiorif went to open up his gun the man got close to him. ¡°Ah right cause you soldiers are so above us, getting paid to do jack shit. Say how¡¯s solving the Aspissis tribes in the south, sorry I should call it a fuckin¡¯ empire. Cause you lot have done jack-shit to the point that the south is practically theirs,¡± The man slammed against the table, breaking Kiorif¡¯s concentration on his gun. Taking a deep breath he glanced at the man. ¡°If you want to complain about soldier''s incapabilities stick to the ones who actually live on the moon. As if you are blind I¡¯m an earth soldier,¡± ¡°What difference does that make?¡± The man now leaned at Kiorif. ¡°Isn¡¯t your job to deal with this shit, aren¡¯t you the fuckin¡¯ calvary?¡± Kiorif looked at him again but decided to give the bolt more attention. ¡°DON¡¯T IGNORE ME,¡± The man grabbed at Kiorif¡¯s shirt, though Kiorif held on to the man''s hand. This caught the guard by surprise as the grip felt like a vice. ¡°Then I will tell you something. My job isn¡¯t to deal with your war, if it was,¡± Kiorif tightened his grip even harder. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± and gave him a death stare. At that moment the door opened again, the guard that Kiorif had talked to looked slightly surprised. ¡°Pardon me, didn''t realise that you both swang that way. I¡¯ll let you two enjoy yourself, though I suggest using a room. More private,¡± ¡°You know I ain¡¯t like that you retard,¡± the man let go of Kiorif and walked past Kiorif¡¯s bar mate, both guards gave each other a warning glare. ¡°Was one of us not enough for you,¡± Kiorif didn¡¯t change how he acted and still went to work on his gun. ¡°Listen, it¡¯s about what I said last night. Believe me, it was not to get a reaction like a guy before. It is safe to say that we are similar, so what I told you-,¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Was a warning about what happens when I have to deal with idiots,¡± Kiorif cut the guard off as to his avail, the tools weren¡¯t enough. ¡°Look, guard, I don¡¯t know your name. But in the short time I have had to deal with this rock, I will agree that it would pay to be a little more cautious with what I say,¡± the killer look had died down, but his eyes were still not welcoming meeting the guards. ¡°Now if you excuse me, I need to make sure that your friend Arthur doesn¡¯t cause any more-,¡± ¡°Daimon,¡± the guard now cut Kiorif off, his hand out. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ll be leaving, might as well give a proper introduction,¡± Kiorif paused as he looked at the hand. ¡°Kiorif,¡± he decided to shake Daimon¡¯s hand. ¡°Though I do doubt we will meet for a while,¡± ¡°Trust me, the moon¡¯s a small place. There¡¯s a lot of freaks, we¡¯ll see eachother again,¡± Kiorif smiled at the comment and headed out. Once his eyes saw the group with Arthur and Meili his smile fell. Reaching closer he could hear their discussion. ¡°Wait so you guys helped a tribe deal with a peacock that could blind you?¡± Rookie acted childish as she asked her question, scooching closer to Arthur and Meili as the two smiled. ¡°Well less deal more catch, it was one of the higher-ranking members pets, and it paid well,¡± ¡°You make them sound rich,¡± ¡°Listen we might call them tribes but some of them, oh you should see them. They make their own cities in some places and they¡¯re crazy, and the ones that trade with humans,¡± Arthur fanned his fingers out and made a giddish wooping noise. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you two, those tribes could easily become their own states. And-¡± Arthur was about to spread more stories but his eyes caught Kiorif¡¯s, and he decided it may be best to keep them. ¡°Ah Kiorif,¡± Tomobi broke Arthur¡¯s gaze as he stammered. ¡°Is it already twelve?¡± ¡°No, it is not,¡± Kiorif kept his eyes on the hunting couple. ¡°I just came to see what was happening,¡± Meili glared back at him, her eyes saying what she wished she could. ¡°Oh Arthur and Meili were telling us a couple more about their stories, they¡¯re even crazier than some of the stuff I tried to do as a kid,¡± Rookie sensed what was happening, so she replied and stood up. This signaled Tomobi and Seeno to follow suit, their storytime was over. ¡°Alright, glad you had more things to share,¡± Kiorif¡¯s thanks felt dry as he gave it to Arthur. ¡°Tomobi, take Seeno back to the stables. Rookie, come with me,¡± but he changed to his usual self as he ordered Tomobi and Rookie about. Arthur and Meili took this signal as well and went to return Biscuit and Donut. When they got close to Tomobi he wanted to turn back, but he felt a tug on his shoulder. ¡°Kiorif you good?¡± Rookie had her smile weaken as she noticed where Kiorif was paying attention. ¡°I didn¡¯t know amputees freaked you out that much,¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that Rookie,¡± Kiorif shot down that idea sharply. ¡°But something about him and his wife, they shouldn¡¯t be trusted,¡± Kiorif finally broke his full attention from Tomobi and focused on where he was walking. The couple in question notice Kiorif breaking attention from them and getting closer to Tomobi, mainly Arthur while Meili kept the chickens company. ¡°Hey Tomobi,¡± Arthur got stern with his voice, losing the odd flare it had. ¡°Yes,¡± Tomobi felt a little unsure, getting closer to Seeno. ¡°Ever since you¡¯ve been around Kiorif you haven¡¯t really been allowed to use gifts right?¡± ¡°Um, I haven¡¯t really used gifts even before meeting Kiorif. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Uh, well,¡± Arthur fidgeted a bit, but an elbow by Meili encouraged him. ¡°Well, do you really trust him?¡± ¡°Is it because he¡¯s an earth soldier,¡± Tomobi didn¡¯t want to look at Arthur as he tried to guide Seeno back to his pen. ¡°Well, yes. It¡¯s just, well, you know what people on earth do to Vita-Navs right,¡± Tomobi paused at this and felt a twitch in his hands. ¡°Yes, yes I think I do have an idea,¡± ¡°So if that¡¯s the case,¡± Arthur got down on a knee to try and meet Tomobi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you really trust him?¡± Chapter 32: Fierce Playmate ¡°Do you really trust him?¡± Arthur asked Tomobi in the stable. ¡°Uh,¡± Tomobi was already unsettled with what Arthur told him, and he could feel something important was coming. ¡°Answer Tomobi,¡± Arthur stretched his hand to hold Tomobi, but Tomobi reacted. And this time Seeno hadn¡¯t been truly kept in the stall and wasn¡¯t happy to see Tomobi flinch. The worried calm turned to a stressed storm, Arthur fell and bitten on his metallic hand, Tomobi trying to pulley pack Seeno, Meili had to keep Biscuit and Donut calm, and people nearby had to either calm their own beasts or try to help. ¡°Seeno stop,¡± but Tomobi¡¯s cries fell on deaf ears, as it seemed that Seeno wouldn¡¯t let go. Its mind was blank, the closed environment and shouting stressed Seeno further as it bit down harder. ¡°Come on,¡± Arthur gripped his free hand around Seeno¡¯s jaw. ¡°LET GO,¡± Arthur roared out and shifted his trapped hand, causing Seeno to gag and for Arthur to crank open its maw. Arthur shuffled away from the tension as Tomobi tried his best to hold Seeno. With other people appearing and Biscuit and Donut getting more and more feral, Seeno''s temperament rose higher. Locking eyes at Arthur, who had. ¡°Seeno calm down,¡± Tomobi tried to call out as more people came to respond, he too felt confused. Tomobi felt afraid and confused from the riot happening, but the confusion also led to tightening anger clawing his lungs. No one was listening, he wasn¡¯t able to do something, he felt like he could do something, he wanted to do something. ¡°Seeno that¡¯s enough,¡± Tomobi called out to Seeno again, with Tomobi¡¯s strokes calming it down. And for a tense moment, Seeno eventually calmed, leaving Tomobi to try and guide Seeno back into its stall again. ¡°Hey man, you alright?¡± On guard asked as he helped Arthur up. Arthur didn¡¯t respond and turned to Meili, who showed an unsure look as she eventually calmed down their chickens. Others meanwhile shot worried and dirty looks towards Tomobi and Seeno. ¡°Man, that kid¡¯s got no control over that thing, we should go report this,¡± the guard patted Arthur''s shoulder. ¡°No,¡± Arthur rejected the idea immediately, surprising him and Meili. ¡°Buddy that thing tried taking a chunk out of you,¡± the guard looked confused. ¡°No, it was my fault. I started it,¡± Arthur tried to avoid looking at Tomobi, leaving Meili to guide Biscuit and Donut to their own roosts.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We¡¯ll just drop it,¡± Arthur, defeated, left the stables in an awkward manner with Meili looking at him. The other people around didn¡¯t help with the awkward tension, with Tomobi not sure what to do. *** The inn was far behind them as they continued their trek, Rookie seemed to have adopted Kiorif¡¯s temperament as she seemed lifeless as she sluggishly sludged beside Kiorif. ¡°Bye warm showers, bye comfy bed, bye privacy,¡± She kept listing things to pass the time while Kiorif kept an eye on Tomobi, who had to stop Seeno from teething against the bags. Tomobi didn¡¯t know how to feel about Seeno¡¯s violent reaction clashing with its sulking nature now. ¡°Tomobi, did those hunters talk to you yesterday?¡± Rookie stopped her grumbling and started paying attention. ¡°Oh come on Kiorif, we¡¯re moving away from paradise. You really want to start drama now?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. So did they tell you anything yesterday?¡± Tomobi felt relieved to explain what had unfolded but still was unsure how to say it. ¡°Um, well,¡± Tomobi tried to explain yesterday''s drama. His story left Rookie jaw dropped and even Kiorif had eyebrows raised. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Rookie seemed wide awake now. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he would try to grab you. Thought he was a good dude,¡± ¡°I mean I think Seeno might have overreacted,¡± Tomobi tried defending Arthur, but Rookie and Kiorif seemed unsure. ¡°Seeno does not normally bite out,¡± Kiorif scoffed, Tomobi went to object once again. ¡°But-¡± ¡°Especially around strangers Tomobi. It may be a wild thing, but it has shown it is not stupid enough to attack out of nowhere in public,¡± Rookie nodded at Kiorif¡¯s notice. ¡°Hm, Kiorif has a point. And I haven¡¯t seen him give Seeno praise,¡± Rookie gave Kiorif a side eye. ¡°So when am I gonna get some praise,¡± ¡°Pick up the pace,¡± Kiorif shot Rookie down and sped ahead. After this, they repeated their repetitive journey of walking and resting, now far from the inn they used a patch of the formerly glowing trees as shade under the sun. Seeno laid, stretched out, and enjoyed the freedom from the cage, meanwhile, Tomobi and Kiorif kept to themselves and worked. Indeed the only one who didn¡¯t seem to enjoy themselves was Rookie. She looked around to see what she could do, playing with her fingers and occasionally whistling a boring tune. ¡°Kiorif,¡± Rookie called out. ¡°What?¡± Kiorif didn¡¯t like being asked things when resting, especially when eating. ¡°I¡¯m bored,¡± ¡°Well it is not my problem,¡± Kiorif sighed and put his food down for a moment, knowing what was coming. ¡°Well, I¡¯m making it. Is there anythi-¡± ¡°No,¡± Kiorif¡¯s sharp reply left Rookie to pout. ¡°Fine, be a grouch. Hey, Tomobi,¡± Rookie now got Tomobi¡¯s attention. ¡°Do you want to do something?¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Tomobi asked, hoping to do something too. ¡°Well, what do you want to do?¡± Rookie¡¯s repetition showed that Rookie was still lost. ¡°Oh wait, how about trying things with your bubbles,¡± Rookie¡¯s request got Kiorif¡¯s attention, and not wanting to deal with anything got the gift out and passed it to them. ¡°Thank you, come on Tomobi,¡± Rookie got the gift and began to drag Tomobi away. Surprisingly Seeno didn¡¯t join the two of them and continued to rest. ¡°Didn¡¯t want to join them?¡± Kiorif asked Seeno once Rookie and Tomobi were out of range, and immediately questioned himself for asking in the first place. ¡®But you got aggressive from Arthur,¡¯ While he thought about other things Rookie had nothing going on in her brain once they got some space. ¡°Right, so, Tomobi. You have a gift, a gift you use, the gift that you use cause you have,¡± her tangent didn¡¯t help ¡°Argh, why does nothing dramatic happen when I¡¯m around,¡± though through a twisted sense of irony the sound of cracking wood and monstrous cries answered her wish. Chapter 33: Messy Sacs Another blast fired a large bulbous shape to crash near them, Rookie quickly pulled Tomobi behind her and pulled out a pistol. When the shape moved she cocked the pistol, though this may not have been necessary, as a groan and shifting showed what it truly was. A pile of bags similar to Tomobi¡¯s, though patched and ragged, and underneath it, a VitaNav rose. But nothing more could be told as a large crackling and erupting shriek led a monster to appear. A large and aggravated serpent lashed out, maw opened with fangs ejected to pierce the VitaNav. From its launch it was interrupted with a shattering bang, flinching as it crashed past the VitaNav. ¡°Tomobi help them and get the hell out of here,¡± Rookie ordered as she let her pistol roar. ¡®Okay keep steady Rookie,¡¯ Rookie ordered herself as well, trying to take a steady breath as she saw the monstrous snake. ¡®Just scare off the snake and don¡¯t hit Tomobi. Just stay calm,¡¯ trying to eye the snake, which had retreated away into the nearby bushes. ¡°Shit,¡± Rookie muttered to herself as Tomobi rushed towards the VitaNav. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Tomobi helped pull them up. With a closer look, Tomobi could see that they were mud brown with whetstone white pebbles across its body that were exposed from its torn clothes, with a clean grey bulb whistling near its heart. When looking over the VitaNav gave a deep cough before giving an awkward smile. ¡°Am now,¡± a males voice thanked Tomobi, as with a deep breath the new VitaNav knelt down with another heavy cough. ¡°Hang on,¡± Tomobi tried to help the man. ¡°Just drop the bags,¡± but to carry what he had as well would be too much, though the VitaNav pushed himself up and held tight to Tomobi after another hacking from their throat. ¡°No, I¡¯ll die before I ditch them,¡± seeming to accept the wheezing request the serpent launched out again, though with a line of bullets to block its path Rookie now got a good look at the target. Along with its long body, it had crocodile scales shielding its body its opened jaw showed enlarged rapier fangs. Though what really got Rookie¡¯s attention was an enlarged blade for a tail. ¡°TOMOBI PICK UP THE PACE,¡± Rookie yelled as now she felt frightened by this monstrous creature focused on her. It slithered faster than any snake should have, now dodging the bullets that Rookie tried to fire from her shaking hands. ¡®Calm down Rookie,¡¯ she thought to herself as it got closer. ¡®Calm down Rookie,¡¯ she thought to herself as the snake became extremely close.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡®WHY COULDN¡¯T YOU FUCKING CALM DOWN,¡¯ Rookie panicked as the snake lunged forward. But a larger beast lunged forward behind Rookie, closing its jaws around the snake''s body and began a new fight. For a moment it took her to realise it was Seeno who had joined the fray. As it dug its fangs and claws into the snake, with cracking of some of its boned armour. The serpents lashed back by digging their fangs in deep while also tightening their body around Seeno, this along with the lashing of its bladed tail caused splatters of blood across the place. Rookie was taken aback as she felt her body press against something behind her. When she lashed out Kiorif blocked her arm. ¡°Now you can hit something,¡± this got Rookie¡¯s attention as Seeno dug its fangs even deeper while clawing down a length of the serpent into the ground. And with a feat of strength and brutality Seeno tore through the snake, exploding a bomb of blood far larger than Seeno¡¯s wounds. And for the brief moment where its internals held the snake together, Seeno¡¯s thrashing caused the serpent''s body to break, with the smaller portion being slammed into the ground. ¡°What happened?¡± Kiorif paid no regard to Seeno¡¯s violent behaviour as he focused on Rookie, Tomobi and more importantly, the new VitaNav. ¡°Let me explain myself,¡± the VitaNav winced with a raspy voice as he tried to get himself off Tomobi. ¡°I was walking, couldn¡¯t afford a cab,¡± his humour didn¡¯t poke at Kiorif, so he continued with an awkward cough. ¡°I was trying to take a shortcut and it turned out that there was a basilisk that was hiding about, and it didn¡¯t seem that it was gonna let me walk away. So I appreciate what you¡¯ve done for me, sorry for all of this,¡± the VitaNav waves his hands about to the clearing, now smelling of gunpowder and blood while Seeno still mawed the snake remains. ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine,¡± Rookie scoffed. ¡°Trust me, we are the best of the best,¡± her smile contrasted with Kiorif¡¯s brood, who was eyeing this newcomer. Looking at this VitaNav he noticed with its piles of aged sacs there was the faint clicking of glass and metals, and with one of the ripped sacs, he noticed something familiar that he was not a fan of. ¡°So thank you,¡± The VitaNav smiled at the group. ¡°Uh, bye,¡± and he began to walk off before looking over the bottom part of the torn snake. ¡°Oo~, actually,¡± but before he could get any further he had another coughing fit before a spray of blood came from his mouth, and he collapsed to his side. Tomobi and Rookie rushed forward to check on him. ¡°Please,¡± VitaNav grabbed Tomobi¡¯s arm tightly as he began to faze out, with a faint trickle of blood from his mouth. ¡°Get some pieces of that snake,¡± and the VitaNav finally passed out, with the whistling growth falling out of his body. *** The VitaNavs¡¯ bag was kept close to his side as he slept unconscious by a new campfire, with Tomobi keeping an eye on him along with Seeno, who grumbled from its wounds from the battle with the bladed serpent. Meanwhile Rookie and Kiorif kept their differences as they looked at the pieces of the snake that they brought. ¡°Well I didn¡¯t know that this was here,¡± Rookie tried to joke, but Kiorif paid more attention to the VitaNavs¡¯ bag. And when Rookie caught what Kiorif was looking at she sighed. ¡°Oh come on Kiorif, could we just help them without something complicated,¡± She punched his side while he still seemed focused. ¡°Rookie-¡± but before he could say anything the VitaNav coughed heavily again and grumbled as they woke up. ¡°Oh, damn it,¡± he coughed a little more when he finally got a good look around, seeing the group and himself far from where he fell unconscious. Before he could say anything Tomobi offered him a cup. ¡°Here, for the coughing,¡± the VitaNav accepted the offer and drank quickly before spitting it out and coughing again. ¡°FUCK THAT¡¯S HOT,¡± while Tomobi tried to help the VitaNav, Kiorif got annoyed as it seemed he would have to deal with another pain to his side. Chapter 34: Chattering Mess ¡°I should¡¯ve mentioned, here,¡± Tomobi got a handkerchief and helped the VitaNav as they tried to clean themselves. ¡°No no, you said it was for my throat. Should¡¯ve guessed it was hot,¡± the VitaNav hacked as he wiped himself, though once they got a hold of what was happening their eyes widened. ¡°YOU!¡± he grabbed Tomobi, immediately catching Seeno¡¯s attention, who let out a sharp snarl. ¡°Oh shit sorry,¡± The VitaNav let go. ¡°I just need to check, did you get the snake pieces?¡± He looked about and saw Rookie and Kiorif by the remains of a snake, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh thank goodness. Wait, did I introduce myself?¡± The VitaNav looked over to Tomobi, who awkwardly looked away. ¡°Great, now I set myself up as an asshole. Okay, let¡¯s try this again. So, hi. My name is Leonardo. But friends sometimes call me Leo. Or people who don¡¯t want to say Leonardo. Even me too when it gets too long. Right so Leo can be fine if you don¡¯t want to call me Leonardo, what about you my good sir,¡± the now-named VitaNav offered his hand on Tomobi. ¡°U-ahem, well I am Tomobi. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Leonardo shook Tomobi¡¯s hand aggressively, leading to Seeno now eyeing this newcomer aggressively. Though it wasn¡¯t alone, with Kiorif still trying to read this weirdo. ¡°Well of course it was nice to meet me. You saved me from that bloody basilisk, amazing work,¡± ¡°But all I did was carry you,¡± Tomobi downplayed what he did ¡°Away from death, not everybody would have the confidence to do that,¡± This caught Tomobi off guard, remembering how he responded differently to his first encounter with dangerous beasts. ¡°Not downplaying you guys,¡± Leonardo turned over to the rest of the group, giving Kiorif a chance to step in. ¡°That is fine, though I have some questions,¡± ¡°Sure, ask away. What harm could it do?¡± Leonardo shrugged happily, though once Kiorif pulled out the whispering grey orb from his pocket his smile fell. ¡°Care to explain what this does?¡± Before the group could question Kiorif on how he got it, Leonardo went to draw from his belt, but a quick reaction from Rookie and a hiss from Seeno told him the outcome. ¡°That is mine, and I would like it back,¡± Leonardo rested his hand, but his body seemed tense. ¡°Answer the question,¡± Kiorif still held it in his hands, though even Rookie seemed unimpressed. ¡°Kiorif come on,¡± Rookie went over and tried to snatch the gift out of Kiorif¡¯s hand.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°He isn¡¯t causing problems,¡± ¡°Well he should have no problems answering the question then,¡± Leonardo twitched and clenched his hands about as he puffed his cheeks, but he gave in with a sign. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s my gift. No-¡± ¡°I know it is a gift, now what does the gift do?¡± Kiorif still pressed his questions. ¡°Noises,¡± Leonardo just blurted out with a childish look. ¡°It makes loud noises, and cause I¡¯m not stupid enough to through a temper tantrum while using it, it will be fine for me to have it back. Mainly cause you three scare the shit out of me to do anything,¡± Leonardo pointed to the soldiers and Seeno as he held his hand out. ¡°Like I¡¯m genuinely scared of miss scales over there, just wow, those are some large chompers, So my gift back, pretty please. Why am I even asking?¡± Kiorif still gave a pause before doing anything, but a little nudge from Rookie eventually let Leonardo get his gift back. ¡°See I ain¡¯t so bad, now my second request. Can you give me the snake parts, I wanna see what I could use,¡± Kiorif was to continue his questions, but Rookie dragged the remains of the snake for Leonardo ¡°I mean it was heavy, what would you even want with it?¡± ¡°Well, we will find out if it has something interesting. Say VitaNav, the one who was nice to me and gave me hot tea, didn¡¯t take my gift out of nowhere. What was your name again, right Tomobi,¡± Leonardo wrapped his hands around Tomobi¡¯s, getting really close to his face. ¡°How would you feel as to help me with my brilliant works of art?¡± ¡°Um,¡± Tomobi was unsure about Leonardo¡¯s sporadic personality. When looking over to Rookie, she gave him a wide smile and two thumbs in support. ¡°Sure I gu-¡± ¡°Excellent, follow me,¡± Leonardo tried dragging the snake along with his bag, but as he puffed his cheeks as he struggled he let out a deep breath and lay on the ground. ¡°Oh this is tough,¡± Leonardo paused and took a couple of breaths. ¡°Hang on, don¡¯t push yourself. Seeno,¡± Tomobi stopped Leonardo from his second attempt of dragging the corpse and went to Seeno. ¡°Um Seeno can you help with this,¡± Seeno reluctantly rose to help, but with a quick flinch, Seeno stopped and rested again. At this Tomobi noticed a lash running across one of Seeno''s forearms. ¡°How did I not notice this,¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t pay attention,¡± Kiorif shot. ¡°Cause we told you to help Leonardo, I mean it was fine,¡± Rookie interrupted immediately trying to downplay the wound, though shooting a dirty look at Kiorif. Though at this Leonardo¡¯s eyes actually widened. ¡°Wounds? Is that what I¡¯m hearing?¡± Leonardo stopped what he was doing and began to tunnel through his bags. ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ve got something for it. I FOUND IT,¡± with an excited hackle as he tried to get out of his bags he pulled out a new small orb, this time gleaming with green as faint red and blue thin swirls danced about. ¡°Now does anybody have lunch for me and mr toothy?¡± ¡°Why what are you gonna do?¡± Rookie curiosity grew as Tomobi immediately went to make a last-minute lunch for them. ¡°Well miss, have you seen this before?¡± attempting to be dramatic, Leonardo got close to Rookie and held the item for her to see. ¡°Oh yeah I saw this with the docs at Fresh-Root,¡± Rookie¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°So you know what this does?¡± Leonardo¡¯s eyes glowed larger. ¡°Not really, no,¡± Rookie deflated for a moment before puffing up again with wide eyes. ¡°Wait, is this like some sort of magic bandaid,¡± this left Leonardo confused. ¡°What, no. This is a gift, not magic, science, not magic okay. I mean it¡¯s like a bandaid, but better,¡± Leonardo held it pridefully, with Tomobi making a sandwich. ¡°Perfect, now stand back and prepare to be amazed by my grace,¡± Leonardo walked over to Seeno, who became tense as he got closer. ¡°Now, now, cranky snappy. I¡¯m gonna get you all patched,¡± and when he put the gift in his arm, he shocked everyone as he slapped Seeno''s wound.