Tigra
patreon
Chapter 214: Double Deception
🕑 Added 2025-04-28 18:59:08 +0000 UTCWell Tom had certainly had an interesting chat with their latest two arrivals. They truly were the adventurous sort. The Indiana Jones duo of this world. One upside to all the crazy stories they had to share was that his own didn’t seem quite so unbelievable anymore by comparison.
Now he just had to convince Rachuck that all was well, a task more or less on par with convincing a hypochondriac that the cough they have was in fact not life threatening.
“And they seem to have believed you?” Rachuck questioned, evidently skeptical. Tom could see why. Everyone agreed the old story they had come up with for his origins was a bit out there, but it beat the truth.
“So far yeah, apparently they haven’t actually bothered with going that far north yet. And I know from Joelina’s dreams that even whites have limits on how far they can go.”
“What are you on about? Far north?”
“Remember Lord Joakim? The old story we spun for visitors?”
“Oh please don’t tell me you recounted that to them.”
“Relaaax. Gave them the whole spiel just like we practiced way back, in case of any guests.”
“This is a disaster waiting to happen. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if half the people here don’t remember a word of that lie. The moment she starts asking questions-”
“Oh yeah and I didn’t tell them about the Inquisition either. They don’t seem too keen on that lot, something about running away from them when a certain someone tried to press them into working for them.”
“And who is this certain someone?”
“Weeeell…”
“Oh please don’t tell me it is someone we know.”
“Yeah I think they are sorta, slightly… on Joelina’s wanted list. Or at least the list of things she would love for Christmas. But they haven’t really done anything wrong, so it’s not like they are actually wanted by the Inquisition. I bet you it’s got to do with that trip to the north. Good news, I’m getting fewer and fewer of those visions. Bad news, I ain’t got the ending yet.”
“I would think that you no longer getting visions of the Inquisition’s private matters counts as a very good thing indeed. But you do realize what will happen the moment archivist Paulin wakes up, yes?”
“Relax, I’m sure they will be gone long before then. They got a trade route and stuff to do after all. I bought a few things and claimed a favor for some food, oh and they did agree to the whole helping with a hunt or two thing. So that’s all sorted out.”
“I suppose that is a bright side yes, and it is not as if we must explain in detail how we acquired raw meats in the middle of winter. Though I fear Dakota may be a little… displeased. Nunuk as well for that matter.”
“Why? It’s fresh food. We could also just say a trader brought it. Not technically lying.”
“No, but highly unlikely. And the hunts for the year have concluded. We are not supposed to be doing any more hunting. Though it is not a situation I remember us being in ever before.”
“Better to ask forgiveness than permission then. Besides Nik and Elsa will be doing the hunting so technically it isn’t even us doing it.”
“Are you not planning on taking part?”
“I mean… maybe, we’ll see. That’s the tiniest dragon I ever saw. I’m not even sure he’ll take a second rider. Though she could fly herself I suppose. You okay with them taking me off like that?”
“Very good point,” Rachuck replied thoughtfully, Tom rather wishing he could take the words back in his mouth. “They could hold you for ransom, or abduct you. That would be a disaster.”
“Come on man, they are a pair of adventurous kids. Not mercs. Hell they won’t even take mercenary work, they made that very clear when I started talking favors. Young and dumb that’s all.”
“Yes, they do seem very young to be out this far, but it is far from unheard of. It has bit them though, the dragons young age and small size would be far better suited for delivering messages than goods. Their meager selection betrays that fact, least of all while having to carry her some of the way as well.”
“Welp, he ain’t leaving her that’s for sure. They are cursed to each other, part of why she can stand the cold. Though I ain’t got a clue how that might work.”
“Yes, you said so already. Very well, let them stay in the greeting hall for now. We shall share some of our provisions as promised, though try not to be too generous. I doubt they will be able to earn back what they are given.”
“Come now man, cut them some slack, it’s just a pair of kids who fucked up a bit. I’m sure they’ll learn in the future, and it sounds quite handy to have a debt or two with a white dragon. Even if he’s young enough Arch could carry him around. Oh that reminds me, gotta get some frost powder out of him.”
“Best of luck. I shall tend to the sleeping. Keep an eye on them, we do not want to risk any surprises.”
“Yeah yeah, brighten up old man, it’ll be fine. Maybe she’s a better sparring partner than me, who knows?”
---
“Okay, spit it out, where is she?”
“I uhm… I like, totally don’t know,” Nik tried, the dragon about as convincing a liar as Kiran with cookie crumbs around his snout.
He had retreated almost all the way up into a dark dingy corner of the greeting hall under questioning, flickering lantern light making deep dark shadows behind the bright white dragon.
“I ain’t buying that for a second. Where is she and why are those tarps not covered in a dusting of snow anymore?” Tom questioned, a little more firmly gesturing towards where Jarix’s press had been hidden away and covered for the winter.
“I told you man, I had a great nap and then she wasn’t here anymore.”
“She cannot go very far from you without it being a problem, you said so yourself. How far can she go?”
“Gee, I mean if I like, try and feel it in my gut you know, I’d say like… Definitely inside this keep somewhere, for sure…”
Tom just stared at the dragon doing his best to seem unimpressed. He doubted it would help though. From what he had learned of the two of them, there was no way in hell Nik would betray his accomplice and appealing to authority would do more harm than gain.
“So you come in here, I stick my neck out for you and this is how you repay me? By going through my stuff.”
“To be fair it’s sus as fuck,” the dragon finally admitted.
“So you have been going through our things then? Is that why you are here? To spy on us? Or looking for a little blackmail?”
“Dude, no no no. I ain’t down for anything like that. She’s just… I mean come on what even is that thing?” He gestured at the covered up press. “Can’t leave something like that for us. We gotta know more now.”
“Well get her back here, before Rachuck finds her. He’ll have a fucking fit if he catches her snooping around.”
“I mean, she’s just doing a little exploring, it’s what we do man.”
‘At least we’re getting somewhere now.’
“Well you are exploring some stuff that belongs to someone who’s still kicking, not a dead abandoned ruin. Get her up here and maybe, just maybe I’ll answer some questions. And if she sticks her head in the wrong thing around here she’s going home in a sack.”
“You’re gonna kill her just for having a rummage around? Duude!” the dragon replied with horror.
“No, but if she decides to mess around with a bomb, it sure as hell will.”
“Oh…. Ahr shit.”
“Indeed, among other things. So where did she go?”
“I uhm. I mean that way,” Nik finally yielded. “Towards the main gate leading outside.”
“And how in the fuck did she manage that? We didn’t open the gate.”
“Oh uhm, I just lifted it a little. Shoulder push, you know? She’s very good at getting through slippy spots.”
“And then what? The windows are barricaded. And she ain’t getting through the doors below. Not to mention the damn storm.”
“She is a very good climber, oh and she has a crowbar,” Nik replied, as if that explained away everything.
“Of course she does. Rachuck is gonna lose his shit I swear. Right, don’t call her just yet. MAYBE, maybe we can still get away with this. God fucking dammit.”
It wasn’t so much that Tom was afraid Rachuck might kick out their new guests, though he very well might. He just didn’t want his face rubbed in the fact their new guests managed to stay in line for no more than a couple hours.
Besides, it was certainly what he would have done if given the chance. Heading back through the doors to the main hall and making sure to shut and bar the door behind him, he made his way down. He hurried at first then slowed to a sneak, rubber boot soles giving him an edge few dragonettes could hope for.
It did not take very long before he heard the whir of either the lathe or mill turning on and he quickened his pace towards the workshop. As he made it to the door the machine once more fell silent, accompanied by a female cursing under her breath. Weighing his options Tom elected to put his ear to the door for now. To his knowledge there wasn’t anything inside more dangerous than the mill and lathe, and hopefully one thing coming alive would keep her from pressing any more buttons.
There was silence for a moment, as she likely listened for any approaching footsteps. Tom as well kept an ear out for the clack clack of Rachuck’s clawed and armored feet. But none came.
“Pheew, I don’t think they heard that. Right then, what is this thing?” It came from inside, Tom listening intently. “It spins… and it… I don’t know does something. Does it print runes maybe? Naaah, there isn’t any magic on it at all. Aside from that thing whatever it is… hmmmm. I wonder if-”
Fearing she might be about to fiddle with the powercell, Tom swung the door open, revealing a stunned dragonette locked in a precarious position. She was balancing upon a single foot, tail outstretched behind her and wings slightly parted for balance. Her hand was extended towards the rather angry box with wires coming out of it, sitting on a shelf behind the lathe.
“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you. Blitz gel,” Tom spoke calmly, yet sternly as Elsa remained frozen in place.
“Ahr… lovely, more of that stuff. Uhm… Hello, I know this might look bad. It is a very pretty thing you got down here… many pretty things,” she tried, forcing a smile as she looked at him, still remaining completely still despite the precarious looking stance.
“Yup, dangerous too. Still got all your fingers?” Tom questioned, trying not to sound angry. That probably wouldn’t help matters after all.
Elsa held up her hands, Tom noticing her pointing finger on the right hand was in fact missing two joints, though that did not look recent. “All here. What’s left at least.”
“Very good… now I know why you are down here, but unless you want mister grumpy to kick you out into the storm again, I suggest you plug that and come with me,” Tom said, pointing to the open window complete with shutter laying on the ground beneath it.
‘Note to self, make better shutters, barely child proof.’
“You know, that sounds like a wonderful idea, but uhm. What is all this stuff?” Elsara tried, finally retracting her hand and getting back on two feet.
“Behave and you might get a chance at figuring it out.”
The hopeful smile vanished from her face accompanied by her ears going slack. “Fine, here, I thought you were the fun one.”
“I can be, but come on. Less than an hour since I left you two, and we just had a whole talk about trusting each other.”
“Hey, not my fault you got artifacts sitting in your greeting hall,” she protested, slowly and dejectedly starting to walk towards the window and picking up the shutter.
“Artifact would suppose that they are ancient in nature, or left behind. They are not.”
“What, you made them yourself? All this stuff. Pffft, no chance, this is a frontier keep. If you can make a decent sword that would be impressive.”
“Don’t let Shiva hear that, I know she prefers armor work despite what I make her do. Now boogie please.”
“I… I don’t know what that means,” Elsara questioned, looking back to him as the shutter was set in place and the light faded from the room. Tom noted her eyes were glowing ever so slightly in the gloom, along with the fact he now couldn’t see shit cause he hadn’t thought to turn his flashlight on.
“Can you see in the dark?”
“What, no?” Elsara dismissed out of hand.
‘She probably can then, very well. That’s that figured out,’ Tom concluded before turning on the flashlight he’d kept in his pocket.
“What the shit!” Elsara exclaimed, raising a hand to shield her face from the blinding white light, much to Tom’s amusement.
“Me neither, now move it.”
“Right right, no need to be so mean about it.”
Tom just rolled his eyes as she carried on out the workshop without further protest. “And for the record, you are getting my tree for free now.”
“Oh come on!”
---
The atmosphere had been rather tense over dinner despite Tom feeling quite certain Rachuck hadn’t noticed the small slip in confinement. In fact he had even opened up the doors leading to the grand hall so Elsara could come help carry the food up from the kitchen. When they had tried to return to the grandhall though, they had found Nik standing at the top of the stairs expectantly, apparently able to fit through the doors going between the grand hall and greeting hall, even if there could not be much room to spare.
“Hi sorry, need help carrying anything? It’s warmer here. At least a little bit.”
Rachuck just stared at the dragon for a moment before sighing. “Yes, I suppose it is. Lay down in the sparring ring, we shall eat here where there are proper chairs.”
“Sure but, I mean I think I would fit down there. You got fires going, right?” the dragon tried, craning his head to look down the admittedly wide straight stone stairs leading to the kitchen.
“Let us not test any more floorbeams than necessary,” Rachuck replied, gesturing towards the center of the grand hall.
“Right, right, cold floor then… actually I guess it is a little warmer,” Nik concluded, shifting his weight side to side, which did make the floorboards creak a little. Still it shouldn’t be anything this floor could not handle, even if the grand hall itself was nowhere near as sturdily built as the greeting hall and platform.
“Yes, the fires below should help a little, though we keep them fairly low. We have limited fuel before we must venture outside.”
“Oh, I can help with that no problem. I can still reach my head up above the snow to see where I’m going.”
“Fuck me it’s that deep?” Tom questioned as he made his way past with his tray. It hadn’t looked anywhere that bad when they opened the main door to the landing platform.
“It’s about to my knees,” Elsara added with an eyeroll, betraying her partner’s ruse.
“Which means I can look over it just fine,” Nik affirmed with a dumb grin.
“I see,” Tom sighed, trying not to chuckle. “Well then, shall we?”
“Get your butt on the boards Nik, they got food for you too.”
“What am I, like, an afterthought or something?” Nik cackled, going to lay down in his designated spot.
Rachuck brought up the rear with the dragon’s portion. Elsara had told them Nik normally ate for about 4 people, so they had just settled on getting the guy a similar portion to the rest of them plus the leftovers. Settling down the dragon’s food was placed at the end of the table where he could reach easily enough.
“Waaaow, real person food too, I bet it’s got salt and everything.” The dragon snickered as he licked up the first strip of meat and started chewing.
“Shut it princess, or I’ll sell you to the church.”
“You’ll look good in priest’s robes, but do you think you can step inside without you know…”
“Having them all worship me? No, I don’t think so sadly, but I’ll get over it.”
Rachuck didn’t say anything as he sat, though Tom was chuckling to himself a little. They truly were just like siblings.
“No no, without catching fire.”
“Bitch, the only sin I ever committed was not doing what I was told, and maybe going a few places we weren't allowed, but that’s nothing compared to the folk who visit a temple or whatever, like, on the regular.”
“And took some ancient old things to sell, that’s gotta be bad?”
“Why? Just means people actually get to look at it rather than it being lost at the bottom of a dark hole somewhere.”
“Fine, fine, we’re not stealing, just putting it on display, for money,” the dragon chuckled.
“Hey, we need money, cause you eat far, far too much.”
“Hey, I’m a cheap white dragon, I don’t even demand spices.”
“No, but you’re still mad we sold the salt. It’s not like I’m getting salt on my food either when we’re camping, you know?”
“No, but you sold it. This is much nicer though,” the dragon concluded, snatching up some more strips at once and chewing away. “Salt and smoke, lovely.”
Rachuck did incline his head towards the dragon for the compliment to the food. “I am certain our huntresses would be pleased to hear it.” The captain was still wearing his bright blue brigandine armor, magic sword at his side and, knowing Rachuck, ready for a draw. “Will this be enough? I realize you have been traveling for quite some time in less than favorable terrain.”
“Oh yes I’m starving, this’ll be good though. I’m not THAT hungry. Like I said, I’m a cheap dragon.”
“I see… Excuse my inexperience, you are the youngest dragon we have yet had to cater to.”
“Right yeah, we normally have to like, stay where it’s safer or not so far to fly and all that crap. Bit of a shame to not make it to 50 when you can live for a couple hundred, right? But like I’m half a ton, I can handle myself. When we ran away I was only just passing 400 kilos.”
“That is extremely young from what I know of dragons, is it not?”
“Pah, it’s not that bad. I had a friend once who started flying as a courier when he was 10. It was inside a town though.”
“I see, yes. Well you have made it thus far, very commendable.”
“Damn, how old are you? You talk like our old loremaster,” Elsara, questioned as she dug into her own portion. “70? You look good though. Got some chalk lying around?”
Rachuck did rumble a little, Tom guessing he was debating if that was a compliment or not. “I am 51.”
“Huh… fair enough,” Elsa concluded, shifting her attention to her food and leaving Rachuck staring at her like an annoying puzzle.
“And yourself?”
“Oh right, I’m 19,” Elsara replied through the food in her mouth.
“I was there when she hatched. I was 5, fit in the beds back then and everything. Now I’ll never know a mattress again.”
“We slept on fucking hay dude. And it fucking sucked, it was like a cold draft when you walked into a room. At least you won’t fit much longer.”
“Awww my feelings. That’s gonna suck so bad when I can’t sit at the table no more. But I will be able to bring more stuff and go much further. We could go north again.”
“With dark fucks around? Nooo thank you, I’d rather go find some bugs on a lowland again. Besides we might find more of him,” she replied, gesturing at Tom and reaffirming that they might actually have bought his story. “Bugs any day man, I’m telling you.”
“I hated that shit, why do beetles have to be so strong, not fair,” the dragon complained, yet more food in his mouth.
“You smelled so bad it tried to roll you home. If you took a bath once a month that wouldn’t happen, now would it?”
“You’re the one who doesn’t wanna scrub me down! With those delicate little hands of yours.”
“You’re a strong independent dragon, figure it out.”
Rachuck just stared at the two of them as Tom tried not to laugh aloud. Maybe it was the cabin fever, but he already missed shit like this. He’d have to go a bit harder on Jarix when spring came.
“What, afraid of the water? Can’t be the cold with what you’ve been doing,” Tom added in, just wanting to be part of the fun.
“Yeah, shit sucks, everyone knows that. Even Nik here. But fuck me if I’m giving him a sponge bath, every time there’s more stuff to wash. And his white. He never stays clean for more than 5 fucking minutes.”
“Hey, I can’t just stop growing.”
“What does it take? 15 minutes? He’s tiny, I had to scrub down Jarix once, he’s an 8 tonner,” Tom countered, harkening back to getting the mud off a very unhappy Jarix after they had been plowing. Gods that felt like such a long time ago already.
“Well you’re clearly weird anyway. I bet you like the water. No offence.”
“Some taken.”
“Nah, not with how you look,” Elsara replied without missing a beat, not even looking up from her plate.
“What? Flat in the face?” Tom tried, shaking his head a little. He was just glad Jacky wasn’t here right now.
“You look like you were smacked when you were little, yeah. Actually, Nik, don’t you think he looks a bit like a buggy cripply. Remember, bug temple ruin place. All the pillars everywhere.”
“I’m sorry, a what now?” Tom questioned as the dragon looked him over again, before shrugging and slowly nodding, carrying on eating.
“That’s what we called those little guys we found on the pillars, back in… fuck what was it called? Some abandoned piece of shit rock ball infested with the bugs, not important. Shit loads of inscriptions on everything, bugs, dragonettes, funny looking creatures of all sorts. And there was this two legged bug thingy without wings. So we named them buggy cripply. Or a bugcrip if you aren’t being scholarly.”
“Scholarly,” Tom repeated back to her with as much sarcasm as he could muster.
“Hey we might not look it, but we write down what we find. It’s called science,” Elsara countered with surprising conviction.
“I am familiar, yeah. But please, do tell me more of these things?”
“Oh we just found these like little retarded looking things all over the place, not just the one temple. Place was good damn ancient, ain’t no one been there for centuries save the bugs I guarantee you that. Place was so overrun no one wanted to go there. But if you don’t fuck with their nests they don’t mind. It’s not like the actual buglands and all that bullshit.
“You have been to the buglands?” Rachuck questioned, seeming more interested all of a sudden.
“Well only by accident. At least we think that is what it was. We landed on an island like normal and the moment we started rummaging around a big fucking swarm came and chased us out.”
“I got my exercise that day,” Nik added with a grin not seeming terribly serious about any of it either. “Didn’t even get my post island hopping nap. Rude.”
Tom exchanged a glance with Rachuck as their two guests bantered. He didn’t believe it would have been a human on those old slabs and columns, but perhaps it was one of the fish people from the drawings in the vaults instead. It would probably be hard to tell if he had to guess.
“Tell me, what color were these funny little men?”
“Sand colored,” Nik replied swiftly.
“Just like everything else there,” Elsara added less enthusiastically, looking like she just lost a bit of respect for Tom. “But I guess you are sorta sand colored. At least ish. Pretty sure sand colored dragonettes aren’t a thing though. Less you really really suck at taking a bath or something.”
“Right of course… Well that is certainly interesting. Ever seen those things in any other places?”
Nik and Elsa both pondered that one before shaking their heads. He made a mental note to see if he couldn’t arrange showing them just the picture of the fish people they had found on the ancient old blueprints. Maybe that would jerk their memory.
“Nope. Just down there. Bit far from home to have a pic of you though? Sure you aren’t a bug in the end? You got fashion sense of one,” Elsara jested, giving him a poke with a clawed finger. “Mister green and black. Green on the inside too, are you?”
“Awww thanks. But no I’m not a bug. I bleed red at the end of the day.”
“Huh… I’ll try not to take a bite,” Elsara joked. Nik grew a cruel grin like he just thought of a joke, looking to his partner.
“What? I heard guys are super into that. Go on, have a little nibble.”
“Fuck you!” Elsa broke out, hefting her already empty plate to throw before looking at it and thinking better of it. “Only cause it’s not mine.”
“Much appreciated,” Rachuck said as he let out a breath.
“Hey, I’m not a wildling or something, we don’t go around breaking shit. Met a few of those too over the years, fucking strange people. Some are like super duper friendly. Others will try to murder you if you do the wrong hand gesture or something.”
“I remember a few who, like, tried to give me a bunch of gifts. I ate most of it, just don’t tell the church,” Nik added with a conspiratorial nod.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Tom replied, giving Rachuck another glance. The captain remained stoic.
“What, is he like a snitch or something?” Elsara questioned, tone quickly growing a bit more serious.
“No, I am not,” Rachuck replied, taking a moment to weigh his words. “... Though I do have a few connections within the Inquisition. Tom tells me they are… interested in your whereabouts,” the captain said calmly, Elsara and Niks expressions both turning rather cold. “Tell me, why is it they want you so?”
“Cause they want someone to go do their shit for them, and we said no, cause we don’t like catching a case of dead. Nor being told where to go.”
“I see. And that is all? You refused an offer?”
“Well, telling them to go fly off a cliff is a crime apparently. Or something like that, didn’t feel like letting them finish.”
“It is in rather poor taste, but I do not believe they took it for a crime,” Rachuck replied calmly, taking a moment to chew some of his own food.
“And why is that?”
“You are still free.” The captain seemed rather smug about that comment to Tom.
“Oh please, you’re old enough to know better,” Elsara spat back, the smile fading from Rachuck’s face. “They are so damn busy they can’t deal with half the shit they wanna, which is a good thing honestly. If it was up to them, every poor person stealing food is ‘aiding the enemy’ or some crap like that.”
“I think food rationing is a little bit below the office of the Inquisition,” Rachuck rebuked, sounding a touch annoyed with the young woman. Which meant he likely found her insufferable.
“Well maybe. They still act like they own you or something. I just wanna be free, free to go do what I want. Ain’t that right Nik?”
“Yup,” the dragon replied simply, not doing much of anything save watching.
“I am confident they would pay you very handsomely for your services, if you acted with a little more decorum,” Rachuck tried, refusing to give in.
“Like I said, I don’t wanna catch a nasty case of dead. Even if we live they’ll probably kill us for seeing something we shouldn’t. Hell I’m sure they’d off us for some shit we already saw and don’t even know we’re not allowed to know. They hoard, steal, control, and punish. We want no part of that shit.”
Tom tried to not think too hard about the brigands that got taken away from the keep, nor the academics which had been working in the vaults down below. She had a point, but so did the Inquisition. Their work was incredibly important, but they sure were harsh when it came to doing it.
“And don’t say it can’t be that bad,” Elsara carried on. “If they want someone like us, it’s bad. We are not an optimal choice for secret mission stuff. We will not shut up about what we saw, and we don’t do what we’re told.”
“Yes, that might be an issue I will grant you that,” Rachuck finally relented, seeming most displeased about it.
“What, you like friends with a ’quisitor or something?”
“No, not exactly.”
“Wait a fucking minute,” Elsara then muttered aloud, looking to Tom, then back to the captain.
“Strange fucking dude from temple carvings… weird machines and shit… knows the Inquisition, in the middle of fucking nowhere. The fuck are you making here?”
‘Ahr shit, the penny dropped,’ Tom sighed, it was probably inevitable, but he had suspected it would be him who fucked it up, rather than Rachuck. And that it would at least take a little longer.
“Are you sure you want to know?” Rachuck replied with confidence. “They would most certainly want you to be quiet about what you find.”
Elsara looked to Tom like she wanted his take on this, Nik looking more befuddled at what to do now.
“We may or may not have had a visit or two. And some help with a few things we are working on,” Tom offered, not wanting to give too much away.
“I should have known, I should have fucking known.”
“Relax, they aren’t here now… well there are a couple sleeping, not actual inquisitors, but you know.”
“You got some of their goons just sleeping in your beds?” She sounded outraged that someone would do that.
‘Okay she has baggage with them for sure,’ Tom concluded to himself. This was definitely more than just not wanting to work for them.
“They do their part, we do ours, and with a little luck we’ll make the world better for everyone, whether the Inquisition wants that or not. But that is all a very long story. For now, they are sleeping. They don’t need to know you were ever here, and you did agree to help with a few things,” Tom tried, in his most diplomatic tone.
“You promise you won’t snitch?”
“Even if I do, what are they gonna do? Sit here and wait for the next time you come by?”
“No, but you might tell them we are trying trading?”
“Tell you what, I’ll give you a little something to put your mind at ease then. Joelina is definitely too busy to be worrying about you right now.”
“You fucking know Joelina, that fucking bitch!?”
“I wouldn’t say we know her, but we know she’s got her hands full and then some. You’re safe for quite a while. Probably all the way until this coming war is over.”
“Hey that’s pretty good,” Nik added in, his tone more optimistic, though cautious.
Elsara stared at Tom real hard, like she was trying to tell if he was lying or not. “Right… we’ll get you your tree, and some meat, but once that lot upstairs starts to stir, we are gone.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“You can leave sooner as well if you so desire. Deriva Keep is more welcoming, and free of the Inquisition’s fingers for now. Even if they are quite poor. They have had a bad year,” Rachuck added, possibly hopeful they would just fuck off, but Tom didn’t know for sure.
Elsara just nodded slowly before leaning back in her chair and taking another strip of meat, eyes still darting between Rachuck and Tom. “You better not be pulling my wing right now. I ain’t working for the damn ’quistors.”
Comments
Michael Halpern
Also seems obvious that Tom isn't the first human on Oka. they just misidentified some statues.
Michael Halpern
wait, thinking about it, Joelina was probably using them to find any lost tech that could be used in the war, no that Tom's around and they have the vaults in the mines....
Michael Halpern
Tiguan is going to adopt them, whether they want to be or not
