Chapter 25

  Touwon went to do some recon and patrol the area, but was back within half an hour. He whispered something to Fox, and then went and sat by his bag.

  Penny stretched and then nuzzled up beside Oskar, purring softy. Relatively softly, at least. Fox turned to him and translated.

  "There should not have been Hyenas in this area. Valla must have somehow contacted or contracted them, and if so, more are sure to come. This means we need to make a plan."

  First step, obviously, was to leave the area of their last known location, but even still, she's already found them once. Perhaps when she’d hit Fox with that dark energy, she’d left a mark that she could use to follow her. The safest thing for them to do that did not include running in an indiscriminate direction for an unknown amount of time was to head for the Great Collective, apparently under the power of Gramm, a Croc who'd inherited an Oasis from his father.

  "What's a Great Collective? A Collective is just a group who are surviving together, right? Is a Great Collective just... more people?" Oskar asked, smiling at Fox.

  "You would think so. Great Collectives are when a Collective creates a semi-permanent settlement, usually around a long term wayspring, called an Oasis. They consist of a few core members that make up the Great Collective proper, and then the auxiliary Collectives who pander and boot-lick for them. The upside is that because the settlements are trade focused, there is strict protection in the settlement itself, Even Valla would not dare use her dark magic in such a place."

  "So, should we be making our way to the closest one?"

  "It is a mixed bag. There are benefits to be sure, but in order to receive the protection, we at least need tradable goods. The better the goods, the more likely we can stay long enough to regroup."

  "And the downside?"

  "Well, Kobolds are not exactly on the top of the social chain. It might be odd to have a human in charge, but it would be outright dangerous for me to be the spokesman for the group."

  "Are we humans on the same level as the Kobolds?"

  "No. You would at least be considered more neutral. Natural born humans in our world make good traders because they are usually not a threat. They also generally do not have strong ties to any single race. Setting yourself up as a traveling trader would be benificial to our survival. It may be the best way forward." She considered a moment.

  "Another downside: the area surrounding the settlement can be a bit of a no-kobold’s-land where sometimes, desperate gangs would waylay travelers to gain enough resources to enter the settlement itself. They are not all bad,, but there are dangerous people outside those gates. That is a truth. Some, though, simply enjoyed the implied protection of being near the Great Collective but have no desire to be bound by its rules. If we make it Inside, though, and can establish ourselves as active traders, perhaps earn a trade tent for a few weeks, we will have access to safer and more available food and water.

  "As a human and two Kobolds, though, we will have no political power unless we show up with something valuable enough to trade. Either way, we will have access to safety and most likely 'better than campfire lizard' food if we can gain access."

  Touwon spoke, and Fox nodded as she translated. "Valla is surely on her way to just such a Collective, but apparently had recently been cast out of Gramm's Collective. It does not mean she can't return, but it should be unlikely."

  Vulk's earlier threat that Valla had certain... appetites aligned with her best guess, and the thought made a shiver run down Oskar's spine in stark juxtaposition with the heat.

  "She likely has contacts and a background that might allow her access, regardless." Fox's brows lowered. "Another downside... I hate the idea of becoming reliant on a Great Collective, and it could be harder to get out than it will be to get in.

  The Vulk Collective had been in the area for a reason, maybe the same reason the Hyena's had been here, but the Kobolds had never learned what that reason was. But, they couldn't discount that the attack was likely the first of many, whether because the Crocs and Hyenamen were being sent or because they were looking for something in the area.

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  "If we don't find a safe place soon, we might be hunted until Valla eventually kills us. She will not let her injury or the death of Vulk go, that is a truth. As distasteful as it is, for now, we need the safety a Great Collective. Which means we need trade goods. Food, Gear, cloth, or wood. As long as we are useful, the Great Collective will have a vested interest in keeping the peace."

  “So basically,” Oskar said with a grimace, “I need to act like a local, and we all need to act like we just so happened upon some stuff useful enough to trade.”

  “That is a truth. The issue now is finding something they want enough to keep us safe. Something they are interested in enough to say no to Valla’s wishes on the off chance she is allowed back into the Gramm Collective. What is something they want more than three slaves and to keep that royal pain from getting what she wants?”

  Nearby,Touwon barked out a few words and Fox groaned. "We might be able to dig up a ruins if we found it, but he can only sense water and living things. He is not a Magno Finder," she saw the confusion and clarified to Oskar. "Metal. Finder of metals."

  Touwon's chin rested on his purple hand as he thought. After a few moments, he turned back to Fox, and said something with a decidedly more serious tone.

  “We cannot kill the Gryphus Vulture. The Gryphus Vulture has lived longer than both of us and would never be caught unawares. Know it true. Many dry brained fools have overplayed their hand fighting that beast.”

  “What’s the Gryphus Vulture?” Oskar asked.

  "A massive bird that roams the desert. It was not originally a hunter, but grew in power and size until it had to be more proactive in feeding itself. That beast is a terror." She shook her head slowly, looking down at the sand. "With black feathers that are hard as steel, I have never even heard of it being harmed.”

  Touwon shrugged, and they both went silent in thought again, but something stuck out in Oskar’s memory. “I saw a gigantic bird when I first met Penny, just… massive,” Oskar said, hands held out wide, and Penny poked her head up at her name. She kwinned and then purred as she settled back into place.

  “If this thing is what you’re talking about, it was half dead when it flew over me. It was missing almost all the feathers on one wing. It was rotted or something, I couldn't tell. I have no idea how it even stayed in the air,. Though with the wind like it is, anything with a death-wish and the ability to glide can stay up for a little while.”

  Touwon stared at him as Fox began asking more questions than he had answers for. It had flown over. It was huge, the feathers had probably been black, but were faded and pale from what he saw. It was terrible enough that he’d not even felt comfortable enough to stare at it for long due to the feeling of dread he’d felt even looking at the giant beast.

  “Even if it is this Gryphus, how would killing it give us access to the Great Collective?” Oskar asked.

  “There is a rumor that Gramm has a Gambit to recover the bones or Gear of his father, Gram, from the great bird. He had sought to kill the beast for whatever reason silly people in power do such things, and…” she paused for effect and then added a deadpan, “and was promptly eaten for his troubles.”

  “Wait,” Oskar asked, “The leader of the Gramm Collective is Gramm, obviously, but his father’s name is Gramm as well? Is that normal?”

  “No. The son of a shared name will often add another letter. The father is Gram with one ‘m.’ The son is Gram-mm,” she over enunciated the second M, making both Touwon and Oskar chuckle, but Oskar was unsure if she was joking.

  “Adding on to the name is supposed to carry the accomplishments and pride of the father to the son. As you can imagine, this particular instance is a bit of an embarrassment to the family.” Fox paused before continuing. “However, even if we kill the Gryphus in its wounded state, we cannot claim to have done so. It would be an insult to him. Either we ‘found it dead’ or we must somehow implicate Gram with one M in its death.”

  “So, to be clear… we need to kill the huge bird and then... pretend like we did no such thing and then hope it hasn’t digested Papa Gram’s gear and bones?” Oskar asked quizzically.

  “If they are part of a Gambit, they will drop upon the creature’s death.” Fox explained. “It is the way it has always been. Is your world not the same?”

  “When I say we have no magic in my world, I mean we have nothing. No quests, no drops. People can only be looted of things they physically carry on their person, whether that person is dead or alive,” he answered.

  “Odd, I would learn more of your world soon, Oskar. However, we must not leap ahead of ourselves. First, we watch and see if killing it is even possible, if we can do so without being hunted ourselves."

  She paused, her brows lowered and she caught herself just short of nervously rubbing her hands together and let out a breath.

  "Yes, ideally, we kill the Gryphus Vulture and take the remains to the Gramm Collective. If Gramm’s quest is for the bones of his father, our path is straightforward. It is said his father had a matching Gear set, however. If it drops, we may need to consider other options. That would be a valuable prize. Possibly even worth abandoning the potential safety of the Gramm Collective.”

  “This might be the worst plan ever, but it's better than wandering around the desert till Valla nails us down. I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Oskar said.