"I meant to say something, but I've been overwhelmed and it slipped my mind!"

With Merciferus tending my new wing, I can't help but notice that whenever I push against her, it feels like pushing against an immovable object. Even bringing my tail around to give her a push from a different angle doesn't affect her stance at all.

"I am aware, but I cannot fathom how finding the Abomination could be overshadowed by other events. The threat that thing poses cannot be overstated."

It's remarkable how well she's just planted on the ground. Trying to push harder only makes me feel like I'm more likely to move myself than her. Given how easily she pushes my wing and tail out of the way when I try to poke her, she gives off the impression of being an unstoppable force as well. And all this pushing and prodding makes it clear that my wing is fully healed. It definitely feels right as I get on my belly and give it a few bats.

"I got eaten twice! First by some dragon, then by Kira. And then we liberated a village from the influence of some monster making bodies that looked like people. And we stopped an undead siege, then Kira stopped a second undead siege while I had a breakdown. So excuse me for not paying attention to the skeleton peacefully offering tea and biscuits! That felt unimportant by comparison!"

The last thing to try is a deep breath and see how I can affect her hair. Taking a deep breath and letting it out does cause Merciferus' hair to billow in the gust. Even her feathered wings are affected, but nowhere near as much as I would have expected.

"Kira, I would ask that you stop your incessant prodding as we discuss this matter. I find it tremendously distracting."

Okay, she is glaring at me a little, but the subject seems pretty simple to me.

"First, we need to calm down a little. Lauren doesn't feel like you're taking her life being in danger as seriously as it should be. Because it is serious that she was in danger, and I know that you know that. But her feelings are still valid, and she needs to be reassured that she isn't just some tool to be used and discarded. And you don't feel that we understand how much of a threat Faran can be. But Lauren was terrified when she saw him and made the connection that he was the abomination. She even started telling me to behave. Repeatedly. It got very annoying. But you're also right that we don't know just how threatening he can be. You have far more experience dealing with threats like that than we do. So how do we settle this?"

They're both staring up at me with expectant looks. It's still fairly simple. I'm going to see Faran about that shrinking spell anyway, so I'm gonna ask what his deal is and why the gods can't get along with him. We should definitely ask him what's going on as well.

"I want an apology. I offer my prayers to Merciferus all the time, and I know she cares, but this hurts. I could have died in so many different ways, and she's more worried about a hospitable skeleton."

"That is not the case, Lauren. I do worry for you and I do not wish to see you harmed, so I offer my apologies for not making that sufficiently clear. Yet the dangers of this god-killer cannot be understated. Having a monstrosity like that roam freely is a threat to all life. It is not simply a hospitable skeleton; it is so much more than that."

"Have you talked to him? Have you tried learning a lesson from Kira's journey and simply asked how to settle things?"

That's not a bad suggestion, especially since it's what I've already planned, and I like when people agree with me. Mostly, I just want some rest right now.

"How would you reason with something of such cruelty? It destroys what it touches and cannot be stopped unless the Pantheon unites once more, and I do not foresee that happening. It has a singular goal: the destruction of the Pantheon, and as we fall, so do those we protect."

There's a glint of sadness in Lauren's eyes as she stares up at me. And I'm sure I know where this conversation is going.

I dealt with someone showing plenty of-"

"Wait, hold on. You said Faran wanted the destruction of the Pantheon, right? Did he say that or something else?"

"I do not recall the exact exchange of words, but when asked for his purpose, he claimed to have been brought here for the singular purpose of destroying the Pantheon. We cannot allow more gods to die."

If only these dang doofuses would just talk to each other... The history she told us about soul vessels and whatnot clearly described him as having something precious taken away from him, and then he lashed out. I would do the same, that's for sure. The pantheon seems to have their heads so far up their own butts that they can't just talk things out. Smite this, smite that, and call it a day. Hell, with all the warnings about other gods and how Merciferus is the most lenient one I've gotten, I can't say that I blame someone for feeling animosity toward them. And that's before her story, which has far too much to unpack for me right now.

Instead of getting bogged down by changing subjects and discussions, I get up and head for my den. With a quick goodnight and a suggestion for them to get some sleep as well, I leave the two behind. Well, before really leaving them to their talking, I have a few words myself.

"If the two of you start arguing, I'll put you in time-out for a day so you can think about your actions and why you should listen more. And that means no snacks or treats. Also, thank you for the healing, Merciferus. I really do appreciate it."

She bows her head in return for my thanks, so I'll consider the matter closed for now, which means heading down into my den. The carved clay sides continue to become more ornate as whoever the artist is works on adding more whenever I'm not around.

What's even more noticeable is the smell indicating that we definitely need some ventilation down here. At the very least, some circulation because it is getting musty and I'd rather not have weird mold growing everywhere. Especially on my now neatly stacked and organized hoard. Where did Doc get a wooden crate for my gems? Hopefully he found it himself, since that means he's actually ventured outside. And he could have done more to arrange that pile of crushed metal junk. It looks terrible! I might have to ask the grumpy blacksmith to melt the whole pile down.

On the plus side, Doc seems to be making himself right at home in Jeannie's little wall house. Both Tiffy and Jeannie are doing an incredible job of making him feel welcome, and I appreciate that, but they might be a bit too enthusiastic about it.

Well, if they get along, then all the better for me. I'd rather have them all be friends than have a bunch of people sitting awkwardly around each other.

Circling the central pillar a few times, I find a good spot to lie without knocking over the stacks of precious metals. Bringing my tail around to my face, I get a good coil going, ready for some sleep.

There's a new door... Wooden boards held together with a band of that bronze alloy the grumpy goblin smith keeps fussing about. He seems to have gone all out on the strap hinges, making them look like snakes or me. Ooh! I have a Kira door in my den! And the door handle is just a looped rope, which means I can open it!

Crawling closer to the mystery door, I pay attention to any sounds coming from it, but I'm not hearing much of anything. It might be because it's night and everyone's sleeping, but who knows.

With extraordinary care, I crane my neck so my face doesn't get in the way while I extend a talon to hook the loop. A gentle tug is all it takes for the door to open, but all I see is the clay wall in front of me. I really need to get that shrinking magic.

Crawling sideways does give me more room to move as I distance myself from the wall. Bringing my head down to the doorway, I peer inside to spy on the mysteries held in there. And I am rewarded with the sight of a hallway! With side passages! It's big enough for Punchy to comfortably walk if he keeps his head down and bends over a little, but a human might fit properly.

It does seem a bit too big considering all I can smell from the surprisingly deep hallway is goblins and delicious metal. Along the ceiling, they have more of that glowing mushroom growing, keeping everything lit in a dim green light. I'm not sure how they've managed to get green glowshrooms, but I can imagine it being difficult to spot goblins hiding in there in case of an attack.

I can't explore it any further than simply looking from here, so I'm gonna leave it for now and get some of that sleep I've been wanting. Walking in a circle around my den again leads me to a comfortable spot where I can coil. The same spot as before I spotted the door of distraction. Coiling up, it's time for a-

"Kira? Are you still awake?"

Dang it...

"Yes, I am, Lauren. What's going on?"

"I wanted to ask, and I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but why did you care so much about Arienna? I don't remember you having met her before, and you've never mentioned her."

"I didn't know her. It's not that deep. When I spotted her, she relaxed her shoulders and smiled at me, like she was accepting of whatever I'd do to her as long as that monstrosity wouldn't get her. And I don't know why, but I felt that she was a good person. Why did that make you smile?"

I don't know why Lauren is smiling, but it's not her happy smile, it's one of mischief and nefariousness...

"Arienna's people have a soothing effect on animals and beasts. It makes them more accepting of her people, so they can communicate better. Does that make you a gentle beast?"

"Shut up. I'm gonna get some sleep. And you're being really talkative for someone within tongue-snatching distance, you little snack."

"I'm in no danger. You might be a silly beast, but we've already established that I'm a treasure."

I'm not gonna argue with her, instead, I'll just glare and coil up and get comfortable. With Arienna in mind, I don't feel like I was affected by that influence thing, but who knows. I'll have to keep it in mind in the future if I meet more of her people, but for now, I'll assume I made the right choice on my own.

With me ready to sleep, I'm once more interrupted by someone, Lauren again, as she climbs over my tail and heads for the crevice made by my arm and neck. As she approaches, she discards most of her clothes before climbing my arm and settling into the famous sleeping spot. I don't mind a snooze buddy at all, so that's fine, but I'm expecting some sort of commentary, which never comes. Instead, she just gets comfortable and falls asleep after patting me a few times.

------------

A delicious scent of fresh bread stirs me from my slumber, becoming a delightful mix as the petrichor from outside wafts down into my den. As I open my eyes, the sight of a smiling Jeannie greets me. She's looking very happy and seems to be enjoying our whole living situation. I appreciate being woken up with food. Getting up and stretching is a fantastic way to start the day, and adding fresh bread just makes it better.

And I want some of that bread, so with the fantastic dexterity of my tongue, I snatch-

"No. It's for all of us."

Little rascal slapped my tongue! And now she's giving me a stern look, like I'm not the one who was just slapped. Instead of explaining her uncalled-for rudeness, she walks by my face and pats me a few times before wandering toward the shared table where Doc and Tiffy sit waiting. She has brought her sword with her, but I think it's too soon to ask Tiffy about the conductivity experiments I told her to do; however, I can ask how Doc is doing. He seems in good spirits as he sits at the table with his beaked mask and underwear on. They've even been considerate enough to place it with me in mind, so I can be part of the social gathering without having to get up.

"I shall make a note of that! I had not expected the delightful scent of fresh bread to be capable of rousing dragons. Adventurers across the lands must know of this, so that they avoid baking while out and about, lest they awaken threats far greater than they can manage. Not that you are a threat, Kira. Although I have little doubt of your potential to be a threat, should you so choose. And I must thank you for bringing me along for this adventure! I have tried many things previously denied to me as my magical affinity kept threatening the lives of those who would be willing to risk socializing with me. A problem that seems largely suppressed around your overwhelming presence. The sheer density of magic in your den makes my own incapable of taking root, allowing much greater physical contact than I have experienced in... ever."

Yeah, I bet. I can definitely smell that he's enjoying a lot of physical contact. Tiffy is quick to blush while Doc rants, but it isn't until she looks at me again that she covers her face.

"Oh gods, you know... You know of our relationship, don't you?"

It's amazing how Doc can look confused with his face hidden by the plague doctor mask, but he does manage just that. So we have him looking confused, Tiffy looking very embarrassed, and Jeannie not giving a damn as she cuts the delicious-smelling bread and starts preparing it. I don't see a lot of spreads available, so that's something we'll have to look into expanding as well. I should address Tiffy's question, though.

"I do, yes. I've been trying to ignore it and let you do your own thing, but it's difficult with how much of a stank you weirdos build up. Having both of you prance around coated in each other's scent makes it pretty obvious what's going on."

"For how long have you known?"

"It occurred to me a while after the last time I suggested digging a vent. And I'm gonna suggest that again, since the smell is a bit on the strong side. You can even ask Lunch for help. He's great at moving earth and such."

Repeating my suggestion doesn't do anything to help Tiffy calm her reddening cheeks. Instead, she pulls her knees up to her chest and tries her best to hide behind them.

"Oh! You're referring to the intercourse! Yes, that has been marvelous. Both Tiffy and Jeannie have been especially attentive in introducing me to their activities, making sure I feel safe while guiding me to these new experiences. I'm particularly fond of the way Tiffy controls her magical lightning to extract jolts of pleasure. I would never have thought of such an advanced use of-"

Stolen novel; please report.

"SHUT UP! You don't have to tell her everything!"

I'm gonna go ahead and interpret that as Tiffy learning to control her magic better. Which is wonderful news on the topic of electricity. She has so much to explore, and she does need to experiment. Granted, I hadn't expected her to start with bedroom shenanigans.

Jeannie really does seem wholly unbothered by the conversation at hand, and instead focuses on preparing slices of bread and spreading butter on them before adding cuts of veggies and meat. The first person she hands a slice off to is Tiffy, who, despite hiding behind her knees, accepts it with a thank you before chowing down like an embarrassed bundle of limbs.

Doc gets the second slice, but his has the crust cut off, leaving only the glorious interior of fluffy bread with a spread of... something... I have no idea what it is, but the brown paste smells earthy and sweet. And it has green and purple chunks hidden throughout it. I wanna try it.

My interest doesn't go unnoticed as Jeannie, ever the attentive little goblin, begins preparing a sandwich with the mystery goo for me as well. With a generous coat of the goo, she holds it out for me and with a soft poke of my tongue, the flavor hits me as I bring it into my mouth. Ooh! A mushroom paste with onions and sweet peppers! Jeannie deserves a nudge of approval for introducing me to this deliciousness!

"What is this? It's good!"

Jeannie's face lights up at my declaration of its quality and goes to make me another sandwich as she explains.

"We don't know. These mushrooms aren't familiar to us, and the berries are growing out of season. Joras says they're safe, but that they also have a much higher concentration of magic than the natural plants around here."

Ooh, new flora. The obvious reason for that is my hoard affecting the local ecosystem, but that would reflect poorly on me and my influence on the world. I can't just go around changing up things like that, so I'll have to blame the local alchemist for these runaway experiments. It was Joras all along!

I'm doing a fantastic job of solving problems lately, and I'm getting potentially untested, yet delicious treats. I deserve a point or two for that. But what would really make this stand out is some fruit juice! We'll have to figure out how to grow an orchard, so we can have a bunch of fruits readily available. Though if we need enough for the whole town, we'll need a big one. Mostly because I'm part of the town and I could probably out-eat everyone here. And it will be interesting to see how mundane fruits grow in this magic-rich environment if we're already seeing unfamiliar species of other plants.

Thinking of unfamiliar life...

"What's going on with those green fungi behind that door? And what else is behind that door?"

"A most interesting example of personal growth at your behest! I have attempted to use my magic to influence the growth of these glowing mushrooms, as you suggested, and it appears I can do just that in a manner of ways! As I have now spent time unafraid of my magic seeping out, I find that I can hear the wants and needs of the fungus as well as the unseen bugs around us. With my attention turned outward, rather than attempting to contain my magic within me, it appears that, among those bugs, many simply wish to live and grow with no desire to harm. One such case is the green glow mushrooms. Their uniqueness lets them stand out and be spread by those who enjoy the change. There is a desire for cooperation that I had never felt before, and I am fascinated by it."

It's possible that he's heading down a slippery slope, but we do have an expert on the matter available. If Merciferus has death as a secondary domain because of her health aspect, then surely her ability to boost everyone's immune systems also means that disease and pestilence fall under her purview as well. I guess I could just ask her.

"Dear Merciferus, are you also the God of disease?"

"And Doc, regarding this experimentation of yours, are you able to forcefully change the path of a disease, or is it just coaxing? If, for example, a disease or fungus starts running rampant, can you stop it? Or even kill it?"

"I have yet to try, though I see the reason for your worry, which I find that I now share."

A surprisingly short reply, but instead of ranting, he begins focusing, and I feel a twirl of odd magic that is definitely him using his fancy baker's magic. He just doesn't know it's baker's magic yet. With the twirling oddity fading, his face unscrunches, and he relaxes his shoulders.

"Did it work?"

"Oh, yes. I seem perfectly capable of annihilating any trace of a disease that might run rampant. Such an act appears to not demand much in the way of effort, so I... could have been untethered from my residence for years... My teacher was right that I simply needed more control and expertise. And Tiffy further proves my folly in isolation as her own affinity has become far easier to control once she was given her enchanted blade."

I'm like ninety-five percent sure that sword was just some random sword I picked up. She's still using the one I snatched from the blacksmith, and, as I touch it with my tongue, it does give off the taste of sparks and tingles. Before I get a chance to give the sword a proper taste, Jeannie takes it away from me and places it on the other side of the table.

The sword is still very much within reach, but I get the message: Don't eat Tiffy's sword. That doesn't mean I can't eat other things, though! And there's still a clay jar with more of that mushroom jam available. Proving my superiority to this dang table, I reach my snout across and give Jeannie another nudge, requesting more of this delicious bread and spread. If I started every day like this, I would not be upset about it, that's for sure.

We do need bigger bread, though. These tiny slices are like eating crumbs, and, while it's still tasty, it's quite short-lived, and I want more. But instead of getting more, I get a worried question from Jeannie.

"Are you doing well, Kira? We didn't expect you to sleep for five days."

Five days!? That's twice as much sleep as I can reasonably expect from a good snooze! I do feel well-rested, so I can only conclude that I needed some rest after the whole soul-barrel-draining ordeal. But that's still a long time.

"Did anything happen during that freakin' week I slept?"

"Hralthar's companions have arrived and they have begun processing your discarded wing. I have never read about any Dragons capable of discarding limbs to regrow them. Is that a particular trait for your type of Dragon, or one simply unknown to us? Your secrets are yours to keep, though I must admit that I am quite curious. Hralthar also commented on your innate resistance to the Corruption, resulting in the decay being greatly slowed, so they could take their time processing the leathery membrane for the purpose of a project he remains quite secretive about. Though he did enlist the aid of Lily, so I must assume that he intends to carve sigils into it, possibly through tattooing. I would offer you more details, but as I mentioned, he is quite secretive about this."

"And people just let him?! I'm not some source of materials to be used for crafting."

Although I do kinda see the reasoning for using an actual wing to build the wings of a windmill. And since it was part of me, I can only assume that it has a bunch of magical potential, so Lily must be extremely happy to work with it. And it doesn't do anyone any good if we just let it rot or burn it to avoid the whole rot situation. Can it even burn? I'm quite close to impervious to fire as far as I know, so it's possible that we couldn't do that. As long as it's for the betterment of my people, I can tolerate some weirdness with parts I don't need anymore. Although we will have to have a firm talk about making decisions like that without me present.

"Some were, yes. Though he was quick to allay such worries with the reasoning that you have the heart of a dwarf and value the utility of using a lost limb for such a purpose, rather than letting it waste away. This notion of his sparked a surprisingly vocal argument between himself and Raya the Dragonbringer.-"

Oh good. Raya's gonna defend me for sure. I don't like that Foreman got it right. Except the dwarven heart thing. I have a dragon heart and it's fantastic.

"-She was quick to defend your stake, demanding that he pay for the materials based on the current going rates in the Guild."

Dang it, Raya! Good job extorting people, but I'm gonna have to demand most of whatever payment she's been able to get, since she prioritized money instead of my dignity. Plus a fine for not defending my body parts from these ghouls I call friends for some freakin' reason. Hopefully that's it, though.

"Is that it? We've got Foreman doing weird things to my wing?"

"Well... He also intends to grind the bones into bonemeal to fertilize the fields, which garnered quite some interest from Joras. I admit that I find myself fascinated by the prospect of draconically infused crops as well. Though, my growing familiarity with my own magic does lend me some worry as the crops may need to be contained. Although dragons do die and decay on their own, don't they? As such, does the grave of a Dragon hold particular plants? Would it desecrate the grave of a Dragon, should we gather the plants growing in such a place? Or perhaps it would constitute respect if the main purpose is to prune the hedges. Kira, as our primary expert on your people, what might you weigh in with?"

I have no freakin' clue. I could make some crap up, but that seems like it'll come back to bite me in the ass. And I don't like the lying part, so honesty it is!

"I have no freakin' clue. I've met exactly one other dragon and that resulted in a bit of a scuffle."

"Oh, but you appear to be so gentle. Though I do suppose you did arrive coated in the entrails of numerous beasts. Admittedly, that does counter the gentle appearance, which makes me wonder what the visiting traders make of it. I certainly hope they don't think poorly of you due to your choice of dress. A phenomenon with which I am familiar."

I forgot about the gore! Turning my head to give myself an inspection, it's clear that I've been cleaned by someone during my small coma. And quite well. I don't think my scales have ever been this polished, geez. Did they use wax or something?

"Jeannie, do you know who polished my scales? They're so pretty!"

"A bunch of us did. We were worried when you didn't wake up, but Merciferus assured us that you were fine, so instead of not doing anything, I chose to gather volunteers to clean you up. I would want to be clean when I woke up if I was put in the same position. I hope you don't mind. And it was beginning to reek."

Of course I don't mind. In fact, I appreciate it, since she's right about the whole stinky thing. And I can't walk around caked in gore, that's not very... I guess it's a different kind of diplomacy, so it could work. I don't want to be a tyrant, so it's for the best that I got bathed. And good job to them for consulting an expert before trying all sorts of things to wake me. Who knows what a bunch of worried goblins could get up to? I might have been in legitimate danger, geez.

"I want you to know that I don't consent to anything weird being done to me if I fall asleep for a long time like that, Jeannie. I trust that you will keep me safe."

"I will!"

And with that settled, I should brave the day and see what's going on outside. I'm a busy dragon with tasks and friends to take care of! As I get up, Jeannie receives a nudge of appreciation, leaving me with free reins to do whatever I want.

"Might I have one of those as well? I'm fascinated by the purpose of such a gesture."

Nudge for Doc as well before I go. I'm not sure he understands how nudges work, because as I move my head closer to him, he looks up and bonks my chin with his beak. It does remind me that I should take some precautions with his experimentation...

"Dear Merciferus, could you keep an eye on Doc, and possibly teach him about his magic so we don't end up with a terrible case of the end of the world due to an unleashed strain of some horribly deadly disease? He's a decent guy and he's mine, so be careful with him, but he does need a tutor and you need interpersonal relationships that aren't Lauren, so it works out."

It's a lot easier with Lauren, at least she can reply, but I think Merciferus knows she needs to talk to people. I'm getting the impression that she wants to, but she's ashamed of her past, given the whole bringing corruption into the world ordeal.

Tiffy needs a nudge too, she doesn't deserve to be left out. I don't deserve the mild shock I get when my snout connects with her forehead, though. I thought she was getting better at that, but apparently I don't count. Two can play that game, though, so a small puff of smoke for her as I disappear into the downpour!

"I apologize! I got nervous!"

Electric shocks are one heck of a nervous response, but I'll allow it. She's definitely getting better, but a few mishaps are to be expected. All in all, she's doing so well and I'm proud of her. But I also have to get going! No more lingering!

With the rain coming down, the ramp leading out of my den is shiny with the water flowing and creating tiny rivers leading to the bottom and disappearing into holes dug in the sides. I have no idea how big the reservoirs are down there, but I hope they're well-built.

Climbing the muddied path up leads to my feet becoming somewhat caked in clay, and the rain struggles to wash it away. I should look into doing something about that, so I have a clean path when I want to go out. Though that might end up being impossible without replacing a large amount of material to get a good foundation and then laying some brickwork. Ooh, we could have some pretty brickwork for the entire market square.

Focus, Kira! We have goals to meet! And today, I feel energized and refreshed. I got a good snooze, a great breakfast, teased Tiffy, and got all shiny from a good polish. Everything is looking great, and I should ride this wave so I can accomplish something very important! And I think I want it to be a solo adventure so I can learn not to rely so much on Lauren and Raya.

"Lauren! I'm going for a flight, so keep Tuiran safe for me."

"Good morning to you too. Before you go, could you stop by the east gate? You have visitors camping outside the wall."

"Sorry, good morning to you, I hope you've had some good sleep as well. What's the deal with these visitors? How come they're waiting over there?"

The most immediate response I get is a wave of apprehension and nervousness directed toward me, leading me to believe that she's worried about what I might do. Which seems a little unfounded since I'm not that quick to rush into dangerous sit- Okay, that felt wrong even thinking about. I may have a habit of occasionally getting into dangerous situations.

"They look like troublemakers, so the guards wouldn't let them into town."

That sounds like code for adventurers. Those jerks are always up to something, so I'm gonna get to the bottom of it before they cause a ruckus, or worse, get someone hurt. There's only one way to find out what they want, and I might as well get to it! Unfurling my wings, I set off toward the east, and I'm there already, landing with a thud in the wet soil near a camp of five tents with a sheltered campfire.

People come jumping out of four of them, appearing as ready to fight as they can be in their casual clothes. But more importantly than the jerks brandishing weapons toward me, there's a familiar scent around here that doesn't spark memories of annoyance. Dandruff, herbs, and a light scent of booze...

"Banyai! Get out here!"

Calling out to a person on their team seems to unsettle the rest of these goofballs, but they aren't putting away their weapons. That certainly leads me to believe they might actually be here to start something.

"My mama ain't done raised a fool. I ain't messin' with riled-up Dragons. Y'all roust me when you're through wrangling them chuckleheads."

"I'm having second, third, and fourth thoughts about this, boss. Dragon's bigger than we were told and we don't got much of that there poison."

That doesn't sound right. Banyai gives me the impression that he's opportunistic, but he never struck me as a fool. So he should know that if they start something, I'll just incinerate them.

"Banyai, why are you here? To me, it's sounding like you're here to fight me and I don't think that'll go well for your team, especially if I have to be extra careful about some poison."

"I'd never do somethin' that dumb, I ain't that green. Nope, the boss told me to keep my eyes peeled on these yahoos and their fool's errand to get themselves killed. Somethin' 'bout new missions comin' up to hunt y'all down and warnin' you 'bout some enemy of yours. Do what you will with 'em."

Given that they're still holding those weapons toward me, I can't deny the impression that they're hostile, which brings one idea to mind. Ooh...

"Second breakfast!"

Unfortunately, I should have kept quiet about that part, given that the group of goofballs got a sudden burst of wisdom and left. They hadn't actually attacked, so I couldn't count it as consent just because they held up their weapons. But I will count it as consent to rob them.

Focusing on the first tent, a rectangle of canvas with a large flap for a door, I approach it and stretch out my claw. With a gentle talon, I rip into the fabric, revealing a small armory inside. A breastplate, legguards, and what have you for a full set of armor, along with a few weapons. The collection doesn't smell very valuable, but I'm not gonna pass up some casual robbery by not stealing it. And I'm sure our blacksmith can figure out a use for it all.

Before I get started on the second tent, an awning pops up from a different tent and a very tired, almost naked furry person steps out and yawns. With the grace of a feline, he scratches his ass while staring up at me.

"We good? Boss ain't gonna like it if we ain't good. That one's got the coin."

He's pointing at a tent with a lower ceiling that looks cheaper than the one I've already broken into. I guess that sort of makes sense as a ruse, but why wouldn't someone just rob all the tents?

"It depends. That poison the one guy mentioned, was it made by you?"

With my question asked, he leans into his tent and pulls out a flask of red liquid that smells spicy. I'm not familiar enough with poisons to know whether they smell spicy or not. It could even be that it's just this type of poison that has a trait like that and other poisons just tingle or are odorless.

"Yep, stick out your tongue and have a taste."

I'm obviously not doing that. I like treats, but we're talking literal poison here, from a known poisoner. It does help a little that he sees my apprehension and takes a swig from the flask before making a face and declaring it delicious with a woo-ha. But I'm an entirely different species, so who knows how I'd react to it? I certainly don't.

Rather than accept my doubt, he leans into his tent and pulls out a chunk of roasted meat, slathering it in the viscous ooze before taking a bite, even giving me a coy smile while doing so.

"I won't be fooled by treats, Ban-"

As I say his name, he throws a chunk of meat into my mouth. Stupid oversized mouth! But it is really dang delicious! He's got sauce! It's sweet, with a little acidic aftertaste, and there's definitely peppers in here.

While I'm enjoying the variety of flavors I'm experiencing, Banyai yammers on about how it's a family recipe and that it really needs to be used for a hot meal instead of leftovers to really do it justice. I'm having some great food experiences today, and it's not even noon yet!

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