{"id":10153,"date":"2021-02-24T07:20:48","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T07:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wandering-inn\/?p=10153"},"modified":"2025-12-24T01:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T01:02:14","slug":"8-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderinginn.com\/2021\/02\/24\/8-10\/","title":{"rendered":"8.10"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Wandering Inn is going to be working with editors and holding a contest for paid, professional editors to apply! Please spread the word and find out more details here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, the author is on break until March 6th<\/sup>, March 16th<\/sup> for Public readers! See latest announcement for reasons for the delay.
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Tkrn realized he was not good with women.<\/p>\n

Not just \u2018Drake women\u2019, or \u2018non-Gnoll females\u2019. He felt, in this moment, that he needed a blanket statement for the female gender.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d had\u2026luck. If luck meant sex. But was that the end-goal? It also occurred to the Liscorian [Guardsman] that he didn\u2019t have much luck with long-term relationships. Perhaps it was a sign.<\/p>\n

But he\u2019d deluded himself up until this moment into thinking he was \u2018average\u2019, or \u2018decent\u2019, or other lies young men told themselves, regardless of species, at interacting with the opposite sex.<\/p>\n

The Gnoll didn\u2019t think so, now. He watched Inkar cry.<\/p>\n

Really cry. Not tear up at a sad story, but have a breakdown. A [Guardsman] saw that\u2014sometimes. But even then, rarely. You heard the bad stories, when those kinds of tears were warranted.<\/p>\n

In this case? It was Tkrn\u2019s fault. He looked at Inkar, then panicked and went to get someone from her tribe. But who\u2026?<\/p>\n

He found Krshia instead. She hit him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou idiot, Tkrn, you! What did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2014was talking about Liscor. And I told her\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Krshia\u2019s expression changed. She hurried after him, and paused to kick him in the rear.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d told Inkar about Erin. And he hadn\u2019t done it well. Or perhaps he had. He\u2019d built Erin up and then\u2014neglected to lead with the present. Inkar had grown excited to meet the [Innkeeper] who had built something wonderful. Then he had to admit she was dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sniffed. The [Traveller] was wiping her tears away on a handkerchief. Krshia raised her paw, but Tkrn had stayed out of range.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy nephew is a fool, Honored Inkar, yes. He should have told you better. She is\u2026there are more. Did he say that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar nodded. She gulped, hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore. Like me. But the airplane. We are here. I am not alone. I feared I was, you see? But how many\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

How many were dead? The young woman from Kazakhstan\u2019s fears were reflected in her eyes. She had seen the burned wreckage of a\u2026vehicle\u2026that could have held a hundred people. More. A ship of the skies.<\/p>\n

It boggled Tkrn\u2019s mind. A \u2018plane\u2019. But Inkar was convinced that even if only five bodies had been found, the other people were also\u2026dead.<\/p>\n

It was beginning to dawn on Krshia, as well as the other Gnoll Chieftains of the Longstalker\u2019s Fang tribe and Greenpaw tribe, just how serious this was.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t one. It wasn\u2019t two, or a few. And\u2014Krshia had told Erin she thought many Gnoll tribes would have found Earthers if they were there.<\/p>\n

Now, the Gnoll wondered how many had fallen out of the sky. Or suffered fates like Erin\u2019s from the start. Her fur prickled, remembering where Imani\u2019s group had appeared. On a Creler<\/em> nest.<\/p>\n

As far as she could tell, there were no other strange Humans among the Meeting of Tribes. At least\u2014in the open like Inkar.<\/p>\n

The incident of a few days ago had been a bit of a talk. A dramatic reveal of the Gnoll of Stars, really. A few people talked about the Longstalkers honoring a Human as one of them. But thankfully, larger events eclipsed it each day.<\/p>\n

But one significant event was Inkar. Krshia had realized she was from Earth and after some delicate inquiries, the young woman had learnt that the Silverfangs knew of Earth too.<\/p>\n

Again, Tkrn\u2019s fault. Krshia had really<\/em> given it to him then. But it was an unfortunate mistake. Inevitable, in a sense.<\/p>\n

For Tkrn\u2019s star had risen. Unaccountably, he\u2019d forged a connection with the Gnoll of Stars, Lehra Ruinstrider, along with Inkar, and even met with others. The [Strategists] from Baleros, a [Shamanic Warrior] from the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe\u2026<\/p>\n

A passing connection, perhaps. But that was how bonds were forged. And Krshia Silverfang and her sister, the Chieftain of the Silverfangs, Akrisa, were not about to let a bond, even tenuous, pass with such important tribes. They\u2019d ordered Tkrn to, well, Tkrn himself into good graces.<\/p>\n

It had mixed results. But Inkar had at least been a stroke of luck. Chieftain Akrisa had compared it to stepping in a cow pat and realizing there was gold underneath. Krshia had repeated it several times to Tkrn.<\/p>\n

After a few days, the initial gathering of the Meeting of Tribes was settling into a proper event. The first wave of introductions were done, and it was time to really get to what mattered<\/em>. Big decisions all tribes voted or debated. Sales of vast amounts of valuables. Not just day-trading; the Silverfangs traded tons of their iconic silver jewelry, for instance, at their stalls. But real<\/em> sales.<\/p>\n

Like, say\u2014you were at war with this Drake city and your tribe needed help to force them to surrender or fight them off a mine or something valuable? You could hire the Steelfur tribe to go to war<\/em> for you. If the price was right, and you were the right tribe, with the right favors.<\/p>\n

In other ways, it could be arranged marriages. The Ekhtouch Tribe lived for meetings like this. But every tribe really wanted to collect favors. Or push their agenda.<\/p>\n

So\u2014alliances were forming. And one of the new, unexpected ones, was the Longstalker\u2019s Fang tribe, the Greenpaw tribe, and the Silverfangs.<\/p>\n

It surprised the Gnolls of all three tribes. Oor and Orreh, the brother and sister, the former still nursing bruises he hadn\u2019t been allowed to heal from the stupid fight he\u2019d caused by sleeping in, expressed excitement to Inkar as she came back from talking with Tkrn.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t notice her tears. That was actually an interesting flaw of Gnolls she\u2019d learned to exploit. They tended to smell<\/em> or hear<\/em> your emotions as much as they visually checked. So if she tricked their noses, she sometimes tricked them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, Orreh?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll [Stalker] grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cSilverfangs are rich.<\/em> They\u2019re not the best<\/em> tribe, but they\u2019re in the upper range of tribes you\u2019d want on your side. We\u2019re in the middle. I\u2019m not sure how Chieftain Eska got them on our side, but that\u2019s good. They\u2019ll speak for our interests in an alliance. Greenpaw too!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Silverfangs were less happy about the arrangement, but they trusted Akrisa had her reasons. Besides\u2014an alliance was good for all.<\/p>\n

The Greenpaws were probably happiest about it all. If Silverfang was upper, Longstalker\u2019s Fang was middle, then Greenpaw was low-tier, to simplify things.<\/p>\n

When the three Chieftains met, with a few extras like [Shamans] and Krshia, Chieftain Orelighn made that plain.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince these\u2026Earthers\u2026are not as rare as we thought, perhaps their value is a bit less, yes? But we now know this\u2014this plane<\/em> is expensive. Important. I am willing to put all of it with this alliance that our tribes might gain something, although it pains me to use the work of others\u2014and the possessions of the dead. But Greenpaw needs much. I thank you, Chieftain Akrisa, Honored Krshia, for this alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n

They nodded. Krshia hadn\u2019t been sure about just\u2014telling everyone. Tkrn had let it slip and she\u2019d nearly hung him out to dry, but it had been Akrisa who admonished her reaction. She repeated the very same line she\u2019d said to Krshia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all Gnolls, yes? Time for secrets is past. Earth\u2026technology, wonders and dangers from another world\u2014all tribes must know of it soon, or at least, the Chieftains. A secret like this is a strange knife. I fear it will twist in our paws the longer we hold it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Krshia shifted uncomfortably. She had forgotten she and her elder sister didn\u2019t see eye-to-eye, and she was the junior and not a Chieftain here. Moreover, Akrisa was right. Hoarding secrets was a Drake move.<\/p>\n

Chieftain Eska nodded heavily. But it was Honored Weaver Deskie who spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart for Inkarr. She learns of her people\u2019s deaths too much. That I should live to see such strange events in the Waning World\u2026well, is this to be presented to all Chieftains?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they gather. But I hope to bring more tribes of like mind into an alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat have we to offer if the knowledge of Earth is to be given to all?\u201d<\/p>\n

Orelighn frowned. It was Krshia who looked up. The others turned to her and she spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cA consensus, Chieftains, on what will be done<\/em> with the Earthers. To protect, help, and aid, rather than exploit or kidnap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eska\u2019s eyes brightened. Deskie smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is wisdom. And that should be the thing on which all tribes agree. Let us share, then. To friendship with another world, rather than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

She lifted a bowl. At last, they all ate; they had been sharing a communal pot and meal, as was traditional. They would eat and drink as friends and allies.<\/p>\n

Krshia was glad of it. She was glad she thought she could trust the other Chieftains. Because it was a time of action, now. No time to sit on your tail. Akrisa had her tribe, but Krshia contributed as much value as she could.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Gnolls had heard about the failed attempt. At least\u2014Elirr had. He was conflicted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne cannot simply send little Mrsha away before Lyonette returns. She is coming in a week and a bit. Krshia will do without her until the height of the Meeting of Tribes. But I will oblige her other request.\u201d<\/p>\n

So saying, he stared at Kevin. The young man blinked a few times. Then he sat up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, hello! Solar Cycles. How can I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The [Beast Trainer] stared at the [Mechanic]. Kevin sheepishly passed a hand over his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry. It\u2019s been an all-nighter, alright? Pelt\u2019s trick made everyone start demanding adamantium <\/em>frames\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I\u2019d seen it. It sounded badass. Smithing in the center of a firestorm?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph twisted in his seat in the secret Earth rooms. Kevin shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cScared the hell out of me. So\u2026what are we supposed to do, Mister Elirr?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at the Gnoll. He, Joseph, and Rose were sitting there. Galina was missing. Troy and Leon were exempted from this talk. Imani looked exasperated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re all too calm! There\u2019s someone from Earth <\/em>at the Meeting of Tribes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose shot to her feet. She was trembling.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone from Kazakhstan?<\/em> Are you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s cool but\u2014I have no idea where that is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph raised a hand. Rose turned on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the point, Joseph! They\u2019ve been there the entire time! Inkar?<\/em> We\u2019ve got to meet her!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, all of us? I\u2019m busy with the football team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForget football!<\/em> That\u2019s not important\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what Elirr is saying. One of us needs to go. So that\u2019s you, Rose. Besides, we\u2019ve known there are more people from Earth since we met Ryoka and Erin\u2014since the phone call. This is big, but unless Inkar knows more than us, she should come here.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Californian pointed out. Rose, likewise from the \u2018states\u2019\u2014Elirr had no idea about the places on Earth, but was trying to at least remember\u2014nodded slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true. So you want me, Elirr?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. If you are willing to come, we will send you as fast as possible. It will not be\u2026Wonders of Izril or whatever that carriage service was, but almost as fast. You will have to ride a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose gulped.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m bad at riding. Can I get a carriage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elirr sighed. And already problems cropped up. They would have to arrange at least twenty Gnolls to protect Rose; no one wanted her to get hurt on the way there. But then he saw Kevin grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem. You can ride one of the new bikes. Take it there, as a present from the Silverfangs. That makes the most sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rose blinked. Elirr\u2019s jaw opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would give one away, Kevin, just like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWasn\u2019t that what you were going to ask us? You wanted more than just Rose and Mrsha. You need the Silverfang tribe to be, like, important<\/em>, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

The young man sat back. He was still yawning, but he was hunting around in his belt pouch for his phone. He turned it on, but not to play games or pass the time re-watching something. Rather, he was using the smartphone\u2026like a smartphone.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me check the store\u2019s inventory. We\u2019re still wrapping up Fetohep\u2019s orders, but we do the \u2018cheap\u2019 bikes pretty fast. I can spare one magic-bike for Rose, and Selys might actually kill me, but she\u2019ll understand. Let\u2019s see. What else can we ship out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I have Montressa or Bezale? I need someone with a [Repair] spell. Inkar has a smartphone, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not ask. But Krshia has asked for all things that might help Inkar. I thought\u2014perhaps some letters?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Earthers gave Elirr a blank look. Joseph began to snort before he caught himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, for encouragement?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good idea! She has to be lonely. She\u2019d probably like someone writing to her, even with Rose\u2026Kazakhstan. Can she read English well?\u201d<\/p>\n

Imani defended Elirr. Rose put her hands down and pushed herself up.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no. That\u2019s not important. I mean, write it if you want<\/em>, Imani. And I\u2019ll definitely deliver it. But don\u2019t you see? We need to impress the other tribes! And I think we can. Elirr, you said they have an airplane?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Elirr nodded. The Earthers sobered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Father, Who art in heaven\u2026those poor people. Whatever got us split<\/em> an airplane in two. They\u2014they must have no idea what happened on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph muttered, whispering a prayer and clasping his hands together for a second. The others nodded. Rose chewed at her lip.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026But it\u2019s an airplane. I hate to say it, but\u2014I need to get Bezale and find Galina. Bezale has [Repair] scrolls, I\u2019m sure of it. And Galina might be able to give me all the Players of Celum\u2019s scripts. They have to be worth something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHold up. Are we giving the Silverfangs everything?<\/em> And\u2014are you seriously suggesting [Repairing] <\/em>the airplane and selling electronics at the Meeting of Tribes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin sat forwards. Imani looked alarmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that a good idea, Rose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2014I don\u2019t know! Maybe! We want them to be the best tribe, right? It\u2019s a competition?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf sorts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elirr murmured. He was surprised at how many ideas the Earthers were tossing around. Rose looked at the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not great. But plays, Kevin\u2019s bikes\u2026Krshia\u2019s helped Erin. We should trust the Gnolls, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they knew about us and Earth and haven\u2019t told anyone. So I\u2019m for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph pointed to Elirr, sitting in the secret rooms. Kevin scratched at his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess. There\u2019s nothing we can do about the plane. What are we gonna do, run down there and steal it from them with the biggest bag of holding ever?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. That\u2019s true. But not all the tribes are alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Imani\u2019s quiet voice silenced the others. They looked at the [Cook], and then Rose spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m going. And they have an airplane. Better Krshia be leading the Gnolls than\u2026anyone else. I want to meet Lehra Ruinstrider, anyways. She sounds amazing.<\/em> And all the Gnoll tribes! The Ruinstrider, Steelfur\u2014are the Ekhtouch as sexy as people say?\u201d<\/p>\n

The old Gnoll\u2019s mouth opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you<\/em> know so much about the tribes, Miss Rose?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked incredulously at her. Rose just gave him a blank stare.<\/p>\n

\u201cMagazines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026Magazines?\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone blinked at her. Rose sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cErin started it. And Olesm and Drassi. They\u2019ve been showing up in Runner\u2019s Guilds on sale. I buy all of them. Here\u2014I\u2019ll find it. I need to go to my rooms. Unless Mrsha\u2019s hogging the door, I won\u2019t be a second\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She came back in half a minute with a magazine. Elirr blinked at it. Rose waved it at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a Gnoll-magazine on tribes and stuff. It\u2019s selling hot in the cities, among City Gnolls, actually. You didn\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elirr was clearly hanging out with the wrong, older crowd. Rose was hip to the hop with it. Whatever it was, which was apparently, magazines.<\/p>\n

Gnoll Today, Here Tomorrow\u2014this week, all about Ekhtouch! The 20 hottest Gnolls, ranked! You won\u2019t guess who\u2019s #1!<\/em><\/p>\n

Some things copied Earth too much. More evil had entered the world, seeping through from Earth. Kevin blinked at the tabloid-esque magazine. Joseph leaned over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do I actually want to read that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDude, right? Alright, let\u2019s let Rose meet sexy Gnolls. What are we sending with<\/em> her? Not the laptop. Numbtongue plays games on it and he\u2019s super-depressed. But maybe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

By the end of the day, Rose was packed up and ready to leave tomorrow by bike. But even before that\u2014Elirr was sending word to Krshia. Value was more than a person or objects. It was knowledge.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAlumininium?\u201d<\/p>\n

The next day, Krshia was talking with Inkar, Tkrn, and an excited Orelighn and Eska.<\/p>\n

\u201cAluminum. <\/em>Is that what is in the plane\u2019s metal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar looked at Krshia. The Gnoll woman grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to Kevin, yes. And he would probably know. That is the metal you salvaged, Orelighn. Apparently the Dwarves know something of it, but it is a hard-to-produce metal for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it particularly strong? We bent it\u2014perhaps it is what allowed the thing to fly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEr, no\u2026it is not the strongest. It is only uniquely lightweight and strong combined.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll was palpably disappointed. It wasn\u2019t a super-metal, then. The Chieftain of the Greenpaws clearly wanted some fantastic development to come out of the airplane.<\/p>\n

As it so happened, there was<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin has written to us\u2014he is a [Mechanic], Inkar. The one who made the bicycle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he is? Amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar was delighted. Krshia nodded. Kevin kept proving to have more Kevin-depths.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and Rose, who is coming, will have things for you, Inkar. But he, Kevin, says, your \u2018phone\u2019 may be fixed with a simple spell. [Repair].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?<\/em> But I broke it to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar showed Krshia the cannibalized phone she\u2019d broken strategically to provide sparks. Krshia was unsure; it looked bad, but she was optimistic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may be possible. We must simply find a scroll\u2014Rose will bring some, or a [Mage]. But that may be unwise\u2026similarly, Kevin believes some of the \u2018electronics\u2019 may be salvaged if you removed them carefully, Orelighn. The\u2014er\u2014er\u2014\u2018seat monitors\u2019 <\/em>that you described, or \u2018light bulbs\u2019 <\/em>overhead and such. [Repair] may work wonders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, and this was a Gnoll problem\u2014they had no [Mages] they could readily call upon. Of all the species\u2026well, Krshia had Mrsha for proof positive of that\u2026even if likewise, there was another Gnoll who could prove there was magical potential in them like [Mages] used.<\/p>\n

The point was, the Earthers had ideas. First of which was to ask Orelighn to see what parts of the airplane were really useful.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you send word to your tribe, Orelighn? If they can be repaired, Kevin thinks some parts can be fashioned into a \u2018flash light\u2019, or perhaps a \u2018fan\u2019 out of the airplane. He would need to connect them up, and he says that if the engine or other parts survived, he would like to see them all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin was especially interested in the jet engine\u2019s propeller system.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will have my tribe check. It would be easiest, though, if this expert could come there\u2026but we will check at once!\u201d<\/p>\n

Orelighn hurried off. Inkar was excited too, but Rose would take a while to get here, even by magic bicycle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will speak with Chieftain Eska about finding a [Repair] spell for your phone, Inkarr.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Honored Krshia!\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar beamed. Tkrn waved a paw.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat am I to do then, Aunt?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked at him. Krshia scratched at her head and Tkrn deflated. She grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour job, Tkrn, is to go out and make friends!<\/em> Perhaps meet Lehra if possible, yes? Or the others? You, and Inkar, perhaps. Take Orreh and Oor with you for safety this time, but leave the matters of Earth to us for now. Bring us back more tribes to meet\u2014it is hard to attract the famous ones\u2019 attention since every tribe wants to do it! Oh, and nephew\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

She grabbed Tkrn\u2019s arm as Inkar turned, delighted to be able to leave the camp again. Krshia whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake her cry again, and I will make you<\/em> cry, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

She made an ear-twisting gesture. He winced.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Truly, Inkar and Tkrn realized, there was something nice about a tribe\u2019s hierarchy. For all Tkrn found elements objectionable\u2014in moments like this, he and the young woman could just let the Chieftains worry about the worrisome stuff and enjoy themselves while doing their bit!<\/p>\n

You didn\u2019t need to bear the weight of the tribe alone. And Inkar was excited to be out again.<\/p>\n

\u201cEska and Deskie would not let me after I got in trouble. Especially because only a few people know\u2026about me. But you can escort me?\u201d<\/p>\n

She glanced at him. Tkrn grinned sheepishly. He gave her a salute.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuardsman Tkrn will do his best, Miss Inkar.\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughed at that. It was a strange, fast friendship they had made after he had come to her \u2018rescue\u2019, mainly by getting his face punched by Steelfur Gnolls repeatedly. But Tkrn felt like it was his responsibility, as much as he liked Inkar.<\/p>\n

Here was a Human, from Earth, that he could protect. This time, she was in front of him and he would take a crossbow bolt for her.<\/p>\n

Of course, other Gnolls made it weird by assuming things. Dekava had no shortage of raised brows and pointed sniffs\u2014as if she couldn\u2019t tell they hadn\u2019t had sex!<\/p>\n

Some of the Silverfangs openly put it down to a \u2018weird skin fetish\u2019 that City Gnolls got. The Liscor-Gnolls understood, even if they didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you<\/em> are Tkrn, the Gnoll who saved my stupid, lazy brother. I thought you were ten feet tall and strong as a [Berserker], to hear Oor say it, yes? I am Orreh!\u201d<\/p>\n

The [Stalker] and Oor met Tkrn and Inkar, as part of the unofficial bodyguards. Oor grinned at Tkrn and they clasped arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, let\u2019s not get into trouble, yes? I am still healing!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because you<\/em> had to have breakfast and let poor Inkarr wander around! Well\u2014we have moved next to the Silverfangs, so no one will complain we are in the inner camps, now. Let\u2019s see the Meeting of Tribes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Thus, once more, Tkrn, Inkar, and the two Gnolls left their camp for the Meeting of Tribes. They found it was in full celebration. Well, more so than usual.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFree drinks! One per Gnoll! And no trying to fool my eyes! [Fair Share]\u2014try it and I will smack you!\u201d<\/p>\n

A Gnoll was shouting boisterously from the first table as the quartet walked out into a rush of noise in the main camp. Hundreds, hundreds<\/em> of barrels of Gnollish drink had been rolled out.<\/p>\n

\u201cFree drinks? Can I get one for my friend? She\u2019s part of my tribe! All four of us!\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh\u2019s ears perked up. The Gnoll [Brewmaster] eyed Orreh, but snorted and handed the drinks over in four mugs.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut them in a bin when you\u2019re done! And for the young Human woman, why not? We owe Humans today! Just remember\u2014the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe is providing the drinks! And there\u2019s some hot venison being served\u2014also free!\u201d<\/p>\n

Free food, free drinks! Tkrn sipped at the alcoholic drink, grinning. And free food! The tribes were being generous and handing out free stuff to all the Gnolls present\u2014as well as paid stuff. Even for the Meeting of Tribes, that was rarer; there was always something one tribe provided to show off or garner goodwill, but a number of tribes had pitched in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we celebrating today?\u201d<\/p>\n

He asked some Gnolls who were headed to dance together. They were following a catchy, fast, drumbeat in the distance and howls. The Gnolls grinned and laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, justice<\/em> of course, kin! Hadn\u2019t you heard? The monster, the Prime Minister of Belchan is dead! The one who slaughtered our tribes!\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn blinked. Today was the day Lyfelt\u2019s execution had been announced. Other peoples took it differently, or didn\u2019t pay much attention outside of the news cycle.<\/p>\n

The Gnolls were celebrating it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustice! Did you see the trial yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did. But that [Queen]\u2014the Arbiter Queen of Jecrass, she was smart and young, but she should have asked us<\/em>, yes? We would have given her an answer quickly enough!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, all the Humans had the right idea. Hello, Miss Human! Good job!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTh-thank you?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was odd for Inkar to realize this was the celebration of a man\u2019s death. But even Tkrn had no sympathy. Orreh just shook her head when Inkar expressed confusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not celebrate a tribe-killer\u2019s death? I wonder if it was painful. I hope it was. The dead Gnolls won\u2019t come back. But at least there\u2019s free food and drink! Let\u2019s see what the attractions are\u2014unless you want to dance?\u201d<\/p>\n

They changed day by day. Some were always the same, like tribes selling goods, but any number of events might occur, like the Woven Bladegrass\u2019 combat tournament.<\/p>\n

The great tribes. Now he was here, Tkrn was learning them.<\/p>\n

Or at least, hearing the names by repetition.<\/p>\n

Az\u2019muzarre, Plain\u2019s Eye, Gaarh Marsh\u2026just hearing them told you which ones mattered. They were some of the \u2018old guard\u2019 though, to use a Drake expression.<\/p>\n

There were hot newcomers. Demas Metal for novelty, Ruinstrider for their Named Adventurer\u2026<\/p>\n

And Woven Bladegrass.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do not have any shops, do they? I keep hearing them spoken of\u2014but do they sell Bladegrass? What is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar turned to the others as her keen ears picked up the same conversations as the others. Orreh grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cBladegrass isn\u2019t a toy, Inkarr. Nor can you make many things out of it. Not like\u2026a bag, or other things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they are called Woven Bladegrass\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh. That\u2019s a technique they use. Bladegrass by itself is\u2026weak, you see? Sharp, but fragile. If you walk through it, it will cut you bloody, unless you\u2019re Steelfur, I guess. But if you weave it so\u2014you can make something sharp.<\/em> But weak. They use it for arrows. Little pellets they throw from slings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Do they sell it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. The Woven Bladegrass isn\u2019t that sort of tribe. I don\u2019t think they have many\u2026artisans. They probably have [Crafters]. But they do not sell<\/em> things. They are a proud tribe, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn shifted. Orreh and Inkar noticed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do not think so, Guardsman Tkrn?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Plains Gnoll looked at him. Tkrn hesitated. He was more keenly aware of being a \u2018City Gnoll\u2019, so he was unsure\u2026but he felt like he had to say it.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I heard, in Liscor, the Woven Bladegrass tribe is thought of more as\u2026[Raiders], Inkar, Orreh. That is what the cities<\/em> say, though\u2014didn\u2019t they sack several Drake cities?\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh tilted her head. Oor grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo they say that? That is a Drake perspective. We think of Woven Bladegrass as a tribe who will fight<\/em> Drake cities. Especially the bad ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly the bad ones?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar pressed them. Her two tribe members hesitated. That was the question, wasn\u2019t it? Tkrn decided to change the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey must be fearsome fighters, then. As bad as Steelfur? My fist still hurts.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, of course! Maybe not as bad as Steelfur because their Chieftain has his great Skill\u2014but high-level. They\u2019ll have a big voice at the Meeting of Tribes; they didn\u2019t even really have a presence twenty years ago. Their Chieftain is new. Fierce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just how fierce, the four saw moments later. Someone set up a howl, and when everyone looked their way, bellowed.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a warning howl, more of a \u2018look at me!\u2019 thing. Inkar saw a young Gnoll point as some aggrieved adults or curious people turned his way.<\/p>\n

\u201cFoot races have begun on the south side! <\/em>Smaller competitions, and a large race by all the winners of the small ones! Ten gold if you win a short race, a hundred for the big winner! Horse races, same place! Same rewards\u2014only horses!\u201d<\/p>\n

Instantly, a lot of Gnolls flowed that way. Inkar laughed in delight.<\/p>\n

\u201cRaces?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

It was something she knew well. Her people on Earth had that custom, and she began to drag the other three over. Ironically, Inkar was a lot more into the idea than the other three Gnolls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t ride horses. And I\u2019m not fast enough to win a footrace. I guess we can watch\u2014if Relc was here, he\u2019d compete. What about you, Orreh, Oor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re no good. Orreh likes lying in tall grass and waiting for her prey and I\u2019m only decent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh sighed. Inkar\u2019s eyes were sparkling, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould I<\/em> race? I\u2019m good on horses!\u201d<\/p>\n

That was\u2026true. Orreh and Oor exchanged a glance. Orreh grinned gamely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could get your horse, Inkar. But don\u2019t get your hopes up\u2014it might be Gnolls only.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was not. Or at least, the riding competition wasn\u2019t. Footraces turned out to be Gnoll-only. A curious distinction, perhaps due to the culture of Gnolls.<\/p>\n

They raised nomadic animals like horses, whereas they were well aware that a Courier or City Runner existed among all peoples. In fact, since many Gnolls didn\u2019t live in cities, they were underrepresented here. So to prevent a sweep of the footraces, Gnolls only ran.<\/p>\n

But they were proud of their riding abilities, so Inkar actually signed up. It turned out there were multiple competitions, and it wasn\u2019t as dull as Tkrn feared.<\/p>\n

\u201cSprints, here! Who will compete in obstacle racing? Long distance\u2014twice around the entire Meeting of Tribes\u2014and jumping over there!\u201d<\/p>\n

A race was going on, staggered, such that the audience could pivot from footrace to horseback races without waiting for more than a minute at most. And it was entertaining!<\/p>\n

\u201cThree, two, one\u2026go!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Gnolls took off<\/em> on foot, racing each other to be first to run a thousand feet. There were no shorter sprints, Gnollish attitude being that if you couldn\u2019t run a thousand feet, were you running?<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, it was a bias that came from a people who travelled far. The other race was ten thousand<\/em> feet, and had a different kind of runner.<\/p>\n

Tkrn saw lots of young Gnolls who clearly thought they were fast realize that they were, in fact, competing with dedicated<\/em> runners. Fast they might be, but they fell behind a City Runner, a high-level [Warrior], three [Barbarians], and one of the younger [Shamans]. They blazed<\/em> across the ground, almost as fast as a regular horse.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou! Disqualified!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

A Gnoll howled at the [Shaman], who was using magic. Skills were game; magic was not.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey run quick!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh clapped her hands and whistled or howled as the first racers crossed the line. The City Runner was in front\u2014until the [Warrior] charged<\/em> the last hundred feet, so fast that the celebrating Runner was raising his arms and waving as the other Gnoll passed him.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Run Down Opposition]! Hah! Did you see that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gnolls laughed as the poor City Runner hung his head. Tkrn chortled\u2014then saw the riders begin.<\/p>\n

They were no less fast, but there was more variety in the races. Less sprints and more displays of riding skill. One group raced out of sight around the camp. No fighting was allowed, or direct interference with other horses, but they were<\/em> allowed to use tricks. He saw dust clouds appear, one [Rider] jump<\/em> all the others\u2014even a [Horse Tamer] whistle<\/em> and have all the horses behind her stop.<\/p>\n

Another disqualification. Orreh came over. She handed Tkrn something.<\/p>\n

\u201cSnacks! You buy next time, yes? Silverfangs have money, so let\u2019s share it!\u201d<\/p>\n

She grinned and nudged him. Tkrn was about to protest that he<\/em> didn\u2019t have that much money, until he recalled that Krshia had given him more thanks to his important status. Good naturedly, he nodded, reached into the simple bag of tightly-woven reeds or grass and took a pawful of\u2026<\/p>\n

Popcorn?<\/em> He stared at it. It was reddish\u2014Oor and Orreh were already fighting over it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is this popcorn here? Where did you get it, Orreh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are already selling it, yes? This is the best one. Try it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Liscor, ideas spread fast. Tkrn did and his eyes widened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt tastes like beef!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeef powder or flavor. So good. Nom. Oor, if you eat it all, I will hurt you! Save some for Inkarr!\u201d<\/p>\n

Where had she gone? Tkrn looked around, worried\u2014then saw Inkar was on the horse that Oor had brought, riding her around. He was about to trot over, although she looked fine, when someone called his name.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere now. Is that\u2026wait, I know this one. Tkrn?<\/em> And Inkar, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a deep voice for such a small man. Tkrn turned and found Merrik standing there. The Dwarf waved.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello! Aren\u2019t you the ones from the fight a day ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh waved at him. The Dwarf jogged over, grinning.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes indeed! Fancy meeting you all again! Are you here to compete?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch. Inkarr might, but we are watching. Popcorn? Thank you for helping!\u201d<\/p>\n

Oor offered the popcorn around, good naturedly. Merrik chortled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that the popcorn stuff? No thanks. I was stuffing my face earlier and I\u2019m actually feeling a bit sick. Peki nearly went insane<\/em> for the popcorn\u2014Garuda love it, apparently. Bird feed. Well met. You\u2019re Oor, you\u2019re\u2026Tkrn, the [Guard], right? And you, Miss\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOrreh. This one\u2019s big sister. Where\u2019s your Minotaur friend? The Garuda? You\u2019re the [Strategists], aren\u2019t you? The Titan\u2019s students? I saw you at Daquin!\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrik shook his head, but not to deny it. Tkrn stared.<\/p>\n

It was like being in the presence of a celebrity. And \u2018celebrity\u2019 was a new concept. The Players of Celum had been one such, but television had made Drassi into a second.<\/p>\n

Tkrn hadn\u2019t known them well, just seen them at the inn and been too shy to talk to them. But Merrik had been on television! The Dwarf seemed a bit embarrassed by the attention; other Gnolls were looking at him, pointing him out. They knew his name, despite never having met him.<\/p>\n

That was fame.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat feels like an age ago. Amazing people watched that and remembered\u2014well, it was a lot of fun! You know, they\u2019re even asking for those autographs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I<\/em> have one? It might be worth money!\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrick was only too pleased to oblige. Orreh went off to find an autograph piece, and Oor took over the rapidly-depleting bag of popcorn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are the other two? Um\u2026Venaz and Peki? And aren\u2019t there more of you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn tried to remember their names. Merrik pointed.<\/p>\n

\u201cRacing. If you\u2019re talking about Feshi, Wil, and Yerra\u2014they\u2019re in Oteslia. We left because Venaz was grinding his horns against the wall. So was Peki. They\u2019ll be along soon; it\u2019s good news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour friend got better? I heard you went to the Plain\u2019s Eye Tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also strange that Oor could talk about Yerranola\u2019s poisoning. It struck Tkrn almost as a bit insensitive, but Merrik just smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s better, yes. We were in talks when Wil told us the antidotes were having an effect. Myself, I\u2019m just relaxing now. And looking forward to the races\u2014see? There they are!\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed. The Gnolls around him, listening in, laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, the Minotaur<\/em> is racing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is nothing Venaz thinks he can\u2019t win at.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrik pointed out the Minotaur standing among the tallest Gnolls and clearly jesting with them in good humor. He took a sprinter\u2019s position like some of the others. Tkrn watched, seeing Peki flutter down.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs she running on foot?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, well, she\u2019ll probably lose. Talons are worse than feet on the ground. I bet against both. But she is<\/em> a [Martial Artist] of Pomle. Both of them wanted to give it a shot. Myself? I\u2019m going to keep my short legs over here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have bets? Let me see if\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn found himself holding the mostly-empty bag of popcorn. He and Merrik watched as the countdown began.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree, two, one\u2026go!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

They took off. Merrik roared, despite his bet against his friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo, Venaz! Go, Peki! Show them how fast students can run! Pretend you\u2019re late for a class project!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minotaur actually got up to the head of the line in the first moment; he\u2019d shot<\/em> up the instant the race began. But he was quickly passed by Peki and the leading rank. For all that, he kept pace with the Gnolls without dedicated Skills, and didn\u2019t come in last at all.<\/p>\n

But the front was dedicated to Peki, three more [Barbarians] of the Wild Wastes tribe, and, strangely, a Gnoll on all fours.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tkrn knew children ran on all fours, but it was odd to see an adult do that! Yet the Gnoll bounded<\/em> along, and he looked\u2026wilder\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cDead gods, Peki might actually win. Those [Barbarians] are fast!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course they are! They have to move fast in battle!\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh was back. So was Oor, who hadn\u2019t managed to slip a bet in. Yet, as Peki and the three Gnolls on two legs vied to be first, the Gnoll using all four limbs began to speed up. And up and\u2026<\/p>\n

He shot past everyone by the end of the thousand foot dash, having a slower start, but no limit to his top speed, seemingly. The Gnolls cheered or groaned, and Merrik went off to collect his winnings; he\u2019d bet his friends wouldn\u2019t come in last, or win, but place well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was that Gnoll? He looked like he never went through his changing years! He even looked different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oor was as confused as Orreh. Tkrn had no idea; he was peering at the Gnoll as the winners jogged back, Venaz and Peki talking with the others.<\/p>\n

It took them a while to get to them; the three students were<\/em> being asked for autographs, Tkrn saw. Venaz brushed them all off, while Peki and Merrik signed willingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, the [Guard]. Well met. Merrik said the young woman was here. That was a good race.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz crushed Tkrn\u2019s paw, and did the same to Orreh and Oor. Peki nodded at Tkrn and he couldn\u2019t help but stare at the people he had seen on television.<\/p>\n

For a second. But he had known Drassi and the Players\u2014so he did a lot better than Oor and Orreh, who began to get almost shy. That actually helped a lot; the students were clearly happy to have someone to talk to who wouldn\u2019t dredge up the past time and time again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you again, Venaz, Peki. Er\u2014do you know what the Gnoll on all fours was doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz nodded. Peki looked sour.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to win. A fast Gnoll joined.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minotaur snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe [Barbarians] were saving a last-minute sprint Skill. They\u2019d have had you, Peki.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have used a kick Skill to fly across the end. Would have won.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d have been disqualified. Anyways, that Gnoll had us all to rights. He\u2019s a [Shapeshifter], apparently. Didn\u2019t even have to fully change to beat us. I\u2019m interested to see the final race, now.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Shapeshifter]?<\/em> Orreh and Oor reacted with curiosity. Tkrn, pure surprise. There were rare classes popping up here from unique tribes. But then\u2014he saw another race begin. And he nearly tossed the entire bag of popcorn.<\/p>\n

\u201cInkar?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

She was racing! Peki took the bag of popcorn and stuck her entire head inside. Everyone else stared as a group of nearly forty Gnolls on horseback, one Human, and a Centaur<\/em> all competed in one of the races.<\/p>\n

\u201cObstacle racing! There\u2019s Inkarr! Go, Inkarr! Show them the Longstalker\u2019s Fang\u2019s riding skills!\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh jumped up and down. She and Oor howled to get their voices to her. Inkar raced with the other Gnolls, jostling but not interfering with each other\u2014they were going through an obstacle course.<\/p>\n

Weave through these poles or stretched nets and canvas! Go through mud, jump barriers of different heights\u2014it was somewhat dangerous to the riders and horses, but the organizers trusted there wouldn\u2019t be many people who\u2019d be foolish.<\/p>\n

Besides, there were [Shamans] and healing potions in force, as well as animal experts. With that in mind\u2014Tkrn began to worry, because the group got through the overhanging nets, mud section, and jumps with only a single person dropping off their horse; they\u2019d misjudged and gotten clotheslined by a net.<\/p>\n

The rest raced on and Inkar was<\/em> good! She was at the head of the pack, with the Centaur ironically struggling to keep up; he clearly thought that being part horse gave him an advantage.<\/p>\n

Not so, when dedicated [Riders] with Skills made their weight almost nothing, or gave their horses\u2019 hooves wings. It was even more pronounced on the longer races; the obstacle race was where Inkar had anything like a chance, because it was about agility and the dexterity of the person and horse.<\/p>\n

But then came the tricky section. The first [Rider] had no chance. He was confidently racing past a large pole of wood written with a tribe\u2019s markings or some carvings, and the outstretched arm and net was perpendicular to him; not a threat at all. Then\u2014Tkrn saw the totem pole and net-arm turn<\/em> and catch <\/em>the rider.<\/p>\n

He went off the horse fast. Another female Gnoll swore as she saw the obstacle course come to life! [Shamans] with their magic! She jumped<\/em> out of her saddle and passed over the swinging arm. She landed on the ground and her horse went over to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow this<\/em> is riding!\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrik roared with laughter. Suddenly, the riders were dodging moving obstacles that went only after them, not the horses! Inkar dodged, hanging low as a totem swung at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s good! <\/em>Look\u2014she\u2019s at the head of the group!\u201d<\/p>\n

Six riders burst out of the maze of nets as more Gnolls struggled to get back on their horses or chase down the animals after being unseated. Tkrn saw Inkar race ahead through another area and then, suddenly, cover her face with her arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong now?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be a cloud or area spell. Looks like\u2026disorientation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz speculated. Indeed, the [Riders] were galloping in every direction. Inkar was coughing\u2014searching\u2014she urged her confused mare forwards and burst<\/em> through the edge of the invisible cloud spell.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, she was behind one of the [Riders], who\u2019d somehow kept her bearings. The Gnoll raced ahead towards the last obstacles and the finish line.<\/p>\n

The last section was simply a pain in the rear. It was water, and you had<\/em> to go through. One of the [Riders] just tried to go around and was ordered back through. Groaning, the six riders plunged into the water, some swimming with their horses and urging them forwards. There was a \u2018path\u2019, large enough for a single rider in some places, but you still had to ride through deep, deep water.<\/p>\n

Inkar was behind three [Riders] now, and Tkrn was shouting encouragement. But the leader was far in front, pulling towards the shore. Inkar looked up as her mare gamely swam behind a very<\/em> impressive stallion, some extraordinary bloodline, and realized she wasn\u2019t going to make it. So, she hugged her mare and\u2014<\/p>\n

Pop! <\/em>The lead rider stared as Inkar appeared in front of her. The mare stumbled\u2014then cantered onto the solid ground. Inkar and her horse raced across the finish line to cheers and shouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cDisqualified\u2014<\/em>wait. Where\u2019s the [Shaman]?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gnolls argued as Inkar slowed, panting. They were pointing at her, but she hadn\u2019t used a spell\u2014<\/em>not exactly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s her clothing! That\u2019s Waisrabbit cloth! That should count! You haven\u2019t disqualified artifacts and they\u2019re from Honored Deskie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Orreh ran to join Inkar. The panting young woman was talking to the female Gnoll who looked exasperated and amused at the same time. Inkar dismounted to help dry her mare and greet the magnificent stallion who hadn\u2019t even begun to breathe hard.<\/p>\n

Tkrn watched Inkar ride over to them. She wasn\u2019t even wet; well, her skin was, but her clothing was waterproof and the water had just slid off her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey disqualified me! It was fair! And fun! The other rider deserved to win!\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughed good-naturedly. Orreh was upset for her friend, but Inkar had enjoyed the race. And already another rule was being clarified thanks to her; no artifacts! Some Gnolls had to take off custom-made saddles or boots, and so on.<\/p>\n

It was a lot of fun, and they stayed to watch the rest of the races. Inkar was disappointed to find Peki wearing the empty popcorn basket like a hat, and Oor was sent to take her mare back to the tribe as punishment for eating it all. Tkrn went to get more snacks with Venaz.<\/p>\n

The Minotaur strode along fast, and Tkrn had no idea <\/em>what to say. Venaz was tall, and even a lot of Gnolls, one of the taller species in the world, looked up at him.<\/p>\n

Plus, he had Relc-like musculature. And Tkrn knew the Minotaur was good in a fight; he\u2019d seen them at sea with everyone else on the orb!<\/p>\n

The fact that he, a humble [Guard] was\u2026the Minotaur spoke, abruptly.<\/p>\n

\u201cA fun race.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEr\u2014yes. Yes. I am glad Inkar had fun. It looks dangerous, though. For some.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz glanced at him. They had come to the stalls set up where snacks were being distributed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is danger in any worthwhile competition. What are you planning on buying? We can share it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEr\u2026more popcorn? Maybe some of those snacks? Roasted rat on a stick\u2026no, I\u2019ll pass, I think. I have a thing about rats. Um. Um\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minotaur waited as Tkrn desperately looked around.<\/p>\n

\u201cPopcorn and\u2014some of those minced pies! For everyone to share!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed. I will procure some of the sweets, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz marched off. Tkrn felt like that had gone\u2026poorly. What did you say to Venaz? He wasn\u2019t as affable as Merrik. He went to line up and had his food in a matter of minutes. Venaz joined him, arms full of snacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must have spent a lot on that. I can share\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Belatedly, Tkrn realized Venaz had probably doubled his expenditure at least; a lot of snacks were cheap, even the beef-flavored popcorn, but sweets were sugar, and thus a lot<\/em> more expensive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have enough money. It is to share. Let\u2019s head back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minotaur grunted. Tkrn trailed after him lamely. Did Venaz not like him? No\u2014it was just that Tkrn hadn\u2019t much to say. If conversation was a give and take, Tkrn didn\u2019t have much to say. Venaz had led with the race bit, and Tkrn had vouchsafed that it was dangerous.<\/em> What a novel, really top-tier<\/em> reply and a lead-in to so much meaningful conversation.<\/p>\n

Venaz was much like the older Senior Guards who didn\u2019t have anything to say unless it mattered<\/em>, and told you to shut up if you chatted about something they found trivial. They weren\u2019t mean, although you could take it as such. Tkrn felt it was more like they just didn\u2019t like wasting words on meaningless conversation.<\/p>\n

He walked in silence for a minute as Venaz looked for their group; they were finding some place to sit in the sun. He gestured, and Tkrn sniffed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you buy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz sighed and Tkrn\u2019s ears flattened. He could practically see the Minotaur\u2019s thoughts. Engaging conversation topic. As if you can\u2019t look over and see?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cA few treats. Tarts, pastries\u2014some of it is new, like the popcorn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn glanced over. He saw a few familiar items as he hunted for something to say.<\/p>\n

\u201cI nearly participated in the murder of a Minotaur in our jail. You\u2019re a Minotaur, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2026Was what he did not<\/em> say, because Tkrn wasn\u2019t stupid. He decided it was best to keep silent\u2014until he smell-saw something and laughed out loud. Venaz glanced at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything amusing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2014no. It\u2019s just that\u2014they really are stealing everything from Liscor, aren\u2019t they? Cookies and popcorn!\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed. Venaz glanced down at a stuffed basket. Cookies, lined up, perhaps stolen from Silverfang baking ideas. He blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what these are? I\u2019ve never seen them, but they looked like a bread.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re sort of like that. It\u2019s a good sweet! I bought them all the time with my paycheck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t say. Where did they come from?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLiscor. At least, I\u2019m sure they started there. Maybe they came from wherever the person who brought them was\u2014but we\u2019ve had them for months now! What flavors are they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was only one flavor. Were there supposed to be more?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz double-checked the basket of expensive cookies. Tkrn grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere I was from you could buy a basket of all kinds of flavors. Some for fun. Those must be vanilla. You can get cinnamon, oatmeal, fly, blood, raisin\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFly? Blood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2014those are novelty, mainly. How much did you pay for them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA gold for the basket.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA gold?<\/em> I could get you\u2026thirty cookies at least, in Liscor!\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz\u2019s eyes slid sideways.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, you did say you were from Liscor. Where they were introduced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2014and the popcorn. Although the beef flavor is new.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t say. Didn\u2019t the Silverfang tribe bring over baseball and soccer, too? I wanted to see a game, but we missed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have all the gear. They might be playing later today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI should like to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn realized the Minotaur was finally engaging him in actual conversation. He grinned, and saw Venaz looking attentive. Tkrn realized that this was the moment Krshia had wanted him to set up. He chose his words carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could\u2026ask the tribe to set up a game if they\u2019re not planning on it already. You might like baseball. It\u2019s much like swinging a sword\u2014only different. But you can send a baseball flying.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s quite interesting, thank you. Merrik, Peki\u2014food. Listen to this. I paid for these snacks, but apparently they come from Tkrn\u2019s home city. Liscor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh. Venaz, we\u2019re going to have to buy all this again when Wil and the others get here. I hope Yerra\u2019s got fresh taste buds because I\u2019m going to treat<\/em> her. Pass it around; they\u2019re getting ready for the finals in the foot race sprints! What\u2019s this about Liscor?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar, Orreh, and Oor glanced up and cheered at the sight of so many edibles. Tkrn saw the other students turn to him and felt a thrill\u2014not least because it was his city!<\/p>\n

\u201cLiscor\u2019s where a lot of this came from. I actually ate cookies on the first day they were brought out. An [Innkeeper]\u2026made them\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

His face fell for a second, but no one else seemed to notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cFantastic stuff. Sweet\u2014chewy\u2014I\u2019d love them as rations. How much did it cost, Venaz?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne gold for the basket. Apparently I was overcharged; it\u2019s cheaper in Liscor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peki began to choke on her cookie. So did Oor. Merrik just grimaced.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrowing gold around, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was clear he and Venaz had more money than the Pomle [Martial Artist]. Venaz just shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cPass the pie, will someone?\u201d<\/p>\n

He broke a small pie of hot meat in half and offered the other half to someone\u2014Inkar took it and split it again for Tkrn. Venaz chewed happily on the meat and gravy mix.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh. And the two sports games come from Liscor. Again, Liscor\u2026Tkrn offered to show us the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow there\u2019s<\/em> something. Would you mind actually doing that, Tkrn?\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrik\u2019s eyes lit up. Tkrn\u2019s nod wasn\u2019t even necessary; Orreh and Oor fell over themselves agreeing for him. Then\u2014the last footraces began.<\/p>\n

First, one of the final ten thousand foot runs. By this time, the tournament had attracted even some famous Gnolls.<\/p>\n

Steelfur Gnolls were lining up, although they were obviously heavy<\/em> with the fur\u2014but the best [Warriors] wanted to show off their tribe. Some other top-level [Warriors] and so on from other tribes were participating too.<\/p>\n

Lehra Ruinstrider herself had apparently tried running a race\u2014and lost. Tkrn wished he\u2019d seen that. But now he saw something curious.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s that<\/em> Gnoll?\u201d<\/p>\n

A strange Gnoll was walking into the race grounds followed by a horde of Gnolls. All with the same markings or smells. Orreh stood up to see and her eyes widened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s\u2014I think that\u2019s the Chieftain<\/em> of the Woven Bladegrass tribe!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was indeed. Gnolls were turning and murmuring. Inkar, Tkrn, and the others stared. Not least because the Chieftain of the new combat tribe wasn\u2019t what they expected.<\/p>\n

She\u2014and it was a she, in her late twenties!\u2014<\/em>was short, less than six feet tall, which was short indeed for a Gnoll! Scrawny, compared to some of the Gnolls present.<\/p>\n

And yet, her tribe followed her. One of the [Shamans] hurried over.<\/p>\n

\u201cChieftain Werri, will you be participating?\u201d<\/p>\n

She apparently said, \u2018yes\u2019 because the other Gnolls stirred. The Steelfur Tribe set themselves, clearly wanting to win\u2014or beat the Chieftain of the Bladegrass tribe. So did a Gnoll Courier, looking more worried about beating the competition than the odds of doing so.<\/p>\n

Everyone watched with interest. Did this Chieftain have hidden depths? Now a huge<\/em> crowd was watching the races.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s so small.<\/em> I heard she was a great warrior!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is. Looks are deceiving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz was frowning at the Gnoll. A lot of the Woven Bladegrass tribe was standing behind their Chieftain, despite the race being about to begin. Some would probably compete, but there were probably two thousand<\/em> just there with their Chieftain.<\/p>\n

No one was about to tell them to get out of the way. They were a tough tribe. Also\u2014Tkrn realized the Steelfur Gnolls were eying the Bladegrass tribe with a bit more than rivalry. Perhaps they felt the Bladegrass tribe was threatening them?<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. Smart Minotaur; she\u2019s a lot better than what she looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz frowned. Tkrn did too. That was a bit rude. He looked over and saw a paw grabbing three cookies and a handful of popcorn.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey! We\u2019re sharing the snacks! What are y\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared. The small Gnoll was old\u2014and definitely not Oor or Orreh. He was also surprising; Berrigral of the Wild Wastes tribe was casually plundering their snack pile. Venaz twisted in his seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonored Berr!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI smelled good food. I\u2019ll tell you about Chieftain Werri. That\u2019s a different name, by the way. They used to know her as Werina. And she used to be nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll sat there. The [Announcer] was counting down. He looked at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you train her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz glanced at the small Gnoll. Then Berr. Tkrn realized the Minotaur was remembering the fight. Berr grinned at him, gap-toothed.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thought, Minotaur. But I didn\u2019t have to. She made herself without any of the old tribes helping her. They called her Werina. Her family were Paworkers. Ever heard of them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn stirred. Orreh and Oor looked blank. Then\u2014the [Announcer] shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone\u2019s head snapped back. And Tkrn looked for Chieftain Werri and didn\u2019t see her. He did see a much taller, stronger<\/em>-looking Gnoll standing where she was.<\/p>\n

Her fur was brown like a forest and tinged with green in places. Almost like moss. The other Gnolls took off.<\/em> But Werri, the Chieftain of the Woven Bladegrass tribe, didn\u2019t run right away. She bellowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWoven Bladegrass tribe! Run!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

She began sprinting<\/em> across the ten thousand foot run and all two thousand plus Gnolls went after her. Many were holding weapons, or even wearing armor. They surged in a single group behind her.<\/p>\n

\u2026And passed the Steelfur Gnolls<\/em>. The fastest runners in the heavy tribe, along with a quarter of the runners, saw the Bladegrass tribe surge past them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have to be using Skills! She\u2019s cheating!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. She\u2019s not. They\u2019re just fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berr watched Werri running at the head of the group. True, there was variance in speed. But even the slowest Woven Bladegrass Gnoll was fast.<\/em> The last-place Gnoll in the race wasn\u2019t a Woven Bladegrass Gnoll.<\/p>\n

\u2014Of course, Werri and her tribe didn\u2019t win. They placed high, some of them, but the Gnoll Courier outran them all.<\/p>\n

That was predictable. Even so, Tkrn exhaled as the Gnolls crossed the finish line. That<\/em> was a display from the Woven Bladegrass tribe. He turned to ask Berr more questions.<\/p>\n

And realized the Gnoll had taken all the snacks and run away. Venaz went after him with Peki and Orreh.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Barbarians].\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz came stomping back, empty-handed, ten minutes later. Merrik blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou let that old Gnoll get away, Venaz?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was tossing the snacks at his tribe. We wouldn\u2019t have gotten scraps even if I did grab him. And I have no desire to actually enrage a [Berserker].\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minotaur flopped down as Peki flew back, with a new bag of popcorn. He nodded over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides. The Wild Wastes tribe might not have been able to afford cookies for a gold piece. If you could buy goodwill\u2014let them steal your snacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn looked at the Minotaur. It was so easy to forget how cunning Venaz could be. Also, it was a revelation to think that a tribe as old and known as the Wild Wastes tribe wouldn\u2019t be able to pay for a few gold\u2019s worth of snacks for an Honored Gnoll.<\/p>\n

Oor saw the look Inkar was sharing too. He whispered loud enough for their Gnoll-hearing and theirs alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t mistake that. The Wild Wastes tribe isn\u2019t rich in gold<\/em>\u2014but they have plenty of things to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

That made sense. Everyone nodded, and settled back as a second snack run was set up. The last race they were going to see was the thousand foot dash, the ten thousand one being scheduled for later in the day to give the competitors time to warm up.<\/p>\n

There was a [Shapeshifter]. Venaz folded his arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m keen to see what species he actually is. Maybe multiple? Wolf is my bet. I\u2019ll bet you three cookies, Merrik, Peki.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWolf\u2019s too obvious. I bet it\u2019s a fast cat-thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t bet for cookies. Too expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peki turned her beak up. The starting line had a [Barbarian], one of the Wild Wastes tribe\u2019s, the Courier Gnoll\u2014\u2018Furstep\u2019, a rather generic name in Tkrn\u2019s opinion\u2014the [Shapeshifter], three [Messenger] or [Scout] types, and a Woven Bladegrass [Skirmisher].<\/p>\n

The excitement was real. The bets, realer. Everyone watched as the [Announcer] began the countdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree, two, one, go!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The first hundred feet vanished in front of the charge of the competitors. They were running\u2014the first seconds of shouting and cheering had Tkrn on his feet with the others. But then\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cThief! [Thief]! He\u2019s stolen artifacts!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

A voice from the crowd. Half the heads turned. And Tkrn saw a shape blur<\/em> out of the crowd, followed by dozens upon dozens of Plain\u2019s Eye Gnolls. They were chasing a young Gnoll with a scarf wrapped around his face, dark clothes\u2014<\/p>\n

Gnolls grabbed for him. The Gnoll slid<\/em> past them, under the legs of a horse, and barreled onto the race track. The racers hadn\u2019t heard, so caught up in the race. Tkrn saw the Gnoll being pursued by a vast mob of Gnolls. The [Thief] had a bundle he had shoved into a bag of holding. He ran, arms and legs pumping\u2014<\/p>\n

The Courier in the front was vying with the accelerating [Shapeshifter] for the finish line. They heard shouts, screams, and the crowd going wild as they accelerated for the final, three-hundred foot dash.<\/p>\n

The [Thief] passed both of them. The Courier and [Shapeshifter] slowed as he ran past the finish line. He outdistanced nearly a hundred horses going after him\u2014Tkrn\u2019s jaw dropped.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet that [Thief]! It\u2019s him\u2014the Thief of Clouds!<\/em> The disgrace to our people!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The winner of the thousand foot dash ran across the plains. The Thief of Clouds, one of the most infamous Gnolls that no one was proud of, ran into the distance and abruptly\u2014vanished. <\/em>The [Riders] spread out, calling for anti-invisibility or camouflage spells, but they never found them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that Gnoll actually ran faster than I could shoot an arrow. Mind you, there are faster Couriers, even among the Gnolls. I\u2019m sure it wasn\u2019t a sustained Skill. But that was something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone was talking afterwards. Venaz was talking to the others who were telling Tkrn and Inkar about the Thief of Clouds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s said that one time, a cloud passed over a caravan escorting a relic-class item to Pallass. In the time the [Guards] were under shadow, the Thief of Clouds slipped in, stole the relic\u2014and the cloud! When the Drakes looked around, both were gone! And later, the relic appeared on the black market.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike the great thief in my children\u2019s book. You know, the one who stole the Eye of Baleros? Thivian Stormless?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know him! The Lightning Thief, yes? I read the same book as a child. But that is a story. That Gnoll gives us a bad name. Bad enough we\u2019re called thieves by the Drake cities\u2014he also steals from his own people! At the Meeting of Tribes!\u201d<\/p>\n

It just went to show that some Gnolls didn\u2019t respect tribe or tradition. Even so, it was the talk of the hour. And Tkrn was secretly pleased to have been there to say he had been there.<\/p>\n

What was more <\/em>surprising was that Venaz remembered Tkrn\u2019s promise. And he prevailed on Tkrn since the races had been suspended for an hour after the drama.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo? How\u2019s my posture? Wait, don\u2019t tell me. Let me puzzle it out. I feel like I\u2019d rotate my body as I swing. Like\u2026this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz swung the bat and Tkrn was impressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it\u2019s all in the hips. You rotate your body\u2014that\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m aiming for distance?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you get it past a certain point, it\u2019s a \u2018home run\u2019. But it changes depending if we\u2019re allowing Skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcellent. I can see why it\u2019s growing in popularity. The House of Minos would surely enjoy this game. Soccer\u2026not as much. Too hard with hooves.\u201d<\/p>\n

He grunted as a nervous Gnoll tried a fastball. Venaz cracked<\/em> it just to the left of the Gnoll\u2019s face. At this point, Inkar suggested they use protective gear.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Merrik, Peki, and Venaz ended up staying at the Silverfang\u2019s camp. It was not a Gnoll tribe connection directly, but they were friends with Feshi Weatherfur, so Krshia and Chieftain Akrisa welcomed them in instantly.<\/p>\n

Besides which, celebrity. But Tkrn was happy enough to let the [Strategists] play the new sports game and sign things and talk\u2014he and Inkar had their own business in the combined tribal camps.<\/p>\n

For instance? Cers, the little Gnoll cub who was around Mrsha\u2019s age, was curious about Inkar. So Tkrn and Inkar ended up kicking around a stray soccer ball and watching all the young Gnoll children race after it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so much fun!\u201d<\/p>\n

So saying, Cers leapt<\/em> on a Gnoll girl and wrestled her for the ball. They happily fought, punching, biting\u2014until his older half-sister, Satar, waded in.<\/p>\n

\u201cCers! Don\u2019t attack other children! You\u2019re the Chieftain\u2019s son!\u201d<\/p>\n

The young [Shaman] scolded him. He stuck out his tongue and hid behind Inkar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m having fun! Go away, Satar!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, now. Why don\u2019t we all be civil here? Let\u2019s kick around the ball\u2014you can gain a class, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar laughed because [Guardsman] Tkrn was actually able to quell the unruly mob. Children were children and a [Guard] had to deal with them. The Gnolls gathered up.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes. I know a little Ekirra who\u2019s a [Kicker]\u2014he can boot his ball a hundred feet! Drakes take me if I lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he\u2019d broken several window shutters, and several glass ones as a result.<\/em> The children were very impressed, though, and begged Tkrn to show them. He did a few basic passes like he\u2019d seen Joseph do, and then suggested a game.<\/p>\n

Someone was watching Tkrn, though. Merrik had declined to do more than hit the ball and run around the bases\u2014he felt, instinctively, that all these games were designed for people with longer legs than his. He had no strike zone, and while baseball was more reasonable, he just wasn\u2019t into either game.<\/p>\n

As Venaz scored another run and retired to the bench, panting, Merrik spoke thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s two sports.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSay again?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minotaur took a long drink of water. Merrik spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo sports. Cookies, popcorn\u2014I heard there are cakes, even ice cream from the City Gnolls who were in Liscor. Multiple foods. Also, isn\u2019t that Drassi [Reporter] from Liscor?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz was toweling off his sweaty body and his horns. He stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. That city\u2019s at the forefront of something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like a good connection. If we had time, I\u2019d say we should check it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to. Even though we promised to return via Khelt\u2014there\u2019s business for me too. Not as happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHm. And Chess Weekly comes out there. I heard a rumor that the Professor\u2019s opponent might be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore reason to go. But what inspired all this? The dungeon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear the word [Innkeeper] <\/em>being tossed around a lot. Maybe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The [Strategist] students were smart, keen-eyed, and could put puzzle pieces together if they saw them laying around. What they forgot was that Gnolls were Gnolls. Krshia decided having their interest was a fine thing. So long as it was just that. She stepped away; there was little use for them beyond meeting Feshi, unfortunately.<\/p>\n

This was the hour of Gnolls. The weeks and days of it. Months? Well. The Meeting of Tribes was beginning to turn to the summit of Chieftains.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That night, the first battle lines began being drawn in a public banquet. Gnolls shared food, and so nearly eighty tribes sent members to a mass-gathering where you could eat and drink and talk communally.<\/p>\n

Chieftain Akrisa, Krshia, Orelighn, and Eska\u2014along with other Honored members and [Shamans] were all sitting with the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe. One of their lead [Shamans] and a number of great warriors and leaders among them were meeting new tribes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to introduce ourselves to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they have even more power than at the last Meeting of Tribes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Krshia frowned, because them queuing with a number of tribes both acknowledged the Plain\u2019s Eye superiority, and it spoke to leadership when all tribes were theoretically equal.<\/p>\n

She supposed the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe, like Az\u2019muzarre, were simply too large to ignore. Well, the [Shaman] was very good at making the others feel welcome and liked, so Krshia simply resolved to have good food and reconnect with her roots.<\/p>\n

Merrik, Peki, and Venaz were eating with the Silverfangs in good spirits, having played games and investigated Liscor\u2019s things all day. When he\u2019d heard that Pelt<\/em> was making bicycles and that Tkrn had a sort-of-in with Kevin, the Dwarf had practically begged to get a discounted bike. Tkrn couldn\u2019t promise much, but he\u2019d told the Dwarf he\u2019d talk to Krshia.<\/p>\n

What was notable, though, was how the huge banquet was laid out. Not just one giant circle; there were plenty of Gnolls in the middle, around the central bonfire. But tribes did tend to sit together, if spread out so they weren\u2019t one mass.<\/p>\n

For instance, the Steelfur tribe, known traditionalists and famous, were sitting right with the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe. A lot of Chieftains were sitting in the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe\u2019s company, but the Steelfur and their allies were all together, demonstrating clear alliance.<\/p>\n

The Decles tribe, which had a new, small feud with the Silverfangs, for instance were sitting on the edge of that gathering. Allies of tradition.<\/p>\n

It got interesting<\/em> when the Woven Bladegrass tribe arrived. A thousand of them for this banquet\u2014and they sat across from Steelfur. No love lost there. In fact, both Chieftains were also present.<\/p>\n

Chieftain Werri of the Woven Bladegrass, and Chieftain Iraz of Steelfur. Iraz was older, more widely respected\u2014but Werri was a rising star, and the non-conventional, smaller tribes went to her.<\/p>\n

The two Chieftains greeted each other. It wasn\u2019t a war; <\/em>just a difference of opinions. Cordially, at first, but with an underlying edge. They spoke loudly, knowing all were listening.<\/p>\n

Like the debates he\u2019d accidentally engaged in. Tkrn listened as a hush fell.<\/p>\n

\u201cChieftain Werri. It is good to see the Woven Bladegrass tribe. I hope this summit will help us agree on a way forwards for our people. Your wars with Drake cities have put other tribes at risk of retaliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chieftain Iraz did not mince words, although he did bow quite respectfully. Chieftain Werri copied him, more perfunctorily.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that something for other tribes to dictate, Chieftain Iraz? Like the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe?\u201d<\/p>\n

She glanced pointedly at the largest tribe here. Iraz raised his brows.<\/p>\n

\u201cTradition lies with the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe. They have the longest history compared to our short tribes, Chieftain Werri. Is it not well to respect their wisdom? New tribes such as yours bring change. The newness is not wrong, but it should be tempered with tradition, or do you not agree?\u201d<\/p>\n

She snorted. Many Gnolls stirred at this, but the [Shaman] of the Plain\u2019s Eye tribe for this banquet silenced them with a gentle wave. Werri shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cTradition. Is tradition avoiding conflict with the Drakes? I would say, rather,<\/em> that instead of \u2018new and old\u2019, Steelfur and Plain\u2019s Eye is old\u2014and we<\/em> follow an even more traditional path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iraz looked confused, as did many Gnolls. Werri grinned and elaborated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remember when Walled Cities fell. We remember war against the one foe that hunted us! Is that not traditional?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Murmurs. Many Gnolls were outraged by the insinuation\u2014well, the older ones. The younger Gnolls wanted to applaud Werri. Iraz didn\u2019t dignify her statement with a reply. He simply ended the conversation\u2014politely\u2014and Werri returned to her camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar whispered to Tkrn. He shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a City Gnoll. I wouldn\u2019t like to have the Woven Bladegrass angry at me.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a non-answer, and Inkar nodded. Tkrn thought that was that\u2014but he hadn\u2019t counted on one thing.<\/p>\n

Each tribe decided where to sit, and many were neutrally sitting between the two main \u2018camps\u2019 that had appeared. Other big tribes like Az\u2019muzarre hadn\u2019t even shown, same with Ekhtouch; they might be at other banquets. Silverfang had sent representatives to four more great gatherings.<\/p>\n

However,<\/em> she came to this one, by chance or design.<\/p>\n

Lehra Ruinstrider and her team, the Stargazer\u2019s Promise, stopped as countless Gnolls howled<\/em> and cheered her. Celebrity? She was the hottest<\/em> new Named Adventurer present. The success story of a Gnoll from a small tribe.<\/p>\n

There were other Gnoll Named Adventurers. But none here, none so young\u2014and her adventure was still going. Her battles with the Wall Lord Dragial were the things stories were made of.<\/p>\n

An adventurer\u2019s tale. So, instantly, two people among the many stood up and called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cLehra Ruinstrider! <\/em>Come join us! The Steelfur tribe would welcome your team among ours!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chieftain Iraz called out. Lehra turned and grinned; she had met the old Chieftain whom she respected. But then, almost on top of him, was Werri\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cLehra! Sit with us and take your team!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Named-rank Gnoll hesitated. She looked at her friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t look at us. This is your people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elgrinna, the Dwarf, muttered. Emper, the [Monk] Stitchman, Suxhel, the Gazer [Wizard] all looked to their glorious leader.<\/p>\n

Amused. Lehra squirmed at being put on the spot. She could lead them into battle, but she did not enjoy this.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone\u2019s going to be mad no matter what I do. Emper\u2014Emper, what do I do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWisdom, Lehra\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Emper opened his eyes. The [Monk] looked at Lehra.<\/p>\n

\u201cWisdom, Lehra, is learning from your mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou suck, Emper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lehra Ruinstrider looked around, not even trying to hide her clear anxiety as she hopped from foot to foot. She looked around and then\u2014made her choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hey! Is that Inkar and Tkrn? <\/em>Fancy meeting you here! Mind if we join you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tkrn choked on his food as Lehra Ruinstrider ran over. And suddenly\u2014the Named Adventurer and her team were in their camp.<\/p>\n

Krshia Silverfang\u2019s spray of drink had gotten her sister and their tribe\u2019s [Shaman]. Now, all eyes were on Silverfang.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was a non-choice by the Named Adventurer, but significant enough! Both Steelfur and Bladegrass looked to their Chieftains to see if they should take offense.<\/p>\n

Iraz just shrugged when his tribe expressed disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cLehra may sit where she will. There are many banquets. Let her do so; it is unkind to war over her.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other side, a disgruntled [Shaman] muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat young adventurer may choose where she sits, but she is not political.\u201d<\/p>\n

To that, Chieftain Werri leaned over and spoke to the [Shaman].<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound like a Drake. Political? Why does Lehra need to be political?<\/em> We are Gnolls! Do we need to play games of politics?\u201d<\/p>\n

That started a fight. \u2018You sound like a Drake\u2019, or variations like \u2018smell like a Drake\u2019, always did.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re Tkrn, right? And here are more people from the fight! Hi! Lehra. This is my team\u2026say hi, guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe apologize for the disturbance. We can sit elsewhere if we are inconveniencing you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emper bowed. Lehra hastened to agree, but who was going to send her away? The Silverfangs fell over each other to give them a position of honor.<\/p>\n

And somehow, Tkrn was in that group, with a wide-eyed Cers, Satar\u2014Krshia and Akrisa excused themselves to come back with all the others.<\/p>\n

What a great night! What a wonderful little event! Lehra, their tribe. The Steelfur and Bladegrass tribes and all the big ones were content to let the Silverfangs enjoy the chance meeting. Lehra barely got to really talk, being bombarded with so many requests from other Gnolls who\u2019d come to see her transform, or talk about finding the Blade of Mershi<\/em> and so on.<\/p>\n

Lehra obligingly demonstrated, grinning as people cried out to see her wearing the armor from the City of Stars, a Relic-class artifact. Her team put up with it well, ribbing their captain, eating, being good guests\u2026<\/p>\n

In short, it was a nothing event which was a something event for those involved. Chieftain Iraz put it out of his mind, turning his attention to the Demas Metal Chieftain, whom he\u2019d invited because his tribe had such a promising new metal.<\/p>\n

\u201cCandidly, Chieftain. What is<\/em> it? A known alloy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe it to be a new one. Much is said about adamantium\u2014Salazsar has dug up a vein. And the great Dwarf [Smith], Pelt the Hammer, has forged it and offered some to Maughin of Pallass.\u201d<\/p>\n

The younger Gnoll sat there, eating and drinking with great aplomb with the seasoned Steelfur warriors and some of his own around him. Iraz nodded at all that; he\u2019d wanted adamantium himself if it could be found. The greatest of all metals\u2014well, one of them. Certainly for armor.<\/p>\n

The Demas Metal Chieftain went on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot match that. But then\u2014is that so wrong? Few metals can!<\/em> I say to you, Chieftain Iraz, my tribe\u2019s metal is not Naq-Alrama steel. It is not<\/em> adamantium. It is not <\/em>capable of rivaling Dragon\u2019s scales.\u201d<\/p>\n

The listeners blinked at this statement. The Gnoll lifted a furry finger and produced a blade.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever. It is greater than mithril. Think of that. Greater than mithril, and I believe we can produce far more of it than adamantium because it is not<\/em> these rare metals. Orichalcum is one of the components in Demas Metal, Chieftain Iraz. I present you with this blade, that you may test it yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greatly impressed, Iraz accepted the blade. He turned his attention to that tantalizing point\u2014a more plentiful metal that could arm an entire tribe<\/em>, or a number of warriors rather than a single helmet or shield or blade.<\/p>\n

The Demas Metal tribe was on the rise. The Woven Bladegrass tribe, likewise, was entertaining Ekhtouch Gnolls who were somewhat put off by how casually Werri treated the offer of children.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a tribe of now, honored guests. Children are an excellent thing. But we do not plan in the long term. Yet\u2014if our tribes can work and fight together, why not sleep together? Let us talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Chieftains conducted great business that night, and let Lehra be young. And they failed to realize something.<\/p>\n

Because the next day\u2026Lehra Ruinstrider paid a visit to the Silverfang camp, politely sending regrets to Iraz and Werri and two dozen other Chieftains. The two great Chieftains were confused. This wasn\u2019t just choosing a neutral party.<\/p>\n

They had failed to understand one thing about Lehra, which both Chieftains and their tribes lacked\u2014or failed to present. It was the connection of people like Lehra, Tkrn, as unlikely as that seemed. Of Merrik, Venaz, Peki, Inkar\u2014something they all had in common.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly<\/em> it! Yes, thank you. I nearly cried after my first month abroad. All because I didn\u2019t have these! Tada!\u201d<\/p>\n

Lehra pulled out a small package of\u2026Tkrn sniffed it as Venaz and Emper traded talk on Chandrar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMeat biscuits! It\u2019s the Ruinstrider Tribe specialty!\u201d<\/p>\n

Lehra smiled as her entire team groaned. None of them liked the hard-baked biscuit, which the Ruinstrider made out of super dehydrated dried meat and bread.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s um\u2026hard\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Inkar was trying to chew it. Lehra nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone I know hates<\/em> it. But it\u2019s food from home. I had to have some. Because\u2014you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned to Merrik. The Dwarf sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead gods, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d shared around his<\/em> food from home. Der\u00edthal-Vel\u2019s snack\u2014or at least, what Merrick had claimed was a childhood snack he missed\u2014was a hollowed-out mushroom, bright yellow with white spots. Edible, which you packed with something for long-term storage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt grows in your pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peki shook her head, but it was actually a lot tastier than Lehra\u2019s meat-biscuits. And the point was\u2014<\/p>\n

It was something that the two Gnoll Chieftains of their tribes hadn\u2019t realized. And this was the connection between the students of Baleros, Tkrn, now, Inkar for certain, and Lehra\u2019s team and the Stargnoll herself.<\/p>\n

It was the bond of travellers. Those who had gone far from home\u2014who had been to other countries, to other nations, and come back. Who were travelling still, in many cases.<\/p>\n

How to explain it? It was easier to say that it was a connection people who had left their homes could talk about\u2014and could not<\/em> talk about to people who had never left.<\/p>\n

Even if the locations weren\u2019t the same, the experience was.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get to craving it, you see. All the foods are great wherever I go\u2014mostly great. But you miss that one thing from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone nodded. Venaz sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo go to the House of Minos and have proper seafood one time\u2026if we could have stopped there. Have you ever been, Adventurer Ruinstrider?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLehra. No, I haven\u2019t. I haven\u2019t even been to Baleros, but we\u2019ve been all over Izril! Maybe we should, to get away from Dragial and his cronies\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you do, stop at the House of Minos, our King would welcome you. She admires strength of arms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lehra had not left her home continent. But she had left her tribe. She had visited Drake cities\u2014and Tkrn had left Liscor and was ironically travelling while visiting the Silverfangs.<\/p>\n

It was so pleasant, talking about Humans, too. Because Lehra didn\u2019t have one in her team, but she had three different species not including herself. Of course she liked Inkar and had stuck up for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Liscor\u2019s got Humans, Drakes, and<\/em> Gnolls? That\u2019s great! Most cities are just\u2026Drakes. All Drakes, every day Drakes. Not nearly as many Gnolls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFour species, actually. There are Antinium too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you don\u2019t feel in danger at all times?\u201d<\/p>\n

Venaz frowned. Tkrn shrugged as all eyes turned to him. Even Suxhel, the Gazer, looked mildly alarmed at the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are…you get used to them. And of late, they\u2019ve really started to change. They have names, they\u2019re nice\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNice? I have to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdd it to your list! Along with Der\u00edthal-Vel! It\u2019s a pleasure to talk to a fellow normal-sized person, at last.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merrik and Elgrinna slapped each other on the shoulders and laughed. Similarly, Peki and Emper were engrossed in reminiscing about Pomle, which Emper had visited and his group of [Monks] had ties to.<\/p>\n

Travellers became friends when they met, sometimes, because they could share that one thing in common. Tkrn realized Lehra was even around his age. A bit older, but she was a person, not a story. She was a glutton, she didn\u2019t like the pressure of social events, and she really, really<\/em> wanted to visit the north.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a door straight to Invrisil, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it! We\u2019re going to Liscor!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Stargnoll struck a pose. And Krshia got her wish. Because Lehra Ruinstrider had made a connection to the people like her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Someone else had cause to think on Lehra Ruinstrider at length the same day. If not the same place.<\/p>\n

It was an unusual meeting. He had only agreed after several requests\u2014or rather, the petitioner had finally convinced Alrric to talk to Ilvriss.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrankly, Wall Lord, I wouldn\u2019t bother you normally. It\u2019s the kind of petitioning for funds that I\u2019d never invest our company\u2019s time in. However\u2026it dovetails with your request for artifacts and notable individuals. Somehow, they found out you were asking about Relic-class weapons or gear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss was never a Drake to pass up investigating people who were investigating him.<\/em> Besides which, he felt it germane to give the group of Drakes who knew about Az\u2019kerash time to process\u2026everything.<\/p>\n

However, he did take the time to ask both Shriekblade and his uncle Nerul for information about the representative of a \u2018Wall Lord Dragial\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo my knowledge, he is a former<\/em> Wall Lord, isn\u2019t that so, Nerul? A rare case of expulsion?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, well, he keeps the title. Fissival isn\u2019t so, mm, divorced from him as to strip him of all his possessions. They have essentially given the care of his estates to his family, removing him as the defacto head<\/em>, but he has a number of supporters and I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if his family still listens to him and funds him. He\u2019s getting funding from somewhere.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss nodded. It was one of the many scandals that engulfed Drakes in their cities. Wall Lord Dragial\u2026yes, he recalled the incident. Attacking Gnoll tribes, disrupting entire cities chasing after\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cNamed Adventurer Lehra Ruinstrider. The Stargnoll, Captain of Stargazer\u2019s Promise. Bearer of the Relic-class artifact, the Blade of Mershi. And you can tell me, Shr\u2014Adventurer Tessa?\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned to the scarred Drake currently poking her arm with a dagger. It didn\u2019t go through her scales, but she was carving a faint outline with the tip without actually puncturing scale. She looked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever met her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went back to poking. Nerul was feeling at his neck spines. He opened a bottle of wine and poured everyone a drink. Ilvriss waved his cup away; Shriekblade did not. He\u2019d had breakfast twenty minutes ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Fissival had to exile him. The look of it\u2014a Wall Lord gone mad? From what I know, he was always obsessed with Mershi. The problem is, he was wealthy, and powerful as an individual as well. A proper<\/em> spellcaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow good?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss was interested. The City of Magic, Fissival, had an academy, their Scholarium, which rivaled Wistram at times. Graduates like Grimalkin were examples of how the best Drakes could turn out. Nerul frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know numbers. But he\u2019s a master of Golem Artificing, summoning, and I believe he is ranked above<\/em> a veteran [Battlemage]. He has to be if Lehra Ruinstrider and her team haven\u2019t ended him. Their running battles are the stuff of stories. You know, a plucky young Gnoll who finds a Relic-class artifact of a dead Walled City and the evil Wall Lord chasing her? Well, that\u2019s one telling. The other one that a lot of people\u2014Drakes in the larger cities\u2014like to say is that Lehra is a thief who causes trouble and Dragial hired her, whereupon she stole the object she was hired to retrieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe probably did take it. The Ruinstrider tribe was hired by Dragial to search ruins for clues to the dead Walled City. No one knows where<\/em> Mershi vanished.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nerul sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo read a history book, nephew. I\u2019m only telling you what I could get from a quick search\u2014and only because Mister Superior is an amateur historian. He gave me the details over breakfast. I\u2019ll let you dig up more or meet this representative of Dragial\u2019s\u2014I\u2019m not gifted with [Speed Reading].\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither was Ilvriss, but he thanked Nerul anyways. He was about to head off when Shriekblade spoke up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know one thing about Lehra.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Adventurer Tessa?\u201d<\/p>\n

The female Drake looked up at Ilvriss.<\/p>\n

\u201cShriekblade. I told you, that\u2019s who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShriekblade, then. What would you like to say?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Drake lowered her knife. She gave him a long stare.<\/p>\n

\u201cLehra has a Relic-class artifact. That\u2019s why she\u2019s Named-rank. She\u2019s not like us. Not yet. She\u2019s a rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss waited, but Shriekblade was done. He thought about that and nodded slowly to himself. So, a single artifact had made a Named-rank. No wonder this Wall Lord wanted it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The meeting with Dragial\u2019s representative was short. Ilvriss cut it short because the Drake representing the Wall Lord was disappointing.<\/p>\n

Ilvriss didn\u2019t know what he\u2019d expected. But the Drake was transparent as she spoke, shining with admiration for Dragial.<\/p>\n

\u201cWall Lord Dragial will reward any generous contributions, Wall Lord Ilvriss. He intends to resurrect the legacy of the Walled Cities, and but for one thief<\/em>, he would be leading Fissival into a new age. Once he recovers the blade from the fraudulent<\/em> Named-rank\u2014which Fissival\u2019s Adventurer\u2019s Guild and a number of Guilds have not acknowledged by the way\u2014he will be poised to reward his allies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI assume a monetary donation would be greatly appreciated, Miss Cenera?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Drake beamed at Ilvriss. The Wall Lord was already sighing inside. He\u2019d seen people like this all the time\u2014they came to people like him for funding for the next big project.<\/p>\n

\u201cA generous contribution is of course welcome, Wall Lord! But standing forces, artifacts\u2014Wall Lord Dragial is not a single-minded Drake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Desperate was what he was. Ilvriss nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it stands, Miss Cenera, I believe Dragial\u2019s quest is quite\u2026intriguing. I shall of course send what I can if circumstances allow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her face fell. She knew a refusal when she heard it. But she went on, in the best spirit of entreaty.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould I persuade you to make a small contribution, Wall Lord Ilvriss? You know what it is like to be a Wall Lord from your city, surely. Something trivial for you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She pleaded, very forthright. A younger Ilvriss might have caved and given something\u2014but the older Ilvriss knew that if you gave something once, you gave it again and again. He politely showed her the door.<\/p>\n

Even so, the Drake insisted on handing him a personal letter from Dragial, which he had apparently penned upon learning Ilvriss\u2019 \u2018interest\u2019. The Wall Lord thought it was a stock letter at first, but then he realized it was personally written.<\/p>\n

He retired to the Gemscale tower while he read it, walking up stair after stair. Interesting.<\/p>\n

Dragial was insane. No\u2014just mad for power, which was the same thing. He ranted and raved about the \u2018stolen relic\u2019 he had properly paid for, not quite beseeching Ilvriss. He must have an ego to expect Ilvriss to just fork over a hundred thousand gold pieces. However, part of the letter caught Ilvriss\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you have been seeking relics. The legacy of our Ancestors and Drakes before us is still there! The Blade of Mershi is one weapon in an armory of legends. When I find it, I will personally gift the Blade to my greatest allies; far greater weapons await. Take up my cause, Wall Lord Ilvriss\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, have more people come begging for money? Please tell me you\u2019re not wasting more<\/em> of your fortune, Ilvriss.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up. Navine Gemscale was heading down from the upper floors and he\u2019d just entered his mansion. He and his sister exchanged looks.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing of the sort, Navine. I forgot how many such individuals there are. I wasted the last thirty minutes on a Wall Lord Dragial. You know him?\u201d<\/p>\n

She snorted as she descended, tail twitching with irritation.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnow him? I\u2019ve met<\/em> him. Remember, I went to Fissival for two years to learn a bit of magic?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss had forgotten. Navine hadn\u2019t really graduated as a full [Mage]; she\u2019d realized her talent wasn\u2019t that strong, so she got one of the courses for Walled Drakes and such.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was there?\u201d<\/p>\n

She waved a claw, grimacing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was way back, before Lehra Ruinstrider became famous. He was already a Spell Lord or whatever the name was for him\u2014like one of the professors. And even then, he was obsessed<\/em> with Mershi. He taught a class on dead Walled Cities and he had all kinds of students who were fanatic loyalists.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTypical of such people. He approached me for help seizing the Blade of Mershi.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck with that. It belongs to Lehra Ruinstrider. You\u2019re not going to cause an incident with Gnolls, are you? Even Fissival dumped him for that. He tried to hold her entire tribe hostage.\u201d<\/p>\n

She eyed her sibling. Navine Gemscale would have thought Ilvriss could do any number of stupid things\u2014but neither one would just give money to a loon like Dragial.<\/p>\n

But the last few days had shaken her. Not only had he been seen at a brothel, he\u2019d apparently been so taken he\u2019d personally requested the company of one of their best escorts. Navine had seen<\/em> her in Ilvriss\u2019 company.<\/p>\n

That was scandalous enough, but she could understand him being lonely or despondent and turning to a stupid solution. But the Potion of Regeneration?<\/p>\n

Her mother and father had been stunned. Navine as well, not least because the sum<\/em> was the talk of Salazsar. That much gold for a damaged<\/em> potion? Hostile negotiations? Ilvriss had never, ever done anything like that.<\/p>\n

Moreover, his net worth had plummeted as a result. He was still insanely rich, but his personal fortunes\u2014not the Gemscale family\u2019s as a whole\u2014were now, er, insanely rich. But the ranking of Walled Drake\u2019s wealth meant that Navine had passed him in monetary value for the first time since they were young.<\/p>\n

She had wanted that to be a triumph of her superior business model and way of running her company. Not this. She was worried about Ilvriss.<\/p>\n

But how did you say it? The Wall Lord nodded to Navine.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeading to Oteslia?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2026Mother\u2019s taking her time. It\u2019s going to be a toll on her, but we\u2019re leaving in two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said my goodbyes, but perhaps I\u2019ll say one more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t. She\u2019s already taking too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Navine sighed. They should have been at Oteslia right when Reinhart arrived. But her mother would need to be escorted via floating bed; her health was fragile.<\/p>\n

She chewed on her lip as her tail lashed the carpet. Navine closed her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIlvriss. Just what\u2026was the potion for? I know you have secrets, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The Drake looked around. Ilvriss had already left, heading for the library. She scowled. Well, let him waste his gold. The Humans were more important for now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Navine\u2019s awkwardness was plain. Probably over Xesci. Indeed, Brilm, Tasilt\u2014Zail had had a number of words when he\u2019d found out. But no one \u2018knew\u2019 anything.<\/p>\n

They suspected, of course. And let them. Ilvriss didn\u2019t care about his reputation\u2026much. The point was that the worst qualities of Drakes would help Xesci\u2019s cover.<\/p>\n

They might even know she was a [Courtesan of Change]. Ilvriss doubted it; Brilm and Tasilt probably didn\u2019t think much of her class aside from its utility in the bedroom. It was that. That was a weakness of his people. Their disdain for things that were not proper or good, or Drakeish.<\/p>\n

Well, Ilvriss had learned one lesson there. And if he had learned that, he could at least do his due diligence when it came to Mershi.<\/p>\n

The Wall Lord shook his head as he perused Gemscale\u2019s vast family library. Ancient books, tomes\u2014he coughed, despite the regular dusting that took place here.<\/p>\n

Mining records. Some of it was useless. However\u2014he murmured to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne weapon, even a weapon worthy of a Named-rank Adventurer, is not worth the effort that has been spent on it already by Fissival or Dragial. Still\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Dragial had written to him, explaining why he was so obsessed. The Drake was mad, but it was still a dream he was chasing.<\/p>\n

The Blade of Mershi is not capable of changing our species\u2019 place in the world. But imagine an armory of Relic-class weapons, Ilvriss. Just imagine it!<\/em><\/p>\n

Ilvriss snorted. He spoke to Dragial as he hunted for a book he thought he knew was here. He shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWall Lord Dragial. You\u2019re chasing stories. If I thought there was even a\u2026a 10% chance, I would invest into this idea. But short of miracles\u2014plural\u2014I don\u2019t see\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice trailed off. He pulled out a book entitled The Lost Cities of Izril<\/em>, and opened it. For a moment, he was silent.<\/p>\n

Dragial was doing this the wrong way. He thought the Blade of Mershi would unlock the key to finding the Walled City. Ilvriss wondered if he knew something\u2014but it occurred to him it wasn\u2019t an entirely lost cause.<\/p>\n

A month ago, he\u2019d have arranged to have the owner of the Blade of Mershi tossed into The Wandering Inn and a [Spy] with transcription Skills write down everything that happened. If\u2014<\/p>\n

The Potion had failed. But he had done what he could. All that lost gold\u2026Ilvriss shook his head.<\/p>\n

If there was a 1% chance it would have worked, he would have done it again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He took the book to a sitting room to read. He had read this once, as a child. A full account of all the Walled Cities remembered. There had been other books of Walled Cities, with their legacies, full records\u2014<\/p>\n

But even the oldest enchantments faded. Libraries were burned by accident. Ten thousand years destroyed first-hand documentation. Twenty thousand? Forty?<\/p>\n

This book was old.<\/em> And even so, it was compiled of stories and partial records. The [Historian] had done their best.<\/p>\n

Mershi had a section of course, but many Walled Cities did. Ilvriss remembered some.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrunvel\u2014the City of Pacts! The only Walled City built out of friendship with the Dwarves! A great, lost city in the north\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

A young Ilvriss had dreamed of finding a trace of it. Hadn\u2019t they all? But the truth was that most Walled Cities\u2019 locations were known. They were just no longer there.<\/p>\n

Every stone, every relic, had been taken, sold, dispersed to the winds. All that each city had been was gone. Perhaps even now, someone held a Relic-class weapon that was their<\/em> family heirloom and did not know where first it had come from.<\/p>\n

Dragial was the young Ilvriss who\u2019d never grown up. Who\u2019d clung to that dream until it twisted. What about Mershi made him convinced there was anything left to find? Ilvriss muttered to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was the City of Stars?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aha! He found the section at last and began to read.<\/p>\n

Mershi was a city of [Astronomers]. If Salazsar was the tallest Walled City to currently exist save perhaps for Oteslia\u2019s giant tree, well, Mershi had been taller.<\/p>\n

Floating buildings, a central spire that reached so high heavenwards it could be seen like the High Passes wherever you went\u2026<\/em>the [Historian] had a way with words. Mershi had been grand and powerful, even among the Walled Cities. Yet the entry was sparser than Grunvel\u2019s or many of the other\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Because\u2014Ilvriss blinked. It was said that Mershi had even had Ancestors\u2014Dragons\u2014who helped govern and fight for it.<\/p>\n

Fairy tales. And like fairy tales, Mershi\u2019s end was the stuff of legend.<\/p>\n

It had fallen before Humans had colonized the north. That was why only myth was accessible to the [Historian]. Mershi had been one of the first Walled Cities to fall. The spire fell. The city turned to ruin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn hubris, all the tales I have been able to verify recollect some great incident of Mershi\u2019s downfall. Hubris, arrogance\u2014the classic faults of our kind. What this event was I do not know; the legends hint that it is too terrible to recount, which suggests ignorance on the [Storytellers] and [Historians] before me. What I can tell you is that Mershi disappeared overnight. Every person within was said to be lost, and the city vanished, because the skies themselves turned dark and the entire region was lost for a century\u2019s time, as if some great spell had swallowed everything. When it finally was lifted\u2014no one could find a trace of the City of Stars.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss set down the book. Now there<\/em> was a story that explained it all. [Treasure Hunters] had probably read this, like Dragial, and concluded that Mershi might be there. Even so\u2014the city had to be dead.<\/p>\n

But the Blade of Mershi had been found in this age after so long. Ah, Ilvriss felt the young Drake inside him begin to get excited. Dragial thought it was a key<\/em> to finding the City of Stars!<\/p>\n

\u2026He caught himself, shaking his head. No, he had no time to waste on this. If Az\u2019kerash had not been\u2026Ilvriss might have indulged himself in this if Periss was alive, Erin was well, and the world not threatened.<\/p>\n

But he was too busy. He put the book back in its place and let legends lie. He had work to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alrric the [Administrator] of the Gemscale company was having his lunch break. He was walking back home, rather than eat in the tower.<\/p>\n

Alrric Kerrfa, brown-furred, a classic example of a working Gnoll who\u2019d risen to the top from being a humble [Miner], was one of the highest-placed Gnolls in Salazsar. He had a wife and child, Ximenes and Sidinel.<\/p>\n

He was a model citizen, in short. Unique in his competent boringness; even Ilvriss thought of Alrric as a Gnoll who lived for his family and took his job seriously.<\/p>\n

That was how Alrric liked it. The Gnoll had packed up a gift for Sidinel. A little bit of adamantium, still embedded in the rock. Not too<\/em> much value, but he knew she\u2019d be fascinated. It wasn\u2019t theft; he\u2019d made a note in the log about bringing it back after a week. It wasn\u2019t as if it could be processed in Salazsar\u2019s forges.<\/p>\n

Business was good. Ilvriss was strange, but Alrric had every intention of letting the Wall Lord do as he pleased. No news was good news\u2026Wanderer hadn\u2019t reported in, but the road was long. Alrric was humming to himself as he wondered what Ximenes had made for lunch. He really hoped it wasn\u2019t any of the fish she\u2019d bought \u2018specialty\u2019 from the Zeres shipment.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t like fish that much. And he had to take a breath-neutralizer. He sighed. If it was fish\u2014<\/p>\n

His head moved sideways for a moment. The foot-traffic got heavier the further you went down the walkways between towers. But he was still rather spread out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHm. Fish, fish\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll muttered to himself. His fur began to stand up. He looked ahead towards one of the large staircases and saw two figures standing right along the edges of the doorway. And\u2026three Drakes, casually coming up on his rear.<\/p>\n

Which was no problem. Except that if they were coming out of the administration block, they wouldn\u2019t be heading down this far. It was usually Gnolls<\/em> who took this route to one of their districts. Of course, you wouldn\u2019t know that if\u2014<\/p>\n

Alrric began adjusting his suit. He tried humming. But his heart was suddenly pounding.<\/p>\n

Was it today?<\/em> Oh no, no\u2014there was a single Gnoll standing in the doorway. Was this it? His stomach lurched. He looked up to check the sun\u2014<\/p>\n

And swung around and belted<\/em> the first Drake in the face as the attacker lunged. The Drake wasn\u2019t expecting that. None of the five ambushers were.<\/p>\n

Nor\u2014for how Alrric reacted. The Gnoll didn\u2019t stop at a punch. He rammed forwards\u2014and threw the Drake off<\/em> the bridge, over the guardrail.<\/p>\n

The Drake went screaming down. The others froze. They saw the [Administrator] reach down to his belt and flick<\/em> a knife into the second Drake\u2019s chest. The Gnoll and Drake who\u2019d rushed out of their spot saw the second Drake die, clawing at his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoison?\u201d<\/p>\n

The third, female Drake backed up. The [Administrator] had pulled out a wand. She raised her claws\u2014<\/p>\n

The retort <\/em>of the spell from the specialty-crafted wand that Spellcaster had made for him vaporized the Drake\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop! St\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The two other attackers froze. Alrric turned. The wand fired twice, catching the last, the Gnoll, running. Alrric lowered his wand and looked around, panting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s happening. I have to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

He ran. The encounter had been so fast, if anyone had seen the fight it had been over in a moment. He charged down the stairwell, ripping a speaking stone from his pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoinpurse! Coinpurse\u2014I\u2019ve been attacked! <\/em>This might be it!\u201d<\/p>\n

An alarm. He pushed through the crowd, stowing the speaking stone. None of the others would respond.<\/p>\n

Shadows, Spellcaster\u2014Wanderer was gone. They\u2019d take care of their ends. Alrric had to get to Ximenes and Sidinel.<\/p>\n

He had feared this day was coming for decades. The last time\u2014well, it wouldn\u2019t go like that again. But how had they found out?<\/p>\n

The Tribes had sent assassins after him. Alrric checked his fur as he pushed through the crowds, racing back home. Not a trace of white.<\/p>\n

But how\u2026? In his panic, he burst into the family home as Ximenes was arranging dishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear, what\u2019s wrong? You look like\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re here. I was just attacked! Where\u2019s Sidinel? It\u2019s time to go!\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife dropped the dishes. She whirled\u2014<\/p>\n

\u201cSidinel!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll appeared, her eyes wide with fright. All of them knew what to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrab all the gold, the bag\u2014we\u2019re meeting Shadows and Spellcaster and their group and going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre they hurt? Are they alive?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI signaled them. They\u2019ll signal back if\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Tic, tic.<\/em> Both Gnolls heard the sound from a speaking stone embedded in the wall. Then two subtle rings.<\/p>\n

Safe and alive. Alrric was panting. Ximenes turned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did they find\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how they figured it out. Maybe\u2014I had a bit of white fur during that mine inspection. Maybe that was it? Some Plains Gnoll\u2014we have to go.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

All three Gnolls were grabbing the readied items. They would be out the door in a minute\u2014when the speaking stone at Alrric\u2019s hip blared to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoinpurse. Coinpurse! Stop! This is Shadows.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

He yanked the stone off his belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep quiet and meet us at the gathering spot! You know what to do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCoinpurse, stop!<\/em> I think this is a mistake. You said you were attacked? I just got word that someone organized a hit on you! Not us<\/em>. It\u2019s the companies. Stop!\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric stopped. His paranoia had blinded him to other possibilities\u2014instinctual fear of what he thought had<\/em> to be happening had taken over. He began to breathe.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026What? What? I don\u2019t have enemies, Shadow! There hasn\u2019t been\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The Emera Corporation.<\/em> The hostile negotiations! Alrric lowered the stone. Sidinel, Ximenes\u2014his family looked at him and hesitated. Alrric growled into the stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cShadows, Spellcaster\u2014hold on. This might be a false alarm.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ilvriss got word of six attacks on [Miners] off-duty, higher-ups in the Gemscale corporation, and someone fired a [Fireball]<\/em> spell into one of the mine\u2019s supports!<\/p>\n

He strode into his office, having run down from his family mansion to find Alrric, panting, leaning over the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlrric! Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d gone to Alrric first; half of his corporate staff had been attacked!<\/p>\n

Not killed. Rather, they\u2019d been beaten, kicked about, and left for [Healers] to find. Broken bones were the worst of it; this was a message.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine. I was attacked. My attackers are\u2026dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead?\u201d<\/p>\n

All of his employees had been jumped.<\/em> A few had gotten out, running for help, or winning the fights, but Alrric had killed all five of his attackers. One had been tossed off<\/em> the bridge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was dead. I\u2014have an emergency wand. From the mining days. And my rings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course. Ilvriss blinked. Alrric was panting like he\u2019d run around Salazsar several times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine. No, I\u2019m damn well not! <\/em>This is the Emera Company, after the hostile negotiations, Ilvriss!\u201d<\/p>\n

He slammed his paws on the desk. The Gnoll looked up, furious, at Ilvriss.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they were after me and my family! I had to make sure they were safe before I came up here! They\u2019ve hired thugs and their own people to attack us! It\u2019s a war<\/em> and you dragged us into it for that damned potion!\u201d<\/p>\n

All true. This was a corporate war. And in Salazsar? They got ugly.<\/p>\n

Deaths weren\u2019t as common\u2014but sabotage, attacks like this? Ilvriss had seen it before. But the Gemscale family hadn\u2019t dealt in this kind of thing since his father\u2026he felt an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He\u2019d feared it was Az\u2019kerash at first.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlrric, I cannot apologize enough. If I had any idea\u2014I am not going to stand for this. Hire as many [Mercenaries] as it takes. Contact the Watch! I want all of our people safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric was angry<\/em>. He was snapping back at Ilvriss. He tried to calm himself.<\/p>\n

Stop, stop! You need this job and he\u2019s your employer, even if you have cause to be mad!<\/em> He\u2019d worked too hard to let himself throw it away\u2014especially because they hadn\u2019t come to kill the white Gnolls in Salazsar today.<\/p>\n

The Gnoll was worried Ilvriss would ask about the deaths. It was an extreme reaction, even if Alrric was now claiming justifiable self-defense. He waited, sweating, and hoping the dye wouldn\u2019t run. But the Wall Lord didn\u2019t take offense to his comments. His eyes narrowed and he walked to the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot for long, Alrric. I promise you\u2014this will not be a protracted war. Is the office secure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI checked. I\u2019ll get some more of the guard in\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain Shieldscale, come in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss spoke into his own personal speaking stone. There was a muffled response. Alrric saw Ilvriss turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need two of the Rubirel Guard to come to my position in the administrative tower to guard Administrator Alrric now.<\/em> Send two more to his home at\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned to Alrric. The Gnoll repeated the address, blinking. Ilvriss nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026And the last two on me. Raise the Erchirite Spears and all of Gemscale\u2019s guard\u2014keep the rest in the mansion with my family. Tell my sister\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

He was striding for the doors. Alrric and Ilvriss both doubted the Emera corporation would go after Ilvriss or the Drakes themselves; that was a step too far in corporate warfare in the eyes of the Walled Families. When the corporations fought, everyone but the top suffered.<\/p>\n

The response for Gemscale might be to lodge a complaint or call for a session among the other Wall Lords and Ladies of Salazsar. Or just retaliate in kind. Alrric, still panting with the adrenaline in his body, expected either.<\/p>\n

And he had forgotten how much Ilvriss had changed. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was not Rellmel\u2019s idea. He thought it was actually a bad<\/em> idea given that Gemscale had more wealth and success than Emera. But Grisa had insisted and his sister had implemented the attacks.<\/p>\n

Still, there would be a bit of schadenfreude\u2014a very Drake idea, even if they didn\u2019t have the same word for it\u2014to see Ilvriss\u2019 reaction. Everyone who\u2019d heard of the corporate war was interested in seeing what would happen next.<\/p>\n

Wall Lord Ilvriss emerged from the Gemscale corporation\u2019s tower with two of the Rubirel Guard holding position at the doors. Two more and his Captain Shieldscale flanked him. Sensible precautions, if a bit overdramatic. A few [Gossips] saw the Wall Lord\u2019s face; oh, he was angry.<\/em> Was he going to call for a censure of Emera\u2019s family? Was he going to\u2026?<\/p>\n

\u201cAdventurer Shriekblade, where are you?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wall Lord barked. A shadow stepped out of the doorway.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere.\u201d<\/p>\n

The watching Drakes shuddered. The Named Adventurer was looking\u2026excited. Ilvriss looked at her, Captain Shieldscale, who\u2019d unnecessarily drawn her sword.<\/p>\n

Then\u2014he drew his. The enchanted blade glowed <\/em>in the air as Ilvriss donned the armor around his clothing that Shieldscale handed him. Even the Rubirel Guard stared. But Ilvriss wasn\u2019t done.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdventurer Shriekblade, your orders are to follow me. If someone attacks<\/em> me, cut them down. Kill no one until they make the first move. But you have full license to kill in defense of me or any Drake in my employ. Is that understood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

She grinned and drew her knives. The Drakes in the crowd drew back. Wait. He wasn\u2019t serious?<\/p>\n

Then the first Erchirite Spears came storming up the stairs. A full squad\u2014and their spears were lowered behind their shields. They looked just as uneasy, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cWall Lord?\u201d<\/p>\n

More Gemscale family soldiers were behind them. Ilvriss looked around. His eyes glittered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoldiers, with me.<\/em> Your orders are to protect me\u2014if someone blocks your way, you will use those weapons. But do not attack anyone otherwise. Now, forwards!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

He strode down the staircase. The Gemscale soldiers were first\u2014the hesitating Gem Regiments followed after a second. Ilvriss came down the stairs three at a time and the crowd backed up. He lifted his sword and they<\/em> ran. The Wall Lord raced down the tower, bellowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo arms! To the death! With me, Soldiers of Gemscale!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

House Emera was not prepared for that. Like the hostile negotiations\u2014this response to the corporate warfare was like kicking sand in someone\u2019s face and seeing them draw a sword.<\/p>\n

But they had forgotten.<\/em> Sometimes that happened. All of Salazsar\u2019s traditions\u2014the Wall Lord had a different feeling about them after being in Liscor.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWall Lord! The Gemscale forces have attacked<\/em> our tower! They\u2019re storming the floors\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Wall Lord Rellmel went white under his scales. Grisa shrieked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he mad?<\/em> That\u2019s\u2014that\u2019s an actual battle in Salazsar? Stop him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2014he\u2019s leading the Rubirel Guard and<\/em> the Erchirite Spears along with his family\u2019s soldiers! And Adventurer Shriekblade!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many people has he killed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rellmel squeaked. The [Bodyguard] hesitated.<\/p>\n

As a matter of fact, no one. No one was about to fight with the furious Wall Lord, himself a skilled fighter, the Rubirel Guard, and a Named Adventurer along with an entire army at his back.<\/p>\n

They were storming up the Emera tower, essentially taking prisoners of every floor on their run up the stairs. The other Walled Families were right behind Ilvriss, though, with considerable forces of their own.<\/p>\n

Rellmel thought it was the end of his family at first. But then he realized\u2014they weren\u2019t clashing with Ilvriss\u2019 forces, especially since they were advancing at a run<\/em> up the stairs. But they might be coming to stop Ilvriss from executing the Emera family\u2019s heads.<\/p>\n

No one<\/em> had expected this from Ilvriss. Even Navine was stunned as she brought some of her guards following Ilvriss. The Emera family was stuck in their tower; the first thing he\u2019d done was have his Erchirite Spears seal the bridges. Actually set up barricades. As if he was actually fighting a war\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIlvriss, stop!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Brilm, Tasilt, Navine, and eight more Wall Lords and Ladies skidded into the reception hall of the Emera family. Rellmel and Grisa were facing Ilvriss with some terrified house guards in front of the Wall Lord.<\/p>\n

Shriekblade, two of the Rubirel Guards, Captain Shieldscale\u2014Tasilt flung up a claw.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy order of the Walled Families, stand down all of you! <\/em>That is an order to the Gem Regiments!\u201d<\/p>\n

All of the Drakes present lowered their blades. The Rubirel Guard to exceptional relief. Only Shriekblade did not. To Navine\u2019s incredible relief, she saw Ilvriss had already sheathed his blade.<\/p>\n

\u201cIlvriss, are you mad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMad? I am quite, Navine. My people have just been attacked. Not me, myself, but my [Administrator], my [Foremen], innocent [Miners] in the streets!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss was panting as Navine strode up to him. He pointed and the two Drakes in the back flinched.<\/p>\n

\u201cWall Lord Rellmel.<\/em> Wall Lady Grisa! I believed we had some kind of fair negotiation. Or would you deny that you were paid for the potion I bought from you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was no fair negotiation! You pinned us down and stole<\/em> our heirloom, Ilvriss! Now you come in here and try to threaten us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grisa shouted back. Rellmel was trying to shush her. She had grown confident, seeing the other Wall Lords and Ladies here, assuming that Ilvriss wouldn\u2019t dare<\/em> do anything.<\/p>\n

Rellmel had once assumed that, and mouthed off while surrounded by his buddies to a Gnoll. He might have said something<\/em>\u2014and yes, the Gnoll had been arrested and charged and it had been essentially one versus fourteen. But he had learned that none of that stopped the first punch to your face.<\/p>\n

And Ilvriss had a sword. The Wall Lord pointed past Grisa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWall Lord Rellmel. This is an attack on my company. As head of the Emera family, are you suggesting our companies clash? Because there is no point, I have no time<\/em> for it, and if you have an outstanding grudge, I suggest we settle this now.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Rellmel gulped. Tasilt and Brilm looked ready to seize their friend. The Wall Lord stepped forwards, sweating.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u2026corporate warfare may have been a step too far, Ilvriss. But my sister and I have cause for grievance! That was a hostile negotiation and I\u2014we\u2014would not have sold the potion under normal circumstances. You must admit, that was unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI acknowledge that. But did I not pay more than a fair price?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss\u2019 eyes narrowed. Rellmel lifted a clawed finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrice? Yes. But the fact remains that it was a forced sale. Should we bring this up between the Walled Families? Should I hire all the same negotiators to take whatever I want from your vaults?\u201d<\/p>\n

Navine hated to admit it, but Rellmel was showing a lot more intelligence in his arguments than Grisa. Ilvriss was in the wrong first off here\u2014even if the reaction had been petty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not have my company attacked, Rellmel. There are dead Drakes and Gnolls because my people defended themselves. And I will not<\/em> have them threatened again. Let me be clear: if my employees are attacked, it is already<\/em> war and this is the enemy stronghold. I will not play<\/em> at warfare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss strode forwards. Rellmel flinched, but held his ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cAncestors, Ilvriss! Think about what you\u2019re saying!\u201d<\/p>\n

Brilm snapped, appalled at the suggestion. Ilvriss looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want an end, now, Brilm! The Emera family\u2019s word\u2014witnessed by all of you\u2014that no more attacks take place! Or else all the Walled Families of Salazsar will hold Emera to account. This is pointless and it wastes money, time, and lives!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was true. Even so, Rellmel looked at Ilvriss.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have our potion, Wall Lord. Give it back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen do you expect us to just take it lying d\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Navine saw Grisa\u2019s jaw snap<\/em> shut. She felt her own jaw loosen. Ilvriss had just used his aura on her! The Wall Lord faced Rellmel. Around him, all the Drakes suddenly shuffled back\u2014except for Shriekblade, who scratched at her back as if suddenly itchy. He lowered his voice, twisting a ring on his finger as the outraged Grisa clawed at her mouth and stomped her feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cRellmel, I want your word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t be threatened. If you\u2019re going to draw the blood of fellow Walled Drakes, it\u2019s a civil war, Ilvriss. And you won\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rellmel wanted to wipe the sweat from his brow. Ilvriss studied him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was never my intent. If I wanted to stop reprisals, I\u2019d need your word on it as head of the Emera family. Such that Grisa can\u2019t go behind your back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other Wall Lord winced and Ilvriss knew he was right. He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cFailing that\u2014I would have to wipe out the entire Emera family. Which I am not willing to do. So. Let\u2019s come to an arrangement. What will it take for you to consider the potion matter closed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rellmel blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gave us gold, Ilvriss. But Grisa will never accept it. And I\u2014I think the potion was worth more than just gold, however much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss nodded shortly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2014give me some of the gold back. Return\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

His head tilted up. Rellmel heard him mutter a curse.<\/p>\n

\u201cReturn four hundred thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFour hundred\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFour hundred thousand. And I\u2019ll give you a half\u2014no, a third-share into our adamantium shaft.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wall Lord Rellmel\u2019s eyes bulged. Not because it was a bad offer. Far from it. The adamantium would be worth far, far<\/em> more than that in time. Guaranteed profits for\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not offering it again. Your word. If Grisa does anything\u2014she won\u2019t. And your promise in front of all the Walled Families, on the Emera bloodline.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rellmel stared at Ilvriss. He saw the Wall Lord twist his ring. The Wall Lord of the Emera family, dazed, looked around. Navine stared at Ilvriss.<\/p>\n

What had he done?<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOne third of the adamantium seam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCo-owned. You know the practice. They\u2019ll divide up the shafts, send their workers in. We\u2019ll have to make sure they don\u2019t unearth monsters which go after our group, but they\u2019ll be responsible for their take.\u201d<\/p>\n

The [Administrator] sat back. If he had been furious at Ilvriss for the danger which had caused him to react, he was furious for a different reason now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is one third of the profits that would have kept us flush for the next decade.\u201d<\/p>\n

He spoke, very mildly. Ilvriss nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. But I was aware that the Emera family wouldn\u2019t stop so I had to offer them something. Maybe I could have gone down to a quarter. But\u2014there it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric breathed. This day had not been great. The potential loss\u2026he looked at Ilvriss.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one is going to be happy about this. The [Miners] take bonuses on finding more adamantium veins in the seam. It\u2019s good, guaranteed pay. Your father\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe nearly tore my tail off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss sighed. His head still hurt from the shouting. He rubbed at his earholes. Zail Gemscale had expressed his disappointment with his son in no uncertain terms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s done, Alrric. I\u2019m sorry for the injured and I didn\u2019t want years, even a decade of petty infighting. So listen: here\u2019s what I\u2019m going to do. I demanded money back from Rellmel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had better. He could just give you all the money back and just take one third of the adamantium seam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ilvriss shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m placing\u2026a hundred and forty thousand gold pieces. Take from it for all the healing bills first. Every person who was hurt, give them a sizable bonus. Then\u2014issue a company-wide bonus at the end of this week\u2019s pay with the remainder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric\u2019s breath caught.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone. <\/em>I\u2019ll do the rounds and talk to people. Let\u2019s see. I need to visit Tasilt, Brilm\u2014and then tomorrow morning I\u2019ll be gone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric was having trouble keeping up. Ilvriss looked at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Walled Families are ready to censure me for my actions. It\u2019s good timing; I was planning on leaving anyways. I\u2019m bound for Oteslia. Apologies for all of this, Alrric. If my father comes, send him towards me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He left the Gnoll sitting there, stunned.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Ilvriss was losing money. The Drake had always, always had a sound head for business. He took calculated risks. He had made the company wealthy, with few spans of losses.<\/p>\n

But now he was spending a fortune. His personal fortune, true, but that was money that should have lasted him into his old age! And he was making objectively bad decisions.<\/p>\n

Bad decisions economically. Perhaps he\u2019d ended a feud that would cost a few dozen lives and be inconvenient.<\/p>\n

Zail Gemscale would have fought the feud even if it meant a century\u2019s worth of hostility between families. He didn\u2019t understand his son. Had he lost sight of everything?<\/p>\n

Yet he still swore on truth spell that he remembered what it was like to be a Wall Lord of Salazsar.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zail stared at Alrric. The [Administrator] sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think your son meant to tell you over dinner, Wall Lord. I can direct you to his last location, but he is moving around. Perhaps it would be better to wait for him to find you? Or I can send a [Message] to him if you would care to wait in his office\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric was hinting. He did not get along with Zail. Fair was fair; Zail did not like a Gnoll working and essentially managing the company.<\/p>\n

However, Zail\u2019s dislike of the Gnoll was second-place to his confusion over his son. He almost felt like\u2026he pulled his claw away from the dent in his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2026you don\u2019t know what\u2019s changed about him, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric hesitated. Both of them knew something had.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in so many words, Wall Lord. However, Wall Lord Ilvriss has pursued his own business with minimal effect on the company, so I\u2019ve not inquired. It\u2019s not my business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s not. You\u2019re right about this. But the adamantium shaft\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll leaned on his desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat does affect the company, yes. A third of the windfall of windfalls, gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zail found a seat. He stared at Alrric.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now he\u2019s gone off to Oteslia. Same as Navine and my wife. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, Wall Lord. Perhaps you\u2019d like to\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I would not!\u201d<\/p>\n

Zail was growing angry. He controlled his breathing; his attendants hovered worriedly behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy son is making poor decisions for the Gemscale family. I never thought Navine would be a better choice\u2014no, something\u2019s come over him. The war changed him. It happens. You lose someone and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He was muttering to himself. Alrric watched with one eye, carefully trying to work. Zail looked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to see all the reports. All the figures, how much he\u2019s paying everyone, daily takes from each mining shaft\u2014everything. Put it in his office.\u201d<\/p>\n

By their Ancestors. <\/em>Alrric winced. He\u2019d feared this was coming. Zail had ruled the Gemscale family before Ilvriss and he wanted to get his claws dirty again. He steepled his paws and tried to smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWall Lord Zail. Your son is managing the company well. Except for this\u2026incident, which I am motivated to believe was in the company\u2019s safety, you\u2019ve seen the quarterly reports.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have. But I\u2019m no longer confident. I want the reports.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric met the steely gaze of the old Drake. He took a breath. He hadn\u2019t wanted to do this, but he took some small pleasure in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not the head of the Gemscale corporation, Wall Lord Zail. Until I receive a formal notice from the Gemscale family, I can and will refuse to both show documentation and take your advice. With respect, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2014you dare you\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

Zail struggled to his feet. His attendants tried to calm him down as he stared at Alrric. The [Administrator] held his gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am trying to run the Gemscale company to the best of my abilities, sir. And Wall Lord Ilvriss is the head.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was true. But Zail was still furious. He paced back and forth. But what was he going to do? Fire Alrric? He had to get the Gemscale family to replace Ilvriss, and Alrric knew there was little chance of it, even with Ilvriss\u2019 actions. They\u2019d put Navine in charge instead, and a lot of the Gemscale family did not like her, even with Ilvriss\u2019 unprecedented bad sale.<\/p>\n

Zail knew it too. The Drake breathed heavily, and Alrric feared he was going to drop dead on his carpet. And wouldn\u2019t that<\/em> just end the day on the same note as it had begun?<\/p>\n

But then the Wall Lord\u2019s eyes narrowed. He took a seat again, even accepted the drink mixed with tonic. He sipped at it, and stared at Alrric.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy son is leaving. And now one third of the Gemscale miners who were going to be devoted to this new seam have to work the old ones. Faith in our company wavers, and while we\u2019ll live well off the adamantium, this is a blow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Literally to one third of their profits. They\u2019d sold off their rights to other seams and would have to work spent ones or just hope they found something new. Alrric sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Wall Lord Zail. This would appear to be the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wall Lord nodded. But there was something about his intent gaze that made Alrric think this wasn\u2019t senility. He lowered his quill as the Wall Lord peered at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want those reports. And you will begin taking my\u2026suggestions<\/em>, [Administrator]. My son has put you in this position, and you have done\u2014well\u2014over the last decade.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you so much, Wall Lord Zail. But I don\u2019t believe\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho owns Seam #213 BE?\u201d<\/p>\n

The question caught Alrric off-guard. The Gnoll frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeam\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

He went for his filing cabinet, staring at Zail suspiciously. He found a document of all the current holdings, changed monthly, and pulled it out. Thanks to his filing system, he read\u2026he shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Glasswing family holds it, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s actually being mined for anything. That\u2019s normal. It\u2019s dead. Tapped.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the old gemstones were gone, and if memory served, that area had only ever yielded some magicore and low-grade iron. Not exactly profitable. Zail shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. It\u2019s not. If you dig three hundred feet down and a bit to the southwest, you\u2019d run into another vein. Magical gemstones. And\u2014monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric lowered his document.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026That\u2019s a bold claim, Wall Lord Zail. Now, how would you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wall Lord\u2019s gaze was distant. But his eyes were sharp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI meant to give it to Ilvriss on my deathbed. It\u2019s hard to buy the seam\u2019s rights without setting something off. A long time ago, I hired a [Diviner]. We\u2026it was a bad time for the Gemscale family. We were looking into\u2014riches. We found it, even got down there, but I had to ask a [Geomancer] to seal it up. To prevent\u2014evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

He meant he was trying to secretly mine another family\u2019s treasures. <\/em>Alrric bit his tongue.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you sat on this knowledge for how long?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFifty years. We could never have mined it in secret. You\u2019d need adventurers. Proper Gem Regiments; the monsters were infesting the magical gemstone deposit. And the Glasswing family has it? Well\u2026if someone was buying up old seams on a whim, especially if the Gemscale corporation looked like it was searching for something\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey could rather easily get it for a song. Practically nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alrric was slowly pulling out some paper to write a memo. Something casual to the Glasswing\u2019s [Administrator] or [Secretary] or such. How would he do it convincingly? Well, appear<\/em> to be casual, which told them he was actually desperate, which disguised the fact that\u2026<\/p>\n

Zail looked at Alrric.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n

The [Administrator] met the old Drake\u2019s gaze for a long time. Ilvriss was leaving. And this\u2026he drummed his paws on the table. At last, he nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have all the documents sent over to Wall Lord Ilvriss\u2019 office\u2014your temporary office\u2014directly, Wall Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zail smiled in satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Ilvriss left the next day, with a small entourage. An expedient move given his unpopularity with\u2026everyone. Not only had he chased off the popular Sellme, he\u2019d offended the Walled Families with his direct action.<\/p>\n

The Gemscale corporation had a new boss, which turned out to be the old boss. Alrric made a few purchases, and sent some [Deep Miners] out with very specific instructions and the Erchirite Spears that Ilvriss had left in the city, and more security besides. Zail sat in Ilvriss\u2019 office, his immediate family all having left for Oteslia.<\/p>\n

It was probably fine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Outrage in two Walled Cities. For different reasons. But the end reason was money.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is unacceptable! <\/em>I will call on the [Druids]!\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the [Researchers] was shouting. Saliss and Xif were ready to shout back, but Lyonette was in charge, now.<\/p>\n

At least, of this. She folded her arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearcher Medivort, you have a faerie flower.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019ve tampered with it! It\u2019s\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026Unable to reproduce? Why would that<\/em> matter for a man purely devoted to uncovering its effects, [Researcher]?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyonette smiled sweetly at the Human man. He glowered. The little faerie flower was indeed tampered with.<\/p>\n

It was a simple process to make it very tricky to grow even cuttings of faerie flowers\u2014and they were already a finicky species. Lyonette gestured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have more petals, stems, or other parts of the flower, Researcher Medivort. Dried and fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Separated. The [Researcher] turned to his fellows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a monopoly!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, yes it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The monarchy enjoyed monopolies. And the [Princess] was still a [Princess]. Well, there was a running battle in Oteslia now.<\/p>\n

And unfortunately for the liberal-minded [Herbalists], [Gardeners], and so on, who would like to liberally cultivate the flower for their own ends, any chance-obtained flower that someone happened<\/em> to have in their pockets rather than in the one now well-guarded location where Saliss\u2019 flowers were being grown\u2014might vanish.<\/p>\n

The Gentlemen Callers were playing a game of thieves with Oteslia and they were rather good at what they did. So for the first two days, Lyonette was setting the terms of engagement.<\/p>\n

Of course, the First Gardener and [Druids] were weighing in. Neither side was happy, but Lyonette kept pointing out that the flowers were<\/em> being sold. Just not the flowers themselves.<\/p>\n

Fair, it was fair to say they were a plant that should be for all. But they were not even of this world. Oteslia had no idea of how they had been obtained.<\/p>\n

Anyways, it was the only real leverage Lyonette had in Oteslia, so she would keep it. The [Druids] saw she was providing it at a reasonable cost\u2014some [Scholars] were working on her projects, others paid for it at fairly low prices compared to Sage\u2019s Grass. But they had to go through her.<\/p>\n

They might have forced it, Lyonette believed, if it weren\u2019t for Saliss, Xif, and the threat of Pallass hanging over their heads. Politics.<\/p>\n

Speaking of politics, she knew Magnolia Reinhart was in Oteslia and she was wondering if the [Lady] would reach out. Would she wonder why Lyonette was here? She had to know about Erin\u2026ideally, they would not meet. Lyonette had no wish to entangle herself in Magnolia\u2019s scheme.<\/p>\n

She missed Mrsha.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cPolitics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil Kallinad spat the word. Feshi echoed him.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolitics? I don\u2019t understand it fully. How can they suddenly not provide the medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n

The [Lord] ran a hand through his hair. Yerra was sitting, pale with nerves.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone\u2019s taken all the faerie flowers. The ingredients for Yerra\u2019s cure.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2026does that mean it\u2019s back to toughing it out? Because I can do it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Yerra tried to grin. Wil shook his head. Feshi did likewise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have to get access to it. The [Herbalist] claims this\u2014this person\u2019s put a limit on the sale of flowers and he\u2019s already making medicine for the First Gardener.\u201d<\/p>\n

A headache<\/em> cure! He\u2019d told Wil to go to another [Herbalist], but many were selling the now-extremely precious flowers, rather than using them. Buyers were appearing across the world who wanted even the parts.<\/p>\n

Wil hated it. They had to know Yerra needed the medicine! Apparently it was two greedy [Alchemists] from Pallass who were doing this.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to speak to them, Yerra. You stay here. Just\u2026relax.\u201d<\/p>\n

She had one more dose. The Selphid nodded; she\u2019d been stuffing herself with food after being cured. Then proceeding to \u2018empty her stomach\u2019 manually since the Selphid\u2019s body didn\u2019t need to eat as much as the real thing. It was just for taste.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeshi, will you come with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil wished Venaz or Merrik was here; they might be helpful. But they had stayed at the Meeting of Tribes because Wil thought that was their next destination with Yerra almost cured\u2014or at least, her on the mend and the pain-medicine secured.<\/p>\n

This was a hiccup. Feshi nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. The Weatherfur tribe will help too, if it is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

She checked the dagger at her belt, and Wil touched the sword. Yerra stirred, but he assured her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was just them making sure Fetohep\u2019s gifts were safe. They already had invested in anti-[Thief] precautions, but attempts had been made. Well, the Gnolls from the Weatherfur tribe were guarding this place.<\/p>\n

Wil Kallinad prevailed on the owner of the faerie flowers at where he had been informed he could find either a \u2018Xif\u2019, a \u2018Saliss of Lights\u2019\u2014whom Wil was worried about given the Drake\u2019s reputation\u2014<\/p>\n

Or a Lion Solstice? She blinked as she opened Mivifa\u2019s door and greeted Wil. He stared at the young woman with red hair. She blinked at the familiar [Strategist] with a few touches of red in his own dark brown hair, bordering on black.<\/p>\n

Feshi didn\u2019t blink.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you\u2014from Terandria?\u201d<\/p>\n

Both of them exclaimed almost at the same time after introducing themselves. Lion Solstice stared at Wil. He nodded, and her eyes went round.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait. I know you! You can only be Wil Kallinad! House Kallinad\u2019s [Strategist] they sent to the Titan\u2019s school? And you\u2019re\u2014Feshi! I saw you on the television!\u201d<\/p>\n

By now, the two were used to their fame. They exchanged a hopeful glance. Wil cleared his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Miss Solstice. But we\u2019re still in Oteslia looking for a cure for Yerranola, our friend. I don\u2019t know if you recall\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course! Have you found it? Oh\u2014you must think the faerie flowers could help!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a matter of fact, we know they can cure her pain. But we heard\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil Kallinad was confused. He had been all set to fight to the death\u2014verbally and socially\u2014to get Yerra\u2019s cure from greedy Drakes hoarding the flowers.<\/p>\n

Instead, he found himself drinking tea and talking with Lion Solstice, who was from his home and of course<\/em> would give them all the flowers he needed!<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about hoarding it at all. It was stolen from the two [Alchemists]. That\u2019s why Oteslia\u2019s so upset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, you mean illegally grown?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. They paid for secrecy, but you know the saying in Pheislant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLoose lips bring Drowned Ships.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil echoed her and blinked\u2014then grinned, despite himself. So did Lyonette.<\/p>\n

Travellers from home.<\/em> Feshi listened as the two began talking.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have you been in Izril?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust under a year. You just arrived, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. And we didn\u2019t get to see much of it. Have you been in Oteslia long?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no. I come from further north. I was around Liscor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLiscor?<\/em> You mean, the Liscor with the soccer games, the door and the dungeon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very same. I only came south because my friend is\u2014hurt\u2014but you\u2019re from Pheislant! Tell me, please, have you heard anything of the Dawn Concordat\u2019s conflict with Ailendamus?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil swept back his bangs as Feshi politely sniffed at a quiche and nibbled at it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family writes only a bit\u2014are you from around there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014er\u2014yes. Gaiil-Drome, actually. The forests shelter me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, I visited there twice. I only know what everyone knows. But I\u2019ve been watching every day. I\u2019m hoping the Dawn Concordat can triumph, obviously, but except for the Griffin Prince\u2026bad news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. I know; does Pheislant intend to enter the war?\u201d<\/p>\n

He grimaced as she leaned forwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrankly, I doubt it. We clashed with Ailendamus and it was one-sided. But the Order of Seasons might move, although His Majesty probably thinks it unwise. However, if Ailendamus swallows the Dawn Concordat\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould it come<\/em> to that? Surely the other Kingdoms would declare war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil reached for a quiche as Feshi sat back, half-listening and feeling as if she were studying the Terandrian kingdoms in class. She looked at Lyonette and then narrowed her eyes. Both Humans were too engrossed to notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but you say<\/em> that and yet Ailendamus has performed wars of aggression on multiple kingdoms before. What kind of alliance would seek to overthrow them and would it even work? It\u2019s so good to meet someone else from Terandria.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyonette was smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is<\/em>, it is! No one else has any manners or offers me tea. And when I try to talk about home\u2026please, would you sign something for me? My daughter would love an autograph from Feshi<\/em>. She\u2019s a huge fan. And I know it\u2019s something you must get asked, but can you talk about Daquin? The sea voyage?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil blinked as she found some paper for him to sign. So did Feshi. But he was only too glad to.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Three hours later, Feshi stretched<\/em> as they went outside. As Tkrn and others had observed, if unconsciously, travellers connected. And travellers from roughly the same home meeting abroad connected even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat went well. Although my tail was stiff from sitting on it too long, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

She grinned at Wil. He ducked his head, embarrassed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Feshi. But it was nice meeting someone from\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll [Strategist] nodded at him. The two had nearly twenty pieces of faerie flowers, and Lyonette had trusted them with four actual ones at a song. Wil was half-tempted\u2026but Yerra was more important. Besides which, that would be wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll we need to do is tell the [Herbalist] we want to purchase the pain recipe. Weatherfur Gnolls can probably make it up, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur [Shamans] surely can. Then we will go to the Meeting of Tribes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two students walked along, relieved. Finally something was going right. Feshi kept glancing at Wil. He met her gaze on glance eight.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what did you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes were keen. Feshi relaxed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wondered if you had noticed what I noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder what you noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two students glanced at each other. On the silent count of three, they exchanged notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe smells of a Gnoll, you know. Not\u2014intimately. Young, I think. She said her \u2018daughter<\/em>\u2019, but the ring on her finger does not belong on the finger that says she is married. Nor did I smell that. She\u2019s from Liscor, and she has faerie flowers and stays at Mivifa\u2019s house and knows Saliss of Lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil had missed the scents, obviously, and he snapped his fingers as she reminded him about the adventurers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a bit more, Feshi. Did you notice that she claimed to be from Gaiil-Drome?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas she lying?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe could<\/em> be from there. But here are my observations: firstly, she never addressed me as a superior, although she used my title several times. I know we\u2019re travellers, but that implies she\u2019s used to familiarity or even thinks we\u2019re of the same rank.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that salient?\u201d<\/p>\n

Feshi tilted her head, trying to emulate what the Professor would say. Wil shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d argue it is, Feshi. It\u2019s almost instinctual. Second though\u2014her hair\u2019s red.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have red hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means more in Terandria. She almost tried to cover it up at first, did you see? I don\u2019t think she expected to meet me.<\/em> Lastly, she had amazing<\/em> manners. Every way she sat, the way she offers tea or lets you sip first before she does while making a conversational point\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He trailed off. Feshi was raising her brows.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026Do you know much about Calanfer, Feshi?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I know the war\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, besides that. I need to send a [Message] back home. But I know more since we\u2019re neighbors. Such as the fact that their 6th<\/sup> [Princess] is missing. And\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil glanced over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026I can\u2019t help but swear I\u2019ve seen her, even outside of maybe a royal portrait. Liscor.<\/em> Didn\u2019t we see a lot of battles there, when the television was first being invented?\u201d<\/p>\n

Feshi was blinking at all the rapid deductions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure, Wil? This is an amazing coincidence, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else would be travelling in the company of Pallass\u2019 two best [Alchemists]? And have access to a magical flower?\u201d<\/p>\n

What Wil didn\u2019t say was that \u2018Lion Solstice\u2019,<\/em> who might be confused with a Lyonette of the House Marquin of Calanfer if he was right, had given him one more big clue. And that was her nature.<\/p>\n

He had felt deferential to her, as if he should bow and accede to her will. A [Princess]. And he had a [Lord]\u2019s intuition.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do we do about it? Tell someone, yes? No?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wil Kallinad thought as he looked at Feshi. After a moment, he nodded to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, Feshi\u2026we should go to the Meeting of Tribes. She seemed nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feshi grinned. Not everything they knew had to be used. She nodded, and Wil and she walked off to give Yerra the good news. Wil would investigate to be certain, but he was content to let the [Princess] of Calanfer her secret. She had done him and his friends a good turn.<\/p>\n

Besides, he doubted they\u2019d ever meet again. Maybe in a decade. He was bound for the Meeting of Tribes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One last thing.<\/p>\n

The Meeting of Tribes was full of events. Lehra and her new friends, deals between tribes\u2014and soon, the summit of Chieftains, who would decide on important matters.<\/p>\n

Such as, perhaps, the fate of Doombringers, if Krshia Silverfang had her way. But more would also occur there; people would bring forth important secrets to share with the tribes. Knowledge is power, and power would be shared there.<\/p>\n

The fate of Gnolls might change. They had to decide on a number of important things, some of which were public knowledge.<\/p>\n

The Raskghar would be seen there.<\/em> They were still in-transit. From Pallass, as a gesture of goodwill.<\/p>\n

But one Pallassian had arrived today, having had to run the entire way. Roadwork, her master had called it. And typically, he\u2019d thought it was good for the gonads\u2014if females had them.<\/p>\n

She had something to tell the tribes, for all she was of Pallass. A monumental revelation.<\/p>\n

Gnolls could cast magic as [Mages] did. Gnolls could be [Mages].<\/p>\n

Yes, she was Level 7, having not been able to level fast despite breaking her \u2018barrier\u2019 to her class. Yes, she wasn\u2019t a full student. But she had muscles<\/em>, and Grimalkin had praised her and told her to present herself.<\/p>\n

So she did.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Fire Bolt].\u201d<\/p>\n

She loosed the fiery missile into the air, and followed it with a [Light] spell\u2014and then conjured a little pillar of stone from the ground. Three spells, but barely taxing given Grimalkin\u2019s solid foundations in magic.<\/p>\n

[Mage] spells. She was also a [Student], and, dubiously, a [Bodybuilder], both classes she\u2019d gotten while trying to \u2018break through\u2019 to her [Mage] class.<\/p>\n

Even some of the watching Gnolls looked impressed as she flexed\u2014<\/em>that wasn\u2019t part of the magic, but Grimalkin rubbed off on his apprentice. Ferkr waited. The Plains Gnolls, the third group she\u2019d demonstrated her magic to, in order to prove Wistram wrong, looked at her.<\/p>\n

After a second, they began to applaud. Ferkr sighed\u2014but then heard a voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood tricks! What are they, artifacts? A wand in your fur?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked at the speaker, an older male Gnoll. He grinned at her. Ferkr shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, this is magic.<\/em> This is my class. Use an appraisal spell!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how should I cast one? With my own wand?\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed and so did the group. Ferkr looked around, confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t you see the spells?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a nice trick, young Gnoll. But someone tries this every<\/em> Meeting of Tribes. The last two had it.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the female Gnolls advised her. Ferkr was dumbstruck. This was the third group to see her casting magic<\/em> and not bat an eye.<\/p>\n

Some Gnolls had believed, but these doubters\u2026she lifted her paws.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not using a wand! I can cast with my bare paws. Listen\u2014my master, Grimalkin of Pallass says that the Gnolls not being [Mages] is a recent belief! We sent an apprentice to Wistram forty years ago, and the rumors are older than that, but it is possible.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course it is. And I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll prove it. Because of all the Gnoll [Mages] I see walking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her first heckler rolled his eyes and snorted.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t believe her. Ferkr was stumped. She\u2019d cast a spell in front of them and\u2026she raised her paws.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can cast more spells. If you want, you can test me. Get a [Shaman]. I\u2019m serious. Get truth spells, appraisal spells, from scrolls or wands.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnolls blinked at her. Ferkr looked around, trying to call on Grimalkin\u2019s dignity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am Grimalkin of Pallass\u2019 first Gnoll apprentice, Ferkr! By my fur, I will prove we can cast magic!\u201d<\/p>\n

The chuckles faded. She stood there, challenging them and the Gnolls looked at each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe you.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the younger Gnolls spoke. He looked at Ferkr.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you speak before the Chieftains\u2014I\u2019ll try to become a [Mage].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled at him. The crowd looked at each other, and then began to disperse. Some of the Gnolls apologized.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you are<\/em> a [Mage]. If so\u2014I can find my tribe\u2019s [Shaman]. I\u2019m from Greenpaw. Will you wait?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. I\u2019ll perform more magic. As soon as I go to the, um, bathroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the Gnolls grinned. He pointed her off and Ferkr stretched as she headed towards one of the smelly tents. Magic. There was another [Mage] among Gnolls, even\u2014although so young and obviously a rare case compared to Ferkr. It was possible. She just\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, Miss. Are you the young Gnoll who claims to be able to cast magic?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferkr turned as a Gnoll approached. She smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I am. If you want me to show you, I can as soon as\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gnoll smiled. Ferkr felt someone grab her from behind.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t go as well as the Gnoll thought since Ferkr was strong. She punched one Gnoll hard\u2014but there were eight of them. The [Shaman] tapped his staff as Ferkr went limp. The last thing she saw, as the paws lifted her up and sleep took her, was the markings on one.<\/p>\n

A warrior\u2019s markings. A Plains Gnoll warrior\u2019s insignia, showing his tribe.<\/p>\n

She saw\u2026an eye\u2026<\/p>\n

And then she vanished.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Author\u2019s Note: <\/strong>I am exhausted. This month has been good, I think, for chapters. Hard on me.<\/p>\n

If you didn\u2019t read the message at the top, go back and consider spreading the word! Yes, this is real. Editors, a contest\u2014if you can shout it out on Twitter or other of the social medias, that would actually help a lot.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be back in a week\u2019s time, but for now, I must, must rest. I hope this chapter was good, despite me being literally at the end of a burning rope suspended from a cliff over the raging sea and rocks\u2026stamina-wise.<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading. I\u2019ll see you next chapter! Look out for it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oteslia, Eldavin, Shriekblade, Airplanes and lots more by Mg!<\/strong><\/p>\n

DeviantArt:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/henodus2<\/a><\/p>\n

Ko-Fi:<\/strong> https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/henodus2<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Oteslia2 <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Shriekblade <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Eldavin <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"EldavinBattle <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Zeres <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"NiersBottle <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Discovery <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Rabbiteater <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Boon <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Earl <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Elemental <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"SalissWet <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"FlightOfRyoka <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"SalissOfLights <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"ThreeRunners <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Hedault <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Bike <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"HornsFinalForm <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Durene2 <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Durene <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Hundredfriends <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Oteslia1 <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Purifier Golem, Orange, Lawyer Gazer and more by Gridcube!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"GazerLawyer <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Orange <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"ErinWounded <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"GentlemenAndErin <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Pawn <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Purifier <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Saliss <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Good Corn, Suxhel, Mrsha, and more by KaDraginn!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Relc <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"MrshaChibi <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"ErinChibi <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"EldavinOrange <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Suxhel <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"GoodCorn <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Wandering Inn is going to be working with editors and holding a contest for paid, professional editors to apply! Please spread the word and find out more details here! Also, the author is on break until March 6th, March 16th for Public readers! See latest announcement for reasons for the delay.     Tkrn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693088,349],"tags":[],"twi_volume":[11693137],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-10153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-8","category-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n8.10 - The Wandering Inn<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wanderinginn.com\/2021\/02\/24\/8-10\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8.10\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Wandering Inn is going to be working with editors and holding a contest for paid, professional editors to apply! 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