“And that’s when Tony ripped out of the sandworm's belly, all covered in its juices. A horrifying thing to see, but Tony at the time was eted to have bested such a dangerous predator. Not that the danger was over. The deathroars of the sandworm could be heard from miles away. So loud was its roar that it attracted the attention of a scorpis matriarch.”

  “What's a scorpis matriarch?” A child asks.

  “Those juices must be sticky,” another child of a simir age and holding a fluffy cat excims.

  “What happened ?” A third asks.

  “Did he kill it too?” A fourth.

  A group of huddled children make their voices heard to Karson Gambino. And each voice adds a wrio the old man's grin. Killing, stealing, pirating- that’s just a job. It puts food oable and feeds the family. Telling stories to yrandchildren and cousins about the grandeur of the family is what feeds the soul.

  Karson gazes at the children, taking note of Quasi Eludo sitting on his granddaughter's p. The cat has been listening with the children, even adding his own voice to the mix. For a moment, he’d fotten that the cat iion is probably a much older [Druid] or whatever other css allows him to transform into a kitten. He should probably be a bit more wary…

  “Did you ever fight a worm?” Another child asks, though the question isn’t directed at him.

  The cat shakes his head. “A worm? No. Though I did fight a scorpis matriard win. Now those things are annoying. They’re the size of tents, are covered by a thick carapace, have four massive pincers a tails.”

  “That sounds dangerous.” A child excims.

  “It was.” The ods. “Especially the damn tails. Uhe regur scorpis, the matriarch shoot its stingers like a crossbow from its tails stantly.”

  “Wow! So you fight monsters like Tony too?” A child asks.

  At such a question, Karson starts to frown.

  “Of course not,” Quasi quickly answers. “I’m sure Tony is far more capable than me. Probably defeated the matriarch easier than me. Right, Mr. Bongino?”

  Childish eyes all shift to Karson in abated i.

  Karson, faced with childish wonder, hides his grimace as he tinues his story.

  “Tony chose not to fight. He left and allowed the sandworm's corpse to be feasted by the matriarch,” Karson expins while not mentioning the detail that Tony ran for his life. He’d been exhausted fighting the sandworm and didn’t have the energy to also fight a scorpis matriarch. Hell, nobody likes to fight scorpis at all. Their poison is just far too lethal.

  “Smaaarrttt,” The cat excims loudly so that the children could hear. “He just fought a sandworm. Fighting a scorpis matriarch would be a huge waste of his time.”

  The children take the cat's words to heart with renewed glee. Many call out praise over how amazing Tony is. Such praise that has Karson grinning from ear to ear. Eventually, such praise shifts to another question.

  “How did you kill the scorpis matriarch?” one of the older boys asks the cat.

  The cat swallows in hidden panic. “Ughhh, in a simir way to how Tony killed the sandworm.”

  “You killed it from inside?” A child asks.

  “Did you jump into its mouth like Tony did?” the older boy asks.

  “Uhhh, ly the mouth. There was another entrance…” Quasi stares pleadingly at Karson.

  Karson quickly realizes the meaning behind Quasi’s words. He leans forward, “Children, I think it is getting te. Go grab something to eat and prepare for bed.”

  The children voice their pints but the elder respectfully sends them all away. As the st child disappears, he turns his gaze to Quasi.

  “You entered a scorpis matriarchs butt to kill it from inside?”

  “Hey, I was exausted and starving at the time. There are too mah from the front end anyway.”

  Karson chuckles. “I imagihere are. Now, how about we return to the table and discuss what you have a trade.”

  “Sounds good to me. Lead the way.”

  _______________________________________________________________________

  Marco ’t help but chuckle as he watches Karson and the cat return from telling stories to children. The man has a tent grin on his face while the cat just looks relieved to be doh the ordeal.

  He grins at the cat's two crew members. The woman known as Irmgard has stayed very professional and stantly on guard. While the short man is the plete opposite. He’s already on his third bottle and looks the most rexed out of anyone in the party.

  “Your [Captain] is a very capable maniputor. He kinda reminds me of Tony’s wife.”

  “Wife?” Cillian asks while staring at the bottle in his hand as though he’s pnning to make out with it.

  Marods. “Yea. Believe it or not, Tony was a charismatic leader with exceptional individual prowess but cked the skill outside of that. Martha Gambino is the one who expahe family’s fortune and allowed our business ordeals to flourish.”

  Quasi and Karson arrive back at the table. Karsourns to his seat o Marco while Quasi takes the table.

  “You look happy,” Marco says to Karson. “I’m guessing the kids had a good time.”

  “They did. I told them stories of the founders' adventures.”

  “Impressive man.” the cat agrees. “I learned a lot.”

  “And you. I hope you were able to eain uests in my absence.”

  “For the most part. Miss Irmgard here prefers to stay professional and on guard and. Cillian though, the man’s gohrough two bottles-”

  “Three.” Cillian interrupts by holding his third bottle upside down over his mouth.

  Marco chuckles. “Three bottles. I’m still trying to figure out how he’s still standing.”

  Karson g the short plump mahen looks to one of his crew. “Get him another bottle. Let's see how many it takes to get him down.”

  Cillian grins happily while another bottle is procured.

  Shifting his gaze to Quasi, he finds the cat staring at him expetly. Immediately, his spine seizes up. “With the pleasantries over, I believe it would be a good transition to speak of what you offer for trade.”

  “ons,” Marterrupts. “Runies too. They’d be good presents for Emmanuel. Especially the give.”

  “Give?”

  With a nod of Marco’s head, the bundle of ons is opened again and each piece is dispyed oable. “They’re us three spears of peion, a shortsword of cutting, a longsword of cutting, and this gem of a on.”

  Karson looks at all the ons and uses [Remote Examination] on eae. Eventually, he stops at the Give.

  Name

  Give of Ice Bde

  Rarity

  Exceptional - 10 Runes.

  1(1-Durability)1(1-lightweight)1(8-Ice Bde)Description

  This Give is +30% more durable, +30% lighter i, and cast Ice Bde at will.

  Sustain

  0.02% Mana regeion per minute.

  Ice Bde: 127.77 Mana to activate.

  “A fine on,” Karson says. “But the family does not use gives. The Mace of Crushing and Shortsword of Slig are prambino ons. Emmanuel make proper use of those to bolster his crew.”

  Marco leans forward. He taps the polearm. “I agree, but I was thinking of something else for the give. Emmanuel could succeed a lot easier if he has a skilled batant to call on. Since we’re not far from Gdius, we could buy a [Give Gdiators] trad have him serve as ae bodyguard for the kid.”

  Karson rubs his ly shaven . Not a stubble to be felt. “Tempting and expensive. An advanced csser wielding a near epic on is something even a Buxon would be wary of. Still, it’s expensive.”

  “If I had a grandson,” Quasi begins, “I’d make sure he is as well prepared for the wider world as be. If he died because of a ck of preparation on my part, I’d not want to have that on my sce.”

  Karson grimaces at the cat's words. It’s clear he bes from the trade, but his words als true.

  “ lost always be regained. But a life lost is lost forever.” Irmgard says slowly and with a hint of ho emotion in it. She’s still aloof and on guard, but her words carry none of that.

  Oddly enough, Karson nods slowly. “Well said. Very well said.” The old man looks to one of his crew. “Bring me my [Quartermaster].”

  “Yes boss.”

  As the crewmember leaves, another returns with a bottle in hand. He hands it to Cillian.

  Without a care, he pops the cork and takes a long swig. “Ahhh, gud shite. Reminds me of Morris’s favorate brand.”

  Marco raises an eyebrow. “Morris? Do you mean [Mert Captain] Morris Menfield.”

  The Sods. “Aye, thas him.”

  Karson and Marco share a look, then both grin. “Get me the [Mert Captain],” Karson calls to one of his men.

  The man rushes to the opposite side of the party. Not a moment ter, he returns with her than [Mert Captain] Morris Menfield.

  Immediately, Morris and Cillian lock eyes. Oh a grin, the other with a grimace.

  “I believe you two know each other?”

  “We’re acquainted.” Morris nods as he ss the tall blond woman and grinning cat. “It is from them that I bought the Destroyer you’re buying.”

  “Small world, eh?” Cillian wiggles the bottle in his hand.

  Mres at the [Quartermaster].

  “We’re about to buy some ons from them. Care to share your opinion on their character?” Marco asks.

  He nods. “They’re far more capable than you’d expect from their levels. Especially him.” Morris points at Cillian. “That man drink over ten bottles of wine and still be izant enough to take all the I had on hand.”

  “Yur still makin a profit.” Cillian ters. “Just nat az big of wan.”

  “Twenty bottles?” Marco grins “Now that’s something I want to see.” He waves his arm at a nearby crewmember. “Bring me a case of wine.”

  Karson shakes his head. “You’re having too much fun with this.”

  Marcs as Karsons [Quartermaster] arrives. The [Quartermaster] is tall, broad shouldered, and wearing thick gsses. “You called, boss?”

  Karson nods. “I want to buy this Give, shortsword, and mace.”

  “Yes boss.” The [Quartermaster] looks at the rest of those at the table. He matches eyes with Cillian and a chill runs down his spine.

  _____________________________________________________________

  Just because Irmgard is skinny doesn’t mean she isn’t hiding a great deal of muscle. Over one shoulder she carries a sleeping Cillian and over the other she carries the ons that have yet to be sold. As for me, I’m just walking beside her. I could try to hitch a ride, but that’s not necessary and needless stress.

  With dawn breaking, we enter Timbergrove.

  “You have returned, Matriarch.” hes excims. Theices Cillian ards shoulder. She gets up and uhes her pincers. “Have they ended one of ours? Am I to prepare fhter?”

  “Settle down. Cillian drank twenty bottles of wine. No idea how the man is alive, but apparently it's not the first time. I wonder if he has a skill or something I don’t know about.” I wave a paw. “Regardless, everything is good. The [Pirates] will be leavioday and then I ehe tower. For now, it’s nap time.”

  hes sits back down and sheathes her pincers behind her back. “Rest well. I will tio stay vigint.”

  “You do that.” I yawn. I rush to my room, mount my bookcase, and then allow sleep to take me.