The quiver of a Gambit being generated ran down Oskar’s spine, and he nodded to her. “Don't blame yourself for his actions, Fox. Trusting those who should be able to be trusted does not incur a debt to me, Fox. Erik is still in the room with Sara, who’s really taking the job of protecting him seriously.”

  She looked quizzically back at him, but he said, “You’ll see, like I said, there’s a Kobold finger by the door. I killed two Shadow Hyenas, a Croc, and those things in the hallway just now. I still can’t really feel those Shadow things unless they’re the exploding, weak ones. So just… take care of Erik and be careful while I see what outside looks like, especially until we get eyes on the final Myelome and Benedictus. Touwon alright?”

  "Yes. He is around the corner with the survivors and a few more fighters. The rest of the fighters are with me. We are clearing the hallway so they can move up, but you have made that job much easier. And it seems like you have grown in power again,” she said.

  Grinning, Oskar said, “Yup. Finally made a breakthrough into C!”

  Nodding appreciatively, she said, “You can tell me more when we meet again. Again, I am sorry.”

  She bowed her head, but Oskar stepped forward and pulled her back up. He instinctually knew his War aura, much like his Ward, were smart skills and would not help or harm unless Oskar considered them friends or enemies, respectively, but he still made sure to pull War in tight so it wouldn’t interact with the Kobolds he didn’t know.

  A quick look behind Fox showed a pair of Kobolds that were of such similar build and shade of gray that they had to be related, possibly twins, if that was a thing with Kobolds. For all Oskar knew, an entire litter might share such similar characteristics. Another thing to ask when people weren’t trying to kill them.

  Although, if that’s the rule, I might never get around to asking. Seems like someone is trying to kill us a lot.

  // Constantly. You really bring out the murder in people. //

  I’ll try not to bring out so much murder. It’s really time consuming.

  The twins were both holding a handaxe in each claw. The other two Kobold were looking back down the direction they’d come, tense. One was the tall one who called for Fox holding a thin blade; the last was a shorter, stockier lavender colored Kobold holding a short spear.

  The obvious loophole to my “friendly” magic is betrayal. Something this planet has plenty of.

  The particles simply rotated slowly now. His breath caught when Fox reached out and poked at the ring of metal and shrapnel he’d just pulled in from the hallway, and as it bounced off her finger and floated a second before being caught up in the magic again.

  “Facinating.”

  She gathered the Kobolds and turned to Oskar. “I will lead those who wish to leave to the exit and come back for Erik and Sara. What are you going to do?”

  Oskar felt like she knew, but he stopped and said it anyway.

  “Valla wants Erik, and if Valla gets in here, I don’t think we can keep anyone safe, and,” it was hard to say it out loud, but it was true whether he said it or not.

  “And Erik isn’t gonna last much longer, no matter what. I don’t think I have a choice. Erik healed me, and so when he wakes up, he’s gonna be too weak to do much. Don’t let him talk you into trying to follow me. If things get bad enough, I’m gonna have to draw her away. I’ve got to stop her from getting in here and slaughtering everyone. Penny is out there, too.”

  “I see. Be safe, human. I will keep Erik and Sara safe as well.”

  “Thank you, Fox,” Oskar said. “And one more thing. If this place falls and we all get separated, fall back to the Gryphus Lair. It’s always good to have a fallback point. If you can’t make it there, go to the Mesas to the south. The Lair is more defensible and arguably closer, though.”

  “Is it?” She considered.

  “PUBs says it is, and it only lies to me when it’s being mean.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  // For all you know… //

  Nodding. Fox put a claw over her heart in salute and then led the group of tough looking Kobolds around the corner and out of sight.

  Now to find where these pricks are getting in the building… structure… thing, and lure Valla away from here for a good old fashion ass beating.

  Ramping his War Aura back up to full speed, he carefully paced the corridor for a minute to get used to walking. He, of course, kept an eye out, but no further enemies appeared.

  Touwon ran down the opposite hallway with a group of seven, stopped and waved the group to the next corner. He turned around and gave Oskar a fist bump. The sturdy Kobold offered a rare smile at Oskar’s tilted head and general look of confusion before running off to usher the remaining Kobolds out of the compound. They’d been gone in the direction Fox had gone for a minute when Oskar concluded he was going to have to do a full sweep to find the entry point. Everything seemed secure, so there was obviously something missing.

  He started at the back where Touwon had just come from. There were a series of lived in rooms and even a showering section that made Oskar ache to be truly clean, but instead, he walked along the walls. He shifted his Aura back to Ward for its ability to hide him from scans, as when he’d asked the PUB for a description of the new ability, the AI had chided him.

  // It hurts stuff. Seems like it’s more Sora and Rakiyu with a little Talau. But again, it’s not like you can just change the mix and get a new spell. Intent matters. Everything matters. It’s… say it with me, allllll conneeecct… you’re really gonna leave me hanging here? //

  It was an accident.

  // Oh, okay, we’ll try again! It’s allllll conne… why aren’t you saying it? //

  It’s still an accident.

  The PUB gave him a double flash of green, disappointed that Oskar hadn’t played along.

  Oskar made it around another corner and checked the door they’d originally entered. Locked tight, and Oskar couldn’t fathom how they had gotten in until, on his third lap, he heard a scratching sound from inside the wall near the corner that he’d killed the Croc and Shadow beasts.

  He followed a nearby curious streak of blood across a panel that ended abruptly at the joint to the next part of the wall near a curve. Moving closer to where he’d heard the sound and feeling carefully, he found a panel that moved when he pulled on it.

  Light magic or technology, Oskar didn’t know for sure, but as he slid the panel open soundlessly, the wall, inches from his face, still appeared complete and flawless in front of him.

  Pulling his Ward tight to his body, he crouched and stepped through what his magic told him was Light.

  And something else, since I can’t feel anything on the other side of it.

  Walking into the new corridor, he could see the panel he had entered through went all the way to the ceiling, which was the missing piece of the puzzle about how the Croc with the shield had ambushed him. He’d not had to be sneaky, only quick.

  Again, I’d rather fight outside in the desert. Air conditioning doesn’t make up for ambushes.

  Standing stock still as his Goggles helped his eyes adjust, he heard the same sound again.

  Scratch, scratch, scratch… and now a whimper.

  He stood straight, looking down at the tall, gaunt form of Myelome, who was crawling across the floor on all fours, feeling along the floor. The thumb of her left hand was missing at the joint, and the metal floor beneath her was a mess of fresh blood.

  It wasn’t a finger, apparently. It was a thumb.

  // Wait, that matters to people? People care about that? //

  You’re just as pedantic, PUBs. I’m surprised you didn’t correct me.

  // Oh, I would have if I’d known. In my defense, Kobolds have long thumbs. And seriously, I just do it to pick on you. Are there people like that in your world? //

  Watching her crawling across the floor sent mixed emotions rushing through his mind. She stopped, sat up, and sobbed for a few seconds before feeling her way across the floor again.

  Oskar stalled the decision he was about to make by answering the PUB’s question.

  I think you’ll find that if you spend enough time around people, you’ll realize that people care about everything. Plus, it’s technically true, which makes them care even more.

  // That sounds exhausting. //

  Well, details do matter. Not all details matter to everyone, but all details matter to someone. It is exhausting. That’s why we’re so tired all the time.

  He was being flippant, but the scene before him was pitiful. It got worse when her head perked up as she detected his presence.

  “Master?” Her voice was raw.

  “Master?” she asked again in a scratchy whisper, turning to look up at him. “Why did you leave me?”

  When he saw her empty eye sockets and blood-streaked face “looking” up at him, butchered by what could only have been Sara, every snarky comment he’d prepared since he’d realized it was her died in his throat.

  Sara did a damn number on her. Also, I didn’t see the eyes.

  Oskar shivered at the implication of that bit of information.

  He hated he felt pity for her. She was someone that had, by all logic, been instrumental in the betrayal of her own endangered people, but here, at this moment, she was pitiful.

  Not pitiful enough to save. Pitiful enough to die a little quicker.

  Oskar’s hand darted forward. Her mouth worked soundlessly as he pulled the spear out of her and walked past as she collapsed. He paused at the exit, still hidden in the sand, and switched back to his War Aura. In response, he heard movement on the other side, and suspected they’d set up an ambush for him. It also confirmed that only Ward hid him from spiritual detection, not the War Aura. However, that suited him just fine. He was here for war. He took a long pull at his Wayspring waterskin, feeling like he’d just woken up from the best nap ever, at least physically, and prepared to walk outside into the trap.