Mythos: Last Stand

  Chapter 13 — New Faces

  by Caide Fullerton

  Jackie woke Sam up first; his expertise would be needed. With his help they shook the other two awake. Everyone was battered and disoriented, but they didn’t seem to have suffered any major injuries, no doubt thanks to Lii.

  She was the real concern. Her blood was everywhere, and it wasn’t clear if there was even a way to wake her up. Jackie didn’t care that the others saw them crying as they tried everything they could think of—calling her name, shaking different parts of her object body, slapping her. Eventually their efforts bore fruit; the fabric began to curl up and condense, but the process was sluggish. It took nearly five minutes for Lii to be fully human again, and she seemed only barely conscious.

  She was hardly recognizable. To be frank, it was a miracle she was alive; a Human with the same wounds certainly wouldn’t be, and Jackie wasn’t sure she would last long. Her back was painted black and red with nasty bruises, the rest of her body covered in cuts and lacerations. The wounds laid atop her clothes, as well, for they were just extensions of her body; she almost seemed more wound than person.

  All four of them began a frantic effort to bandage as much of her as they could, Sam taking charge. Not even Strade had a crude comment; he just got to work patching up one of Lii’s arms. All throughout the operation, Sam and Jackie took turns whispering to her, assuring her that she’d be alright; the most she could do in reply was look up at them with fluttering eyes.

  She’d said before that Mimics healed quickly. They didn’t have nearly enough bandages to cover all her cuts, so Jackie hoped that was true.

  ???: “Everyone alive?” The same voice as before came, and Jackie whirled around. Seeing the sharpness of their eyes, the man raised a hand in surrender. “Just me. Enemies’ve been dealt with.”

  Jackie relaxed slightly, taking a moment to look the man over. He was about average height, his skin grey with a slight green tint. Dark grey hair was swept over one side of his head, reaching his shoulder. He wore a simple, sleeveless brown leather vest, a similarly-sleeveless red jacket over it and a white undershirt peeking out from behind the vest’s low neck. Baggy black trousers were tucked between tall leather boots and a belt from which hung three sheathed swords. A tattoo of a snake adorned the man’s left arm.

  Notably, there was no longer a bullet hole in his head.

  Jackie took a shaky breath. “We’re all alive. One is… grievously wounded.”

  The man looked from them to Lii, raising his eyebrows a bit at her unenviable condition. His gaze was sympathetic, yet discerning. It was similar to an expression Al had often made—the gaze of a man who noticed every detail.

  Of course, it didn’t take a genius to notice that the mattress and fabric had disappeared, and that a fifth person had taken its place.

  ???: “The name’s Jahd. A pleasure.” He gave a slight bow. Then, looking up, “If I may ask, what exactly are ye?”

  Jackie blinked at the odd question before realization settled in. He knew what Mimics were, and how their powers worked, most likely. Did he think they were a pack of Mimics?

  Jackie: “Humans.” They said, hastily correcting him.

  Jahd straightened his back and raised an eyebrow. “Humans, eh? Bold choice fer a lie.”

  So he knew what Humans were. But why exactly was that a “bold choice”? Well, Lii had just proven that her transformation was a perfect counter to the Basilisks’ petrification; maybe Mimics escaping the Heap wasn’t that rare of an occurrence? On the other hand, they couldn’t have escaped without Lii; most Humans who tried probably didn’t have a friendly Mimic with them.

  Jackie: “It’s not a lie. The four of us are Humans. She’s… Lii’s a Mimic, but she’s friendly. She doesn’t hurt people.”

  Jahd: “An’ I’m just takin’ yer word on that?” He asked, stepping to the edge of the trench and resting a hand on the hilt of one of his swords. Jackie grit their teeth, preparing a rebuttal—

  Sam: “You can’t hurt her!”

  —but Sam spoke first. He stood between Lii and Jahd, spreading his arms out wide. “She saved our lives.”

  He considered Sam’s declaration for a moment before taking a step back, raising his hands in a show of surrender. “Fine, fine. I ain’t that cold-hearted. ‘Sides, I doubt she can hurt anyone like that.”

  He then placed a hand on his chin, stroking his stubble. “But really… Humans, huh? Y’ain’t makin’ that up?”

  Jackie: “Why would we?” They asked, narrowing their eyes.

  Before they could get a response, Sam interjected again. “She’s hurt, badly. I need supplies.” His tone was blunt, his hands shaking not in fear, but anger.

  Jahd glanced at that detail and nodded. “Get ‘er ready ta move, then. I’m sure the Cap’n would be more than happy ta take ye in.”

  So he spoke before turning away from the group, taking a few steps and whistling out into the jungle. A few moments later, rustling could be heard, and several additional figures emerged from the brush, each giving him a respectful nod. They were armed and dressed similarly to him, though each bore strikingly dissimilar appearances.

  Jahd addressed one of the new figures, a woman who appeared to be carved of wood. Her brown skin was smooth, tapering into rounded joints; her body was like a large wooden puppet, aside from her face, which was framed by hair like palm leaves.

  Jahd: “Delia, ye’re in charge ‘ere. Finish cleanup and meet me back at Heapwatch.”

  The woman, Delia, raised an eyebrow. “And where are you going?” Her question practically answered itself as her gaze slid from Jahd to the group behind him.

  Following her gaze, Jahd nodded. “Escaped from the Heap. Probably the ones that caused that avalanche.”

  Delia: “Escaped? You know the only things that escape are Mimics and Liches.”

  Jahd smirked at that, gesturing back at the group with a thumb. “They say they’re Human. Plus a friendly Mimic.”

  Delia blinked. “Sir, with respect?”

  Jahd: “Go ahead.”

  Delia: “Both of those claims are bullshit.”

  He chuckled. “I’m inclined t’agree. But I can’t just leave ‘em ta die, either.” He glanced back at the group again, “They clearly ain’t Liches. Doubt they’d take such a tumble if they were all Mimics, either.

  “Either way, savin’ ‘em’s my call, so I’ll take responsibility. If they turn out ta be dangerous, I’ll deal with ‘em m’self.” His words seemed to be as much reassurance for Delia as they were a threat to Jackie and co.

  She nodded and led the others away. Jahd waited a few seconds before looking up, cupping his hands around his mouth as he shouted, “Oi, Raffica! Come on out!” There was a few seconds of silence, so he called out again, “I know ye’re here, y’aint as sneaky as ye think. Get on down and help me with this.”

  At that, there was a brief gust of wind as a girl came crashing down to the ground—at least, it seemed she was going to crash from how fast she moved, but in reality she stuck the landing perfectly. “Really!? I can help!?”

  The girl—Raffica was a bit taller than Jackie, with pale, freckled skin and long red hair. To be clear, it wasn’t red as in the rusty orange color of redheads like Strade, but literally bright red. In the front her hair was thin and wavy, cut relatively short; in the back it fell past her shoulders in thick loks, accented by a white ribbon tied in a bow. Two thin antennae extended from the top of her head.

  She gazed at Jahd with a bright smile and stars in her bright teal eyes. Meeting her gaze, he reached out and flicked her forehead, causing her to stagger back with an exaggerated sound.

  Jahd: “What did Sils tell ye about followin’ me? Lapala’d have my head if ye got hurt out here.”

  Raffica clenched her fists with a pout. “I should’ve known it was a trick. You just wanted to scold me again.”

  Jahd sighed. “Not a trick. Since ye’re already here, I’m puttin’ ye ta work. Help ‘em carry their friend back to Heapwatch.”

  She cocked her head at him; he nodded to the side, and she followed the gesture to Jackie and the others in the trench, noticing them for the first time. Jackie saw a shadow cross her face as she took in Lii’s condition, but it was quickly replaced by the same bright smile from before as she hurried over to them.

  Jackie got a better look at her as she approached. She wore a leather vest and white undershirt similar to Jahd, though her shirt had slightly longer sleeves and a higher neck, all with frilly ends. She also wore brown shorts and boots, but what stood out most were the armored pads on her forearms and shins. They covered only the front of each, angular in shape and the same bright red as her hair. Jackie realized after a moment that they weren’t armor, but parts of her body; her boots were modified so the upper section only rose along the backs of her legs, the fronts perfectly slotting against her natural armor.

  She casually stepped over and hopped right down into the trench. Strade reflexively reached for a knife as she did, though she either didn’t notice or wasn’t bothered.

  Raffica: “I’m Raffica! Nice to meet you! I’m strong, so I can carry your friend for you!”

  Her voice was cheery, her words straightforward. Innocence seemed to radiate off of her.

  At that moment, Sam and Helena had been preparing to move Lii. Helena turned to the newcomer and held out an arm between her and Lii,

  Helena: “We aren’t just handing her off to some stranger.”

  Raffica: “It’s okay! I’m really strong, so you can trust me to take good care of her!”

  Helena wrinkled her nose. “No, I said—“

  Raffica: “It’s okay!”

  Thus was Helena swiftly defeated.

  Jahd stepped over to the edge of the trench. “In the state ye’re in, ye’ll hurt yerself and the Mimic tryin’ ta carry ‘er. Let Raffica handle it.”

  The task of transporting Lii was begrudgingly handed off to Raffica. Despite her carefree attitude, she handled Lii with exceptional care as the Mimic was scooped up into her arms. She showed no signs of being even slightly burdened by carrying another person.

  She proceeded to hop back out of the trench in one leap. The others climbed up after her—Jackie noticed both Sam and Helena were keeping an especially close watch of her—and Jahd leapt across the trench to join them, wordlessly assuming the lead as they began their trek through the jungle. Jackie hurried to join him at the front.

  Jackie: “What’s this Heapwatch place?”

  Jahd: “Half military camp, half slapped-together village. We’ve not much to spare, but Makala’ll wanna take a look at ye—‘specially if ye really are Humans.”

  Jackie: “Is it really that hard to believe?” They doubted many of their kind—if any—had managed to escape the Heap, but the mere fact that Jahd knew what a Human was meant there had to be some in the outside world as well.

  The man scoffed. “Well, ye’ve been extinct fer half a millennia. Forgive me fer bein’ a bit skeptical.”

  That got them to freeze up for a moment. “Extinct?”

  Jahd: “Far as we knew, anyway. Clearly wrong, if ye’re tellin’ the truth.”

  It took Jackie a while to respond. “Yeah, okay… I see why you’re suspicious now.”

  They weren’t sure what to even think. Extinct? There weren’t any other Humans out here in the outside world? What more, there hadn’t been any for hundreds of years?

  The existence of other races was something Jackie had been vaguely aware of. The specifics had been lost to time, but their ancestors had passed down the knowledge that Humans shared the world with a wide variety of other peoples, all of whom collectively made up “humanity”. That was why they weren’t especially surprised to encounter a girl with antennae, or one made of wood.

  Even so, Humans were gone? What had happened to them all? How did Jackie’s ancestors end up in the Forgotten Heap?

  Questions for later. If all this was true, it’d probably be unwise to let their identities become common knowledge. They looked back at Raffica behind them,

  Jackie: “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go around mentioning that we’re Human.”

  Raffica: “Okay!” She replied simply, nodding with a smile.

  Unsure if she’d really understood, Jackie looked forward again with a mixed expression. Seeing that, Jahd spoke again with a chuckle,

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Jahd: “She’s smarter than she lets on. Ye don’t gotta worry.” His gaze scanned the jungle ahead before he continued, “Long as we don’t run into any mosquitoes along the way, we’ll reach Heapwatch within the hour.”

  Helena: “Mosquitoes? Like, the bugs?” She piped up from behind; mosquitoes were among the few regular animals the Humans were familiar with.

  Jahd: “’Ey get a tad big down ‘ere in Tropika.”

  Raffica: “Don’t worry! If any show up, Big Sis Raffica will take care of them!”

  Strade clicked his tongue at the girl; her antennae twitched in response to the sound. “As if we need protection from a kid like you.”

  Raffica cocked her head at him. “I guess I am a kid, but I’m pretty sure I’m older than all of you?”

  Sam: “You can tell just by looking..?”

  Raffica: “Pretty sure!”

  Jackie glanced back at her, intrigued. “Okay, shoot. How old are you?”

  Raffica: “Twenty-four!”

  There was a moment of silence before Strade spoke up. “...Which month?”

  Raffica: “May!”

  Strade proceeded to count on his fingers before muttering, defeated, “Fuck.”

  Jackie side-eyed Jahd. “How exactly is she a kid?”

  Jahd: “It’s an Alphicca thing. Ta make a long story short, they physically mature at fifteen, but they don’t consider ‘emselves spiritually mature ‘til they complete a journey that ends at thirty.”

  Another factoid to keep track of. Jackie appreciated having something less stressful to mull over; they had the distinct feeling they were about to spend a lot of time pondering some very serious questions.

  ? ? ?

  The group was lucky enough not to encounter any giant mosquitoes, so the trip to Heapwatch took no more than thirty minutes. The encampment stood out amidst the jungle, peeking out over the tops of the trees. A large clearing surrounded the round camp, many of the stumps within left where they’d once been trees. A layer of thick webs stretched between the trees at the clearing’s edge, separating them from the camp.

  Jahd casually approached the webs, trusting the rest to follow. Jackie froze in their tracks, reaching for their sword as they caught sight of a massive spider resting on one of the web walls they were approaching. The thing was massive, its head about the size of a Human’s and its legs each the span of a small tree.

  Seeing Jackie’s reaction, Jahd paused and looked back with a snort. “Don’t worry, the Maneater’s tame. Well, much as it can be, anyways. It won’t hurt ye long as ye don’t touch its webs. Can even pet it if ye want.” He added a demonstration to that final statement, reaching over to pat the giant spider on its head; it remained completely still.

  Sam: “And if we do touch its webs..?”

  Jahd: “It’ll eat ye indiscriminately.”

  He proceeded to pick a careful, winding path through the maze of webs, a secret passage in plain sight to reach the clearing. The others followed him single-file.

  The camp itself was surrounded by sturdy palisades on three sides. On the fourth side was a rocky butte with many small, flat platforms leading up its camp-facing side. Most were very small, holding only a ladder leading up to the next platform, but the largest and second-highest of the platforms had its own row of palisades hiding some sort of larger structure.

  The group approached a small iron gate at the front of the camp. An arch within the camp’s walls formed a short, fat watchtower just above the gate, its platform hanging partially over the outside. A figure sat within the tower and called down to Jahd,

  ???: “Where’s your squad?” It was a woman’s voice, clear and confident. From below, Jackie could only make out that she was dressed in bright blue; she would’ve blended into the sky if it weren’t getting late.

  Jahd: “Safe and sound, just doin’ some cleanup.”

  ???: “And the entourage?”

  Jahd: “Escapees from the Heap. We’ve got a wounded, bad.”

  That gave the woman pause for a moment. “Gate’s openin’. I’ll get word to Makala and Sils.”

  She barked something down to some unseen people within the camp, and a moment later the gate began to open. Jahd pushed through before it was even halfway, beckoning the others to follow.

  The inside of the camp somehow managed to be dreary and lively at the same time. Almost everyone inside was dressed in some degree of armor or traveling gear, but most of them didn’t look especially well-equipped. Their outfits were mismatched; there was nothing resembling a uniform. Most people were moving around and keeping busy—carrying around lumber or pulling wheelbarrows of crates or barrels, hammering out weapons or armor, cooking, the likes—but most of the people had a sort of atrophy about them, working with sullen expressions and faked smiles. It gave Jackie the surreal impression that everything they were seeing was fake.

  Naturally, nobody in the camp was Human. Around a fourth of the people they saw were the same wooden-puppet race as Delia. Many others appeared Human at a glance, but were revealed to be something else on closer inspection: some had dimly-glowing, iris-less eyes, others had grey skin the same greenish tint as Jahd’s, and still others bore animalistic ears or tails or horns. There were a small number for which Jackie couldn’t notice any inhuman traits; they could only guess at what races they might be.

  Many of the people they saw were demihumans—humanoid in shape but animalistic in form, similar to the Kritta they’d gotten familiar with in the Heap. There were some who were frog-like, with colorful skin and webbed fingers; others resembled lizards, complete with snouts, scaled skin, and wings and tails; still others appeared Human aside from the large, colorful wings that took the place of their arms and the sharp talons that replaced their feet.

  Jackie froze as they passed a Kritta, sitting on a crate and playing cards with one of the frog-folk. They remained slack-jawed until a Centaur strode past, the galloping beat of their hooves forcefully clearing the fog from their mind.

  There were Kritta on the outside, but not Humans?

  They shook their head, casting away the confusion. They needed to focus on getting Lii treated—and prepare to meet this captain.

  The lively aspect of the camp’s atmosphere dissipated almost instantly as they stepped into a section tucked away behind the butte. Here stood row after row of small tents, each filled with crude cots and occupied by people in varying levels of pain. A few medics were moving between the tents, mostly bringing food and water to their patients. The section sprawled across nearly a fourth of the camp’s full size, just rows and rows of wounded.

  Jahd brought the group to a stop before the largest of the tents here, stationed at the edge of the medical quarter. Standing watch at the entrance was a figure whose body appeared to be made of stone; Jackie couldn’t help but be reminded of the Basilisks’ victims. They moved with the appropriate stockiness of a stone person, but their clothes and hair still flowed in the wind. Colorful symbols occasionally shimmered across their skin.

  Jahd and the stoneman exchanged a nod, and the figure bowed mutely, gesturing to the entrance beside it.

  Jahd: “I’ll wait out ‘ere while Makala looks at yer friend. Take yer time.”

  Jackie stepped inside first, followed by the other Humans and Raffica, who was still carrying Lii. Though it was larger than the other tents nearby, it was still a rather cramped space, containing just a single raised bed and a small wooden desk and stool. Sitting upon that stool was another member of the wooden-puppet race, hunched over a smattering of notes across the desk.

  Raffica carefully set Lii down on the bed and bowed out of the room, leaving her and the Humans alone with the man. He cast a glance their way at the sound,

  Makala: “Apologies, I’m looking for some old notes. They said you’ve brought me a Mimic, yes?”

  Sam: “She’s friendly!” He held an arm between Lii and the desk, “She hasn’t hurt anyone. She won’t hurt anyone. So, even though she’s a Mimic—“

  Makala held up a hand, causing Sam to cut off, and he turned to face the young man with a kind, wizened smile. A beard of clumpy moss hung from the old man’s chin; rigid wrinkles looked as though they’d been literally carved into his wooden face. He spoke slowly,

  Makala: “Whether or not she hurts anyone’s not my business. You brought me a patient, so I’ll treat her.”

  Sam’s shoulders fell in relief. Makala looked up at him from his stool for a few seconds, squinting as he studied his face before realizing,

  Makala: “Ah, I’m not wearing my glasses.”

  Jackie: “Back left of the desk, on the red book.”

  Makala gave them a curious glance before nodding a “Thanks” as he retrieved his glasses. “Suppose I’ll skip the notes for now, I think. Hopefully she isn’t hurt bad enough to need them.”

  He stood, slowly turned, then hobbled his way over to Lii. Sam stepped aside to make room for him, the Humans now crowded around the old man. His tired eyes scanned Lii’s wounded body blankly, a hint of sympathy behind his brown irises as he took in her many cuts and bruises.

  Makala: “When’d this happen?”

  Jackie: “Between forty minutes to an hour ago.”

  The old man nodded. “It won’t be pleasant for her, but the fact she’s still alive now means her life isn’t in serious danger, I think. You did well to halt the blood loss as much as you managed.”

  Sam looked between Makala’s face and Lii. “What needs to be done?”

  Makala: “Mimics have a remarkable natural regeneration factor. Nothing fast enough to be useful in a fight, but they can heal from anything that doesn’t kill them outright.” He turned and began to hobble over to the other end of the tent to retrieve a bucket of water, “I’ll clean and disinfect the wounds. Beyond that, she’ll heal on her own as long as she gets enough food and water.”

  He tugged at the bucket with difficulty. Seeing this, Helena crossed the room and took it from him, carrying it over to Lii herself. Makala gave her a thankful nod before continuing,

  Makala: “Food’s about the only thing we have in abundance, so she’ll be fine. I’m sure Sils will keep her well-fed.” Hobbling over to his desk, he retrieved a rag from a small drawer and knelt down to dip it into the bucket. “Speaking of Sils, you shouldn’t keep her waiting, I think. I’ll see to your friend.”

  Sam: “I’ll stay.” Makala had hardly finished speaking in his slow, steady cadence before Sam made that declaration. “I’m a doctor. I can help.”

  Makala considered that for a moment before nodding. “Very well. If you know what you’re doing, you can help. If not, you can learn.”

  Sam stiffened at that and looked to Helena. She met his gaze, then closed her eyes in understanding before turning and promptly stepping outside. Strade gave Makala a click of his tongue before following her out.

  Jackie: “She seems trustworthy, so I’ll ask Raffica to keep an eye on this tent.” They nodded to Sam, gave a quick semi-respectful bow to Makala, then made their exit.

  Makala did not wait for them to leave, or for Sam to prepare himself, before he began snipping through Lii’s bandages; Sam hadn’t even noticed he’d grabbed a pair of scissors.

  Makala: “We will clean the wounds on her skin first. Those on her clothes will be more difficult, since they are an irregular material. We may need to see if it is possible for her to “remove” them without worsening the wounds.”

  Sam tossed his bag to the floor and hastened to retrieve his own pair of scissors. Makala took only a glance at him before stating simply, “There is a second bucket in the corner. Use its contents to disinfect your tools, if they are not already.”

  Sam nodded and followed the old man’s instructions, glancing back at him every few seconds. “You, uh, know a lot about Mimics. Is that all common knowledge, or have you… treated one before?”

  Makala waited a moment before responding. “I have extensive experience with her kind, but she is the first to be one of my patients.”

  That gave Sam pause. His eyes widened in horror, “Th-then—“

  Makala: “Killing and healing are two sides of the same coin. The same knowledge applies to both, I think.”

  Sam stood and moved to Makala’s side, his eyes drawn down to the scissors in the old man’s hand. Makala was not rough, but he wasn’t careful, either; his movements were snappy, decisive, and efficient.

  Makala: “Are you worried I will hurt her?”

  Sam’s eyes widened again as he looked up at Makala’s face; the old man did not return his gaze, remaining perfectly focused on Lii. He couldn’t refute Makala’s words; he was worried. Not just about Lii, but everyone. About his companions, about the situation they’d found themselves in, about the things it seemed like they were about to get dragged into.

  Makala: “It’s a smart way to think.” He didn’t wait for Sam to reply, instead continuing after a few seconds of silence had passed. “You should choose carefully who you decide to trust. Your friend has a good eye for it, I think; Raffica is dependable.”

  Refocusing his mind, Sam finally began snipping some of Lii’s bandaging as well. He did his best not to cringe at how Makala did the same work thrice as fast, or at how sloppy some of his bandaging work had been to begin with.

  Sam: “Were you a fighter, in the past?” He asked idly, desperate for something else to lath his mind onto.

  Makala: “Yes. Before the war, Heapwatch’s main purpose was to track and kill the things that escaped the Heap. It didn’t happen often. When it did, it was usually one of hers.

  “I was a young boy the first time I killed one. Younger than you are now, I think. It came to my village, already gravely wounded and half-starved. I took up a blade to defend my people.

  “It was horrifying, at first. Even if it had come to kill us, it looked and acted like a person. I was distraught at the fact that I had killed someone. Even so, I had a knack for it, I think, and I joined the ranks of Heapwatch. Hunting such escapees became my job, and with each one I killed, it became easier to convince myself that they weren’t ‘people’—that what I did was justified because they were mere monsters.”

  Sam: “...do you think differently, now?”

  Makala: “I was justified, I think, but not for the reason I thought. It did not matter if they were monsters; they threatened my people, and I did what was necessary to protect them.” He paused for a moment, ruminating on that before continuing, “It is sobering to see so definitively that I was wrong. That they have the capacity, however unlikely, to be peaceful.”

  Sam: “You believe us?”

  Makala: “It is hard to imagine a friendly Mimic. But it is harder to imagine you would care for her so dearly if it weren’t true.”

  By this point they had long-past finished removing the bandages, now carefully cleaning Lii’s wounds. Some of the smallest cuts seemed to have already closed themselves. The duo were enveloped in silence as they focused on their work, the next words only coming a full minute later,

  Makala: “Ah, but those are the ramblings of an old man. You don’t have to concern yourself with them, I think.”

  ? ? ?

  Jahd led Jackie, Helena, and Strade through the camp once again, this time to a large tent that stood near the very center atop a flattened mound of slightly-raised ground. As the group walked, Strade cast suspicious glances at passing workers and soldiers.

  Strade: “I don’t trust this place one bit,” he finally whispered to the other two. “Too many people in one place, and they’re all armed.”

  Helena: “I don’t like it either, but they’re trying to help us.”

  He clicked his tongue. “We don’t know how things work out here. Or what they might pull on us.”

  Jackie: “Either way, we don’t have much choice but to play along,” they interjected. “Also, I suspect Jahd may have better hearing than you think.”

  Jahd: “An’ here we are, ladies an’ gentlemen.” He said, not addressing their words but speaking with such perfect timing that it left little question as to the answer. “Cap’n Sils will see ye now. Be on yer best behavior.”

  He stopped at the doorway and held open the tent flap, allowing the three Humans to duck inside before he followed them. Within the tent was a large table with a map sprawled across it, a collection of stools, chairs, and small crates tucked beneath the table’s sides. Nobody seemed to be inside.

  Jahd: “Oi, Cap’n! Yer guests’re here!”

  ???: “Ya don’t gotta yell, dammit! I’m right ‘ere!”

  Jahd’s call was met by the spirited voice of a frustrated woman. It seemed to come from the center of the room, but the speaker was nowhere to be found, leaving the Humans to scan the room for the source.

  Jahd: “With respect, Cap’n, it ain’t easy ta tell if ye’re here or not. And ye usually ain’t, even when yer meant ta be.”

  ???: “Oh, ‘with respect’ my ass! You’re the one who’s always droppin’ shit like this on me outta nowhere!” She huffed.

  Jackie was the first to catch sight of her—a small form sitting atop the map with her hands on her hips. She met their gaze with a raised eyebrow, as if impressed that she’d actually been noticed.

  ???: “Oi, you two. Down ‘ere, on the table.” She snapped her fingers, drawing Strade and Helena’s gazes. “Good. So, you’re the so-called Humans, eh? I’d say it’s nice to meetcha, but I don’t believe that story for a second.”

  So spoke Captain Sils, who couldn’t have been more than nine inches tall at the most.

  Chapter Glossary:

  Jahd - (Pronounced jah-d) A swordsman and the second-in-command at Heapwatch. Happened upon Jackie and co. and saved them on a whim. May or may not have an alcohol problem.

  | Delia - (Pronounced dell-ee-uh) A warrior and the second-in-command of Jahd's squad. I wonder what that makes her overall rank in the hierarchy?

  | Raffica - (Pronounced raf-ick-uh) A cheerful, outgoing Alphicca girl. Not supposed to be in the field, for whatever reason. Wants to be your friend. Soft and cuddly, despite the muscles and natural plate armor.

  | Makala - (Pronounced mah-kah-luh) An old, wise doctor, and the head medic at Heapwatch, I think. Currently treating Lii's wounds.

  | Sils - (Pronounced sill-s) The tiny captain in charge of Heapwatch. Surprisingly loud for her stature.

  Demihuman - A term for races which share the same basic bodyplan as Humans, but with significant nonhuman modifications. These can range from small additions, like the ears or tail of an animal, to more significant deviations like Centaurs or Harpies.

  | Alphicca - (Pronounced al-fick-uh) A race of shrimp-like demihumans with antennae and natural chitin armor plates on their forearms, shins, and heels.

  | Kritta - (Pronounced cree-tah) Short, rat-like demihumans common in the Heap. Apparently they also exist in the outside world!?

  Heapwatch - Half military base, half village. Established in order to watch for and eliminate Mimics that escape the Forgotten Heap. Current home/base of operations of all the above characters.

  | Tropika - The jungle region that lays south of the Forgotten Heap. Heapwatch is located here. There are giant mosquitoes, apparently.