Very insightful, Zeb Stan.

There’s a Gnomanyan saying: Don’t eat your trampler… Unless you like, absolutely have to. Okay, maybe not the best expression to use right now, but basically it means to keep every option open. Even the worst one, in the off-chance that things have gone to shit so much that it becomes the best choice.

And Siltria is the land of opportunity? Right? So better start hoardin’ all that opportunity!

If you absolutely have to, you’ll… eat the note? But for now, you’re keeping an open mind regarding your choices of allies, even if they… well, you know.

You continue along the road for what seems to be hours. You check your back, look out for any strangers, but nothing seems to draw your attention. Which means no distraction from how your muscles are starting to scream in protest now after a long day of constant close calls.

As you keep moving, you watch as the forest gives way to the orange outcrops. You begin to feel a breeze again, and the sun starts to fall lower in the sky.

Eventually, you notice the tip of a structure beyond that hill, and muscling through those last couple of steps you pick up on a growing murmur of many sounds. As you drag your tail up the hill, panting, sweating, and really wanting this trek to be over, you are met with…

…Possibly the largest city you’ve ever seen.

If you find out that Cohv is the next city over, you’re throwing yourself off this cliff. Maybe you’ll wash up there next time.

You could almost admire this city’s beauty, if you weren’t so cranky.

As you hear Zeb come to, you take the time to rest.

Zeb mutters, “G-Glass? We’re alive? W-we made it to Cohv?”

You breathe a sigh of relief. “Just about…”

You watch for a moment as Zeb gazes down, silent and pensive. “I… can’t believe this… I can’t believe all of that happened… I–.” He chokes, “I really wish it was all just stories…”

“Did you not wash your feet today?” You quip.

“Glass.”

“Sorry.”

Zeb asks, “How… did I get here? Did you–”

“Yes, all the way here.”

“O-Oh, that’s embarrassing… I’m so sorry. Blood sort of makes me faint.”

“Eh, I don’t think you wanted to be awake for that. It got kind of nasty.”

“Those… hunters. Every word they spoke was that of savages. I-I thought I was going to die… I…”

“It’s okay, Zeb. You’re safe now…”

“I am. You… saved me.”

“You saved me! Praise Shama! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Zeb trembles with each breath.

“Ah… God bless you! Thank you for saving my life… I owe you everything… And you even managed to save some of the cargo! You’re the best, Glass!”

“W-Well… It’s what I was paid to do.”

Oh! Uh, I’m sure I can scrape something together. Once I-I get a grip. I’m such a wreck right now. Do you…have any business in Cohv?

“I believe so. I was involved in an… incident this morning, but was saved by a Lightkeeper person. I was hoping they could help me find a friend of mine that I got split up from.”

Zeb raises an eyebrow. “A Lightkeeper? I was wondering why you were asking that soldier. I’m not a follower of that– faith, but I’ve never heard of them ever helping anyone. Maybe my cousin can help; he’s from Mandasko –-he’s really into Daunto and all that stuff. I’ll need to get in touch anyway; he can probably help me fish my crank engine out of the clouds.”

His mouth curls back into a smile, “Is there anything else I can do while I try to get your payment?”

“Look Zeb, honestly I just want to pass out.” You mutter.

“Oh, goodness… I live in a tenement near the gates. It’s small, but it’s nice. You could spend the night!”

“Are you sure about that? You hardly know me.”

“Glass, you saved my life! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

You ponder for a moment, but rest sounds fantastic. But just a brief rest–maybe one of those coffees, and you resume the search for Iron. You accept his offer and walk the rest of the road to the gates of Cohv.

“Though, Glass, I am curious…how did you do it? It seemed like we were hopelessly surrounded. What did you do to get us out of there?”

“I…”