"Let me get this straight," Lamar said, leaning on the table, the wood underneath beginning to crack.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Lamar! What did I say man! This thing is going to break if you keep doing that every time I tell you something you don't know!" Drake shouted his hands up pushing the cyclopean off the table.
"Right, my bad… Still, though, how do you know so much about the outside of the tutorial?" Lamar asked, his voice low, but deposition much more amenable than earlier as he was slowly informed by Drake.
"I have a little fa-," Drake coughed, "Lovely little bird in my ear that tells me things," he smiled, "But more importantly Where were you in the real world before all this?"
Lamar leaned back on the custom seat that he had brought out, it creaking under his weight.
"We were over in Virginia, but what does that have to do with anything?" he asked.
"That isn't that far… but we don't know how the world will be affected after it's been merged. From what I've been told it will increase in size but even I don't know by how much," Drake sighed putting his hands behind his head, tilting his seat back.
"Now that you mention it, Shot, what are all of us going to do when the tutorial is over?" Chelsea asked from the end of the table.
"Well, it's a bit complicated," Drake answered.
"Complicated, my Lord?" Theodore asked this time.
"Yeah. From what my little birdy has told me. We don't actually have a way or at least she can't tell me. It's outside the scope of what she can do because it doesn't pertain to the quests she's privy to or the other things she's allowed to divulge," Drake sighed.
"I do not appreciate that sigh, that is insinuating I am useless!" Natto shouted.
I didn't even say anything. Sensitive much? Drake snickered under his breath.
"If I am it is because of you! I'm half your personality, remember?" she replied, obviously sneering, although Drake could not see it.
Rolling his eyes he focused back on Lamar and the group in front of him.
"What I would like to say is I have a concrete plan. But without more information on what is going to happen specifically when the tutorial ends the best I got? Is that we all meet up somewhere in the middle of all our locations previous to the system," Drake sighed, pursing his lips in contemplation.
Drake suddenly heard Natto say something he didn't expect.
"Forgive me, Drake, I wish to be of more help but sadly I can not in this instance…"
It's alright. Don't sweat the little details. The whole purpose of forming this group is to make them strong enough to be on their own two feet after we all separate. Drake explained, slightly grinning at Natto apologizing.
"Either way, I'll figure it out. Everyone's priority is to level up and get stronger, we still have around 80 odd some days before we're out of this mess, and I plan to have us going into that Ants nest asap," Drake said.
"There's the other thing we need to talk about idjit, who exactly going on this backwater mud trip down a brown hole?" Hudson asked.
Drake tipped back and forth, thinking for a moment, "Honestly I'm still thinking. We only have ten slots for a party. Unless we can find a support class here that allows us to extend the party, but I don't think we will. Or if Shigure will want us to keep taking important people from their camp away…" Drake sighed.
"That tis very astute, my Lord. Thou have been diminishing their personnel by quite the number, acquisitioning Sir Bear alone was a great blow to their fighting forces this one would assume," Theodore said.
Drake nodded.
"Yeah big, tall, and all grumbling fire-headed is probably their strongest fighter," Drake said, looking at Bjorn, "And I'm sure Shigure is dealing with a whole slew of nonsense with his coalition now that he's gone. And these types of alliances as far as I'm concerned only last as long as it's mutually beneficial, and that's what I'm getting worried about. The movement we've seen, that Adam guy, and how Shigure seems to have a stick up his ass about my general existence is a recipe for something very bad. So I want everyone," Drake looked over to Claire and Sherry, "And I mean everyone in pairs from now on, that includes tents and sleeping arrangements. They're testing my range of detection and I don't want anyone going it alone or too far out, is that clear?"
"Jeeze, yes Dad…" Jacqueline scoffed.
Drake smiled.
"Good then, I'm going to talk privately with Lamar then. Need to know the bells and whistles of how to make the good shit!" Drake said standing up, and walking over to the enormous lug, "Let's get going, new bestie," Drake teased.
"Don't fucking call me that freak," Lamar scowled.
"Awe come on pal, don't be so cold," Drake mused.
"I'm not your pal, you fucking psycho! It's a business deal," Lamar grumbled.
"Ohhhh call me a psycho again, it gave me chills."
Lamar and Drake walked away and towards Drake's tent all while they went back and forth, Lamar spitting insults towards Drake as Drake continued to tease him now that they had a deal and Lamar couldn't get out of it.
"Think they're going to be ok?" Chelsea asked the group.
"I think Sir Shot will quickly wear on the Cyclops. Perhaps we should send someone to keep him civil?" Amir asked, sipping his food from his bowl.
Everyone looked around, everyone raising their hand.
"Not it," they all said in unison.
-------------------------------------
"Lord Shigure, we can not continue to allow that man to take important figures from our camp! It is weakening our position by the day, and we do not even know when the next tutorial-wide quest may happen!?" Darius pleaded.
"Darius, I understand your concern but what would you have me do?" Shigure sighed, his fist gripping his sword at his side, "Would you like me to go over there and tell him to cease? Would you like to go demand that he stop? If you don't remember, we banned him from our outpost, yet he didn't care and simply set up shop outside our Outpost! If he wanted he could kill every last one of us! I've only been civil because I have no other choice in the matter."
"There is always my option," mused Adam, as he moved closer from the side.
"No! I can only imagine what would happen if he harmed someone from his side. Do you want to kill us all?! I told you no before Adam, do not make me tell you again," Shigure shouted back.
"Shigure…. Adam does have a point though," a female voice chimed in, "If we can't beat him in a straight-up fight why not even the playing field with some leverage?"
"Savannah… Not you too?" Shigure said grimacing, "I will have no part in poking a beehive. We are responsible for more than just ourselves as leaders of this coalition. We are not tyrants and will not bar people from choosing where they go," Shigure said reluctantly, doing his best to not let his inner thoughts come to light.
Despite hating Drake fervently, Shigure knew some of the advice he had given rang true. Shigure was far too emotionally manipulated, and only after getting his ass handed to him for the entire day did it start to sink in, whether he liked it or not.
"That's rich coming from someone who fought the man on a whim the first time they met…" Adam sneered.
"Do you have a problem with how I run things, Adam?" Shigure asked, his focus turning to him.
"Not at all, fearless leader! I'm just concerned there won't be anyone left to lead once that man, Shot, takes every one of value from us," Adam answered.
"You've done nothing but whine for the past several days since he has been here. I won't continue to hear you try to scheme openly about harming his group. I will not and can not start a war with him. We will not win. We are going to play nice until he and his group leave. If you dare to do anything else that jeopardizes that Adam…." Shigure said, the sound of him drawing blade from saya ringing sharply as an undertone to his voice, "I will personally take care of you."
Adam held up his hands, "Fine. I don't want to go it on my own just yet. I'll play nice…" he mumbled.
"Good," Shigure said sternly, looking to the other two, "You both as well. Do not forget who is the actual leader of this coalition and why you made me its leader. If you want continued protection you will fall in line."
All three of the people nodded -even if some were disgruntled- in agreement. Each one eventually leaving the area with only Adam staying.
Adam had his own plans regardless of what he told Shigure and the others. A few moments later a hiss sounded, and Adam turned to one of his Ghouls.
"My lord…" it hissed, "Our preparations are ready, but there is a change in their camp."
"What change? Out with it already I don't have time for this," Adam spat.
"They have moved the woman we were targeting, she is now with another, much closer to the leader… If we were to move forward with our plan we will not be able to capture her," the Ghoul grumbled.
Adam clicked his tongue in frustration, his mind spinning away on what to do.
"This is fine. We have mapped out his sensory skill, yes?" he asked, to which the Ghoul nodded, "Good, have a group pull him and Bear away, while another goes for the woman. Use as many of our stockpile as you need. Once the Tutorial is over, it won't matter either way, I will simply make more."
The Ghoul slinked backward into the darkness leaving Adam alone once more.
"Finally. I'll have a competent pawn, and Master will be happy… I wonder how he will reward me for catching such a strong one…?" Adam laughed.