Hickory was happy, with as much fun as they'd been having? Out there swimmin and fishing, and - that school! It was fine, it wasn't like a school you'd think about, the fish in there?

"You've got to teach knots, Chase." Hickory said, "You got to teach folk how to fish and how to tie them knots so they ain't bored."

"You're exactly right but that's probably gonna be more Gage's ilk." Chase said, "That'd fall under the military side of things, though it looks like he's already working on it."

Hickory turned - looking at where Gage and Weston sat, back to back - Weston nodded.

"There's probably five thousand men in that base better suited for teaching soldierin' than me." Gage said.

"Not that we can trust." Weston pointed out, and Chase grinned. Grinned just like Hunter liked to do! And Hickory was excited, waiting -

Gage shrugged, then nodded, "I'll have my own learning to do, but if we can get folk to teach, I'll learn it."

"Captain Gage." Chase nodded, "I can't think of a better man to steer the ship and handle all the seamen."

Gage snorted - "You ass, I ain't running a navy." As a copy of Weston appeared and shoved Chase into the water.

"Well that's an idea!" Hickory nodded, "Folk to protect the river. That's the best way to do it, a navy, and they'll stay out of the desert that way."

Chase grinned as he climbed back up, "I'm sure May would do you up a nice little sailor outfit and Weston can be your first mate."

Gage was shaking his head -

"I wouldn't mind having a company of Marines." Weston nodded - and Gage paused, "And May would do an excellent uniform."

Hickory nodded, it's why he didn't worry about all the work that needed to get done, his buddies usually had something figured out before he even really thought too much on it -

"Ya'll got any ideas until then?" Hickory asked, "It's almost time for upkeepin and I don't want to pay for all those towers."

Of course Hickory had plenty of points - that wasn't the point. That the Corp's Chapel alone, the Red Fort is what it was called. It was giving a nice 3,018 points a day for the ten days after he took it over.

He'd never had so many points! Not even when Weston dumped all them cars in - it was a lot! But the towers? The Barracks? They weren't cheap, that they had some things about them that were useful.

Making a man stronger and faster, just sleeping in the Barracks? That it gave 'em a solderin' skill? That was useful. And it made sense why they cost a 1000 points if they did that and he planned on building one of his own now, back in Red Hills. For Gage's help.

The help he had watching over Tackle. Over Ma and May, and just keeping everybody safe. Gage was good like that, Gage was always watching people's backs for them and Hickory loved Gage for it, that he'd never needed to even ask or worry.

It just made a sort of sense to let him handle all those things since he was the best at if he was happy doing it, but -

"The guns aren't enough anymore." Weston said shaking his head, "Maybe for the average monster, but...how many bubbles do we still need to close before we head back?"

Hickory closed his eyes, "We've closed all the ones that'll pop right away, we can make it to that Ball and back long as we don't dally."

"It's not just the bubbles though, the wanderers are almost more dangerous if they're big enough."

Hickory nodded, of course they were but they couldn't stay here forever. And when you took over a place the people that drank had to drink again and not many had yet, that didn't mean the upkeepin' was gonna wait for them!

Defensive Tower (Sonic Wave)

Cost | 2000 Upkeep | 200

A defensive structure with two turrets, each capable of firing one ranged attack every ten seconds.

Range: 1000yds, line of sight.

They were a lot of fun, there was a little stick with a trigger, and you could steer it and shoot, and when you put your hand on the handle you could see outside at what you were aiming at like you were dreaming.

But 2000 points? And to have 13 of them? That meant he'd be paying 2600 points a cycle to keep them up! Not to say a couple weren't a bad idea since you could switch what they shot out of them?

That they'd been lucky not to have a fire - it made sense to have one of these to shoot water and put it out if it happened.

It tore through the monsters quick, the sound waves? It could pop a bunch of the little ones all at once, and the bright light called a laser, it would punch a hole right though even the biggest, just like Hickory's sword.

"Do we have a count of how many soldiers are staying?" Gage asked.

Chase shook his head, "I'm thinking most, the closest base is just ninety miles from here so I figured we'd offer to escort them that way first, but there haven't been a lot of sign-ups."

"I don't blame them." Weston said, "They're not idiots, they knew something was up. But it doesn't change the fact that we don't need a few thousand soldiers, just people willing to protect their own homes...especially with guns going obsolete."

"There's still something to be said about the range advantage, but you're right, the bows are just better."

"What about contacting the Chief?" Weston offered, "He's got warriors that can train everybody on how to use a bow? I'm sure he would if we'd agree to buy a bow for everyone."

"That's not going to be cheap." Chase said, "Twenty thousand bows? A hundred thousand arrows?"

"Yeah, if it's a marble question we'll just wait for Hunter." Hickory didn't have any extra marbles right now, probably not for a while since he had to give 'em to the family of the folk he'd killed.

"Why don't you leave the towers up for the Cycle, Hickory. Just so you don't worry, I know you're itching to get back home and this way you don't have to rush a solution."

It was true - that Hickory was missing home, that he'd been gone a big handful of days already and even with as much fun as he was having with his buddies?

Gage could cook! When he wasn't being distracted, that Hickory was glad for all that, but it wasn't like Ma's. It wasn't like -

Steak was not his favorite. And there was nothing wrong with it, Weston loved a big piece of meat, Hickory could tell - he'd put anything in his mouth that Gage put on his plate, and he was happy with that.

Hickory liked fish. He liked it every way, raw, battered, brined, of course the fresher the better! Fresh fish, fish tacos, fish - and wasn't his stomach growling just thinking about it?

And of course it was more then just his stomach growling thinking about what he wanted in his mouth, that he missed those Red Hills, just looking at 'em, and Tackle -

Lord, he missed his Tackle. And he could have ran home, he could have done that. And his buddies would have been fine, but you didn't just leave your buddies even if they would understand -

"I guess it'd be fine to leave 'em up a Cycle." Hickory nodded. Chase nodded. Weston and Gage nodded.

They were going home.

Chief Show'me of the Tribe was a clever man. That's why he listened to his wife. The women in his life. The Lore Mistress.

"Should we send food or blankets? Warriors to help fight the shadow?"

"It's..." When women didn't know what to say? And Chief Show'me felt chills. He was a fox, a coyote. A treasured teacher of his people, a leader of cunning craftiness. Also, a bit of a gambler, but...

When a woman doesn't know what to say? All bets are off -

"They're gloating."

The Chief paused.

"What?"

The two women nodded, looking at the delivered invitation - the notice that had followed a week later amending...He held out his hand taking the missive and rereading it.

"This says they're making it a fundraiser. They're providing all the food and tents for the displaced people, not charging them anything and asking if anyone wants to help."

The women nodded -

"They're having an auction, auctioning off jewelry and livestock, donating it all."

The women nodded. It was a beautiful invitation. The people of Red Hills had been hit with a terrible flood from that dam, they'd received warning of the possibility from the Tradesman Hunter through their Ruckers and of course they'd paused trade for their safety -

And was his Tribe - his people pleased with their Chief? Hunter had spoken to Show'me that glorious day, proposed a truly considerate arrangement that had made the Chief smile -

Show'me had one gold tooth, a surprising accident. Before he was married - his younger self, attempting to quickly open a package - that impatience had resulted in a wife, a son, and one gold tooth.

And a very valuable lesson.

Hearing Hunter's proposal? Chief Show'me had smiled, revealing that gold canine.

Glass marbles. Green. That his Structure could produce them and they had no real purpose? Then when he'd read the Tutorial, the gift of Weston of Red Hills - learning that building the Bank would give him even less points from killing shadows? And more useless marbles? What point was there when a Crafting Building taught you a skill? Like their Bowyer -

No interest. They didn't need a materials market, the land provided all and everything was shared in the Tribe, they didn't have Deeds or Debts...

However - the proposal that Hunter had made, and wasn't it perfect...his men, his Braves. Brave warriors. There was a need there, to equalize - to balance things for years of ancestral insult. How could they forget?

The White Man's Burden - a time when their land, their heritage had been bought with nothing more valuable than glass beads...the fall of their people, a different world with different dangers -

Disease. The need for wrapping, packages that could break a tooth.

Chief Show'me had a gold tooth, how could he forget - and yet he also had a wife, sons and daughters and maybe another on the way - sometimes mistakes, even tragedies, can also bring fortune...

Tradesman Hunter had made a proposal - for all the goods of Red Hills to go through him and in return he would accept all those useless glass beads, every one - in the spirit of friendship - of course.

Of course he explained to Show'me their value, the type of society that could be built from them, the Tutorial elaborated it - but the true value was in what it could represent! Hunter taking them as a form of penance. So his Tribe could redeem the past, to earn back their honor - and use glass beads to buy a better future!

And the entire Tribe would feast! On melon and meringue - the Warriors on their hunts, the Wildlife Structure - that early unlocked building that led to so much success, their magnificent bows, their totems - pelts and horn, that kept their land and their heritage vibrant and sharp and in balance.

The Warriors roamed the land now, hunting - piling their kills upon the abandoned vehicles and pushing them back - a bounty, slowly clearing the roads to open up more trade and travel. The animals butchered and smoked and stored. Pelts hung. Buck and boar and now buffalo as well all roamed the plains!

The useless cars turned into glass beads and traded for luxuries! Buying back their pride, their place in the world...

The Tribe was satisfied, even spoiled - under the clever leadership of Chief Show'me, and his friend the Tradesman Hunter.

Salt and Alcohol, Iron and Cloth, Fruit and Feathers? No Tribe member would weave a chicken feather in their hair, but for pillows and mattresses and -

Tradesman Hunter - he understood politics, he understood the needs, willing to bow to the Chief in public, to be so considerate. and where had he found bags of peanut M&M's?

It was an incredible boon to their small economy, or perhaps it wasn't? Not small - not anymore - they had so much! And therefore it was not because of a debt to Red Hills that he wanted to help - it was truly with friendship...a disguised one, a clever one - not all in his Tribe were ready to see it, but if all were happy? Healthy?

Thus the Chief would look out for his neighbors - and he knew Tradesman Hunter would look out for him in return...except -

The Chief waited as the women looked at each other - and then burst out laughing.

"They are living on the generosity of their neighbors, they're homeless. There is no longer a Red Hills."

Chief Show'me nodded, "Yes, that's why they're doing a fundraiser."

The women looked at each other and -

"This is like the pots." His wife muttered.

The Loremistress nodded.

"What about the pots?" Chief Show'me asked, "It's a superior cooking tool, you don't have to wash it!"

The women looked at each other - it was the perfect anniversary present! His wife - the woman he loved, he wanted to spend more time with her! Not have her scrubbing pots!

Of course she didn't have to cook - she chose to, with the tribe, and he loved her, loved to take the form of his Animal Spirit and watch her cook, how beautiful she was, and if he was jealous of her time? He'd not stop her, he'd help her, he'd -

"They're advertising Red Hills weakness, but also their own strength. If they have the resources to not just support themselves but another population?"

"Just the layers of it, 'To help remedy this tragedy that has resulted in the unfortunate collapse of the Red Hill's economy...'"

"And just so well done, absolutely incredible...the calligraphy, the nuance, it's..."

They were ignoring the Chief - talking amongst themselves. The women did that, holding the letter up like they could see something completely different then what was written right there! He wasn't so stubborn, he didn't refuse to learn - if they could only explain it in a way that made sense!

"Over those flies of course, they really know how to hold a grudge."

"They were terrible, weren't they? But isn't that just the second layer?"

"To discourage others from building an Embassy there? Do you think that's the reason, to get them to build one in Covanger Fields was the obvious purpose of this Ball..."

"That, or maybe to set themselves as the point of trade? To say they're more reliable? Stable? How long will it take for Red Hills to rebuild, if they even can?"

"It's something to think about, people will clear the roads for the marbles, then spend the marbles there to buy the goods, it was an incredible idea, but if it's debris that is blocking the roads now..."

The Chief leaned back and waited for them to make up their minds...it could take a while, but he'd learned not to rush matters involving women, one gold tooth was enough.

When they turned to him they said something completely different then what the letter had -

"The purpose of the fundraiser is to discourage the building of a road going directly to Red Hills as Hunter proposed, he must realize the same thing. It was clever of him - once the road was built it would be a waste to raze it, and just the flow of trade through there alone would guarantee Red Hills prosperity."

The Chief nodded, of course it was exactly what he'd planned to do, to build a small road directly to Red Hills on the way to the ball, it would be faster, safer that way, and Hunter had promised to connect them, even the unclaimed lands where the Book wouldn't work - to build it by hand.

"And since there's already a cleared road going from Red Hills to Covanger Fields? The directions for delivering aid, just continue straight from the Covanger Palace to the Red Hills Chapel..." The women gasped, marveling, "Is it really still just a Chapel?"

"Well done, just...it's so well done, it's made it so it's not an insult to Red Hills to build a road to Covanger Fields, you can do it on the premise of delivering aid, and they're offering to connect the roads immediately using the Book to expedite it, there's even proposed routes using existing roads..."

The Chief liked Tradesman Hunter, his ideas, but he wasn't always right...that pot had gotten him in hot water - so if his Wife and the Lore Mistress decided the road would go to Covanger Fields?

Hunter did know the importance of trade - of course as soon as he had his plan made he'd sent a missive to the Tribe offering to connect the two settlements by road, that Red Hills was nearly rebuilt?

The Flood? That terrible tragedy had wiped the map clean, and perhaps the people couldn't see it, not yet - because of how much work they'd put into Red Hills before, that in reality they all had only been limping along?

That it only had felt they were doing well because everybody else was crawling...

That the flood had become a sink or swim scenario, and Hunter's plan? It had worked - worked better then even he'd imagined, that as soon as they had the first lot cleared?

Of course it was offered in the Book - a way to clear the land using points, 1 Marble for 10 square feet, and that had just been the start. That Hunter once Hunter had outlined the options - explained in excruciating detail the requirements of having a magical structure, a house and the responsibilities -

Once May had chosen to build a Medium House, a Sewing Studio attached?

A new Town Hall upgrade...a new book available, a way for people to flip through and decide what they wanted built for themselves - to build it themselves. Not everything.

Not the military structures or the special buildings like the Hatchery or the Chapel, but the structures they'd unlocked through their expanding business needs? And that was it - he was done, free and...

May handled the rest, already pounding out a rosie melody for curtains, for coverlets and pillow cases and - it was a rush! A rush to get the buildings built, to take orders, to -

That Hunter had to hurry himself - to do the necessary things before it was too late. The Chapel needed to be moved, torn down and built over the Font, it would take ten days to do it, to get the points back, but -

The property! And the space - nobody knew where to build, everybody wanted to be close to the things they needed and property was traded like playing cards, but the loom! Entertainment - of course they knew that section was the best for businesses, close to the market.

The smiths moved closer to the iron mine, planned on going in together for the smelter, their own houses searching for quiet after a day of clanging, and it was almost too much, too much to hope for, to even see -

That he himself didn't know where to start, to go out and salvage the wreckage of his trees - but it was obvious. This was a time of generosity, of sharing. That he invited the people to go out - to help themselves of the trees that weren't too big for their landscaping, to add the green, the growth amongst the rising grey stone houses, they would need wood -

But not for houses...

And that's how Hunter found himself gratefully walking to where - for him, in a way it had begun.

Consideration.

A Chicken Coop.

No longer there, Mama's palace a bunch of tumbled blocks, and it was sad. So sad for everything they'd lost, Hickory had lost...he'd not stopped, not hesitated, nor asked another to save a single possession.

Not asked them to move his stuff, his property - not even the Order, not...

Of course the animals were safe, and Weston - as much as he hated those worms, Hunter knew he'd had Tate save them, too, but Hickory really only owned a belt. Some fishing poles and a pocket knife...

He intended to just see what he could do, maybe pick the place up a bit, maybe clear it of debris but the stone was still good. he wouldn't clear this lot with the Book, too much would be wasted -

He was just going to build the Chicken Coop - rebuild it. Just something, again - for him. For them...

And as he picked out a decent spot - he'd always been able to see the blueprints in his head, what it would look like once it was built but this time? In his mind it was like the Coop was already there.

It was right there - that he exhaled in surprise and tapped it with his hammer as though testing if it was a hallucination and there was contact. Resonation!

He felt - it was there, as his hammer rebounded, and that surprised him further. And that was strange, but - he pulled back the hammer and swung it harder - like starting a nail...

And the Coop was - it wasn't solid, or...or not all the way, it was an outline. But that wasn't it - that was just a part, the part that surprised him was the splash. Like he'd made a purchase -

And that was a sound he was use to all the time, that he'd learned to ignore it - but...he didn't have any contracts out right now that would do that...nothing to cost him one marble.

That swinging his hammer had been the cause. Hunter swung it again, intending and - another splash, which - it actually had him almost running back because he realized! He could build faster, he could rush build things!

He could use his marbles to hurry something up, to hurry it along - an entire blueprint...

But he stopped and turned because - the expense...looking back at the coop, it wasn't like before where a nail came out of somewhere - this time, well it was obvious his Ability had advanced, or perhaps he'd never used it right in the first place?

He went back tot he Coop and before where he'd swung his hammer to start a nail this time he used it like a man - like he was driving in a nail he wanted to stay that way forever.

It was like a ghost - a shadow. Could he do the opposite, could he tear it down? He swung again and - and yes, he could. He felt the marbles returned to his account...

He looked at the Palace, at the place - and he couldn't, he wanted to. For Hickory, he wanted to, but as happy as it would make him? Hunter knew he'd want the marbles spent elsewhere...

But...the way Hunter had designed the structure was in pieces, squares that fit together, to make it easy on people to build, just like he'd done the coop - that once somebody knew how to build one wall they could build the whole outside...

The outside. Hunter focused on that Blueprint, that face of the palace and again he saw it in front of him, not the walls, not the towers they'd already started now torn own but the Palace itself - what it was going to be.

Hunter say it, just a giant square with four tours, one on each corner, a wood balcony circling the entire second story - a second story that was already twenty feet off the ground because it was so tall. A design that would allow that entire space to just become a part of something so much greater as soon as they had the skill for it -

Probably Hickory's shed, knowing him...

Hunter brought that blueprint up and swung - not to build the whole thing but to start it. To leave it filled with the magic, like a ghost on the horizon, like a vision...

That's what this was all about, what he'd offered the people, they had to do it. He'd supplied a plan - a vision.

Let them see...what they were building, what they were a part of, what they could also do for themselves. Hunter swung his hammer and the vision of a Palace rose high into the sky, and the people did see.

Hunter showed them where the Dock would go - the small lake, the ship yard. The trading warehouses lined up along the canal, how they'd be filled from the front, then have cargo loaded onto the boat. The simple cranes they'd use to do it.

People paused, paused in their deciding - where to put businesses, where to put homes as the contemplated the future - and some were upset, some felt like they should have waited...because it could have been so much better!

The future was so much better.