Sophie was fully rested. More than that, she felt itchy being on standby. She wanted to do something productive. That wasn't happening while they had such a big operation going on.

Stella and Bob had to stand watch after lunch. Stella because she wanted to cook and clean up afterwards. Bob because he had been dragged inexorably into her orbit. Also she didn't say as much, but had told him that it would be frowned upon for him to not do his 'himbo duties'. Sophie had laughed at that.

Because she had the caster class on top of her rogue class, she had taken up a position as far from the wagons as they could safely get her to. Then, every time Sonya extended the raised dirt bridge, she moved to grow plants through it. Something about her card powers told her that she would be able to do this for more than five minutes at a time when she leveled up her skill again. It felt like a self fulfilling prophecy, that her earth movement spell would help itself.

In that, she was quite happy that she didn't have to do something like extract the cards from each zombie she killed.

Ca'at was being put through it's paces. Remotely, Bob was having it tear down the zombies that entered her tower defense area. Once they got deep enough in, the warriors would take spears and stab the fuckers. At the end of the maze, Zan or whomever would put a ladder down for the monks to exit. Then, once they were up, quickly pulled the ladder up.

The cat didn't look haggard but its controller did. After having Anthony work him half to death, Bob probably felt it too. Then Stella had her chance to make him tired. Sophie might not agree with her tactics, but her strategy was working well.

One of the monks came up the ladder. Zan quickly pulled the ladder up. Sophie sighed, brandishing her spear. She had named her spear Bob. He was getting as much use as Stella was getting out of human Bob. Or at least the same amount of action.

From her vantage point, the target was easy. She cleanly pierced another zombies head. Bob's shaft felt strong in her hands. This Bob was a product of good craftsmanship.

"Thank God for that cat. This would be so much more messy without it," she said.

"Good shot. I think that more spears would make this job a lot easier," Zan said. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Oh girl, go ahead. Go off, Queen. We are all a little tense here and we need to let the steam out."

"I hear that," Zan said. "It's like the damn zombies just keep coming. Like, you're spending your death doing chores? I would just lay the fuck down. There's no good reason for these guys to even be here. Ah, another monk approaches."

"He has two zombies. Ladder down, Zan. Brandon over here!"

The monk saw the spear and took the turn to make it to the ladder. He was up and over it in a flash. Zan and Sophie lined up on top of the maze, waiting for the right time.

"I knew he was fast, but damn I thought these zombies would have been faster. We're going to have to work harder and dig a hole or something. Where is that cat?"

"He doesn't remove the corpses. He just extracts the parts that we need," Sophie said.

"Damn. Well that is very useful. And we're considering burning them?"

"Only because Finley wants to do last rites- and possibly because they could be diseased. Here comes the next batch. Spears ready."

In sync, both women dropped into a stable wide stance. Then they both speared the undead dwarves through their heads.

"Good shit, ladies," the monk said before disappearing behind them. He would run around the entire compound and then draw some more in.

"Hey hot stuff. You literally look like you're overheating."

The monk paused looking first at Sophie, then Zan.

"You-you are serious?" He said. Sophie tried to remember his name. It wasn't Brandon. She was pretty sure that his name was Juan. But it wouldn't be right to just ask him right now.

"Settle down rabbit."

Juan flexed his calf muscles. Sophie had never been a calf girl but she could appreciate some good definition. Also somehow he had a mustache? She had never really appreciated mustaches before. All the other men had taken to shaving their beards, or letting them grow fully out.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"I don't even know what to say to that. Were you some snarky internet commentator back on Earth?"

"Hardly."

"Well whatever's been going on has helped reduce their numbers. I'm having to go further and further to bring them back. This is doing wonders for my running skill."

"Ooh! Maybe I need to pick up the monk class."

"Don't wait on that. Even Anthony is looking for one of these cards. The trade value for a monk card that Isn't attached to someone's soul just skyrocketed. Meanwhile, I would love to have some of your casting power. I would use it to-" He mimed hitting something with a frying pan. "-cast iron!"

"I don't think that you understand what magic is."

"Listen here, muscle mommy. I left a good job at the postal service. I left my wife. I didn't have any kids but I left my dog. Just because a truck decided to roll over me."

"Muscle mommy? Is that what everyone's calling me?" Sophie said. She was keeping a straight face for his sake.

Juan pushed his lips together, frowning with his entire face. He raised his hands and what could only be deemed surrender.

"A guy can hear something so many times, until it becomes second nature. Plus you have all these muscles."

He was cute when he was flustered. She finally broke a smile.

"I want to thank you for the compliment. I got you."

Sophie did the classic bodybuilder pose. She lifted her left arm and curled it pointing the other arm out straight towards the sky. She had never felt so comfortable in her skin back on Earth to do something like this. She wasn't sure why she didn't feel exposed. Maybe it was the world she was in. Maybe it was that she finally felt like she was wearing Sophie. Even if she was just pretending to be the best version of herself.

Today, she was.

----------------------------------------

Finley was sorted through all of the salvaged goods. On his left was a pile of things that will go into his caravan. Every so often one of the warriors would come and grab something and pack it in from this pile. They had taken quite specific instructions on how to pack the thing up. On his right was a pile of things that would go into a hypothetical third wagon. That wagon, if the pile indicated anything at all, was already full.

The problem was that there was only so much room one could make for large objects. There wasn't room for everyone to have a bunk bed. There was room, if they worked hard at it for everyone to have a bed roll. If they took things out of the Caravan, there would be room for people to sleep in there. However, there were only so many times that he would want to load and unload.

Behind him were things that might be useful, but were not currently worth the space. Those items would be heading to the carriage house.

Finley sorted for a long time. At least it felt like a long enough time.

He needed a break from sorting

He got up and stretched. It was time to check on the horses. Anthony would be making the decision to move on or not shortly. There were a cluster of horses grazing. A few lay down and he approached. He gave each one a touch to feel their internal state.

They felt satisfied, but jittery. He tried to radiate calm. Four were hooked up to the caravan. They'd been there since the morning. He led four of the most well rested horses to replace them. Four hours in the harness was enough. He took care to inspect the four that had been standing by. One by one, he moved them out. They ran about the yard.

"I wish we had more space to range in, but we have to stay safe."

The horses couldn't nod or do anything to confirm that they understood him. All they could do was give him the impression that things were not terrible. It was enough for him. He'd heard stories of dragon riders able to speak with their dragons, though it seemed more like a childrens tale. So too, he'd heard stories about wyverns, attached to their riders through some card magic.

These mythical beasts were probably only childrens tales. These horses were real and right in front of him. And they were thirsty.

Finley moved to take the barrel that they had filled with water out. It hadn't been opened. He cursed. He rolled it to the center of the yard and several horses approached. He was going to need to get the horses from the caravan.

What he really needed to know was what the horses would do if things got difficult. That would really tell him everything.

----------------------------------------

Anthony drank his mid afternoon tea as Finley wrangled the horses. Dwarves liked a stiff brew. He was going to have some difficulty going to sleep tonight, if the hairs on the back of his neck were any indication. He didn't mind. He had been wired since they got their new stash of cards and pieces.

With three wagons moving, they would need three drivers. Sophie was a driver, Finley was a driver, and three others had animal handling skills. Six horses would be on the caravans. That didn't leave any room for people to ride along, if every person with animal handling was tasked out. Among the salvage materials. He had about thirty six dwarven pieces of various sizes. Many duplicates meant he was able to really pretend that he had an actual Caravan.

He hadn't gone as far as to ask Andrew to make him little figurines, but he was getting close. The itch to ask him for that kind of help grew every hour.

"Andrew, what are you working on right now?" He asked the dwarf.

"Oh a little bit of this and that. I'm trying to salvage some of what we got. It's going to be hard for me to get boards and nails when we're moving again. Also, there was a request for some very strong industrial strength, needles? And some fabric thread? Do you know anything about that?"

"Oh yeah. That's the crazy idea that we're going to build an airship. I don't know how realistic it is because I've never built one. It doesn't seem impossible. We just need the right materials for the balloon."

"Now you say the word airship like it should mean something. I know what a ship is. It's the thing that floats in water. I know what air is. Or at least I thought I did until now. When you put those two concepts together, I am drawing a blank."

Andrew put down what he was working on to give Anthony his full attention.

"It's like a bag filled with hot air? The air is hotter than the air around it so it rises."

"Okay. But what about the ship part?"

"Obviously we would attach the ship to the bottom of the balloon."

"You say obviously but nothing about this is obvious. This whole idea is ridiculous but hey. Zombies. Do you think will be safe if we are observing them from above?"

"I'm kind of counting on it. Everything we learned so far indicates that they don't really look up. It might be different if we're dealing with a death knight."