He was used to working alone. He was also used to moving in a caravan. It has just been a while. When, after lunch the Monks told him that they had found a potential third wagon to add to the caravan he finally knew that it was time. There weren't many things that could disturb Bob, chosen ranger of Mork. The smell and feel of a cat throwing up a hairball at his feet, however was at the top of the list. The two meter fall by contrast, didn't bother him.

"We should make a stand here," he whispered.

"Fuck that noise," Stella said. "Unless you got a quest. Did you get a quest?"

"No, but, look-" He gathered the pieces, placing them into another bag that Stella had handed him. She had hidden so many bags, and he didn't even know where.

"No, you listen. I understand that we are stronger than them. We are vastly outnumbered. Theirs is a war of attrition. We're fighting to survive. We wouldn't stand a chance long term, especially if a death knight appeared on the field," she said. Stella shuddered. She never wanted to experience that again.

"But I killed that death knight-" Bob said.

"Yes. You did. Call that a fluke. Just because your God is telling you to hunt them down, doesn't mean just this minute. We can't re-alive those dwarves, right?"

"That is a good question. Let's go clean off and get down from here. Finley might know."

They followed the land bridge back to their growing safe zone. Finley waved to them. The two rucksacks that they had filled were already there. Finley was sorting them.

It would have been nice to get the first pick.

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"This pile is utility cards that are situational," Finley said. "They are the most useful. Some of them are part of a set. The pile here-the shortest one is five class cards. None are combat classes. They have some good if questionable skills. Next to that are skill cards that I could potentially combine into another class card. Those are half common and uncommon. Then there are all of these less than useful cards..."

The largest stack was the copper stack that Finley had deemed of little to no use. That comprised about one hundred cards.

There was a established ratio of common to uncommon cards from most classes. It nearly always gave the expected result. He didn't know the particulars. It would have been convenient. The card shop should have had a specialized series of books by one C. Ard Sharq that spelled out the particulars. He never kept one.

It was an exceedingly dry read.

"As soon as the monks get back from their diversion we can do the blind auction. If you agree Anthony, we can give everyone ten or so card pieces; they can bid using those."

"This is really going to help you with your skills?"

"And it's the only fair way. If we let people choose the card powers that benefit them the most in what they want to do for the caravan, instead of telling them what to do, then they'll be more motivated. I'm thinking of giving another two pieces to the ones that took on the mission. Think of it like an incentive."

On the third day since the caravan formed, they held a blind auction at lunch. The three people on watch had to be switched out twice, giving enough consideration to everyone. Finley had added the accountant card to the lot and was surprised that his was the only bid for it.

None of these humans had apparently understood the importance of managing the books. He said a quick prayer to Cara, goddess of drug deals, for his fortune.

The entire process felt like it had really solidified that they were in it for the long run. There was no one coming to save him. No favors left to lean on. Of course he had added his accountant class to his deck by that time. He felt like his barter skill was on the precipice of what had to be another level up.

"So, Anthony, I wanted to talk to you about getting another wagon? The monks were telling me that there's one nearby. And it might have been a Tinker wagon? That would be a find."

"Yeah. They're going to see if they can move it into the road, then potentially pull it partway here. One of them chose a horse power card so they're going to be able to move it a little bit. If we had some tough rope then it would be easier. They could pull it like sled dogs."

"Sled dogs?"

"It's a thing back on Earth. You know what, forget it. The point is that it's facing the right direction to pull it to a north south road. All they have to do is get it moving over here. How long does it take to harness up the horses? I should know this."

"Too long to be out in the open like that."

"Yeah I was worried you would say that. Our next option is to have them push it as well. We're going to spend a lot of effort getting this thing here that we don't even know is viable yet."

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"I want that wagon, Anthony."

"I got it-"

"No, you don't understand. If this was a Tinker wagon, I want it."

"I was going to say, how badly-"

"I saved your life. I'm officially calling in the favor."

"That seems reasonable. I'll have to check with Sonya and Zan who are making this maze defense thing to increase their skills, but yes."

The elf and the human clasped hands. Finley could feel his Tinker skill advance. He smiled. It had been the right choice. Now he had to decide if he wanted to add anybody to the family. And what that would look like if he did.

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Sonya could see the monks running back and forth. Every so often, Bob would pop up. His summoned creature would then make it's way towards the corpses. Each and every time, it would eviscerate the corpse, take the shiny card pieces, and then return to Bob.

Then Finley cast a spell that created a half-mushroom, half-daisy growth over what remained. The elf grew more green by the day. Each time he used his magic, he turned a slightly darker shade.

No one had said a word.

She had begun to wonder if she was hallucinating it. She could immediately think about the implications. She did not want to consider them.

In the back of her mind, it looked like his deity was using him as a conduit. That connection was a thing that was turning him green. Because that was what they were for.

While Finley did his magic with setting up the blind auction, Sonya was hard at work. There had to be a way to unlock her card powers that seemed stuck.

She instinctively knew that she had to do some sort of ritual. She cast about looking for the tiniest bit of privacy.

She used the attic space. She let the card power take over as it poured mana out into a thick chalk bar. She used the bar to scratch the floor, taking her time. She crafted a large circle, big enough to house a tree.

In a haze, she added runes that she'd never seen before. It looks like a cross between Arabic and Korean. She knew neither. Her Canadian upbringing had taught her French and English. Three minutes after she was done, the haze lifted.

Sonya blinked several times. Then she looked again with a clear eye. If someone had told her that she was going to create a demonic summoning circle, she could have done worse than this. Interspersed between the runes were nondescript bags and drawings of wagons. There were eight of each.

There was some command that she knew in her soul that would let her force the circle to start working. It took her a second to figure out. Then she sighed and said it.

"I know a guy..."

In one moment, the room went deathly silent. It had been quiet before. Now she couldn't hear outside. The horses always made a little bit of noise. Anthony and the monks had been steadily chipping away the zombie numbers when they lured them in. Now she could only hear her own heartbeat. It was fast.

"Finally!" In the center of the circle, a young woman of what had to be primary school age sat in one of those chairs that you only see in the classroom. She had a perfect tie-dye shirt that just screamed, 'My mother is an almond mother'. Her pants looked like they had been made by someone who frequents farmer markets, but has never been to a farm. She didn't wear shoes.

"Uh hello?"

"As you might imagine, I am Cara."

"I did no such thing. Am I supposed to kneel or bow or something?"

"The normal thing that my warlocks do is offer me a token. As I understand the situation that is not necessary. I would accept a card piece."

Sonya shuffled through her pockets and grabbed a single copper card piece.

"This is all I have, it is okay?"

The goddess held it out, sniffed it and then briefly bit it before putting it into her own pocket.

"It is acceptable. As it is the most expensive thing you have which is not inexorably tied to your soul. Now let's get down to business. As you're well aware, I am the goddess of drug deals and overland travel. You can imagine that I'm not exactly thrilled about the current situation on this continent. As such, I summon to you here to be my man on the ground. Or shall I say woman on the ground."

"You want something?" Sonya said. "I assume that is what this is about."

The goddess pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil from somewhere. She began furiously scribbling.

"Ah. Right to business. I see the type. No, I completely understand."

"Yeah, well there's like hundreds of zombies outside that want to eat me, so I can't just have a long social call. Even if I am on rest."

"Understood. That is part of the reason that I called you to this world. We need some heroes to take down the threat."

"You want me to kill thousands of zombies?"

"Well not personally, no. There's really only four that I want you to kill in particular."

"Let me guess. You want me to kill the death knights? Mork already gave Bob a quest for that."

Cara tapped her pencil on her paper and began drawing a large stylized 'S'.

"Ah yes. Mork and I are having a little competition. Mork wants Bob to kill the death knights. I want you to kill them first if possible."

"What? Why can't you kill them?"

"Despite how things seem here, there are other continents on this planet that haven't been affected by this scourge. The longer the death knights are around, the more this place will turn blighted. That's bad for business."

"Business?" Sonya said. She was doing her best not to roll her eyes. "What business? Everyone here is dead."

"You're getting it. Good. Alright here's what I'm going to do, should you accept. I'm going to strengthen your pact with me, which will make you stronger. In exchange, all I ask is an offering of one copper piece a week. More if you're going to try to draw more power. Also if you come across any dank nuggets that the dwarves or elves made, I'm going to need you to toke up in my honor. And that third wagon? You get that up and running and I'll increase your warlock class level. How is that for an incentive?"

"Those are all so random. You want me to toke up and take a trip?"

"I would like you to mark up the third wagon with a small shrine to me. Your ritual skill will show you how. That's how you can send me your patronage."

"I have questions."

"Go ahead."

The deity continued to write in her notepad as Sonya thought.

"Would it be possible to get the things we need to make an airship?"

"It's possible. Overland travel I guess could include the skies," Cara said. She applied a small stick of pink lip gloss. "Do you want that to be a part of this?"

"This what?"

"I'm drawing up a contract for you. You do these things, I give you the things you want."

"Yes. Add that to the contract. If there's a ritual to turn the raw ingredients into what I need, I want that added."

"Excellent. I feel like this will be a very profitable partnership."