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I take Reiley and Bokyli aside as Kima watch Seyrla, and whisper my idea to them. They had heard fragments of what made Seyrla giggle with joyfull wickedness as she said 'yes' to it, and agree it is not a bad solution. Neither of them want Seyrla living here - for several obvious reasons - and this is a bad world. We don't know the other people under Seyrla's control, or if they're good people, but caring too much about unknown Aliens is dangerous as hell, and it doesn't matter if they're human or another of their kind. They might be assholes and I prioritise the people I know and care about, and so do they. So they agree and support the decision and both kiss me. That Bokyli kiss me just after and in front of Reiley surprise me, and even more so that Reiley doesn't really react. Joined by a common enemy? Oh well, time to detail out that plan, and I have to make sure the orders I give Seyrla keep her under my control. As we quietly makes plans, Bokyli ask what I am humming, and I realise that I am humming and in my mind hearing Sabaton's Joakim Brodén sing 'They will play my game, and play by my rules' and 'I will win but never fight - that's the art of war!'.

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I have kept Seyrla's telescopic spyglass, but Seyrla have gotten the rest of her stuff back. She will simply have lost or forgotten the spyglass somewhere if anyone notice it is missing. Seyrla have taken a shower she really appreciated and eaten some food, but she still look exhausted. Those flowers really did a number on her, and it is noticeable how she avoid touching some parts of her body while adjusting her clothes and gear. She stole some of that gear and the accompanying backstory she told us from that drugged woman that unfortunately died. Seyrla is normally a knife, sword and gun slinging woman, but she used most of her bullets before coming here while 'acquiring' that bag of drugs, and then wasted more during the first week. She have shown me her hidden pouches, and it was damn strange to see a small stiletto blade with a cutting file back just pop out through her arms skin. She just have to will it and it happen. Literally like flexing a muscle. The blade-file is also ceramic to not be detected by metal detectors or powerful magnets, and that I noticed and asked if that was why, made Seyrla smile. Her rib cage pouch opens from a very very discrete fold if she bends to the right side and back and wills it, and since it is behind her rib cage it can not be felt, even if someone plays with her squishy tit. Similar with her internal armour. Not that I felt her body much, even though she asked me too. She wisely avoid carrying dangerous stuff in her chest pouch. The bag containing the drugs was too big and is double layered and armoured, but it would be very bad if it broke or leaked, so she wouldn't carry something like that unless it was absolutely necessary. That drug bag is hidden in a rest stop some distance from her stronghold. She usually carried a small pack with emergency money, jewels and a couple of lockpicks. Even if striped naked, and full cavity searched in her vagina and butt, she would still have a small blade and tool, lockpicks and money.

Seyrla will bring me her revolver the next time she comes back. I want it because it is both an alien firearm and metal, and I want firearms out of others hands. I want her mechanical wristwatch since it is an alien artifact and interesting. Apparently the days are about 18% longer here, but she likes it, and a vague hours per year gives her age a 0.78 factor, so I guess Seyrla would be 39ish on Earth, and she could have been a grandmother, but being a mother really isn't for her.

In firearms tech her kind seem to be at middle of European 1850s tech level or something, while medicine, drugs and biotech are more 1950s. Her kind heal well although it takes time, and they have low legal standards about experimenting on people or finding 'volunteers'. Their cities seem more like start of 1900, and they have steam power and gas or oil lightning, but they also have telegraphs, simple radio and some electric power and electric light. If you're wealthy enough. There is a small petroleum industry, and they have some synthetic materials. Cities are polluted with bad smog and soot, so most rich live in huge mansions outside the cities. The only good thing about her new life here is the clean air, water and nature. Her kind seem to have no self-contained cartridges for firearms, but have rockets, explosives and hand grenades. Seyrla used to carry two small hand grenades in daily life along with her knives and a revolver, and really miss her favourite rocket launcher. And I agree; big dinosaurs would be less of an issue if we had RPGs. Or grenade launchers. Or just .50 cal machine guns, but her world doesn't seem to have automatic weapons.

Seyrla's worlds industrialization and tech level feels weird, but organized crime corporations ruling gangs and fighting for turf on a world where everyone fly more or less, will go to war differently than European countries did, and have other innovation motivations and need. Small street gangs going to war or fighting is quite basic with every imaginable sharp, pointed or blunt item, and home-made armours from scraps, stacked cloth and paper and so on. Home-made crossbows are common in street fights, because they are more silent than guns and fairly easy to make and shoot, and ammo is easier to make than getting gunpowder. They are after all a flying species and ranged weapons are very useful, especially defending a position and shooting out through gaps, but the wings is a bit of an issue for using some weapons, and bows are 'impractical'. Parts of Seyrla's world seems almost post-apocalyptic.

"You two better take good care of Arne and keep him happy and safe. If will be very unhappy if he dies."

Seyrla's threat towards Reiley and Bokyli is unnecessary and just annoys them, but I guess it is just who she is and a need to feel back in control. Like she is above them in our hierarchy. Which she isn't. So, I just take a slow step forward, lean towards her and whisper:

"Unless you have to keep up appearances of being in charge, you do not talk to them like that. I will happily give them the power to be able to order you to kneel, drink their pee, and having to thank them for it."

I give Seyrla a quick kiss on her cheek and step back while smiling. Seyrla smile back like nothing have happened, but give me a graceful nod it's understood. Threats of violence and humiliation is probably just another normal day in her life, but I assume she is usually the one doing it. Reiley and Bokyli have very good hearing and heard what I whispered, and Bokyli smile is devilish. I think she would actually order that if I gave her the power, as Bokyli does not like Seyrla or what she have said during our talks. I was planning to use a hierarchy for orders, like Seyrla have to follow Reiley's orders too, as long as those orders don't countermand mine, but that might be a future thing as I don't want Reiley to abuse order giving. Seyrla make one last check, before looking at the sky and herself and she makes a disapproving face and voice:

"This will not do. It is no longer dark."

Seyrla looks at me with a very sly smile and just stands there as her smile grows. Reiley do the gasp I almost do, as Seyrla's skin slowly becomes lighter coloured, and her smile have become sly smugness while holding my eyes captive. The outer parts of her eyes have also changed to a lighter colour. I just look as Seyrla's skin change into a light grey shade. Seyrla stretch her shoulders and arms, and casually say: "Much better."

Seyrla turns around and looks out over the ridges and sea as her now light grey leathery wings unfold and start to flutter in the wind. Seyrla looks back over her shoulder and wing to give me a seductive smile and wink before turning her head back as her wings catch wind.

"Here comes trouble."

She falls forward and flies away making powerful strokes. Her playful and almost childish voice dripping with glee as she said that promise way more than 'trouble'. Shit. It's likely that she will take out some pent up rage on her underlings or someone she see. That colour changing trick is very good, and I did not expect that. None of us did. Seyrla absolutely did that just to show off and prove I didn't figure out all of her tricks. I'm not mad about that, as she was stupid to show it off. That could be used to give the impression she is several people, especially from afar, so she should have kept that secret from us. Well, from them. Now I know, and will ask her about it when she returns to talk with me. Except not being allowed to inform others about most of our Star Fall gear or Kima's venom, the conversation order have been set to 16 days, and there is still no automatic cancellation if I die. I of course made sure she understand that I expect her at least once a week, and that she really want to do that. She will die if she doesn't have a conversation with me every two weeks, and beside life messing up her plans, she might get sick, wounded and so on, which means she won't be able to do the trip to me. So waiting is playing with danger and stupid, and the two week limit is a prudent buffer - not a longer leash. Seyrla also know I will punish her if she do things I don't like, and her life is bound to me. So it is in her best interest to be helpful and keep me safe.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I made sure that Seyrla got the impression that Xuela and Vekalie are our scouts, although it was Seyrla who put Vekalie in that category too, wanting to prove she is smart and know stuff. Seyrla spotted Vekalie and tracked her during a day before she lost her, being very impressed with Vekalie's mobility and speed, hoping she could be convinced to join Seyrla's gang, or sent to the Shore Cliff camp. Seyrla never even considered that someone could outrun the dinosaurs or be that mobile and travels so far each day on the ground. It's understandable that Seyrla's kind don't walk or run far or fast. What Seyrla will say when she eventually realise that Bokyli and Vekalie are the same species and they can change?

Seyrla know that we know far more about the world and region than she does, as she never scouted far away as she can't fly far without resting, and she also had other priorities. I have let her know about King and his camp, and the raid on the Lake Camp, although I skipped a lot of detail. I didn't really tell her the true reason why we know a lot about both camps, as she don't need to know, but I told her we took out and interrogated a raiding group lying in ambush by the Salt Boon. There is likely to be a far large raiding group within two weeks. Just telling about King and his Kingdom and the raid against another camp, instantly made King a target, and even more so as King expect women to be workers that crawl at his feet. Seyrla absolute agree that the best way to deal with competition, is to eliminate them before they even know they have been targeted, and Seyrla is the type to hit damn hard if she can.

I didn't tell Seyrla what blue Star Falls contain since she don't need to know, but she have of course noticed all our advanced gear, tools and weapons. We were after all kitted up for defence, and all the matching camouflage gear, bows, crossbows and other weapons really impressed her. She also noticed proper tools and such as we worked yesterday, and her impression is that we have been here for longer than we have, but kept a very low profile. The foliage and camouflage netting to hide and give shade impressed her, and she mainly found the cliff because of sound and movement. Without something to call attention to the cliff, our stronghold is easy to miss, which feels good to know.

Seyrla's tarp was in a camouflage pattern looking like a form of 'woodland' with extra spots, and apparently her gang also have another tarp, some machetes, water bottle pouches and belt kits in that camouflage pattern, and the Shore Cliff camp group have similar stuff in their own distinct camouflage pattern, so unless it is to annoy the leader like King, it seems more and more likely that the DAB's give each group their own camouflage pattern at least in the local area, which is both good and bad. Seyrla's gang and the Shore Cliff camp haven't really focused on ranged weapons and instead gone for trapping, and hunting big dinosaurs with a bow or crossbow isn't practical. Attacks from other raiders have not been a huge concern for them, but Seyrla have used a bow she took from a chosen, as a bow is a lightweight ranged weapon that can be used against other chosen. It was used against her, but 'she returned' and took out her displeasure on that chosen. That she have gotten a Star Fall bow is probably all the info I need that she have used that looted bow on others, but she admit to not being that good with either bow, especially when flying. But now, Seyrla will try to get more and better ranged weapons for her group, and will check what the Shore Cliff group can do. She can make a crossbow from industrial scraps, but wood, bone and sinew isn't what she used in her youth, and it will probably be heavy and cumbersome.

How much we will eventually arm or supply Seyrla's gang or they us, is a future issue. Hopefully I can give her another telescope in the future, but she really want glass windows for her Strongholds windows. Well, mostly her bedroom windows in that stronghold, and she will measure the windows. I'll need some time to decide exactly how everything will work, but it might be 'tribute' to Seyrla. Seyrla's gang doesn't know what she do or finds when she is out flying or scouting, so she have a lot of freedom, and can send people our way or give us intel or Star Falls without them knowing. Seyrla will of course try to increase her gang with useful members, and it is not something I will prevent as the alternative might be to have people die by dinosaur. If someone awake close by, they might simply see her stronghold as it was not made to be discrete. When Seyrla return I will probably teach her how to make and use a compass and take headings and so, but I will frame it as I'm doing it to give her 'Compass vision'. It's not that useful or important since most people can't move around much, but for her it is useful and she can write down headings and such to give me, and who knows? It might be a precursor to something very useful. Right, I need to teach Nilma that too. Seyrla will probably receive a glyph book next time she visits, as the more that use it, the more useful it will be, and it will feel like a small victory against the damn alien bastards. Yeah, it will be a public code, but very simple cryptography will help if we need to send a secret message.

We have decided that Seyrla can tell the Shore Cliff camp about us, but she won't tell them about the Salt Boon. She found the Boon when she looked for our catamaran - which kind of proves my point that the Boon spire should have been built higher - but the Shore Cliff camp have been making salt from sea water, and the Salt Boon will be a long way for them to travel. Still, it might be worth to trade salt with them since we can transport large amounts of salt by boat, and Seyrla does not have much confidence in their raft. There is another Boon very close to her Stronghold, but she haven't understood what it does, as there is just 'dark sand' there. Seyrla is a City girl, and she haven't understood what Boons are or their purpose, and like pretty much everyone she don't think in game terms, but she will bring some 'black spire sand' next time she comes here. I'm convinced it is very valuable and probably contain metal of some sort. Iron is on the top of my wish list, but copper, zinc, tin or lead have their uses. It might be too heavy for Seyrla or Xuela to carry much, but rucksacks or making a cart and moving a cart load to the coast to be picked up by the boat should be feasible, but it's more likely that processing will start at her stronghold since there is a lot of wood available in the huge forest, and clearing more of it out will make help make fields of fire and so on. But I need to know what the dark sand material is and figure out the process. I still have that turquoise ore to process too. I should do that today. After taking a nap. Seyrla have disappeared from view, and I kiss Reiley who is leaning against me. Reiley smile, gives me another kiss, and say she will work in the community area. Bokyli stay behind as Reiley leave, and as expected Bokyli hugs me and give me a kiss. I feel her hand stroking my groin and she obviously wants to have sex. But I'm not in the mood, and we head over to the community area.

In front of the others I give Kima the last camouflaged soft hat and a steel knife, as a token of our appreciation that she captured Seyrla. Kima's exuberant joy and speechlessness is followed by her wagging around, clapping her hands and singing:

"Happy happy joy Kima! Happy happy joy!" And she repeats that line, and repeats it as she dance along. It's a happy dance, that honestly warms our hearts. That's the first cute thing about Kima. And her love of hats.

"Alliances are advantageous, but Conquering makes a ruler, and a ruler needs to command. Your deeds have earned you a gift, and a star is falling. Your deeds have also earned you Spirit Message; Say 'Spirit Message to' and say the person you have meets name followed by the message for it to be heard. Four have bound their life in your service; Slaves. Servants. Soldiers. Spies. Their fate yours to decide. Oath bounds can be granted the ability to report to their Master. Say 'Grant Spirit Message to' and say the oath bounds name. Your deeds have earned you a gift, and another star is falling."

What? That is not the usual phrase and a heck of an important skill, and a lot of information. I really don't like the DAB's view of oath bounding, but absentmindedly I say the phrase: "Incoming Star Fall. And there might be two." My announcement is questioningly echoed by the others, but we're all confused as we hurry to look around and move to get a better view of the sky. I grab Reiley and whisper:

"Reiley, before the usual announcement that my deeds have earned me a gift, there was more. Something like: 'Alliances are advantageous, but Conquering makes a ruler, and a ruler needs to command.' I got something called 'Spirit Message'. I think I can send a message to someone I've met."

Reiley just looks at me as I nod, and she is as baffled and confused as I am.

"There! What?" We look where Xuela is pointing. "Is that yellow? That is yellow, right?"

We all nod and agree. A yellow Star Fall. Yellow. I see that they all look at me, and I don't really want to repeat what the voice said, and I feel Reiley squeeze my hand for reassurance as we just look at the yellow Star Fall and each other. I feel like the damn alien bastards just raised the ante.

"Above it! A Red Star Fall too! Two Star Falls at the same time!"

I just avoid their looks as I feel Reiley's hand squeeze my hand.

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