SUBJECT // nakob nearsmith // stiltian tracker //

THEORY POTENTIAL // crusted //

Up wall. Not chore. Safe enough. Good view! Nice to stay. But needed.

Easy climb down.

Easy trek back.

Others talking. Even boss. Disappointed.

Little baldy spots me first. Sneaky shit. Don't trust.

"Nake's back, Nake! Good looking! Tell us what you saw, you got up the wall? Anything good out there?"

Say nothing. Wait for boss.

"Nakob," says she. "See anything useful?"

Others gathering. Audience. Uncomfortable.

"Give the man space," says boss. Good woman. "Nakob? What did you see?"

Point. "Cliff." Point. "Cliff." Point. "Big river." Point. "Crevasse. Bridges. Beyond, made things. Above, light."

Silence. Then babbling questions.

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"Made things," says girl. "Like buildings?"

Shrug.

"What do you mean 'light'," says boy. "Some kind of beacon? Break in the clouds?"

"What clouds."

Up they look. Makes me smile.

Boss got a question: "Cliffs going up or cliffs going down?"

Point up.

"No but the light though," boy again. "What was it?"

"Like lighthouse," says I. "No water. Not moving. Just shining."

Thinking silence. Then look to boss.

"What about the arena?" asks she. "How many lizardmen there?"

"None."

Surprised them.

"None?" says she. "So they left?"

"Some left. Some stayed." Grin. "Four killers stayed too. Four killers had fun."

Babble of questions. Don't like it. Maybe shouldn't have said. Too much talk.

"Settle," says boss. Eyes on me. "Four killers. Four people?"

Spit. "Nuh."

"Cursed?"

Spit. "Yuh."

Boss goes thinking quiet. Others too. Good.

"The river is that way?" says boss, pointing. "It leads to the crevasse?"

Nod.

"Then we'll head for the river and follow it to the crevasse. Find one of those bridges to cross."

"Getting away from the arena sounds good to me," says little baldy. "Cursed killers or fucking lizards or whatever, wanna be far from all of that."

"There could be worse out there," says boy. "Could be way worse."

"Yeah? Oh yeah? Like fucking what?"

Sign to protect. Shitty little baldy. Trawling for bad. Too much talk.

"Enough," says boss. "Everyone—"

Yell. New yell.

"FUCKING RUN!" yells new yeller. "RUN!"

Yeller runs through. Runs on.

Look to boss.

Boss thinking.

"Yeah, okay," says boss. "Fucking run."