As David, Claire, and their escorts set off towards the rendezvous point, the swamp's oppressive atmosphere seemed to close in around them. The air hung heavy with moisture, carrying the pungent scent of decaying vegetation and stagnant water. Gnarled trees loomed overhead, their branches draped with curtains of hanging moss that swayed gently in the breeze.
Claire's massive form moved with surprising grace through the muck, her clawed feet barely disturbing the murky water. As they trudged along, she peppered Tom and Lucas with questions, her casual tone belying her intense curiosity.
"So, how do you guys handle food storage in this climate?" Claire asked, her eyes scanning the inhospitable terrain. "I can't imagine it's easy to keep things fresh."
Tom nodded, his long neck bobbing. "It's a challenge, for sure. We've got a few Evolved with the right abilities, and some with preservation skills. Plus, we've developed some pretty nifty dehydration techniques, depending on who's available at the time."
Claire hummed thoughtfully. "Clever. What about water? It's got to be hard to keep everyone happy on that front."
Lucas chimed in, "Oh, we've got that covered! There's this one guy, Pete, who can literally piss clean water. It's wild!"
Claire's massive head swung towards the hawk-man, her expression a mix of disgust and fascination. "You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking."
Lucas cackled, fluttering neatly over a slippery log. "Got me. Yeah, I'm fucking with you. Can you imagine it though? Hah!"
As Claire continued her interrogation, David found his mind wandering, trying to prepare for the upcoming meeting. The title 'The Entrepreneur' kept bouncing around in his head, refusing to settle.
Who the hell gives themselves a title like that? It's like they're trying to be a superhero, but their power is aggressive networking and PowerPoint presentations.
He imagined a figure in a business suit, cape fluttering dramatically as they presented quarterly earnings reports. The mental image was so absurd he had to stifle a snort.
Focus, David. This could be important. Just... try not to laugh if they introduce themselves as 'Esmeralda the Entrepreneur, CEO of Apocalypse Industries' or something equally ridiculous.
As they neared the meeting point, David's keen eyes spotted the massive tortoise he'd seen earlier through his Cuddlebug's vision. To his surprise, his summon seemed to notice him as well, sending a mental pulse of recognition that made David's fur stand on end in surprise.
The sensation of seeing himself through the Cuddlebug's eyes was disorienting, like looking into a funhouse mirror that somehow captured his very essence. He mentally commanded it to stay hidden and wait, receiving a chittering acknowledgment that seemed to echo in his skull.
You know what? Little guy needs a name…something that really captures the essence of–
Suddenly, Claire shook herself slightly, jostling David out of his mental gymnastics. He blinked, coming back to reality just in time to hear the scout with dark, parrot-like plumage ask, "Does he space out like that a lot?"
David, caught off-guard, fumbled for a response. "Uh, yeah, I guess. When I've got a lot to think about and nothing's actively trying to eat me, anyway."
The scout considered this for a moment before letting out a booming laugh that echoed across the swamp. "That's fair, man! That's fair!"
Tom stepped forward, his long neck curving gracefully upwards as he addressed David where he perched atop Claire. "Esmeralda will see you whenever you're ready." He paused, looking slightly uncomfortable before adding, "And, uh, some free advice to make up for earlier: don't give anything away if you can get something out of her for it."
Lucas nodded vigorously. "Oh, and don't let her appearance distract you. Just... be prepared."
David raised an eyebrow at that last bit but decided not to press the issue. He gave Claire a pat on her bony frill. "I'll be right back," he said, then leaned in to whisper, "If they try anything, expect the tent to be filled with Miasma in about three seconds. I'll come out guns blazing. Pew pew."
Claire clacked her jaws a few times, clearly struggling not to laugh. "Be careful," she rumbled softly.
With a nod, David spread his wings and took off, gliding silently over the intervening distance. He landed gracefully in front of the tent, noticing the tortoise give him a friendly nod. Its neck seemed unnaturally long, and it used the length to direct him towards the tent in an oddly fluid motion.
Wow that's a long neck. Always thought that looked weird, probably works like a periscope or something…wait, tortoises can't swim can they? Hmm.
As he approached the tent flap, David was surprised by the intricacy of its construction. The silk strands were woven together with surprising skill, creating a delicate yet sturdy barrier. It was far from perfect – the overall shape was a bit wonky – but it was easily the most refined piece of craftsmanship he'd seen since the Integration.
Huh. Not bad for post-apocalyptic interior design. Maybe this Esmeralda really does have some entrepreneurial spirit after all.
Taking a deep breath, David steeled himself for whatever bizarre encounter awaited him beyond the silk curtain. With one last glance back at Claire, who watched him with a mix of concern and curiosity, he reached out to pull aside the tent flap and step inside.
David ducked into the tent, expecting darkness. Instead, he found himself bathed in an ethereal glow. Luminous strands of silk hung from the ceiling in dense knots, their bioluminescent blue light interspersed with flecks of yellow and green. The effect was mesmerizing, like stepping into a cave filled with living stars.
His feet sank into piles of animal pelts, their varied textures a stark contrast to the uneven surface beneath. David could feel the subtle curvature of the tortoise's shell through the furs, each step a small reminder of the bizarre nature of this mobile meeting room.
A small table in the center of the tent caught his eye, each leg securely webbed to the tortoise's back. Despite the uneven terrain, David was certain it wouldn't so much as wobble when in motion. Its surface was plastered in silk, with an odd assortment of items adhered to it – trinkets, scraps of paper, and what looked like dried insects.
As David's eyes adjusted to the ambient glow, they settled on an intricately woven silk structure near the center of the tent. It resembled a cross between a hammock and a nest, its edges curling inward to create a cocoon-like sanctuary. Strands of luminescent silk were woven throughout, giving it an otherworldly shimmer.
Nestled within this silken cradle was Esmeralda. At first glance, she appeared to be a peculiar fusion of caterpillar and spider, no larger than a child's forearm. Her elongated body was covered in iridescent flesh that shifted colors with each subtle movement, while rows of bristly spines ran along her back like a mohawk gone wild. Just behind her head sprouted a quartet of stubby spider-like legs, each ending in a delicate pair of claws.
Compound eyes, reminiscent of a dragonfly's, dominated her features, their facets reflecting the bioluminescent glow of the tent.
Noticing his gaze, Esmeralda extended one of her forelegs in a graceful wave. "Welcome, David," she greeted, her voice high-pitched yet crystal clear. "I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. I'm Esmeralda, proprietor of the Wandering Wares Caravan."
David's ears twitched at the formal introduction. "Nice to meet you, Esmeralda. Quite the setup you've got here."
"Thank you," she replied, her tone polite and measured. "We believe in maintaining a professional environment, even in these challenging times. Now, I understand you possess a unique perspective and knowledge that could be of great interest to our organization."
David nodded, his eyes roaming over the glowing silk strands that adorned the tent. "I might. But before we get into that, I have a few questions of my own. For instance, where's Azanah? Last time we met, she mentioned plans that weren't exactly... friendly."
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Esmeralda's compound eyes seemed to flicker for a moment, but her voice remained steady. "I assure you, if Azanah had any such plans, they were not sanctioned by our organization. We value integrity in all our dealings. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding?"
"Maaaaaybe," David conceded, though his tone suggested skepticism. "While we're on the topic of information sharing, why haven't you informed your people about Wildsoul techniques yet?"
Esmeralda shifted slightly in her silk nest, her forelegs moving in what might have been a sigh. "We're currently in the testing phase. It's our policy to thoroughly vet all new information before dissemination to ensure the safety and well-being of our members. I'm sure you understand the need for caution in these unpredictable times. Would you be interested in a position with us?"
David barked out a laugh, genuinely surprised by her candor. "Fair enough. Though I'm technically already employed by an Overseer, I think." He paused, tapping his chin with a talon thoughtfully. "I'd gladly take a job with you if I thought it could get me out of that."
Esmeralda's professional demeanor didn't waver. "I see. Well, perhaps we can discuss mutually beneficial arrangements then. Do you have any information you'd be willing to share, as a gesture of good faith?"
"Already told you about Wildsoul through Azanah," David reminded her.
"Indeed," Esmeralda conceded. "As I mentioned, we're still in the testing phase. We've encountered some... complications during our trials. Several fainting spells, exhaustion; were still working out the kinks."
David's ears perked up. "You'll owe me for this, but here's the deal with Wildsoul..." He explained the intricacies of charging and releasing, as opposed to ‘continuous feed’ depending on the ability in question.
As he spoke, Esmeralda began furiously weaving a cord of silk. It extruded directly from her mouth, her four front legs working in perfect harmony to create an intricate pattern. Glowing strands were woven into the cord, forming what David guessed was some sort of coded message or record.
Upon finishing, Esmeralda attached the skein to her hammock, joining several others. "Thank you for sharing that valuable information," she said, her voice quickening with barely contained excitement despite her professional tone. "Now, about the other areas of expertise we possess..." She launched into a measured yet compelling overview of their knowledge base, gesturing to the plethora of glowing skeins, cords, and weaves adorning the tent.
David's eyes roamed over the luminous tapestry, admiring their beauty now that he understood their purpose. A nagging thought tugged at his mind –
I wonder if any of this can actually help us. There's gotta be something good in there somewhere. She's weird for sure, but I think they're actually in the level. She did dodge that question about Azanah pretty niftily though…
The air in the tent felt thick with potential, the soft glow of the silk strands casting dancing shadows across David's fur. The gentle sway of the hanging skeins created a hypnotic effect, as if the secrets they held were alive and whispering just above his head.
David's eyes flicked between them curiously, each one potentially holding information that could change the game for him. He cleared his throat, drawing Esmeralda's compound gaze back to him.
"I might have something worth trading," he began, carefully modulating his tone. "Information from an Overseer about the state of the world. Pretty fresh, too."
The effect on Esmeralda was immediate and intense. Her tiny legs began grasping at the air reflexively, her entire body wiggling with barely contained excitement. It was a bizarre sight, her insectoid form lacking any of the usual mammalian cues, yet the greed and interest were unmistakable.
After a moment, she stilled herself, her voice steady despite the earlier display. "I'd need to hear the information first to properly value it. Rest assured, this will be handled as a business interaction. If the information is good enough, I'll trade fairly for it, even if it means revealing many of our secrets."
David nodded, a smirk playing at the corners of his snout. "Well, for starters, I've actually interacted with two Overseers. Omega and Xi."
Esmeralda's body went rigid, her attention laser-focused on David.
"Omega told me the entire planet is suffering from 'poor interactivity metrics,' whatever that means. Something called 'Originators' have been sent and are due to arrive shortly. Xi then informed me, in a roundabout way, that the second wave will likely kick off around the same time they arrive. Omega all but confirmed it later."
"How exactly did Xi inform you of the second wave?" Esmeralda asked, her tone sharp with suspicion.
David's grin widened, inadvertently showcasing his impressive array of fangs. "It was revealed to me in a dream," he said cryptically. A faint ripple ran across his silhouette as he flexed his camouflage just a bit for effect.
Esmeralda seemed to recoil slightly, and David suddenly remembered something. "By the way, why didn't you freak out when I walked in? Most people do, you know. It's part of my whole..." he gestured vaguely at himself, "thing."
Esmeralda's legs twitched. "I'll be scared later when there's not money to be made," she muttered. "But you are... a disconcerting presence. I may have locked up slightly as you entered, but it's important to maintain a professional demeanor. Wouldn't you agree?"
David flicked a single ear noncommittally.
She fell silent, her head swiveling between groups of glowing notes. Finally, she seemed to give up. "What do you want in exchange for a bombshell like that? Advance warning of the extra rewards ending and the second wave potentially changing everything... that's practically priceless right now."
David pondered for a moment, his wings rustling softly against the furs be earth him. "Maps would be good. Information about what happened in the wider world. Anything you have on Control abilities or builds. Oh, and if you've got any tips on how a giant murdersaurus might avoid starving to death if they happen to get even more gigantic when they evolve, that'd be great too."
Esmeralda's compound eyes seemed to widen, if that was even possible. "That's... quite a list. I can offer to read you the information from my records, as they're the original copies and wouldn't be of much use to you directly. As for maps, I can show you what we have, but I'm afraid I can't let you take them with you."
She bustled about the tent, crawling along tether lines David had simply assumed were holding the structure together. She gathered several skeins of silk and what looked like large sheets of woven silk, hanging them from her body like bizarre decorations as she returned. Laying them out on the table, David saw that these 'maps' were created using different colored silks to mark the relative distances of notable landmarks and features.
To his surprise, the map seemed to be both a work in progress and designed to be added to, with large swathes of blank space. It appeared to follow a relatively direct path towards Riverport, with some of the features closer to the leading edge being things he recognized, like the mountains and swamp they were currently standing in.
The scale of the map was impressive, easily covering several hundred miles, if not more. Cities, or what remained of them, were marked with intricate spirals of red silk. Forests were depicted as patches of green, their edges blurred to indicate uncertainty or ongoing change. Bodies of water were represented by shimmering blue threads that caught the bioluminescent light, creating the illusion of movement.
What caught David's eye most were the areas marked with stark black silk – zones of known danger or unexplained phenomena. These ominous patches dotted the landscape, some small, others sprawling across vast areas. Notes in a tiny, precise script bordered these regions, notating what they had encountered there.
As David studied the map, Esmeralda began to read from the silk skeins, her high-pitched voice reciting information about Control abilities, large-scale foraging techniques, and the fragmented reports they'd received about the wider world.
"Cities swallowed by forests, entire coastlines reshaped. A few settlements here and there, but mostly it's wandering groups of anywhere between one and fifteen people. We've yet to encounter any similarly sized mobile operations." she read, her tone clinical despite the fantastical nature of the information. "It's hard to separate fact from fiction, but this is the most consistent information we've received."
David nodded, his eyes still roaming over the intricate silk map. "This is... impressive. You've covered a lot of ground."
"We try to be thorough," Esmeralda replied, a note of pride in her voice. "Now, is there anything specific you'd like me to elaborate on?"
As David opened his mouth to respond, he caught sight of his reflection in a polished piece of metal propped against the tent wall. His monstrous visage stared back at him, red eyeshine glaring brightly, and he couldn't help but strike a pose.
Damn, I do look pretty metal.
In his distraction, David's wing caught on the edge of the small table. He tugged, but it held fast, the webbing surprisingly strong.
"Uh, little help here?" he called out, trying to maintain some dignity as he flapped uselessly.
Esmeralda turned, clicking in what might have been amusement. "One moment," she said, her tone perfectly professional despite the ridiculous scene before her.
As she worked to free him, carefully plucking and twisting at the silk, David couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of it all. Here he was, a bat-monster, stuck to a table in a tent on the back of a giant tortoise, negotiating with a silk-spinning bug-woman for information that could save their asses. Or at least make surviving a little easier.
Finally freed, David flexed his wing, checking for damage. Finding none, he turned back to Esmeralda. "One more thing," he said, pausing before he left. "If you see Azanah, tell her we're even. But if she tries anything funny again, all bets are off."
Esmeralda nodded solemnly. "I'll convey the message. And David? Thank you for this information. It may well save many lives."
David grinned, his fangs glinting in the bioluminescent light. "Just doing my part to keep the apocalypse interesting. See you in Riverport, Esmeralda the Entrepreneur."
With that, he ducked out of the tent, his mind buzzing with new information and the image of that vast, silken map etched into his memory. The second wave was coming, and with it, a whole new set of challenges. But now, at least, they had a bit of an edge.