Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

Clive rumbled into the tent-town. The halflings scattered as usual, while they were getting used to Clive's quiet car, the excavator was another monster.

It roared and rumbled as it came to a halt at the "entrance" of the tent-town. Halflings screamed and yelled like they were under attack! Some even started throwing stones, pots and pans at the CAT!

He opened the cab door. Then promptly ducked to avoid a flying tea kettle that missed his head and dinged off the cab.

"WAIT!" Clive yelled as a mob of halflings had their arms cocked and loaded with whatever was nearby.

When nothing else was thrown at him he climbed out and stood before the assembled halflings. As Clive went to speak though he was interrupted as a crunch sounded out. He followed the noise and saw as his car rear-ended the Mini-Ex... again.

Turns out placing a halfling in the driver's seat with basic instructions didn't mean he could drive. As evidenced by the many dents that were now on Clive's front bumper. He had been either too quick or too slow on the brake. Either it did little good and the CAT just pulled his car along anyway. Or it was too late and the end result was one more dent.

As his car stopped Hamish climbed out of the car with much relief. He was white as a ghost and a nervous wreck. But he held his ground and stayed standing. Despite the look on his face that said he desperately needed to sit/lay down.

"Good people of... what is this place called Hamish?" Clive whispered to Hamish, though the halfling still seemed out of it he still managed to give Clive a shrug.

"Anyway! Good people! As many of you know I am Clive! And what you see before you is a marvel of human engineering! A excavator! A machine that can move the very land itself!" Clive announced.

Though a handful looked amazed at the machine most of those gathered either gave Clive a critical look or a weary eye at the, supposed, land-mover.

"A demonstration then?"

Clive, after unshackling his car, drove the machine down the wide fairway that was the main track of the tent-town. Many halflings still scattered at the rumbling machine. But some followed along, curiosity beating fear. As he neared a plot that had been claimed by one of the halflings he got to work!

He brought the bucket back like one would a sword and sunk the steel bucket into the earth with a rumble. Then he pulled the arm back with a big scoop of dirt. Then he turned the machine to the side and dumped the dirt into a pile. He turned and looked out the window of the cab and saw many staring wide-eyed at what they were witnessing!

Even Hamish had followed along, still skeptical of Clive's and Skeeter's claims. But yet here he was! Moving the earth like it was nothing! He watched as days, no, WEEKS worth of work was done in minutes! The small pile of dirt gradually grew with each bucket.

Some of the more courageous halflings got the idea to wheel over some wheelbarrows and started carting off the dirt for other use later. After a few laps a system was formed where Clive would dump the dirt into a wheelbarrow, where it would be hauled away. The loose soil would be good for growing crops or for being placed on top of the halfling's homes for insulation against the elements, and a extra place to grow crops or flowers.

Before long a decent sized hole was formed where cement foundation would be poured and plumbing would be placed. Speaking of which. As the first hole was cleared several cars and trucks arrived. Clive called them on the way here. Sam stepped out of his truck and led over a dozen men, all carrying bags of cement mix, shovels, hammers, saws and axes. One truck was guided along over as a small cement-mixer was towed behind.

"So this is where you live now Clive?" Sam asked as he looked around at all the tents and wide-eyed halflings.

"Yeah. I didn't think I would enjoy the outdoors this much but, its kinda grown on me!"

Sam patted Clive on his shoulder.

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"See! Me and Jeb have been tellin' you for years to get out of that stuffy apartment and come live with me or him. Always said that gettin' out of town and gettin' some fresh air would do you some good!"

For the most part Sam was right, thought Clive. The fresh air and sun made him feel better! Even his treks into the woods for lessons with Sloth, even if they had abysmal results, were doing wonders!

Now if he can just deal with how headstrong and nosy the halflings were then it'd be damn near perfect!

"Alright boys! Time to get to work!" Sam called as the former railyard workers got to work. Cement-mix and water were poured into the mixer and began its duty while the rest of the workers started doing various tasks. Rebar poles were placed in a pile near the hole while a few others hauled over planks of wood, nails, and various measuring equipment.

While Sam and the others got to work Hamish came over to Clive.

"Er, Clive? Wha' is they doin'?"

Clive gestured to the cement-mixer.

"That's cement. Its used to provide a solid foundation for a home so it isn't so susceptible to the changes of the Earth. It moves and can damage the home, so this is to keep it on even ground. It also keeps moister out and warmth in through the ground."

"Seament?" Hamish asked as him and a few others stepped over to the mixer and watched it rotate the dark grey paste.

While Hamish and the others gawked at the various workings. Which drew ALOT of attention with how much noise it caused. Sam and a couple others were talking with the apparent owner of the plot over how he wanted his home. From the sounds of it it was going to be the traditional halfling home. Usually it would be built into the side of a hill. But the flatness of the land made that impossible.

Or it would if they didn't have heavy equipment to CREATE hills! Or at least make it look like it was built into a hill. What was being designed was a wide oval like home that would be built like any other one. But the roof would be curved rather than pointed or flattened and gradually slope down and onto the ground. Where dirt and soil would be thrown on. Thus making a hill home!

It wasn't something new that humans did. Many homes all over the world and throughout history put earth and dirt on the roofs of their homes as protection from the elements. Now it was just being done on a slightly smaller scale.

As the plans were ironed out the fear and suspicion of the halflings gave way as many came forward to commission their own homes. While Clive wasn't under any assumption that Sam and the other railyard boys would work for free, it crossed one worry off his mind when he saw several handfuls of gold and silver coins were handed over as payment for future work out here!

"Hey stranger!" A voice called up to Clive. He looked down and found Kilpa standing beside him watching the rest work and plan.

"Evening." Clive greeted in return. This was another dilemma he had to deal with. But for now him and her seemed content to watch as urban development was brought to the halflings with a roar of heavy machinery, the banging of hammers, and the buzzing of saw blades.

What bits he could hear over the noise it seemed none were going TOO crazy with their ideas, most were content with their simple halfling holes. Though he did catch what most likely were the more "influential" halflings talking about swimming pools or ponds for fish. Some, of course, wanted their homes to be bigger than the rest. These seemed to be the "big families". Or at least that was what Kilpa told him when he asked.

They are, or WERE, the major families that owned most of the farmland back home, they also had the largest families. Most of the halfling colony were related to at least two of the families. Which meant that most of the halflings were related to each other, though for most it was distantly. Kilpa's family were a minor one with little prestige, her adventuring meant that went out the window.

Adventuring, even overland/sea trading was frowned on. It was better for the community to stick together through thick or thin. Even if it meant that more wealth was to be had in packing up and living in a city as a merchant or vendor. Or being a merchantman on the seas, or an adventurer. It didn't matter, it was seen as abandoning the community to be a vainglorious fool.

So she was all but shunned by her family when she returned. Not disowned, children and relations were too precious to get rid of. But they've barely spoken more than basic pleasantries to her since her return.

Which was bitter sweet, she thought. Her days before her leaving were filled with arguments with her parents about the state of the community. A particularly nasty one on her day of leave was about marrying her to some fat red-faced little toad of a halfling. Some 11th son of one of the big families. It wasn't much but for her family it meant a measure of status that they had little hope of obtaining on their own.

She made her opinions of the subject quite clear... and loud. After that she gathered her gear that she acquired from her various odd jobs, and set out to make a difference.

She even pointed out to Clive her own family on the edge of the growing group of halflings as they too tried to get their own slice of status. Even a slightly bigger home was enough to boast about during the abundant festivals. More room meant more guests. More guests meant more chances for marriges or trade aggrements at dinner parties.

Even small families could get a bit of extra wealth or influence if they could grow particularly hearty pumpkins, or healthy looking tomatoes, on their private gardens. It was a handful of their festivals that were basically garden pageants!

"So... is said toadling here?" Clive asked as Kilpa's explanation/rant came to a lull. She laughed and pointed towards said halfling, who was waddling around with an equally red and round wife and a horde of ankle biters at their heels.

Clive and Kilpa laughed as they watched him try, and fail, to bully his way through the group of future homeowners.

It almost made Clive forget that she was responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of the kobolds over at Jeb's place. Almost. He sighed as he knew that that was going to be a headache that he had to deal with. The last thing he wants is a fight to break out between his friend and his potential girlfriend. Or would she be his ACTUAL girlfriend since they've been on a couple dates already?

Well, two if he counted her following him into the woods to spy on him and Sloth. He was going to say two just because a walk in the woods would count as a traditional date idea.

But still, he needed to figure out how best to bring this up. He couldn't just outright say "Hey! You need to apologize to the lizard people staying at my friends house!" That wasn't going to work. If what she's said is anything to go by she might not even consider the kobolds people!

Which was weird since they could talk and think just like they could. She mentioned them being slaves to dragons. Maybe that was an angle he could work with?

Kilpa looked up as Clive sighed once more. He looked deep in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about that had him so lost in his head. Was it something she shouldn't worry about or did it have something to do with her? She hated not knowing! But Astrala's words came back to her mind.

"Don't be so aggressive!"

She just had to trust that Clive would tell her if it was something important. In the mean time. She could plan their next date! Preferably one that didn't result in her stalking him into the woods to spy on him and his giant friend.

...Maybe Astrala had a point.