686Please respect copyright.PENANA9bNxssyV94
686Please respect copyright.PENANAYbHQx1ZX0K
'The voice?! Of course I686Please respect copyright.PENANAqp0y4GQdoh
can hear it, I embrace it, I follow it, I worship it for what it is! 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZsiCqXvGF8
The word of god! And I am a holy messenger! You all are heathens! 686Please respect copyright.PENANAuizbXgNdCN
Believers in false gods! You hide from the true voice, you fear it, you 686Please respect copyright.PENANAyrV6dWKg3x
shun it, you deny it! My only crime is that I am no coward!'686Please respect copyright.PENANA5k1VT1TEEG
Extract from the trial 686Please respect copyright.PENANAyWyFfNZ0jV
of Bloody Jack. Accused of murdering his whole village on the whims of 686Please respect copyright.PENANAJkL99R3ar9
an ether being and sentenced to death.686Please respect copyright.PENANAKaPslkhMuZ
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------686Please respect copyright.PENANAFVLst39pzx
686Please respect copyright.PENANAcm5rAKGDxH
"I don't get it, why don't we go to a different isle? The Imperialsh will have ush shurrounded in no time."686Please respect copyright.PENANAeNBXFzgJX4
~And here we go again, simple minded people asking simple minded questions~686Please respect copyright.PENANArHWHQ9rkJ7
"Too many people to move, they'll notice us."686Please respect copyright.PENANAtTqOw4zdar
"Never shtopped ush before." A pause as the old man spat to the side. "What about fighting then, too little of ush?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAKhDolJ10d6
Gob shook his head, 686Please respect copyright.PENANASVuptqxq1D
tired. David could understand that, and he was annoyed he could 686Please respect copyright.PENANA6qD90tFQqK
empathize with Gob. As per Gob's decision every time it was David's turn686Please respect copyright.PENANAIW58DNjPJV
to go patrolling Gob accompanied him. At first David found this 686Please respect copyright.PENANAdNEllwbqhC
insulting, he was the paragon of trust after all, but after a few of 686Please respect copyright.PENANAskMibnenzw
such patrols he just found it annoying. Ever patrol was usually 686Please respect copyright.PENANAdj1USRtmc3
conducted with 3 or 4 people, usually with different people. There were a686Please respect copyright.PENANAfeODvFm2YA
few constants in those groups though, the first was that David and Gob 686Please respect copyright.PENANAmoQzyKQ07E
were in them and the second was that someone always asked when they 686Please respect copyright.PENANABkJrGSQS54
would move.686Please respect copyright.PENANANieGsdqj4J
Now David has only been 686Please respect copyright.PENANAXARZn6n7Eu
in the camp for a month now and managed to glean some information from 686Please respect copyright.PENANAQcCLkpNLDZ
the other rebels and just observations. There were three groups of 686Please respect copyright.PENANApruLnB1h8c
rebels. Peasants, peasant-soldiers and soldiers, as David liked to call 686Please respect copyright.PENANASrbsfIzfsy
them. Peasants and peasant-soldiers were the people with no, to only 686Please respect copyright.PENANA4KChFDp3MI
basic, military training. Such as Denis and his ilk. The soldiers 686Please respect copyright.PENANAdLTylyMKqH
weren't necessary from the military, but they had more experience. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZh0vDqVgzS
Experience wasn't the only difference, civilians and civilian soldiers 686Please respect copyright.PENANAlOUnwmVoyX
loved and trusted both Gob and Francesca. Soldiers only trusted Gob. 686Please respect copyright.PENANArAXEeArB4D
Which worked out nicely for David as he could use this discord and 686Please respect copyright.PENANAI6vvOZSMfx
divided loyalties.686Please respect copyright.PENANAdRo1hGiU3S
Another important thing 686Please respect copyright.PENANAKH1w3hwBaN
he managed to find out was that the rebels had stayed on the same isle 686Please respect copyright.PENANA9g9uGpWxsq
for three months. Many of the rebels were unhappy with the prolonged 686Please respect copyright.PENANAHYosfgA5Re
stay, especially the soldiers. This resulted in that question and Gob 686Please respect copyright.PENANA3W3eqHQenM
giving the same answer to anyone who asked. It was really riveting stuff686Please respect copyright.PENANAQqQG6qG5ih
for David, especially after hearing it for the twentieth third time. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAScTenlri9i
Ol' Stevie asked it around two or three times over the past few days to 686Please respect copyright.PENANA66Ad0ydYDV
their destination.686Please respect copyright.PENANA9folrp6T4y
Today they were out 686Please respect copyright.PENANAci9j9QVn1r
looking at the new imperial camp, turning into more of a makeshift fort,686Please respect copyright.PENANAy9fXyYsaoX
being built around the wreckage of the 'Flying Fish'. It was a crude 686Please respect copyright.PENANAzX6N26b3z3
construction, something that could be easily taken apart. They were 686Please respect copyright.PENANAAWB2zSEtjy
joined by Rock and another rebel, called old toothless Stevie, on 686Please respect copyright.PENANA0p8Qh5ZA3L
account of him being old and having lost most of his teeth. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAv8AnvtrURu
"Yes, now shut up and 686Please respect copyright.PENANAHQR8XGQAvX
remember everything you can about the imperials." Stevie shrugged at 686Please respect copyright.PENANAg1YfFiVNnb
that and continued looking through his binocular. David kept further 686Please respect copyright.PENANA18mWxltm41
away from the pair, watching their backs with Rock, the youth did not 686Please respect copyright.PENANA6Loh78csYv
become any more talkative during Davids stay in the caves.686Please respect copyright.PENANARlMDvQh0ac
They were at their 686Please respect copyright.PENANA4TODUv7kS7
lookout spot for a few hours at this point and David was glad he didn't 686Please respect copyright.PENANAr1EMz0H3nJ
feel any magical tugs coming from that direction, after discussing it 686Please respect copyright.PENANAmKR8UOFbpf
with Francesca it turned out that what David felt was a magical tug, 686Please respect copyright.PENANAvmcS0vTbxY
looked like the imperial soldier wasn't anywhere near it.686Please respect copyright.PENANA74y3X1Pyp6
"Alright, that's enough.686Please respect copyright.PENANAsnx8s0pKoE
Let's head back." Gob proclaimed to the group and David sighted in 686Please respect copyright.PENANAKgFfkM20Wv
relief. Thankfully David was given new shoes, to help him walk, as well 686Please respect copyright.PENANAt7ECS5SHrA
as new clothes and even an eyepatch. The walk itself was silent and 686Please respect copyright.PENANAb8L3H6x1W2
brutal. Gob set a murderous pace and he didn't look back to check on any686Please respect copyright.PENANA388ytvGXbc
of them except for Rock, who bore it with his usual silence.686Please respect copyright.PENANAf8X5qcbL5W
David walked in silence 686Please respect copyright.PENANA89zerf3DQR
as well. More to preserve his breathe, than anything else, as he felt 686Please respect copyright.PENANAIxCsIxOQzx
that he would fall to the ground if he even tried speaking. Toothless 686Please respect copyright.PENANAV5MbijCJ5q
Stevie may have been old and not have teeth, but he had more stamina 686Please respect copyright.PENANAf9CVEU7kdD
than David, farm work really built you up for long hours of activity.686Please respect copyright.PENANA8k94ErqMqe
A walk that would've 686Please respect copyright.PENANAg0UVfhjcp3
taken most of the day was managed in about half a day. David was so glad686Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZrGIvophc
to see the damp cave that he was ready to kiss the rocks when he came 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZS8XdsnfQy
inside. The camp itself did not change much over the past month and 686Please respect copyright.PENANADtGPVovPbJ
David was still the new guy. Though he made good strides in integrating 686Please respect copyright.PENANAysxUE3izrp
himself as most of rebels waved to him in greeting.686Please respect copyright.PENANAZlneYOKG7I
"I'll go report to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAgJfzgcfqHv
Francesca. You can go relax." Gob passed David without a glance at him. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAhLXhZ22VyS
The fact that Gob didn't glare or spit at David's direction must've 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZdZlEuFqUZ
meant that he was finally warming up to him! At least it was more than 686Please respect copyright.PENANA3EiAGryJAE
David got over the past month, in fact he was ready to give up on ever 686Please respect copyright.PENANABjFXNJyydP
winning Gob over.686Please respect copyright.PENANAhr8W1TIZkT
Francesca on the other 686Please respect copyright.PENANApc4E78iwnh
hand warmed up to him quite fast. As Denis summarized and David 686Please respect copyright.PENANAnsKBTAVq7P
confirmed she was a noble, a well read and knowledgeable noble but 686Please respect copyright.PENANAc6pqdExwUX
someone who hasn't left her estate a lot and has never traveled outside 686Please respect copyright.PENANAL1ub5B9gJC
the empire. While David was the well-traveled dashing smuggler. He 686Please respect copyright.PENANASNGGYalvSN
managed to enthrall her with made up stories and adventures. To be fair 686Please respect copyright.PENANAM0bPjkqXFt
to Francesca she wasn't the only one falling under David's charm. As 686Please respect copyright.PENANAVPbGZYPfQt
most of the rebels found it hard to resist the dashing rogue act.686Please respect copyright.PENANAmIQl3Ivonu
David just wished he 686Please respect copyright.PENANAfzs7KG1HbM
could win them over without going on patrols and risking his life. Oh 686Please respect copyright.PENANA44JCfbmAMl
well no one said being a parasite was easy.686Please respect copyright.PENANAEJohgG8Lkf
Further down the camps 686Please respect copyright.PENANADwfMBX5nse
he could see Twitch, the nervous brother of Denis. Over the past month 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZE2yl78FCJ
he integrated himself with the siblings, becoming a part of their gang. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAjVu0qbum6h
As the siblings were liked by the rebels in general this made them trust686Please respect copyright.PENANAPJhhmktfKc
David all the more. David decided to join Twitch so he snuck up behind 686Please respect copyright.PENANAJ4127XZja2
him. 686Please respect copyright.PENANADPeRdDTBX8
"What'cha doing?"686Please respect copyright.PENANA6wZd1p8l8V
Twitch practically jumped out of his own skin. "Agh! Oh D-david. Don't s-scare me l-l-like that."686Please respect copyright.PENANAlhDqAjBciN
"Sorry, twitch." David said patting the boys shoulder. "Didn't mean to, you know I hate doing it." He loved it686Please respect copyright.PENANAAXmGfdG29f
Twitch nodded and stood beside David." 'S alright. I-I-I'm just easily sca-ar-ared."686Please respect copyright.PENANA90Dn52C1Jy
David nodded. The boy 686Please respect copyright.PENANAfE6gcdecUu
was lucky to have any friends at all." Nothing wrong with being scared."686Please respect copyright.PENANADBdxJdDmUR
He said with a comforting smile. "We all have our own strengths, like 686Please respect copyright.PENANAciqCHG4eoW
you..." David paused for a bit racking his mind for something to say. "A686Please respect copyright.PENANAwVaC4SvQhx
poet! A man of dreams! How're your poems going anyway? I still want to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAUIcSdTh3Aa
read them someday."686Please respect copyright.PENANAHR50SAqIDd
Twitch muttered 686Please respect copyright.PENANAzC0hiIyHhT
something under his breathe. David motioned with his hand for him to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAOdNe07MrW0
speak up. "...n-not poems. But son-so-songs."686Please respect copyright.PENANAohM6J7tnba
David stopped himself from shrugging and smiled. "Songs, even better then! Why not create a song for the rebellion?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAnxzMv9nrpR
Twitch started shaking 686Please respect copyright.PENANANGhFKcLg0n
his head but before the words: 'No' formed on his mouth a voice 686Please respect copyright.PENANAwimPTNjLZe
interrupted them. "A hymn truly sounds marvelous!" Francesca made Twitch686Please respect copyright.PENANA2BW1MSEna1
jump back even more than David did686Please respect copyright.PENANAkkQ01uOojM
"I-I-I" He continued in that vain for a while.686Please respect copyright.PENANAbzczlkeJc4
"Speak up soldier!" Gobs686Please respect copyright.PENANAWyhiWIFWBk
voice resounded around the cave, making everyone glance at Twitch, 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZiEJhQaWmh
which should've made his stuttering worse. But his fear of Gob took over686Please respect copyright.PENANAsmpsqimAXg
any instinct he had.686Please respect copyright.PENANAgc2sFQDDac
"I'mnotgoodenough!" He 686Please respect copyright.PENANAhY2I7oIMCi
said as fast possible. David was astounded it was probably the first 686Please respect copyright.PENANAUiB2sno1u0
time the boy didn't stutter. Not that he could understand what he said 686Please respect copyright.PENANATqswa9Soab
now.686Please respect copyright.PENANAELEHt02n8r
"Nonsense." Francesca 686Please respect copyright.PENANAUV95RWysHz
put her hand on Twitch's shoulder. She didn't seem to have any trouble 686Please respect copyright.PENANAeVK0hqhzQx
understanding him. "Write me a song when you can, and we will sing it, 686Please respect copyright.PENANA0RkYfsdjeG
all of us together." She projected her voice to others nearby which 686Please respect copyright.PENANAjtYZ3i6ihb
raised a rugged cheer. That just made Twitch hide his face as it went 686Please respect copyright.PENANAgKc5dehPUo
dark red.686Please respect copyright.PENANAtHdpSSONr5
Francesca spared Twitch 686Please respect copyright.PENANAJw1UQBcvF3
one last warm smile and turned to the rest of the rebels standing 686Please respect copyright.PENANA86bED7UvyA
around. "It's time for your daily studies! Spread the message!" Both 686Please respect copyright.PENANACRQMMOB0ID
children and adults listened to Francesca, without a hint of 686Please respect copyright.PENANAuJiRP4KNpr
disobedience, and started moving in one line to the study cavern, as it 686Please respect copyright.PENANALLxXFvpila
was popularly called.686Please respect copyright.PENANAFJ4S6oMkiY
The rebels not only 686Please respect copyright.PENANAuKTdqUGyyt
respected Francesca for her leadership and attitude towards the 686Please respect copyright.PENANA5Kf2MBkCOc
peasantry, but also her attempts to educate them. Most of the rebels 686Please respect copyright.PENANA6vVoXu4St7
didn't know how to read or basic math while Francesca was an educated 686Please respect copyright.PENANAvQwaEYpMJU
noble, thus she decided to teach everyone in the rebellion the basics. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAqjX7lEScZy
No one was barred from the lessons and both young and old were invited 686Please respect copyright.PENANAiTjlmRJZWT
to them. 686Please respect copyright.PENANARPhMVgsYK3
David attended one of 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZqmeLXx8RW
those lessons but found himself too bored to continue. They were talking686Please respect copyright.PENANAHkXjkqj5gY
about letter and numbers and some researcher named Vesputti or 686Please respect copyright.PENANAygG2d6OQes
something similar. Thus, he skipped over on those lessons, he wasn't the686Please respect copyright.PENANA2SZQ1aoth7
only one as most of the adults had decided that they were too old to 686Please respect copyright.PENANACVUem6TRMl
learn anything new.686Please respect copyright.PENANAM2PgcZ2jBr
Before leading her group686Please respect copyright.PENANA19KGTNDHiF
to the secluded cavern, Francesca approached David. "I'd like if you'd 686Please respect copyright.PENANA59QLrKBK0Z
dine with me tonight, if it's to your liking?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAecEZ1yheya
"Of course, I'll see you686Please respect copyright.PENANAfv37VqiUZT
later." Francesca did that sometimes, inviting David over. Chatting 686Please respect copyright.PENANAAs9cDraWfE
about trivialities, like whether he had any more vision about The Five. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAHb8zQ9oq9w
Thankfully Jester didn't deign to appear yet so David managed to sleep 686Please respect copyright.PENANAbAcq33AkSb
peacefully, well not accounting the strange dreams about some boy crying686Please respect copyright.PENANAWpGCo3oVH4
and calling for his mummy. Those dreams made David wake up in a foul 686Please respect copyright.PENANAPjSKfkv1dq
mood, he wasn't certain why but thought it could be because he didn't 686Please respect copyright.PENANA47kISegdfq
remember his parents or family.686Please respect copyright.PENANArmR5V1Xm4v
Francesca, unaware of 686Please respect copyright.PENANAJeC4rkdM36
David's thoughts or dreams, nodded with a smile and led her group from 686Please respect copyright.PENANARcelMXDRwW
the main cavern. Twitch following her and joining his sibling to whom 686Please respect copyright.PENANAmxd9eLCDhO
David waved. Turning around he came face to face with Nook.686Please respect copyright.PENANAGEggZUjtOx
"I'm off duty now, got some guys looking for a game. You're in?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAtpdONVnnRp
Nook was an interesting 686Please respect copyright.PENANAXGIeOQvbxY
case, while he was definitely Gob's man he didn't seem to be as 686Please respect copyright.PENANA8IvqMetTOW
disciplined as the other soldiers. He was also one of the few soldiers 686Please respect copyright.PENANA8gFTG3rVgH
who was friendly with David instead of following Gob's lead and hating 686Please respect copyright.PENANA6ACk5i3Ggm
his guts. So they decided to have a card game here and there while 686Please respect copyright.PENANABDP27fpNIq
inviting other people, a card game in which David lost more often than 686Please respect copyright.PENANAcKyWeorB3s
not. While David hated losing in cards it was a good method of making 686Please respect copyright.PENANA2iCvP5p2Kg
friends and getting to know people. As well as a guarantee to keep 686Please respect copyright.PENANACtpdwq6EX4
getting invited as long as you lost smart and graciously accepted it.686Please respect copyright.PENANA7mjfBwUu1p
"Aye, why not Nook. Maybe I'll clean house this time."686Please respect copyright.PENANALs71BgCn1i
Nook grinned a 686Please respect copyright.PENANAPWBan9aBjn
predator's smile and led David towards a secluded table. While gambling 686Please respect copyright.PENANAnhKfHbrg06
wasn't banned or anything, as long as you were off duty, it was frowned 686Please respect copyright.PENANAaLKQvM7vBX
upon by Gob. That and most rebels having limited resources. Having only 686Please respect copyright.PENANADdNjkcScvd
their clothes and weapons stolen from the empire or brought on their 686Please respect copyright.PENANAFgVvGfqXkI
backs.686Please respect copyright.PENANAbAZvqrVhrq
Thus any card games were686Please respect copyright.PENANAKR5yBznVha
just that, games to pass the time. At least until David proposed to bet686Please respect copyright.PENANAf32KuumB3i
their rations. Everyone received the basic rations few times per day 686Please respect copyright.PENANATqvVs7XiBH
and it was up to them how much of that they ate. It was barely enough to686Please respect copyright.PENANAKbfCTKE8nE
feed a healthy adult. As they have been on this isle for a while it was686Please respect copyright.PENANAVuzdQLCBNP
harder to find fresh animals to hunt every day. A lot of the rebels 686Please respect copyright.PENANAqH1ykBLYnR
were opposed to that idea as they'd loose on the last bits of food they 686Please respect copyright.PENANAFOjWaJKu07
did have.686Please respect copyright.PENANA12DWvZXTlJ
Some did think it was a 686Please respect copyright.PENANACxsHmsk3nM
brilliant idea and David was sitting down with a few of them right now. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAnmX4bSE66i
Nook, he was confident in his card abilities. Apparently before joining 686Please respect copyright.PENANAg0095bExJ0
the rebellion he was a militiaman in his village and gambled a lot. As 686Please respect copyright.PENANAsJ1Kylz1wi
far as David could see he was more lucky than actually good. Old 686Please respect copyright.PENANAEtjIZ3pyMh
toothless Stevie, he joked that if he did lose his rations that it would686Please respect copyright.PENANA92imljQh53
save his last teeth. He also wasn't afraid to bet most of his rations 686Please respect copyright.PENANAIAvI4Jmo3n
scaring the other players into folding, a good bluffer. Finally there 686Please respect copyright.PENANAkJdubXR5NY
was Tiruk, a huge man who definitely needed more rations just to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAXQD6e0knoz
survive. It surprised David anyone could keep that weight with tight the686Please respect copyright.PENANAXxQ3DQuHsn
food has been.686Please respect copyright.PENANAygMiEA3Tq8
They were the four main 686Please respect copyright.PENANAEbbhDfCosO
players who usually joined the gambling games. Sometimes others joined 686Please respect copyright.PENANAKoVHdrURVw
but they usually stopped after going hungry for a day or two as they 686Please respect copyright.PENANACbc3j0zfzz
lost their rations. These four though didn't give up after losing, 686Please respect copyright.PENANAvFEkhWdqY9
because they knew that their chances of a feast were just around the 686Please respect copyright.PENANAkqTxkJU40h
corner. That fact created a sense of comradeship between the players. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAy0to4ar7Oe
Even if they were playing against each other they understood the risks 686Please respect copyright.PENANA6lAFueBK8l
and accepted them.686Please respect copyright.PENANAcqjVXDAJUK
"''Ello boys." David 686Please respect copyright.PENANAd01C3vDCYR
said sitting down at the table with Nook. There were nods all around the686Please respect copyright.PENANAy2F6uWcJRC
table and the cards were dealt. They were playing a card game called 686Please respect copyright.PENANAOirUw7GSyM
match 'n go. Most of the rebels had not heard of the game or at least 686Please respect copyright.PENANA78RF3SYMVz
knew it under a different name but most of them caught on fast, it was 686Please respect copyright.PENANAFqQRMYmkEf
often just played for fun. But the best games came from betting. As the 686Please respect copyright.PENANAZr6IdmK9Vq
risks went higher you tried to fool your opponent into thinking that you686Please respect copyright.PENANAucJOlcc0uL
had the match or a higher card. David loved risk games like that, he 686Please respect copyright.PENANAM9Kh2HHLsx
loved reading the other player emotions and using it against them or at 686Please respect copyright.PENANAdDRJ7Pv9aU
least for his own benefit. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAqY5MXKhKCC
Nook was the first to 686Please respect copyright.PENANA7ftxLEHdrR
play. "I'm betting half of my rations on this. Gots a good deck, that I 686Please respect copyright.PENANAcRmUSzIT47
do." David could see the plastered smile on his face. At this point 686Please respect copyright.PENANAQxvgdrw5OD
David could tell fake between real in a heartbeat. Nook was bluffing.686Please respect copyright.PENANAtYvETTEB3L
"Alright, I'll call that." David answered.686Please respect copyright.PENANAsL3fcZwOIq
Tiruk, in answer, just 686Please respect copyright.PENANAtscqsaXXGJ
shook his head and folded. He wasn't risking it. Stevenson with his 686Please respect copyright.PENANAhN4ONUdKUW
gaped smile called it as well and cackled a bit.686Please respect copyright.PENANA6th3ZgcBYn
Next card revealed. A 3 686Please respect copyright.PENANAmBYzi7OLUo
for Davids two threes. He'd have to fold that game, too high chance of 686Please respect copyright.PENANArgLrfrgwRP
winning. So it went on and on, rations were won and lost. David won a 686Please respect copyright.PENANAkzuvq1I1BM
few games but then he bet everything and lost on purpose, made Stevie a 686Please respect copyright.PENANAJq0Lmi0MUO
very happy, old, man.686Please respect copyright.PENANAo9CWiCfdgt
Since David didn't have 686Please respect copyright.PENANAj4mI4yCrPX
anything to bet with anymore he made his excuses and left the table. He 686Please respect copyright.PENANAWbOtdW2tgm
took a look around for Gob and didn't see him anywhere so decided it 686Please respect copyright.PENANAMoeVE4fQNQ
would be safe to take a walk.686Please respect copyright.PENANAD4AkoQftIh
Another thing he took to686Please respect copyright.PENANA5LsCtdaFQ7
doing over the past two weeks was exploring, finding any secret spaces 686Please respect copyright.PENANAvI6bhLnLzj
where he might hide. The rebels themselves only found one possible 686Please respect copyright.PENANAWpi4mOqldp
emergency exit while David found three. Of course the other two exits 686Please respect copyright.PENANAQaHvN6Kvor
only were wide enough for one person to pass through at a time. So it 686Please respect copyright.PENANAVAzswF4EQt
could be that they just didn't consider them as such.686Please respect copyright.PENANA6oAtTI1o9s
He also found various 686Please respect copyright.PENANAJMOyxFchoP
hiding spots, not only for him but for items he stole. Weapons, 686Please respect copyright.PENANANKeDmyVcQH
ammunition, food and the like. If only a small amount disappeared at a 686Please respect copyright.PENANAzEzLvL0jmc
time no one really noticed and attributed it to absentmindedness. Though686Please respect copyright.PENANAMjxo1mBWor
David believed Gob was getting suspicious so he would need to start 686Please respect copyright.PENANAt8XOt3Ws7u
being more careful.686Please respect copyright.PENANAgrMyZOCBO8
The caves themselves 686Please respect copyright.PENANA4PJUEoOont
seemed to go through the whole isle, David didn't believe he explored 686Please respect copyright.PENANA4O7x1v8yQn
even half of it. Gob tried to send a few soldiers every day to explore 686Please respect copyright.PENANA70swRzYWgW
further into the caves, but many were afraid of the dark, believing 686Please respect copyright.PENANAWbq0xamcDi
various beasts were residing in them. Refusing to go inside without Gob 686Please respect copyright.PENANABLKQNFVTbw
and since Gob was usually busy either creating or being out on patrols 686Please respect copyright.PENANAe1MFgdMted
himself that limited their exploring time.686Please respect copyright.PENANAaqGIYNvjA1
That let David offer his686Please respect copyright.PENANAY14DXV80HX
services as an explorer. He would explore the further caves and would 686Please respect copyright.PENANAyQMsrd0clj
report on any worrying circumstances. Gob was reluctant to let him go 686Please respect copyright.PENANAI9DctmYubR
but was convinced by Francesca that it would be a grand idea as it would686Please respect copyright.PENANAPvxa0pyJGd
free more people for patrols and other duties.686Please respect copyright.PENANAsqrRS6UkIa
This time though he had a686Please respect copyright.PENANAYbsH5T7eVz
destination in mind. A bit further into one of the pathways, about an 686Please respect copyright.PENANAgRSJlyGRHi
hour from the main cavern, there was a small pathway where a thin person686Please respect copyright.PENANACn7L2feZr9
could barely fit. Following that pathway, if you could survive the 686Please respect copyright.PENANAvNJVn211Wp
feeling of getting crushed by the walls, was a pool. David was surprised686Please respect copyright.PENANAxQZsGZenre
when he found and astonished when he discovered the water was hot. 686Please respect copyright.PENANA6FsNTkobYa
That's where he was 686Please respect copyright.PENANAHhPpsNh34V
going now; he needed a clear head for Francesca's meeting. No matter how686Please respect copyright.PENANAuUQVIKafTa
she acted she was a noble, they always sought the best deals for 686Please respect copyright.PENANAEMtje79CXe
themselves, always trying to ledge a situation in their favour. David 686Please respect copyright.PENANAv5odFspeaM
would need to be on his toes. Or maybe he just wanted to actually relax 686Please respect copyright.PENANAGM22YcZY09
without anyone screaming or crying, he didn't decide which one sounded 686Please respect copyright.PENANArLqi9r403I
better in his mind.686Please respect copyright.PENANAZwGyjLBIRf
Thus grabbing a torch as686Please respect copyright.PENANA0XY27pz1gr
many of the pathways further down weren't lit, he began his, 686Please respect copyright.PENANA7DBAcF6NyJ
uneventful, journey. Luckily he reached his destination in a timely 686Please respect copyright.PENANAMeuT1pnUJr
manner, though he hated going through that cramped space. He gave a 686Please respect copyright.PENANASnYudI5ItY
satisfied sigh as he sat down in the pool, his muscles losing the 686Please respect copyright.PENANAomUiCg2128
tension he gathered over the past few weeks, the water reached up to his686Please respect copyright.PENANAc2EdFJBmio
chest and he dunked his head under the water finally enjoying a proper 686Please respect copyright.PENANAm0wISO4OvN
clean. He was careful to keep track of time but other than that he let 686Please respect copyright.PENANAaxobDemBpJ
his mind wander and just blanked out. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAGumSIYM9EK
Before he even noticed, 686Please respect copyright.PENANAg1mI0ynDNx
to David's disappointment, it was time to leave. He was also saddened by686Please respect copyright.PENANAX2iAQLG03H
the fact that the water ended up a bit darker after his bath, a way to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAv40SAq5sog
hit a guys confidence. With a sad sigh he put on his dirty and worn out 686Please respect copyright.PENANABIKYCAfrNI
clothes and went back to the main cavern to the sound of activity and 686Please respect copyright.PENANAoIDS59YkZ9
the smell of unwashed masses.686Please respect copyright.PENANAhbAdB2POQF
It did seem that David 686Please respect copyright.PENANAVLGkld2EYw
came back just in time as people were gathered near the cooking pots to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAuHDd4qQeOh
gather their rations. David did the same and then found Stevie, sitting 686Please respect copyright.PENANAV6FdCp1OTS
with some other older rebels, and gave him his rations. Stevie nodded 686Please respect copyright.PENANA8kWPB2qySU
and had a sparkle in his eye. "Maybe nexsht time you can save me 686Please respect copyright.PENANA2CFn9HsrNO
teethsh." And he cackled at his joke. David managed a weak laugh that 686Please respect copyright.PENANArIzYFGkiCn
seemed to satisfy Stevie.686Please respect copyright.PENANANmJRaf9xpp
"Don't keep Francesca 686Please respect copyright.PENANAL9tc5oicDs
waiting." Came a gruff voice from behind. David tried to hide his 686Please respect copyright.PENANABI1miIM3wj
annoyance at the fact that Gob managed to sneak up on him and scare him.686Please respect copyright.PENANA2jZSMjNPmN
Some people just had no sense of proper manners.686Please respect copyright.PENANAqbglfBQoNc
"Oh I wouldn't dare." 686Please respect copyright.PENANAI3Y3CYbHFS
He gave a mock bow which seemed to infuriate Gob more. "I was just out 686Please respect copyright.PENANAL6LT8vMG99
exploring, nothing to report so far, sir Gob." Gob just grunted and 686Please respect copyright.PENANA3BH6ukPzgG
walked away. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAydxQxw8Rp2
David smiled and waved 686Please respect copyright.PENANAH2YV4M9OXq
after him, the guy really needed to unwind. With nothing else to do but 686Please respect copyright.PENANAi8h6jhGw2I
shrug at that thought David went towards Francesca's room. Even if 686Please respect copyright.PENANArwgKZnc8qe
Francesca did pretend to be all for equality and the like she still had 686Please respect copyright.PENANAx7H5s6Lj2a
her personal quarters, such as they were, as well as an actual bed, 686Please respect copyright.PENANAvFCfvGug6P
table, chairs. They were shoddy work at best, crafted quickly by some of686Please respect copyright.PENANAcbGmZx92jL
the rebels, but they were more than anything any other rebel had. David686Please respect copyright.PENANAmh9Sy0ndnj
was impressed by how she had more and yet most still perceived her as 686Please respect copyright.PENANABFofxJk5uP
the paragon of virtue.686Please respect copyright.PENANAk7dxcPs6HJ
Her room, as per usual, 686Please respect copyright.PENANAKziRnsEWCo
was guarded. But the guard waved him on with a smile. David saw it as a 686Please respect copyright.PENANATnfLKUeX6c
pointless precaution anyway, but what could you do. Francesca herself 686Please respect copyright.PENANARM5DP6X4Xk
was already seated, with a torch in the middle of the table, a pale 686Please respect copyright.PENANAjBDjR16lhi
imitation of a candle. One thing the rebels had a lot of were torches, 686Please respect copyright.PENANA873OCQpaWX
to light up all caverns and pathways. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAKui8752VTh
"Oh, David! Please sit" she gestured towards the second chair.686Please respect copyright.PENANA1l3G2D2RXd
David sat down with a 686Please respect copyright.PENANAIZGPdp6UWU
nod and smile. They weren't eating anything extravagant, just what the 686Please respect copyright.PENANATGdk7gpJl8
rest were. Dried meat, nuts, sometimes if they were lucky they could 686Please respect copyright.PENANAud17Yo4icP
even get rabbit or vegetable soup, but that more of a luxury nowadays. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAm9B2zFHvQe
This time it was some dried meat of unknown origin and some water found 686Please respect copyright.PENANAIkDC31DYjS
in a stream. Delicious.686Please respect copyright.PENANAHCOhM6HXgi
"So pleasantries first or business first?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAICaslvLKMe
"I found that going straight to business can ruin a healthy appetite."686Please respect copyright.PENANAiJrAVHKw4K
Francesca nodded and 686Please respect copyright.PENANAQfCKPUk3S9
began to cut her meat with her wooden utensils. While David had similar 686Please respect copyright.PENANAlikG9hW7CY
equipment he didn't really find much use of them and found it better to 686Please respect copyright.PENANANa25XawiSO
eat with his own hands. Made it faster and when you're under cannon fire686Please respect copyright.PENANAEAAEl5JtxZ
fast eating was paramount.686Please respect copyright.PENANAkpxXjmsGLk
As expected David 686Please respect copyright.PENANAuT1ymA15JS
finished his portion first and ended up waiting for Francesca to finish 686Please respect copyright.PENANA2IhULhbgn0
hers, which took another 5 or 10 minutes. The girl was certainly a 686Please respect copyright.PENANA7xqSY8VIbg
deliberate eater.686Please respect copyright.PENANAoioQkU8egc
"So on to business." She686Please respect copyright.PENANAeUqpzKLc6m
paused making sure David was ready, once he nodded she continued. "Tell686Please respect copyright.PENANAMaUwmaQLjY
me, do you know who actually hired your services?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAuy1DmQOOZd
"No idea, captain was usually tight lipped about our clients. I just always assumed it was one of you guys."686Please respect copyright.PENANAccQ8GehGsr
"In a way. It's someone 686Please respect copyright.PENANAdMXjGS5spX
who's...interested in our cause. One of Gob's friends. He is able to get686Please respect copyright.PENANAYHIAUBYzpy
in and out of the isles without arousing too much suspicion."686Please respect copyright.PENANA4zAfKutgzk
"Can't imagine you can tell me who it is?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAxXyIk4iWLH
"It's not for me to tell sadly, Gob was adamant that it's best kept as secret." Francesca smiled apologetically "apologies"686Please respect copyright.PENANAtMTo8VbgS1
David waved his hand in a playful manner. "No worries, I'm surprised you're telling me any of this in the first place."686Please respect copyright.PENANAY15jmXSIlv
"Well, there is a 686Please respect copyright.PENANAN5sVbbB9Ov
reason. Since the weapons we got previously are in the Empire's hands 686Please respect copyright.PENANAfVSNvOKElM
and we can't fight them for it." Putting it lightly the rebels never 686Please respect copyright.PENANAe0xpQxEGfh
really fought the empire in a straight on fight. Mostly raids and 686Please respect copyright.PENANAOzsMBt3deH
recruiting villagers with their possessions. Easy pickings. "Gob got in 686Please respect copyright.PENANAQfdCsC1GcO
touch with his friend again and luckily we managed to set up a meeting 686Please respect copyright.PENANA2WPtz1CYqL
in a few days the edge of a different isle.686Please respect copyright.PENANAhg2V1i2Fz3
"We will also be moving 686Please respect copyright.PENANAG0LZYrPo5u
our base" she continued, sadly. "I can't keep us here with the danger 686Please respect copyright.PENANAuzWSufZST7
increasing, so we will move slowly, to an isle we were based in before 686Please respect copyright.PENANATlsppPxdiL
so some will know where to go."686Please respect copyright.PENANACYKRe2FCvm
"That's good, why did 686Please respect copyright.PENANA27Sxjmtydi
you want to keep us here for this long anyway?" While he was annoyed at 686Please respect copyright.PENANAaYCI3168CI
hearing that question every time he went on patrols, he couldn't deny he686Please respect copyright.PENANAtPEnOk05Mo
was interested in the answer.686Please respect copyright.PENANAMOo1bFquyD
"It...It has to do with one of The Five. I can't reveal more in fear that it might interfere with your objective. "686Please respect copyright.PENANAbtsn5zBzPJ
David nodded, not a full686Please respect copyright.PENANAxK9ue3vicT
answer he wanted but to push might create a rift between them. Religion686Please respect copyright.PENANA5Ym1HgXOMV
was pretty important to Francesca "Don't worry; you don't have to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAD33K2MHb0F
reveal anything you don't want want to." He said in a soothing tone686Please respect copyright.PENANAEt9MlH5BBS
"Thank you." She said 686Please respect copyright.PENANAbBZS6tB9q8
gratefully. "Where was I? Oh, yes. We'll have groups with specified 686Please respect copyright.PENANAyQ1TnGtBui
leaders going back to that previous isle, they'll lead them and we'll 686Please respect copyright.PENANAnLC7RGaEmn
regroup at a specified point."686Please respect copyright.PENANAd7Obguaagc
"How will you get 686Please respect copyright.PENANAj8DHdStKAM
everyone over to the next isle?" Isles were divided by cracks, and while686Please respect copyright.PENANAUfbqrGRamx
some you could jump over, others were so wide you could fit a full 686Please respect copyright.PENANAUxxSd7OR9S
city.686Please respect copyright.PENANAxaZfBMyga9
"We have small sky 686Please respect copyright.PENANABqp39hfXlb
boats. Some of the groups will use it...Others...Others will need to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAEqN8Js041V
find their own way" she said in bitter tones. "I don't like that, we're 686Please respect copyright.PENANAsyUIqwJLG8
abandoning my people. But Gob said it's too dangerous traveling in a big686Please respect copyright.PENANA7MzAzNwkAv
group."686Please respect copyright.PENANAOHuPZXTRE6
"You're a good leader on your own. You should trust your own instincts." Ah finally! An opportunity to create that rift686Please respect copyright.PENANAf6lKBhPmVs
She gave him a sad smile686Please respect copyright.PENANAs6LhTCgDE7
in response. "Thank you, but I do not a good head for tactics or 686Please respect copyright.PENANASwOKhatlxo
military matters. I've had some education on it, but Gob is much better 686Please respect copyright.PENANAC7H132t2FD
at it." David still wasn't sure just what Gob did before the rebellion. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAHeYUKRhSFQ
Francesca stated that the past did not matter and as long as they were 686Please respect copyright.PENANAK6QlpEbJye
willing to fight for the rebellions ideals they would be allowed to keep686Please respect copyright.PENANAkdfPSCyIrj
their past in the past.686Please respect copyright.PENANA1RYSHrIkQv
"Now then, back to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAi5TVvBNydE
business." She said more cheerily. "Myself and Gob will be meeting that 686Please respect copyright.PENANAGc5SCktCYw
person in a few days. We will have guards but I'd also like for you to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAWJoeSJ8Vyg
come. You're well-traveled and met many people; your advice would be 686Please respect copyright.PENANAyQKKOIpKwc
valuable, especially since we'll only be bartering for them."686Please respect copyright.PENANApdB77PCXTg
"You'll have it. I'm 686Please respect copyright.PENANAqffWolXVyx
more than happy to join you." While he wasn't looking forward to 686Please respect copyright.PENANAidCisMl1qV
sleeping with all the insects again, it might help his back to not sleep686Please respect copyright.PENANA6PWWTAEI4O
on a rock hard surface.686Please respect copyright.PENANALpxqFslkav
"Perfect! I'll let Gob know and convince him as well." She laughed sheepishly. "I didn't really confirm this with him you see."686Please respect copyright.PENANA82rbbM00rx
"Oh, the guy loves me. It'll be easy." Francesca smiled at that, she knew just how much Gob hated David.686Please respect copyright.PENANAkWgGGTCxDu
A lull in the conversation and then a question David was dreading "Did you have any more visions? From the one who chose you?"686Please respect copyright.PENANAo0XPsNvdKC
"Sadly no, I'm as 686Please respect copyright.PENANAtuqOVcnZjD
clueless as when I was born." This wasn't exactly true. He knew he had 686Please respect copyright.PENANAsLukiKSZdj
to find something, and suspected Francesca was after it as well he 686Please respect copyright.PENANAsYOulyAMAs
suspected it was on this isle. Francesca seemed to know more, but she 686Please respect copyright.PENANA8NMz3zsLmh
wasn't willing to reveal it. She might hide it under lofty ideals, but 686Please respect copyright.PENANASsalANeP6z
she was concealing the truth from both David and the rebels.686Please respect copyright.PENANAY7tSg6v7dl
"Do not worry, I am 686Please respect copyright.PENANASvWAwct0PD
su..." before she could continue their whole world rocked. As explosions686Please respect copyright.PENANAL5htn6JUNm
rang from outside and rubble started falling all around them., hitting 686Please respect copyright.PENANAmKDqRNK55f
the table and dislodging the torch, casting ominous shadows on the walls686Please respect copyright.PENANAM8tj6Zz4SC
"Wha..." before David could finish his thought a very worried Gob barged in. 686Please respect copyright.PENANAmPAHmNWCG1
"We're under attack, they found us."
686Please respect copyright.PENANAYjshlYr1Nx
686Please respect copyright.PENANAlyzIleBhga