568Please respect copyright.PENANAGjs0awwwpR
568Please respect copyright.PENANA8ApniwSsF3
'The voice?! Of course I568Please respect copyright.PENANAbVzoP81DRK
can hear it, I embrace it, I follow it, I worship it for what it is! 568Please respect copyright.PENANAKYzdiyAhdw
The word of god! And I am a holy messenger! You all are heathens! 568Please respect copyright.PENANAi6KXGYuHnB
Believers in false gods! You hide from the true voice, you fear it, you 568Please respect copyright.PENANAERut1DpSh6
shun it, you deny it! My only crime is that I am no coward!'568Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3MZaMjunF
Extract from the trial 568Please respect copyright.PENANAjQr2RK7f4t
of Bloody Jack. Accused of murdering his whole village on the whims of 568Please respect copyright.PENANA9394beISlL
an ether being and sentenced to death.568Please respect copyright.PENANAKDbuQAKXoR
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------568Please respect copyright.PENANA3O3mSge1MW
568Please respect copyright.PENANAlCEfLTDV4g
"I don't get it, why don't we go to a different isle? The Imperialsh will have ush shurrounded in no time."568Please respect copyright.PENANAgGptEP4Z4I
~And here we go again, simple minded people asking simple minded questions~568Please respect copyright.PENANATRH1nCOWKE
"Too many people to move, they'll notice us."568Please respect copyright.PENANAo3mf0el1LX
"Never shtopped ush before." A pause as the old man spat to the side. "What about fighting then, too little of ush?"568Please respect copyright.PENANAZhDsz47rmO
Gob shook his head, 568Please respect copyright.PENANArWSCDCn99G
tired. David could understand that, and he was annoyed he could 568Please respect copyright.PENANArztqAp0hP4
empathize with Gob. As per Gob's decision every time it was David's turn568Please respect copyright.PENANAVVF1utoXLs
to go patrolling Gob accompanied him. At first David found this 568Please respect copyright.PENANAfXsGHttF2I
insulting, he was the paragon of trust after all, but after a few of 568Please respect copyright.PENANAdBRwfDSGXk
such patrols he just found it annoying. Ever patrol was usually 568Please respect copyright.PENANARA4q21Qzbh
conducted with 3 or 4 people, usually with different people. There were a568Please respect copyright.PENANAMpE1Vwwmep
few constants in those groups though, the first was that David and Gob 568Please respect copyright.PENANAL2yJcGnAwX
were in them and the second was that someone always asked when they 568Please respect copyright.PENANAF51uSVRAEJ
would move.568Please respect copyright.PENANAbzIuKbIjEN
Now David has only been 568Please respect copyright.PENANAzks3lRFJAI
in the camp for a month now and managed to glean some information from 568Please respect copyright.PENANA47lrlY79RO
the other rebels and just observations. There were three groups of 568Please respect copyright.PENANA4s2mlFgG6Y
rebels. Peasants, peasant-soldiers and soldiers, as David liked to call 568Please respect copyright.PENANAnBJUqaMM9B
them. Peasants and peasant-soldiers were the people with no, to only 568Please respect copyright.PENANAUk0PYhF7zq
basic, military training. Such as Denis and his ilk. The soldiers 568Please respect copyright.PENANAt9XC6xMmJn
weren't necessary from the military, but they had more experience. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAtRVGVztnHP
Experience wasn't the only difference, civilians and civilian soldiers 568Please respect copyright.PENANArTXUcDBK5Q
loved and trusted both Gob and Francesca. Soldiers only trusted Gob. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAxKDRvPoUmI
Which worked out nicely for David as he could use this discord and 568Please respect copyright.PENANA9gk8mxqG98
divided loyalties.568Please respect copyright.PENANADAXf7sizhE
Another important thing 568Please respect copyright.PENANAiOmHSbIfi5
he managed to find out was that the rebels had stayed on the same isle 568Please respect copyright.PENANA6ac8jmhiv8
for three months. Many of the rebels were unhappy with the prolonged 568Please respect copyright.PENANAMCV0RcNF0t
stay, especially the soldiers. This resulted in that question and Gob 568Please respect copyright.PENANAciKqonsHB3
giving the same answer to anyone who asked. It was really riveting stuff568Please respect copyright.PENANAhGeJbqqRfA
for David, especially after hearing it for the twentieth third time. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAkWCfBCXc95
Ol' Stevie asked it around two or three times over the past few days to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAKiIQRgmMcx
their destination.568Please respect copyright.PENANAEVHF8ibzTy
Today they were out 568Please respect copyright.PENANAOsA45X1g4T
looking at the new imperial camp, turning into more of a makeshift fort,568Please respect copyright.PENANAxfLbt65dUs
being built around the wreckage of the 'Flying Fish'. It was a crude 568Please respect copyright.PENANA37lWFrn6n5
construction, something that could be easily taken apart. They were 568Please respect copyright.PENANAXsjOj6BdCF
joined by Rock and another rebel, called old toothless Stevie, on 568Please respect copyright.PENANA7Uo3uw6Nl7
account of him being old and having lost most of his teeth. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAB5XLZ7fcc8
"Yes, now shut up and 568Please respect copyright.PENANASGM276OA9P
remember everything you can about the imperials." Stevie shrugged at 568Please respect copyright.PENANAPrOnhRayWa
that and continued looking through his binocular. David kept further 568Please respect copyright.PENANACxAowEctTb
away from the pair, watching their backs with Rock, the youth did not 568Please respect copyright.PENANAmsv7BPXoKW
become any more talkative during Davids stay in the caves.568Please respect copyright.PENANAQ34RjYwI4B
They were at their 568Please respect copyright.PENANAHELZQfvhHU
lookout spot for a few hours at this point and David was glad he didn't 568Please respect copyright.PENANAnqMQzRJe31
feel any magical tugs coming from that direction, after discussing it 568Please respect copyright.PENANAXkzfkIsEQl
with Francesca it turned out that what David felt was a magical tug, 568Please respect copyright.PENANAb5a1X0wdg2
looked like the imperial soldier wasn't anywhere near it.568Please respect copyright.PENANAEPoKhYln75
"Alright, that's enough.568Please respect copyright.PENANARFwDP0NV1z
Let's head back." Gob proclaimed to the group and David sighted in 568Please respect copyright.PENANAcg7eNREaYZ
relief. Thankfully David was given new shoes, to help him walk, as well 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQ44UmZ4wok
as new clothes and even an eyepatch. The walk itself was silent and 568Please respect copyright.PENANAhVZPexrMNL
brutal. Gob set a murderous pace and he didn't look back to check on any568Please respect copyright.PENANA9Cr1DLdl6A
of them except for Rock, who bore it with his usual silence.568Please respect copyright.PENANAkJ3zjft0VX
David walked in silence 568Please respect copyright.PENANAPr8O0EM7Zv
as well. More to preserve his breathe, than anything else, as he felt 568Please respect copyright.PENANAtGZNbVGa5E
that he would fall to the ground if he even tried speaking. Toothless 568Please respect copyright.PENANAO9o9xnNkg4
Stevie may have been old and not have teeth, but he had more stamina 568Please respect copyright.PENANAa2jyNQej2m
than David, farm work really built you up for long hours of activity.568Please respect copyright.PENANASmMWWzpAG4
A walk that would've 568Please respect copyright.PENANAMFzNvu5leO
taken most of the day was managed in about half a day. David was so glad568Please respect copyright.PENANA4keKCxtjzq
to see the damp cave that he was ready to kiss the rocks when he came 568Please respect copyright.PENANApD0gSyBag5
inside. The camp itself did not change much over the past month and 568Please respect copyright.PENANAfHBjvulbeO
David was still the new guy. Though he made good strides in integrating 568Please respect copyright.PENANABTX7K6NUcf
himself as most of rebels waved to him in greeting.568Please respect copyright.PENANA3yJATLfAUz
"I'll go report to 568Please respect copyright.PENANA2GXQJtp5yd
Francesca. You can go relax." Gob passed David without a glance at him. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAJgA3ZKLdd3
The fact that Gob didn't glare or spit at David's direction must've 568Please respect copyright.PENANApcMix69vW4
meant that he was finally warming up to him! At least it was more than 568Please respect copyright.PENANA5UXuMRcGOK
David got over the past month, in fact he was ready to give up on ever 568Please respect copyright.PENANAUPhLqd89ze
winning Gob over.568Please respect copyright.PENANAc9jnXkbwjl
Francesca on the other 568Please respect copyright.PENANAqMQvXzjmPN
hand warmed up to him quite fast. As Denis summarized and David 568Please respect copyright.PENANAFiJwJzB4hT
confirmed she was a noble, a well read and knowledgeable noble but 568Please respect copyright.PENANAKlaqtam9vK
someone who hasn't left her estate a lot and has never traveled outside 568Please respect copyright.PENANAw21V8MHZX5
the empire. While David was the well-traveled dashing smuggler. He 568Please respect copyright.PENANAY95xJimkE8
managed to enthrall her with made up stories and adventures. To be fair 568Please respect copyright.PENANAfMqk0aPj1y
to Francesca she wasn't the only one falling under David's charm. As 568Please respect copyright.PENANA5S7T4GP80O
most of the rebels found it hard to resist the dashing rogue act.568Please respect copyright.PENANAfYp3evslBG
David just wished he 568Please respect copyright.PENANAKq8d3eEDB3
could win them over without going on patrols and risking his life. Oh 568Please respect copyright.PENANArJNmPy0pra
well no one said being a parasite was easy.568Please respect copyright.PENANAV39uEXQ8kA
Further down the camps 568Please respect copyright.PENANAEBuJ3dkquc
he could see Twitch, the nervous brother of Denis. Over the past month 568Please respect copyright.PENANAPloHfQEp3U
he integrated himself with the siblings, becoming a part of their gang. 568Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZP9PGVgSw
As the siblings were liked by the rebels in general this made them trust568Please respect copyright.PENANA5diiUhyZTu
David all the more. David decided to join Twitch so he snuck up behind 568Please respect copyright.PENANA1J1wZqYD8u
him. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAFSGUBzr5Pn
"What'cha doing?"568Please respect copyright.PENANATDv3uPfzSe
Twitch practically jumped out of his own skin. "Agh! Oh D-david. Don't s-scare me l-l-like that."568Please respect copyright.PENANA0QVbnHWmz6
"Sorry, twitch." David said patting the boys shoulder. "Didn't mean to, you know I hate doing it." He loved it568Please respect copyright.PENANAnIMWiPUiJm
Twitch nodded and stood beside David." 'S alright. I-I-I'm just easily sca-ar-ared."568Please respect copyright.PENANADY2iCR2fqp
David nodded. The boy 568Please respect copyright.PENANAmVg1jTlJEL
was lucky to have any friends at all." Nothing wrong with being scared."568Please respect copyright.PENANAwUgEEST6Dc
He said with a comforting smile. "We all have our own strengths, like 568Please respect copyright.PENANApK47Gj2pPA
you..." David paused for a bit racking his mind for something to say. "A568Please respect copyright.PENANA7wwG1Lb1wy
poet! A man of dreams! How're your poems going anyway? I still want to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAoXnfpvqNOe
read them someday."568Please respect copyright.PENANA0P4RPxruIN
Twitch muttered 568Please respect copyright.PENANA8YgxULzryK
something under his breathe. David motioned with his hand for him to 568Please respect copyright.PENANA6uD15Y5p2U
speak up. "...n-not poems. But son-so-songs."568Please respect copyright.PENANAPTh5nncNzl
David stopped himself from shrugging and smiled. "Songs, even better then! Why not create a song for the rebellion?"568Please respect copyright.PENANAY7jMtS8GFL
Twitch started shaking 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQwiCb5KDyC
his head but before the words: 'No' formed on his mouth a voice 568Please respect copyright.PENANAeEPZvzQWrx
interrupted them. "A hymn truly sounds marvelous!" Francesca made Twitch568Please respect copyright.PENANAikZJ7upszd
jump back even more than David did568Please respect copyright.PENANAqTMzwXoobI
"I-I-I" He continued in that vain for a while.568Please respect copyright.PENANAzg2A2idYyI
"Speak up soldier!" Gobs568Please respect copyright.PENANAmnhpd41MnI
voice resounded around the cave, making everyone glance at Twitch, 568Please respect copyright.PENANA2GAhI5p6Ev
which should've made his stuttering worse. But his fear of Gob took over568Please respect copyright.PENANAIERWLx7gHE
any instinct he had.568Please respect copyright.PENANA3a2aejcd52
"I'mnotgoodenough!" He 568Please respect copyright.PENANArMa1Lqj0D8
said as fast possible. David was astounded it was probably the first 568Please respect copyright.PENANANW9juzjAUv
time the boy didn't stutter. Not that he could understand what he said 568Please respect copyright.PENANAtFExMsSbmx
now.568Please respect copyright.PENANAZAJFfn4Y3n
"Nonsense." Francesca 568Please respect copyright.PENANAA0cZ3Lwryc
put her hand on Twitch's shoulder. She didn't seem to have any trouble 568Please respect copyright.PENANAVHjX0P2pmn
understanding him. "Write me a song when you can, and we will sing it, 568Please respect copyright.PENANATKENlisrY2
all of us together." She projected her voice to others nearby which 568Please respect copyright.PENANADjREKmuucf
raised a rugged cheer. That just made Twitch hide his face as it went 568Please respect copyright.PENANAdhfmbr1HZk
dark red.568Please respect copyright.PENANAMIqKO6ga3P
Francesca spared Twitch 568Please respect copyright.PENANAA7Kr23jJpW
one last warm smile and turned to the rest of the rebels standing 568Please respect copyright.PENANAa7euW8j2D5
around. "It's time for your daily studies! Spread the message!" Both 568Please respect copyright.PENANAJRwjURyXpt
children and adults listened to Francesca, without a hint of 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQXfggnWUYv
disobedience, and started moving in one line to the study cavern, as it 568Please respect copyright.PENANA5TGsrbtvMG
was popularly called.568Please respect copyright.PENANAuFSzJm4YRn
The rebels not only 568Please respect copyright.PENANActcOqMKcsS
respected Francesca for her leadership and attitude towards the 568Please respect copyright.PENANASRFrUUKWx5
peasantry, but also her attempts to educate them. Most of the rebels 568Please respect copyright.PENANATlPTxTo9pH
didn't know how to read or basic math while Francesca was an educated 568Please respect copyright.PENANAElHzQRmlRk
noble, thus she decided to teach everyone in the rebellion the basics. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAygQL2N7my9
No one was barred from the lessons and both young and old were invited 568Please respect copyright.PENANA9fll5t2w7G
to them. 568Please respect copyright.PENANACl5PXul19u
David attended one of 568Please respect copyright.PENANAEmLzjpOFYs
those lessons but found himself too bored to continue. They were talking568Please respect copyright.PENANAkyuoX29DGX
about letter and numbers and some researcher named Vesputti or 568Please respect copyright.PENANAD128MAMkZ3
something similar. Thus, he skipped over on those lessons, he wasn't the568Please respect copyright.PENANAQss2U2bxGm
only one as most of the adults had decided that they were too old to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAg4fRFBHQp6
learn anything new.568Please respect copyright.PENANAly9TF828Wz
Before leading her group568Please respect copyright.PENANAMVtaE8guMW
to the secluded cavern, Francesca approached David. "I'd like if you'd 568Please respect copyright.PENANA1a3Ks6A1y3
dine with me tonight, if it's to your liking?"568Please respect copyright.PENANAf58R5LbsNz
"Of course, I'll see you568Please respect copyright.PENANARktKRbgomp
later." Francesca did that sometimes, inviting David over. Chatting 568Please respect copyright.PENANA0xhCoeQo2O
about trivialities, like whether he had any more vision about The Five. 568Please respect copyright.PENANApohQTjj0t6
Thankfully Jester didn't deign to appear yet so David managed to sleep 568Please respect copyright.PENANA13hRY4dqRv
peacefully, well not accounting the strange dreams about some boy crying568Please respect copyright.PENANA6cL7rRh46H
and calling for his mummy. Those dreams made David wake up in a foul 568Please respect copyright.PENANAZ36Df4F5jp
mood, he wasn't certain why but thought it could be because he didn't 568Please respect copyright.PENANA0wCLHxMPL1
remember his parents or family.568Please respect copyright.PENANAEe0g326zQ7
Francesca, unaware of 568Please respect copyright.PENANAF582ppaTlI
David's thoughts or dreams, nodded with a smile and led her group from 568Please respect copyright.PENANAGkShl99ye2
the main cavern. Twitch following her and joining his sibling to whom 568Please respect copyright.PENANAoADTdtiQGd
David waved. Turning around he came face to face with Nook.568Please respect copyright.PENANATOYKjr0tgl
"I'm off duty now, got some guys looking for a game. You're in?"568Please respect copyright.PENANAzZTh4f9JZU
Nook was an interesting 568Please respect copyright.PENANAjvye4g3kXm
case, while he was definitely Gob's man he didn't seem to be as 568Please respect copyright.PENANAppFhaQvN80
disciplined as the other soldiers. He was also one of the few soldiers 568Please respect copyright.PENANAIYkbyZYHoD
who was friendly with David instead of following Gob's lead and hating 568Please respect copyright.PENANAJ0AAu1p0qQ
his guts. So they decided to have a card game here and there while 568Please respect copyright.PENANA4EXFcLEt56
inviting other people, a card game in which David lost more often than 568Please respect copyright.PENANARCy201obG7
not. While David hated losing in cards it was a good method of making 568Please respect copyright.PENANA1kZxNWQmeS
friends and getting to know people. As well as a guarantee to keep 568Please respect copyright.PENANAjvYQgFWzrH
getting invited as long as you lost smart and graciously accepted it.568Please respect copyright.PENANA9O04LzsR9O
"Aye, why not Nook. Maybe I'll clean house this time."568Please respect copyright.PENANAGYxugH2vNE
Nook grinned a 568Please respect copyright.PENANAP7UoFDrPTv
predator's smile and led David towards a secluded table. While gambling 568Please respect copyright.PENANAaKPzFk4KKg
wasn't banned or anything, as long as you were off duty, it was frowned 568Please respect copyright.PENANAruldxLIP0G
upon by Gob. That and most rebels having limited resources. Having only 568Please respect copyright.PENANAarYOXA75f0
their clothes and weapons stolen from the empire or brought on their 568Please respect copyright.PENANAAcKD6QUlZK
backs.568Please respect copyright.PENANAJy97Gv1yNj
Thus any card games were568Please respect copyright.PENANAW7wkXbY2ZI
just that, games to pass the time. At least until David proposed to bet568Please respect copyright.PENANAghWiCLro1Q
their rations. Everyone received the basic rations few times per day 568Please respect copyright.PENANAZMRzN5rDwq
and it was up to them how much of that they ate. It was barely enough to568Please respect copyright.PENANAPUDJq4CwmM
feed a healthy adult. As they have been on this isle for a while it was568Please respect copyright.PENANAj9ADSoFfxA
harder to find fresh animals to hunt every day. A lot of the rebels 568Please respect copyright.PENANAuc2SutVWn8
were opposed to that idea as they'd loose on the last bits of food they 568Please respect copyright.PENANArgF34L0O6d
did have.568Please respect copyright.PENANAVlsfXe74cR
Some did think it was a 568Please respect copyright.PENANAWcOwGbGRiR
brilliant idea and David was sitting down with a few of them right now. 568Please respect copyright.PENANA19nCas9xTe
Nook, he was confident in his card abilities. Apparently before joining 568Please respect copyright.PENANAnVsEsTOrfl
the rebellion he was a militiaman in his village and gambled a lot. As 568Please respect copyright.PENANAkweMOOWPhZ
far as David could see he was more lucky than actually good. Old 568Please respect copyright.PENANAIt7jnvATKL
toothless Stevie, he joked that if he did lose his rations that it would568Please respect copyright.PENANAQcTeGXHW4G
save his last teeth. He also wasn't afraid to bet most of his rations 568Please respect copyright.PENANAuNp3fsiD8t
scaring the other players into folding, a good bluffer. Finally there 568Please respect copyright.PENANAhWIPVS4zdP
was Tiruk, a huge man who definitely needed more rations just to 568Please respect copyright.PENANALyKkWwYqM3
survive. It surprised David anyone could keep that weight with tight the568Please respect copyright.PENANA7590osfZJc
food has been.568Please respect copyright.PENANAVr9Ry3vTW6
They were the four main 568Please respect copyright.PENANApWbIpMFHyQ
players who usually joined the gambling games. Sometimes others joined 568Please respect copyright.PENANAVuCqbzvAXR
but they usually stopped after going hungry for a day or two as they 568Please respect copyright.PENANACQDAc5YjsT
lost their rations. These four though didn't give up after losing, 568Please respect copyright.PENANAf6HtiFlG9C
because they knew that their chances of a feast were just around the 568Please respect copyright.PENANA1JZbvcnxZM
corner. That fact created a sense of comradeship between the players. 568Please respect copyright.PENANATb7Q7AAGXY
Even if they were playing against each other they understood the risks 568Please respect copyright.PENANAul7qe6V4sN
and accepted them.568Please respect copyright.PENANABDYRMI7zuH
"''Ello boys." David 568Please respect copyright.PENANA4bXjIBykXs
said sitting down at the table with Nook. There were nods all around the568Please respect copyright.PENANAyNwLdKgGnk
table and the cards were dealt. They were playing a card game called 568Please respect copyright.PENANAqLnUf49WEp
match 'n go. Most of the rebels had not heard of the game or at least 568Please respect copyright.PENANAIg5t7o9Xpj
knew it under a different name but most of them caught on fast, it was 568Please respect copyright.PENANAjvZiZBSSeg
often just played for fun. But the best games came from betting. As the 568Please respect copyright.PENANA5iHygX3shZ
risks went higher you tried to fool your opponent into thinking that you568Please respect copyright.PENANAxgaH4NYkt0
had the match or a higher card. David loved risk games like that, he 568Please respect copyright.PENANAkebIWrd3oD
loved reading the other player emotions and using it against them or at 568Please respect copyright.PENANArpZWRh0h33
least for his own benefit. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAVz4rHVTCfN
Nook was the first to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAcrBqk6cEIH
play. "I'm betting half of my rations on this. Gots a good deck, that I 568Please respect copyright.PENANAFPxrrBEwYY
do." David could see the plastered smile on his face. At this point 568Please respect copyright.PENANALDJyrdW5K1
David could tell fake between real in a heartbeat. Nook was bluffing.568Please respect copyright.PENANA4QMJWfCglL
"Alright, I'll call that." David answered.568Please respect copyright.PENANAjYbhE5SPRu
Tiruk, in answer, just 568Please respect copyright.PENANAhwIIg7CZpp
shook his head and folded. He wasn't risking it. Stevenson with his 568Please respect copyright.PENANAZKM8S8uBXN
gaped smile called it as well and cackled a bit.568Please respect copyright.PENANAbQ81vpw7gJ
Next card revealed. A 3 568Please respect copyright.PENANA9o0vZesmWa
for Davids two threes. He'd have to fold that game, too high chance of 568Please respect copyright.PENANAdNqrZ6aOlQ
winning. So it went on and on, rations were won and lost. David won a 568Please respect copyright.PENANAwxLOQvBlkv
few games but then he bet everything and lost on purpose, made Stevie a 568Please respect copyright.PENANAtHQ2b7vge9
very happy, old, man.568Please respect copyright.PENANABJ4LKtUq0V
Since David didn't have 568Please respect copyright.PENANAbNsSpwjXgS
anything to bet with anymore he made his excuses and left the table. He 568Please respect copyright.PENANAwazFBVv4b1
took a look around for Gob and didn't see him anywhere so decided it 568Please respect copyright.PENANAIQr6FfTdd3
would be safe to take a walk.568Please respect copyright.PENANATtHJPwGGsq
Another thing he took to568Please respect copyright.PENANAtaH0Jfx4YL
doing over the past two weeks was exploring, finding any secret spaces 568Please respect copyright.PENANAZOYUbo3Yrt
where he might hide. The rebels themselves only found one possible 568Please respect copyright.PENANAkZ2lZQ4bII
emergency exit while David found three. Of course the other two exits 568Please respect copyright.PENANAvAJNX7u6FJ
only were wide enough for one person to pass through at a time. So it 568Please respect copyright.PENANAZUQ0dIuuId
could be that they just didn't consider them as such.568Please respect copyright.PENANAA2rvg03CRj
He also found various 568Please respect copyright.PENANADzyLbgZAhp
hiding spots, not only for him but for items he stole. Weapons, 568Please respect copyright.PENANAwdBLEETjwm
ammunition, food and the like. If only a small amount disappeared at a 568Please respect copyright.PENANAyOCQ0kb4uT
time no one really noticed and attributed it to absentmindedness. Though568Please respect copyright.PENANAD8qjU6CCza
David believed Gob was getting suspicious so he would need to start 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQqIWZEh1qs
being more careful.568Please respect copyright.PENANAsH9cRKx59u
The caves themselves 568Please respect copyright.PENANANipdyi9BW0
seemed to go through the whole isle, David didn't believe he explored 568Please respect copyright.PENANArQ04KPKob7
even half of it. Gob tried to send a few soldiers every day to explore 568Please respect copyright.PENANA3F9Zu1po5l
further into the caves, but many were afraid of the dark, believing 568Please respect copyright.PENANAahTb1RRKAj
various beasts were residing in them. Refusing to go inside without Gob 568Please respect copyright.PENANArr05jozyKs
and since Gob was usually busy either creating or being out on patrols 568Please respect copyright.PENANAu2iyVgTgcN
himself that limited their exploring time.568Please respect copyright.PENANAznF6jvwtXZ
That let David offer his568Please respect copyright.PENANA6bjDDCO1Gy
services as an explorer. He would explore the further caves and would 568Please respect copyright.PENANA0wUKoM47Fw
report on any worrying circumstances. Gob was reluctant to let him go 568Please respect copyright.PENANAozrh5g9UUk
but was convinced by Francesca that it would be a grand idea as it would568Please respect copyright.PENANApYf1C3fQJD
free more people for patrols and other duties.568Please respect copyright.PENANA64ainjYGvD
This time though he had a568Please respect copyright.PENANAutb0ns1BEq
destination in mind. A bit further into one of the pathways, about an 568Please respect copyright.PENANATPsgkriik7
hour from the main cavern, there was a small pathway where a thin person568Please respect copyright.PENANAvhZHpVBzKp
could barely fit. Following that pathway, if you could survive the 568Please respect copyright.PENANAqe86UyuOKX
feeling of getting crushed by the walls, was a pool. David was surprised568Please respect copyright.PENANAONHZaW3HEK
when he found and astonished when he discovered the water was hot. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAAkgoAqMsMl
That's where he was 568Please respect copyright.PENANAPzz0MTu5Ps
going now; he needed a clear head for Francesca's meeting. No matter how568Please respect copyright.PENANAgntL672Day
she acted she was a noble, they always sought the best deals for 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQWGTr0O3hU
themselves, always trying to ledge a situation in their favour. David 568Please respect copyright.PENANAjtVAWpDAA8
would need to be on his toes. Or maybe he just wanted to actually relax 568Please respect copyright.PENANAjBAzWkO4tt
without anyone screaming or crying, he didn't decide which one sounded 568Please respect copyright.PENANAlXlILJ5Rhb
better in his mind.568Please respect copyright.PENANAC1x5YBH6qh
Thus grabbing a torch as568Please respect copyright.PENANAJEkyeQIRDt
many of the pathways further down weren't lit, he began his, 568Please respect copyright.PENANAwn38B4LrZi
uneventful, journey. Luckily he reached his destination in a timely 568Please respect copyright.PENANArjkX6uQdcD
manner, though he hated going through that cramped space. He gave a 568Please respect copyright.PENANAdE6j1XAkC7
satisfied sigh as he sat down in the pool, his muscles losing the 568Please respect copyright.PENANAkkA5cY8Kxa
tension he gathered over the past few weeks, the water reached up to his568Please respect copyright.PENANAYpVVm9XvdN
chest and he dunked his head under the water finally enjoying a proper 568Please respect copyright.PENANALWZCk90SXq
clean. He was careful to keep track of time but other than that he let 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQOvjmBtuWK
his mind wander and just blanked out. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQTX2X8zZMC
Before he even noticed, 568Please respect copyright.PENANADVSTQlFWdt
to David's disappointment, it was time to leave. He was also saddened by568Please respect copyright.PENANA7j8kvDPppi
the fact that the water ended up a bit darker after his bath, a way to 568Please respect copyright.PENANA32zcB41u03
hit a guys confidence. With a sad sigh he put on his dirty and worn out 568Please respect copyright.PENANA5gqPyB4fXR
clothes and went back to the main cavern to the sound of activity and 568Please respect copyright.PENANAqC6pf23Qja
the smell of unwashed masses.568Please respect copyright.PENANAc4zVFiAGnY
It did seem that David 568Please respect copyright.PENANAn5lv8wh9jW
came back just in time as people were gathered near the cooking pots to 568Please respect copyright.PENANArEClyngWi7
gather their rations. David did the same and then found Stevie, sitting 568Please respect copyright.PENANATqaA4ssIKS
with some other older rebels, and gave him his rations. Stevie nodded 568Please respect copyright.PENANA0LzM9RysMo
and had a sparkle in his eye. "Maybe nexsht time you can save me 568Please respect copyright.PENANAoUdN3zcmWG
teethsh." And he cackled at his joke. David managed a weak laugh that 568Please respect copyright.PENANAy6JEPdCdKX
seemed to satisfy Stevie.568Please respect copyright.PENANA01GvxZbDbK
"Don't keep Francesca 568Please respect copyright.PENANAU2G9DLU8cq
waiting." Came a gruff voice from behind. David tried to hide his 568Please respect copyright.PENANAXOOuDA963N
annoyance at the fact that Gob managed to sneak up on him and scare him.568Please respect copyright.PENANAv2unJEDJVJ
Some people just had no sense of proper manners.568Please respect copyright.PENANAxbd6jFc9Yl
"Oh I wouldn't dare." 568Please respect copyright.PENANAyeyUIEJ5C6
He gave a mock bow which seemed to infuriate Gob more. "I was just out 568Please respect copyright.PENANA0VMAidBkK1
exploring, nothing to report so far, sir Gob." Gob just grunted and 568Please respect copyright.PENANAYiooRGsBRv
walked away. 568Please respect copyright.PENANA0loknrHzN8
David smiled and waved 568Please respect copyright.PENANAtjTMBK2Nnr
after him, the guy really needed to unwind. With nothing else to do but 568Please respect copyright.PENANAFSOS0fcDI6
shrug at that thought David went towards Francesca's room. Even if 568Please respect copyright.PENANAF72ywI6tHo
Francesca did pretend to be all for equality and the like she still had 568Please respect copyright.PENANAluV8qt3T4H
her personal quarters, such as they were, as well as an actual bed, 568Please respect copyright.PENANAUMoLE0J7pH
table, chairs. They were shoddy work at best, crafted quickly by some of568Please respect copyright.PENANAG6luJJo3Wk
the rebels, but they were more than anything any other rebel had. David568Please respect copyright.PENANAdIuLTCnhIj
was impressed by how she had more and yet most still perceived her as 568Please respect copyright.PENANAZo9kx4Wpr6
the paragon of virtue.568Please respect copyright.PENANAP5daLCmxIn
Her room, as per usual, 568Please respect copyright.PENANAhZhdxhRTGs
was guarded. But the guard waved him on with a smile. David saw it as a 568Please respect copyright.PENANA9s3Ff5Bd5Q
pointless precaution anyway, but what could you do. Francesca herself 568Please respect copyright.PENANAT0aJl6ptII
was already seated, with a torch in the middle of the table, a pale 568Please respect copyright.PENANAswCmmCOzon
imitation of a candle. One thing the rebels had a lot of were torches, 568Please respect copyright.PENANAH6vX74T91N
to light up all caverns and pathways. 568Please respect copyright.PENANArEFvKLeB54
"Oh, David! Please sit" she gestured towards the second chair.568Please respect copyright.PENANAOYxXZn3JOx
David sat down with a 568Please respect copyright.PENANACYDaLQFqUQ
nod and smile. They weren't eating anything extravagant, just what the 568Please respect copyright.PENANAn4NoBkqVaw
rest were. Dried meat, nuts, sometimes if they were lucky they could 568Please respect copyright.PENANAxs4iIyZkrc
even get rabbit or vegetable soup, but that more of a luxury nowadays. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAL9dFLP5t1o
This time it was some dried meat of unknown origin and some water found 568Please respect copyright.PENANAHVUcqjoSMz
in a stream. Delicious.568Please respect copyright.PENANA8gSHlkqLtK
"So pleasantries first or business first?"568Please respect copyright.PENANAPQpErMnv3K
"I found that going straight to business can ruin a healthy appetite."568Please respect copyright.PENANAmqxtCP0Ec7
Francesca nodded and 568Please respect copyright.PENANAmBVHwsFOal
began to cut her meat with her wooden utensils. While David had similar 568Please respect copyright.PENANAehbGBn0KRc
equipment he didn't really find much use of them and found it better to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAGUSguyeBLM
eat with his own hands. Made it faster and when you're under cannon fire568Please respect copyright.PENANAvSselgG1y7
fast eating was paramount.568Please respect copyright.PENANAV8xsUganhq
As expected David 568Please respect copyright.PENANAdw2fq6y4nf
finished his portion first and ended up waiting for Francesca to finish 568Please respect copyright.PENANAgnZ5c5zu7S
hers, which took another 5 or 10 minutes. The girl was certainly a 568Please respect copyright.PENANA2Kp8E7FUq9
deliberate eater.568Please respect copyright.PENANAlIPwVIZ2rh
"So on to business." She568Please respect copyright.PENANA9Z8zjuSA1Z
paused making sure David was ready, once he nodded she continued. "Tell568Please respect copyright.PENANAlunmK20uIX
me, do you know who actually hired your services?"568Please respect copyright.PENANAFPyBGir96L
"No idea, captain was usually tight lipped about our clients. I just always assumed it was one of you guys."568Please respect copyright.PENANAfMgPiWlk25
"In a way. It's someone 568Please respect copyright.PENANAUVeDH1tPxm
who's...interested in our cause. One of Gob's friends. He is able to get568Please respect copyright.PENANA3BOH635TiR
in and out of the isles without arousing too much suspicion."568Please respect copyright.PENANALgjYw7qsi9
"Can't imagine you can tell me who it is?"568Please respect copyright.PENANA7DObTmGBVn
"It's not for me to tell sadly, Gob was adamant that it's best kept as secret." Francesca smiled apologetically "apologies"568Please respect copyright.PENANA4WdI4LjECW
David waved his hand in a playful manner. "No worries, I'm surprised you're telling me any of this in the first place."568Please respect copyright.PENANAjedw8w0hTL
"Well, there is a 568Please respect copyright.PENANAcNoXaEVqxy
reason. Since the weapons we got previously are in the Empire's hands 568Please respect copyright.PENANAiJZXAIfqOe
and we can't fight them for it." Putting it lightly the rebels never 568Please respect copyright.PENANAhSvGZK9zno
really fought the empire in a straight on fight. Mostly raids and 568Please respect copyright.PENANADLieOhzHAm
recruiting villagers with their possessions. Easy pickings. "Gob got in 568Please respect copyright.PENANAKSTWUBWSzo
touch with his friend again and luckily we managed to set up a meeting 568Please respect copyright.PENANAWiMi0Wl4hL
in a few days the edge of a different isle.568Please respect copyright.PENANAlEVT3KddQc
"We will also be moving 568Please respect copyright.PENANADhf7yHdYNN
our base" she continued, sadly. "I can't keep us here with the danger 568Please respect copyright.PENANARDo2zbHt5R
increasing, so we will move slowly, to an isle we were based in before 568Please respect copyright.PENANAQwuGZGauE1
so some will know where to go."568Please respect copyright.PENANAiQ1fZut2jY
"That's good, why did 568Please respect copyright.PENANAcOS8dF9MBo
you want to keep us here for this long anyway?" While he was annoyed at 568Please respect copyright.PENANA0stPsRpbqS
hearing that question every time he went on patrols, he couldn't deny he568Please respect copyright.PENANAVwXA9BsxYk
was interested in the answer.568Please respect copyright.PENANANbieNEyVkl
"It...It has to do with one of The Five. I can't reveal more in fear that it might interfere with your objective. "568Please respect copyright.PENANAVFiU8tPnJq
David nodded, not a full568Please respect copyright.PENANAHbcfA4kQcs
answer he wanted but to push might create a rift between them. Religion568Please respect copyright.PENANARqoaQ2AvCG
was pretty important to Francesca "Don't worry; you don't have to 568Please respect copyright.PENANADywpDtuPio
reveal anything you don't want want to." He said in a soothing tone568Please respect copyright.PENANA1arhcOy6iw
"Thank you." She said 568Please respect copyright.PENANAxF7uxpOERG
gratefully. "Where was I? Oh, yes. We'll have groups with specified 568Please respect copyright.PENANAc9vAY9zTOw
leaders going back to that previous isle, they'll lead them and we'll 568Please respect copyright.PENANAyzgt44TQRn
regroup at a specified point."568Please respect copyright.PENANASi7qAk73mH
"How will you get 568Please respect copyright.PENANAX6D22nqoZJ
everyone over to the next isle?" Isles were divided by cracks, and while568Please respect copyright.PENANAayNKrUjCqf
some you could jump over, others were so wide you could fit a full 568Please respect copyright.PENANAzAYy8tcGxy
city.568Please respect copyright.PENANAFra1YyJG58
"We have small sky 568Please respect copyright.PENANAKuVWvMQS2f
boats. Some of the groups will use it...Others...Others will need to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAogc0aJARoR
find their own way" she said in bitter tones. "I don't like that, we're 568Please respect copyright.PENANAzfIVZ0iCZj
abandoning my people. But Gob said it's too dangerous traveling in a big568Please respect copyright.PENANAdoKfYVv1s6
group."568Please respect copyright.PENANALqtiWGN3xE
"You're a good leader on your own. You should trust your own instincts." Ah finally! An opportunity to create that rift568Please respect copyright.PENANAE77kBYA2l1
She gave him a sad smile568Please respect copyright.PENANAuRQOnrpW9y
in response. "Thank you, but I do not a good head for tactics or 568Please respect copyright.PENANAjHBr6EBAmh
military matters. I've had some education on it, but Gob is much better 568Please respect copyright.PENANA5Wt7tNf3xD
at it." David still wasn't sure just what Gob did before the rebellion. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAOJexd3dDDL
Francesca stated that the past did not matter and as long as they were 568Please respect copyright.PENANAtgVRmA9kcx
willing to fight for the rebellions ideals they would be allowed to keep568Please respect copyright.PENANAjWUfs69I5l
their past in the past.568Please respect copyright.PENANAZs0sEDxgbq
"Now then, back to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAA3DJYiPhKd
business." She said more cheerily. "Myself and Gob will be meeting that 568Please respect copyright.PENANAMSG5zfOQ5H
person in a few days. We will have guards but I'd also like for you to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAv4n4qDewBB
come. You're well-traveled and met many people; your advice would be 568Please respect copyright.PENANArRlgnaqMuy
valuable, especially since we'll only be bartering for them."568Please respect copyright.PENANAPfB2TWxvAA
"You'll have it. I'm 568Please respect copyright.PENANATgT1Z828CC
more than happy to join you." While he wasn't looking forward to 568Please respect copyright.PENANAbJeRloOEaW
sleeping with all the insects again, it might help his back to not sleep568Please respect copyright.PENANA6AzPuqniLM
on a rock hard surface.568Please respect copyright.PENANAi9wMACDz0i
"Perfect! I'll let Gob know and convince him as well." She laughed sheepishly. "I didn't really confirm this with him you see."568Please respect copyright.PENANAAfTNffZvZm
"Oh, the guy loves me. It'll be easy." Francesca smiled at that, she knew just how much Gob hated David.568Please respect copyright.PENANABHkXdmoSOW
A lull in the conversation and then a question David was dreading "Did you have any more visions? From the one who chose you?"568Please respect copyright.PENANAnhBLa2BGQi
"Sadly no, I'm as 568Please respect copyright.PENANADKjW4XhJ2X
clueless as when I was born." This wasn't exactly true. He knew he had 568Please respect copyright.PENANAtidzxUNAVd
to find something, and suspected Francesca was after it as well he 568Please respect copyright.PENANAxSyPs1ePTg
suspected it was on this isle. Francesca seemed to know more, but she 568Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3SCOv24Yg
wasn't willing to reveal it. She might hide it under lofty ideals, but 568Please respect copyright.PENANAhRKGRkrhsi
she was concealing the truth from both David and the rebels.568Please respect copyright.PENANAvIngrVEN2e
"Do not worry, I am 568Please respect copyright.PENANAj8IHgejjyh
su..." before she could continue their whole world rocked. As explosions568Please respect copyright.PENANAbCngpZY1xN
rang from outside and rubble started falling all around them., hitting 568Please respect copyright.PENANAfhl2cJvKt3
the table and dislodging the torch, casting ominous shadows on the walls568Please respect copyright.PENANAiRtYLmOEAA
"Wha..." before David could finish his thought a very worried Gob barged in. 568Please respect copyright.PENANAfaCUsv3CSv
"We're under attack, they found us."
568Please respect copyright.PENANAZwtQK0YW0u
568Please respect copyright.PENANA8wy00uHdfa