Papa always says I shouldn’t run up to everyone who comes to visit, but Big Yuyo will protect me if they’re bad. And these people weren’t bad, and some of them were barely bigger than me. They were all so nice, especially that Mimi one! And there was a shiny one! And a scary one, but not so scary. There’s way scarier things out here in the wastes. They’re mostly afraid of Big Yuyo though, he keeps us all safe. Auntie Jaller says so.

Papa made me go to bed, but after he and Pops went back down to the fire, and Gothby fell asleep, I snuck back out to Yuyo’s tail. Well, the part of his shell where the tail comes out, but he was sleeping, so it was inside. The soldiers always sing funny songs, and that big red guy, I think they called him Shaknul, he told a scary story about HUUUUUGE sharks! And the scary one went to say hi to the Acorn Sisters, but he didn’t give them anything. Nice Mimi did, though, she made a smoke dragon for them, I think they really liked that.

Then Mr Goorran started talking about all his magic stuff and they all got in a big discussion about money. Money is so silly. It’s just bits of metal. Why do people like it so much, I can find bits of metal one the ground all the time, doesn’t make them special. But anyway, I fell asleep then cuz money is boring.

Pops found me and carried me to bed, I guess, cuz I woke up there in the morning when Auntie Jaller came to get me for breakfast. We all went down to the campfire and I played with Mimi again while Auntie Jaller gave everybody some ash tea. She’s says it’s waste tea, made from the natural plants of the wastes, but I think it tastes awful. Mimi had a special bottle of something she drank and it made her really happy, but she didn’t have any to share, and Papa made me stop playing with her. Then the scary one said not to give your blood to strangers. Why would you do that? It’s MINE! Then they left, everybody leaves. Papa said we’re going to leave soon, too. I wonder if we’re going to go home or somewhere else this time. I miss home, but somewhere else is exciting!

~Lil’ Chespa

—

I was dead. I knew I was dead. I had accepted it. That cursed moon the night before proved it. The shadow demon was dead, and so was I. Dead in the rain in the Barbed Fields. It was an honorable death, and I would be reborn in the Light. A death with a sword in hand was the best one could ask for.

Then they came. Woke me back up, Pulled me from the brink. Just in time for the scavengers to come. Two Gloomstalkers descended, ready to harvest myself and my fellows. But they fought them off. Them and the skeletons that their screeches pulled from the ground. I don’t know how they did it. One named Kai’Osh stood over me, protecting me from the fight, keeping me safe and alive. Why am I alive?

Once the skeletons were scared off (that’s a powerful little autognome they’ve got there) or crushed and the stalkers put down, a young girl they called Urzutha began to cut them up. Harvested their eyes, teeth, claws, and webbing like it was nothing. I clocked a symbol on their metal friend. Slayers, of course. This couldn’t have been a contract, not like this, but once a Slayer, always a Slayer.

With their help, at least, my patrol won’t rise again. They load them and myself up on their mounts, and we ride. They’re a friendly bunch. The small ones keep everyone else entertained, it seems. Strange folk, but charming. They are all very kind to me, sharing what they have, and being very respectful of my friends’ bodies. Perhaps they will be useful back at the fort.

Ah Bazzoxan, home sour home. The moment we step inside, the horns start blaring and the mouthers start their babble. Yep, we’re home.

~ Captain Etupa Dreanelvie