An odd pile was spread across the table with all eyes focused on it, but it exactly wasn’t a sight to see. Two rifles, one broken, a couple of shotguns, slugs fewer, some gifts, most were taken and tools with the facade as weapons.

“So I would say that we have a pretty good layout,” Rookie’s dry comment was not quenched.

“Hang on we’ve got some that are actually good,” Sprout placed down an odd contraption that looked old and new, being a mismatched crossbow and gun, mixed with plastic, wood, and metal.

“Hello,” Rookie looked excited as she got a hold of it, getting a feel of the alien weapon.

“Now what is this?”

“Guns are rare for open places and aren’t allowed for VitaNavs, so many tribes have been looking for substitutes. This is one of the most effective ones created,” Sprout placed bullet mimics onto the tables as well.

“I call it the ‘VitaGun’, hey? Pretty good name right,” Spoon burst out, with only Rookie replying with a smile, everyone else keeping silent.

“It can’t shoot as far as your guns, but at close range, it doesn’t have to. Plus fixing it shouldn’t be as hard nor should it have that much of a recoil, and while these metal points should be used the right stone can be a weak substitute,” Kiorif also took a turn with the VitaGun

“But is it enough to handle what we are dealing with?” Sprout looked at Kiorif for a moment with tension.

“I don’t know,” an underwhelming comment had Spoon snorting.

“Sorry this is meant to be serious, I’ll go get everybody else,”

“I’ll join you,” Sprout and Spoon left the two of them to get their recruits while Tomobi came back with faint huffing.

“Tomobi, you’re back,” Rookie smiled as she passed the VitaGun to Kiorif.

“Do you now know the problems of hiding stuff?”

“Ah, y-yes,”

“So you can say that to us,” Rookie’s and Kiorif’s eyes stabbed into him, his body told him to look away, but his mind stayed hooked to theirs.

“Ye-yes. I know it was stupid to not tell you two about what I saw. But I promise I will make up for it, I said I would join you two and I’ll make sure that it won’t be as trouble,” a faint squeak scurried out of Rookie but she kept most of her composure, whilst Kiorif looked away.

“Then set up some seats for us please, people are coming over,” The tone was strict, softer, but still strict. Tomobi followed through as he started to fit in the pieces of the seated puzzle.

Sprout and Spoon came back with many of the local farmers and a few VitaNavs. Even Hudson appeared though it had seemed that his temper had not burnt out as he did not acknowledge them as he entered.

“Okay we’ve brought everybody, and Lillia,” Spoon felt defeated when mentioning Lillia, who magically crushed his foot. She seemed much lighter in colouration, with lime markings covering a marble white body. One thing noticeable was her pair of horns, with one being snapped.

“Yes and I am thankful for you inviting me,” Spoon bit his lip as Lillia walked past him with Sprout by her side. People sat across the menagerie of chairs, all their attention on the soldiers in front of them. Many were stone-faced, others had animosity. Only Spoon showed any positivity as he smiled childishly at the back. For a brief moment of silence, Rookie volunteered to take the lead, though a faint pink was across her cheeks.

“Uh, okay, hi. So it’s pretty obvious why we are all here, it’s about the creature that has been bothering you all and is now our problem because it actually showed its ugly face,” a faint chuckle was heard, which Rookie held on to.

“And man was it bad, cause not only did we end up with broken gear but also we failed to shoot it. In broad daylight,” this shift in tone was welcomed by some who also smiled along with the concept of this failing.

“Of course many of you had Tomobi say sorry for this. Some more welcoming mind you, but from it sparked an idea. You all tried to hunt it and it backfired too, then we were told to do it and we failed. This is why Kiorif has thought of a plan that can help give him a round of applause,” Kiorif buried his face into his hand as only Spoon clapped along, though looking at the rest of the room slowly killed it.

“Rookie that wasn’t necessary,” Kiorif muffled, lifting his face.

“I know, but these guys aren’t soldiers. Can’t just tell them what to do,” she whispered to him as she took the backpedal.

“Alright, I know for a fact that you all don’t like me,” Kiorif immediately started talking, undoing some of Rookie’s work as few scoffed at this speech. Now Rookie had her hand across her face, not from resting but a small sharp slap.

“But we both want to get rid of the creature. And thanks to certain incidents that have occurred recently we suspect that there is a possibility that we can do so,”

“And how exactly are we supposed to do that?” Hudson finally spoke out, not with a condescending tone but with interest with the hope of dealing with the problem.

“We have the gear and you have the knowledge. Now we need to trade what we have because you all weren’t open about how much of an issue it was and until then we won’t offer our services,” Everybody had a different thought shown on their faces.

“Hang on,” Hudson opposed.

“So we are just to expect that you will leave us because of something we didn’t know,”

“You would’ve known something, otherwise you wouldn’t have made us work,”

“That’s bullshit,” Hudson stood up.

“How come you think you can call the shots,”

“Because you attacked me,”

“So?” Some people were shifting in their seats, ready to see a rematch in a new arena.

“Do you know what happens to people who attack the army?” Hudson showed the thought across his face.

“In case you didn’t know, things can happen. Rookie,”

“I hate to admit it but it can be a couple years imprisonment. Gets worse on the reason and who to,” While Rookie shrunk slightly from this, Kiorif showed a rare smile.

“But I do not want to start another fight, we have more important things to talk about,” His attention turned to Sprout as Hudson sat defeated in his chair, he didn’t win the rematch.

“Sprout, do you know anything about the creature?”

“Can’t say I have,” She gave a faint shrug.

“It was big, like an overgrown monitor drake. Also black and sort’ve armored, it looked so weird,”

“Right and it launched itself at Kiorif and you when you tried to have Tomobi speak up. Plus when Tomobi was by himself, which isn’t much,” and that is when Kiorif thought of another, somewhat cruel, idea.

“Actually that might be just what we need,” Looking over at Tomobi, he was going to break his own rule.