"Okay," Mike began after Hank and Nosmiles had found space at the table. "Now we need to discuss a schedule for Goblin immigration. In our emergency meeting we agreed, tentatively, to Captain Joe's proposal. We let twenty Goblins into the safezone to see how well integration would work before we determined this immigration schedule, and I have to say, for the past week, we have seen the benefits. The knowledge and experience Shaman Noon-weira has provided in itself has been immensely helpful, but Hank has reported that one of the Goblins has helped him refine his fermentation process, I've gotten reports of a new boost in level gains from the sparring pits, and so far most people have reported the Goblins have only been kind and courteous."

  "Don't forget hard working." Hank added raising a finger. "They put our people to shame when it comes to understanding the need to get things done. And if it wasn't for the food their hunting parties have provided through the portal, we'd be hurting from David's absence. Instead, we've had meat to spare, not to mention the foraged foods."

  Mike nodded. "True enough. It is easy to say that their presence has been a net positive in just the week they have been here. But, unfortunately, that doesn't mean we can just take them all in at once. There are still problems. And they have problems they face inside the portal if we cannot take them all in. Obviously, the first issue is the lack of housing. We simply don't have enough room, and we'll have to expand outward to provide the housing in the future. Considering we don't know if the safezone's boundaries will even expand with new construction, that also presents long-term concerns. And, as I understand it, there's a time dilation that will cause even more complications that we haven't considered. Nosmiles, do you care to explain some of that to us?"

  "Of course, of course... With-"

  "Wait one moment. Can't we delay this vote." Agnis interrupted Nosmiles before he could finish the first sentence of his explanation. "It is my understanding that our primary reason for even agreeing to Captain Joe's proposal was out of the need to reinforce the guard. But, Levi and Paige are headed to another safezone with our written petition. With the time dilation, that should be a very fast journey. Perhaps it would be prudent to wait for news from the other safezone before making hasty plans with the Goblins." Agnis swiveled her head to Joe. "When exactly did you say they departed, Guard Captain?"

  Joe gripped the arm of his chair tighter, but answered with every bit of professionalism and tact the Marine Corps had drilled into him. "This morning. Approximately eight hours ago, if I had to give my best estimation."

  Agnis's head swiveled to glance between the other council members. "You see, that's already..." Agnis paused, closing her eyes tilting her head back and forth for a moment before continuing. "...by my math, already a month of travel into what is supposed to be only a two month journey."

  Several council members seemed to lean forward as she spoke, taking in Agnis's words.

  "So, we could have an answer in just a couple days. Surely, we can wait at least that long before making a decision on this one, extremely consequential decision," Agnis concluded.

  Several council members were giving small nods, that, if not outright agreement, acknowledged her point.

  "May I speak further on this subject, acting Chairman Nichols?" Joe interrupted.

  "By all means, Joe. And just Mike is fine. We're too small of a community to be formal all the time." Mike gave Agnis a pointed glance.

  "Thanks, Mike," Joe said before sitting straighter and addressing the council. "Yes, Levi and Paige are carrying the petition to the next safezone, but we should not count on that for a number of reasons. The first of which is obviously that we don't know how quickly they will even be traveling. With said time dilation, they don't have a huge sense of urgency. I know both Levi and Paige personally. He'll want to explore and try to grow stronger. Especially considering his recent setbacks and breakthroughs. And Paige is going to try to befriend and potentially have an adventure with every animal she runs across from here to the next safezone. We really don't know how long it will be before we get any word. And that's just the-"

  "Well, you didn't express to them the urgency when you sent them?" Agnis interrupted again.

  Joe took a slow deliberate breath before answering. "Agn-Councilman Agnis, I didn't send them. They were leaving, and I just asked for a favor."

  "Well, you're the Captain of the Guard, surely-" Agnis began.

  "Enough." This time it was Mike who interrupted. "He's the Captain of the Guard to a small safezone, one that doesn't even have a name yet, that they no longer, nor really ever did, live in. He had as much power in that situation as a windmill does over the breeze. We are actually fortunate he was on such friendly terms with the two that his request will at least be honored. Now, you've interrupted enough." After Agnis caught his eye and gave a reluctant nod, Mike continued. "Joe, I believe you had more to say on the subject."

  Joe gave Mike an appreciative nod and continued. "As I was saying, we don't know how long they'll take to make the journey. I'd assume definitely longer than two months, and probably no more than four, but it still doesn't matter. There's a number of reasons why we can't expect a response, especially a positive one, within the near future." Joe raised his hands to begin counting them on his fingers, before realizing he only had one hand left. Quickly recovering, he raised the first finger as he began listing off reasons.

  "The most obvious is that if their safezone is in any similar state to ours, what would our answer be? 'Hey, an alliance sounds nice, but we really don't have any way to help you right now, so check back later?' A trade agreement is the best we can hope for in that situation."

  Joe raised another finger, "As much as I hate to consider the worst, the reality has already cost us enough to drive this lesson home.... We don't even know if they'll make it. They could very easily already be dead. I'd like to think that the two of them can at least avoid or escape anything too dangerous, but... They may not, and that's just the reality of the situation."

  Joe raised a third finger. "The other safezone simply may not care. We've pretty much already deduced the situations across this new world vary. Eric showed us that, at least with violent prisoners, some people don't even get a safezone. And we've come to the conclusion that our safezone is filled with a bunch of adults without any other real family, with the exception of Paige's unique case. We have no idea what kind of safezone they're headed to and if they'll even care about our petition."

  Joe clenched his fist before leaning back and placing his hand back on the arm of his chair. "But really, the biggest reason is staring us in the face. Even if everything goes perfectly. Even if they spare no time in reaching the other safezone, they make it safely, and that safezone is capable of helping us... How long will it take for our petition to get to the right people? How long will it take before they even discuss it? How long will they spend debating it, in meetings just like this, delaying decisions due to infighting and bickering? Because we've got allies right here, good allies, more prepared for the realities of this new world than we are." Joe gestured to Nosmiles, Noon-weira, and Isa-fira at the back of the room. "And here we are, putting off making a decision on it because some council members may have reservations and would rather hold out for a better deal that may never come, and probably come too late if it does."

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Joe leaned back in his chair, but kept his back straight. He forced himself to keep a straight face as Nosmiles subtly slipped him a thumbs up and a huge grin. Grace gave him a small nod of approval. Agnis only scowled, but the council members who had seemed to support Agnis began throwing each other uncertain glances.

  "Thank you Joe. Those are all excellent points," Mike glanced around to his fellow council members. "So, would anyone like to submit a motion to delay this decision, or can we finally move things along?"

  More glances were exchanged. Grace looked as if she was the most smug person in the world doing everything in her power not to gloat. Nosmiles looked serious, yet a confidence had filled him and he no longer seemed like he was about to puke his guts up from nerves. Hank just stared into the space in front of him, slowly tapping a finger on the table, as if waiting for the inevitable conclusion of a minor annoyance. Agnis glared daggers at everyone, head swiveling as if she simply didn't have enough time to give everyone the glare they deserved. Those who'd seemed to support Agnis suddenly found the papers in front of them extremely interesting. But no one spoke up.

  "Well then, I'll take that as a no," Mike said before turning to Nosmiles. "Councilman Nosmiles, I believe you were interrupted earlier. You were explaining how the time dilation would cause issues with the immigration for your people. I apologize for the interruption. Please continue."

  ----

  David drew back his bow. He could 'see' the vitals within the creature. It wasn't exactly truly seeing. It wasn't shapes or colors, darkness or light. He didn't actually see anything at all. Yet his eyes seemed to find those spots, to train on exactly where to shoot and exactly where his arrow would go and what vital organ it would hit. He saw it, yet it was more like his eyes were using the sensation of touch or smell as he focused on it.

  It wasn't an Ability or Skill, as far as David understood. It was as if there was something else developing within him that wasn't quite quantifiable by the system, and yet was very, very real. He had began to notice it toward the end of his small war with the trolls. It made him think about Levi and his Cultivation, and he wondered how similar his new sense and Levi's Cultivation were, if at all. He should have asked Levi more about it. It was a potential for growth he had passed up, back when power hadn't mattered as much to him.

  He pushed the thought out of his mind and refocused his thoughts on the task at hand. He was here for a purpose.

  He refocused on his new sense, his 'second sight' as he had begun thinking of it. David had tried to put the sense into words, into a way he could teach it, even explain it, but he couldn't.

  So he just held the bow drawn with his arrow nocked. When he released the arrow it would fly true, sinking into the target's vitals and killing it within moments. This time he locked on to the artery in the animal's neck.

  Then he pulled on the bond he was only just understanding. He felt the drake next to him respond eagerly. It seemed more eager to share the bond than David was. That was, in fact, how David had even realized it was there. The drake always seemed to be trying to push his way into David's mind. It could be demanding. It was always feeling something it considered urgent. First it was hunger. Then it was fear. Then, as the drake had gotten more comfortable, it started expressing boredom. It pressed the thoughts into David's mind.

  At first, David had resisted, worried about the drake having an influence on him. Then, taking a risk, he'd let Retribution in. Instead of the drake's mind having an influence on him, David had found the opposite. Once their minds joined, it was as if Retribution took comfort in the link, relaxing, content to be under David's influence rather than asserting any control itself.

  That's when David had started using the connection to teach it, or her, rather. Through the bond, David had come to understand that Retribution was a girl.

  But, the drake was still young and difficult to keep focused at times, even with her eagerly falling under his control. That's why David had waited for this lesson. When the drake had kept insisting it was hungry, David had made her wait. For a while, the drake had continued demanding to be fed. But as David has suspected, she was just spoiled to the easy meals he'd been providing.

  When the drake had finally accepted that David wasn't going to feed her, despite her incessant demands, she sulked. David had simply let her sulk. Shortly after realizing that wasn't going to work either, she'd finally decided to entertain herself. She'd stalked through grass, attacked a stone she'd thought wasn't showing her the proper respect, chewed a stick into shards, then took another half hour to dig the splinters from between her teeth. Then she finally laid down with a huff. And across the bond she'd finally communicated what David had been waiting for.

  She was bored. Hungry and bored.

  So now they were hunting.

  The drake crouched beside him, unable to fully see the animal, but easily capable of following the movements through the blades.

  Her sight was perfectly adapted to the environment and her hearing was outright unnatural for something without ears. David had noticed the several spots along her head, two on the sides, and two at an angle on top, where the skin seemed to simply stretch over a hollow pit in her skull.

  He wasn't sure exactly how it worked, though he thought perhaps like a drum, but he knew those were her keen ears.

  David stared down his arrow at the animal, his second sight focused on the artery he would sever. He concentrated on the way he saw the targeted vital, the way his sense, his second sight locked on to it. Then he pushed that understanding into the drake's mind.

  'One day you'll learn to see these vital spots the way I do. But for now, just pay attention to the way it feels. Remember this spot I am showing you. One good slash and your prey is dead.'

  The drake sent back understanding into David's mind.

  'Good. But, do not eat it after you kill it. This is my food. But, if you succeed, I will give you as much meat as you want until you can't eat anymore... If you fail, I'm only going to give you half as much as usual.'

  The drake responded with confusion, and David understood the problem. Summoning an image of a slab of troll meat in his mind, he mentally cut it in two, making one half disappear. 'Half.'

  The drake responded with displeasure at the thought.

  'Well, guess you shouldn't fail, then, huh?'

  David finally released his draw and eased down next to the drake, putting his hand lightly on her back. Her golden scales burned hot under his skin, but not enough to cause any real harm. 'Time to do this. You ready?'

  Fear and apprehension poured into David's mind.

  'Seriously, you're scared?' David looked down at the drake.

  The drake looked up at David and wrapped her tail around his leg. She'd grown by almost a third in the week since she'd hatched.

  'Seriously? It's a rabbit. It's less than half your size.'

  The drake blinked at David and an image of half of a slab of troll meat entered his mind.

  'Oh... That's what you're worried about. Glutton.' David thought for a moment before patting the drake. 'Okay, okay. If you fail, I'm still only giving you half. But we'll try again, and if you fail again, you still get half. Another half. We'll keep trying until you get it, and I'll feed you every time, as long as you really try. But if you succeed, you can eat as much as you want.'

  The drake's happiness surged through David. His mind was immediately reminded of Maddy, and he tried to push the feeling down. Then David realized it wasn't his emotion to push down. He wanted to stop it. For a second, he even thought about hitting the drake to make it stop.

  She flinched away the moment the thought crossed his mind. David was relieved when the emotion faded, but the retreat of Retribution's connection left an emptiness that was filled with a sudden surge of guilt.

  David tentatively reached out to reconnect to the drake. As the drake slowly allowed David in, he tried to soothe her.

  'It's not your fault...' David told her. He summoned images of Maddy smiling, of the feeling of her lips, of how happy she had made him feel. Then he summoned a brief memory of cradling her limp body. 'It's not your fault. I just... I don't ever want to stop feeling sad about her. I need to feel sad about her. At least until we bring her back.'

  A wash of confusion came across the bond, but the drake's fear of him had faded. She pushed against his thigh, nearly pushing David over from his crouch. He patted her gently.

  After a moment, he remembered why they were there, and refocused. 'You know you're not going to get out of this that easy, right?'

  The drake turned her gaze back up at David and swished her tail.

  'You're right, you're right... You'll probably be fine if you don't eat for one day. We can come back and try again tomorrow.'

  Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, Retribution was very interested in hunting.