Building Zoids in a World of Titans

Alex woke to the sound of the mill wheel and the smell of cooking from downstairs. He sat up, pushed himself off the bed, and ran a hand through his hair. Sleep had been better than the Mule's cot, though not by much.

He found them in the common room. Rhian was already halfway through a bowl of stew, talking with her mouth full. Ziya sat across from her, picking at a piece of bread. She looked up when he approached.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"Better than the transport."

"Good." Rhian swallowed. "The stew's amazing. Can we get more? And maybe those fish things from the market?"

Ziya's lips twitched. "One thing at a time, Rhian."

The common room smelled of woodsmoke and something frying. Alex slid onto the chair across from Ziya and Rhian, who had somehow convinced the kitchen to serve her half a loaf of bread with her stew.

"Just for today," Alex said, catching the waitress's attention. She had Pell's broad shoulders and the same practical way of moving, though her hair was darker. Probably his daughter. "Stew for both of them. Coffee. Black."

The girl—Maya, according to her apron—nodded and disappeared toward the kitchen.

"We're here to restock," Alex said, keeping his voice low. "Fuel for the Mule, replacement parts, maybe some ammunition if the guild's got anything decent."

Rhian slammed her spoon against the bowl. "But there's a whole market out there! I saw glass beads and someone selling dried fruit I've never tasted—"

"And after we're done, if there's time, we'll walk through it together." Alex's coffee arrived, bitter and hot. "But first, supplies. Then the Zoids need checking."

Maya returned with his food. Alex dug in while Rhian bounced in her seat, clearly calculating how fast they could move through the boring adult stuff.

"I'll go back to the Mule after this," Alex said, wiping his mouth. "Make sure the Liger's leg joint held through the night. Then we can all go into town."

Ziya nodded. "Alright, We'll wait in our room."

Rhian made a face but didn't argue. She understood the pattern by now—Alex's work came first, then everything else.

Alex left the tavern with his coffee cup empty and his stomach full. The Iron Mule sat where he'd parked it, three Zoids lined up like sleeping animals. He approached the Liger Zero first—it had been restless all morning, a low thrum of energy that he could feel through the soles of his boots.

The Liger's amber eyes flickered as he neared. Its head lifted from where it had been resting, and it let out a questioning ROOOOAAARRR that vibrated in Alex's chest.

"We're in town," Alex said, keeping his voice low. "I can't let the people see you, unless I want to incite panic."

RRRROOOOAAA-RRR-RRR! The sound was impatient, almost annoyed.

Alex placed a hand on the Liger's shoulder joint. The metal was warm beneath his palm, pulsing with barely contained energy. "I know you're bored. I know you want to move. But we're not moving until I say so."

The Liger's cockpit canopy tilted toward him, a gesture that had taken months to learn meant something like consideration. It rumbled RRRRR-RRR-ROOOO—shorter this time, less demanding.

"Good boy." Alex patted the shoulder. "Just hold that thought until tonight."

He checked the leg joint that had taken the Threadwhip's fangs. The System's diagnostics showed clean welds and stable power flow. The Liger's restlessness wasn't about injury—it was about confinement. Being docked meant being still, and stillness was something the Stormclaw Liger had never done well.

Rrrrrrrr-ROAR! A softer sound now, almost a purr.

Alex smiled. "Yeah, I missed you too." He ran his hand along the Liger's neck joint, feeling the familiar vibration of contentment. "But we keep the noise down. For Ziya. For Rhian. For the people who don't understand that you're not going to eat them."

The Liger snorted RRR-RRR-RRR—agreement, or maybe just resignation. Either way, the tension in its frame eased. Alex could feel it settling back into rest mode, though he knew it would stay alert.

He moved to check on the Arosaurer and Lanstag. Both were powered down, their cores dormant but stable. The Arosaurer had a few scorch marks from Rhian's enthusiastic first flight, but nothing that wouldn't buff out.

The Lanstag gave a sleepy MMMMRRROOOO as he approached—more bull than lion, and twice as stubborn.

"Not you too," Alex muttered, but he was grinning. Even the Lanstag was picking up on the Liger's mood.

Back at the Liger, he found it watching him with patient amber eyes. RRR-ROO?

"We'll fly tonight," Alex promised. "Away from the town lights. You can stretch your legs."

ROOOO-ARRR! Enthusiastic agreement.

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

Alex pushed through the tavern door, the bell above it chiming softly. Ziya looked up from where she'd been organizing supplies, and Rhian bounced in her seat like a spring about to snap.

"How are they?" Ziya asked.

"The Zoids?" Alex wiped his hands on a rag. "They're fine. Just restless. Too much energy cooped up."

Rhian's eyes went wide. "Can we go out now? Please please please—"

"We can walk into town," Alex said, and Rhian's grin split her face. "But we stick together. No wandering off."

"I wasn't going to—"

"No promises about what you were going to do." Alex's voice softened despite himself. "Just... stay close."

Ziya stood, shouldering her pack. "Lead the way, then."

Advance chapters on my p@tR$0n/Najicablitz.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!