Building Zoids in a World of Titans

The marketplace stretched along the riverbank, stalls crowded beneath canvas awnings. Rhian darted ahead, then stopped to examine a display of dried river eels hanging like strange fruit.

"Rhian, wait! Don't go running off on your own." Alex started, but she was already three stalls ahead, examining something that looked like dried river eels hanging from a wooden rack.

Ziya grabbed his arm. "Let her look. Just... keep an eye on her."

Rhian stops at a stall where fish crowd the display and eels hang like strange fruit.

"They're huge!" Rhian spun around, her voice carrying. "Are those really eels? They're bigger than my arm!"

The stallkeeper, an older woman with weathered hands, looked up from her scales. "Aye, child. River lurkers. Caught 'em fresh this morning. The big ones put up a fight, but the meat's worth the trouble."

Ziya stepped closer, her merchant's eye already calculating. "How much for a portion?"

"Two Sols for a strip. Freshwater fish too, if you prefer—"

Rhian was already moving to the next stall, where silver-scaled fish lay on beds of ice. Alex followed, keeping pace with her energy.

"Rhian." He touched her shoulder.

She turned, eyes bright. "Look at this place! It's like the river just... exploded everywhere!"

A man at the next stall overheard. "That's what happens when the seasonal runs come in. We get eels the size of dogs, fish that could feed a family for days. Good season this year."

"Seasonal runs?" Ziya asked.

"Every spring, the big ones swim upstream to spawn. We catch what we can before the Wardens scare them off with their noise." The man spat into the dirt. "Good money in it, but they don't understand we're trying to survive too."

Alex tilted his head. "What did you mean, about trouble?"

The stallkeeper's voice cut through the morning air. "They mean trouble."

"Last month, one of their patrols chased a Rank C Magma Serpent right through our fishing grounds." She crossed her arms, knuckles white. "Boiled half our nets. Melted the steel frames."

Rhian's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Real enough to melt steel." The man shuddered, looking away toward the river. "Point is, we manage fine without their 'protection' most days."

Ziya stepped between them, her tone measured. "That's... concerning. Do the Wardens coordinate with the fishing guilds?"

"They coordinate when it's convenient for them." The stallkeeper's jaw tightened. "We know these waters. They know how to make noise and break things."

Alex's fingers drummed against his thigh. "The Magma Serpent—was anyone hurt?"

"One boy lost his hand to boiling water." She wouldn't meet his eyes. "They called it collateral damage."

The boy's hand. Alex's stomach tightened. He'd heard stories like this before—Wardens who treated settlements as obstacles instead of allies.

"We're just passing through," Alex said carefully. "Need to restock supplies."

The stallkeeper studied his face. "You're not from around here. That accent—"

"We're from Veridia City," Ziya supplied smoothly. "We're traveling to Ironwood."

"Ah." The woman's expression shifted, wary respect replacing anger. "In that case, you might want to know where to find what you actually need." She gestured toward the market's heart. "Old Man Hemlock runs the general store—he'll have food, tools, the usual. But if you're looking for anything... specialized, you won't find it here."

Alex nodded. "Just basics. Food, medical supplies, ammunition."

"Then Hemlock's your man. Tell him Mara sent you—he'll give you fair prices." She paused. "The riverbank's pleasant this time of day. Good for cooling off, maybe a swim if you don't mind the current."

Rhian perked up. "Can we? Please?"

"Don't go far," the stallkeeper warned. "The river's usually safe, but you never know when something bigger might wander down from upstream. Not actively dangerous, but..." She shrugged. "Best to stay where you can see the shore."

Alex exchanged a look with Ziya. The warning wasn't necessary—he'd already planned to keep them close—but he appreciated the concern.

"Thank you," Alex said, selecting several wrapped packages of the river eel. "This is exactly what we needed."

Ziya added dried fish and some root vegetables to their purchases. "Fresh seafood's hard to come by on the road."

"Best time to buy it," Mara agreed. "Before the sun gets too high."

As they paid, Rhian lingered by the display, her small fingers tracing the scales of a particularly large specimen.

"They're beautiful," she murmured.

Alex felt that familiar pang—watching her discover wonder in ordinary things, remembering when he'd been the same way about machines before the world taught him to measure everything in threat levels and salvage value.

"Come on," he said gently. "Let's find Hemlock's store."

Hemlock's General Store sat two blocks from the river, its windows crowded with tools and dried goods. The bell above the door chimed as they entered, and an older man looked up from behind a counter stacked with bolts of cloth.

"Afternoon! Looking for anything particular, or just browsing?"

"Supplies," Ziya said, checking her list. "Food, medical kit refills, ammunition for standard Warden sidearms."

"Got you covered." Hemlock's beard twitched in what might have been a smile. "Name's Hemlock. Mara said you'd be coming." He gestured toward shelves lined with cans and dried provisions. "Help yourself to the basics. If you need anything specialized, I've got a back room."

Alex moved through the aisles with practiced efficiency, loading a basket with protein bars, water purification tablets, and field rations. The store smelled of cedar and old paper—a comforting, familiar scent.

"Anything else catch your eye?" Hemlock asked as Alex examined the ammunition selection.

"Medical supplies. Antiseptic, bandages, painkillers."

"Through the curtain in back." Hemlock nodded toward a partition. "Got a whole cabinet of Warden-grade medical stock. Expensive, but it works."

Ziya disappeared behind the curtain while Alex continued shopping. Rhian had already found the candy display, her nose pressed against the glass.

"Can I get some of those nut clusters?" she asked without looking away.

"They're not on the list," Alex said.

"But they're delicious! And we're on vacation!"

"We're on a mission," Alex corrected, but he was already reaching for a small package. "Just don't tell your parents."

Rhian beamed and clutched the candy to her chest like treasure.

Ziya returned with medical supplies and a small box of ammunition. "That should cover us for another week or two."

Hemlock rang up their purchases with methodical precision. "Family traveling together, I see. You picked a good time—the river's calm this season."

"We were thinking of walking down to the bank," Rhian said hopefully. "Mara said it's nice there."

"Safe enough during daylight," Hemlock agreed. "Though if you're planning to fish, I've got poles and tackle in the back. Freshwater's easy enough to catch, and the eels make excellent eating."

Alex exchanged glances with Ziya. "We're not really equipped for fishing."

"No time like the present to learn." Hemlock's eyes twinkled. "River's been generous this year. Might as well take advantage while you can."

Rhian bounced on her toes. "Please?"

Alex found himself smiling despite the situation. "Yeah, why not. We could all use a break from the road."

As they left the store, the afternoon sun warmed the cobblestones. The river glinted in the distance, and for the first time in weeks, Alex let himself relax. Simple pleasures—sunlight, water, the sound of Rhian's laughter as she skipped ahead—felt like gifts he'd almost forgotten how to receive.

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

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