Crazy time out there in the world right now. Hopefully we don't get a real life Fallout scenario.

Matilda wiped the sweat from her brow and ignored the aching in her feet. She wasn't a stranger to long travels but she usually had a horse to cross those distances. Not this time. She had to leave her last mare at La Rochelle and when she'd arrived at the port town all the horses in the stable had either been requisitioned by the remaining nobles or the Legion. Or both. She wasn't sure anymore.

And now she was traveling in the blistering heat with eleven children, a half-elf and a supposed otherworlder in tow.

She wiped the sweat away again and looked back slightly. Tiffania was lagging behind and holding Vaan's hand. He was the youngest, 6 or 7 years old at most, and he'd been sniffling since they left. All of the kids were in one state or another, but she didn't have to worry about them. Tiffania was the priority and if she had to leave them behind...well, she'd have to convince Tiffania, but it was a bridge she was willing to cross.

And of course there was their other companion...

The man, a so-called courier, kept pace beside her without any sign of fatigue despite the load he carried. He was an odd character even from a glance. His clothes were obviously those of an outlander and he would've drawn a second glance from most people when they saw the scar on his forehead or the odd metals seemingly grafted to his hands. She hadn't commented on it earlier but that was another thing they had to deal with. The scar they could explain away, but his hands needed to be covered and his clothes had to be changed to something that blended a bit more.

"You alright?" he asked suddenly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked back somewhat harshly.

He either didn't notice or care about her low tone, "Noticed you looked pretty tired even when you first showed up. Should we take a break?"

"Perhaps we should-"

"No," Matilda said, cutting Tiffania off, "If we don't keep to our current pace we won't make to the village by nightfall. We can't afford to spend the night without a roof over our heads so we need to keep moving." She adjusted the satchel's position on her back. She'd camped out before, a necessity considering her line of work, but Tiffania and the other children hadn't. Not to mention they had to save their supplies for when they truly needed them.

Six (what kind of name was that anyway?) looked back with a doubtful look then nodded, "Fine, but if one of those kids passes out we're gonna be even slower."

"You could carry one of them if you weren't carrying that thing." She eyed the odd metal sphere he held under his left hand. He'd been oddly protective of it since they left.

"Trust me I'd prefer if ED-E was flying around around by himself too, but whatever was in that gate your sister summoned fried him, my pip-boy and almost all of my implants."

"I'm sorry about-"

"Jesus, Tiffania, stop apologizing already. I already said it's not your fault," Six said, somewhat exasperated. That she agreed with him. Tiffania always took far too much responsibility for everything and everyone. She still remembered when the girl was just shy of 12 and she'd broken down in tears apologizing for being a burden after Matilda had lashed out in frustration. She swore to herself to never lose control around Tiffania again after that.

"But it is my fault," Tiffania said, "The only reason you're here is because of me."

"Before you 'summoned' me I was fighting the Legion and when I got here I was fighting the Legion. Way I see it there's not a lot of difference except the air here smells a hell of a lot cleaner."

"Y-You were fighting the Legion?" Reks asked. He was one of the older boys, 12 years old last she checked. That made her wary. The closer adulthood came the more unfeasible living in a group like this was.

"Yeah. Not much difference between the two, actually, except these guys have crappier guns." He tapped the flintlock he had in his freshly looted holster, "Seems way too similar, actually. Makes me think."

"I thought you were a courier. You talk like you're a mercenary."

"Courier was what I was doing before this." He tapped the scar lightly, "Truth be told I've been just about everything. And yeah, that includes a mercenary. In the Mojave you take what you can get. Never been a proper enlisted soldier, though. Some of the NCR guys didn't like that. Weren't exactly keen on relying on some random courier outside the chain of command doing things for them."

"That seems familiar, at least." She'd seen the way nobles and knights looked at mercenaries and conscripts with disdain, as if willingly choosing to go to war made them any better than those who had a musket shoved to their hands and told to die for their countries. They were all the same when the fighting began, "How did you get tangled up with this Legion? Were they invading your home as well?" Granted how much of a 'home' Albion was to them was debatable.

"...Sorta. Kind of a long story. Let's just say I ended up meeting them in a little roadside town and we didn't hit it off. Kinda like back when I first showed up here." Matilda's eyes narrowed. He was holding something back, though she didn't push. Maybe later without Tiffania and the children around, "Point is all this is just a bit too familiar. NCR back home had guns and people here have magic and yet somehow the Legion manages to push. Damn cockroaches, they are."

"Magic won't help against sheer numbers unless you're someone like the Heavy Wind." It was why she always ensured to never get caught. A fight just meant you were a sloppy thief.

"Bullet's a bullet, I guess."

With that somber note they continued their walk to the village. It was mostly quiet after that sans Tiffania occasionally comforting the children and urging them to keep going. By some miracle they did make it to the village just after sundown. When they arrived the younger children were close to collapsing and even Matilda herself was feeling lightheaded from the heat.

Six looked the same as he always did, which irritated her for reasons she couldn't explain.

"We're finally here." Matilda checked her pouch with a small frown. The last job fell through and she'd spent a decent amount on bribes and other things to even start it. Leaving it halfway through meant she wasn't going to be getting her gold back. She'd been tempted to take it back by force but she abstained. Burning bridges was one of the stupidest things you could do in this line of work.

"We have enough for a place to say?" Six asked.

"Sure, but that won't last long." They needed to earn more money. Unfortunately villages like this weren't exactly swimming in ecu to earn. Or steal, "I don't suppose your used New Gold where you came from?"

"Not unless that's another word for bottlecap." He flipped her over a small circular thing that she caught with one hand. It was in the shape of a coin but had weirdly shaped edges, "Cause if not then sorry."

"I can't say I was expecting anything different." She sighed and looked back to the group. Eleven children, one young woman and two adults. If she put four or five people in rooms with two beds they could rent three or four rooms. It'd be a tight fit, but they were all used to cramped living, "We need to decide room placement. Four or five kids in each room, at least."

"I think I should stay with the youngest," Tiffania said immediately, "Reks, Driscoll and Ann can look out for the others as well. Four people each in one room. You and Six can have a room to yourselves. It's probably better that way, right?"

"I suppose..." She would've preferred having Tiffania in the same room. Still, she understood her reasons. Four rooms in total.

"Like sleeping in barracks again," Six said. Matilda raised a brow; he said he wasn't a soldier, "I'll take whatever works. Kind of just a tagalong here."

"We have our arrangements then. Don't get too comfortable. We need to be able to leave at a moment's notice." Which meant supplies, planning out routes and getting intel on where the Legion was the thickest. She'd done it all before to prepare for heists, but this was different. In her heists all she had to worry about was herself. No partners, and any fence or source of information was kept on a need to know basis. Last thing she needed was someone who knew exactly what she was doing.

The village was mostly empty as they walked to the inn. There were a few people still finishing up the day's tasks but even they were too tired to give them a second glance. Good. The less attention they got the better.

They inn they stepped into was rundown by even a commoner's standards, but it mattered little to her how shabby and damaged the furniture was or how the stew a couple in the corner were eating seemed only half cooked. So long as they had a roof over their heads that would be enough for now.

"Can I help you?" The old woman at the counter asked. Her beak shaped nose was turned upwards in suspicion and she looked past Matilda to the gaggle of kids behind her and Six before eyeing the locks of green hair that came out of the hood. Matilda winced. Rarer hair colors like hers only came from those with nobility in their blood. Convenient for nobles, not so for the bastards which were open to scorn. She would've changed her hair color if she could afford the magical dyes.

"We need four rooms." She took out a few coins from her pouch and slid them across the counter, "If you have any extra blankets and pillows we'd like to buy those as well. Some of them would have to sleep on the floor. Inns like these didn't have double beds."

The woman picked up a coin and held it up to the light of the torch next to her, "...D'ya want any food?" she asked, voice heavy and tired.

Matilda looked back quickly then nodded, "Yes, anything you have." Conserving their rations would do them good.

The meal was quick and devoid of conversation. Matilda shovelled down the stew automatically and ignored the stares of the innkeeper. Being a noble at a time like this was a distinct disadvantage. Even without the Legion directly controlling a town anti-noble sentiments had reached their peak. Ironic that she shared a lot of those views but as far as they were concerned she was no different from those snakes who treated lives like pawns.

Not that different from the Legion, in fact.

They went to their separate rooms after gathering up the pillows and blankets. Matilda made sure to leave enough money to last them at least a few nights and a little extra for her to keep her mouth shut. The eagle eyed woman rolled the ecu between her calloused fingers and gave the mage a small nod of understanding. First thing they needed was to buy some dyes.

The room was as shabby as the rest of the building was. The old bed that took up the right corner was barely big enough to fit one person and apart from a nearby chair and small table the place was barren. She was about to determine who would take the bed for the first night when Six sat down on the chair and dropped the metal golem on top of the table.

"Bed's yours. Doubt I'll be sleeping any time soon." He tossed the ratty pillow and blanket at the corner carelessly and opened his rucksack, bringing out what appeared to be tools, "I'll try to keep the noise down."

"Mm." She nodded and sat down on the bed, shucking off her cloak with a small sigh of relief. With nothing but the dim light of the lamp and the sound of him fiddling with the golem's insides, she found her mind wandering. Her money wouldn't last them much longer, especially now that they had to take nearly a dozen children and a fully grown man with them. They needed to earn money and fast.

Her eyes wandered to her temporary companion. He'd come along with them at Tiffania's insistence but Matilda wasn't sure how long he'd stay. He certainly didn't seem at odds with the idea of separating from them if needed and she wasn't sure if she liked the idea of him sticking around long term. Still, another adult could prove useful. There were opportunities he had access to that a woman couldn't.

"We need to buy you new clothes." He looked up slightly from the golem with a questioning look, "The main thing we need is to keep a low profile and those clothes-" she gestured to his odd attire, "-won't help with that. Whether you really came from another world or not it's best if no one has reason to ask questions."

"I've put on disguises before. I know the deal." He leaned back on the chair and looked up at the ceiling, "I'm guessing you've got a plan on keeping those kids safe."

"A crude one, but yes." She brought a hand through her forehead, "Before I went to pick up Tiffania I gathered as much information as I could." She stood and unfurled a map, placing it next to the inert golem on the table, "The Legion's taken territory and they're aggresively consolidating their power. The port I arrived at? I barely managed to escape their patrols. Going back that way would be suicide."

"Legion can't have taken the whole country. This village is missing a lot of crosses and guys in red skirts."

"Last I checked these places are the ones that have been taken." She tapped at the locations she circled on the map, "Small villages like this are going to be a risk going forward. I've mapped out a route we can take." She slid her finger across the parchment, "I have a contact at the town of Ordonne. He can smuggle us to Tristain and from there we should be safe from the Legion." Unless they decided to go to war, but they would worry about that later.

"Don't suppose this smuggler with a heart of gold's going to do that for free?" he asked sarcastically.

"Doubtful." She scoffed, "I've worked with him a long while. Kristoph won't turn us over to the Legion but he's not keen on charity. If we want to leave the country without drawing any kind of attention we'll need money." And a lot of it. Smuggling children wasn't any harder than the adults - and in many ways it was far less difficult - but people like him knew desperate parents would pay anything for their child's safety.

"And I'm guessing you don't have a secret stash of gold in those pockets." Matilda gave him a flat, unamused look. He raised up both hands in mock surrender, "Alright, so we need to gather some cash. Not the first time I've had to scrounge."

"Easier said than done." She sighed and furled the map again. "Places like these aren't exactly swimming in gold and we don't have time to spend weeks shoveling manure to save up coppers." Even if she did have compunctions against theft - which she didn't - there was nothing to steal. Commoners didn't exactly have artifacts and valuables to steal. She supposed she could steal the grain and what meager savings they had hidden for the lean winters, but even she had compunctions against ripping food away from a child's mouth.

"Well we gotta do something." He put a hand on his chin, "Been trying to use that bow before you showed up. Not saying I'm a master archer or anything but I'm good at tracking. Maybe I can hunt some of the animals over here? How much do geckos go for here?"

"...I don't know what insane world you came from, but here we hunt normal things like deer or boar. Bears if you're feeling brave. Or stupid." According to the law only the village huntsman or those appointed by the royal family could hunt. In practice she doubted anyone would care to persecute them considering the royal family were hanging from crosses.

"You say bear, I say yao guai. Point is meat and skins should sell for a decent amount. But that won't get us enough to feed over a dozen people." He tapped the side of the golem's metal frame, "Maybe I should've done more looting from those scouts. Could've sold their gear for a pretty penny."

"You understand most merchants won't buy equipment caked in dried blood, yes?" Not to mention how abhorrent it was to steal from the dead. Even many of her contacts balked at grave robbing.

"You'd be surprised what people will buy off you." She frowned. He sound like he spoke from experience and that didn't exactly reassure her, "So this is the plan then? Follow your route, stay in villages for a few days and try to get as much money as we can. Got a specific number?"

"No. Kristoph's more into taking as much as he can gouge from you." He was a snake. If she had her choice she wouldn't have associated with him period, but beggars - or in this case, thieves - couldn't be choosers. Not many were willing to associate with criminals, "But we do need to entice him. If we show up with two coppers to our names then he won't even look our way."

"Nice friend you've got there."

"He's not a friend."

"Either way we need money." He stretched his arms above his head with a small wince, "I'll check about hunting something tomorrow. With any luck we can get a pretty penny and the kids can eat better than some burnt soup."

"I'll look around the village. If I get lucky maybe I can find an opportunity." Or create one, "...I'm going to sleep. Don't stay up too late."

She stripped out of her tunic till she was left with nothing but a thin undershirt and a pair of loose trousers. She didn't bother looking back to see if he was staring. Even if he was she didn't care. Being a thief wasn't exactly a womanly career and she'd dealt with enough leers and jeers to grow numb to everything thrown her way, even if she wasn't shy of using it to her advantage at times. Far too many thought her some prize to be won and she was quick to prove them wrong when necessary.

Sleep came easily to Matilda. Her rest was mercifully devoid of dreams and when she awoke a dim light was cresting over the window above her head. Sunrise, "Mgh..." She sat up slightly and rubbed her eyes. A shuffling noise came to her right and when she looked her eyes widened slightly at what she saw.

Six stood there, chest bare as he rummaged through his pack for another shirt. She'd seen men in various states before - some attractive, many not so much - so barely anything surprised her anymore. And yet even now she couldn't stifle her surprise. His upper body was covered in a litany of scars and wounds. Not the scars or gashes others used as a point of pride but deep, lingering wounds that grotesquely marred his skin. Discolored patches covered his right side, there was a patch of extremely pale skin on his gut, and there were two particularly ugly scars that ran from his left shoulder down to his chest.

If she hadn't seen him walking upright a day prior she would've assumed he was a dead man.

He covered the various scars and marks with a stained white shirt, mercifully blocking them from view, "I'm heading out," he said.

"...Are you alright?"

"Hm?" He looked back.

"Those wounds..."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, been a while since I went to visit the autodoc. Stimpaks and implants can keep you going but I won't be winning any beauty pageants any time soon." He smiled wryly and shrugged, "

"Honestly I have no idea how you're still walking."

"Sometimes I ask myself the same thing. I'll meet you back here later." Without another word he waved and closed the door behind him.

Six looked through the grass with narrowed eyes. It still felt odd having actual greenery instead of baking hot desert but he appreciated the change in locale. Felt good not to sweat his guts out in the morning and freeze his eyeballs off at night, "Where are you..." He was used to tracking down Legion raiding parties or raiders, not animals. Most of the critters weren't exactly the type to hide. More the type to come out and claw your stomach out.

He hefted the bow on his shoulder and followed the trail. The sky was pretty overcast today, which made following the makeshift path even harder. Still, he kept at it. Back in those early days before he figured out how to repair gear for resale hunting down geckos and radscorpions was easy caps. Good food, too. Bloatfly sliders were surpsingly good despite how it looked.

His mind wandered back to Matilda's conversation the previous night. Her plan was to escape to another country called Tristain with the rest of the children. She'd even included him in that plan, which was somewhat surprising. He half expected her to ask what he'd do once they left without him. If push came to shove he could probably stay here fighting the Legion while he tried to find a way back. Wouldn't be that different from what he was already doing.

And it still beat the hell out of the Sierra Madre. Fuck that place, and Elijah, with a ten foot pole.

Again he thought about his friends. Going days or even weeks without contact was pretty normal considering the lives they lived but those people must've made it back to the Followers by now. The last thing anyone would hear of him was disappearing from a Legion camp. He hoped his friends wouldn't worry. He still remembered how much they shouted at him after the Sierra Madre and Big MT, like it was his fault that he got kidnapped.

His thoughts drifted to Arcade. With all of his friends the one he had with Arcade ended on the most bitter terms. They were still friends, or at least he hoped so, but their disagreements on New Vegas' future only got worse and worse as the fight for Hoover Dam got closer. Arcade still thought an independent Mojave was the best while he thought the NCR, for all their flaws, was still the better option. And they could keep groups like the Brotherhood and House in check. A balance of power to keep all sides from monopolizing too much.

Arcade barely gave them any warning before he said he was leaving the Mojave back for the NCR. Six didn't try to stop him. Whatever they had, whatever Six thought they had, it didn't matter in the end with the Mojave hanging over their heads. Better they had a fresh start.

The musings were cut off when he heard the snap of a branch not too far ahead. Six lowered himself down to a crouch and smiled slightly when he saw the deer grazing at a small open field, 'Gotcha.' He nocked the arrow back and closed one eye. Too risky to try and aim for the head. Had to aim for something bigger, 'Hope you're worth a lot.' He only felt slightly guilty when the arrow flew. Back in the Mojave everything was ugly. The deer looked almost majestic by comparison.

The arrow pierced its flank and it let out a pained shriek. Not dead, but soon enough. Six hefted the bow again and followed the trail of blood. He gave it maybe a minute before it bled out, though that was just spitballing. He was pretty sure he never used an arrow before today.

Eventually he did find the deer slumped over close to a tree. Six drew his bow again as he stalked closer. He doubted it was playing dead but he'd been burned before.

He kicked it lightly a couple of times for good measure before he knelt down and drew out his bowie knife. He'd never skinned a deer before he'd done it to geckos and even deathclaws a couple times. Same principle applied, right?

The knife was halfway through its side when he heard the large, lumbering steps behind him. Six looked back and grit his teeth when he saw the huge black bear stalking towards him. Drawn in by the scent of dead deer or did it just wanna snack on some human? Either way he doubted he could just leave.

Six ripped the bowie knife out just as the bear charged towards him.

Matilda looked down at the dice hidden under the wooden cup with a slight frown. Looking around at the village for work was futile. Anyone who did have work relied on friends and family and many of those were already distrusting of travelers as is. But of course where there was money there were those looking for shortcuts. Gambling was the easiest. Everyone thought that fate would smile down on them and them alone.

Their faces fell all the same way when money changed hands and they realized fortune wasn't in their favor.

Matilda scooped up the money in her pouch and rolled the dice again. Gambling was an art in a lot of ways. Win too much and the others got angry, win too little and you lose everything. When it came down to it striking a balance was the only way to ensure no one looked twice.

This was one of those times.

Matilda made a show of cursing and handed in her bet. She'd won and lost multiple times in the over a dozen turns she'd played and right now she was sitting on a slight improvement of their funds. It was a slow game, but that was the point. Halfway through she'd even lost half of the money she'd bet. In the end it made them think that she was just as vulnerable to lady luck's whims.

A few more turns passed before she eventually noticed a few of them grinning. Now was her chance. Matilda held onto the cup with her right hand while the left flicked the wand lightly under the table to cast the cantrip. With nary a sound the three dice under the cups flipped and showed two sixes and a five. It was a simple game. The highest sum compiled from all three dice would win the bet.

"All-in." She pushed her entire stack of ecu to the center of the table and stared down the other three on the table.

"Someone's confident." The one across from her grinned. He was an older man with a thick beard and an even thicker Albionese accent. Matilda didn't reply and just raised a brow expectantly, "Quiet one, are you? Fine then." He chuckled under his breath and pushed his own stack. It was just slightly larger than hers so even if he lost he wouldn't come back empty handed.

The one to her left decided to give up with a frustrated curse while the one to her right, a young man who looked barely old enough to be called that, continued to look between the dice and the large stack of coins. Matilda tapped her fingers against the table impatiently until, finally, he pushed his own money to the center. He had less than either of them so if he lost then he'd come back with nothing.

They revealed their dice. As expected the sum of her's easily trumped theirs. Both of the men's faces fell until the older man's face split in a grin, "Haha! It appears Gefion smiles on you, lass." He clapped his hands and leaned back on his chair, "Don't suppose you'll be giving us a chance to win any of it back?"

"No, I believe it'd be better to stop here before she turns her gaze from me." She smiled slightly in turn and scooped up the coins into her pouch. That would give them some breathing room, at least, "Good luck with the rest of your game, gentlemen."

She stood and was about to leave when the young man suddenly stood in front of her, both hands pressed together in a desperate gesture, "W-Wait, please." He bowed his head, "I know I'm asking for much, but could I please-"

"No." She didn't need to hear the rest of the plea to understand what he wanted. She'd seen his type before, "If you were so afraid of losing your silvers then you shouldn't have been so loose with them." She ignored the niggling sense of guilt at the back of her head. She had cheated, after all, and it was hypocritical for her to judge him. Still, she wasn't going to let it change her mind.

"Please!" he practically shouted. A few of the other tavern goers turned to look at them but most paid no mind. A sight like this was hardly rare, especially in times like these, and sympathy was in short supply, "I-I have a wife with child on the way. I thought that if I just-"

"Lad, no one here asked for your life story." The bearded man behind her snorted, "If you didn't want to lose your money you shouldn't have risked it. No one dragged your arm and made you bet your gold, did they?"

"But-"

Matilda slipped past him to the outside. She wasn't keen on hearing someone's sob story nor did she care. Ultimately the other man was right. Cheating or not the husband to be was the one who decided on a risky bid and place his oh so precious loved ones at risk.

The sun was still high in the sky but she didn't know what else she could do. Betting again so soon wouldn't be wise and there were no other opportunities to gather funds. She'd heard talk of men gathering behind the tavern at night to fight each other for gold. It was 'more honest' than gambling, or so they said. Nothing more sincere than a fist to the face, she supposed.

Also an avenue she couldn't pursue. No matter how powerful her skill in magic she was hardly a good fighter without her wand. Could she ask that courier to do it in her stead? He seemed to have no issues dealing with the Legion.

Her musings were cut off when she saw the figure walking towards the village. Matilda's eyes widened slightly at the sight of him dragging a deer's carcass with one hand while the other held onto a black pelt. And he was covered in blood, "Hey, Matilda." He nodded and passed her without any fanfare. She looked back at him with an incredulous expression.

"Hey, wait a second!"

"Hm?"

"Where are you going?!" She rushed till they were walking side by side.

"Going to sell these." He nudged his head to the goods he held, "Figured it was best to do it before the meat went bad. Doubt you guys have refridgerators here." Re-whats? "You said deer sold pretty well. Not sure how much bear meat is worth but I figured the the pelt would still be worth something."

"Are you saying you hunted a bear?"

"'Hunt' is giving me a little too much credit. Kinda snuck up on me after I killed the deer. Thought about dragging it with me back to town but I'm not exactly strong enough to drag 500 pounds of dead bear with me. Maybe those golems of yours can give it a shot?"

"Bad idea. The last thing we need are overt shows of magic." She winced slightly at the coppery smell of blood wafted up her nose. She hoped none of that was his, "I don't suppose it'll be too much to ask that you clean yourself up before you bring that to the shop?"

"Hey, if you wanna do it then be my guest. I don't know enough about the money here to make sure I'm not getting ripped."

"Better than the alternative, I suppose." She sighed and put on a pair of gloves. She'd used them for a wide variety of reasons before but dragging carcasses was not one of them, "Go get changed. We can find more fitting attire for you after." And maybe some hair dye if she was lucky.

It took ten minutes of straight bartering before she and the merchant eventually found a price they could agree on. On the other hand, she did hear some good news. In a few days time a caravan trail would come and they'd be willing to take any number of people so long as the price was right. It would solve their issues in the interim. Even if they weren't directly taken to the town they wanted it was better than journeying the entire length on foot.

Matilda felt slightly better as she walked up the steps to their shared room. Tiffania and a few of the children remained in their rooms while others wandered about town trying to find something to do for pocket money. She doubted they'd find anything, but having them all cooped up could only end badly.

She was about to open the door when she heard an ungodly sound followed by Six cheering a loud, "Yes!"

The wand was in her hand and a cantrip was at the tip of her tongue when she opened the door. Six stood there, already changed to something far less bloody, while the metallic golem he held...floated in the air? Matilda blinked twice and looked between her temporary companion and the flying sphere. Windstones allowed for airships and even airboats, but for something so small?

The sphere turned to her and let out what sounded like chirps.

"That's Matilda. She's a friend and we're...well, it's a long story, little buddy." He reached up and tapped the top of the sphere's oddly shaped 'head', "I'm just glad you're still kicking. When my implants fritzed out I got really worried you'd finally hit the great circuit board in the sky."

Again it chirped.

"...What is going on here?" Matilda said eventually.

"Huh? Oh, I didn't introduce you yet." Six turned to her with a huge grin. It was the first time she'd seen that look on his face, "Matilda, this is ED-E. ED-E, this is Matilda. ED-E was my partner back home before Tiffania took me over here."

"This...golem?"

"Robot, actually, but same thing, I guess?" He shrugged, "Don't let the chassis fool you. This little guy can be a smart bastard. Sneaky too. Trust me, you don't wanna say something sensitivie around him."

"Uh-huh..." What in Brimir's name was going on? "...I'm just going to ignore for my own sake. Listen, I came here because I heard about a caravan coming here soon. With any luck we can join then and make our journey easier. But first we need to get you those new clothes and see if I can find something to change my hair color. Let's go."

The golem chirped.

"Sorry, buddy, think you'll attract too much attention." Six looked at the golem apologically, "Hey, I'll introduce you to Tiffania and the kids first. You're definitely gonna like them."

"Are you sure that thing's safe?" she looked at the floating golem suspiciously. Constructs were mindless creatures, extensions of their caster's will, but Six had no magic and he talked to it as if it was a friend.

"You kidding me? Those guyswon't be safer with anyone else. ED-E loves kids." He cracked his neck and grinned again, "Come on, it'll be fine. I'll meet you downstairs, alright?"

"Fine, just...hurry up." Matilda pinched the bridge of her nose and ignored the growing headache. As odd as he was he hadn't given her any reason to distrust him as of yet. Until they all made it out of the country she wasn't about to turn away help.

This is more of a setup chapter and a show of the slice of life aspects that will come up throughout the fic. Next chapter we'll divert a bit to show more of the Legion and the state of Albion.

Questions:

1. What kind of jobs/side missions do you guys wanna see? I already have plans for the 'main quest' but since a big focus is on the slice of life/survival aspects of things I'm curious on what would be some fun stuff to see the leads do.

2. If it came down to it would you guys be cool with a Six/Fouquet pairing or do you guys have other preferences? I've had a few real life readers suggest other people for pairings such as Cattleya or Henreitta since they wanna explore the whole Noble or Royalty/Commoner disparity.

Review Answers:

quarttzblade12 - Wonder if magic can fix malfunctioning nanomachines...

Golden Nova - It's currently unknown whether it's intended or a mistake that the portal disabled most of Six's cybernetics. As for making guns, wouldn't he need the knowledge on how to make such things? No one in Halk would have that knowledge.

naufalraka0104 - All indications point to yes. It's why Six finds it so confusing.

PaladinSans - The issue is that he needs a lot of components such as cases, powers and lead. Even if he grabs every single casing he ejects he can't replenish everything and will eventually run out. That is unless he can somehow convert musket balls to to modern ammo using ED-E.