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When sense returned to Algernon, the first action he took was vomiting up water from his lungs. A firm pressure on his chest pushed the liquid out of him like toothpaste from a tube.

“Oh good, he’s alive!” he heard Sascha say. “We won’t need to get a third captain now.”

The last of the water dribbled down his chin and he felt massive paws lift off him. His first clear breaths burned his throat. He became aware of his surroundings; on the shore of the lake surrounded by the rest of his crew, Peach and Sascha standing over him.

Once his immediate need of breathing was taken care of, Algernon became aware of how cold he was. He was drenched from the frigid water and the brisk wind of autumn cut through his matted fur like it was nonexistent. A full body shiver overcame him that seized his muscles, locking his jaw and disabling him from voicing his condition.

However, Sascha saw the symptoms he was displaying. “Al and Peach are at risk of freezing; someone grab some blankets, and the rest of you help me take their clothes off!”

Algernon was pulled in two directions as someone yanked on his jacket while another pulled on his trousers. He heard the badger growl next to him. “Don’t you dare,” she said through clenched teeth.

“But, if you don’t —”

“I’d rather our best fighter stay alive,” Senta cut in, “So follow our medic’s instructions.”

She could only let a sharp whistle out through her frozen muzzle, but went about removing her armor. Meanwhile, Algernon flopped out of his outfit, leaving him in just his drenched fur. Without his garments he felt even more frigid, and didn’t understand why he’d been relieved of them.

“I found this,” Teddy said, walking back to the group with a threadbare blanket.

“Hey, that’s mine!” Harper complained.

“We’ll have to make due; cover both of them with it.”

Algernon was shoved forward. He stumbled into Peach’s bare front, and the two were quickly wrapped in the blanket. Compared to the air the badger’s form was like a furnace, so he eagerly pressed closer. Reluctantly Peach wrapped her arms around him to leech off his warmth as well. To his dismay, hot blood trickled from her wounds onto him, but that too served to heat him up. After a few minutes, he could begin to feel his extremities again.

Another body ducked into the folds of the fabric. “Now that you’re not gonna die on me, it’s time to get you patched up!” Sascha said.

“I’m fine,” Peach grunted.

Shifting in her grip, Algernon looked up at her in shock. “You’re bleeding on me, y-you’re not fine!”

“I’ve dealt with worse.”

He puffed his chest as much as could. “As captain, I... I command you! To take the, uh, healing...”

Even though his words came out much weaker than he wanted, Peach grumbled and let the rat draw closer. Sascha began scrubbing the area around her wounds with a clean cloth. He had bandages at the ready once they were sanitized. While she was tended to, Senta poked her head into a gap in the blanket.

“That whole excursion was a disaster. It was your job to protect us, and we were all almost killed,” she pointedly said to Peach.

The badger looked over at Senta, confused. “I kept you all alive. Why are you upset.”

Her whiskers twitched. “We could have avoided all of that unpleasantness if you could have seen through their ruse.”

“I thought you also knew it was a trap. It was obvious.”

“And you let them run their racket on us for that long?” Frustration was edging into her voice.

“I knew I could take them.”

“What did you do against those scavs, anyways?” Harper called out.

Senta turned her annoyance to the skunk. “I was piloting The Dragon safely out of that hellhole.”

Algernon perked his ears at the steamer’s mention. “The Dragon... Is it..?”

“It came out mostly unscathed,” Senta answered.

He blinked at her. He’d known the rat long enough now to read between the lines. “Wh-what broke now?”

Her expression soured. “Well, the back wheels are sagging now, similar to the front ones. Must have broken when it was cut loose and fell.”

Slowly he brought his paws to his forehead and rubbed deeply. A headache built as he realized fixing the vehicle was going to be the death of him.

“There’s tons of parts here! We can replace the bad ones!” Teddy said.

“Ah, well...” Replacing the axles was no trivial task. It would be more involved than tinkering with the engine, since the whole steamer would need to be lifted. If he were to bet, the only system to do that was in the fish-garage. Which was now at the bottom of the lake.

“It works, just slowly,” Senta said. “Anyways, I’d rather not stick around. Who knows if more of that fox’s goons will show up.”

He nodded. “We’ll follow our initial plan and head to Depot.” It would be safer behind walls, even if they had to evade their bounty there.

Sascha finished attending to Peach, leaving all of her limbs wrapped in gauze. Algernon wondered if any of the gashes would join the tapestry of scars she wore. Without any coverings he noticed the pink lines where they pockmarked her chest.

The rat ducked out of the blanket, letting a brief chill enter the makeshift sanctuary. He shivered from the air’s icy touch and once again clung to the badger’s fur.

“Hurry it up, we need to leave,” Senta scolded.

“G-give me a minute...” He didn’t want to leave Peach’s warmth.

Senta huffed, but let him wait for a few moments. Eventually Peach moved and draped the entire blanket over him, stepping into the cold herself. “Let’s go.”

Splashing and coughing gave them pause. They turned their heads to the lake, where a hybrid was floundering to shore. When they dragged themselves to land, Algernon realized that the sodden figure was Aesop. The fox’s fur clung to him, making him look pitiful.

Aesop knelt gasping on the shore, unaware of the group watching him until his ears suddenly swiveled in their direction. He looked up in wide-eyed alarm at the crew. Quickly the fox glanced around before focusing back on them, morphing his features into a sly grin. “No hard feelings, right? I’m sure we can come to a peaceful compromise.”

---

Once they set off, the going was even slower than it was previously. Now that they had two broken axles to worry about, the chassis of the vehicle nearly skimmed the pavement. The rubbish along The Devil’s Road continued, and they had to clear even more away just so the rig wouldn’t catch on it. Peach mentioned that the carnage might be from Aesop’s gang clashing with other crews. They could have asked the fox if that was true, however he was in no state to respond.

Regardless they pressed on. For the first couple of hours only Harper and Teddy were clearing the debris. They had put on their spare clothes, but Sascha was emphatic that Algernon and Peach continue to warm up. They sat beside the engine room to absorb its heat until the badger grew tired of sitting around and got up to help the two siblings outside.

After her departure he returned to the bridge. Senta was driving and Sascha had taken his place as lookout. He went alongside him and helped direct operations on the ground, The Dragon inching forward bit by bit. Daylight was quickly depleting and Algernon worried they’d need to spend another evening crippled at the side of the road, but before evening could fully settle, the blaze of civilization could be seen ahead.

He had everyone return inside just in case. He himself climbed out the hatch to the roof as they approached their destination. From previous settlements he’d come to expect the clamor of hybrids spilling out from inside the walls, so the quiet as they drew near was unusual. Theirs was the only steamer in either direction, and if it weren’t for the beacons lit atop the fortifications he would have questioned if the town was abandoned.

The lights lit up The Dragon as it grinded up to the barricaded entrance, and though Algernon couldn’t see them past the glare he heard the unmistakable swivel of turrets on their castings. That made his tail thump in alarm, even though their paranoia didn’t come as a surprise.

“What do you want,” someone on the wall demanded.

Despite the hostile welcome, Algernon tried to be as straightforward as possible. “We’re h-here seeking shelter. This is Depot, right?”

There was a pause. He imagined the guards were scrutinizing him and the sorry state of the vehicle he was standing on. “Aye, this is Depot. But no one is traveling these roads lately,” they remarked.

“Is that because of... Because of Aesop?”

Another pause. “Are you one of his minions?” another voice snarled.

“N-no!” He put his hands up in front of him. “We passed through his gang’s territory, but w-we subdued them.”

“I don’t buy it,” the first voice said.“If you check their hideout, you’ll find that it’s gone now. A-also, we brought evidence.”

Algernon rapped his tail twice on the roof. A few seconds later Peach emerged from the hatch. Slung over her shoulder was Aesop, bound head to toe. She dropped his squirming body at Algernon’s feet, and the fox’s contemptuous gaze quickly shifted to one of despair as he saw the gates of the settlement.

“Does look like him,” someone on the wall commented.

“Don’t recall there being a Watchtower soldier on his crew,” another said.

“That mangy cur grew up around these parts, but I can’t tell if this really is him” the original voice said, “Can you take his muzzle off?”

Peach bent down and sliced the rope around the fox’s snout with a claw. As soon as Aesop’s jaws were free he made his plea to the crowd above. “I don’t know who you’re talking about! These psychopaths kidnapped me and have been torturing me since!”

Planting a foot on his back, Peach grabbed his tail and started pulling.

“AAAHH! Alright, alright! I’m Aesop! Just leave my precious tail alone!”

Peach stopped when a hybrid above them let out a sigh. “Yup, it’s him alright. I’d recognize that whinging anywhere.”

“So, what now?” another guard asked.

“I believe we owe them our gratitude,” the main one said. “Let ‘em in.”

The turning of cranks sounded from the walls, and the main gate began swinging outward. Without further ado, The Dragon pulled forward into the settlement.

When they passed the beacons’ glare, Algernon got his first glimpse of the Depot. What initially caught his eye was the layout. Whereas Seb’s and Uranus were built as pass-through stations, the structures arrayed within the walls here looked residential in nature. Not only were there remaining buildings from the time of the precursors, but new ones had been constructed to fit the statures of different hybrids. That would explain the murmuring crowd of them that gathered around the road and looked curiously at their vessel.

The rapt attention made Algernon a deer in the headlights. Heedless of the fact that attention was the last thing his crew wanted, having hundreds of eyes on him was something that triggered his panic state. For a moment he felt like he was about to pass out and it took all of his willpower to remain upright.

As The Dragon scraped along the ground towards where other steamers were parked, some of the figures in the crowd started pointing at them. Fear made his pulse spike as he considered that they had been recognized from their bounty. However, as the unsure looks on their faces started morphing into disbelieving smiles and an air of excitement permeated the chatter, Algernon realized that they were gawking at Aesop’s trussed body. Soon a couple of whistles came from the crowd, then scattered clapping. The reaction built until when the steamer came to a rest there was unanimous applause from the residents of Depot.

For her part, Peach looked just as uncomfortable with the attention, but regardless dragged Aesop’s body back to the hatch. Algernon followed her down, where the rest of the crew was waiting.

“Is there another party outside?” Harper asked gleefully.

“I-I think we may be the town’s heroes...” Algernon said in disbelief.

Peach opened the main door and the sounds of celebration hit them full blast. Despite his anxiety he stumbled outside. The crowd left a small opening around the entrance, the faces of rabbits, rodents and countless other kinds of hybrids surrounding him, alight at his presence. All he could manage was to stare blankly ahead with a nervous smile frozen on his snout.

Many of the others exited with much more excitement. Harper whooped and hollered things that were thankfully lost in the noise. Teddy waved with open-mouthed joy. When Peach exited after them a pair of porcupines were quick to take Aesop from her hands and carry him off beyond the crowd.

He didn’t get the opportunity to wonder about the fox’s fate as the townspeople enthusiastically took hold of their hands and practically dragged them onwards. Those not gripping them skipped beside them and beckoned them towards one of the nearby buildings. When they got closer he Algernon realized it wasn’t a building at all, but a steamer sized for precursors. The train rested on a portion of metal track, and had an engine as well as a few passenger cars. They were being led to one of the latter.

One of the mammoth doors swung open and they ascended a ramp that had been placed to the inside. Whatever had once existed for those who created it had been stripped away, and now the interior was that of a tavern very similar to Seb’s, with tables of varying heights for different types of hybrids and electric bulbs strung across the ceiling. The crew were guided to a medium-sized table they could all sit at near the center of the car, the animals around them more than happy to pull stools out for their guests. They plopped down on them and were surrounded on all sides by creatures trying to be as close as they could to the crew. Peach still had an uncomfortable expression which Algernon could sympathize with, his shyness making him want to melt into the floor and away from all of the expectant faces. It appeared the rats weren’t with them and stayed behind with The Dragon, something he would have gladly done if he wasn’t saddled with being the captain.

“How did you do it?” a river otter standing over him prompted.

“Yeah, tell us! Tell us!” said a chipmunk on the other end, who was hopping up and down excitedly.

Algernon was tongue-tied, unsure where to begin or even what to say without sounding like a buffoon. It was Teddy who spoke up. “You all know how tricksy foxes are?”

The gaggle surrounding them nodded their heads.

“This fox was no different, tricking us into his evil fortress on the lake.”

“What did his lair look like?” a mouse beside him squeaked.

“It was a fish,” he stated.

“That doesn’t make sense, how could Aesop live in a fish?” a woodchuck said.

Teddy brought his hands out in front of him. “This wasn’t a regular fish, this one was big enough to swallow an entire rig! And when we reached the lake it swallowed ours in one gulp!”

That made the audience ooo and ahh. As the raccoon continued to weave the story there were countless more embellishments at every turn, but Algernon didn’t dare interrupt because of how enraptured the listeners were. When it came to the fighting Harper piped up with gory details which made his stomach churn, but which the audience ate up. By the end even he was caught up in the story they were telling even though he was there.

“And so after all of the fox’s crew had been defeated, the fish spit us out onto land.”

The hybrids all looked at the raccoon, waiting for him to continue after he paused.

With them hooked, Teddy finished with, “And then, it exploded!”

Raucous cheering and applause broke out. Algernon couldn’t help but grin at the performance the two siblings gave. Maybe if they weren’t scavs they could have been entertainers.

Evening was darkening the windows of the car by the time they had finished regaling the townspeople. Shortly after, a few prairie dogs pushed through the crowd to the table. Algernon’s eyes widened when they delivered plates before the four of them heaped with fruits and vegetables. Harper was already voraciously shoveling them into her mouth before the surrounding hybrids broke to sit at the other tables across the floor of the passenger car. Peach picked through her plate before stabbing an orange-yellow slice of fruit on her claw. She put it in her mouth and after chewing her eyes lit up.

Algernon picked up a piece of melon in his paw and was about to devour it when a grey squirrel approached him. Around the hybrid’s neck was an amulet of a road disappearing into the horizon, the same one the guards at Uranus wore. “Hail, valorous travelers, and welcome to Depot,” he greeted in a loud voice. His was the primary voice the possum recognized from the main gate. “The name’s Magnus, one of this settlement’s watchmen. To whom do we raise an honor to?”

Suddenly the building had grown quiet, each at their tables peering at the squirrel and himself. “We’re the, uh... the crew of The Belching Dragon,” he said lamely.

Still, a great shout roared through the terminal, several hybrids beating their fists against the tables in gratitude. Magnus smiled at him, and when the din shifted to friendly chatter amongst the crowd the squirrel leaned in and spoke only for Algernon to hear. “I’m sure you and yours are tired from your endeavors, so please enjoy our hospitality tonight, and tomorrow we can settle accounts.”

Magnus drifted away from their table so he could enjoy the rest of his meal. He munched on the fruits slowly, savoring each bite. Next to him Harper was already done with her plate. Juices and bits of vegetables clung to her muzzle, making her look like she murdered an entire garden.

Shortly the prairie dogs came around again, this time placing drinks in front of each of them. His heart sank when he saw the rainbow film on top of the drink inside.

“Ooo, they got us Belching Dragons!” Teddy exclaimed. Instead of drinking his, the raccoon pushed it over to his sister.

Algernon gazed into the concoction before him like it was an open grave. “Well, aren’t you going to accept their gift?” He was torn from his dark reverie and looked up at Harper, who was flashing him a very amused smile. “It’s generous of them to give you your favorite drink!”

Being inebriated on the tonic was not an experience he wanted to relive. “I d-don’t really want it...” he mumbled.

“Come on!” She dragged the last syllable out. “We had so much fun last time!”

He shook his head and pleaded to her with his eyes.

Harper grabbed his cup and held it in front of him teasingly. “It’s rude to not drink what you’re given,” she chided him.

Algernon leaned away from her, but she reacted by scooching closer to him. She pushed the drink against the side of his muzzle so that he couldn’t escape it without falling out of his seat. The fumes from it were starting to make his eyes water.

Peach snatched the drink away from Harper and held it out of reach. “Hey! He was going to drink that!” the skunk exclaimed.

The badger shot her a glare. “Unlikely.”

“Anyways, you shouldn’t have stolen it! Gimme!” She stretched across the entire table to grab at the drink.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to let the matter lie, Peach downed the drink in one gulp and put the upturned cup on the table.

Harper slammed her palm down on the table and cursed. “You’re always ruining the fun!” she screeched.

“Cope,” Peach stated, and that was the end of that.

Algernon timidly finished eating the plate of food before him. He took furtive glances at the other tables around them, and saw that most of the other hybrids engaged in companionable chatter. The atmosphere reminded him of the main hall from The Providence, but he had to admit that even the Clergy’s rig rarely was this friendly. At some point the tension he’d been carrying since the start of the day had begun to melt, and for the first time in a long while he felt himself start to relax.

To his relief the stewards didn’t bring them more Belching Dragons, instead offering them free spaces at their inn for the night. After hearing they were heated Algernon was more than happy to accept. He requested they extend the same offer to the rest of his crew back on their rig, and while one of the prairie dogs went out into the night to do so, the rest led them out of the train car they were in across to an adjacent one.

He quickly realized this one was the inn, rows of small rooms lining either side of the long space all the way up to the ceiling, with ladders climbing up to balconies on each layer. The prairie dogs led them to the very back of the car where larger rooms were cordoned off with curtains. When they brushed the partitions aside, Algernon was excited to see baths with steaming water inside. They each took turns relaxing in the stress-melting heat, scrubbing off the grime and gore from the past day. After they were done, the three crewmates emerged with the pink dye washed out. Peach and Harper looked relieved, Teddy a bit disappointed.

The rodents reappeared and handed each of them a small key, and they happily ascended to the top of the car to their individual rooms. Unlocking his, the room was only big enough for a single bed, but Algernon was more than content with that as he snuggled up under the blanket provided. Before the warmth lulled him to sleep, he thanked the creators for the sudden favor bestowed upon them.

---

The following morning saw a flurry of activity for Depot. Scores of steamers were leaving through the gate the crew had entered in the previous day. Algernon found out from Magnus that travel east had been halted since Aesop had set up fortifications that way, so now many were headed out to reestablish the highway and pilfer the remains of the fox’s empire.

As the rigs marched out of the settlement, the two of them were standing before the lot The Dragon was parked in. A pillory had been erected just outside it, and Aesop was resting uncomfortably in its embrace, his back hunched in order for his neck and paws to fit in the holes.

“Having a few fingers taken is a preferable punishment to this,” the fox stated bitterly.

Magnus patted him on the leg. “This is only until you learn your lesson. You’ll thank us for use of those digits later on.”

“And, pray tell, how long do I have to ‘learn’ for?”

The squirrel scratched at his chin. “A few seasons I reckon, and that’s if you behave.”

Dark grumbling came from Aesop, but the guard ignored him and jumped down from the platform. Algernon still eyed the fox warily despite the scav refusing to pay him any mind. When Magnus cleared his throat he finally turned his focus away. The squirrel had a bounty page held before him, the large poster dragging on the dirt. A surge of panic went through him until he realized it didn’t belong to his crew; the paper prominently displayed a vulpine head at the center. His eyes boggled at the immense reward listed. It wasn’t as big as the one Seb put on them, but there were still a significant amount of zeros.

“We don’t have a stash of gold lying around to cover for this, but our settlement is indebted to your band. Not enough to pay for an entire steamer, maybe to cover half of one,” Magnus explained.

Algernon looked over at The Dragon. The rig slumped pitifully on the concrete like a wounded animal. “Is the reward enough to fix our vehicle?” he asked, pointing out its sorry state.

The squirrel looked it over appraisingly. “Reckon we could, yeah. Would take a couple days, but we can scavenge the parts we need from Aesop’s stash.”

His ears drooped. They were already racing against the clock, and losing even more time would be detrimental to keeping ahead of Seb’s cronies. However if they didn’t fix the axles now, their pursuers catching up was an inevitability. This was their only option forward.

“If you do that for us, consider the debt paid,” he said. Magnus offered his paw, which Algernon shook.

Once the deal was struck, they each went to their respective groups to begin the process. Senta was of course greatly annoyed by the new delay, but it was all bluster from her; she likely came to the same conclusion he did, and made no effort to battle the decision beyond complaint. To placate the rat he gave her charge to get all of the supplies they needed for the next leg of their journey.

The rest of the crew was excited to see The Dragon worked on. As hybrids from the town began cataloging what needed to be addressed, Teddy and Harper bounced up and down outside it as if the work was a continuation of the previous day’s celebrations. Once the animals were done with their inspection, several left on a steamer to search Aesop’s fortress for sufficient replacement axles while others stayed behind to begin tending to the myriad other issues that needed addressing.

Duct tape Algernon had applied a month ago was torn away to insert bolts into the holes that were covered over. Specialized metal panels were cut to strengthen the patch-job he gave to the wheelhouse. A pair of weasels even took to scraping the ashpan and grates clean. A genuine smile crossed his face as the steamer began to return to an operable state. At the very least, he was more confident than ever that The Dragon wouldn’t spontaneously combust.

Once the surface of the vehicle was restored, many of the hybrids set to work giving the exterior a fresh coat of paint with comically disproportionate brushes. Upon seeing what the workers were doing, Harper and Teddy came up to him with an urgent request.

“The Dragon used to have huge flames painted on its sides, those need to be added back in!” she said.

“Yeah! Big flames, like from an actual dragon!” Teddy echoed.

Algernon severely doubted the rig ever had those. “That’s not important enough to have them divert resources to...”

Harper was not so easily dissuaded. “If we get fire painted on to The Dragon, I’ll stop cutting holes in your pockets!”

The memory of reaching into his coat and not finding the shiv Harper had given him when facing Aesop surfaced immediately. “Th-that hole was from you?!” Tempted as he was to deny the request, he actually had grown to like his captain uniform. He also wanted to get the two off his back. So with a sigh he conceded, and requested the painters add special designs to The Dragon. The hybrids were puzzled by the ask, but did as they were told; there was time before the others returned with the axles, anyways.

By the end of the first day artistic streaks of fire emerged from the bottom of the vehicle's body up to its rear. When Senta returned with a sled of supplies she stared at The Dragon in shock. “What have you done?” she demanded.

“It’s j-just some aesthetic changes that the crew was asking for,” Algernon said sheepishly.

The rat squinted at him incredulously. Harper and Teddy quickly returned when they saw the sled of materials. The two were already rummaging through it before Senta could react.

“Creators’ ashes, give me a moment to distribute everything,” she scolded. Digging into the front of the pile, she pulled out a few bright cylinders. Teddy gasped when Senta held the sticks of dynamite to him. By the time Algernon registered what they were, the raccoon was already running back to the rig to stash them away.

“Wh-why did you give him those?”

“He would have gotten his hands on some with or without our knowledge, I prefer the ones he has are at least in good condition,” she answered. “Plus, they’ve come in useful recently.”

She was correct that Teddy’s chaotic explosions had saved their hides multiple times, but creases of worry still lined his face when he thought of the blast that took Frieda. “Are you sure he won’t use them within The Dragon?”

“I’m seventy percent certain.”

“Hey, what did you get for me?” Harper whined.

Senta turned to glower at her. “Why would I get anything for you?” she said sardonically.

That remark set off a loud round of bickering between the two, and the workers for Depot decided that it was a good time to turn in for the day. Algernon likewise took the opportunity to take his leave and let the two crewmembers tire themselves out from arguing.

Wandering into the town he kept his eyes peeled for a specific sign. Once again he was amazed at the mix of hybrid and precursor buildings that made up Depot’s streets. As of yet any form of civilization out here in the wastes had simply reused what hadn’t fallen into complete ruin, but the folks here seemed to be establishing their own. Looking up at one of the hybrid-sized establishments, he saw the sign he was looking for. The same symbol Magnus wore on his person, that of the Path, hung above the doorway.

Stepping inside, the cathedral had the same awe-inspiring vaults and aisles that the one in Uranus had. But while that one had been empty in lieu of the eternal parties of that settlement, this one was bustling with hybrids in robes going between the pews.

“You must be one of the town’s heroes!”

Algernon jumped as one of the robed animals appeared beside him. When he turned, a chipmunk was gazing up at him with sparkles in her eyes.

“I haven’t seen any possums in Depot, so you’re hard to miss! Thanks a bunch for saving our town, mister!”

“Uh... H-hello! Does this cathedral belong to the Path?” he asked.

“Yahum!”

Her unwavering stare was starting to unnerve him, but he pressed onwards. “Well, I appreciate the welcome you’ve given my crew and I.”

“Of course! It’s our honor to bless anyone who passes through our establishment!” she tittered.

“I’ve run into the Path before and they’ve told me of your mission. A safe sanctuary for visitors to rest isn’t something I’ve seen since I started traveling; is that your influence?”

“It’s so good to hear that the inn has been helpful!” The chipmunk was hopping in excitement. “Yes, the Path has turned this ratty old place into something new! Now we even have houses for families to settle down in!”

For the first time Algernon realized that he hadn’t seen any children since departing from The Providence. Considering how treacherous The Devil’s Road had been, that didn’t come as a surprise, but it did make him wonder how they were even reared out here in the wilderness. He imagined it would be a difficult upbringing unless hybrids banded together like they were doing here.

“For the sake of everyone here I’m glad that the settlement is free from scav control,” he remarked.

The small rodent blinked. “I think you misunderstand, mister. All of the townsfolk here have scavenger backgrounds, one way or another!”

Now it was Algernon’s turn to stare. Sensing that the possum’s brain was locked up, the chipmunk began to explain. “It’s true that some of us used to be the type you’re thinking of, if Aesop’s gang is your point of reference. I was once an excellent thief when Magnus led his own band!”

“Huh.” It was difficult for him to see the bubbly creature before him as any kind of miscreant.

“Point being that everyone is at different places on the Path, and some of us have traveled a long way from who we once were. Look at Magnus! He’s still a leader, but far from the one he was.”

He only had the chipmunk’s word to go off of regarding their past, but it made him think: If reform for scavs was possible, could the same be done for his own crew? Algernon tried to imagine Harper as meek and polite, but that seemed like something that would never happen. Although he supposed she had switched from messing with him in ways that threatened his life to ways that were just aggravating, so maybe miracles could happen.

“You make it sound like change is a simple matter,” he said.

“You’d be surprised! When we ran into those journeying the Path, they made me and mine realize that what we needed was much different than what we wanted. We stole to have security, but the treasures that we had stolen were always at risk of being stolen from us in return. The Path showed us that we needed something that was permanent, a home we could always return to. And to do that, we realized that we had to stop running, for that’s what we had been doing the whole time.”

To him that wasn’t any help. If they stopped running Seb would kill them, so that wasn’t an option. However when they finally reached the Clergy with the Master Key, he was certain that his home on The Providence would be restored. As for the rest of his crewmembers... Algernon frowned. He believed clemency would be offered for securing the Clergy such an important artifact, but for some reason the scavs returning to the wilderness didn’t sit well with him.

Troubled, he replied, “For the time being we can’t settle, but that is where we’re aiming.” He fidgeted with his fingers. “Um, at th-the other cathedral of the Path I petitioned for protection over our journey; I’d like to offer thanks for that prayer being answered.”

The chipmunk swept her arm towards the aisles beyond her, inviting him in. Algernon went to one of the unoccupied pews and bowed his head. He thanked the creators for indeed providing protection on their journey. It would have been preferable if they never had encountered Aesop, but the ordeal did show that they were being taken care of. It just so happened that their guardian angel was Peach.

---

Another cozy night was spent at the inn, and by the following morning the remaining parts needed to fix The Dragon had been scavenged. The rig was suspended in the air by ropes and pulleys, but this time the vehicle was actually being worked on instead of being held hostage. It had taken a couple of hours to get the broken parts off and handle the new ones, and now several townspeople were hefting the last replacement axle into its socket. The hybrids pushed the massive rod in until it came to a rest with a metallic thunk. All that was left was to attach the wheel back to the strut and the sway bar, so the workers began rolling the massive tire in position to do so.

The whole crew was waiting at the edge of the lot for the fixes to be done. Algernon was more than aware of the time lost to the repairs, and although the town had been nothing but kind to them, he knew they needed to get moving as quickly as possible.

Harper was excitedly looking over one of the broken axles that had been tossed aside. “We need to take this with us!”

Senta wrinkled her nose at her. “Why on earth do we need that junk?”

“It can be used as a weapon; imagine how much damage this baby can do!” She pointed to the jagged end that had broken off. It was definitely sharp enough to skewer, and the whole thing resembled a harpoon, just not one that a single hybrid could wield.

A few of the workers who had listened in on the conversation looked to Algernon. “If you can, lash it to the roof,” he said with a sigh. He didn’t want another argument to delay them further.

Harper pumped her fist and grinned devilishly. Senta rubbed her brow like a migraine was forming.

With work completed, The Dragon was lowered back to the ground. It touched down with nary a buckle in its frame. His crew clambered back inside while Algernon surveyed the workers hoisting the broken axle up to the roof with more ropes. As he heard air begin to rush through the pipes of the steamer Magnus approached to see them off.

“This is our townspeoples’ best work, so your rig should be as good as new,” the squirrel said. He couldn’t help but smirk at the flame decals that decorated its sides.

“Your help has been more than we could ever hope for,” Algernon said.

“If I may ask, what is your current heading?”

He thought through his wording carefully. “We are looking to start brand new lives, so as far as The Devil’s Road will take us.”

Magnus hummed. “I understand the sentiment.” The squirrel gazed westward. “A word of caution. There’s a stretch of road a few days’ travel from here that goes through dangerous territory. I’ve heard the land there is blighted with ferals, so I recommend going around.”

He nodded. It was safe to assume that the squirrel was referring to the same area that was covered in hash marks on their map.

Past Magnus, movement caught Algernon’s eye. It was coming from the pillory, where Aesop was still imprisoned. The fox was craning his neck down to talk to a couple of weasels at the base of the stocks. They had papers in their paws that very much looked like bounty posters, and their eyes were locked on to him. An impulse to flee began to course through his mind.

“Depending on how far you go, you may even make it to Avalon,” Magnus continued.

Algernon’s attention was pulled back to the squirrel. “Wh-what?”

“It’s considered the main base of operations for the Path.” He pinched his amulet between two fingers. “A sanctuary as well for those who need it. If you are truly looking to start anew, It’s worthy of consideration.”

Behind him, Aesop was pointing over to him with his snout, and the weasels were beginning to walk over.

“I-I appreciate the advice but I have to go now bye!”

Before the squirrel could register Algernon’s farewell the possum was jogging to The Dragon. As soon as he entered he started to hear a commotion of voices outside, and he yelled to the engine room to get moving. Scurrying up to the bridge he caught a glimpse of hybrids who had been starting to rush towards the vehicle jump out of The Dragon’s path as it rumbled forward. They thundered through Depot to the western gate and barreled through it before it could close and block them in. His heart didn’t stop pounding until all that could be seen were sprawling prairies in every direction.

As if it were a parting gift, none of the steamers they passed along the highway that day decided to test their vehicle's defenses. They rolled along at peak speed through the thinning ruins of civilization as the prairies opened up into rolling plains of scrub grass. Given the last few days, it was a surprise that they were able to cruise up through the evening and settle down for the night without incident.

It wasn’t until Algernon flopped into bed that he realized that in provisioning for The Dragon they had missed a crucial detail. The warmth of the firebox permeated the main hall, but up in his quarters what felt like a draft sucked any heat out of the room. He pulled the thin blanket closer around him in a vain effort to stave off his shivering. The cold reminded him of the grip of dark waters around him, disabling him from reaching sleep.

He looked over to the badger laid out on the ground beside the cot. “P-Peach.” She didn’t move save for her rounded ears perking up. “Peach, it’s c-cold.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, but remained motionless.

“D-Do you... Can we get closer t-together for warmth? Like at the l-lake?”

Her eyes opened slowly. She regarded him with an unreadable stare for a long time. “Are you sure?”

Algernon was confused by the apprehension in her voice. “I slept with the other possums on The Providence all the time to retain heat!”

For a few seconds Peach didn’t move. Then, hesitantly, she pushed herself up and came over to the cot. Its frame creaked when she put her weight on it. In contrast to her large form she delicately curled herself around Algernon and draped her own blanket over the two of them. She let out a small huff as she rested her head next to his.

Peach let out little grunts of surprise as he pushed into her fur to soak up more of her body heat. The badger’s body was a bulwark against the night breeze, and quickly his shivering subsided. It wasn’t long before her steady breathing and the cocoon of warmth she provided ebbed him into slumber.