It was Bones, the one with the melodic, scratchy voice, who was now standing just a few feet from Hoku's face.
"Hee hee hee." He retracts his head, dancing back to join the rest of the group as they all turn around to look at their awakened Captive. Baldervich, however, remains sat with his back turned.
Hoku returned the scattered stares, attempting to distract from his hands that he buried just out of sight.
Eventually, after tension built up between the scavengers and their captive, Baldervich finally opened his mouth.
"Y'ave a good nap did ya?" he said with an uncharacteristically flat tone. "You know, it's an honour to meet a distinguished knight of the kingdom like yourself."
"Actually, it's my second time getting to know one like this-"
"Tied down like an animal," he growls.
An innocent expression blossoms on Hoku's face.
"Oh, what a relief. Good to know there's another guy like me," he smiled
Baldervich finally shot a sharp glare across his shoulder. Then suddenly, he burst into an uncontrolled fit of laughter, making all the grunts around him cackle in tandem.
"What 'appened? When'd they start hiring gutless cowards?" He jeered, wiping a tear from his eye.
"I think they were running low on regular cowards," Hoku replied.
The scavengers all stopped laughing and shot each other strange looks. Baldervich, however, just chuckled lightly.
"Gups, where'd you find this guy? He's 1000 times better than your little device." And though Guppy wasn't paying attention to what was just said, he came to life as soon as he heard his name.
"Can I ask something?"
The youngest scavenger opened his mouth, making everyone look at him blankly.
He held up the soda cup in his hand. "Do they make these at the academy?" Guppy asked.
'Academy?' Hoku thought. Guppy's earnestness disrupted his persona.
"Gups", Baldervich said despondently.
"I don't remember asking you to speak." He said.
"..." Guppy gave one last look to Hoku, then ultimately gave up, returning his gaze to the floor.
Baldervich retook the conversation.
"So, what made ya take a trip to the Devil's Dunes?"
Hoku didn't answer out loud, only thinking: 'This was my spawn point, dumbass.'
The scavenger ignored his silence and continued.
"I wouldn't suppose it would have to do with that oversized rock we found ya at?" He theorised.
Hoku raised an eyebrow, then started to talk, but stopped himself again to think.
"No n-not really, it's just a rock," he responded
The scavenger rubbed his beard, then turned to his minions.
"Just a rock e' says! Just a big ol' rock in the middle of the dunes!"
The intensity of Baldervich's expression lowered.
"Ya know, I had some time to think while you were out.."
"That barrier couldn'ta been you. Not in a million years."
Hoku's eyebrows lowered as Baldervich paused.
"If some scrawny kid managed to knock you out, there's no way you could make a somethin' so strong!" he whaled, making Hoku's eye twitch slightly and Guppy lower his head further.
"Makes me wonder if you're even a knight." He added, inviting Hoku's glare.
"T-there's really nothing special at that rock. I was j-just sent to explore the cave" Hoku stammered convincingly.
"So you went inside ey?!"
"But I didn't find anything really."
"I see"
"That's a damn shame."
Baldervich stopped for a moment, then twitched his nose, turning to the surrounding scavengers.
"Hey, d'you lot smell that?"
"I don' know."
"It smells like a load of shit to me!" he burst out with full teeth, making them all cheer.
Guppy narrowed his eyes at Hoku, who had a slight mischievous grin painted on his face.
Baldervich's hardened face lit up with glee as he turned to the bald scavenger.
"Whadya think, Bones, a butt loadv'e treasure? or some ancient weapon, oooh somethin that'll sell good."
"Abomina'll be real happy when he hears about this," He snickered.
"Perhaaaaps we should focus on our goal before pursuing any... distractions," Bones said, glancing at Hoku, who quickly wiped the smirk off his face.
"Yeah, yeah, I haven't forgotten."
"GUPS!!!" He shouted.
Baldervich turned to Guppy, who was sitting idly,
"It's time to get them out."
A cloud of sand passed over Guppy's head. His goggles sparkled as his once gloomy face lit up in the golden sun.
"Right!"
Bewilderment plagued Hoku, spurred on by excitement that was painted across the young scavenger's face.
Before he had time to think, Guppy shuffled past the other scavengers and started walking in his direction.
'Shit!' Hoku thought as he realised that Guppy's stride wasn't stopping anytime soon.
He unnervingly looked back at his unbound hands, clutching the dagger Dustblade, moving it beneath his back.
Guppy stopped moving just before Hoku's head. He glanced down at Hoku, who had sweat dripping down his face.
He effortlessly hopped over Hoku to the other side. He stood on the brown feathers of the dead ostrich at the back
"Hmm." He said, glancing over the abundance of animal carcasses, dingy containers, and boozy wooden cups.
While Guppy was brushing some objects to the side, Hoku's eye remained locked to the back of his head, observing his every action. He didn't want to fully rotate his body to face Guppy, scared that the other scavengers might get suspicious.
Suddenly, Guppy spun around. Hoku averted his gaze and pushed his dagger further under his back.
"Uh... which should I bring?" Guppy asked the scavengers across the sled.
"Just bring all of them," Baldervich answered.
Guppy smiled, then once he turned back around, Hoku sighed. He uncomfortably fiddled with Dustbalde around as its guard was nudging into his back.
Still, there wasn't much option here. The chance that he would be found out was growing quickly. He had to think fast if he had any chance of getting out of this.
He had a weapon. He could just take this stupid kid hostage. But what next, what next?
'I could hold him until I get further back, then jump out and run.'
Hoku fiddled with Dustblade's handle and retrieved it from behind him, holding it up just low enough not to be seen by the other scavengers. He glared at Guppy's back. His heart is pumping.
He grit his teeth.
Hoku raised his blade. sweat dripping, blood pumping. But then a single thought entered his head.
What would they do to him if they caught him?
He could be run over by the sled. Get skewered or smashed by their weapons, or even get eaten by the monster in front. All these thoughts poisoned his resolve.
He couldn't manage it. He lowered Dustblade.
Guppy continued shovelling bits of junk until he unearthed what looked to be a box of some kind. "Found ya!" Guppy gleefully proclaimed.
Hoku was still in the middle of trying to push his arms back underneath him. Just as Guppy was getting ready to move again, he was still trying to hide Dustblade, certain he'd get another chance and fearful of talking to system. He couldn't get up to move his hands properly.
Guppy started to turn around just as Hoku was still trying to reposition his hands. 'shit'. Dustblade and his untied hands were still in out in the open.
Guppy fully turned around. Hoku's hands and dustblade were in full view, only hidden by the giant treasure chest that Guppy was trying to carry.
Like Atlus, condemned to carry the weight of the sky, Guppy pushed forward, physically unable to pay attention to Hoku.
Hoku managed to hide Dustblade while Guppy lifted one leg at a time until he made it back to his fellow scavengers.
Hoku sighed, then he hesitantly looked over the wooden segment to see what the deal is with the giant box.
The scavengers surrounded Guppy, and they seemed to be discussing quietly.
Hoku interrupted, "Care to clue me in?"
Both Baldervich and Guppy turned to Hoku, answering at the same time.
"Hehe, you'll find out soon enough..." Baldervich said.
"These are our treasured box of artefacts," Guppy gleemed.
Guppy's expression turned blank as all the scavengers glared at him.
Baldervich grasped at his forehead with an irritable expression while the other scavengers kicked at Guppy on the floor.
"Did you make those too?" Hoku asked with a slight curiosity.
Guppy looked up from the floor "Huh, oh no, it's uh-"
"It's none of yer business," Baldervich interrupted, jumping in front of Guppy.
He took out the first object from the box and held it up in the air, "Behold the detestible, almighty Soul capture!"
Hoku looked at the object. It was small and dark, but before he could make out any details, a white light flashed, making Hoku go blind.
Something square in shape came out of the device.
"What do you think, captive?" Baldervich said, displaying it.
Hoku's eyes widened 'T-that's...?' He thought, 'H-how?'
"Ha! We only just started, and he's already quivering in fear," Baldervich chuckled, showing it off to the other scavengers.
The Guppy looked at it and asked, "How come you always get the best ones?"
"That's-" Hoku mumbled.
"I just have a better eye for these things. It comes with age," Baldervich said proudly.
At last, Hoku found the words that he was looking for.
"That's... a camera..."