"Ah."

"What do you think he's worth? I said five gold before but that was just a random number. I think he's either a bargain or really overpriced, but I'm not sure which."

"Well, a couple years back a brilliant and fetching twelfth level ranger I knew got himself killed in a political dispute in the Dragon Kingdoms. No body, and the jurisdiction had some kinda rule that you have to settle someone's fines before they'll release the soul to an afterlife or for resurrection. Which is to say that anyone could pick him up for 40,000 gold. And I think he's just strictly better than Hagan, so that's an upper bound..."

"Steep, I might have to save up."

"And then as a lower bound, well, for fifty gold I'll take him."

"Hm, I'm not sure I like the idea of getting into a bidding war over him."

"I kinda love it except I'm unclear ...who...gets the money."

"Your family, I think."

"Ah, see, there lies the problem."

"One's mother traditionally but there's a special case for people whose entire family has been eaten by, for example, the Tarrasque; I'd give him something to hold for her and then if she ever got raised he'd have to give it to her. Those also have special inheritance rules, very complicated."

"Huh."

"But if you have a maternal aunt or something who was out shopping at the time she'll do!"

"No relatives at all."

"Then," says Belmarniss solemnly, "after Mahdi and I resolve our bidding war, one of us will have to attempt to purchase you from the Tarrasque."

" - got a Sending. Said they'll try to sort out our problems in Taldor but for now we should come home."

"Huh. I guess that works out in its way, but it feels like such a waste of time. Oh well."

"Yeah." He frowns, but he turns the carpet towards home.

Belmarniss asks whether Mahdi's finished his book. "Mine was on supply chain logistics, we could trade."

"Sure." He hands his book over.

He gets Supply Chain Logistics. She gets whatever his book is. They read.

They pass some other ships; this is a busy shipping channel. Osirion can be seen hazily in the distance.

Something lunges out of the water beneath them and starts trying to wrestle this nearby shipping vessel down into the ocean with it.

"- holy shit. Okay! I feel like leveling today who's with me!"

He reaches out to touch everyone. "Fly. Haste."

He dives off the carpet towards the sea serpent.

He will fly off and try to get an angle from which he can shoot it in the eye. Shooting it elsewhere doesn't look very useful.