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Lysanthra continues to help digging until the skeleton is completely unburied and all the potatoes around her are gathered. Their sack is pretty full by then, so she tells Brad and Sam "I can take this bag back to camp if you two can manage a more proper burial for her". Liz bows her head toward the now fully exposed bones, slowly with respect. Then she squats to grab the potatoes and hoists the sack over her left shoulder. She carefully carries it back, plopping it down beside Frank with a satisfied grin. "Here you go," Lysanthra announces happily.

Nodding to Lysanthra.Brad last the cadaver back into the excavation, but this time on their back. a layer of dirt and then he starts gathering rocks from the surrounding area to make a cairn.

If anyone asks, he informs them that the deceased died many years ago, apparently from illness or natural causes. After finishing the cairn, Brad says a quiet prayer, hoping the person rests well in the after life and thanking them for the bounty of potatoes they left behind.

Lysanthra continues to help digging until the skeleton is completely unburied and all the potatoes around her are gathered. Their sack is pretty full by then, so she tells Brad and Sam, "I can take this bag back to camp if you two can manage a more proper burial for her." Liz bows her head toward the now fully exposed bones, slowly with respect. Then she squats to grab the potatoes and hoists the 50lbs sack over her left shoulder. She carefully carries it back, plopping it down beside Frank with a satisfied grin. "Here you go," Lysanthra announces happily.

Nodding to Lysanthra, Brad places the cadaver back into the excavation, but this time on their back. a layer of dirt and then he starts gathering rocks from the surrounding area to make a cairn. Several of Larry's laborers stroll over to peek. Brad informs them that the deceased died many years ago, apparently from illness or natural causes. After finishing the cairn, Brad says a quiet prayer, hoping the person rests well in the after life and thanking them for the bounty of potatoes they left behind.

With his sack nearly full, his sack is nearly as full as Liz's. Having left plenty of potatoes behind, Brad's confident that they'll continue growing and spreading across the local terrain. A good spot to mark on a map.

Off to the south, the sounds of distant fully automatic fire echoes across the landscape. The distant silhouette of a large winged lizard emerges from behind a large hill, then disappears back down, fire appearing from it's mouth, spraying behind the hill.

Larry stares at it through binoculars, "About twelve miles away. I don't think they see us. Just keep the fire small so that they don't have anything to prompt them to come visit."

Maya grumbles at everyone, "We shouldn't eat these potatoes... They've touched a dead person."

"No they didn't," Sam fires back, "A dead person happened to be close by. More worms have touched these than the corpse."

"Ewww!" she exclaims with, "The worms touched the corpse and THEN potatoes!"

"Seriously?" Steve laughs, "I get Maya's share! Especially if there are chips!"

Johnny glances up at Brad, "I mean, you're the doc. The potatoes safe?"

Glancing over at the commotion with the flying lizard, he hears Larry's estimate of distance.'Damn,' he thinks to himself, that is a big lizard.

Brad is amused by Maya's reactions, much like Steve, and shakes his head with a chuckle.

"The potatoes are fine. The body has been there for decades, maybe even a century. It's just decaying animal matter fertilizing the soil."

Glancing over at the commotion with the flying lizard, he hears Larry's estimate of distance 'Damn,' he thinks to himself, that is a big lizard. Brad is amused by Maya's reactions, much like Steve, and shakes his head with a chuckle. "The potatoes are fine. The body has been there for decades, maybe even a century. It's just decaying animal matter fertilizing the soil."

"Oh that's even worse!" she complains, "That was a person with feelings... a life and people who cared."

"Oh for shit's sake," Johnny grumps, "If Brad says it's safe, then it's safe. Heck, I've chewed dead skin off of my dried fingers a few years ago. Is that auto-cannibalism?"

"Yes." Steve blankly replies.

Sam chortles as Maya stares at him like he's the group's idiot.

OOC: Frank and Liz, you guys still with us? I was out nearly a week and haven't seen anything.

Lysanthra is laughing pretty good by now at the group's conversation. She looks at Maya and says "I agree with you that she was a person, but do you realize how many people and creatures are decomposed in the ground on Earth? There are so many layers you'd never be able to identify them all. Also any food that you eat that's grown in the ground has touched something that has nourished it, helping it grow, and it's from decomposed people and things. I mean think about it, ya know?" Liz can't help but say this with a smile and a chuckle.

Lysanthra is laughing pretty good by now at the group's conversation. She looks at Maya and says "I agree with you that she was a person, but do you realize how many people and creatures are decomposed in the ground on Earth? There are so many layers you'd never be able to identify them all. Also any food that you eat that's grown in the ground has touched something that has nourished it, helping it grow, and it's from decomposed people and things. I mean think about it, ya know?" Liz can't help but say this with a smile and a chuckle.

"Nasty," is all Maya can squeeze out as she swallows to prevent gagging, only to give a chesty, coughing gag as Steve tries to hide his face as his shoulders bounce from stifled laughs. Maya notices and slaps his back, "Oh you're terrible! You just egged everyone on to do that."

"You're too sensitive," Steve shakes his head, chuckles a bit more and then glances over at Frank, "So what's for lunch?"

Chuckling at the byplay, Brad settles in by the fire while Frank decides what's he's going to cook.

He thinks about the dragon they had seen. It matched the fairytales, a really big lizard with wings and fire breath. Brad never expected to see one in real life, though going by the apparent size of it, he's glad he saw it from a long distance. Hopefully their route won't take them that direction, though he can't imaging Larry wanting to go that way, even if it means detouring. It had to be at least as big as his Mountaineer!

OOC: Ill give a day for Frank or Liz to pop in, then continue on.

Chuckling at the byplay, Brad settles in by the fire while Frank decides what's he's going to cook.

He thinks about the dragon they had seen. It matched the fairytales, a really big lizard with wings and fire breath. Brad never expected to see one in real life, though going by the apparent size of it, he's glad he saw it from a long distance. Hopefully their route won't take them that direction, though he can't imaging Larry wanting to go that way, even if it means detouring. It had to be at least as big as his Mountaineer!

Frank launches into hyper‑chef mode, slicing potatoes, cheese, milk, onions, spices, and suspicious meat chunks together like he’s auditioning for a cooking show in Smith Falls. Maya squints at the potatoes as if they personally betrayed her. Frank catches it and cackles, “Relax, these are from the original batch. Totally safe. Probably.”

Sam and Johnny start chopping ingredients with the dramatic flair of two dudes who have absolutely minimal knife training but deeply believe they do. Johnny being slightly more skilled. The cooking area now looks like a five‑star kitchen run by raccoons.

“Yeah, Maya,” Steve adds, stirring something that should not be stirred. “Nothing dead touched those potatoes… I think… Honestly, who knows where Frank found them!”

“Oh, shuddup!”

Meanwhile, Brad stands at the horizon like he’s posing for a fantasy novel cover, staring toward where he last saw the dragon. Between the group’s chaotic banter and the scenic landscape, he finally spots a lone figure about a mile away, silhouetted on a hilltop with mountains behind them, looking dramatic enough to demand its own theme music. Whoever it is… they’re walking straight toward the group.