Swamped

You decide to leave the pigs alone, somebody else can deal with calming them down and locking them up.

What you want to do is either contact Rider or get back home. You have no idea how to find Rider, other than following Mantis and hoping he knows more than you, or going back to the gateway and waiting for him to show up.

So at the moment, you may as well do what you can and head for the gateway. You don't even need to think too hard about your path, since the compass points directly to it.

However, it soon becomes apparent that Mantis is heading in the same direction. Does he actually have a way to track Rider?

You decide to put the compass away. You don't know what these Marshguards will think if they see it, so it's best to avoid trouble. You're at a point where you're pretty sure you know the route, anyhow.

Suddenly, Mantis turns around and looks you right in the face. You have the distinct feeling that you shouldn't make any sudden moves.

"You didn't lock the pigs up, did you," he says. He doesn't sound particularly bothered, but you can't tell what he's thinking.

"Well, no," you say, not sure how else to respond.

How in the hells are you supposed to handle this?