With a sigh, he lowered his hand and said, “I take it back. You guys suck. I’m gonna go loot this beast, and I suggest you join me. Gotta be some epic drops for a level 30 elite.”
He turned and walked out the gate, the gun crews and the folks who’d come down from the walls to loot all giving him a wide berth. He was almost glad they could only smell the monster blood and not the load in his pants. As he was walking toward the corpse, he muttered to himself, “Too bad we don’t have cameras anymore. This would make one hell of a group photo.”
Approaching the monster, he saw that both of the final Howitzer rounds had slammed into its face. The once terrifying visage was now a mostly pulped mass of shattered bone, torn flesh, broken bits of teeth, and the black ichor. Not bothering to hold his breath as some of the others were doing, he reached out and touched a clean spot on its shoulder.
Immediately his entire interface was packed with loot notifications. He received ten thousand klax, twenty vials of the stinky blood, one of the eyes, one of its claws, a stack of void titan hide, and not just one, but three purple glowing items. The first was a scroll, which he set aside. The second was a bow. It was jet-black in color, with a string that glowed the same blue as Xar’ Dakra’s skin. It came with a quiver made of its actual skin, that also glowed purple and was filled with two dozen black arrows.
Titan Bow
Item Quality: Epic
Attributes: Stamina +3, Strength +3, Agility +2, Dexterity +2
This bow was fashioned from the bone and sinew of Xar’ Dakra, a void titan elite. Lightweight yet strong, the weapon is nearly indestructible. The sinew bowstring is immune to all but fire damage. The quiver made of the titan’s hide adds +2 to user’s armor, and +2 to magic resistance. Each of the black arrows in the quiver are fashioned from shards of the titan’s long bones, and tipped with fragments of its teeth. The arrows will not shatter on impact, and can be re-used indefinitely. This item is bound to Earl Allistor.
Allistor took a moment to admire the bow, then put it away. He unrolled the scroll to find it was a letter with a scroll wrapped inside it. He read the letter first.
Earl Allistor,
My congratulations! If you are reading this, you have defeated the Elite Xar’ Dakra. That is no small feat for a being only partway through their Stabilization period. Your victory is a credit to your strength, adaptability, and leadership. As a reward, I have enclosed a spell scroll I am sure you will find helpful in your future endeavors.
Know that we are watching you, and that we are impressed with your achievements. Your ruthless pursuit of justice, the killing of fellow humans despite your belief in the value of all human life, and willingness to do what must be done have served you well. We look forward to your future adventures.
-An Admirer
Allistor gripped the parchment and gritted his teeth, his face turning red. He wanted to tear the letter to shreds, then the scroll that came with it. The anger surged through him as he pictured some alien overlord watching him on a holoscreen and laughing as he was forced to take human lives.
Amanda came and put a hand on his back, leaning in to whisper. “I don’t know what has set you off, but people are watching.”
Allistor glanced around, seeing hundreds of people with their eyes on him as they moved forward to loot the monster, then retreated. He decided it wouldn’t hurt to motivate them a little bit as well.
“Nigel, loudspeaker please, in every facility.”
“Go ahead, Lord Allistor.”
“For everyone who hasn’t already heard, we’ve achieved a great victory today! A level thirty, elite void titan attacked the Citadel, and we managed to kill it. We paid a heavy price, though. A dozen of our own people won’t be returning to their homes tonight.”
He paused to take a couple deep breaths. “When I looted the monster, I received the following letter from, I have to assume, one of the aliens who stole our world and brought it here. This is what it says.”
He read them the entire letter, word for word, his voice thick with emotion and anger. When he was done, there was nothing but silence from the crowd around him. He held the letter in the air, the parchment flapping in the breeze.
“THIS is why I’m pushing all of you so hard. We’re nothing but NPCs to these alien bastards. Game pieces that they throw monsters at to see what happens. Trained monkeys to amuse them as they sit with their feet up eating popcorn!” There was some angry grumbling among the crowd.
“We lost good people today! Fellow survivors who just wanted to live their lives in the best way left to us. Humans willing to stand on a wall and put their lives on the line for you and me. Who ultimately paid with their lives so that we might live on. I don’t know about you, but as soon as I can, I’m gonna take the fight to these bastards! I’m gonna make them pay for the twelve lives they so carelessly took from us today. And the millions or billions they’ve taken since the apocalypse!”
The crowd erupted in a roar of approval. Guns were thrust into the air, and all around him feet began to stomp in a slow, steady cadence.
“YOU are our future! You are the best hope of the human race! Every one of you are my brothers and sisters in this new world of ours. I have pledged my own life to protect yours-”
George cut him off there, shouting, “Yeah and ya damned near accomplished that today, ya crazy fool!” to which the crowd cheered in agreement. Most had seen Allistor and the others charge toward the monster to distract it. And seen the Humvee get punted.
Allistor grimaced, blushing slightly. “Okay, maybe that wasn’t the wisest move. But we needed time for our reinforcements to reach us. My foolish act got Nathan killed, and I will bear that burden to the end of my days. But even had I known the outcome, I would have done the same. Three lives to protect thousands isn’t even a close call. If that thing had reached here, it would have killed hundreds, if not thousands, and destroyed our home. Just like the first one we fought destroyed my entire hometown.”
The people around him were silent, some looking at him, others gazing at the dead giant, or the broken and burnt section atop the wall.
“Alright. Those of you who wish to stay and pay your respects, we’ll hold a ceremony for those we lost after dark. You’re welcome to stay and eat, heal up, maybe get some equipment or scrolls while you’re here. Those of you who are needed back at your own home bases, thank you all for coming to help us. And know that we’ll be there for you when you need us.”
Allistor left them, crossing back inside the gate and glancing over to see that Helen was awake. Tears streamed down her face as Nancy sat holding her hand. Amanda moved to join them, and Allistor started to follow, but Amanda stopped him with a shake of her head. “Give her some time.”
He just nodded, gave Helen a sad smile when she noticed him, then turned away to go hit the shower.
*****
Freshly cleaned and wearing new clothes, he took a moment to look at the scroll that was included in the letter.
Scroll of Titan Summoning
Item Quality: Extremely Rare
This scroll teaches the user the ability to summon a Titan from the void. The summoned titan will be soulbound to the summoner, and unable to harm the spellcaster or their allies unless ordered to do so by its master. Size, strength, and level of the titan summoned is determined by the level, attributes, and ability of the summoner. Minimum spell requirements: Level 25; Intelligence of 20 or higher. Will Power of 20 or higher. Spell cost: 2,000 mana. Cooldown: 24 hours. This scroll is bound to the soul of Earl Allistor.
Allistor put the scroll back into his ring. He didn’t have the level or stats to be able to use it yet. And he wanted Ramon to do some serious research into the rules of summoning before he even attempted to use it. He had zero trust in the entity that had awarded him the scroll. In fact, as he’d been showering, the thought struck him that since the titan was carrying the letter and scroll, there was a strong chance that the letter’s writer was the one who sent the monst
er.
Dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he took his badly torn and soggy leather armor down to Lilly, who was working out of her own shop at the Citadel. He’d tried his best to wash away all the titan blood stench while he’d been in the shower, but Lilly still made a face when he handed it to her. That changed a moment later when he also handed her the stack of titan hide and bits of tooth and claw.
“I can make you some even better armor with these!” She was getting excited as she pulled, poked, and bit the material. He offered her the eye that he’d been given as well, but she threatened to poke him with sharp needles if he didn’t get it out of her shop. He took the hint and left. Spotting Nancy in the food court area, he offered her the eyeball and the bottles of blood. She took them, saying she had no idea what they might be good for, but she’d keep them for later or find someone who could make use of them. He was just happy to get them out of his inventory.
When he got back outside, some people had hitched chains to the twisted and burned husk of the Humvee to pull it from the courtyard over to the motor pool. They had some mechanics in their group, and Allistor hoped they could rebuild it. Though, he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to ride in it again. Maybe it would be better just to salvage the parts for repairs on their other Humvees.
He walked around, talking to his people, hearing their perspectives of the fight, and how many levels they’d earned. A few of them spoke about friends who’d been killed, or the families they left behind. Allistor reminded himself to make sure those families were compensated. He’d put Chris on it right away.
As the sun began to set, the food court area filled up, then overflowed with people who’d stayed to pay their respects to the fallen. Logs were dragged in and pickups pushed closer to the building for people to sit on. More wood was stacked in a funeral pyre with the bodies laid on top. When everyone had eaten and the sun was below the horizon, Allistor spoke to the crowd. Once again, he had Nigel transmit it to all his people.
“Tonight we honor those who perished fighting for all of us. We remember them for who they were, and grieve for the people they might have become. I know many of you here knew them better than I did, much to my regret. Please, come up here and tell us about them.” He waved at one of the women who’d been close to a man on the wall.
For more than an hour, person after person stood up to tell a story about one of the lost. Sometimes it was a funny story, other times one of strength, or courage. All of it was heard by every human survivor among Allistor’s people.
The last to speak was Helen. She had tears streaming down her face as she began to speak. “Nathan and I had been… dating for a few months now. I’m not a good one for relationships, and I always kept him at a distance. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have told him how I felt about him every day. I know he… I know he loved me. And I think I loved him too. He was strong, and funny, and he danced like a drunken monkey with its pants on fire.” She paused, a small smile forming for just a moment.
“He was a good man, and I miss him. I hope he’s found peace, a good horse, and open prairie wherever he is now.” Everyone was silent as Helen sat back down. Nancy and Amanda hugged her from either side.
Unable to speak after that, Allistor simply called down a Flame Shot on the pyre. They all sat in silence, except for the sounds of weeping, as the bodies were reduced to ash. Slowly, the crowd drifted apart, a few at a time. Small groups remained to share more stories or support those who’d lost friends. A few kegs were tapped, and toasts were raised. A young man with shocking blue hair began to play a guitar and sing. Allistor remembered him as one of the Laramie survivors he’d interviewed months before. He remembered the man’s name was Scottie, that he liked peanut butter and banana sandwiches “just like Elvis”, and he fancied himself a bard. At the time, Allistor had laughed. But a bard seemed to be exactly what people needed at the moment. The man sang a mixture of sad songs, lively songs, and even composed a tribute to the fallen and their heroic deeds on the spot. He made a note to thank the man personally for his efforts.
Allistor eventually found himself face to face with Helen. She sat on one of the logs, staring down into a mug she held with both hands. Allistor sat next to her, wanting to put an arm around her but not daring. He tried twice to speak before his throat opened up enough to make sound.
“I’m so sorry.” he began. “If I hadn’t brought you two with me… God, Helen. I got him killed. And nearly got you killed too. I’m so sorry.” His voice broke and his shoulders shook as he sobbed quietly next to the woman who was probably his best friend in the world. All the guilt for Nathan’s death, and all the others from the first day till that moment, pressed down on him.
The two of them sat there in silence, inches apart but not touching each other. After a long while, Allistor got himself together, taking a few deep, cleansing breaths. Still, he didn’t speak again. He was waiting for Helen to vent at him. To rage over her loss, to blame him.
“He went out exactly as he’d have wanted to.” she whispered.
Allistor looked up at her, meeting her eyes. She went on. “I mean, he went quickly, and died fighting that big-ass monster. Did you hear how happy he was? I mean before the stink and the puking? When we were racing that thing, and he was shooting it in the nuts? If he was still here, he’d have said that was the best time of his life.”
Allistor couldn’t help but smile slightly as he recalled the man whooping and laughing as he fired on the titan, or yelling for Helen to go faster.
“Yeah.” was all he could manage. Then he said, “I didn’t know you two were so serious. It wasn’t that long ago I thought you were going to push him off on Dawn.”
Helen grunted. “I was, too. I mean I was ready to dump him at least a dozen times. But he always did something that made me want to keep him around a little longer. Stupid things. He named his damn horse after me, thinking it was some kind of big compliment. I didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. That was just Nathan. He lived his life by the seat of his pants, never worried much about anything. I don’t think the man ever told a lie in his life. He just didn’t see the point.” she sighed, leaning into Allistor.
“I don’t blame you. I know you think I do. And I know you blame yourself. It was just fate that we found you just as you were charging out there to be a hero. And to be honest, if you hadn’t asked us, I’d have made you take us along. It was the right thing to do, Allistor.”
He echoed her lean, pushing his shoulder against hers. “Would it be totally awkward if I hugged you right now? Cuz I’d really like to hug you.”
She shook her head, and he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing tightly. They stayed that way for a few minutes, neither of them speaking. When he finally let her go, they both had tears in their eyes again. Needing to change the mood, he said, “So I was thinking it’s time to go out and do some more exploring. You told me once about that place… Savage Run? Maybe stop there and take Fuzzy fishing. Any chance you’d like to join us?”
As if summoned, Fuzzy came lumbering out from behind a truck. He padded toward them, sitting a few feet away and sniffing. When he decided it was safe, he stepped forward and placed his head directly in Helen’s lap, demanding ear-scratches with a huff. She absently complied, not really even looking at him as Allistor spoke. “Seems Fuzzy is up for it. We can take a Juggernaut, it can handle rough terrain.”
Helen nodded, only half listening. Her gaze was unfocused, and he thought she was probably remembering something. Eventually, she spoke. “I know a good spot to build an Outpost there. It’s up on a bluff, overlooking the lake. Mountains all around, and the passes are blocked by snow for a good part of the year. It would make a good retreat, a place for our people to do a little R&R. Plenty of fish in the lake, woods to hike through. They can even pan for gold in the feeder streams. There’s a pavilion atop the bluff now, and campers used to set up around it during tourist season.”
“Sounds perfect. How ‘bout we leave in
the morning?”
Helen nodded and gave Fuzzy a hug just as the teleporter flashed. Bjurstrom and his group emerged, looking dirty and disheveled, armor and clothing torn. The man trotted over to Allistor, taking in the somber mood of the crowd and the ash of the funeral pyre.
“What’d I miss?”
Chapter 18
The Wilderness Is Full Of Murder Chickens
Amanda elected not to join them on their trip into Medicine Bow National Park. She gave an excuse about wanting to study those who’d been injured in the monster fight, and those injured among Bjurstrom’s noob dungeon runners. Allistor suspected she was just giving Helen and himself time and space to work out any awkwardness between them.
The three of them had an early breakfast in the dining area, where Fuzzy managed to mooch a good bit of sausage, bacon, and fruit slices from the cowboys and early risers who were having their own breakfasts. Each of the cowboys made a point of stopping to put a hand on Helen’s shoulder or give her a hug and speak a few words. The more she heard about how Nathan had spoken of her all the time, and how much he’d cared for her, the more silent tears flowed down her face. Fuzzy even abandoned his quest for bacon to sit next to her and put his head on her lap.
They escaped the crowds eventually, loading up supplies and grabbing one of the Juggernauts. After a final check-in with Andrea and Dean, Helen drove them out the gates of the Citadel and headed west. The area in question was toward the west side of the Medicine Bow National Forest, part of Helen’s old territory as a ranger. She knew all the trails and back roads. From Cheyenne they took the route Allistor’s people had established to Laramie, clearing cars and other debris to make the trip faster and safer. A quick stop at the Stadium to check on folks there, and they were on their way again.
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