Medicine Bow was actually several forests in different locations combined into one National Park. The section they were looking for was almost directly west of Laramie, in an area of deep forest and plateaus. Helen used the Juggernaut’s hover ability several times to cross creeks filled with fish after weaving through narrow trails in old growth forest. After the second creek, Fuzzy’s nose remained stuck out of one of the windows, and he complained so much that they stopped at the next one.
The moment Allistor opened one of the side doors, Fuzzy was out like a shot. He bounded down the bank and leapt far out into the creek, executing a nearly perfect bear cub cannonball.
Puffing out his chest, Allistor grinned at Helen. “I taught him that!”
Helen, ever the ranger, had her shotgun in hand and was scanning the area on both sides of the creek even as she laughed at the bear’s antics. Fuzzy dunked his head under the water and came up with a fish, proudly slogging back to the bank to plop down and consume it.
“We might as well do a little fishing while we’re here.” Helen said, putting away her weapon and pulling a pole, tackle box, and net from her inventory. “There are some tasty brook trout in here. We can cook some up for dinner, maybe smoke some for later.”
Allistor followed her lead, grabbing his pole and approaching the bank. It was steep enough that the humans could lean back comfortably and enjoy the sunshine as they waited for hits. Which didn’t take long. Allistor was first this time, pulling in a feisty little fish that weighed maybe two pounds. Helen’s first one was slightly smaller. These weren’t the monster lake trout they’d caught before. Each one was just a mouthful or two for Fuzzy, or would make a decent meal for a person.
Fuzzy finished his first snack and strolled back into the water. After standing still for a moment, he lashed out with a clawed forepaw and scooped another fish right out of the water. Taking it in his mouth, he flung it up onto the bank, then reset and waited for another one.
“Lazy old bear!” Helen called out to him. Turning to Allistor she said, “Watch, he’ll make a pile of them before he drags his overweight butt out of the water to eat them.”
Fuzzy didn’t disappoint, stacking up half a dozen fish before plopping down on his rump and sitting upright like a human on the creek bank. He daintily snagged a fish with one claw, brought it up to hold between his paws, and gnawed the head off it. Allistor couldn’t help but laugh. His bear looked almost like an oversized raccoon eating its meal.
“There will be much bigger fish in the lake, I’m sure. Well, it’s more like a glorified beaver pond. But there are fish that have lived in there for years, maybe decades. They’ve had months now to eat these smaller fish and get bigger. Still, these will do just fine for dinner.” Helen held up her third catch. It was about the length of her arm from fingertips to elbow.
When Fuzzy had consumed a couple dozen fish, and the humans had each landed a dozen or so, they packed up and got ready to go. Fuzzy shook himself, then rolled around in the tall grass a bit to dry off. When he got back into the vehicle, he plopped down on the bench seat, gently retrieved the Fibble he’d left there, and closed his eyes.
Back on the move, Helen expertly guided them through the forest. They spotted a bull moose that stood easily eight feet tall at the shoulders, with a set of horns that must have weighed a ton. Helen paused the nearly silent vehicle, and they watched it move through the brush, stepping over smaller bushes and simply pushing through the larger scrub trees. Just out of curiosity, he Examined it.
Bull Moose Alpha
Level 11
Health: 6,100/6,100
“Wow, level eleven. Can animals level up from eating plants? Or has this thing been killing other animals?” Allistor asked Helen.
“Moose generally don’t attack, unless threatened, or mating. It’s possible he killed a rival moose. Or maybe fought off some wolves or canids or something? Defending itself or its herd.” She paused to check the surrounding brush. Not seeing anything, she made a disappointed face. “The newborns should be coming about this time.” Helen whispered as the massive alpha male strode past. “They’re so cute with their gangly legs and little round snouts.”
Allistor just smiled to himself, watching his friend enjoy herself in her element. For the first time in a long time, he was content to just sit back and enjoy nature for a few days. His people could take care of themselves, barring another elite monster attack.
When the bull had moved on, Helen continued up a gradual rise thick with pine trees and brush. Allistor was just closing his eyes to join Fuzzy in a nap when they emerged onto a mostly open plateau. “This is it! We’re here.” Helen stopped the vehicle.
Allistor leaned forward, scanning the area. He looked at Helen and raised one eyebrow, not overly impressed with her chosen location. The pavilion was there, as she had described it. A long, pitched roof sitting atop two rows of eight columns each. There were ten long picnic tables and benches set up underneath, easily room enough for a hundred people to sit and eat. Allistor doubted there had ever been that many there at one time. The rest was just mostly open grass with scattered trees, scrub brush, and bbq stands. While it was pleasant enough, he didn’t see the allure.
“Just wait.” Helen got out of the vehicle and began to walk toward the structure. Allistor followed, while Fuzzy snored contentedly in the back. As he got closer to the pavilion, he saw that they were indeed on a high plateau, and that about twenty feet beyond the structure the ground dropped off. Nearing the edge, he whistled.
Below them was Helen’s beaver pond. A section of the flowing creek that had widened into a small lake filled with crystalline water. It dropped off in a small waterfall at one end, the pleasant burbling sound reaching them atop the plateau. Beyond the water were rolling hills covered in ancient trees that grew in size the farther away they got. And in the far background were snow-capped mountain peaks.
He walked right to the edge, standing on a bedrock outcropping and looking straight down. The fall was about a hundred fifty feet to the narrow, pebbled shore of the lake where it butted up against the bluff.
Helen elbowed him, causing him to lose his balance slightly and sending a surge of adrenaline through him. She steadied his arm, and snickered.
“The only approach is the way we came up. Steep walls on the other three sides, all sheer climbs. You could put a wall across the incline, and this place would be hard to assault by land. And if we had to, we could throw fishing lines or nets on long lines right over the edge here.” She looked down, and pointed. “See that dark spot in the water? It’s an underwater cave entrance. Some softer limestone down there, and the water has worn it away over millions of years. That hole goes down nearly sixty feet, and feeds into a whole cave system. So, if you ever get the urge to jump from up here, aim for that dark spot.”
Allistor bent to pick up a pebble, tossing it over the edge. He watched it arc out over the water and plunge below the surface, sending out a ring of ripples that only lasted for a short while before the gentle current pushed them away.
“Okay, you were right. This place is beautiful. Perfect place to come and relax. But I think you’re wrong about the Outpost.”
When Helen looked sideways at him, opening her mouth with a question already on her face, he added, “I think we should put a full Stronghold here. As you said, it’s a defensible position, plenty of fish and wildlife to hunt. Deep inside our territory, and secluded enough that nobody’s going to just stumble across it. The tall trees on the rise would hide it from any ground scouts. And who’s going to be flying around way out here?”
Helen poked him in the ribs. “We can put one of your teleport pads here, and make this a fallback position for our people if they need it. Until then, it can be our vacation resort!”
Allistor agreed. But he didn’t set up the Stronghold right away. Something inside him didn’t want to disturb the natural beauty of the place just yet.
“Let’s camp here tonight. We can move some o
f the tables and park under the pavilion. Sleep in the Juggernaut where it’s safe. Maybe spend a couple days here. Then I’ll build the Stronghold.”
Fuzzy woke up as they were moving tables around. He got out and gave everything a good sniff, whining slightly as he peered over the edge at the water below. Backing up, he moved off into the trees to take care of some bear business.
When the Juggernaut was parked, Helen and Allistor used one of the tables they’d moved outside to clean the fish, leaving a pile of heads and guts for Fuzzy. Allistor gathered firewood while Helen pulled some seasonings from her ring and prepared the fish. Using one of the dozen or so grills set on poles around the pavilion, they cooked about half the fish. While the meal was cooking, Helen showed Allistor how to weave and bind some small, flexible branches into a sort of cage, then weave in even smaller ones until she had a semi-airtight smoker, which she hung high over the fire from a tripod of larger branches. She laid out the rest of the fish inside, and stoked the fire with some slow-burning hardwood that Allistor thought was probably hickory branches. The smoke from the fire increased, drifting up into the bottom of the smoker cage and staying there for a while before leaking out between the sticks.
The smell was incredible, and Allistor’s mouth was watering by the time their meal was ready. He burned his fingers tearing into the tender fish to pull it off the skin. Twice they had to stop Fuzzy from pulling down the smoker and eating the fish inside.
Having eaten two fish, Allistor’s stomach was full, and he tossed a third one to Fuzzy after making sure it had cooled enough. He was sitting on the grass, his back against a log that had been laid out for sitting. “Ahhh, that was amazing. Thank you, Helen. Can you teach me how to cook these tomorrow?”
“Sure! It’s not complicated. Probably won’t even level your cooking skill. But it’s a good, simple recipe using readily available seasonings. Handy one to know when you’re living near the water.”
Allistor only heard half of her reply, already drifting off to sleep. Helen let him nap as she stowed the rest of the cooked fish in her ring, and watched the smoker do its thing as she relaxed and let her thoughts drift. She was half asleep herself when Fuzzy began to growl.
She was on her feet a moment later when she detected a rustling of leaves beyond the tree line. It was getting dark, the sun having already fallen behind the peaks to the west. The fire in front of her was still burning bright enough to impair her night vision when trying to look into the darkness. She cast Light and pushed the globe down the slope toward the trees.
“Allistor, get up. We’ve got company.” She nudged him with her foot as she spoke. He too was instantly on his feet as Fuzzy stood and bared his teeth in the direction of the trees. He let out his best bear cub roar and stepped forward, hackles bristling.
Several deep growls answered him, echoing from out of the darkness up the slope. Fuzzy took a step back, his tail lowering and his head shifting left and right, less sure of himself now that it was clear he faced several foes.
“Don’t worry, buddy. We got this.” Allistor was confident they could handle a pack of canids. At their levels, most animals in the forest would be no real challenge.
But what walked out of the trees into the light weren’t canids.
They looked like chickens. Or, more likely, the dinosaur version of what chickens used to be. Each one stood a good eight feet tall, with grey-green reptilian skin in place of chicken feathers. Their wings looked vestigial, the folded flaps of leathery skin too small to support their large bodies in flight. Red eyes were set wide on their heads behind sharp ebony beaks, large enough to sever a human limb with ease. Helen Examined the closest.
Kylling Hunter
Level 17
Health: 9,000/9,000
“Are you kidding me? Giant murder chickens?” Allistor grumbled as another, and another, stepped into view. He could already see five of them, and more seemed to be moving in the dark beneath the trees.
Helen snorted. “Regular chickens are murderous little shits. People just don’t notice cuz we’re so much bigger. They don’t often attack us.”
The nearest one took another step forward on its oversized chicken feet, the three wicked front claws reflecting the light briefly before digging into the ground. Its growl was completely unchickenlike, sounding more like a wolf or bear. Altogether, Allistor estimated the thing weighed about two hundred and fifty pounds.
“The smell of the cooking fish must have drawn them. Stay close to the fire.” Helen said as she piled some wood on to it. “If they’re anything like our chickens, they’ll fear the flame.”
“Let’s find out.” Allistor quickly cast Flame Shot on the frontrunner, the standard sized fireball racing forward to impact the creature’s chest. It squawked in terror, sounding much more like a chicken now, and fell over backward, its feet scrabbling at the air as it burned. Without feathers, the fire didn’t spread as Allistor had hoped, but it still did some damage and slowed the mob’s approach. The other kyllings hesitated, looking at their packmate. But the surprise didn’t last. As it got back to its feet, they all began to move forward slowly, stalking their prey.”
“I’m not gonna get eaten by giant dino-chickens.” Helen gritted her teeth. Raising her shotgun, she took aim and fired at the wounded kylling. The buckshot round tore into its head and neck, causing blood to spout and knocking it down again.
Kylling Hunter
Level 17
Health: 4,200/9,000
Allistor fired as well, his shotgun loaded with slugs. He aimed for the downed murder chicken’s chest, and the round punched right through. The reptilian hide didn’t seem to give them much in the way of armor protection.
As if his shot had been a starting pistol, the four others charged forward at surprising speed. They moved in a rough line, fanning out so that they formed a sort of half circle around their prey. Three more kyllings emerged from the trees to join the formation. All seven of them closed rapidly.
“Oh, shit!” Allistor shouted, firing at two on the left flank, knocking down first one, then the other. Fuzzy rushed forward and latched onto the neck of the first to fall, shaking his head savagely and snapping its spine. The other pecked at the bear cub even as it struggled back to its feet. The nasty beak opened wide wounds in the bear cub’s side. Allistor took a second to cast a heal on his bear cub, then fired again at the monster attacking him. “Leave Fuzzy alone!”
Helen was calmly chambering and firing round after round. As they got closer, her buckshot was tearing into more than one of the kyllings at a time. But the shots weren’t killing them, and they either fell and got back up, or simply stumbled and continued on.
Allistor panicked. Having nearly lost Helen so recently, he couldn’t think of anything else as the monsters charged her. Each of them towered at least two feet above her, yet she held her ground. He cast Barrier in front of her, hoping to stop at least one stab from those nasty beaks.
One of the kyllings leapt at her, its clawed feet extended, intending to rip her to pieces. She raised her weapon and shot it directly in the face, removing most of its head. She ducked as the corpse tumbled past her, one of the claws catching her shoulder and spinning her around as it ripped into her flesh. She screamed and fell, and Allistor lost his mind.
He cast Flame Shot twice in rapid succession on two different targets. The screaming squawks distracted their companions for a second, giving him time to fire a round into the kylling nearest to Helen. The impact knocked it down, and from out of nowhere an enraged Fuzzy charged in. He stomped and clawed at the downed bird, pinning its legs with his bulk and trying to bite its neck even as it pecked at his head.
With three more of the birds closing on Helen, Allistor didn’t have time to help the bear. He cast another heal on Fuzzy and turned away, hoping his cub could handle the fight.
Stepping over Helen, and placing himself between her and the advancing monsters, he cast Erupt in front of one. The spike shot up from the earth and
impaled its breast on one side. The wound didn’t kill it, but it did stop it in its tracks, causing a bird behind it to smash into it and fall over. He hit that one with Flame Shot, and left it to burn for a moment.
Turning to his right, he caught one charging in with its head down, intending to snap Helen’s arm off as she attempted to push herself back to her feet. He cast Mind Spike on the bird, hoping its tiny chicken brain wasn’t too small for the spell to have any effect.
The murder-chicken went berserk.
It roared in anger, its eyes flashing red as it used one clawed foot to dig at its own head. After doing some significant damage, it stopped clawing and charged at a fellow kylling, leaping at it claws first. The kylling that the berserker attacked was the same one Allistor had burned after it crashed into the shish-kabobbed bird. Confused at first, it quickly began to fight back. The two of them tumbled to the ground, biting and slashing each other.
Allistor reached down and helped Helen to her feet. She’d healed herself, and was almost back to one hundred percent. A quick look around showed him Fuzzy limping away from another dead bird. But the bear had paid an awful price. His face was a bloody pulp, and he bled from several ragged wounds in his neck and chest. Allistor and Helen both cast heals on the whimpering bear as he limped toward a picnic table and squeezed his bulk underneath to hide.
That was all Allistor had time to see as another of the birds dashed at him from his right. Changing tactics, he dropped his shotgun and reached into his inventory to pull out his trusty rebar spear. As the bird charged in, Helen fired a round of buckshot into its torso. It stumbled toward them, and Allistor stepped forward. With a home run swing, he whipped the heavy rebar spear around and knocked the legs out from under the kylling, both of them snapping under the impact. When it struck the ground, he flipped the spear around and jammed the sharp end through its skull, pinning it to the ground as the broken legs and tiny wings twitched.
Shadow Sun Expansion Page 34
