by Han Yang
In the room, five people cowered. A man, a wife, and three young children. The father, this Gregory, carried a rifle awkwardly, as if he’d never used one before. The middle-aged girl reminded me of Otana, and even if she didn’t, I would have had pity on them with the way they huddled in the corner.
“Toss your bags onto the cart. Gregory, you push the cart. Roma, momma lady, and Yilissa, hoist a young ’un,” I ordered. “If we start taking fire, run on the other side of Binky or the cart.”
While they organized, I pulled Henry off the cart and used the scope to spy the way to the river. A well cobbled path stretched from here to the docks so distant, I could barely make out the barges and boats.
I figured the run wouldn’t be too bad with the cleared path. Assuming the sporadic boulders didn’t hold narocks in waiting and Tarak’s men didn’t start shooting me.
A half dozen narocks at the water’s edge barely moved, only stirring enough to catch my eye through the scope.
Based on their behavior, I figured these were the ones eating the dead. Best bet, they’d retreated with their meals. Worse case, I killed them before we boarded the barge or boat.
We didn’t have a choice and I needed someone to draw the enemy fire from the long shooters. Since I was the only one not with a task, that job fell to me.
Or so I figured. Binky bounded away from the way, drawing fire from somewhere distant. Not one to let an opportunity pass, I raced out of the cutout, charging toward the water.
Crack!
Crack!
Tarak’s men indiscriminately fired, not caring, or even knowing who I was. Binky stopped helping and ran towards Bisben, quickly outpacing the long shooters' range.
I wanted to shout at him for being a traitor, but he drew more fire for me.
The zig and zag from my run resulted in the rounds pinging off the rock. I continued to run, getting further and further. The distance from their gate, to me, must have already been four hundred yards.
When a puff of dirt billowed about fifty feet to my right, I realized I was outside of their range. They’d need to shift and that meant…
I hurried to a boulder that rested along the path to the river. Once I rotated around the rock to have some cover, I leveled Henry towards the wall. I expected to see men racing down the parapet to get a better angle, but the long shooters stayed put.
If I had to guess, Tarak didn’t care that we fled toward the narocks. The supplies would be recovered upon our death or never at all. He likely had goods stored under his businesses and wanted to preserve manpower more than anything else.
I watched the wall, waiting for the others to reach my point. Gregory struggled with the heavy hand cart but managed to keep the items from falling. I watched the three women shielding the children with their bodies and about cried.
Human killing humans during an apocalypse seemed stupid, but I could wrap my head around it. Adults gunning down children, well, that tore at my very core.
I channeled the anger, and when I saw no more rounds ricocheting off the rough terrain, I ran ahead of the others. For five hard minutes, I stormed across the desolate terrain. I checked behind the occasional rock, finding no surprise narocks waiting in ambush.
When I was only a few hundred yards from the river, I noticed the webo’narocks lifting their heads at my approach. I didn’t stop, seeing only five of them sticking around. Two slipped into the waters while the others considered their options.
I planted my feet, brought Henry up to my shoulder, and sighted the closest webo’narock. The beast resumed eating a woman’s organs. Her face was fixated in horror, and I knew she died a terrible death.
The fact I was ignored, either meant they were starving, which was likely, or I wasn’t perceived as a threat. Two of the webo’narocks left their feasting to begin stalking toward my allies.
I stayed locked onto my target, letting my breathing settle from the earlier exertion. When I felt the hundred plus yard shot was a winner, I squeezed the trigger.
Crack!
The rifle bucked, ejecting its round at an incredible speed.
I yanked back the bolt action, letting the cartridge clank against the gritty ground. I pulled a round off my bandolier and slid it into the weapon.
When I looked down the scope again, a dying webo’narock twitched near the dead woman.
“Serves you right, you bastard,” I said with a grunt of approval.
The two webo’narocks who stalked low, realized the gig was up and sprinted right for me. I waited until the lead beast neared fifty yards.
Crack!
The monster tumbled and its friend applied a burst of speed. I tossed Henry into my left hand, drew my pistol with my right, and aimed down the barrel of a .45.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
My first two rounds pinged off the terrain as the beast alternated its approach. The third caught it between the eyes. I let the twitching monster skid short of my spot, stepping away from the billowing dust that sought to envelope me.
I walked toward the wounded creature I downed further back.
It hacked blood, trying to rise. I neared until the round wouldn’t miss and caressed the trigger back.
Crack!
Splat!
I used a sleeve to wipe the splash of gore off my face. I confidently strode closer to the water. The last two monsters turned tail and jumped into the water, creating wakes with their splashes.
Not one to let a reloading moment pass, I quickly ejected spent rounds and loaded fresh ammo. A set of eyes watched me like a crocodile with only the eyes balls above water.
I had hundreds of rounds, and wanted to take the shot, but hesitated. If we made it to the mine, and I wasted ammo here today, I may die later because I only hear a click when I pull the trigger.
I had made my point. The narocks knew I was a killer, and they were the hunted.
“By the Great Goddess, that was impressive,” Gregory said.
I spared a moment to inspect the man who struggled with the cart. He needed to eat with sunken eyes and protruding cheeks. He also needed sleep with the heavy bags under his eyes. His short black hair was cut neat, but in need of a wash. His clothes looked like he’d been crawling through mud.
Behind him, his wife and children were immaculate in their appearance. Puffy cheeks, clean linens, and neatly trimmed hair. I immediately judged the man and smiled. He sacrificed everything for his family, and I respected that.
“I’ve fired a lot. Unfortunately, going forward, every bullet counts. Else I would be teaching you how to use that rifle slung over your back.” I pointed to the dead narock nearby. “This one has soft skin, so we’ll tie some knives to spears and hand them out. I really -” I paused mid-sentence. Seeing additional people heading down the trail.
Thirty or so adults ushered just as many children as they fled the city, running hard for the water with minimal supplies.
“Well, shit,” I said.
Gregory passed me, continuing toward the barges. I raced in front of him with the ladies hot on our heels.
“Why are you swearing in front of the young 'uns?” Roma asked.
“There’s people coming and limited resources. That means people tend to fight over what little there is in the hopes of obtaining it,” I said.
“There's four boats. That the Mccormicks, the Denro family, and then the rest look like random people in need of help. Notice how none of them are well-armed or wearing fancy clothes. These are the people who worked for a living and want to escape the fighting,” Yilissa said.
“The river goes only to the mine or the coast, and we only have so much food,” I said over my shoulder.
A stirring bit of water from beside the docks caught my attention. When I leveled a pistol at the protruding eyes, they slunk into the depths.
My feet crashed against the wooden boards and the wheels of the hand cart thunked over each section. The people trying to rush to the docks gave me pau
se. To the point I focused on the dilemma they’d bring. I had become somewhat absentminded about which boat to select.
All four of them had sails, oars, and a steering house. The largest of the group, an immense barge, had the shallowest walls.
I picked the large fishing vessel with a net stowed up high and a rear ramp lowered. Gregory pivoted the cart like a pro and struggled to get the heavy load up the ramp.
I dropped being a guard and shoved hard to help him cross the finish line. He crested the ramp’s edge and bounced into the back of the sturdy boat.
One by one, the ladies rushed onto the boat. Their cheeks flushed red from the heat and exertion from carrying the children.
“What are we going to do?” Roma asked, hands on her knees.
“I recognize most of them, besides the last two fellows,” Gregory said.
I knew this was another quest line. If Gregory and Yilissa were able to tell me these were good people, then maybe we could save them. Based on their speed and the distance they had left to cover, I knew we had some time before they reached the docks.
I went to the ropes that tethered the boat to the docks and started untying them. When I reached the last one, I left it latched to keep us secure.
“Let’s get the supplies off the deck and into the hold. No sense in risking everyone if the narocks start climbing the ship’s walls,” I said. “Let’s treat the ramp into the hold as a choke point for killing the beasts.”
The vessel was extremely simple. A V-shaped hull cut the water at the front. At the back, the ship widened with enough space to trot back and forth. The middle held a steering wheelhouse to protect the crew from the sun.
When fish hit the deck, they went into a square cutout near the middle. A ramp behind the wheelhouse let the crews drag to the catch out once at the docks. A big sail rested in front of the wheelhouse atop a tall mast. The wheelhouse was a nice-sized cabin and the interior held fishing rods with simple rope reels.
The first of the Laro citizens to reach the dock hesitated, seeing me with my pistol out.
“Gregory, get up here,” I hollered. He ran up the ramp to wave at the first family. “Tell them we’re going to the mine in Lornsto. We will treat everyone who comes fairly, as long as they help.”
“And the two who are trailing?” Gregory asked. “I think they’re Kimi’s enforcers for the slums, but I could be wrong. They may just want a fresh start too.”
“Tell them to take another boat and that we’re not taking on unknowns. I’ll drop them if they make a wrong move,” I said.
Gregory sighed at the thought of violence but headed down the docks. About half the families loaded onto the big barge, not interested in joining us on our boat.
I listened to their justification. They figured the coastal cities would be safer than holding up. They’d barely survive the week-long boat trip as is. If they arrived in Lornsto without food, they’d starve. I didn’t argue, and Gregory pulled aside people he favored, whispering to them.
At least we only took on people who knew what they were getting themselves into. When he finished, three men, seven women, and ten children rushed onto the boat with minimal belongings.
A few of the adults cried for joy at making it onto the boat alive. As happy as they were, their eyes kept darting toward the water in concern.
You could see them fearing the monsters would leap out at any moment. For whatever reason, the narocks stayed silent. The second the refugees were on. I undid the last rope and pushed the large ship away from the dock piling.
Gregory dropped the sail and the stiff fabric stretched taut from a favorable wind. Roma stood on her tiptoes while she managed the rudder, driving us toward the middle of the murky river.
Yilissa left the hold to stand at my side while we drifted into the main current. “It’s awful down there. Can we come up top and then run back down if trouble comes.”
“Yeah, just pass the word that if they want to risk it, it's not my fault and to stay away from the edges of the boat. Later, we’ll need to make a round of introductions and hand out the extra weapons we ended up bringing,” I said, stuffing my dragon into its holster.
“Aye, aye, skipper,” Yilissa said with a skip to her step.
The boat lurched when the river’s current grabbed hold of the fishing boat and a moment later, the shore quickly shifted by. I just had to hope the Lornsto Mine was the right call.
18
Snagglewood Day 17
Bewu River
I stood next to the boat’s rail, watching the shoreline drift by. The morning turned into a beautiful day with a nice breeze aiding in flight from Laro. Clouds passed overhead, occasionally giving a reprieve from the blistering sun.
Yilissa approached my side and said, “The children are learning numbers. You should spare a few minutes to intro -” She paused, seeing a set of monsters on the shore lazily watching us from their sunbathing spots. “They’re not attacking us.”
“Webo’narocks are unique. They hunger, but they’ll eat anything. The prog’narocks are human hunters. They’ll bypass all other food until there’s no humans around. Also, this ship is moving and likely perceived as a threat. I didn’t assume this until I saw a few lazing in the river. They dove down in fright, instead of attacking the ship,” I said.
“That’s reassuring. You have this way of putting a person at ease,” Yilissa said. She limped closer to the edge to lean on the railing. I scooped her up in a smooth move. “And you ruin the moment. Where are you taking me, you brute?”
I set her down by the captain's cabin.
When I messed with her belt, she said, “There’s kids on the other side of the wall and I’d rather, you know, have it be less grimy.”
I froze, realizing what she thought I was doing. To be fair, I almost never manhandled a woman. Her being receptive was a first. I felt like I should explain myself, but then kept going, deciding to have fun with the moment.
She could have said a single word for me to stop, but she didn’t. I yanked her trousers under her butt while leaving her undershorts on.
Yilissa giggled. “Oh, you sneaky devil. And here I thought -”
“I don’t know what my future holds, dear Yilissa, but no matter what happens, I’ll work hard to keep you alive,” I said and carefully peeled up her bandage.
Her wound was angry, redder than yesterday evening, but the stitches held. I returned the bandage and felt the soft lips of a woman on my cheek.
“Take it easy, please, I rely on you,” I told her.
“Thank you. I see the way that you look at Roma, but if you find yourself in need of a snuggle partner, offer’s open,” Yilissa said.
“You need a bath,” I teased, and she slugged my arm. “What!? You do. But for real, Yilissa, you did great. You both did. I need to check over some things, and then I owe you and Roma some answers.”
“I’d like that,” Yilissa said.
“Work out a rotation for sleep. I’m fresh and Gregory is dead on his feet,” I said while returning her britches to her hips. “Thanks for all that you do, Yilissa. Again, I’m proud of you.”
She wanted to say something but bit her lip instead. I walked to the bow of the boat and clicked my linker.
Name: Theodore Karo
Race: Human
Age: 21
Strength: 20
Fitness: 17
Aim: 16
Survival Skills: 8
Melee Combat: Novice.
Weapon Combat: Moderate.
Western Proficiency: 9/10
Health: 10/10
Thirst: 5/10
Hunger: 3/10
Weapon Rating: 8/10
Gear Rating: 1/10
Points: 13733
Ranking: 145th out of 121,479
“Interesting, the word must have gotten out about the fact that tunneling narocks are mostly gone. It wouldn’t surprise me if the council is preaching the basic concept that Otana’s tribe practiced,” I said, talking to mys
elf when I realized new people were joining as citizens.
It was either that or Darcy put out that the first colony would be inside a new ship that’d be fully powered. I stopped trying to guess and noted my fitness had gone down. Clearly, I’d panted extra hard from a few minutes of running.
Even a week off made a difference.
There were other ways of getting a cardio workout, and if I had to guess I had two willing partners to pick from. However, as was my tradition, crossing the finish line meant I had to be ready for what came next.
And I never wanted to rush these things. Plus, Roma and Yilissa weren’t the screw-and-dodge-the-linker-messages-after type of gals. No, I would lead them both on before coming to a conclusion, if I ever did.
I continued into my linker and checked my completed quests.
Completed Quests:
Quest 1: You have escaped Laro.
Reward: 300 points.
Quest 2: Help repel the next wave of invaders.
Reward: 100 additional points per kill and 1000 points if 90% of Laro survives. 300 points awarded.
Quest 3: Help Laro residents escape.
Reward: 15 points per resident saved. 210 points awarded.
Quest 4: Obtain supplies for your journey and do so legally.
Reward: 150 points awarded.
Quest 5: Steal a ship without bloodshed.
Reward: 50 points awarded.
Quest 6: Earn the trust and affection of Roma and Yilissa.
Reward: 50 points awarded.
Quest 7: Defeat human threats by wounding.
Reward: 20 points per human opponent defeated but left alive. 40 points awarded.
Quest 8: Defeat human threats.
Reward: 5 points per human threat defeated. 10 points awarded.
Quests selected.
Quests:
Quest: Reach the Mine of Lornsto.
