by Han Yang
“Boring,” Lenny blurted.
I smiled and said, “I should have expected this. The webo’narocks are hunters. There were variations that stripped entire towns of humans but left the pets alone for the most part. That didn’t last forever, but it did happen.”
“What do we do?” Roma asked in a huff. “And if that is the case, that means the buildings could be stuffed with prog’narocks.”
“We catch our breath, assess the situation, and make a calculated move since the time allows it. After I check out the town. I was kinda expecting to fight more narocks,” I admitted with a touch of surprise.
“This might be why they’re all at the beach. The oxen chased them off,” Yilissa said.
Hariet added, “Or it was just abandoned by them. Looks like they’re eating all the oats in the barn and drinking from the trough.”
“Crap, we could have used those oats,” I said.
“We could eat the oxen,” Mark said abruptly.
“What!?” a few of the kids blurted. This started a full-blown outbreak of adults explaining to children that it might need to happen. The conversation breathed life into the group. You could see them using the respite from danger and constant threat to simply talk.
I drank a bunch of water, ate a small chunk of cheese, and enjoyed watching everyone relax a bit. When the majority of them swapped to passing around bladders of water, I decided to talk again.
“Half of them are wearing harnesses. If I had to guess, narocks killed wagons coming from Opo and then these guys pressed on. Maybe a pen was busted open or something for the others,” I said, waiting for the rest of our crew to catch up. “How are you doing Mark?”
“I need a drink. Being the last to run the dock was nerve-wracking. A single set of eyes followed me, and I chucked in the opened jar of fish as a sacrifice,” Mark said with a scoff. “I just want to sit in my comfy chair and relax.”
I glanced back at the rocky river, noting a pair of eyes patiently waiting for an opportune moment.
It feared us.
Of all the narocks so far, it understood guns. Maybe it was one from the first night on the water. Maybe it was just a smarter than your average monster and watched the death of its kin while waiting to feast.
I conducted a quick head count. Three men, seven women, ten children, Roma and Yilissa, and me…
“Everyone's here. Let's organize to move toward the town as a unit. This way if someone or something attacks, we’re ready,” I said.
Over the next few minutes we organized, sticking the children in the middle, and the weapon-bearing older people on the outside. Gregory picked up the cart and I led us toward the town at a casual pace.
“The oxen are going to be a problem,” Roma said.
Yilissa scoffed, “Or a boon.”
Eric chimed in and said, “We can use the poop as fertilizer. I can even make mushroom beds if we get some boards.”
“We have to reach a consensus as to what we are trying to accomplish and it’s too early to tell,” I said from over my shoulder.
“What do you mean?” Lillo asked.
I pointed to the small town. “Lornsto has vital supplies we can use. A chance to hunker down,” I said, noting the oxen snort as we approached. “Do we want to enact scorched earth? Which means we kill anything and everything to keep the enemy starving? Or do we try to keep the land livable while fighting off the invasion?”
“You made yourself a leader, why ask us?” Mark said.
I saw Yilissa eye him scornfully. The sour attitude could be viewed as a burden, and it did make me want to punch the guy. But he had a point. I held up a hand to stop what was likely going to be a snarky rebuttal from Yilissa.
“I’m capable of living off the land, shooting a narock under pressure, and am best suited to guide this group. Just because I’m all of these things, does not mean you’re worthless or inferior. I ask to hear other options. If we debate, we spin circles, and that can get us killed,” I said.
“You clearly don’t want to kill the buffalo,” Lillo said from on top of the hand cart.
I pulled her down, making her walk with the other children.
“What makes you say that?” Hariet asked.
“He shoots first, talks after,” Lillo said with a grin.
“These are domesticated animals. They’ll also spook if we start killing them. We very well may need to keep some around to take out back when the others can’t see. For now, we need to collect what we can and head to the mine,” I said.
“And the riverboat,” Roma asked. “It was a simple passenger boat. I bet I’ve even ridden it before.”
“Was this a coal mine?” I asked around and nobody answered.
“Why does that matter?” Mark asked.
“You burn coal to heat the water. The steam expands until it pushes back a piston. The push back turns the steam wheel, and the vent triggers the pressure to release, causing the cycle to reset. I will draw some diagrams, but steam power is fascinating,” I said.
“So, without the coal to heat the water, it’s not moving… It looked like a webo’narock got into the boat at some point, but I doubt they ate coal,” Roma said.
“The steamboat will be a priority once we have a defensive position where I can leave you safely behind. I know Mark may have sour comments, but I really do want to ensure you’re all safe in case something happens to me,” I said.
“Where’s the bodies?” Gregory asked.
We neared the backside of the bar where ruined wedding supplies lay scattered over the rough dirt. I hadn’t realized this glaring issue and besides the bloodstains, there were minimal signs of a massacre.
“There should be dead narocks too. Wouldn’t surprise me if a pack came through and ate everything. Alright stop here,” I ordered.
I pulled a .45 off my hip and stalked forward. Everyone else set up defensively and the first place I sought to inspect was the wagon attached to the oxen.
I approached the cart, watching the animals eye me as if bored.
When I reached the wagon seat, I found no signs of battle or struggle.
“Maybe they were sleeping when you bolted,” I guessed to the animals.
A lady’s bonnet was on the driver’s bench and the back was stuffed with family items as well as some food. It wouldn’t feed us for long, but every bit counted. I walked to the front and unhitched the oxen.
Yilissa broke ranks to join me.
“I’m not good with orders,” she admitted, joining my side. “Where’s the bad guys?”
I stared around the minimal buildings. Narocks weren’t exactly small, and the animals were completely at ease. The water trough ran empty, but the food trough still had a layer of oats.
“Fill the water trough,” I said.
She fake-pouted but walked to the well in the center of town. I’d already looted the buildings for stuff I could hawk. While that meant lightweight valuables, I left behind all the beds and common bedding.
I continued to scan the buildings, even shouting a few times. The oxen weren’t nervous in the slightest, telling me it was likely safe.
“Alright, come on in.” The group hurried from the outskirts of town. “Get a drink. There’s more handcarts in a storage barn. We need those stationed near the buildings and everything to be dragged out and I mean everything. Desks, chairs, water kegs, and I think we’ll even pry the walls off the buildings at some point.”
The survivors muttered, hesitantly approaching the town. The oxen I freed gulped down water that Yilissa sloshed into a trough. I patted an animal, scattering the flies.
Roma stuck to my hip, her unicorn out and at the ready.
“Where ya going?” Roma asked.
I headed to the barn, the place where it all started. A frightened colt peered out and bolted back into the wide-open double doors.
“The barn to see what other surprises remain.” I shook my head, having to navigate around oxen. “All these animals,” I sighed sadly, “ar
e too much. We can’t feed ourselves, let alone them.”
“Maybe. There’s always hope. These oats will germinate. If we figure out a way to plant thousands of seeds, we can grow enough,” Roma said in a positive manner.
I walked into the barn, seeing the colt hiding in a stall. On the back wall, a big barrel spilled out oats and oxen ate greedily. A chicken clucked from a hay bed meant for a horse, hating the fact we disturbed it.
“Alright, we make the most of the situation. Worst case, we shoot them as we all starve. This is a fantastic win, but it's also super sad,” I said.
“And here I thought you were the soulless survivor,” Roma said.
“Har, har. Coax the colt out and get a lead on him. You’re the animal lover,” I said.
“Are you going to shoot him?” Roma asked.
I shook my head, not telling her that I would if it came to it. We had to stay positive for now. A smack from boards stacking caught my attention. Before I went to see how the others were faring, I heaved the oat’s barrel upright and tossed the lid on.
“Hey Theo,” Roma said, stopping me before I could leave. “We make a good team, even if it's only as friends.”
“I agree. You did great with the driving,” I said.
Roma wagged a finger. “I killed the first charging narock and another that jumped onto the docks later. All because you took the time to teach me about my unicorn. Oddly enough, no man has ever given me such a fine gift.”
I paused, taking in exactly what she was saying. My efforts to train a team, while minimal, had a positive effect. Even if this earned me points, the more important matter was that it made a difference and potentially saved my life.
“Two?” I asked with a raised brow.
She beamed happily. “Yup.” She even puckered her ‘P’.
“We’re going to make it,” I told her.
“They’d be proud of us,” Roma said.
I nodded. “I’m worried, Roma. A wave of narocks from nests and Opo are going to come through here eventually. I’m not sure we can plant crops, there’s too many people, and we have no idea how big the mine is.”
“We will do what we can and maybe when they pass on through, we will take the steamboat to Opo. If that happens, which is a stretch, then we can find more food to feed our livestock,” Roma said, staying positive.
“Thanks Roma, I… I lose sight of hope even after a win sometimes. It is encouraging to hear. How are you handling things?” I asked.
“Yesterday Yilissa and I talked about our parents nonstop. Her mom died in childbirth, but her stepmom was left behind. They’re close and she is likely innocent and hopefully alive. A person on our rescue list. And yeah, we are coping the best we can,” Roma said, scooping up oats off the ground to dump in the bucket.
“I’m here for you. Both of you.”
“We know. Especially when things slow down, maybe we can play cards and just be… normal,” she said.
“I’d love that,” I said and meant it. “Do you know where the mine is?”
“There’ll be a road to Opo, a trail to the docks, and a trail to the mine,” Roma said.
“Smart. Right. They had to sleep somewhere. There’s just… well, not much here,” I said.
“The mine is old as far as I know. I never heard of great riches coming from its tunnels while I lived in Laro. Maybe it has been mined out,” she guessed.
I nodded, hearing approaching feet smacking the cobblestones outside the barn.
“Are you decent?” Hariet asked.
“We are now,” Roma said with a giggle.
“Uh…” I closed my mouth.
“There’s something you need to see, Theo,” Hariet said, coming into the barn.
She handed me Henry and I followed her out of the barn. She picked up a run, dashing into the bar. Dried blood and tattered bits of clothing were all that remained of the spots from the dead.
I stayed hot on her heels as we used the stairs to keep going up and up. When we reached the third-floor roof, I saw the place where Jenny had been trapped on that first fateful day.
Hariet slowed down, facing towards where Opo would be and pointed. I brought the scope to my eye, only seeing hazy darkness in the distance.
Two things slowly approached. A storm with a black vertical wall. Snaps of lightning arced down, slamming into the ground. This storm was going to be terrible.
In the rain, with some slighting ahead of the brewing clouds, about a thousand small prog’narocks walked towards Lornsto. If I had to guess, they were a day out at their pace which was hardly enough time to prepare.
In front of the newborn prog’narocks, a wrecked caravan of wagons lay scattered.
Roaming the middle ground, between the storm and Lornsto, rested more farm animals. These had to be animals that escaped the fall of Opo.
“There’s no horse for me to ride out there to get the animals,” I said with a shrug. “Even if we did, they won’t follow me.”
Hariet frowned. “Huh, look closer, follow the road.”
After adjusting, I spotted a confused child walking the road toward Lornsto, they clutched a stuffed animal in confusion and a horse hovered nearby, as if protecting the toddler.
A dozen narocks lazed in the landscape between us and the confused child.
“This is bullshit,” I said. “The mine probably needs clearing. I can’t be in two places at once.”
“If you use that horse, you can get back in time,” Hariet said.
“If I try to use the oxen, the narocks will outrun us. There’s no good option besides to go on foot and blast them as I approach,” I said.
“We need that wagon below. Long term anyway to move supplies from the docks to the mine, if something were to happen to it,” Hariet said.
“I agree on this one. If I don’t make it, it’ll be a good death,” I said, not wasting another second.
I ran down the bar, taking the back-and-forth stairs until I reached the bottom.
The others in our group piled goods and items onto the other hand carts. They spooked a bit at my hurried pace.
“Everything is mostly fine. I have to go save a kid,” I said with a huff. “A horde of prog’narocks are coming. It’s probably the wave that will topple Laro when it ascends the walls. There’s no hope for anything other than claiming and then securing the mines. Focus only on essentials and get to the mine.”
“Are you sure about this?” Yilissa said. “We need you if there’s a fight.”
“I - I - No. I’m not certain. At some point I need to have faith in you all. As a team, you’re far stronger than the individual. Slow and smooth. Slow and smooth. There’s only one horse and a dozen narocks between us. Meaning only one of us needs to rescue that toddler. He’s only a few years old.
“My guess is that this wagon is from where that kid came from. His parents stuck him on a horse, and he fell off or got down at some point. I… I gotta save him. Even if it means I don’t help clear the mines,” I said, grabbing a big bladder of water.
“I can come and -” Hariet started to say but I bolted away.
Hariet was fit, knew how to fight, and was a natural motherly type. They’d need her in the mines. When I reached the barn, I yanked the lid to the oats off and stuffed a few handfuls into the pocket of my cargo pants.
I had water, some feed, a bandolier of ammo for each weapon type, and my guns. It would have to do.
“Everything okay?” Roma asked in concern.
I shook my head. “You and Yilissa do good by Lillo if I die. I won’t though, I’ll be back to the mines soon.”
“What!?”
Instead of answering her, I fled the barn, knowing every minute counted.
I swapped from a sprint to a measured jog and left the town of Lornsto in a matter of seconds. I figured I had two, maybe three hours of hard running before I reached that boy, so I hunkered down and picked out a smooth pace.
23
Snagglewood Day 19
O
utside Lornsto
I waited patiently, still as can be.
The massive prog’narock sniffed the air, trying to find my location. This brute was different. Its dark scales held a different shimmer and its sheer mass made it the biggest I’d seen yet.
About an hour after leaving Lornsto, I reached a valley on the road. The perched prog’narock saw my approach and curiously descended his spot to find me. From a distance, I would have guessed it was the same size as the others. Not even close.
Knowing he was on the move, I was forced to set up a counter-ambush. A breeze whipped the back of my sweat-soaked neck. The wind carried my scent and when the beast picked up my stench, its head swiveled.
“One step closer,” I whispered.
The monster bounded for me, using incredible speed that sent chills down my spine. I had hoped for it to casually step into a perfect shot.
Nope.
It sped right out of my trap, flinging grit behind its massive paws as the snarling beast closed the distance quickly.
“Crap,” I grumbled, ditching my cover to face down what had to be an alpha variant.
This one was almost fifteen feet long and five feet high and moved like a lion while being built like a bear.
The agility of the prog’narock forced me to aim center mass for where he would be. I exhaled and squeezed.
Boom!
I dropped Henry, letting the sling catch the weight. I yanked out a dragon and braced. About three seconds transpired and my eyes stayed fixed on my target.
The .50 rifle round punched into the central mass of the monster. It failed to eject out. Even though the action of the round penetrating happened in a flash, I did notice the scales held better than ever before, telling me the bigger they became, the tougher their hide.
A deafening roar of anger belted out across the valley. The sheer stubbornness drove the beast on at a slowing pace.
I aimed down the barrel, adjusting for the closing distance, and jerked back the trigger in three rapid squeezes.
