by Han Yang
Kevin said, “I’ll go help him, maybe catch a nap.”
I could see the man was half asleep.
“Untie the boat while you’re down there,” I said. “And Kevin,” I handed him the weapon back, “if I trust no one, I’ll die alone. I have to pick my battles. You’re on the team and Matt busted his butt to help load the ship.”
Kevin headed down the stairs and we watched the incoming sloop.
“We really need those supplies,” Dex said, glancing into the city. “I can make a quick run.”
Yilissa hopped down beside me, putting a hand on Dex’s shoulder. “I’d like to see you live. There are some lovely ladies who need protection at the mine. I wasn’t kidding. It’s dark, damp, and dreary, but it's a home. A… home I’ve learned to appreciate.”
I could see it in her creased smile, she’d turned a new page in her life, coming to accept our home.
“Hopefully, this sloop is friendly,” I said, holding up a hand and halting her comment. “If not we out pace it and head home or come back. Or we fight, but we’re leaving the docks.”
“That ship wasn’t in the flotilla. It never came near us, but if it’s sailing this way, there has to be a reason,” Dex said.
“I can only hope it’s not because lobos have started killing all the survivors on the water,” I said with a sigh.
“I gotta pee,” Yilissa said, leaving Dex, Sally, and I.
“I’m going to go down below and help the others,” Dex said.
I could feel the tethers being freed from the docks. I relieved Sally, taking over to drive the ship.
The current drifted us from the dock, and I engaged the wheel into motion with a huff, driving Apple into the middle of the water.
The sloop struggled against the current, but the wind brought it closer at a decent clip. “I sure hope you’re friendly,” I said to the nearing ship.
35
Snagglewood Day 32
Opo Harbor
“Uh… what?” I said in confusion.
“They’re avoiding us,” Yilissa said.
I could clearly see that the ship turned, but why?
Craig peered up from the booth with a wince. “They’re either scared or they’re guilty. Both mean we should intercept.”
“Or it’s a ploy,” Sally said, arriving from below. Her aged eyes honed onto me with anger. “You… hitting Beverly frightened her.”
“Turn us for an intercept. When engaging in a fire fight, always hold the high ground,” I said.
“Are you going to apologize?” Sally asked, ignoring the fact we were about to get into a ship battle.
“Yeah, tell Beverly I’m sorry I had to use drastic means to secure her. As she can see, we needed to leave the docks,” I said. “I’ll only strike her if she loses her marbles, and I need to control her to save her. For both our sakes, I hope that’ll never happen again.”
“Thank you.” Sally left the top of the stairs heading back down.
“Surprised you apologized. Men don’t do that from these parts,” Craig said.
“I know. Apologizing isn’t beneath me if I mean it. And dammit Craig, stay in your seat. If the shooting starts, you shouldn’t stick out as a target.”
Yilissa cleared her throat and said, “Theo, I can have one of the men drive. I’m getting good with my rifle.”
I smiled at her. “That’s not just good, it’s damn good. While that’s true, and awesome to see, I need you on the wheel,” I said.
Craig grunted and said, “I thought you were sweet on Roma? Seems you two are getting along well.”
I frowned at him. He awoke with no memories, or so he said. But the way he stole glances at Yilissa and now this comment, told me he either remembered, or sorta remembered.
“I am sweet on Roma. Yilissa and I are friends, nothing more. Just as you two are. I checked your stitches this morning. You should be walking on a peg in a few weeks. It’ll be tender for a while, but yeah, back to somewhat normal,” I told him while shifting the conversation.
“I’m grateful. I needed the punch in the face just like Beverly. I owe you, Theo,” Craig said.
I didn’t reply, letting the discussion drop for the moment. I laid down above the captain’s quarters, knowing that Yilissa could react to my movements as she drove.
The sloop sailed up the river, diverting back out to sea as we closed the distance. I glanced at the ship a few times through Henry’s scope, seeing a single man at the helm, and nothing more. Now, with the up to down angle improving, I could see inside the hull.
It was packed with covered supplies.
I was just about to tell Yilissa to divert back to the docks to raid the general store when the cover moved. My hopes that whatever it was would burst free to give me more information never materialized. For all I knew, it could be a pet, a farm animal, or… or a prisoner.
The end of times tended to bring out the worst in men - myself included, because I committed to finding out what was under that cloth.
“Increase speed,” I said.
“What do you see?” Yilissa asked.
“A single man hoarding supplies.”
Craig scoffed and said, “I didn’t take you for the thieving type.”
“I’m normally not. This guy is running. He is running from the flotilla and now us. That is telling. Something is moving in his supplies. Is it a chicken? Who knows, but let’s find out. Not like we can’t spare five minutes,” I said.
“We are moving so much faster than him,” Yilissa said, standing at the wheel to guide the ship.
I continued to watch the man in my scope. It didn’t take long for him to realize he was screwed. He fished out a shotgun from a bag.
I’d considered a double barrel, there’s something instantly gratifying about firing a weapon with such explosive power. However, distance was my friend, and I liked winning. The further the gap, the more time to correct mistakes.
Right now, this man had a weapon that was meant for up close and personal. Meaning, I had a decision to make before I reached that range.
Did I talk it out, kindly ask what this man had under the cloth? Or did I just shoot him and loot his stuff?
“Ease back,” I ordered. “Full drift. Let’s steady the ship in tandem with his drift.”
The steam stack whistled for a fraction of a second as it opened. The wheel dripped water from its stationary pose.
The man in his boat dropped his sail, letting the river turn his bow and carry him directly out to sea. Whatever speed he hoped to gain was minimal.
The river did the same thing for us and within the next thirty seconds, we lined up directly behind the man on a collision course with our ship gaining fast.
I watched, feeling the rhythm of the river. His repeated worried glances gave me a feeling that he was more than a bit nervous. If they were just supplies, he should have lowered his weapon with his hands up.
The moment he moved to reach for the tarp, I came to a decision. He was reaching for a hostage. He would have started with a rifle if he had one. If he wanted to toss supplies, well, I needed them, and he should have put his hands up.
I slowly exhaled and gingerly loved the trigger until -
Bang!
The twirling bullet was meant to hit his heart. The problem was, we were moving, the other ship was moving, and he started to bend over. The round smacked into the back of his neck, blowing out a chunk of flesh.
His hands clutched the wound as blood spurted everywhere.
“Remind me to never run from you,” Craig said dryly.
Yilissa said, “It’s Theo. The man doesn’t randomly shoot people. He waits for marriage and a divine notification before he pulls a trigger.”
“Mother Mercy!” I said, realizing I could have checked my damn quests. “Get us beside that ship.”
I hopped off the front of the ship when I saw the man fall over. No chance he lived from that wound. Without a doubt he lost more blood than was possible to survive from.
/>
“Hey,” I shouted. “Attach his boat, toss his body after you loot it, and chuck everything onto the Apple.”
“We towing the sloop?” Kevin asked, sounding like he woke from a nap.
“No,” I said.
While they prepared to loot the poor bastard I’d just killed, I checked my linker.
Name: Theodore Karo
Race: Human
Age: 21
Strength: 22
Fitness: 21
Aim: 20
Survival Skills: 9
Melee Combat: Novice.
Weapon Combat: Moderate.
Western Proficiency: 9/10
Health: 10/10
Thirst: 10/10
Hunger: 10/10
Weapon Rating: 9/10
Gear Rating: 1/10
Points: 47,733
Ranking: 1st out of 151,433
“Hell yeah,” I said.
Everything was green across the board. I could die almost five times now. This told me a few things. I confirmed by checking my point deductions first. Yeah, I earned quite a few.
I lost 200 points for killing the lobo’narock instead of letting it get fat. Killing the man without certainty of misdeeds held a ‘?’. However, there was no massive loss from the Lornsto mine falling to predators.
While I wanted to jump for joy that Roma and the others had lived, I dove into my quests.
Completed Quests:
Quest: Loot Opo.
Reward: 5,600 points awarded.
Quest: Save Zachary’s Aunt & Uncle.
Reward: 1,000 points per survivor. 3,000 points awarded
Quest: Stop the runaway sloop.
Reward: 400 points awarded.
Hmm… “Interesting. His aunt. Zachary doesn’t have issues until he is fifty, but he doesn’t really like me,” I muttered to myself.
I scrolled up, seeing I earned a few thousand points for a teammate saving survivors. I earned a hundred points for going easy on Matt. I earned five thousand points for loading up on ammo. When I glanced at the narock kills, they added up quickly.
I was in first place for a reason. I hadn’t slowed down. I took the fight to the narocks in the heart of the invasion. Men died, four ships filled with people became food, my ally lost their foot, and I just aced a man who could have been my best friend.
This was the front. The war where every moment could be your last, but boy oh boy, were the points good.
Quests selected.
Quests:
Quest: Reach Bisben.
Reward: 200,000 points, plus 5000 points per survivor, plus 10 points per supplies brought.
Quest 2: Reach Lornsto Mines.
Reward: 1000 points per survivor. Plus 1 point per supplies brought.
Quest 3: Loot the sloop.
Reward: 500 points. Plus 1 point per supplies acquired.
Quest 4: Loot the Sailor’s Merchant Shop.
Reward: 500 points. Plus 1 point per supplies acquired.
I still had no flipping clue what counted as a ‘supply’. I decided to be a part of the discovery for what was under the canvas. I headed down to the bottom floor, holding off on telling Beverly I had saved Zachary.
I pulled out a dragon, walking down the stairs.
“Slower,” Kevin cried out. “Slower, I said SLOWER. Yilissa! If you -”
Thud! Crack!
The entire frame shook from a jarring impact.
“I got it,” Fen shouted.
I ran to the front of the steamboat, seeing a tarp come flying into the front of the boat.
“Got two bound women,” Fen shouted. “Shit, it’s taking on water.”
I arrived at the front, seeing Fen in the damaged sloop. Yilissa had rammed the rudder, and the sloop ground against the side of the hull. A rope connected the two ships, keeping us even.
Fen hoisted a woman to Kevin, and he deposited her at my feet. I snatched her off the deck, carrying her to a seating pew. I wanted to whip a blade out and cut her free, but the rope was valuable.
“What can I do to help?” Beverly said. “I - I - Thank you for saving us.”
“Do you know a little boy, black hair, two years old, goes by the name Zachary and has two bears, one brown and one -”
“Blue,” Beverly said, her hands trembling.
“I saved him in the middle of nowhere. Killed six narocks and ran until my feet bled. Then I made him my son. We are not enemies Mrs. Beverly, we’re family, you just don’t know it yet. Again, sorry for your loss, but I need you strong. Take that woman to a pew and untie her,” I said.
Matt hobbled over and helped Beverly.
I freed the captured woman’s hands. I looked into her green eyes, seeing she was maybe seventeen. She was pretty and for the most part, unscathed. Her expression was a mix of relief and stress.
“Hey, I’m Theo. I have this habit of saving folks. You’re safe here. Well, as safe as I can make it. I need to remove your gag, do you promise not to bite me,” I asked.
She nodded.
I removed her gag and handed her my water bladder off my hip.
“He’s dead… thank the Great Mother, he’s dead,” she said in shock. I worked the rope at her feet. “Thank you. I prayed over and over for a savior.”
“Then best thank Fen. He jumped off a moving ship to connect the sloop to us. If you -”
“Thanks Fen!” She shouted without warning. Her volume was loud enough to numb my hearing.
“Right. Fair enough. I’m going to help with supplies. There’s food upstairs and another lady friend of mine. That’s if you need someone to talk to someone that’s not a man,” I told her.
“I’ll help,” she said and jolted off the seat. “A lot of that stuff is mine.”
Before I knew it, she was on the bow. I shifted, seeing the woman Beverly had untied was battered.
I walked over and said, “Beverly, replace Kevin, tell him he’s needed.”
I scooped her up in a honeymoon carry. Kevin caught up quickly. “How is she?”
“She’ll live. But… we will need small splints, wraps, twine for a larger splint. Yeah, at least a busted hand, probably fractured wrist. Her nose is broken. Going to strip her. Do me a favor, tell Fen to ask the other one everything he can and help me triage this one after,” I said.
He patted me on the shoulder, running back. When I reached the captain’s deck, Yilissa spun, scanning the horizon.
Yilissa tucked a strand of black hair out of her eyes as she stared down at the brunette in my arms and said, “Oh man, she’s had it rough. Glad the Great Mother warned you.”
“No one told me to kill him, I just did it on a whim,” I said with a guilty sigh. “The second were detached from the sinking ship; take us to shore. I want to get into Opo. Fifty yards off again.”
“Thinking survivors?” Yilissa asked, opening the door to the captain’s suite for me.
“Maybe. We will play it by ear. I’m going to use the suite as an operation room to avoid letting the kids watch,” I told Yilissa. “Oh, I need a set of clothes for her please.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course. I have a spare set. Hey Theo, all the ships outside the flotilla are gone and the main group is heading up the coast. Regardless of the risk elsewhere, Opo is being abandoned,” Yilissa said in a heavy tone.
I merely nodded, not having anything good to respond with. I carried her into the suite and Yilissa closed the door for us. The poor woman groaned in complaint, and it was clear she was in a bit of a haze.
“What’s your name?” I asked the woman.
“Willow,” she croaked. “He… he beat me. He used me as an example to make Cella do horrible things. He beat me badly.”
I laid her down on the nice bed, waiting to take the next steps.
“It’s over, and I hope to keep you safe. Willow, I’m afraid I have bad news,” I said, applying a soothing beside mannerism. Kevin hurried into the suite. “We’re going to need to find everything that’s not okay. Meaning a lot of pain.�
��
“I’d rather not,” she said with a painful giggle.
Instead of answering, Kevin and I applied pressure to key points of the body we could stabilize. Clearly her fingers were in need of straightening, but thankfully, none needed to be removed.
A simple visual inspection on her left wrist was enough. I pressed against her arms, chest, neck, jawline, and found a broken rib. When Yilissa arrived with clothing I just set them aside.
“Bottom half is good,” Kevin said.
“Fracture of the left wrist. Right rib broken. Six fingers broken.”
“I can handle this if there’s no amputation needed,” Kevin said.
I patted him on the shoulder, before stepping back.
“Willow, Doctor Kevin will be fixing you up. If you can do your best to bear through the pain, we won’t tie you down,” I said.
She muttered something and Kevin soothed her with reassuring words. Knowing she was in good hands, I exited the suit, seeing the wheel spinning again.
“How is she?” Craig asked.
“Broken, battered, bruised, but alive. It’s nice to have a crew,” I said, pointing to the fact we were moving.
“You keep winning, Theodore. That instills -” a shrill scream erupted from the captain’s quarter and faded quickly. Yilissa continued, “Confidence. There was some arguing downstairs. Best to check in on that, we have another twenty minutes until we are near the docks.”
I didn’t hang around to reply, taking the stairs down two at a time. When I arrived at the main passenger seating room, I saw Fen trying to calm the new woman.
“Hey, miss, I didn’t get your name,” I said loudly. This seemed to place everyone into a pause from their conversation.
“Cella,” she said.
I smiled warmly. “What’s the issue Cella?”
“They stuck my food in the hold without asking me and I want it back.”
I frowned, shooing the others away. I walked by her, exiting onto the bow decking. My knees cracked as I bent over and hoisted up the cargo hatch for her.
