"Was anyone hurt back there?" Ellen asked, remembering the room she'd helped destroy.
"I doubt it," Brendon said. "At this time of day everyone is usually out working or getting into trouble." He paused. "The people I ran into on the way over said a girl with a strange blue shield kept the monster busy while they escaped." He chuckled. "You know you're living in strange times when a teenage girl is outshining the special forces."
His remark made Ellen like him a little more, but still she felt awful for destroying someone's home.
She followed Brendon down a dozen different roads before reaching the courtyard. Small groups were gathered all over, all of them discussing the attack. What she considered a routine event was an amazing spectacle to everyone in the fortress. The thought gave her a peculiar feeling.
"You should recognize this area," Brendon said, then he left her.
Ellen returned to her room, the stone road she recognized was nearby, picked up her knife then made her way to the training hall.
Trevor and Barry were already there. Kilroy stood with them. "That's three out of four!" he said. "Let's hope we can get the whole group here."
Was Ludendi going to return? Ellen had her doubts. Her outlook was already bleak. Seeing firsthand the damage a monster could cause probably scared her off for good.
She experimented with Barry's sword and shield while they waited. Both were clumsy, heavy things she only picked up to humor him.
"It's not going to work," she said.
"You never know unless you try," Barry said with a smile. "What's the worst that could happen?"
Ellen tried picturing both the sword and the shield in her head, but they appeared hazy at best and disfigured at worst. Her attempts to reach out and grab them produced nothing except a sore feeling in her arms.
She kept trying until she felt her sheath wiggle. Someone was trying to steal her knife. Her eyes shot open.
"I'm Ellen the assassin!" Barry said jokingly as he waved her knife through the air, his face lit up.
Ellen watched him with a cold and distant gaze. She'd already been separated from her knife once today, which led to nothing but trouble, and now it was out of her hands again.
The excitement drained from Barry's face. "That was a bad joke. Sorry."
"It's not you," Ellen said. She handed him his sword and shield, and he gave her knife back. "I went somewhere without my knife earlier, and, well... I don't want to go anywhere without it ever again."
Trevor joined Barry's side. "I think you're making a mistake," he told him. "Instead of dragging her down to our level, we should be trying to move up to hers."
The last bit of cheer left in Barry's face vanished. "You're right," he mumbled. "I thought she might like being able to create a magic weapon, just in case she can't use her shield, but it was a dumb idea."
"It's not your fault," Ellen said. "Not even my guardian could teach me, and he's far more experienced than any of us."
Barry still looked discouraged. "I guess not," he said glumly.
Kilroy clapped his hands to get their attention. "It's a shame, but it looks like it's just going to be the three of you. The Fortress Brigade isn't for everyone. If Ludendi doesn't believe-"
"I'm here!" Ludendi shouted from outside.
She was inside in a second, running as if there was a monster chasing her, where she immediately tripped and landed face down on the floor.
Kilroy helped her back up. "You're soaking wet. What happened?"
"I fell into a well," Ludendi said dismissively. "I mean, someone pushed me in. It was their fault, not mine. I'll dry off while we're practicing. Can we get started now?"
Her prediction was wrong, and Ellen was perfectly fine with that. Even after facing a monster head on, Ludendi was still willing to join the Fortress Brigade, where the same thing would happen again. She was very brave, even though she probably didn't feel like it right now.
"You bet," Kilroy said, already on his way to the supply closet in the corner. "We're starting a little bit differently today. Just sit tight for a minute."
Ludendi joined Ellen's side. She still looked embarrassed despite all traces of the incident earlier being washed away.
"I thought you quit," Barry said. "I know I thought about quitting. That thing we saw yesterday was kind of, uh-"
"There are much worse things out there," Ludendi said. "Ellen and I were almost killed by one right before we came here. Well, I was almost killed. Ellen probably could've handled it herself if I wasn't in the way."
A look of fear spread across Barry's face. "That's not good. If they're starting to make it inside the fortress, who knows how bad it's going to be outside?"
"So that attack really happened?" Trevor asked. "I thought it was just another rumor."
"It definitely did happen!" Ludendi blurted out. "A monster made it inside the fortress and even destroyed part of a dormitory. That's why I decided I'm going to stay here. I don't care if I get hurt, I'm going to stop those awful things from ruining our home!" She paused. "You'll all help me, won't you?"
Barry and Trevor both looked cautious at first, but then their expressions turned stern.
"This is our home," Barry said. "Someone needs to protect it, and it might as well be us!"
"This fortress is the only region in the world that's safe," Trevor said. "It's not going to stay that way if we sit back and watch it get destroyed."
Their display left Ellen speechless. All three of them had run away scared from a caged monster just yesterday, yet now they sounded like they'd get themselves killed to protect the fortress. Did a single monster really change them that much?
"You haven't lived here for as long as we have," Ludendi said, "so if you don't want to risk yourself for us..."
"I'll help," Ellen said quickly. If they lost the fortress, there was no telling if they'd ever find another home like it.
They looked thrilled to have her with them, and she was glad to have them with her, but she couldn't share their enthusiasm. No matter how hard they fought, they were going to lose the fortress once the decay started spreading. It was only a matter of time.
Kilroy left the supply closet with a heavy wooden box in tow. "We're going to assign roles today," he announced.
His box was full of supplies. He pulled out a heavy brown backpack first, looked over the group, then handed it to Trevor.
"You'll carry the supplies," he said.
Trevor set his poleaxe on the ground and accepted the backpack, groaning as its full weight settled into his arms.
"You'll be the lookout," Kilroy told Ludendi, handing her a pouch with binoculars inside. "And you're the navigator," he told Ellen.
He gave her a pouch with a book inside. She flipped through it. There were dozens of maps, each one hand painted and covered with a variety of labels and symbols and other strange runes, none of which she understood.
"And you'll be the team leader," Kilroy told Barry. "You're in charge of steering your team around environmental hazards, choosing where everyone sleeps each night, and keeping everyone on pace so that you finish your mission before you run out of supplies."
Barry looked terrified. "That's a lot of responsibility for someone who's never been outside the fortress."
"I guess I can get used to this eventually," Ludendi said while she studied the training hall through her binoculars. "But these are already starting to make me feel queasy."
Trevor opened his mouth to speak, then collapsed. The backpack landed on his chest and pinned him to the ground.
"I don't know how to read," Ellen said.
She felt a tinge of fear when everyone turned to her. They looked outright confused, as if they hadn't ever met someone who couldn't read before. And they probably haven't, until now.
Kilroy pondered for a moment. "At least we're working the kinks out early. Let's try something different."
He swapped their roles and equipment. Barry became the supply carrier, Trevor the lookout, Ludendi th
e navigator, and Ellen the team leader.
"How's that?" he asked afterwards.
"Much better," Ludendi said, her eyes glued to the book of maps. "I've always wanted to see what the landscape outside the walls looks like, even if it's just a painting."
"I've always had better vision than everyone around me," Trevor said while he eyed the book of maps through his binoculars.
Barry slung the backpack over his shoulder with ease. "I'm not good at much, but I know I can carry something heavy without a problem."
"I don't mind being the leader," Ellen said. Her guardian usually stuck her in the back of the group, but he had taught her enough that she had no qualms leading a team through this safe dimension. This mostly safe dimension.
"Good!" Kilroy said. "I'll talk more about your specific roles another day. For now, we're going to focus on the number one issue that all people, regardless of their origin and background, all face: surviving."
His bucket of wooden training weapons was nearby. He pulled out a practice sword and smiled.
Ellen already knew what was coming. She turned her back to Kilroy and ran. Her friends followed right behind her.
"Great reaction speed!" Kilroy said. "If you can keep that up you'll have no problem surviving in the wild."
"This is such a hassle," Ludendi said as she ran. "But I can see why he's doing it. This is just like a real battle, right Ellen?"
"It's similar," Ellen said, "but the real weapons are a lot sharper and faster. And sometimes they're as tall as our dormitory."
Despite her grim tidings, Ludendi still looked content.
"I hope this isn't like a real battle," Barry said. "I'd be dead ten times already."
"I imagine we'll have a chance to defend ourselves during the real thing," Trevor said. "At least... that's what I'd like to imagine."
Barry was the first to fall. He took a sword to the knee, tripped and landed face down with a painful grunt.
He sounded hurt, but there was no time to go back for him, not with Kilroy still hurling weapons at them. Ellen waited until her next lap around the training hall then stopped and crouched down beside Barry. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"You have to go on without me," Barry said. "The team will live on even if I don't."
He was so sappy Ellen couldn't help but smile. Barry smiled too then put his head down in defeat.
Ellen stood up and kept running. She made it another lap before one of Kilroy's swords hit the back of her leg and knocked her off balance, causing her to fall. Trevor and Ludendi both tripped over her and landed beside her.
"I know this was a short session, but we're stopping here today," Kilroy said. "You can head off now. We'll mix things up tomorrow."
Ellen stood up slowly. It was fortunate that Kilroy had dismissed them, because her body ached too much to run. Even the walk outside was a strain. Her friends weren't in much better shape.
"It's not that late," Barry said. "Maybe we can do something together."
"I've been through enough today," Ludendi said, then walked off. "I'll probably be asleep when you get back, Ellen."
"What did she mean?" Barry asked. "Are you two sharing a room?"
"They didn't have any free rooms when I came here," Ellen agreed. "I'm sharing a room with Ludendi, and a bed."
Barry and Trevor both seized up. They watched her with the most curious of gazes.
Ellen hadn't felt so uncomfortable in years. She quickly changed subjects. "I've only seen a few parts of the fortress. Maybe you can show me around."
"W-we can do that," Trevor said.
"A lot of shops are closed down at night," Barry said, "but they should let us go up on the wall. You might be able to see your old home from up there."
None of her old homes, if they could even be called homes, were in this region, but she didn't expect Barry or anyone else to understand that. "Let's go look," Ellen said.
She could find her way to the wall on her own, it was an impossible target to miss, but she let Barry lead the way. It was the first time all day he looked excited.
None of the other groups roaming the fortress were armed, she noticed along the way. "Is it okay if we have our weapons with us?"
"It's not normal," Trevor said, "but if we explain our tie with the Fortress Brigade, nobody will complain."
"They might even thank us if another monster attacks," Barry said. "Of course, you'll need a coffin for me afterwards."
"You're the only one of us who's durable," Trevor told him. "I'm not much more than a skeleton wrapped in skin. I'll crumble the first time something hits me." He glanced back at Ellen. "And Ellen has her shield. She'll survive, too."
Barry glanced back at her as well. "Did you really say you can't read?"
Ellen's discomfort returned. "Yeah," she mumbled.
She expected them to laugh, but instead they both looked sad.
"It must be really rough out in the wild," Barry said. "That's another reason for us to stay in the Fortress Brigade," Trevor said. "If the fortress is destroyed, imagine all the tools and knowledge we'll lose."
The road led to a four-way intersection, where Barry stopped. "Before we go up the wall," he said with a sly smile, "let's just take a small detour."
Trevor sighed, annoyed. "They're never going to let you inside."
Barry veered right onto a busy stone road and went ahead alone.
"Sorry," Trevor told Ellen. "There's a tavern over there. He thinks he's going to get in because he's part of the Fortress Brigade, but he's just wasting everyone's time."
"I don't mind," Ellen said. "Just being here is a relief. I was alone for weeks while I was looking for this fortress."
Her words seemed to have struck a weak spot, because Trevor lowered his eyes to the ground and started scratching the back of his head. "I bet that was a struggle. The searching and the isolation, I mean. We have great lives compared to everyone outside the fortress. I shouldn't complain about anything."
"It's okay," Ellen said with a smile. "Let's find Barry."
The tavern was just down the road. The commotion inside was powerful enough to rattle the walls and ceiling. She felt cautious at first, nothing short of a fierce battle could cause so much noise, but then people started pouring out of the entrance, people who looked happy and content and a little lopsided, and she relaxed.
"They might grab us and throw us out," Trevor warned. "You can stay back, if you want. I can find Barry myself."
"We're a team," Ellen said, which made Trevor fluster. "Let's go together."
Trevor agreed, and they entered the tavern together.
Barry hadn't gone far. He stood beside the front counter, where a middle-aged woman was staring him down with an especially scornful look.
"But I'm a part of the Fortress Brigade," Barry whined. "This is dangerous wor-"
"And how many missions have you gone out on?" the woman demanded.
"Well, none yet, but-"
The woman looked back at Trevor and Ellen. "I'm not letting any of you in so don't even ask." She started moving away. "I'll bring you a mug of water and that's it.
"I told you it wouldn't work," Trevor said.
"We just need to finish a mission or two first," Barry said, "then she'll let us in for sure."
Trevor winced. "I'm telling you-"
They kept arguing. Ellen watched and smiled. They were nothing like her guardian's old friends. They were much livelier, plus they didn't have the weight of a decaying dimension and all the monsters that came with it bearing down them. Not yet, anyway.
The woman returned after a minute carrying three mugs. Ellen accepted one then left on her own, fearing how the woman might react if she stayed, which ended up being a good choice, because Barry's begging soon caused the woman to lose her cool and kick him hard in the backside.
"It's very brave of you to join the Fortress Brigade," the woman said, "but don't come back until you're older."
Ellen took a sip from her mug. It was water;
clean, fresh, crystal clear water. It wasn't muddy like the water in so many rivers she'd passed by on her way here, nor did it leave a terrible aftertaste in her mouth as it went down.
She finished her whole mug in one go, much to Barry and Trevor's amazement.
"If you're still thirsty," Trevor said afterwards, "you can have mine."
"Or mine," Barry said.
They both offered her their mugs.
"I've had enough for now," Ellen said. "Out in the wild-" She paused. They probably didn't care that much about the wilderness, and she didn't want to remember it. "Never mind."
Barry and Trevor finished their drinks, then Barry tried to return their mugs to the tavern. He made it as far as the front doors when a wiry boy with black hair charged out of the tavern and crashed into him.
Barry was very sturdy. The collision only knocked him back a step. "Watch it," he complained, then he shoved the boy away.
He shoved him right into Ellen. There was no time to move or dodge or do anything. The boy crashed into her, and she fell.
Somewhere during her fall her knife slipped from its sheath, and when she hit the ground, it landed beside her.
The boy landed on top of it. He cried out in pain.
Ellen stood up with help from Trevor. The black haired boy leapt to his feet and stumbled back a few steps. Ellen's knife was dripping blood, and so was the boy's arm.
"What did you do that for?" he yelled at Ellen, as if she was the one who had caused his injury. He wobbled woozily back and forth. "I feel sick. What did you do to me? Is this poison?"
Ellen froze up. It was bad enough that he was bleeding, but her knife's secondary aspect had taken a toll on him. She hoped it didn't affect him too strongly, or else her secret wouldn't stay secret for much longer.
"I hope it is poison," Barry said. "Maybe that'll teach you not to run around like a maniac."
The boy tried to argue, but Barry kept shoving him harder and harder until he finally retreated.
"I'm not going to forget this," he said before he left.
Ellen grabbed her knife and put it away in its sheath. At least the boy's wound didn't look that bad. He'd heal, but she doubted he would forgive her anytime soon.
Forlorn Dimension Page 6
