Remnant II

by Randi Darren

  Remnant 2

  By Randi Darren

  Copyright © 2019 Randi Darren

  Cover design © 2019 Randi Darren

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by an electronic or mechanical means - except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews - without written permission from its publisher.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Copyright © 2019 Randi Darren

  All rights reserved.

  Dedicated:

  To those who know me

  Books by William D. Arand-

  The Selfless Hero Trilogy:

  Otherlife Dreams

  Otherlife Nightmares

  Otherlife Awakenings

  Omnibus Edition(All Three)

  Super Sales on Super Heroes Trilogy:

  Super Sales on Super Heroes 1

  Super Sales on Super Heroes 2

  Super Sales on Super Heroes 3

  Omnibus Edition(All Three)

  Dungeon Deposed Trilogy:

  Dungeon Deposed

  Dungeon Deposed 2

  Dungeon Deposed 3

  Omnibus Edition(All Three)

  Swing Shift Trilogy:

  Swing Shift

  Swing Shift 2

  Swing Shift 3 (To be release 2020)

  Books by Randi Darren-

  Wild Wastes Trilogy:

  Wild Wastes

  Wild Wastes: Eastern Expansion

  Wild Wastes: Southern Storm

  Omnibus Edition(All Three)

  Fostering Faust Trilogy:

  Fostering Faust

  Fostering Faust 2

  Fostering Faust 3

  Omnibus Edition(All Three)

  Remnant Trilogy:

  Remnant

  Remnant 3 (To be released 2020)

  Incubus Inc. Trilogy:

  Incubus Inc

  Incubus Inc 2 (To be released 2019)

  Incubus Inc 3 (To be released 2020)

  Books in the VeilVerse-

  Cultivating Chaos: By William D. Arand

  Asgard Awakening: By Blaise Corvin

  One

  Steve sighed and shook his head, staring out at the vast, empty plain before him.

  “The fuck did I agree to this?” he muttered. “I should have just… stayed on the farm and taken Gwen up on her offer.

  “I could be playing ‘make the Siren sing,’ but noooo, I decided I wanted to take my stupid ass out to work some more.”

  “Because it’s what we should do.”

  Turning to look at the speaker, Steve found Ina standing nearby.

  Dressed out in light-leather armor and without a weapon, she looked mildly out of place.

  Mostly because she was extremely easy on the eyes and had a figure that didn’t belong on a farm. She had short blond hair the color of wheat and blue eyes that, for whatever reason, hit the right spots in Steve’s head.

  Standing next to her were Jaina and Kassandra.

  “It’s true. Very, very true,” Jaina said. “As much, much land as we can take.”

  The small Kobold woman was an interesting-looking creature. Her bust was on par with Ina’s, but she was considerably smaller in stature. It made her look oddly top heavy. Especially given that she often ran on all fours.

  She was covered in almost invisibly short brown fur from head to toe, with black accents here and there. The only different-colored spot was her belly, which was a large white oval.

  Her nose and ears were very beastlike. She was somewhat removed from humanity as far as her species went.

  Yet her very blue eyes held the spark of life and intelligence. She was no different than Steve. At least, to Steve she wasn’t any different.

  Kassandra the Lamia rose above both the other two women.

  Dark-blond hair peeked out from under her bronze helmet. Her bright-green reptilian eyes moved across the horizon in front of them.

  Ina was definitely pretty, but Kassandra was stunning.

  With all her armor, there wasn’t much to be seen of her shape, but Steve knew she wasn’t unfortunate.

  From her armored hip plates and down, her scaled snake tail wound itself around and under her.

  “Well? You gonna chime in?” Steve asked.

  “No,” Kassandra said, looking down at him. A smile flitted across her face. “Because I like this idea. It’s us four alone out in the wilderness again. I enjoyed our time together. We worked well with one another.”

  “Shelly’s joining us in a day or two,” Jaina said.

  “I don’t mind her; she’s fine,” Kassandra said. “She’s a fighter even though she doesn’t look it. I don’t think for a minute she wouldn’t pick up a weapon and defend herself or others.”

  Steve blew out a huff and looked back out in front of him.

  Nikki had digested everything he’d told her about what he’d seen at the wall. What he’d learned of, and from, the citadel commander.

  That even the grass and trees were becoming sick with the Creep.

  Her thought in the end for all of that was that they were better off enclosing as much land as they could for the future.

  Because once the soil itself was tainted, it would be all the more difficult to turn it to their purposes later.

  “Nikki was right,” Ina said confidently. “While I’ll miss the comforts of our home, we need to be able to provide for our children. And that means more land. Land for the farm.

  “Land for Nia and her eventual brothers and sisters.”

  Clicking his tongue at that, Steve brought his shovel down into the grass with a thump.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I just don’t like it. Feel like with this much more space to incorporate, we’re asking for more bandit problems. Like those idiots who stole Nikki.”

  “No, no,” Jaina said. “In taking this land, it’s to prevent stuff like that. Or, or, to prevent other cities from bothering us. So we don’t have a repeat of Filch and what happened to Xivin.”

  Steve didn’t get Jaina’s logic, but then she wasn’t Human.

  Ina walked by with her hands on top of her head. She looked thoughtful.

  “I suppose. Though with what happened at the wall, does it lift the temporary quarantine? In the end, the whole wall came down and blocked the way through. Right? You said it looked like it was going into our neighbor’s lands.”

  Steve grunted as he began to methodically work his shovel to prepare the land they were standing on right now. They’d need to be able to survive at a temporary outpost here as they worked.

  That meant getting some defenses and a place to sleep first.

  “Steve?” Ina asked, turning to face him.

  He closed his eyes for a second, not wanting to think about the wall. All he could think of was the citadel commander who had sabotaged a peer. It had left a strange anger in Steve which he didn’t really understand.

  Not to mention, Lucia had almost died there protecting him.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Looks like I knocked it down just right. We’ll see. Doesn’t change that the Creep is still here in Lamals. Was there last night. So were the monsters.”

  “Pity that little girl didn’t survive her witch ceremony last night,” Jaina said. “She was cute. Cute, cute for a little Human girl.”

  It was a never-ending train of subjects Steve didn’t want to talk about, it seemed. They’d found a little girl at the walls this morning, and Steve had tried to resurrect her in the same way he had Jaina and Ina.

  “Not everyone seems to be strong enough to survive dying and coming back to life,” he said.

  “Alright. Come on, Jaina. Le
t’s go see if we can start raising up some rock,” Ina said. “Maybe all that practice will finally pay off.”

  Ina turned and began walking away toward the west.

  “Oh, yes, yes. That’d be good, wouldn’t it?” Jaina said, moving after Ina.

  “I’d say so,” Ina said. “Now, let’s try with you lifting, and I’ll see about forming it into a wall.”

  “Okay!” Jaina said as she fell in line with Ina.

  “They work well together,” Kassandra said. “Think they can do it?”

  “Can, can’t—doesn’t matter,” Steve said as he moved over and dug another spot out with his shovel. “Regardless, we’ll still be here for a while. Don’t like being away from home. Hate it.”

  “Think of it this way,” Kassandra said, drawing closer to him. “Once we build this outpost, we’ll have lots of room for our family. It even runs right over the road, so we can include a gate and gate house. We’ll be able to protect ourselves, the road to Filch, and everyone we care about.”

  “I don’t care about Filch,” Steve muttered.

  “Yes, you do. You care about Shelly and Xivin, don’t you?” Kassandra asked. “In protecting Filch, you protect them and what they care about.”

  Growling, Steve stood up from his work and glared at Kassandra. He really didn’t want to be told what he cared about right now.

  She smiled at him and leaned in close, coming down to his height.

  “Punish me a little tonight?” she asked, her tone warm and smooth.

  Ugh. She’s baiting me.

  “Little snake.” Steve grinned at her and held up a hand. “Keep pushing my buttons and I’ll punish you a bit more than you want.”

  “Maybe I want that,” Kassandra said, inching ever closer to him. “And besides, you’re just angry because you know I’m right but you hate being forced into things. And you feel like Nikki forced you into this. At least a little bit.”

  Steve glowered at her. He didn’t know how to respond.

  Instead, he grabbed her breast plate, pulled her close, and kissed her.

  Several seconds passed before he released her and patted her on the shoulder.

  “You’re right,” he admitted. “But by the time I see her next, I’ll have forgiven her. I may be just an angry brute, but I’m not stupid.

  “Besides, everyone agreed with Nikki. Hard to say no at that point.”

  Kassandra was watching him with something akin to a predatory stare.

  It reminded him of Chessa.

  Feeling an ache in his chest, Steve turned back to his work.

  He missed Chessa and regretted her death, but he didn’t feel it as keenly as Jaina had. Nor did he feel her loss as he imagined he should.

  There were times he felt like something was wrong with him for not feeling her loss more deeply.

  But he couldn’t pinpoint it. Nor could he attribute it to anything other than himself. Especially since Jaina and the others had expressed sincere grief.

  Then again, they were over it in a day or three. I still feel it, and they seemed to have moved on completely.

  I wonder if this is part of that strange mind-control thing again.

  In fact… I wonder if it’s changed.

  “Little snake, I want to put hundreds of kids in you, till you drown in them. Till our children literally crush you with their weight,” Steve said as he worked his shovel through the dirt. “You good with that? Can I try right now?”

  “Of course. I have to have children to make sure I provide more soldiers to fight the Creep. That’s my duty,” Kassandra said immediately, and in that same dead tone.

  “Even if it was thousands of eggs? If I wanted you pregnant forever after?” Steve asked, deciding to press.

  “Yes, please. I have to have children to make sure I provide more soldiers to fight the Creep. That’s my duty. Especially now that you’re my man. I’m a failure because I haven’t become pregnant,” she said.

  Now that’s odd. No one’s ever mentioned anything like that before.

  Had the same tone, too.

  Need to be careful.

  Maybe there’s something else in there for them if they don’t have children.

  “Oh? You shouldn’t feel like a failure. It isn’t as if you’re guaranteed to get pregnant from having sex. It’s kinda random, ya know?” Steve said.

  Pausing in his work, Steve lifted his head up to meet Kassandra’s eyes directly.

  “I’m… I…” Kassandra’s voice fell off, unable to break away from his gaze.

  “My little snake, you’re not a failure. If you say that again, I’ll be cross,” Steve said.

  “I understand,” Kassandra said, though there was a strange undercurrent in her voice. “I’m not a failure.”

  “No. You’re not. Now watch over me. I need to get this field done so we have something to eat.”

  ***

  Dropping onto the top of a water barrel, Steve let out a sigh. He’d been digging for most of the day. The field was planted, and he’d immediately followed it with a very small moat.

  Right now, it was really just a deep trench. It’d serve well enough for the time being. That was a temporary solution with a timer on it.

  If the zombies showed up in any number, they could possibly make a pile of their bodies and climb up.

  It was one of the reasons Shelly, once named Rachele, was coming in a day or two. She’d be bringing a wagon full of water barrels and taking the wagon they’d brought with them back.

  Looking to the west, he could see a wall of stone. It wasn’t very large, but it was there.

  Which means it’s possible for the Creep Witches to replace the logs with actual stone for a longer-term solution.

  “I’m going to have to send them back to the farm to start working on replacing the palisade,” Steve said.

  “They won’t care for that,” Kassandra said.

  “Nope. Not really a concern, though. They’ll do it because that’s what needs to be done,” Steve said.

  “I think they’ll argue your safety is paramount,” Kassandra countered. “Which Nikki would agree with.”

  Steve frowned, his brows drawing together. He caught the underlying implication there.

  Sending them back would simply prompt Nikki to send someone else in their place.

  Probably… Lucia and Misty? Misty’s busy working on getting the moat around Filch finalized, and Lucia’s been making bows and arrows nonstop.

  “You’re right,” Steve mumbled. Ina and Jaina were walking back toward Steve even now. They looked worn, but not exhausted.

  “Will we be sleeping under the stars tonight?” Kassandra asked.

  Steve looked at the sun and found it was already past noon. He figured they had six hours of daylight left.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I can probably knock down a bunch of trees in that grove to the east and start getting them ready. Won’t have a cabin today, though. Maybe tomorrow. After I build one, the second one should be much easier. That could just be my ego talking, but—”

  “There’s someone coming,” Kassandra said, interrupting him. “A number of someones.”

  Standing up immediately, Steve started walking toward the wagon. He didn’t care who it was—he wasn’t about to welcome anyone on his land, in his territory, or in his presence without his weapon in hand.

  “It’s… two groups of someones,” Kassandra said. “They’re coming from different angles, but both are heading this way. I don’t think they’re aware of each other.”

  “How is that even possible?” Steve groused. “We’ve seen no one. At all. We told no one we were coming here.”

  “I think you’re forgetting just how wild and varied life is. The many species that exist,” Kassandra said. “It’s very possible there were those watching us that we did not see. Could not see.”

  “I wanna argue, but clearly I can’t since they’re coming this way. Kinda lends credence to your point,” Steve said.

  “Yes. T
hey’re too far to get a hard count but… there are at least forty of them in total between both sides,” Kassandra said.

  “Great,” Steve muttered. Turning to where Ina and Jaina were leisurely walking his way, he lifted his hand and waved at them. “Need them to hurry up and get over here to drink some water and rest. They’re gonna be earning their keep, I think. One on one, I can murder people. A group? Need my Creep Witches.”

  “You underestimate yourself,” Kassandra murmured.

  Jaina must have picked up on Steve’s need because she made a quick hand gesture at Ina. Then she dropped to all fours and started running toward Steve in her animalistic way.

  Ina started moving at a jog, though she wasn’t built for such a thing. She’d fight and battle with others, but there was no mistaking her distaste for running or moving quickly.

  After coming to a grass-tearing sliding stop, Jaina bounced up on two feet.

  “What is it, husband?” she asked.

  “People coming this way, and I really need you and Ina here, resting and recuperating,” Steve said. “Start drinking water and grab a snack.”

  “Others?” Jaina head turned around in a full circle while her ears swiveled this way and that.

  Kassandra held up a hand and pointed to one point, then another.

  Steve couldn’t see what they were looking at, to be honest. His eyesight was very Human.

  Jaina nodded as she peered off in the direction Kassandra had indicated. Then she looked a bit further to the northeast, her tail rather still behind her. “I see both groups. They’re carrying weapons.”

  Growling, Steve picked up his axe and grabbed his shield. He buckled the shield on and gave his axe a quick spin with his wrist.

  When he’d first donned it as a weapon, it had felt uncomfortable.

  Unwieldy.

  Now it felt normal, like an extension of his arm. Mismatched balance and ugly form.

  Just like him.

  “Hate running,” Ina said, coming to a walk nearby. “Hate it so much. Makes everything hurt.”

  “Enemies,” Jaina said, still looking out into the distance.