“A monster stomped your whole town?” Redfeather asked.
“Yeah, big ugly smelly bastard. Sixty feet tall. I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.” Allistor’s voice relayed some of the sorrow he still felt at the loss of his family and friends.
They all drove back to the Lakota Stronghold, and Redfeather pulled Allistor aside as they prepped the elk for roasting. As he’d hoped, he learned a new recipe and got a +1 to his Cooking skill. Helen poked her nose in at the beginning to see what kind of herbs they used, taking notes so that she could pass the info on to Nancy. She bailed when Redfeather started showing Allistor what each of the plants looked like, as she already knew from her ranger training. Allistor learned the skill Herbology from the lesson, and rewarded Redfeather with a handful of gold coins.
Eventually the elk was put on a huge spit over an open fire, and the roasting began. It didn’t take long at all for the delicious smell of cooked meat to permeate the air and make Allistor’s stomach growl. They’d all skipped lunch while rounding up furniture, and he was hungry.
Before the meat was served, Allistor made a show of thanking Standing Bear for the hospitality, and for their help during the day. He presented the man with the plasma rifle, as well as a charger and extra battery pack. They all took a short trip out the gate, where Standing Bear picked a dumpster that stood near the front of an alley. He took aim and fired, and the white-hot round of superheated death burned right through the front of it.
Back inside, they all lined up as Standing Bear, Redfeather, and a few others dished out plates, cafeteria style. Allistor received a plate with a several slices of roasted elk, mashed sweet potatoes, a small amount of green beans, some small fried balls of something about the size of peas that he didn’t recognize, which were covered in a sweet-smelling glaze, and a slice of freshly baked bread.
When everyone had been served and taken a seat, Standing Bear stood at the head of the table, gave a short blessing, and they all dug in. Allistor was sitting to the old man’s left, with Amanda next to him, and Helen across the table next to Redfeather. They mostly ate in silence at first, Allistor appreciating the delicious meal. He lifted his cup to take a drink, and sputtered in surprise. “Is this…”
Standing Bear sighed. “Kool-aid. Yes. It’s Redfeather’s favorite, unfortunately. There’s a pitcher of water right there if you prefer. Or we have beer, if you’re old enough?” Several people chuckled at the question. Allistor had to think about it. His birthday was coming soon, but he was still only twenty.
“Actually, I’m not.” The laughter got louder. “But Kool-aid is fine. It just surprised me, that’s all.” They resumed eating, and Allistor cleared his plate. Redfeather offered to dish him up some more, and he accepted.
“How did you like the prairie berries?” she asked as she got to her feet. “You want more?”
Allistor didn’t notice most of the table quieting to hear his answer.
“Is that what those little things with the glaze were? They were good. I’ve never heard of prairie berries. Where do you find them? Nancy will probably want us to bring one of the bushes home for her greenhouse.”
There was a general chuckle up and down the long tables in the cafeteria. Standing Bear coughed into his napkin, then smiled at Allistor. “They don’t grow on a bush, my young friend. They have to be harvested, two at a time. Prairie berries are prairie dog testicles, fried in beer batter and served with a glaze made of sweet potato and sugar.”
Allistor didn’t catch on for a moment. When he did, his stomach felt a little queasy. He put one hand over his gut, the other over his mouth, and focused on keeping his dinner down. The Lakota roared in laughter, several of them getting up to pat him on the back and offer comments like, “I’ve never seen anyone ask for seconds.”
Eventually, Allistor got himself under control, and took another drink of Kool-aid. It was fruit punch flavored, a classic.
Standing Bear thumped him on the back once, and said, “Sorry, boy. It’s a sort of tradition going all the way back to when the first white scouts and traders showed up on our lands. I couldn’t resist.”
Allistor waved a hand in dismissal. “I wouldn’t have eaten them if you told me first, but they actually didn’t taste bad. Though, I’ll pass on seconds if you don’t mind, Redfeather.” He gave her a weak smile. Looking to Amanda and Helen, neither of them seemed to have any issue with having eaten the little rodent balls. Then something occurred to him.
“Did everyone eat these? How many little prairie dogs are running around without balls right now??”
This earned him even more laughter. Standing Bear answered while Redfeather went to dish up Allistor’s plate. “We eat the prairie dogs, too. There were times in our people’s past where that was the only meat available to us. We learned to eat many things. Roots, grubs, mushrooms, even boiled grass soup at times.” He gave Allistor’s hand a friendly pat. “You don’t know enough of the history of your people, Allistor. When you have time, come back to visit for a while, and I will tell you stories.”
“I’d like that, Standing Bear. Thank you.”
After dinner, and Allistor’s recounting of the void titan attacks, Standing Bear walked them back outside to their vehicle. “I am glad we met, young Earl. Chief to Chief, I offer you my hand in friendship.” The two men shook hands. “My tribe is small. As far as I know, these are the last of the Lakota. We are not strong, but if you need our help when the aliens come, we will fight at your side.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that, my friend.” Allistor replied. He was about to say more when the Juggernaut’s version of a horn honked, and the lights flashed once. They all ran over to the vehicle, and Allistor opened the door.
“What’s wrong, Nigel?”
“My sensors have been tracking a single humanoid who has infiltrated the High School Outpost. I have been unable to alert you until now. He scaled the wall using a rope, and is currently sitting in a maintenance closet near the front door. Shall I lock him in, Lord Allistor?”
“Yes, please do, Nigel. We’ll deal with him shortly.”
Allistor turned to give his apologies to Standing Bear, but paused at the look on the old man’s face.
“My idiot nephew. It has to be him. I noticed he wasn’t at dinner, but thought he was just sulking. I’m sorry.”
Amanda spoke, her voice cold. “If he’s hiding in that closet, he is planning to ambush you.” Allistor looked at her, then at Helen, who nodded.
Standing Bear sighed. “I think you are correct, Amanda. The little shit is probably planning revenge for what he perceived as insults this morning.” He turned to Allistor. “What do you want to do? He heard your warning this morning. He knows the penalty for his intrusion and any attack he makes could be death.”
Allistor studied the old man as he spoke. His voice was thick with emotion, and his eyes reflected great despair. But there was steel resolve in the set of his mouth, and his shoulders. He was prepared to let his nephew die if necessary.
Allistor shook his head. “What the hell is his problem?”
Redfeather had joined them, planning to say goodbye, but hearing Nigel speak and the subsequent exchange. “He doesn’t have a real problem. He’s a miserable little shit that imagines the whole world is against him. If you weren’t mostly white, he’d have hated you for being wealthy. Or for not being Lakota enough. Or having a better looking girlfriend, a cooler car, better weapon… he doesn’t need a real reason. He’s had an easy life, and wasted it on drugs and booze.”
Standing Bear gave her a stern look, and she stopped talking. “He is still your cousin, girl!”
She lowered her eyes and spoke quietly. “I’m sorry, father.”
Allistor decided. “I don’t need his life. But I can’t excuse him trying to take me out so soon after being warned. Why don’t you and a few of your people come back with us. If I can get him out of the closet alive, I’ll leave his punishment to you.”
Standing Bear
just nodded, giving his daughter a look. She sprinted back into the building, and returned a minute later with three men. All three held weapons in their hands. The Lakota piled into a pickup and followed Allistor’s group back to the high school. Nigel opened the gate for them, and closed it behind.
Allistor motioned for the others to stay back as he approached the front doors. He spoke loudly to Amanda, to be sure the fool in the closet heard him coming. “It’ll be good to get a full night’s rest after that big meal…”
Casting Barrier in front of himself, he pulled a shotgun from his inventory and stepped through the double door, which Nigel obligingly opened. He stomped his feet slightly, the hard soles of his boots thumping against the polished stone floor as he passed the closet. There was a rattling of the doorknob, then some cursing when the locked door didn’t open.
“We know you’re in there, genius.” Allistor moved closer and called out. Standing Bear and his men hovered near the front door twenty feet away. “Put down whatever weapon you have, and I’ll let you out. Your people are here to take you home.”
“Liar! You said this morning you’d kill me. You want my life, come in here and get it!” As he finished speaking, a shotgun blast erupted through the door, shattered the magic barrier, and knocked Allistor backward. The buckshot had peppered his left arm and side, and he was bleeding from multiple wounds. He was about to cast a heal on himself when Amanda and Helen beat him to it.
Grunting in pain, he pushed himself with his good arm and legs to the side, out of the line of fire. Seeing Standing Bear and his men approaching, Allistor raised a hand to stop them.
“You moron! Standing Bear is right here, and I had told him he could take you home and punish you his way!” Allistor shouted at the hole in the door. He heard the man reloading inside.
Standing Bear shouted too. “He’s telling the truth! You never think anything through, do you? Everybody’s always picking on you, right? Lying to you? Did you think you could kill all three of them, and the bear, and get away clean? Now if Allistor doesn’t kill your cowardly ass, I’ll do it myself! You have no honor! You are a disgrace to our people, and if your mother was still alive, she would be ashamed!”
Allistor heard sobbing from inside the closet. There was no light inside, and he couldn’t tell where the man was. He whispered, “Nigel, please open the door.”
The door swung open, and the light from the hallway revealed the man crouched against the back wall of the closet, gripping his shotgun tightly. He began to aim it toward Allistor again. Allistor cast Restraint, freezing him with the barrel still pointed toward the floor.
“Quick, get his gun. He can’t move.” Allistor called out. One of the men ran into the closet and yanked the weapon free, careful not to let a frozen finger pull the trigger. As soon as he had the gun in hand, he used it to deliver a vicious blow to the still stunned face. The young man’s nose shattered, and blood poured down over his mouth to soak his shirt.
As he unfroze, he wailed in pain and covered his nose with both hands. The other man stepped away, and Standing Bear moved into the closet. His face was a thunderstorm of anger and shame. Grabbing the boy by the hair, he yanked him to his feet. The old man’s strength as he raised his arm had his poor nephew tippy-toeing across the floor even as he screamed in pain. Standing Bear thrust the boy forward, letting him loose to stumble into the arms of the other three.
All three men acted without a word. One punched the boy in the gut, doubling him over and knocking the wind out of him, stopping his cries of pain. The one who’d taken the shotgun slammed the stock into his bent spine, driving him to his hands and knees, causing him to leave bloody handprints on the floor. The third man kicked him in the face, the force of the blow snapping his head back with an audible crack, and Allistor couldn’t tell if it was his spine or his jaw.
Standing Bear ignored it all, turning his back on the beating and offering a hand to help Allistor to his feet. “I am sorry, Allistor. I am ashamed.”
“Not your shame, nor your fault, Standing Bear.” Allistor offered, trying to focus on the old man’s face rather than the beating happening behind him. “This will in no way hurt our friendship.”
On the other side of the fight, Amanda shouted, “Stop! Please.”
The three men paused, turning to look at her as the young man collapsed, gasping for air and moaning. It looked like someone had broken one of his arms in the few seconds Allistor wasn’t watching. There was a growing pool of blood on the floor.
“Please don’t kill him. I know both Allistor and Standing Bear think he should die. But he’s just a kid.” Amanda’s eyes reached Allistor, pleading. There were tears already running down her cheeks.
Allistor looked at Standing Bear, whose face was hard as stone. “As I said, I don’t need his life. Maybe this beating will teach him a lesson.”
The three men looked to their chief for guidance. After a long moment, he waved them back and stepped in close to his nephew.
“You will get on your feet, and walk from this place. From this town. You will not return.” He turned his back on his nephew, who was now struggling to get to his feet. Eventually, after he failed several times, two of the men grabbed his arms and lifted him to his feet. They marched him to the door, and pushed him through. Both watched as he stumbled, holding one arm with the other and dripping blood, out the gate and into the darkness.
Chapter 16
The Bigger They Are…
The following morning, Allistor and company returned to the Warren. They’d said their goodbyes to Standing Bear, with promises of future trade and bounties to be claimed. Rather than go cross-country again, Helen drove the roads on the way back.
When they ran across some of their people getting the abandoned semi back on the road, Allistor changed his plans. “Please take this north to Upton. Helen will give you directions. When you get there, you’ll find the Lakota Stronghold. Give them this truck and everything in it. I’ll still pay you all your shares out of common funds. If you like, we have our own Outpost there as well. You can spend the night and return in the morning. There’s a nice swimming pool. Oh! And on your way back, please stop and shoot maybe half a dozen elk to take back to the Warren.”
With that done, they continued on to the Warren. Driving through the gates, they found Bjurstrom, and some folks Allistor didn’t recognize, stepping off the teleport pad. He waved to them, then jogged over.
“Hey Allistor. Pretty cool news, finding all those other people, right?”
“Very cool! I was just going to head to the Silo and talk to Redd, get a better update. What’s going on here?” He motioned toward the group near the pad.
“Ramon told me about the vermin warren you cleared out in the sewers here back in the early days. I figured it might have been re-occupied by now, so yesterday I sent one of my guys to check. There’s a whole mess of those mutant lizard-dog things down there now, mostly level ten to fifteen. So I brought over a party of our lowest level noobs to get some experience and level up a bit.”
“Great work, man. Thanks!” Allistor thumped him on the back. They pulled their gear from the Juggernaut and headed for the pad. Allistor greeted the party on his way past them, wishing them good luck.
They were just about to step on the pad when Helen stopped them. “Shit! I forgot to give Nancy this herb stuff and the elk recipe. Hold on.” She dropped her gear and began to jog toward the greenhouse.
Allistor called after her. “Ask her to send a load of produce up to Upton, please!” She waved over her shoulder in acknowledgement as she disappeared into the greenhouse.
Ten minutes later they were back at the Citadel in Cheyenne. Helen set off to find Nathan, whom she had not yet kicked to the curb despite her protestations months before. Fuzzy wandered off to find a secluded patch of grass to take care of some bear business. Allistor and Amanda hit the open market kiosk to pick up a few things. He needed to replace the plasma rifle he’d traded to Standing Bear, and she
was looking for a spell scroll that might complement her Internal Analysis ability. She’d been using the spell at least once per day since she’d learned it, and it was getting harder and harder to achieve level increases. She was also on the lookout for a better healing spell that would do more than Restore’s one thousand points.
With all their great achievements, their dedication to getting stronger and learning more, Allistor and his people were all still low level compared to what he expected the aliens to be. If it came to a fight, they were going to have to rely on sturdy walls, alien weapons, and plain old heart to win the day. He had nightmares about a single alien land-grabber blasting through his gates with ease and slaughtering his people to claim the Citadel, or the Capitol.
As if his thoughts summoned the reality, they were interrupted by a sound he knew he’d never forget. It rumbled across the landscape to vibrate through the walls and into his soul, where it created fear and repulsion simultaneously.
The closest thing he could compare it to was a mechanical monster that appeared in an old, turn of the century MMO. It was found in a place called Hellfire, and when it approached, everyone fled. Players would be minding their own business, running about collecting quest items or battling mutant pigs, and suddenly the ground would shake, and a deafening noise that sounded like a foghorn mixed with the howling of a tornado would echo across the area. Those that didn’t run were stomped into oblivion.
Allistor had that feeling now. “Void titan.” he said to himself. Then louder, he shouted, “VOID TITAN!” to anyone who would listen. His memories of their previous battle with the monster outside the Warren made his tongue go dry. He’d been trapped in the giant monster’s armpit, and the stench had given him an actual physical debuff.
“Nigel! I need Sam and George, right now!” he shouted toward the nearest wall, even as he ran toward it to climb the stairs. By the time he got to the top, they were connected.
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