by Wolfe Locke
Her skepticism quickly vanished, after they put it out on some rocks near the fire to cook. When she took a bite, her face lit up with a smile, “Okay, this is actually pretty good. Tastes just like normal bacon. Not as good as a cheeseburger, but this is still really good.”
“Ancient elf magic,” Zander said with a wink. “We probably won’t get so lucky in the future. We’ll have to hunt for our food once we get into the woods. Hope you’re good with a bow and arrow. Because I’m not.”
“I’m not either,” she laughed. “But I suppose I’ll have to learn.”
Chapter Eight: The Ancient Outpost
They set off again just after breakfast, with Rocktooth taking lead. Despite the golem’s complaints, he didn't have an issue with being their front guard. Celeste kept gaping at the abandoned city, her eyes wide with shock. Zander felt a little sorry for her. Even though the morning had gone much better, she still had a faraway look on her face as she processed more about this ruined world she had awakened to.
They passed several shuffling Draugr as they pushed deeper into downtown Atlanta, but none of them caused any trouble. Rocktooth kept a careful eye on them, just in case. The presence of Draugr always left the possibility of other Monsters of the Dark.
We should change course, the golem said as they passed a small group of the snarling undead grouped around an old Greyhound bus stop. These ones are not so docile. Something has riled them up. There are more Draugr here than there should be. Likely a nest is nearby. It would behoove us all to be cautious and slip past them.
Zander stopped and pulled a rough hand-drawn map out of his pack and waved Celeste over. “Alright, Rocktooth is saying we need to change routes. But where do we go? I’m not seeing any outposts around here.”
Celeste took the map from him and examined it. Looking for familiar paths and routes.
“Follow me guys'" she said with more energy than she had shown all day since waking up. “I have an idea.”
Celeste strode off confidently away from the two of them, holding the map out in front of her as she gazed at old street signs and tall towers. Zander and Rocktooth looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
“Should we go with her?” Zander said. “I can stop her, if you think she’s in danger. She’s bound to me for life.”
Let’s go, she grew up here remember? At least she has an idea of where to go. I do not like this place. There is a fel energy, here. If she has an idea of where to go, I am willing to follow.
You’ve got a point Rocktooth. Zander followed Celeste with his eyes, making sure she was ok. She stopped and turned around, noticing they weren’t following her. She stood at the end of the street, scowling, map raised in one hand.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked, trying to keep her voice down. Zander winced, hoping it didn’t carry “We’re going to Peachtree Center!”
“Peach tree?” Zander said. “We’re not looking for fruit. There’s plenty of that back at the village. We’ve got orchards.”
Zander was proud of the orchards and the efforts of the other elves to keep the village fed.
“No, no, no. It’s not a real tree.” She explained. “That’s just what it’s called. It’s a shopping center downtown, from my time. It should have plenty of what we need, if it’s not all picked over already. I know I’d wanted to try City Market, but you guys got all weirded out and wanted to take off.”
Something that had us out leveled was there, but if we’ve got another chance at loot. We should take it. Zander grinned. “Not many scavengers come this far into the city. It’s too dangerous for anyone not a summoner like me unless they’ve got a big team. I bet we’ll find some good stuff. A ‘shopping center’, you say?”
“Yeah. It’s a cluster of stores of various types. Kind of like the strip mall from earlier —except hopefully with fewer slime monsters.”
“Can’t count on that,” Zander said. “Monsters are converted humans, so they’re drawn to places humans once frequented. Stores. Theatres. Parks. Anywhere that feels familiar to them.”
“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” she sighed. “Hopefully if anything comes after us it won’t be too bad, especially not with my ice powers, Rocktooth’s strength. And your, you know, your stuff. The spooky master of death stuff with the insects."
"Yes. That stuff." Zander sighed and followed along. When they reached Peachtree Corners, Zander almost jumped up and down with glee.
“Oh wow. Great find!” he said. “And almost pristine, too. We’re going to get some rare artifacts here. I can feel it.”
Notification: Now Entering “The Ancient Ruins –Peachtree Corners”
Details: This was once a place where humans congregated, for shopping, entertainment, and business. It was considered part of the heart of the former city of Atlanta.
The shopping center was large and sprawling, with multiple floors of retail on the lower levels of ruined skyscrapers. It was also almost untouched. There were a few broken windows, and Draugr were milling around outside some of the larger stores, but it seemed like the shelves inside were still full. As far as the ruins went, this one appeared to be largely untouched.
“It goes underground, too, I think,” Celeste said, smiling at Zander’s excitement. “Although that might be dangerous.”
“Definitely dangerous.” Zander agreed. “But possibly worth it. Is there a map somewhere of what store is where? This isn’t even on the one I have.”
Celeste pulled a pencil out of her kit and carefully drew the Peachtree onto the map she’d taken from Zander, then handed it back to him.
“Now it is,” she said. “So you won’t forget. And you can come back anytime. And yeah, I think there’s a little guide by the entrance. At least there was. Let me see.”
The Peachtree map was in rough shape, but still legible. Secured to the wall in a protective case, it had been left in tact, Zander immediately whipped out a notebook and started copying it down.
“For future visits,” he explained. “And I already know where we will be going first.”
“Where?” She responded.
He pointed to a purple corner on the map. “The Eight-Sided Die. It looks promising. I bet we’ll find some good gear there.”
She laughed. A slow and quiet laugh. Zander shifted his eyes, somewhat annoyed by it.
“What’s so funny?” He asked, wanting to know. This isn’t really the time to be laughing.
“Of all the options here, that’s the one you pick?” she said.
“What’s wrong with it? Did you have a better idea?” He responded? “You are from around here. I’m sure you could show us something better if that’s the wrong place to go.”
“It’s just that it’s a total nerd store. Dungeons and Dragons supplies, novelty swords, axes, joke cards, weird knick-knacks. Are you sure that’s the first place you want to hit?” She continued.
Zander crossed his arms. “Swords? Sounds great to me. I need a new weapon. This staff of mine isn’t fit for close up fighting.”
“All right, all right,” she said, backing down, suddenly feeling silly. “Eight-Sided Die it is.”
Chapter Nine: The Eight-Sided Die
The store was on one of the lower levels, close to an escalator down from the street. The stairs were crumbly with rust, and Rocktooth balked when he saw them.
I can’t go down there with you two. The stairs will collapse under my weight. Even if I shrink myself, my mass remains the same.
“That’s all right,” Zander said. “You stand guard upstairs. Let us know if anything comes. We’ll try to be quick.”
“Not sure how quick you’ll want to be when you see what’s in there,” Celeste teased. “It used to be pretty crazy.”
He ignored her and started down the stairs, keeping his magic ready in case anything leaped out from below. Zander had no intention of being surprised by another monster like before. It was eerily silent when they reached the basement of the shopping cen
ter. No Draugr. No monsters. Nothing. I’ve been wrong before though. I need to be on guard.
“Feels like something’s up,” Celeste said quietly behind him. “Shouldn’t we have run into some kind of monsters by now? That’s how this works right?”
“Maybe.” Zander responded in a shushed whisper as he held up his staff, ready to use a magic ability like [Flare] for light if needed. “Remember the Slime? It took a while for him to show up.”
She shuddered and stepped out of the stairwell. “Hope it’s at least something less gross.”
They walked in silence through the ruined halls of the old building. Light shone from outside through large gaps in the walls and through openings where windows used to be. When they arrived outside of the Eight-Sided Die, Zander’s face lit up in excitement. He could tell just by looking at it that the old store had exactly what he needed.
“Look!” he said, pointing towards an awkwardly leaning mannequin near the entrance. “Maces! Daggers! A golden broadsword right in the window! This is one of the best ancient outposts I’ve ever seen!”
“Some ‘ancient outpost’,” Celeste grinned. “Do you also want the plastic video game figurines too? Look at this guy with the giant sword.”
Zander frowned. “What’s a video game? Those sculptures are beautiful. Are they highly prized in your time?”
She laughed. “Not really. I’ve known a couple of guys who had whole collections of them, but I wouldn’t exactly call them art collectors.”
“Oh.” Zander was disappointed.
He wasn’t really sure what she meant, but he made a mental note to pick up some of the figures to take back to the village. His sister might like them at least.
The door to the shop was locked and sealed shut, even after all that time had passed. The of them got in by breaking the glass on the door, and Zander was in heaven. He couldn’t decide what to take first. The golden sword was tempting, but heavy. He’d have to keep it in storage most of the time and take it out only for battles. The small set of daggers seemed more practical, but a bit boring The mace was a wild card—not his usual style, but exciting. There were more weapons in the back of the store, too. Maybe he could find a way to take them all.
Meanwhile, Celeste wandered the aisles, opening boxes at random and pulling out the contents.
“Hey, look!” she said, waving a pack of cards at Zander. “Magic.”
“Magic?” Zander’s interested kicked up, wondering about the ancient artifacts Celeste had found.
Celeste laughed. “Yeah. This is different. I can make the Ace of Diamonds disappear.”
“Oh,” he frowned. “I didn’t realize you’d picked up additional powers. When did that happen?”
“No,” she laughed. “It’s human magic.”
“Humans had magic?” Zander was skeptical. “I always thought they didn’t. Magic didn’t return to world until after the Harrowing, remember?”
“Zander, it’s fake. There’s an instruction manual included with the props. It’s all sleight of hand. That’s the kind of thing you’d find in this ‘ancient outpost’ back in the day.” She explained.
She showed him the book and then demonstrated the trick. It wasn’t very impressive, and Zander wasn’t amused by it.
“Oh,” Zander said, losing interest. “That’s not magic at all.”
She shrugged, and he turned his attention back to the weapons, pulling one after another down from the wall and dropping them into his storage pocket. He decided against the golden broadsword in the end—after a long debate with himself about it—but took the daggers, the mace, a smaller sword, and a rapier.
“We won’t need all of these,” he said after the fact. “But we can try to sell them in the village later. Or to a travelling merchant or bard.”
“A travelling merchant or bard!” she said, sounding delighted. “Just like medieval times.”
“Do you want anything for yourself?” he said. “We can take some of those fake magic tricks, if you want them. But if you want anything real—a weapon or something—that’s also okay. I can leave some room for you in the [Spatial Ring].”
She looked at the wall of weapons, biting her lip thoughtfully, then turned toward the window. An idea came to her.
“What about that golden broadsword?” She asked, sounding nervous.
“What about it?” Zander said, trying not to be covetous. He’d really wanted that sword.
“What if I took it and added some magic to it?” She asked. “You know, enchanted it. Made it stronger, more powerful, more deadly.”
“Um,” he said. “Sure. If you can do that, might be an interesting effect.”
She pulled the sword down and looked at it intently. Then, she snapped her fingers and turned her right hand to ice.
“Watch this,” she said, touching one icy finger to the hilt. “Let’s see what it does.”
Frost surrounded her hand and spread up and down the blade, covering it in a thin and seamless layer of black ice. The sword stayed frozen when she pulled her hand away.
“Interesting,” she said. “I think it’ll stay that way.”
“Let’s try it,” Zander said. “What can we attack?”
Celeste looked around. “Maybe one of these displays?”
She raised the sword high over her head and brought it down like an executioner’s axe. It clanged on the metal display case, and it turned over, dumping stacks of old DVDs and magic tricks onto the floor.
“Hm. That didn’t work.” She admitted disappointedly.
“Try using your frost magic while you strike.” Zander theorized. “The ice on the blade might need input from you in order to activate.”
She turned toward another display and tried again. This time, the sword hummed with power and glowed with a chilly blue light as she brought it down. The case and everything on it froze solid instantly, and Celeste grinned. She whipped the blade around and struck a second time, and this time the case shattered into shards of ice.
“[Glacial Enchantment]!” Zander said. “Nice! You’ve gained a new ability!”
Celeste was beaming—and she was also glowing from within with an ethereal light as her body absorbed her new skill. Zander smiled. She was turning into quite a powerful ally.
“You can keep the sword,” he said graciously. “It’s all yours. We won’t try to sell it. You’ll make better use of it than anyone else will.”
She smiled up at him, one hand on the hilt. “Thanks.”
An unholy screech from above them interrupted the moment.
You two might want to get up here, Rocktooth said. Incoming. Undead on wings. This is going to be difficult.
Chapter Ten: The Harpy
“What’s going on?” Celeste said as they raced toward the quieted escalator. “What are we in for? Is it that bad?”
“Sounds like Harpies,” Zander said. “But I’m not positive. Rocktooth isn’t always the best at descriptions.”
“Like, Greek myth Harpies?” She responded.
“I don’t know,” he said. “They’ve got wings. They’ve got claws. And they’re incredibly dangerous. This is going to be a rough one.”
“Good thing I’ve got my new sword.” She said, still beaming from the ability she’d unlocked.
Zander looked back at her, his face grim serious. “It’s a good thing too. You’re probably going to need it. Seriously.”
When they emerged from the basement, they saw three hideous creatures circling Rocktooth’s head. They had human faces grafted onto bird bodies, and their faces were ugly and cruel. Black-feathered wings sprouted from their shoulders where arms should be. One dove at Celeste as she approached, and she ducked. Its teeth were yellowed and broken, and its breath was foul.
Took you long enough, Rocktooth said. We need some ranged attacks. I can’t get them. They just fly out of range whenever I try.
“On it,” Zander said, pivoting to look at Celeste. “Can you—”
She was already rising into
the air, taking on her spirit form. Frost crackled over her entire body, and her eyes blazed with blinding light. The Harpies stopped screeching to look at her, aghast. They hadn’t expected a frost spirit to join the battle.
Zander took the opportunity to attack. He hurled [Arcane Bolt] at the nearest Harpy, and it recoiled with a shriek.
Better push while they’re too stunned to move. These creatures are vicious.
It was a good idea. Zander went on the attack while Celeste completed her transformation, throwing [Arcane Bolts] at the monstrous creatures hovering in the air above him. He managed to bring one down, and Rocktooth sprang into action, stomping on the Harpy’s head until it was dead.
The other Harpies hissed their displeasure—but to Zander’s surprise, they dove for Celeste, digging their claws into her shoulders. She dropped like a stone, still halfway through transforming, and the Harpies followed her down, slashing at her wildly. Zander threw magic attack after magic attack at them, trying to draw them off of her, but it didn’t work. The Harpies had accurately assessed Celeste as the greatest threat in the battle, and they were trying to take her out.
“Rocktooth!” Zander shouted. “Do something! She’s going to die!”
The golem stomped toward them, ground shaking with every footstep, and dove into the fray. He pulled one Harpy off of her and hurled it across the sidewalk. Zander stepped in front of it and pulled his sword out of storage, determined not to let it get back to Celeste. It crouched on the ground in front of him, hissing.
Ahhh! It’s got me! They are so much stronger than they look. Rocktooth bellowed in pain. Zander turned. The battle between the golem, Celeste, and the remaining Harpy wasn’t going well. The monster had buried her claws into Rocktooth’s arm, cutting through the stone exterior and was trying to carry him into the air. Meanwhile, Celeste was on the ground, still half-transformed. She wasn’t moving.
Zander looked back at his own Harpy, torn. Should he stay here and try to destroy her, or intervene in the fight on the other side of the street? There didn’t seem to be a clear answer. He readied a tentative [Arcane Bolt], preparing to fire it at Rocktooth’s opponent. Maybe that would be enough.