Otherlife Dreams: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (35 page)

Hannah was beside him, her health in the middle of her bar. The the Archer before Runner was closer to the top end, which was surprising. It was out of the ordinary due to the fact that Hannah was a DPS monster. That didn’t even take into account the fact he’d attacked the archer earlier at the start. She should have had this one down and dead before he arrived.

Examining the area he found the Old Priest hiding in the vegetation. The Priest was given the designation of a green Triangle. Hannah dropped an empty potion vial at her feet, her health surging from the effects. Runner didn’t care for the odds at the moment. They were in his favor beyond any doubt, but any fight that was in question, was already a failure to a power gamer.

Taking a cue from Hannah, Runner used a mana restoration potion and threw the vial at the Priest to distract him. Advancing forward towards the Archer. Halfway there he turned and bolted towards the Priest at the last second. Lunging forward again he caught the old man before he was able to realize what was happening. Hannah appeared behind the caster as Runner withdrew his sword. Spinning on his feet the Priest healed himself and tried to scurry towards the Archer.

Activating Hamstring Runner sidestepped behind the Priest, putting his target between himself and the Archer to eliminate any possibility of a ranged attack. Losing half his movement speed the Old man didn’t cease in his attempt to reach his companion. Impale was available and used once more, bringing the priest low, deep into the red zone of his bar.

At this moment a company of horsemen swarmed over them. They came from the lightly wooded areas surrounding the roads. They’d kept concealed and quiet, Runner guessing that they had waited until they felt they could close and engage with complete surprise. Scrutinizing them Runner was only able to tell they were listed as “Scout” and were part of the Sunless race. Dropping back a few steps next to Hannah he tried to get cover between them and the newcomers.

Without even a hint as to their allegiance, the new comers designated neither side as friendly and began to move in on both in equal measure. Running through every possible scenario he could come up with in his head, the only one with any decent chance was retreating. Retreating as fast as possible and letting whoever was left from Bullard’s group hopefully catch the wrath of the Scouts.

Mentally tapping the preprogrammed command labeled “Retreat/Rendezvous” Runner sprinted for the wagon.

Coming to a halt at the edge of the road Runner surveyed the chaos. Standing in the road exactly where they’d left it, the wagon was a refuge that could grant them distance from this debacle. And yet a squad of Scouts was fast approaching and were nearly atop it.

Thana was standing on the top of the wagon, her feet braced against the wagon’s bows. From there she watched the horseman converge on her position from nearly every side, her eyes flicking from Scout to Scout as if to determine a course of action. At the same time Nadine was mounting the drivers box, her hands clawing for the reins before she could even seat herself properly. She’d already made the decision that the only possibility of their retreat was to do exactly that, flee by wagon.

Having received the command from Runner, Katarina spun away from Bullard and leapt for the side of the wagon in a rattle of armor. Her fingers clamped onto the sideboard with the crack of metal hitting wood. Finding purchase she yanked the bonnet up from the sideboard, and rolled inside the wagon bed. Jerking the reins and snapping them repeatedly Nadine got control of the wagon, costing the wagon team a considerable amount of health and stamina to go from resting to full speed, the wagon lurched forward. Runner didn’t fault her for it, the team could recover their stamina later after all.

Thana had nearly lost her feet when Nadine had got the wagon moving. Catching herself as she came down to her knees atop the bonnet Thana managed to hold on. She looked up and saw Runner and Hannah. Fear flickered through her eyes as the distance between them rapidly expanded. In those brief seconds Thana knew they wouldn’t make it and to Runner it was clear she was about to order Nadine to stop.

Runner did the only thing he could and smiled at her with a sad shake of his head. Pointing his fingers down the road he waved at her to signal their departure must continue. If they even managed to get the horses to stop, it’d take far too long for Runner and Hannah to catch them. The wagon would just be ran to ground and they’d be even worse off.

Bullard, finding himself surrounded by Sunless, losing the fight, and extremely frustrated did the worst thing possible for himself. Once more he used a Shout, drawing the attention of everyone around him since no one else had attacked or interacted with them.

Runner held Thana’s eyes for a second longer before he then broke contact. Angling his path away from the wagon and Bullard he sprinted off. Crossing to the other side of the road with Hannah directly behind him Runner had to change his plans on the fly.

Empty mana bar, potion cooldown up, party separated, multiple enemies. All we can do is retreat, break contact, regroup.

Stealthing the moment he broke line of sight with his foes Runner started walking at an angle from the road. Nadine would keep the wagon to the road and at a fast a pace as possible. With any luck Bullard would keep everyone busy long enough for them to get far enough ahead that a chase wasn’t possible.

He hadn’t counted on scouts ranging ahead of the army. He should have though, basic doctrine dictated you needed a screening force operating ahead of the main body. Cursing himself once again for not preparing correctly he oriented himself towards the nearest map marker to the north west.

It was undesignated since he didn’t purchase a map for the area nor had he explored it. Runner didn’t care what it was so long as it could provide him with a point of reference and he could reorient himself.

A wish, hope, prayer, a bit of luck, a unicorn fart, and he might even be able to rendezvous with his team sooner than he had feared.

“There’s a marker up ahead, we move for it, regroup, and plan there.”

“Got it. Fuck, who were those people? We were so close! We could’ve killed all of those bastards! Damn it, damn them!”

“Screening force. They were out ahead for that Sunless army on the move.”

“I thought they were still a day out?”

“They are, their reconnaissance isn’t. That was their vanguard. A scouting party so to speak. They act as a forward operating force. They’re out ahead to cause havoc, gain intel, and make sure the army doesn’t stumble into an ambush.”

“Shit.”

“Yes. That.”

Moving in stealth wasn’t the fastest way to travel but it had it’s benefits. Chief among those, invisibility to an enemy looking for you. They would have to be damn well next to them to spot them out here.

“Runner?”

“Hm?”

“Who was that?” Hannah asked with a small, quiet voice. It was almost as if she was afraid of his answer.

Runner knew what she was asking, even if she hadn’t specified exactly what she meant.

Anyone and everyone would need an explanation after that.

“Honestly I’m not entirely sure. I think she’s an ex-girlfriend. One that I didn’t end on the best of terms with.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, best as I can figure. I have no memories of what happened, but I do feel a lot of anger towards her. Anger and resentment.”

“Sounds like an ex alright.”

“Right?” Runner chuckled.

Cresting a small hillock the map turned into a lighter color and the name of the location floated up in his HUD.

Wanderer’s Cemetery.

Exhaling slowly Runner didn’t stop, but each step felt heavier than the last.

“Ah, a graveyard?”

“Yeah, a graveyard.”

Sighing, Runner started working his way up to the top of the next hill where the graveyard was located.

Chapter 18 - Judgment -

2:11pm Sovereign Earth time

11/01/43

Reaching the apex of the hill he found a rusted gate, headstones, and motionless people. Hundreds of motionless people. Stopping dead in his tracks he closed his eyes and turned his face away from them all. They were standing stock still, staring ahead, unmoving, unthinking, unblinking. Dead.

He had told himself repeatedly he would need to visit a graveyard to confirm what stood before him now. He always found a reason to put it off, to assign it as a task to complete another day. He knew deep down that until he could check that box that there was always the possibility that they were still alive. Recoverable. Not brain dead zombies waiting for the server to close.

Tattered courage gathered tightly like a shield, Runner opened his eyes and walked up to the motionless mass. Selecting the name of the closest one he inverted it into last name comma first name and memorized the information. Pressing his palms together he called up the developer console for the ship.

/Status Vasile, Mitica

User: VasMit001 logged in

/Where * POD UserName(VasMit001)

Pod: 348,431

/Status POD 348,431

█L █O █A █D █ I █N█G█

ALERT: POD 348,431 reports no brain wave activity

LOG: Emergency medical teams alerted four-hundred three hours and thirty-two minutes ago

Closing the console he selected the individual next to Mitica and repeated the process. After the fifth there was no doubt, they were all brain dead. They were like empty shells with only their bodies natural proclivity to endure keeping them together. That and a state of the art government medical pod.

Looking at them as a whole Runner found that the majority of them were equipped in gear that would place them in the ten to fifteen level bracket. There was a portion that could be viewed as being above and below that, but for the general population it matched the level for the surrounding area. Looking at individuals he could pick out those who looked as if they’d lost a piece of equipment in their death.

Turning his back to the eerily silent throng he took to walking northward once more. Check box filled, fear confirmed, all were dead.

“Are, are they all from your ship?”

“Yes. They are. They’re empty inside.”

Hannah was walking beside him, trying to hide her curious, yet sickened, glances into the press of bodies. Hannah eventually locked her gaze on him and then patted him on the back. Hannah avoided physical contact whenever possible so this was action was more than it meant for others.

Looking to her he smiled lopsidedly with one side of his mouth as they walked.

“It’s one thing to assume this is the result, it’s another to know it, to see it.”

“I imagine. For whatever it’s worth, coming from a cutthroat thief, I’m here for you.”

“It means a lot Hanners. You undervalue yourself constantly. Thank you.”

Conversation lapsing into silence they continued onwards. Runner flipped open his map and confirmed the position of the rest of his party. They were still moving on the road, all of their health bars full, and none of them had combat indicators. They were separated by miles and a thick green blob of a happy little forest. Far more of a forest than he wanted to traipse through. Not to mention the possibility of running into those Scouts again.

There was no way to communicate with them directly, but he could utilize the map in this instance. Working the view north he found Crivel. Selecting the southern entrance he set it as a blue party waypoint. It would appear to everyone as a giant blue column of light, and as the waypoint if they were to check their map. Thumbing the Retreat/Rendezvous command one more time he nodded his head.

“That’s not right,” Hannah muttered beside him.

“It’s just a waypoint and the alert again. It’s really the only way I can make a meeting point for us.”

“No, that.”

Looking up he canceled the map interface and followed Hannah’s upraised hand. He felt his face twist up in confusion and distaste. Off to one side from the living tomb was a smaller version. Bodies pressed closely together, forming a wall. Except they were all nude and facing inwards.

Adjusting his angle of approach he marched towards this new development. Deep in his mind he had a dark thought but truly hoped he was wrong. It would just be too much at this point.

“They’re all women.”

“Yeah.”

“They’re naked.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think I’m going to fucking like this.”

“Nope. Not at all.”

When they were within touching distance Runner confirmed that they were pressed three bodies deep. They were inter spaced creating an interlocked grid of bodies that blocked visibility from the exterior as to whatever lay inside.

Walking alongside the wall he eventually was forced to turn right as it ended. Moving down this next wall of human flesh he could here a faint smacking sound. It was reminiscent of pounding out meat with a mallet. Feeling his stomach drop out from under him Runner started into a light jog.

An opening appeared between two women, their bodies turned to face each other and create a corridor. Walking between them Runner’s stomach turned over again on itself. Groaning quietly he felt confident his worst fears were coming true. This was turning into something out of a horror film.