Chương 3: 2-Ragnarok

There were almost fifty centaurs, all armed with bows, each carrying a wand-wielding hag. The largest centaur, with an equally impressive rider, turned round and faced its troops, roaring an impassioned speech in an unknown language, beating its chest. Bob was reminded of the New Zealand national rugby team performing a haka. The chieftain's rider raised her wand over her head and joined him in his pep talk, shrieking in a shrill voice. These guys do not expect any resistance from their prey, Bob thought.

Otherwise, they wouldn't turn their backs on me. Well, they would not make that mistake again. Or any other. Damn, he was spending too much time with Charlie Vanaugh. He was acquiring his taste for one-liners. Cannonball (Palooga 3): Throw a powerful Palooga strike at an enemy. You will gain 2 points in Body for each additional enemy aligned behind the first, up to double your original Body.

Bob conjured Alarel's Palooga ball and threw it with such strength that it went through the hag's body, the centaur's, and the seven other Essentials unlucky enough to be in its path. Alarel's Wisdom triggered, giving Bob all the information that Gaze of the Eternal Warrior could potentially obtain. The centaurs attack using skirmish techniques. They will pepper their enemies with arrows from afar, and the hags will use their shorter-ranged but more powerful wand attacks when they are near their targets.

One of two combat patterns was detected. The centaurs try to avoid close combat situations. Two out of two combat patterns were detected. Weakness detected: they need to be on the move to fight effectively. Alarel's palooga ball exploded into sparks of light as it fell to the floor, returning to Bob's soul space. The surviving members howled a war cry and charged at the Losers. When they were one hundred feet apart, the centaurs let loose their arrows as their riders prepared their magical attacks.

Bob threw another named ball. Sclarella's. He aimed it at one of the centaurs in the rearguard. Sclarella's Sacrifice (Metalcraft 3): Throw a Palooga ball that emits a powerful magnetic field, which drags all metallic objects near it. Requires Wind Kisses the Ball (Palooga 3) The incoming cloud of arrows suddenly veered around and followed the Palooga ball, slamming into the pursuing centaurs and turning the last pair into a pincushion. Jenna said, "Billy, head kick!" It was one of the new maneuvers.

It was particularly useful against multiple enemies, as it earned more achievement points than it cost. Billy put something in his mouth. One of the small XP pills. It allowed him to gain achievement points even inside a locked system. That pill was only good for one minute, but that was all the time Billy needed for the stunt he intended to pull off. Billy disappeared into a flash of light, returning as a metallic head the size of a football. Its face was vaguely reminiscent of the Moon Goblin core.

Most of Billy's gestalt forms incorporated the Headless Machetist in some way or other, as doing so halved the cost—it did not do much to improve their appearances, but this did not bother Billy, pragmatic soul that he was. Because of this, one could always expect some head eccentricity with the Everlasting's gestalts. Jenna enhanced her body and gave Billy a terrific kick, which sent the head into the group of confused attackers. Billy exploded, tearing the whole group to pieces.

He reappeared a few seconds later as a centaur—he had used his Revenant ability to steal the shape of one of them, adding one more component to his akashic library.

"Sweet, I got back five times as many achievement points as I spent," he said, smiling, just before a gory shower of blood and innards fell on him.

"Next time, spend a couple of seconds in the Blue Room before coming back," Jenna said, annoyed. Bob conjured a spring with his Watercraft to hose Billy before they could go on.

"We are becoming jaded, Jenna. We just killed thirty of these monsters, and all I worry about is getting their blood on me," Billy said, his voice sounding serious. Jenna did not even try to answer that. There was nothing left to say. She resumed tracking as Bob finished hosing Billy.

"I have lost Dawn's scent," Jenna announced.

"We will have to wait until the Compendium gives us a new clue about the Artifact's location. I have the scent of the girl and the father, though."

"We should check on the guys who sold us out. They are the key to understanding this world," Bob said.

"We should go easy on them," said Jenna.

"They looked terrified." Bob watched Jenna lead the team. The old Jenna would probably have threatened payback, even if she did not intend to follow through. Bob wondered about his two friends. Billy and Jenna were much younger than he was, but they made him feel like a kid standing next to two Vietnam veterans. They followed Jenna as she sniffed the trail back to a secluded farmhouse, a few hundred feet down the road. Bob politely knocked on the door, but no one answered.

"Seems no one's home," he said.

"There are at least twenty people inside. I heard them scurrying down what sounded like stairs," answered Jenna.

"A nice, comfy world, with tribulations fighting in plain sight and people locking themselves in the cellar when someone shows up," Billy said in his new, deep, centaur voice.

"We will have to do this slowly," Jenna added.

"Also, Billy, drop the centaur shape. I think it will frighten them." Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Billy reappeared in his true form in a flash of blue light. Jenna pushed the door open. It was not even locked. That could signal either trust or desperation. Bob bet on the second one. These people knew that locks would not protect them. The farmhouse looked cluttered and dirty. Most windows were barricaded with wooden planks.

The air smelled rancid, as places do when large groups stay inside, afraid to leave the house or open the windows. They do not lock the front door, but barricade the windows? Bob thought. He realized the windows' defenses were probably to protect the inhabitants from mutated animals. The front door was open so as not to offend thinking predators. These people were hostages of the tribulation's armies. They found the staircase leading to the cellar.

It led to a door that had been hastily hidden behind a fake wardrobe. At least they tried to hide, thought Bob. The door was locked, but it shattered as soon as Jenna enhanced her strength and pushed it. The scene behind the door was something out of a squalid, overcrowded jailhouse. At least three different families stood huddled against the far side of the room. There were twenty-one people in total, with ages ranging from the elderly to the newborn.

The young mother who had sold them to the Essentials paled as she recognized them. She threw herself on the floor, saying something in a strange language while weeping hysterically.

"She thinks we are going to punish them for what she did. She is offering herself to pay for the group," Jenna said soberly.

"Can you calm them down, Bob?"

"I can try," answered Bob, as he summoned from his inventory his only remaining arcane focus, which he had carved from a rank 3 piece of magical wood. Hamelin Pipes (Woodcrafting 3): Allows the player to activate rank 3 Harmony perks as if they were rank 1, and rank 1 and 2 as if they were rank zero, as long as they meet the following requirements. The Perk can only be used while the user is playing the Hamelin Pipes. The Perk self-dismantles once the user stops playing the Hamelin Pipes.

Bob sat down, raised the pipes to his lips, and started playing a soothing melody. One of the greatest advantages of arcanic foci was that they powered the perks they generated—they could be used even in a locked system. Hearthsong (Harmony 3): As a subtle spirit attack, soothe the mind and dispel all negative emotions from anyone listening to this song. He played for twenty minutes, watching as these poor souls eventually relaxed and sat down. Jenna went to speak with the group's leader.

They started communicating through gestures, but within less than three minutes, Jenna was tentatively using words in their language. Bob knew she'd speak it like a native within the hour. Tonight, she would teach it to the rest of the Losers. When Bob felt they were at ease, he changed the tune. Most of the farmers were wounded. All were dirty and malnourished. He took a page from Helena's book. Healing Song (Harmony 3): Anyone who listens to this song has their natural healing processes sped up.

Five minutes of listening to this song equals a day of healing. Requires Healing Palm (Restoration 3). The bruises and cuts on the farmers' bodies started to slowly heal before their very eyes. One of the women stood up and went upstairs. She returned five minutes later, helping an old lady who could hardly walk and whom they had hidden upstairs. They let her have a place of honor near Bob and their healing music. That was when Bob knew they had gained their trust.

Bob watched as a nasty purple bruise slowly disappeared from the old lady's face. She was not infirm—she had been badly beaten. Her posture also improved under the effect of the healing music. Bob suspected her walk would improve just by being there. The lady caught Bob staring at her. She smiled at him. Bob kept playing for the better part of an hour, until he was sure no one could benefit further from the music. Then, he stood up.

"These people are hungry, Jenna," he said as he left.

"I am going to get some food for them." He used his pipes to draw some wild hares to his position and put them to sleep. He quickly killed a couple of them and spent the next twenty minutes using his tastecraft to identify edible roots and fruits. When he had gathered all the materials he needed, he went back to the kitchen. He summoned cooking tools and ingredients from his inventory and used his tastecraft and flamecraft perks to cook them into a nutritious, safe dish.

As a last touch, he used the tastecraft perk he had, based on tricks he had seen Babylon cooks use to multiply the number of available rations. The farmers ate their fill that night. They did not go hungry to bed for the first time in a long, long time. The Losers stayed in the living room as the three families said good night and went to bed. They had an impromptu meeting.

"I can now speak and write the local language," Jenna began.

"You were right, Bob. These people went through Activation Day seven years ago. We are seeing the remnants of their civilization. Their whole world is ruled by Tribulations."

"I find it hard to believe their Experientials are not doing anything," said Bob.

"There are not many around, and none here," answered Jenna.

"The Tribulations demand that these poor bastards turn over to them any Experiential they meet. They are considered something of a delicacy for these monsters; the higher level, the better."

"Not surprising," answered Billy.

"They are designed to hunt Omegas, after all. Even so, the choices these people have made are questionable."

"The fact that they agree to act as their lookouts is the only reason these three families have not already been killed," Jenna went on.

"They are parents, Billy. They have kids. I do not think they have many choices left."

"You said there are still some Experientials elsewhere?" Bob went on.

"There are whole areas which are still ruled by humanity," Jenna explained.

"Experientials gather there, and they band together to oppose Tribulations. Most of them have tamed their dungeons, just as Babylon did before the creation of the Brotonville Train Station."

"Why do they not go to one of these zones?" asked Billy.

"They would have to cross areas ruled by Tribulations and infested with wild dungeons," Jenna answered.

"This whole area was a safe zone until six months ago, when it turned into a fighting stage for those two Tribulations we saw this morning. They have become trapped in their own home."

"Doesn't this world have an Immortal?" asked Billy.

"It does. The name is Balance. No one knows what he or she looks like. He/she acts from the shadows," explained Jenna.

"This whole situation has turned into a stalemate between humanity and the forces that want to destroy it. It matches the name."

"Well, Balance should have chosen another name," Billy said angrily.

"Healthy Cowardice fits better."

"What can we expect from Balance, Jenna? Friend or foe?" asked Bob.

"I don't know, Bob, I just don't know. The Coven is supposed to be helping us now, but Necessity warned us they would backstab us as soon as possible," Jenna answered.

"Then, there are factions within the Coven itself. They were on the verge of rebellion when Dawn appeared. Balance could belong to any of them."

"Any news about the Icosahedron?" asked Bob, changing subjects.

"I am still waiting for a ping."

"We just can't leave these people here, Jenna," Billy pleaded.

"They will die if we do."

"Of course, we can't, Billy," Jenna answered.

"That is why we are taking them to the nearest safe zone. Let's all go to bed. I will teach you the language while you sleep, and tomorrow we will plan the journey. The sooner we can leave these people somewhere safe, the sooner we can focus on Dawn." Bob sat in a chair while Billy lay down in front of the hearth. He was asleep in minutes. Jenna touched his forehead and started downloading the local language into his brain.

Neither Bob nor Jenna needed to sleep anymore, but both did as a routine in order to keep in touch with their humanity. Not tonight, at least for Bob. If he slept tonight, dreams would come. Starving kids, frightened families, humans turning on each other in the name of survival. It would be a long time before he dared to dream.