If I had made a mistake it was thinking the wealth of Fort Point made them soft. The speed with which John Thompson sprang into action rivaled anything I had witnessed in our village. He told the guard the names of a couple of people to fetch before turning back to us, “I’m sorry to take my leave. But if there’s any hope of retrieving our people, time is of the essence.”
Zach was out of his seat and taking his guitar from the corner, “Truly sorry Cade, Ms. Emily for such a poor end to our dinner. But John is right. Helen, do you mind staying and keeping our guests company?”
Before I could weigh our options, I stood, “We’ll go with you, Mr. Thompson. We want to help.”
When I saw the determined look on Emily’s face, I knew I’d said the right words, even if they were impulsive.
Zach waved for us to sit back down, “It’s not necessary, Cade. This involves our people and you’re our guests.”
Before I could organize my thoughts to counter his words, John shook his head, “No, Zach. Let them come. They’re allies and we’ve been attacked. If they want to help, let them.”
With the old soldier’s permission, Emily and I grabbed our gear and followed them out the door.
By the time we reached the large wooden gatehouse two men were waiting on us. Zach introduced them as Gus Mathis, a warden, and Cornell Lincoln. He was the tallest and blackest man I’d seen since the System’s arrival. He dressed in a mishmash of chain and plate armor. There was something particular about his sword and shield and it was only by inspecting them I realized what it was. Both sword and shield were infused with magic.
The man who had brought the news stood nearby. Zach stepped toward him, his expression resolute. The man was visibly shaken from the encounter with the raiders.
Zach’s voice carried a firmness as he spoke, "Tell us everything you remember, from the moment the raiders attacked until they disappeared with the women."
The man took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly. "We were on our way back home after spending the day in Lake Village. My girlfriend, Sarah, and her friend, Rachel, were walking alongside me. Out of nowhere, these monstrous creatures appeared, shouting and swinging their weapons. I tried to fight back, but they overwhelmed us. They knocked me to the ground and took the women."
Zachary's brows furrowed with concern. "Did you get a good look at them? Any distinguishing features or markings?"
The man nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. "Yes, they were the ugliest damned raiders, like nothing I've ever seen before. They had pig-like features, snouts, and tusks. And their eyes, they were filled with malice."
John exchanged a glance with Zachary before turning back to the man. "Thank you for providing this information. It will help us track down the raiders and bring the women back safely."
The man's face twisted with guilt and remorse. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more to protect them. Please, bring them back unharmed."
With the information from the man who brought the news, Gus Mattis, the warden, took the lead in tracking the Porcine raiders through the dense woods. He looked like something out of Robin Hood, clothed in leather armor and carrying a long bow. He seemed to know where to step and what to look for. The trail left by the raiders was surprisingly easy to follow, as if they had little concern about covering their tracks.
As we ventured deeper into the forest, a sense of anticipation hung in the air. Beams of moonlight filtered through the canopy above, casting an ethereal glow on the forest floor. The rustle of leaves under our feet accompanied our footsteps, drawing us closer to our goal. A shiver ran down my spine, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. I adjusted my grip on my rifle, feeling its reassuring weight where I’d slung it on my shoulder. Knowing Emily walked by my side helped to steady my nerves. She carried herself with poised determination, gripping the rapier at her side.
With each step we took, the tension mounted, and the sense of being observed grew stronger. Suddenly, a small tribe of kobolds emerged from the underbrush, their beady eyes gleaming with aggression. They chittered and hissed, brandishing their crude weapons as they swarmed toward us.
Emily gracefully drew her rapier and lunged at the nearest kobold, striking with precision and agility, causing it to tumble at her feet
Eight small kobolds surrounded us, their levels ranging from 1 to 2. Emily, with her nimble footwork, engaged the nearest kobold in a graceful dance of blades, her rapier striking with deadly precision.
John, whose class I was ignorant of, surprised me and the kobolds when he conjured a sphere of arcane energy in his hand, unleashing a burst of powerful magic that cascaded through the air, striking the kobolds with explosive force, throwing a couple of them into the air from the force of the spell.
Cornell, the warrior, knocked one down with his shield and then ended its life before it could scramble to its feet.
It was too dark to see far and the kobolds were too close for me to make use of my rifle. I pulled my pistol from its holster and stepped up next to Emily and shot at the nearest Kobold.
As suddenly as it had started, it was over. Eight little bodies were scattered around us. At least until we looted them. Then we were alone as the kobolds faded away.
John rose from where he had just looted one of the little monsters, “Sure makes cleanup a lot easier, doesn’t it?”
Zach strummed his guitar and I felt a wave of magic wash over me, as he said, “As long as it’s not us. Anyway, I just cast a heal-over-time over y’all.”
Gus, the warden, surveyed the fallen kobolds with a critical eye. "We know next to nothing about these Porcine, unless proven otherwise, we should treat these kobolds as their scouts. As if the tracks weren’t enough, this is just more proof we’re heading the right direction. Let’s go and keep your eyes peeled.”
As we continued our pursuit of the Porcine raiders, our path led us to narrow strip of land where towering electrical transmission towers stood, leaning precariously as System decay had taken its toll.
The trail left by the Porcine we had been following remained remarkably visible, snaking its way through the overgrown vegetation that encroached upon the cleared strip of land beneath the towers. It was as if the raiders feared nothing and were taking the most direct route to wherever they were going.
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Leaving the cleared route under the transmission towers, the trail guided us towards a lakeside community. As we approached, the sight of a building labeled "Home Owners' Association" greeted us, its facade evidence to more decay. While the deterioration had taken its toll, the damage was worsened by the destructive forces of both creatures and monsters
We cautiously stepped through the overgrown foliage, our senses heightened by the signs of recent activity. The eerie silence was broken only by the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional creak of decaying wood. The air was heavy with an unsettling presence, as if the spirits of this dead community whispered their warnings to us.
Pressing onward, we followed the trail as it led us past the decaying remnants of the Home Owners' Association building. The structures within the HOA community stood as grim reminders of the devastation that had befallen its inhabitants. The sparsely placed and once-neatly arranged houses now stood in disarray, their roofs caved in and walls crumbling under the weight of System decay. It was evident that the people who once called this place home had been so thinly populated they hadn’t been able assemble enough people in one place to form a Systemized village before the initial onslaught of monsters.
The Forest Warden halted at the crossroads of two broken asphalt roads, his keen eyes scanning the surroundings. He raised a hand, pointing toward a dilapidated structure that stood in the distance. It was a grand house, now a mere shell of its former glory. The tracks we had been following led straight toward it.
Gus turned his grizzled face towards our party, his voice laden with a somber warning. "That house is our destination," he spoke, his words barely above a whisper. "But be prepared. The raiders likely lurk within its decaying walls. With any luck, we’ll find the captives within…unharmed."
The weight of his words settled upon me like a load of pre-systemized bricks, my fingers gripped my rifle’s smooth wooden stock as I braced myself for the impending confrontation. The air itself seemed to hold its breath, the tension mounting as we approached the abandoned house.
As we drew nearer, the scent of decay hung heavily in the air, mingling with the anticipation that gripped our hearts. We moved with caution, our eyes scanning for any sign of movement amidst the dilapidated ruins.
Finally, we arrived at the weathered door, its wood carved and splintered. It stood ajar, beckoning us forward into the heart of darkness. We formed a tight formation, our weapons ready to be unleashed upon our adversaries. The time for strategy and skill had arrived.
As the door swung open, revealing the dimly lit foyer beyond, our senses were assaulted by the sight of raiders with pig-like faces huddled together, their grotesque forms quivering with feral intent. The kidnapped women, their faces etched with fear, huddled in a corner, their hope flickering like a dying flame.
With a menacing war cry, the Porcine raiders lunged at us, their ferocity unleashed as they brandished their crude weapons with a feral intensity. The clash of steel and the roar of battle filled the air.
I braced myself for the onslaught, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. The raiders descended upon us with a reckless abandon, their grotesque features twisted into sadistic grins, made all the worse by their sharp, curved tusks.
The air crackled with arcane energy when John held up his hand. When he used the mana, the crackling spell shot forth with fury and collided with an advancing Porcine raider. As if a lightning strike struck him, the raider squealed in pain as his skin burned. The scorching left a strong smell of burned flesh. An irreverent thought flew through my brain. He smelled nothing like bacon!
Emily, a whirlwind of grace and lethal precision, danced through the chaos of the battlefield. Her rapier became an extension of her body as she parried and countered the savage attacks of the raiders. With lightning-fast slashes and acrobatics, she struck at vulnerable points, leaving two of the monsters down in her wake.
As the battle began, I needed to switch to my Remington revolver. The foyer was too closed in to make my rifle practical. With a quick, practiced motion, I slung my Sharps rifle onto my shoulder and drew the revolver. I cast infuse mana as I aimed at the approaching raiders.
The confined space of the foyer amplified the intensity of the fight. The crumbling walls and shattered furniture provided cover, both for us and our enemies. Mana-infused bullets tore through the air, each shot resonating with raw power. The crackling of arcane energy mixed with the ferocious screams and grunts of the raiders.
I squeezed the trigger, and the mana-infused bullet propelled from the barrel with a surge of energy. It tore through the air, guided by my steady aim, finding its mark in the midst of the chaos. The impact was devastating, as the bullet tore through tissue and bone. Another raider stumbled and fell, his pig-like features contorted in pain.
In the midst of the chaos, John's spells continued to wreak havoc on our enemies. Arcane energy erupted, engulfing another raider in a sizzling explosion. Emily's blade seemed to dance in harmony with the spell, her strikes finding vulnerable spots in another raiders' defenses.
Gus, the Forest Warden, fell back toward the door, his bow becoming an extension of his being. His arrows flew with deadly accuracy, finding their targets and thinning the ranks of our foes. Cornell, the warrior tank, stood tall, his shield deflecting countless strikes while his sword lashed out, striking down any Porcine who failed to dodge his blade.
Zachary weaved his magic through his music, creating an aura of healing. His soothing melodies washed over us, mending wounds as we fought on.
The battle in the dimly lit foyer raged on, but we held our ground while the Porcine bodies piled up around us. The combined efforts of our party had unleashed a storm of destruction upon the raiders. Step by step, we pushed them back until the few remaining turned and fled deeper into the house.
Once they were gone, the room fell silent, save for our heavy breathing. We stood amidst the wreckage, taking stock of our victory. The adrenaline that had fueled us during the fight now began to ebb, leaving us with the exhaustion that follows intense combat. I holstered my revolver, its mana-infused ammunition spent, and glanced at the rest of the party. We were bruised and battered, but our determination remained unyielding.
As we caught our breath, the sound of John's hurried footsteps broke the silence. He knelt by the two women we had rescued, concern etched on his face. "Y'all okay, ladies?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine care.
The women, still recovering from the ordeal, nodded weakly. One of them managed a faint smile. "Thank you," she said, her voice shaky yet filled with gratitude. "We thought we were done for."
John offered a reassuring smile. "You're safe now. We won't let anything happen to you. We're heading back to Fort Point Village. It's not far from here."
Zachary took his responsibility for bardic healing seriously; he approached the women. "Let me take a look at your injuries," he offered, his bardic magic emanating a healing aura. He assessed their wounds, his healing energy knitting their injuries with a gentle glow. At least the wounds that were external. I shuddered to think of the internal scars suffered by the women. Just thinking of that made me draw close to Emily, my hand finding hers.
The battle's echoes still reverberated within me as we made the unanimous decision to leave the uncharted recesses of the decaying house behind. Fatigue clung to our bones like a shroud, and the mere thought of confronting more Porcine creatures filled me with trepidation; I was out of ammunition for my revolver.
As we trudged through the early morning darkness, fatigue weighed heavily on me. Every step felt like a burden, each one taking us further away from the chaos we had left behind. But Emily's presence beside me, her hand gently entwined with mine, brought a flicker of comfort amidst the encroaching shadows.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed the night whispered its eerie secrets, rustling leaves and cracking branches that made we wonder if we were only seconds away from being attacked. Yet, in the midst of the enigmatic darkness, Emily squeezed my hand as she found refuge in our closeness, her warmth a comforting reassurance. If I didn’t already know it before, the past day and night confirmed the feelings I felt for her were returned.
After what seemed an eternity, but had probably been just a couple of hours, the hulking sanctuary of the massive gatehouse of Fort Point appeared just as the first signs of dawn arrived.