POV : WASTELAND
The army was patrolling the wasteland when they saw three red flares fire into the sky. Three red flares meant an adventure group had actually seen and engaged with the skeletal horde. They rushed toward the location, about an hour away. Following the trail of skeletons and fighting off stragglers, they moved quickly, determined not to let these adventurers die. Around the wasteland, adventurer groups made the same decision. It was time to collect on those bounties, time to make money, and start moving that horde backward.
***
“Run, run, run!” shouted one of the adventurers, part of the group that had encountered the skeletal horde. Thousands of skeletons had been moving in one direction, and now a significant chunk of the tail end had started rushing toward them. Well it actually wasn’t a significant chunk…it just seemed that way in comparison to the group of adventurers.
Hundreds of skeletons of all forms moved with undead speed toward their group. “We've got to get our asses out of here!” One of the adventurers yelled. The flares in the sky had indicated their success. Now all they had to do was escape. And collect their bonus!
They ran in the direction toward the walls while everybody else was running toward them. Hundreds of skeletons and hopefully their reinforcements were about to meet. The rescue however, didn’t happen immediately.
The adventurer group slowed down after twenty minutes of sprinting for their lives, gasping for breath.
“I don't know how much longer I can run. Those fucking undead don’t have to worry about their stamina!”
“Keep moving,” said his friend. “We’ll do it together.”
They slowed to a jog, but it didn’t help. The skeleton horde had caught up to them. Hundreds of skeletons quickly surrounded the adventurers. Armored skeletons with swords slashed into them.
“Fuck!”
“Tell my girlfriend that I would have married her.”
“Stop being dramatic and fight! Reinforcements must be on their way!”
Wounds began to build up, hope was looking lost…but then the sounds of crossbows firing from afar rang out.
THWIP!
THWIP!
THWIP!
Then a tide of human bodies crashed into the skeletons.
The encirclement of the skeleton horde was broken, as a wall of tanks armed with shields crushed through.
CRUNK
SMASH
SMASH
“Follow us!” they yelled.
The adventurers, glad for the rescue, and pumped up on adrenaline again, joined the group and started running.
“FUCK YEAH!”
The skeletal horde opened its mouths and shrieked without a sound. The fury wasn’t seen on their faces but was evident in their actions as they were interrupted from an easy kill.
After ten heart pounding minutes the small group of rescuers met up with the military reinforcements.
The soldiers saw the group of furious skeletons chasing them.
“Somebody drop a ward!” shouted one adventurer. A group dropped another demon ward and fired off more flares—two red flares, meaning engaged and that the plan was working. The demon dog wards would provide zero safety or help against the skeletons. But they were essential to the plan.
But, they had to stay alive as well for the plan to be successful.
“People, drop those traps!”
The army quickly threw out a bunch of tokens. Each token contained a briar ball.
“Prickly Balls, (3 coins)! Have pesky critters eating your crops? Use our quick grow hedges to stop their advance!” one of the adventurers muttered, recalling the vending machine’s cheeky description.
The briar walls did their job, entangling the skeletons but not killing them. The thick, thorny vines sprang up instantly, wrapping around the legs of the undead and trapping their swords and limbs in the dense growth. The skeletons struggled, their bony arms flailing as they worked their way through the plant matter.
It wasn’t enough to stop them, but it slowed them down just long enough. The army and adventurers, now able to regroup, took full advantage of the breather. They steadiyed their forces, checked people’s conditions, and began moving backward, ready to set up their next line of defense.
"Let’s move before they break free!"
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They now had to keep kiting these skeletons backwards.
***
Ten minutes later.
“Holy crap, that was close!” said one of the original group of adventurers as the sergeant in charge met up with them.
“Great job, team! You did what we wanted, and you potentially saved all the people of Fort Bone. You're officially all citizens now,” he said, writing it down in his notebook. “And here’s your bonus of 50 coins each.”
The adventurers looked at their windfall of coins and smiled ear to ear.
“That’s what I’m talking about!”
“Are you still going to marry your girlfriend?”
“Hell yeah, willing to be my best man?”
“Soon as we get back, I’m getting a beer…and you buy a ring.”
“No more time for chatting, though! Those skeletons are catching up. Let’s get an hour away and drop our next set of wards!”
The army did just that. The skeleton army, which was originally an arrow shooting towards the heart of the Empire, was now starting to blob out. The other assorted adventurers were met by team leaders from the army and told to head back in a circular way toward the horde and to keep luring the horde away from Fort Bone. The plan was working.
—
POV : BONETOWN
Back in Fort Bonetown, Olivia was reporting her success to Amber and John.
“That’s great work,” John said, nodding. “With Mohammed on board, our struggling finances should start turning around.”
Amber sighed, relief washing over her. “Even with that 5% discount from Atlas’s achievement, the amount of money we’ve been making in Fort Bone has been drastically dropping. If we can steer their economic policies away from a price war, we’ll all do better. Now we just need to convince the citizens that Fort Bone and our empire are worthy goals.”
Olivia flashed a confident smile. “I have a plan for that. Why don’t you guys follow me?”
They headed out to the playhouse, where Will and his actors were deep in rehearsals. The scene unfolding on stage was lively, depicting adventurers scrambling to form groups as portals erupted across the wasteland. The energy in the room was infectious, with the actors fully immersed in their roles.
“Hey, Will, you got a minute?” Olivia called.
“Indeed I do,” he replied, stepping away from the stage. He wiped his brow, clearly having been directing with intensity.
“We’d like you to help Fort Bone,” Olivia said, her tone laced with urgency. This was no time for small talk.
Will’s eyes brightened. “You’ve been nothing but good to us here. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how many of us would have survived. The actresses who were injured during the last mission have been doing better, thanks to the memwipe. It’s helped them heal tremendously.”
Olivia felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her heart had been heavy ever since she learned what could have happened to those women. ‘The wasteland is never safe. And bandits always had sick goals. They don’t give a shit about human rights, laws or decency,‘ she reminded herself.
She exhaled deeply before continuing, “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s a skeleton horde coming towards Fort Bone.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of it,” Will said, his expression growing somber. As actors, a lot of their time was spent drinking in the tavern, gossip flowed as freely as the beer there. “It’s troubling news. Our only reason for being in Fort Bone is for safety and security. Do you think the army can handle it?”
John interjected, offering a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, Will. Our army is strong. We’ve called on our allies, and we’re prepared. We’ll hold the line.” ‘I hope this isn’t all false bravado,‘ he thought privately.
Will’s tension eased slightly. “Good, then what can I do to help? I’m grateful for my citizenship, and the actors and actresses here are working hard for theirs too.”
“Well, you’ve got a great opportunity,” Olivia said. “We’d like you to start a new play.”
Will raised an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious. ‘Another idea for a play? Why do they always come to me with these? Don’t they know I am a great writer and already have several stories in progress?‘ Still, he nodded, masking his annoyance behind a polite smile.
“Don’t worry,” Olivia continued, “I think you’ll like this idea.” She laid out the concept for the new play—an epic tale of the skeleton horde attacking Fort Bone, while two villainous factions, America United and the Celestial Empire, celebrated their despair rom afar. Lavish feasts, grand parties, and total safety for the villains contrasted sharply with the dire reality of Fort Bone’s citizens, who fought desperately to survive.
Will considered it, his brow furrowing. “It’s compelling, but isn’t it a bit...depressing?”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Olivia assured him. “This is just part one. The goal is to show that Fort Bone is worth fighting for. It may be struggling, but it’s filled with strong men and women who need to rise to the occasion. Think of it as a rallying cry for patriotism. Part two will have a happy ending, where the citizens’ efforts lead to victory. But... I need you to hold off on releasing the second part until I give you the go-ahead.”
“So it’s like a Kurosawa film,” Will said. “The empire under siege, corrupt leaders enjoying their riches while the common folk struggle. And then hope at the end.”
He thought of films like ‘Seven Samurai”, where the nobility of the few shone through amid overwhelming odds.
“Kurosawa?” John asked, confused. “Never seen those movies.”
“He was a brilliant Japanese director, famous for films like ‘Seven Samurai‘ and ‘Rashomon‘,” Will explained.
John’s face lit up. “I was thinking more along the lines of ‘Empire Strikes Back‘.”
“Well, fun fact,” Will replied with a chuckle, “‘Empire Strikes Back‘ was actually inspired by Kurosawa’s work, so we’re on the same page.”
Satisfied, Olivia said, “So, can we count on you?”
Will gave a thoughtful nod. “It’ll work. And honestly, with the lack of entertainment options, people are always looking for something new. This could be just what Fort Bone needs.”
‘And good ticket sales,’ he thought.
Olivia smiled, her mind already racing. ‘Good. We’ll sway the hearts and minds of the people before America United or the Celestial Empire makes their move.‘
—
POV : WASTELAND
Meanwhile, in the wasteland, a group of adventurers crouched near a pile of rubble, setting up a demon dog ward. The air around them buzzed with tension as they worked quickly, knowing the skeleton horde was slowly advancing.
“All right, let’s pull more of these boneheads away,” one of the adventurers muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
Flares shot into the sky, signaling the start of their diversion. The air hummed with energy as the wards activated, creating a noticeable shift in mana.
“Look, it’s working,” his friend said, watching as a chunk of the horde veered off course, drawn towards the wards. “Let’s keep it up!”
The skeletons, sensing the mana disturbance, broke off from the main horde. A portion began marching in the opposite direction, away from Fort Bone’s Castle walls.
“Let’s move, people!” the sergeant barked. The adventurers scrambled to set up more wards, pushing the horde further east. However, despite their efforts, hundreds of skeletons still remained fixated on the castle of Fort Bone, their relentless march undeterred.
“I don’t think this will work,” one of the sergeants muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.
“There’s more groups doing the same thing,” the leader snapped. “We’ve moved a bunch of them. Now it’s just a matter of herding them. Go, go, go!”
The adventurers moved swiftly, playing a dangerous game of sheepdog with the undead army. Their job of leading the horde away from the main castle of Fort Bone was slowly being accomplished.