Chapter 33
Leon peeked out of the tent, holding the short sword and dagger in each hand. It felt more comfortable than wielding the long sword, since this was the combination he’d used for about a month. The wolves had paced around the tent, but they hadn’t heard any other sounds. Now he saw why. It was like the memory had frozen in place, and the people inside were frozen in motion. Even Memory-Ava’s mouth was open from her speech.
He didn’t have time to ruminate over the scene since the wolves sprung at him. He looked a second at their attack, struck out with both blades as three wolves came close enough, hit one, and then stumbled back into the tent.
If they’d had time, it would have been better to pop open the camp at another location, restricting the wolves’ reach like the hallway had. Right now, the tent stood in the middle of the room, through maybe fifteen people, and the only means of barricading the wolves from him would be the living room table and couch where three people sat smoking something that didn’t look entirely legal. Even though the scene had frozen, the smoke left off a sickly sweet and grassy smell that thankfully disappeared when they were in the tent. Not that the table and sofa were of much use; they were behind the wolves, and even if he could get there, he’d need to step too far away from the tent for his comfort.
Disappointed that he couldn’t make use of the room outside, he settled for the next plan. He had a little less than one careful hour to spend on the beasts before he needed to rest, to be back at 0% fatigue once they got going again. So he began.
*******
Ava woke up as Leon did, and she caressed her still broken arm. She muttered, “Heal,” and the arm was set straight.
“How are you doing?” Leon asked.
Ava spun her head toward him, paling. “Um… I’m sorry!”
“For what? It’s not like you can walk around with a broken arm.” Leon gave her a slight smile. “Go back to sleep. Maybe you can get some MP back before the camp collapses.”
Ava bit her lip. “Well… I only get back around two or three MP per hour. How much time is left?”
“A little over one and a half. Hert’s soon waking up.”
“Did you beat the monsters outside?” Ava asked, listening. “That’s what you did the last time, right?”
Leon nodded. “I beat three of the level six wolves and the five level five wolves. We have three to go.”
Ava nodded. “That’s great. Where are we, by the way? I thought I heard my own voice, but the pain…” Her lips wobbled. “You said you would protect me.”
“I do what I can. And you probably saved me there, so the break wasn’t in vain. If that’s any comfort.”
Ava bit her lip hard and stared at the ground.
Leon stretched out. “Take the time you can. Maybe it will give you MP, maybe it won’t.”
“Wait, where’s my staff?” Ava crawled over the floor. “Where is it?”
“I don’t know,” Leon said. “You dropped it in the stone room, and then we got transported. I haven’t seen it since.
Ava stared at him. “No, it must be here, somewhere! I can’t have lost it again!”
She leaped onto her feet and toward the flap, and Leon sprinted after her. “There are still wolves out there!”
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She slowed at the exit and turned to Leon. “Protect me. I have to know. Please.”
Leon sighed and put on his backpack. Well, they needed to take care of them, anyway. Now was as good a time as any.
He pushed Ava aside and stepped out. In front of him and on both sides of the tent stood wolves. They jumped toward him, and Leon bent forward, slid onto the ground, and the wolves crashed into the tent without the flap even moving, like the camp had a barrier. Leon stood with his feet wide and readied the short sword and dagger for their next attack. As they launched, Ava peeked out of the camp and sneaked out.
Leon slashed out as the first wolf reached him and smacked it over the nose. He jumped back as it landed, and it turned to him with a snarl while the other two came at him. He hopped aside, turned, and ran onto the table. He skidded over surface and reached the floor by the window. The wolves came after.
Ava bent down to search under the gift table, then moved to the side. Maybe she was right in searching for it now—if the staff had come with them to the memory it might stay here when it ended. They had no idea how long or short the memory would be.
Leon pushed the table toward the wolves, causing one to stumble and another to leap aside. He hit the third, and slashed out over and over again.
“Can I come out?” Hert shouted from the camp’s opening. His head stuck out, and the tent collapsed.
“Guess so,” Leon grunted.
“Fuck’s sake.” Hert kicked at the disappearing leather. “That shouldn’t have counted as exiting the camp!”
The memory started playing again, and Leon kicked out on a wolf’s chest, causing it to stumble onto the sofa. It made a choking sound as it breathed in the smoke.
A birthday song rang out and Memory-Ava glowed at all the attention. Then, as Leon killed a wolf, she curtsied. “Thank you, everyone! I’ll open your lovely gifts in a minute. Let’s party!”
She shook a champagne bottle, and the cork popped out, spraying the liquid over the crowd. Then she lifted the bottle to her lips and gulped, before running into a man’s arms. He lifted her and spun her around as her phone rang.
Hert ran toward Leon, swinging his hammer. It took one of the two wolves by surprise, and though it didn’t knock it out or even daze it, it gave Leon enough time to act on the first one.
As he swung at it with both blades, Memory-Ava answered her phone, and the voice spoke as clearly as if the caller had been in the room, with the same loud echo-y voice.
“Where are you?” Maya asked. “I’m at the restaurant with your parents. You said you’d be here half an hour ago.”
Memory-Ava sounded shocked, but looked pleased with herself as she answered, “Oh, that was today? I’m so, so sorry. I must have mixed up the dates.”
“You’re hanging out with those no-good-people, aren’t you? I told you, it’s a bad crowd.”
“They’re really fun though,” Memory-Ava said and pointed a finger on the man’s nose. He smiled and bent down to kiss her, but at the last second, she turned her face away. “Unlike someone else.”
Leon, having pushed the sword through the second wolf, finished the third one with Hert.
“So, you’re not coming, are you?” Maya asked.
“No, I’m sorry. I have other arrangements. Please tell my parents that I’m sorry and that I wish them a pleasant drive home.”
Memory-Ava stopped the call and took another swig from the bottle as the last wolf faded.
“Why?” the man asked. “You told me you had nothing planned today when I threw this party together.”
Memory-Ava stretched her arms around the man’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. “Because I’d rather be here with you, silly. And you’re going on a trip. You’ll miss me.”
The man chuckled.
Then, the scene changed, and Ava rose from a cliff side, watching over a ravine, just like the memory-Ava did. The moon glinted off a lake further in the distance, and she looked up at the stars.
“Did you find the staff?” Leon asked as he and Hert approached her.
She shook her head and kept staring at the memory.
A man, a different one than she’d hugged, stepped out of the car.
“Why did you want to leave the party?” he asked as he approached her. “Those people care about you.”
Memory-Ava turned her head and flashed the man a smile. “I know. But I only wanted to spend time with you.”
The man crossed his arms and stepped forward. “Only because I’ve been willing to support you. Right?”
Memory-Ava gasped. “Not at all. I really like you.”
The man walked closer, unsmiling. “You have the looks to fool the devil, miss. And maybe there’s where you belong. Somewhere where you can’t harm more people.”
“I’m not hurting anyone,” Memory-Ava said, grabbing his arm and tugging it to her. “I’m just having fun while I create friends.”
“Tsk. Left alone, you might set fire to the world.”
Memory-Ava’s smile twitched. “But people like me. You like me.”
“You really like your games, but no one stops them.” He sighed. “Well, go enjoy the stars. That’s one of the true things you like, isn’t it? It’s why we’re here. Then we can head back to your party. It’s your birthday, after all.”
“Yeah, I love the stars!” Memory-Ava said. “You’re so sweet to remember. At first I wondered where we were going, but it’s such a romantic place.”
Leon looked at Ava, who sat with a red face. She sprang up towards the man and pushed his back. Had he been real, he’d have fallen. Instead, she fell through him and onto the cliff, where she caught herself with her hands.
Memory-Ava looked into the sky. The man dug his fingers into Ava’s arms and pushed her. She screamed as her foot snagged on the edge, and she fell. Then the scenery changed.
‘10 of 12 CHESTS OPENED
56 of 80 MONSTERS SLAIN’