[T: 8 Days 21 Hours]
Jose and Gold is packing some things into their backpacks. The Fit Woman notices and asks, “You guys heading down?”
Jose: Nah, we’re going outside, going to start reconing around the place. All the groups have started to become more comfortable down there and it doesn’t seem like they need as much help anymore. And so I thought I’d go outside now and check the outside world a bit. See if there is any signs of civilization out there. We could be near a village or someplace and not have gone there, since we are stuck in here. Who knows.
Gold: We came to the decision to start our exploring to the outside too. We know too little and we’ve gotten… stronger. I think we’re strong enough to moderately face the real world now.
Fit Woman: Yeah, you men. What about us women? What about the men that aren’t strong, weren’t strong to begin with?
Jose: To be honest, I don’t think the rest of you could handle it. You? Maybe (indicating at the Fit Woman). The rest of them? I don’t think so.
Fit Woman: Then let me come with you. I’m fast. I’m almost as strong as a man, or at least almost as strong as a strong man. I’m stronger than some of the men back there. I’m like a weak strong man.
Jose: We’ll see. For now, we are gonna see the atmosphere a bit. If it seems like a horde is just everywhere, then no. Not even us will even try to go out there again. If it seems like there’s only one or two wandering around then, yeah, sure, why not?
Fit Woman: Well we’ve been luring those creatures one at a time into the cave to get fresh meat everyday haven’t we? So doesn’t that say that it’s relatively safe around here?
Gold: Around here, yes. We’re not talking around here. We’re talking out there. Way further along the river. We’re gonna see if there’s anything within a day or two distance down the stream, then come back.
Fit Woman: You sure you don’t need a third member? Remember it usually took three people to kill one of those, and even if Jose is military and you’ve had some training, you still need someone to hold their attention. I can hold that attention, (the Fit Woman says the next words seductively) while you ~big~ and strong~ men~ come to save me.
The two men just stare. Gold and Jose both blink. Twice.
Jose: Alright. Go pack your things. You won’t need much. Just get a backpack, a water bottle, maybe a weapon you can use. We mostly got what we’ll need for the journey.
The Fit Woman brightens up, turns and rushes to get the items.
Gold: Is this a good idea?
Jose: (shrugs) Who knows. But that three man team, for sure, is preferable to a two man team. The person in front of the creature is going to be utterly useless. And one person attacking is kind of too slow to kill them.
Gold: We could have gotten another man for the job.
Jose: Eh, maybe. She’s right though. She’s stronger than some of the men here. Might be time to make use of every resource we got.
Gold: Maybe some are not suited to being used as others are used. This will either kill her and us, or force her to become as capable as us.
Jose: Maybe. Maybe. But what are we to do? The world is not such a happy place now. Either we struggle and live or we die fighting. It’s the harsh reality now. What choice do we have?
Gold:.... Yeah. But what choices do we have left now?
Jose: That’s what I’m saying. What “can” we do?
Gold: Live.
Jose: Which is exactly what we are doing. Which is what she’s choosing to do as well. To live. To be able to “live”. To have the ability to live.
Gold and Jose look as the Fit Woman comes back with a backpack on her back.
Gold: I hope we get back home soon. Or all of us will be seriously scarred forever.
Jose: If we live that long. (Jose addresses the Fit Woman as she joins the group) You good? Got everything?
Fit Woman: Yeah! Got the backpack, the water bottle, and a weapon.
Jose: Let me see the weapon.
Fit Woman: Here. (She hands him a knife. It’s a kitchen knife.)
Jose: Eh, could be worse. All right let’s go. You told someone you’re going with us?
Fit Woman: Yep. I told Tim’s mom. She’ll tell Lucas. Who should tell Frank.
Jose: Got it.
The three get out into the tunnel and leave. They make the trek back up to the surface and as they reach the opening of the cave the light of the sun shines.
Fit Woman: It’s been a while since I’ve seen the sun. (Her voice softens and trails off) We’ve been trapped in that place for a couple of days now haven’t we?
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Gold: About a week I’d say.
Fit Woman: That’s still a long time to be trapped for.
Jose: We couldn’t help it. We had to run. Find a place safe enough to hide.
Fit Woman: Yeah… And now we’re out.
Jose: And now we’re out.
The three walk down the path of pebbles next to the running stream, heading west.
Fit Woman: What do you think we’ll find? Or you think we’ll find nothing?
Jose: Even finding nothing would be better than finding something that will potentially wipe us all out. But if you’re asking what we’re hoping for … we’re hoping that we find help.
Fit Woman: I see. (she pauses) What if we don’t find help? What’s the next best thing?
Gold: Leaving this place. A path to escape from this hell. That’s the next best thing we’re hoping for.
Fit Woman: And what happens if we don’t find a way out? What then?
Both men are silent.
Gold: I don’t know… ( he trails off uncertain) Just live. Or die. Live until we die. I guess.
The Fit Woman falls silent, and the three continue their walk, having nothing but hope that they find something soon.
[ T: 8 Days]
The Knight at the Center enters a throne room full of dust and rotted cloth. The Ornamental Knight stands before the throne, “You called?”
The room is dark, no light of the sun penetrating into the room. Instead torches light up small amounts of space within the room. None of that light reaches the far end of the room however, and the figure sitting on the throne remains covered in the darkness, unknown.
“Yes…”, the figure at the throne does not continue and the Knight at the Center waits. After a moment the figure addresses the Knight once more, “I’ve heard that there is a disturbance. Far beyond the borders. Past our established influence…”
The Knight at the Center is dismissive of the worry. “It is of no concern”, the Knight at the Center brushes off, “It is such a small matter that you need not worry about that. It is an outpost far beyond. One that holds no value in any way. I have already assigned a subordinate to the task. You need not concern yourself with the small matters of your domain. Others of appropriate station will handle it. But you didn’t call me for such a trivial matter. I assume what you really want to… ask about is our encounter.”
“Yes…”, the voice reverberated, “ I would like to know more. I do not understand why such a – entity has a vendetta against us. Why is it – or was it so interested with us?”
The Knight at the Center remains confident as he answers, “That could not be determined. Yet I have… suspicions”.
The figure at the throne leans in, “Oh? Do tell”.
“ First, before I do state my suspicions, the basis of my findings are determinate based on the actions, decisions and responses of the entity. I have, in no way, any evidence to conclude that my suspicions are actually close to the truth.”
“Hm….”, the figure at the throne dwells on this, “That is fine. I have always appreciated your thoughts. Your… words have always been heavy with wisdom. I shall hear your reasons.”
The Knight at the Center nods slightly, acknowledging the honor of the figure's words. The Knight begins their presentation,“The entity is of the lowest rank of its kind. It is barren of any speech, no weapons, no armor. It is void of any items of stature. It is not of the warrior class. It is… a slave.”
“Yet a slave dares to wage war. Without the permission of its masters”, the figure thinks, “This slave is given free reign to do as it pleases, or it does not care and does as it pleases.”
“It does however give consideration to… matters that its master is involved in. It momentarily paused in its assault during the time of… negotiations.”
“Mmmm”
“Yet after negotiations failed in gaining non-aggression, the slave continued its assault. I believe that this slave is bound to laws enforced upon its entire race, but is not bound by any… commands or duties. It can not be commanded, or its masters have no authority to command it, or they do not feel the need to give it commands. It is … a free agent”.
“How unusual. Their masters are usually so power bound. Authoritative. Demanding of loyalty.”
“It’s clear that this being has the freedom to wage battles as it desires, free of any obligations, and that its masters have no responsibility over it. It is… a masterless slave.
“That.. is… troublesome”.
“It is. And given that it relentlessly pursued us, delved deep within our borders, almost to the heart, tells us that it has a vendetta against us. Yet why and who, we can not say for sure. It did not show any response to any of the Knights. It neither cared nor really paid attention to any of us. And the soldiers we had under us. It showed no hidden bias towards them either. They… we were simply enemies to destroy. This tells me that… we were not the target… we are not the reason for its… Malice.”
“Then what?”, the figure calmly demands, “Was it to harvest us?”
“That seems likely as it started hunting down Manifestations of Fear along with us, but-”, the Knight at the Center thinks, “It soon turned its attention to us, in favor against the Fears. And its trajectory. It was not hunting mindlessly. It came straight for us. Like a… spear. Like it had a particular target, and headed towards the direction of that target. It could have hunted more easier targets around our borders, if it was simply hunting, yet… it chose not to. It was after something. And that something is neither us Knights, our soldiers, or the Fears. The only thing left is–”.
“Me?”, the figure shifts, “The target is me?”
“That is my conclusion”.
The figure is silent, lost in the brooding of its thoughts. It does not look at the Knight at the Center as it thinks, its gaze pointed to the floor. “Now why would I be the target, would be a good question to ask, because if I am the target and it is for personal reasons as you’ve slowly started hinting at, who could it be?”
“There are many that it could be, I’m sure”.
“Yet all my enemies are dead”.
“So are we. So are you. I had long been dead AGEs ago, before I had even approached you.”
“Yes… So we can assume that this being is a long dead opponent of mine?”
“We could”.
“And if that is so, we could assume that this person has come back, reanimated into this thing?”
“Yes, we could assume that”.
“Then we can also assume that this being made contact with… an ascended, or even an higher power than that”.
The Knight at the Center stops affirming as the figure becomes lost in its thoughts, no longer requiring the encouragement from the Knight to unravel this mystery.
“And if it made contact with such a being, then because there is likely little chance that this person made first contact, and since that would be the case the being of higher power would have to be the one to make contact.” The figure at the throne shifts once more. “Then this person would have to have been impressive enough to gain the attention of such a powerful being. There are only a few numbered among my enemies that achieve that.”
The figure turns to the Knight at the center and the Knight tilts its head once, “I do believe we have a list to go on then”, the Knight says.