The world around Louise twisted and writhed. Shelves, floors, walls and spray bottles all dissolved into a multitude of colors: red, purple, indigo, violet, blue, olive and so many others all flashed before her eyes. Lightning exploded in her ears and thunder through her body. She spun up and down, faster and faster until she’d have vomited if she was herself as opposed to another flash of color in the infinity.
Crash. It all ended with a jolt and a tumble to the ground. Cold stone pressed against her cheek and she laid flat on her back, too dizzy to move.
A warm hand rubbed her shoulder. Cray was visibly weak, pale and tired, but he still crouched beside her, stubbled face quirked into a smile. He had the look of someone who could have been a street tough in another life, leather jacket included, were it not for the kind red eyes. “Hey there, don't worry. It's going to be OK. I promise.”
The woman, Karah, loomed over both of them. Far more intimidating than her brother, she towered over Louise even when she wasn’t laid out on her back. Her dark hair trailed down her back, the lank curls splayed about, soaked with sweat like she’d spent the last few hours at the gym… or in a fight for her life. She frowned but offered Louise a yellow-gloved hand.
Louise hesitated but took hold of it and let Karah guide her to her feet - quick and brusque, much like the woman herself.
She stood in the center of a circle of pale blue crystals, the same sort they’d found in the waypoint. Sharp and spiked, they traced symbols that meant nothing to her, but glowed with magic, surrounded by yellow notes of light like fireflies dancing in the breeze. Around that was a cave of gray stone, hewn from the rock around them and large enough for a small house to fit inside.
They weren’t alone either. Several others sat on benches in alcoves off to the side, each in strange outfits. Cray and Karah looked odd enough - Cray with the look of a street tough in black leather and jeans, but scarlet-red eyes, while Karah wore all purple save for the yellow gloves, and a set of goggles rested around her neck - but these people… One of them could have been a knight, what with his armor, shield and swords, while another wore a thick cloak over a orange t-shirt of all things, while she held a staff gripped in her hands.
Cold air smacked Louise in the face and she shivered, not just from the temperature either. Fifteen minutes ago, she’d been snug in her room. Now, she was… where was she?
Karah ignored her in favor of Cray. "Hey, you alright?"
Cray staggered to his feet. The monsters had gotten him several times, but despite everything, he had no visible wounds. No cuts, no bruises, nothing. But he was pale as death and exhaustion filled his eyes. "Alright… would be a relative term. I'll be fine though, eventually."
"Maybe in a few hours, but I’d rather not freeze out here." Karah crouched and motioned toward her back. "Now, hold on and don’t give me lip."
Cray sighed but draped an arm over her neck for support.
Outside the cave, no, that wasn't the right way to put it. Because another cave surrounded the first one, only the greater cave was massive. It could've fit an entire football field, and that was just the floor of it. Ramps and staircases led up the walls past stalagmites and stalagmites to multiple levels, and upon each level were buildings, further cave openings and passageways. It had the look of the ant farm her science teacher kept on the shelf: a cross-section of countless paths and openings.
And just like the ant farm, dozens of people rushed about from one building to another. All of them were attired as strangely as those within the Waypoint cave. Some colorful, others solid black, but nobody looked like the sort of person she would find at the store. Jumpsuits, robes, bandannas, strange masks all worn; some of the people even dressed like ninjas. Yet many of the strange outfits were mixed with those more normal. Blouses, pants, dresses and jackets. And all of the people were armed, every single one. Pistols, swords, staffs, wands and weird contraptions she couldn’t begin to understand, all hoisted on shoulders or tucked into sheathes.
In one alcove, some sword-wielders struck at a cushion that already bore countless gashes upon it. Meanwhile, a witch with a multitude of wands holstered like pistols huddled up with a marine and exchanged bullets for a glowing gem.
“Welcome to Lifehome,” Karah said, voice surprisingly soft. “The Outside World might be overrun with monsters, but here and now? We’re safe. This is, well, this is our home.”
Safe… a sigh escaped her, one of relief. One of the other people in the cavern, a rugged figure who had eight belts and even more swords, turned to Louise and stared at her with eyes that glowed a ghostly blue.
Louise turned, but he was just the first she’d noticed. Countless others peered at her, some for a quick glance while others stared openly, countless eyes upon her. She gripped Cray’s arm for support, and he offered her a kind smile.
“Don't worry. They can tell you’re new is all.” He motioned at the maroon cotton dress she wore - perfectly normal, save for around here where it could have been a Cosplay parade. “It won’t last long. See, they’ve got other things to do.”
She was uncertain about that but a peek showed that most had already returned to other activities and she let out a relieved breath.
Karah led them forward, through a cave opening, up a ramp and into a corner of the second level. There a plain, plywood building stood, a parody of a house. No windows or paint, nor even a porch, but a shed stuck out of the side like a snail from its shell and the light-bulb over the front door poured harsh white light onto the cavern floor.
Tick-Tick. A cloaked figure trotted across the uneven stone like it was a sidewalk.
Louise gripped Cray again, but when the figure stepped into the light, it revealed an elderly woman, plump-cheeked with dark skin that had paled from a lack of light. She gave Louise a glance but turned to Karah and Cray with a terrifying expression that it took Louise a moment to realize was a smile, so thick were the wrinkles and scars about her face. "Hello there, dears. Your equipment is nice and clean, as promised."
Louise blinked. A heavy-looking cloth sack sat hoisted over the woman’s shoulder, one that she’d swear hadn’t been there a moment ago.
"Thanks," Karah said, then handed the other woman a small pouch whose contents glowed a faint red. "That should cover it, no?"
The other woman nodded in agreement, but Cray said, "Thank you, Tela, and I'll be by to look at that generator tomorrow."
Stolen novel; please report.
"Sounds good. The electronics never were much of a problem until Elturn passed, but now I need to figure it out myself…" Tela’s smile widened - a ghastly thing. "Or rely on the naivety of kind young men like you."
"Hey, it's the least we could do…"
Louise wasn't sure what to do. Should she stay out of it? Introduce herself? She didn't want to offend, and this… It felt like when her mom gossiped with their neighbors, so maybe she was supposed to be quiet?
In the end, Tela made the decision for her. "And who is this young one?" She leaned down and peered at her, pink eyes sunk deep within the woman’s face.
Louise would have rolled her eyes at the patronization, but she was in the middle of a cave, had been chased by monsters and there was an absolutely massive battle-axe gleamed upon Tela’s back. "I'm Louise, and I'm… New, I suppose?" She glanced at Cray.
Cray gave her an encouraging smile but didn't actually do anything to help her – the jerk.
However, Tela chortled, "Don't worry, dear. It can be hard getting used to… This, but everyone here wants nothing but the best for you. Really. I know it's probably different than the world you remember, but as dangerous as this world might be, we are in it for everyone to live." She paused. "Were you planning to stay with Karah and Cray, or try one of the welcoming groups?"
Welcoming group? Her confusion must have been viable on her face, as Cray cleared his throat. "There’s a lot to learn and everyone starts out not knowing much. Most of the time, people who are… New… are shown around and introduced to how everything works by those who found them. Some prefer to join a welcoming group though. They'll help you settle in if you prefer."
It sounded reasonable, but the thought of one of those strange, staring people teaching her made Louise cringe. She moved closer to Karah and Cray. "I think I'd rather stay with these two."
"Well that's wonderful," Tela said with a pleased hum, perhaps a bit patronizing but kind. "What Karah and I are doing now is trading. I took care of their laundry so Karah is providing the crafting materials. Those are very important."
Louise nodded, although it didn't make much sense. She caught the way Cray mouthed "we'll explain later".
Soon enough, Tela bid them farewell. Louise kept a close eye upon her as she melted into the darkness and shivered the moment the elderly woman was gone. She might act kind, but she was definitely creepy.
Karah led them to the door and unlocked it with a big brass key. “Welcome. Here’s ‘home sweet home’.”
That had to be an euphemism. It had the look of a workshop, not a home. The furniture was all hard woods, like someone had just sawed them from a log and joined them in rudimentary fashion. No rugs, curtains, computers, televisions, game systems nor any kind of decoration at all. Nothing fun, nothing cool or cute, just a plain table and chairs, a workbench and a couple of shelves, with a refrigerator in the corner.
Karah turned to her brother. “Feeling any better?”
"I think I can manage," he said, and when she let go, he staggered and swayed, but stayed on his feet. After a moment, he nodded. “Yeah, I am good.” A turn to Louise. “Follow me. Let me show you around…”
The rest of it was a little better. A kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms, and even a den, albeit barren of furnishings like the rest of the house, save for a shelf half-full of books. “I'll let you take my bedroom for tonight, sound good?”
“That’s fine.” Louise wrapped her arms around herself to suppress the shivers. It was so cold. Even with her dress, the air pricked goosebumps from her skin and her breath misted the air.
Cray slapped his face. “I’m sorry, it’s always pretty cold here but… here.” He reached into a closet and pulled out a brown sweater that had several patches sewn into it. “Wear this.”
She pulled it over and on. It was far too big for her - the sleeves spilled several inches past her hands while the bottom almost made it to her knees. But it was thick, so thick, and warmth poured into her like she’d stepped into a warm bath. “Much better. Thanks.”
“Sorry, I know mine is too big for you… We’ll get you one sized for you tomorrow, don’t worry.” At her nod, he guided her to the larger of the two bedrooms. It wasn’t anything fancy, with no curtains or toys, but there was a picture on the table of Cray with Karah posed beside him and their home behind them, and the bed was a double, which was nice, with cotton sheets and a woolen blanket. She wished she was back home, but -
Home! What was she doing here? Her mom, her dad. They must be terrified. And she was, what? About to settle down in some cold house in the middle of a cave instead of… The blankets weighed her down with warmth and slumber gripped her, but she shook her head to try and stave it off.
Cray cleared his throat. “If you want to go to bed, that's fine. You’ve had a long day.”
/-/
"Got her situated?" Karah said, seated at the table, a part of which was now covered in patches of bluish fur, some shells, and several cans of soup.
“Sort of…” Cray pointed at Louise - who glared fiercely despite her viable exhaustion and clutched at the hem of his shirt for support.
“I need to - I need to go home to my parents!” Louise stumbled out the words, a warble mixed with a shout. “Take me to them.”
“But I already told you -“
“Now!”
Karah massaged her temples, then said, “Look, Cray nearly died, you’re exhausted, and I’m way too tired for this. You want to stay up and argue about an impossibility? Fine. You sit there.” She jabbed a finger at the other chair. “And let us go through what we found first, then Cray can tell you why you’re being stupid. Deal?”
Louise glowered, but exhaustion dragged her defiance into a sullen nod and she turned to Cray. “Promise you’ll tell?”
“I promise,” Cray said. “Now, let me access my inventory…” His words made no sense, but then a pair of soup cans just appeared in his hands. One moment they hadn’t existed. The next… Louise could only stare as countless strange odds and ends, gizmos and more popped into existence and spilled onto the table.
Karah surveyed it with displeasure. “Well, we’ve got eight day’s worth of food at least. Plenty to go to the stockpile.”
“Stockpile?” Louise asked before she could stop herself.
“People have to eat, but not everyone can Find like Cray and I. And even the two of us don’t find food every day.”
Under normal circumstances, Louise would have had thoughtful questions, but right then, it was all she could do to keep her eyes fixed open.
Cray placed a hand on her shoulder. “We don’t go into danger for fun. We’re what people call ‘Finders’. We go out into the outer world to find food, equipment and other resources, then bring them back here.”
“Oh… But you nearly died…”
Karah broke in. “That was only because we messed up. Most days, we get in and out without even dipping below half health.”
“My sister’s right. You’ve always got to be careful Finding, but we can handle it pretty well at this point. We might even be able to take on some of the overrun areas soon, once we’ve gotten a bit stronger. Speaking of which… Here,” He handed Louise a ring. “Take a look at it.”
Louise stared at it. It was kind of pretty but… “Um, I appreciate it but…”
"It’s not just a trinket," Karah said. "Try looking at it in your inventory."
"In my inventory?"
Cray cleared his throat, "Try thinking the following phrase: ‘Access my Inventory’."
Okay, that was weird, but… Access my inventory.
The world dimmed, like someone turned down the light, and several dozen empty gray and white boxes appeared in mid-air in front of her, each about the size of her fist. Startled, she backed up and the boxes followed, staying the same relative distance from her.
And it wasn’t just boxes. In the corner was an image of the person she saw every time she looked in a mirror, with another five boxes surrounding her, each with the words ‘Attuned’ inside.
"It's overwhelming the first time," Cray said in echo of her thoughts, “but focus on the ring."
Louise followed his instruction and turned her gaze to the golden loop. A text box appeared, like the sort she’d seen in video games her mother played with her when she was younger. It read: ‘Hard Ring. Increase to Vitality when Attuned’.
"You see now, don't you? To equip it, put it on and think ‘equip’.”
Louise again did as told. She felt ridiculous - the ring was at least half again as big around as her finger - but the moment she thought the word ‘equip’, the ring shrank in size until the fit around her finger was snug but not uncomfortable.
And that wasn’t the only change. Her body felt… better. She couldn’t explain it, but it was like she’d recovered from a cold, except one she’d suffered her entire life. She was still tired, but not as much as before.
"See?” Cray grinned. “That's what equipment can do. That will make you tougher and able to survive better when attacked.”
"Which is good, because you'll need it tomorrow," Karah said.
"W-Why so?"
"Because tomorrow will be your first Find."