/-/
With a final growl, the last beast collapsed, and its red eyes vanished into a crimson mass like the rest of them.
Cray paused to look around, then nodded and motioned Louise forward. Another room cleared.
She tip-toed into a dining room that was dilapidated even before Cray and Karah’s battle with the creatures riddled the mold-covered walls with bullet holes.
Cray peeked into the next room, then turned back and held one finger up. Karah grimaced but signaled him forward, then joined him inside. Moments later, a thwip from Cray’s silenced pistol mixed with a quick thud and a growl, a couple more thumps, then nothing. Another red mass with more loot. Louise had filled her inventory some time ago, so the only useful thing she could do was check the stopwatch.
Apart from that, she observed her companions. Efficiency, that was the rule. There was no time to waste, so they took out the monsters in each room and grabbed all the loot they could find, then moved onto the next room. And they were quick - they’d cleared the first floor in under thirty minutes. The house was still dark, filled with shadows that at any moment might and often did open up to reveal another monster with sharp teeth, yet Karah and Cray didn’t see it as something to be terrified of, but a challenge to face and overcome. It soothed Louise’s fear to know that they were there with her.
Still, she didn’t miss the grimace on Cray’s face when he mouthed ‘Flesh Hounds’ with an expression like he was sucking on a lemon. They might not be terrified like she’d been, but they weren’t happy either. The flesh hounds were too tough to go down quickly, and worse, just because they went into one room didn’t mean more wouldn’t attack from another. With each room, more damage piled up upon the two of them.
Karah opened another door, the handle almost rusted shut. On the other side was a garage, with a pair of broken-down cars taking up much of the room while a mishmash of various odds and ends surrounded them. A freezer hummed in the corner.
Wait, hummed?
Against all odds, the freezer actually worked. Unlike everything else they had seen, its running lights were on and a chill emanated from it to brush against Louise’s skin like a cool breath.
Cray’s eyes lit up, but when he made to step forward, Karah shoved a hand in front of him, then pointed up.
Louise had to tilt her head back a bit before she saw it. Tucked amongst the moss and almost unnoticeable in the shadows, a black glyph laid upon the ceiling. A spell-trap.
“Could disable it,” Cray said, his voice even softer now than when they began, so quiet it was barely audible over Louise’s own heartbeat. “Take a few minutes.”
Karah bit her lip, then turned to Louise and mouthed ‘Time’.
Louise held up the stopwatch; it now read 1:45.
Karah’s dark curls bounced at the shake of her head, then she whispered, “39%.” When Cray returned with a ‘41%’, she grimaced but turned away.
“Wait-" Louise made to object, but Karah held a finger to her lips.
“Too dangerous. Trap. No time. Withdraw,” the older girl said, each word so quiet Louise barely heard it. “Discuss afterward.”
When they were outside, though, neither Cray nor Karah spoke. Instead, they rushed forward toward to a collapsed bridge. Something had changed, and even the previous quiet conversations gave way to utter silence, the only sound the softest of footsteps.
Yet, perversely, there were even more enemies than before. Constant attacks from multiple angles with few interruptions. The multicolored lizards, the furry monsters that’d attacked yesterday and more. Battle after battle after battle.
It felt like the journey took forever, but when they reached the waypoint, it’d been only perhaps a quarter of a mile and the stopwatch read 1:57.
Karah activated the waypoint, another series of crystalline veins atop the un-collapsed part of the bridge, which glowed to signal its activation. They really hadn’t gone very far, had they? Just a couple of streets over and -
She froze.
There behind them, the house they had battled through, inside which she had nearly died, was gone, vanished into nothingness. Where it once stood, an empty field overgrown with weeds took its place.
Even as the world vanished into streaks of color once more, she couldn’t help but shiver.
/-/
Before Louise was another strange building.
After they finished the Find, they made their way back home just like yesterday. Or rather, she’d thought they had. The twists and turns of the underground tunnel city - Lifehome, they’d called it - were a maze for Louise, but, even with that, she was sure she had never seen the building in front of her in her life. Not because of how strange it looked, but because of how strangely… normal it was.
It looked kind of like the local bank or office. Mostly brick, with big glass windows, glass doors, a few desks visible from outside, the lot of it. And in front of it was a single massive statue, almost as tall as the building itself, of a robed figure in gleaming plate armor who held a sword over their head.
‘May we always follow in his footsteps in the search for Elysium,’ said the placard in front, underneath a plastic sign that read in blocky text ‘TOWN HALL’.
Almost normal from outside, to the point that Louise wouldn’t have taken a second glance if she stood in a parking lot rather than an underground cave system. Still, there was nothing to see that told her why she was here.
"Now that you’ve done your first Find, you have to be registered," Karah said. Before Louise could respond; she turned to Cray. "Don't worry, I've got this. You go take care of your stuff."
"Are you sure?" It might have been Karah’s question, but his gaze was on his Louise. “I can stay to help…”
She appreciated his asking - it would feel kind of weird without Cray beside her, but a registration didn't sound that bad and Karah was confident. So, in the end, Louise just shrugged.
Cray smiled, visibly relieved. "Very well. I’d stay if it was big, but it sounds like you’ve got it all covered, and it’s been a couple days since I’ve done any deliveries.”
Louise waved him off with a smile, then turned to Karah. “Deliveries…?”
“Yes, we can’t always be Finding, for a number of reasons, so a lot of Finders do additional tasks on the side in return for crafting materials, gadgets, books or such like that. Just like how Tela cleaned our stuff last night, Cray delivers stuff to people in Lifehome.”
It made sense. Eventually, they’d run out of time to continue the Find. This way, they could do other things and be a bit better prepared in the next Find. “So Cray does deliveries. What about you?”
“I clear some of the tunnels. See that?” She pointed at a small tunnel off in the distance. “I helped build that and got enough for a weapon upgrade besides.” She cleared her throat. “Now, registration is quick and easy, just some simple questions; we should be in and out within an hour. We need to do it though so the town can keep track of you - if it’s providing us food, it’s got to know we exist."
It sounded simple enough, and Louise followed Karah inside.
Louise wasn't sure what she should've expected from the Town Hall, but it was quite mundane, with a lobby surrounded by offices and desks and the like. The differences though were stark. There were pots for potted plants, but just the pots and the dirt within, but no plant, like a parody of the small trees she’d found in offices back home. The smell of moisture was heavy upon the air, another reminder that despite appearances, they were still underground. Three hard-backed chairs sat in the lobby, two empty but the third occupied by a short man in what could have been Police Department garb, save for the glowing staff he carried. He mopped his balding forehead and offered a tight smile.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Karah took the seat next to him, which left the seat on the end for Louise. Then they waited.
The chair dug into the small of her back, while the cold air really got the chance to seep in since she couldn’t move around. Louise shivered and wished she’d brought a jacket.
The man cleared his throat with all the deliberate awkwardness of making conversation. "So… what are you here for?"
Louise glanced at Karah, who shrugged, as if to say it was her business what she told him. He had an inoffensive and meek enough smile, so she muttered, "Registration."
"Regis- Ahh, you must be a new one." He chuckled. "I still remember when my old team found me out on the Broken Highway. All I remembered before was being a farmer, and now I had to fight in this world of death? Insanity! But don’t worry, though. Just take it easy, get acclimated, and you'll do fine. Like me." He jabbed at his chest, which was admittedly quite muscled. “A couple years and you’ll be cruising along just fine.”
"Sure…" Going easy sounded nice enough, she supposed, but how would she ever find her parents if she just took it easy? Still, she barely knew him and certainly didn't want to have that conversation here. Soon enough, the man was called back and left them alone in that strange lobby.
"Don't be nervous," Karah said suddenly, breaking the silence. "They're just going to ask you a few questions, then register you to Find with us… Unless, of course, you would prefer to join a welcoming group."
Louise made her opinion of that known with a scowl. She didn't know Karah and Cray well yet, but they had helped her, and the fact that they risked their lives to do so made them people she could trust.
Karah chuckled at her action. "Alright. Just let them know that when you register.”
Louise and Karah were called a few minutes later. They were guided into an office, or perhaps a twisted parody of one. On the other side of the door sat a threadbare chair in front of a desk with years of stains. And seated at that desk was a woman. Large in both stature and waist, she wore a cloak with several glyphs upon it, and rings festooned her hands - over a dozen of them glittered upon her fingers.
Louise froze. That face... she could have sworn she'd seen it before... Somewhere.
She brushed some bushy black hair out of her face and said, "Hello there, Karah. How can I help you today?"
Louise and Karah sat down on the other side of the desk, each in a worn armchair. Karah motioned to Louise and said, “She’s new, came in yesterday. Thought we’d register her and get everything set up for rations and the like. She’s going to be with Cray and me, at least for the near future."
"Oh?" The woman pulled out a sheet of paper and pencil, then peered down at Louise, but there was no spark of reaction, no familiarity. "Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Let’s get you started. What's your name?"
Maybe I imagined it? She might just have one of those faces? But the expectent look on the other woman made Louise remembered she'd been asked a question. "Louise… Louise Carmichael."
"Louise Carmichael… Got it.” She wrote on the paper - which was notebook paper half-covered with a bunch of eraser marks. “I am Aimee, by the way. I'm on the Town Council, and my job is to make sure everyone gets what they need to survive. If you’re having trouble getting your food allotment, or need some basic ammunition or stuff of that nature, just come to me.” She gave an exaggerated wink and thumbs up.
"Okay…"
Aimee glanced at Karah. "She'll be a Finder, right?"
"Do I have to be?" Louise asked.
A pause. "There are a few positions that don't require finding, but the vast majority of people in Lifehome Find, and those positions almost never have openings." Crackle. Aimee shuffled some papers, then cleared her throat. "We can test you at another time and see if you'd be eligible for any of those."
"Sounds good…"
Aimee took them through about 10 questions, most very basic or answered by Karah, such as what their address was and what time they’d pick up the food. By the end of it, Louise was sure she'd made a mistake about recognizing the woman.
After she finally finished and set down the pencil, Aimee offered another wide smile. "Now, I understand that the two of you want to teach her, but realize you don’t have to. No disrespect." She nodded to Karah. "But the Welcoming Group is very good at getting new people situated. Teaching someone how to Find is a big responsibility."
Karah crossed her arms over her chest. "We are aware.”
“And the same thing goes for you too, Louise. You may wish to start with them, but if you find yourself reconsidering, just reach out to us and we’ll set you up with a Welcoming Group.”
A group of people who barely knew her. Just wonderful. "I'll stay with Karah and Cray, thanks.”
"Very well. Okay, I've got you all properly registered. Welcome to Lifehome. And may your Finds always be profitable."
/-/
"Alright, empty your inventory," Karah said once she’d finished doing the same. The pile already there was stark and washed out beneath the harsh light overhead, rather like a dentist’s office.
Louise swallowed. It took her a moment to remember how, but then item after item spilled out with a clatter to join the mass before them.
“Alright,” Cray said. “When you examine an item, it tells you what type it is. So the next step is to get everything sorted. Food with food, equipment with equipment…”
Louise followed his directions and, soon enough, five piles took shape. The smallest pile by a long shot was equipment, with only a ring and a pair of jeans all on their lonesome. Second-smallest was food, where a three-pound bag of rice sat beside some spices and two cans of chicken noodle soup. The third was ‘other’, which consisted of a mostly intact chair, six batteries and a remote control - the smell of ozone came from that one. There were also consumables - mostly ammo, plus a small pack of bandages and three pills of some sort - and the largest pile of all: crafting materials. All sorts of things were in this pile: metal scraps, bones, scales, hunks of plastic and more.
Cray grinned at her interest. “I know it looks like a lot, but it doesn’t stretch as far as you’d think. Only some will be what you’re looking for.”
“That is why you need to know what you need.” Karah separated a small pile of multicolored scales away from the rest. “Guard Scales are useless for us, but defense specialists like them. Prioritize what you need and barter away or exchange the rest for stuff that’s useful to you.”
That made sense, Louise supposed, although it still confused her.
“Next we look for upgrades.” Cray pointed at the two lonely pieces of equipment. “Take a look at those and see if either would be improvements.”
The first one read ‘Echo Guards’, but had the look of jeans, coarse to the touch and with rips in a few places to boot. Wonderful. Louise was more of a dresses and skirts kind of girl, but reminded herself that her life was far more important than clothing preferences, and peered at the little information box over them. “Leg Item. Small increase to agility… defensive abilities echo at one-tenth of effectiveness?”
“Yes,” Cray said. “Some items give special attributes, which are more varied and suited to particular users. Those Echo Guards are best for those with defensive abilities.”
“Oh. Should I equip them?”
“Until you find something more suited to you, yes.”
Louise equipped them and her dress vanished with a whoosh, replaced by the jeans and a simple t-shirt. The effect was immediate, a feeling of coordination, like she could jump onto the table in one smooth leap, although she could have done without the itchy feeling from the jeans.
Louise turned to the ring, silver with an almost cartoonishly large sapphire on it, and frowned at some words in red. “It says if I equip these, I’ll lose the benefits of my current ones?”
“That’s right,” Karah said. “You can equip only five pieces of gear total and no more than one of the same type - you can’t wear five pairs of chest-guards, for example. That’s why it’s so important to know what you need.”
Louise read it again. “This one provides a small boost to magic attack.” A check of her inventory showed the Hard Ring she wore increased her vitality, so it was defense versus offense. She turned to Karah and Cray. "Is that better than the one I have now?
"Part of being a good Finder is figuring out which equipment works best for you. Still..." Karah eyed the little loop and considered. “At your level... survival is probably more useful than a more powerful attack. A few good hits could kill you, so maybe keep the one you’re using, and we’ll scrap this one.”
Louise hefted the ring in her hand. Powerful spells would be nice, but given how close she came to death against the flesh hounds… "I think I’ll keep what I’m wearing.”
Karah nodded. “Then we’ll salvage it. Some Astra’s Breath is better than nothing.”
“Maybe… but why not barter it to someone else who could use it?”
A shake of the head from Cray. “Afraid not. They could put it on, but only the people who originally find the equipment benefit from any enchantments. For anyone else, it’s just pretty jewelry.”
Next, they sorted out the food and put it in a freezer temporarily so it could be sent to the Town Council later. Everything else got chucked into several large crates and bins in that strange shed attached to the side of the house.
Once they’d trotted back, Karah leaned against the kitchen table and mopped her brow. “Now, do you have any questions about your first Find?”
Questions? She had a bunch, but the first was... "Why didn’t we disable the trap and open the freezer? You said you’d explain.”
"Ah, yes, we were nearly out of time," Karah said. "The stopwatch had us just a few minutes before the two-hour mark when we got back."
“And why is that important? You never said…”
"Because you don't stay out after two hours if you can possibly afford it. Ever."
"So, if we'd gone for that freezer… we’d have, what? Died?”
"Not necessarily. Odds are, we probably would have made it out okay. It'd have been close, but doable. "
"But then-?"
"Why head back anyway? Because if we take that risk, there's a chance we don’t make it back.” Her voice lowered, silken yet carrying. “Some people test their luck. And it usually works too. At first. They come back with tons of loot. Then it worked once, so why not do it again? And again. Until one day they overestimate themselves a little too much, then bam!” Karah slammed her hand on the table and Louise jumped. “They don’t come back. But I won’t let that happen. We’re going to come back, all three of us, no matter what. Understood?”
Louise nodded rapidly.
“Now, what was your next question?”
‘What will we do about my parents?’ The words were on the tip of her tongue, but it didn’t feel like the right time, not just yet. She asked about those lizard creatures instead.