Return
Jay led the way back to the highway. Making their way back was slower going than the trip up, forcing the team to stop for the night. The RVs offered a great place for everyone to stay indoors rather than out on the road under the stars or in the GS2. Being so large, the road had to be cleared more often to allow the RVs to pass on I-35, so everyone was completely exhausted by the end of the day.
A trip that would normally have taken just a few hours was turning into over a day. But no one complained. The rescued team was more than happy to get out and help clear the roads. Frank continued to use his "spell" to smash the cars out of the way as well.
When they reached the site of the goblin battle, everyone exited their vehicles to help remove the bodies from the road. Many already had the telltale signs of scavengers feasting on them, and the stench was terrible. Once again, quick showers in the RVs for those who were the most covered in the gore were a lifesaver.
"We definitely should use these things on our next trip out," James said as he stood inside one of the RVs with a towel around his waist, drying his hair with a second.
"Nah, the GS2 is the way to go for me. And if we can upgrade it to have weapon capabilities," Jay made a chef's kiss motion with one hand.
"Just think about what this thing could do if you ran over a few goblins and upgraded it, though," James countered.
Jay paused for a moment as the possibilities crossed through his mind.
"See. You're picturing it too,"
"I mean, it definitely could be cool," Jay had to admit. "But it lacks the standard utility of a regular vehicle. And they're so unwieldy."
"I'm just saying, think about what kind of mobile tactical options it might have as a base to take out with us. Plus, more than seven people at a time could ride if we wanted to deploy it for moving people."
"Boys and their toys," Lacey said, rolling her eyes.
"Hippies and their...crysties..." James replied awkwardly.
"I'll have you know, these crystals that you seem to keep making fun of are power sources. Let me show you," Lacey said, standing up and marching to the door.
Stepping out of the RV, Jay and James stared at each other in confusion before watching Lacey hold one of the crystals up and point it at a tree in the distance. It began to glow with a yellowish light before suddenly shooting a beam of energy at the tree.
It exploded in a shower of splinters, a plume of smoke rising from the now-burning tree. Jay and James' jaws dropped open in shock.
"And that is just part of what it can do. When I store energy in these crystals, I can use them as a focal point for spells to release a greater amount of energy at once. It's really nice when your mana is low, and you still need to heal people," Lacey explained.
Jay and James stared at Lacey in disbelief.
"What? You thought I was just some weird soccer mom who thinks these things have natural healing powers and throws essential oils at every malady that pops up?" Lacey asked.
"I mean....we did until now!" Jay replied.
"I need one of those crystals," James said, staring enviously at the one in her hand.
"Find your own. And be aware that not every crystal is capable of holding energy. Some will explode if you even try,"
"So, how do you know which ones can hold energy?" Jay asked.
"Inspecting them. They will have properties that show how much power they can hold. There's a ranking system for crystals."
"Could you do it with gemstones?"
"No, those are not exactly the same. They can be used to enhance items, so they hold enchantments really well, but not just holding energy. They act more like a conduit."
"How did you learn all of this?" Susie asked.
"What the hell?!" James said, jumping at having not noticed she had followed them out.
"It was actually an accident the first time. I was holding one that I had found a goblin holding. I think he just liked it because it was shiny. I picked it up and felt something inside of it. I inspected it and noticed it had some mana in it. I spoke with Bohdan, Herbert, and Roland at the guild to try to learn more about them. Harold was especially interested in their capabilities for some new weapons he was working on."
"Okay, but I still don't really see the difference. What makes a crystal better suited for holding energy vs a gem better for enchantments?" Jay asked.
"Crystals always have a crystalline structure where the atoms that make them up are arranged in a repeating pattern that gives them a geometric shape. Gems can have various patterns that could be crystalline or geometric. This means that gems are usually weaker than crystals. Also, the differing patterns of formation in a gem, which are usually formed under extreme heat and pressure, make for better conduits.
Crystals being singularly focused on one type of pattern, and formed through the accumulation of minerals or vapor deposits means that the atoms are more spread out, allowing for the storage of energy and making enchantment conduction more difficult." Lacey explained.
"And...you just happen to know all of this?" James asked.
"I told you; I spoke with several people who are much smarter than I am before I figured it out. Have you had a conversation with Herbert before? He's brilliant."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Can't say that I have," James replied.
"Do it sometime. He'll talk your ear off, but you'll learn something. They do nothing but research down there in the basement. So many things Vanguard has for comforts and defenses come from that lab," Lacey said, smiling at them. "We would be just surviving like the people we just rescued without them."
"Well, as much fun as this has been, James, put some fucking clothes on. I'm worried a breeze is gonna give us another view that no one wants. After the fire incident, I could go the rest of my life without another show and die happy," Jay said as he stepped back into the RV.
"Hey, I'm in the best shape of my life now because of the System. Who wouldn't want a piece of this!"
James raised his arms to show off his biceps, and his towel fell off.
"Oh, sweet lord," Lacey said as she hurriedly covered Susie's eyes and ushered her into the RV.
James quickly gathered his towel and wrapped it back around himself.
"Damn, things need velcro," He swore under his breath.
A bowl flew out of the RV, hitting James in the head.
"OW! What the hell?" James called as he covered his head with one hand where he was struck.
"Get some clothes on ya pervert!" Jay called from inside, barely able to contain his laughter.
A short time later, everyone was thankfully dressed and loading up into their vehicles. Taking off again, the teams continued past the now-cleared roads, heading for Dallas. When the guild building was in sight, Jay hailed TJ, using the new communication devices, to let them know of their arrival.
When they returned, the gates were open and ready for them. The RVs were directed to the parking garage, but due to their height, they had to park outside the entrance. When the vehicles had all been unloaded, Tom came out of the building to greet them.
"So, how did it go?" Tom said, looking at the GS2.
His eyes went wide suddenly, and he looked back at Jay.
"Why is almost all of the XP gone?" He asked, one eye twitching slightly. "And is it taller?"
"Now, Tom, I can explain...It was James," Jay said, totally throwing his friend under the bus.
"What?!" James said at hearing his name.
"What did you do?" Tom asked, wheeling around to glare at James.
"I-I-I..." James stammered.
Tom stared at James with a look that could have melted steel as he tried to come up with words he could string together into a sentence. Suddenly, a smile broke out on Tom's face as he began to chuckle, then broke out in full-on laughter.
"I told Jay those points were to be used for whatever you all needed. Didn't he tell you that?" Tom said between fits of laughter.
"He did...but the look on your face made that all seem like a lie," James said cautiously.
Tom sighed as he got his laughing under control. "But really, what happened to it? Some monster smash it up?"
"Well...not exactly," James said hesitantly.
James relayed the details of what had happened. He told them about the goblins and their towers, about Frank going completely postal, and where Mark tried to blow up the towers, only to drop a fireball inside the vehicle.
"Look, I'm just glad you all are okay. Things can be replaced. You all cannot," Tom said, putting a hand on James' shoulder.
"So, you aren't mad?" James asked.
"No," Tom replied.
"Oh, thank god. I was worried you'd do something like try to kill me," James breathed a sigh of relief at this pronouncement.
"Oh, no. Of course, not. At least, not so long as you get those XP back on the vehicle," Tom grinned maliciously at James. "You can take it out and run over some monsters to get it all back. No harm, no foul."
James swallowed hard as he looked at Tom, then the GS2. He walked solemnly over to the vehicle and got inside. He drove off to find some more creatures to kill.
"How did the rest of you fair?" Tom asked.
Jay gave Tom a rundown of everything that had happened on their trip. When he finished, Tom was turning red as he tried not to laugh at the entire situation.
"I'm so sorry. But at least it all worked out okay," Tom said, barely controlling himself.
"I know you wanted me to work with them to be better. I think they learned quite a bit about what it means to work as a team. They've still got more to learn, but I think they can do it. You just need to keep them together," Jay said.
"Cool, now we just need him to come back and take them with him on his trip. He shouldn't be out there by himself," Tom said.
Jay facepalmed, "I didn't even think of that."
Jay took out his communication pendant and called James. He answered, and Jay told him to come back for his team. When he returned a few minutes later, he glared at Tom and Jay.
"You could have said something before I left," he complained.
"We thought it was obvious. It's not safe out there anymore. Always take a team with you. We don't send anyone out to kill without backup," Tom replied.
James paused, looking at Tom for a long moment. "Yeah, fine. Get in, losers. We're going hunting."
The rest of the team looked from Jay and Tom to James. Frank shrugged and walked toward the vehicle. Everyone else followed after Frank, and they took off into the city again.
"Our little boy is finally growing up," Tom said jokingly.
"You need to spend more time with him. You'd see that totally isn't true," Jay replied.