The brain has a remarkable ability to process information. Mine had been in overdrive since the moment I’d woken in the crypt. Hearing Kage’s nonchalant speech, as if this insane ordeal was another walk in the park, left it stunned and with far too many questions.
I stared numbly at the hoarder and his companion. How did we all get here, I thought. Did they both die beforehand? But we’re all standing here in the flesh, and I’m positive this isn’t some twisted dream. This has to be something else. The way back home--
Kage’s friend interrupted my train of thought. “Jair, was it? My name is Bellamy. Nice to see another friendly face around here.” He extended his hand, though stopped short at my hesitation. The withered and pallid limb was even more shocking up close. “Right, sorry about that. Still not used to the zombie arm myself.”
I smiled, returning the handshake. There was none of the weakness I’d expected from the grievous deformity. In fact, the man’s grip was strong, more powerful even than the ghoul’s vicelike grasp. “Can I ask how it happened?” I said in vague surprise.
Bellamy didn’t answer at first, his cheerful expression uneasy. I was about to offer an apology when he laughed and continued. “I woke up in a courtyard not too far from here. First thing I noticed when I looked around was someone stooping beneath a tree.”
“A ghoul?” I asked. Bellamy nodded his head, reaching down to cradle the bandaged limb. “I didn’t question the tattered cloth and leather it wore, or the grey skin that was exposed. All I could think about was my confusion and a need for answers.” His dark brown eyes darted around the room as if playing back the memory.
“Before I’d spoken two words the ghoul was on me.” Bellamy studied the bandages for a moment before turning to Kage. “Ran into Kage when I was fleeing for my life. He brought me back here and cleaned the wound. This was about an hour ago.”
That would have been just after I woke up, though it still didn’t explain the arm’s stark transformation.
Kage pulled up a chair in front of us, letting out a long drawn-out sigh. “Let’s not beat around the bush here. You’re infected now, thanks to those pearly whites it sunk into your arm.”
“What? I thought you said you stopped the infection?” Bellamy said, looking at Kage.
Kage shook his head, seeming unconcerned. “That arm look clean and healthy to you? No, all I did was wrap you up like a mummy and add some herbs to the mix. Halts the rot in its tracks, for a while at least.”
“Then what happens?” Bellamy asked, face a mask of worry.
“You turn,” Kage said matter of factly. “Rot travels to the brain and changes you into one of them. Not quite dead, but you’d wish you were.”
I winced, remembering my fight with the ghoul. It could have just as easily been me slowly getting transformed from the inside. I tried to put it out of my mind, but that was like trying not to blink. Wait, he’d said something about halting the infection…
“The herbs!” I said, relieved. “We can just gather more, right?”
“Sure kid, no problem at all,” Kage said. “Just have to cross a small lake filled with murderous goldfish first.”
“Wait,” I said, “are you being serious?”
“A little less gold, maybe, but a lot more fangs,” Kage said.
“Great,” I replied. “Crazy fish aside, I’ve had one question eating away at me. What exactly is going on?”
“We’re all dead, for starters,” Kage said. “You two must have bit the bullet around the same time.” He leaned back in his chair, looking at us in turn. “Remember anything unusual beforehand?”
“What,” I said. “You mean besides the graverobbers that stabbed me and put me in a coffin?”
“I think he’s referring to the voice that appeared in our heads,” Bellamy added silently.
“Bingo,” Kage said, giving him a thumbs up. “A little signature and we got whisked away.” He let out a small smirk as he crossed his arms. “For the record Jair, that’s one hell of a going away party.”
“Sorry,” I said, realizing just how annoyed I was from the ordeal. “Still trying to process all of this.”
Bellamy glanced at me, then at Kage. “That doesn’t explain how you knew our names.”
“Was wondering when one of you would bring that up,” Kage said. “The voice in our heads did more than just bring us here.” He moved to one of the tables and picked up a rusted sword. "Everything in this shithole is like a character in a book, with its own name, description, and history."
I almost yelled in shock as Kage flung the sword over at my feet, barely managing to catch the hilt. The familiar glow of text appeared unannounced beside my hand.
Corroded Shortsword
This small straight sword is common among soldiers and knights alike, only matched by the longsword. Rust and grime coat the surface, dulling the edge significantly.
“A little long winded if you ask me,” Kage said. “Luckily, it works on people too. That includes any ghouls you’re bound to run into, along with all of us.”
“But you never touched Jair,” Bellamy said, still staring at the text. This must be his first experience, I realized. At least he’s taking it in stride. Can’t say the same happened to me.
“Didn’t need to,” Kage said. “All it takes is a little concentration.” He looked at both of us in turn, pointing at Bellamy. “Bellamy Beckett, 19 years old and infected with the rot.” Kage glanced to me next. “Jair Ornholm, 20 years old, right shoulder bruised and battered.” I’d nearly forgotten about the pain in the recent haze of events.
I studied Kage intently, focusing hard on the mass of belongings across his chest. Nothing happened. Is there some other trick to this? The weapon descriptions came up instantly. I pushed away the thoughts, pushed away the crackle from the fire pit and Bellamy’s steady exhale. All that remained was Kage’s broad form.
Kage - Age 42
Status: Uninjured
---
Cores: 28,562
“I think I got it,” I said. That didn’t comfort me, considering most of the information seemed to be hidden away. “Uh, what about these cores at the bottom. Your number is through the roof.”
Kage smiled, grinning wide. “That, my curious friend, is one of the few things I’m still ignorant about. As far as I can tell every monster we butcher leaves behind cores. The mess of the situation is they’ve done fuckall for two solid years. After a while I just stopped keeping track.”
The conversation lulled to a stop as Bellamy and I took a moment to inspect the room. Now that I knew how to analyze things from a distance it was impossible to resist. A set of leather armor worn by a dying soldier in his last moments. Stacks of maps showcasing the twists and turns outside the crypt. Even a simple silver coin tucked away by the fire, once proudly owned by a wealthy nobleman. Compared to the violent venture and Kage’s mysterious arrival, the details were calm and reassuring.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
I moved to stand behind Kage, picking up the armor I’d first seen. “So you’ve been here for two years collecting all of this? Why haven’t you-”
“What, left? First thing I tried after I ended up here,” Kage said. “That courtyard Bellamy mentioned is our ticket out. Only problem is the exit beyond is guarded, by something far stronger and tougher than a ghoul. Trust me kid, you don’t want to tango with it.”
Kage held my attention with a deep frown. “All the weapons here can’t put a scratch on its hide. Doesn’t help that most of the arrows and blades are rusting away.” He waved at the armor in my hands. “You’ll want to put that on at least. Far sight better than a jacket against a ghoul bite.”
“What are we going to do then,” Bellamy said, standing. “If there’s a chance we can go back home shouldn’t we take it?”
“Yes,” I said fervently, stepping forward. “I know you said the monster is tough but we can fight it together. Lure some ghouls to it if we have to!”
Kage shook his head. He continued past us towards the entrance, heavy pack shifting against his back. “I made this decision a long time ago. We have to fight the battles we can make it out alive.”
He walked out into the hallway. Bellamy and I stared after him in silence, the fire pit giving a cold glow to the crowded chamber.
---
We made the easy decision to scramble after Kage’s retreating form. Bellamy had thrown on a chainmail hauberk that draped over his gangly frame. It looked awkward and heavy, but I couldn’t deny the protection the links of metal provided.
I tightened the longsword around my waist behind them, watching warily. Kage’s stride was confident and loud, but I still expected a ghoul to come howling at us around each winding bend of the halls.
Each step took us further away from the crypt. The halls were wide but strangely weatherworn, despite the enclosed space. For the first several minutes we moved in silence, halting briefly at various intersections for signs or sounds of nearby ghouls. The way remained well lit with torches, a seemingly endless maze of stone and shadows that danced along rotted wood.
After a while, Kage pulled up short at an open clearing. “Was this the lake you mentioned earlier,” Bellamy asked, a little breathlessly, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
Kage nodded briefly, looking as if the trek hadn’t fazed him one bit despite everything he carried. “Those herbs around your arm used to grow along the bank. Picked the last of them a few weeks ago before I tried my hand at diving underwater bare-ass naked.”
I craned my neck, trying to peer into the depths. Murky, dark-brown water stretched away from the clearing, wrapping around an island of rock a considerable distance away. I couldn’t make out anything below the surface, but the way the water ripped reminded me of the dangerous fish.
“I assume that’s when you met the, uh, goldfish?” I said.
“Bastards went straight for my dangly bits the moment I went under. Couldn’t get away fast enough,” Kage said.
Great, even the fish here are out to get me.
That made me step toward the water for some stupid reason, even though it was a clear source of danger. Maybe it was an urge to get a closer look, or an insane idea to test just how cruel my new world was. Regardless, it did feel good to know what was across the lake. Getting there seemed a task even Kage would have difficulty with.
Bellamy’s breath caught behind me, and I thought he might tell me to back away, but it wasn’t that. “Jair!” he said, pointing out towards the middle of the lake. “Look!”
I squinted, noticing the information window took longer to form. A delay relating to distance perhaps?
Mutated Crill
Engorged and twisted from the consumption of undead, these carnivorous fish flock to the deepest and darkest of water sources. Unlucky is any man or beast caught in their razor-sharp maw.
Again I was struck dumb by the monster. Enormous didn’t begin to cover it.
Bright amber scales wrapped around a forked fin that jetted out of the water. The crill’s fangs glittered in the low light as it arked through the air. Another crill followed a moment later. And another. Then half a dozen more.
“You’re kidding, right? You want us to swim past that?” I said.
“No. I want us to row past that,” Kage said. Eyes still fixed on the school of crill, he pointed off to the far edge of the clearing. A broken-down boat lay tucked in the shadows, replete with a set of oars. “Should be enough to get us there and back in one piece.”
“Won’t the crill just chew through the wood?” Bellamy asked nervously, idling the thin boards along the hull.
“They’ll ignore the boat as if we didn’t exist,” Kage said. “All we have to worry about is a hole or leak. Crill detect that, and we can kiss our asses goodbye.” He started toward the boat and Bellamy and I followed. Up close, it looked even more dilapidated. Decayed rope lashed most of the boards together. Twine, scraps of leather and torn cloth glued together the rest, affording a space wide enough to fit all three of us.
He’s going to get us killed, I realized. Again. And yet if what he said was true, the only sources of healing were on the island. Something that Bellamy desperately needed just to stay alive.
Kage waited for us to climb aboard before pushing hard on the stern. I squeezed close next to Bellamy as the boat jostled forward. In this gruesome and hostile world, I half expected us to start taking on water the moment we reached the bank. With any luck we’d rebuild the boat and try again another day.
At the last second Kage clambered aboard with a curse, then grabbed an oar and shoved us the rest of the way into the water. He was strong, and Bellamy - eyes wide and frantic - stumbled to the right, his ghoul arm reaching out to clutch my knee for support. I winced at the sudden powerful pressure. This was nothing like the handshake from before.
“Sorry!” Bellamy said, releasing his hand. “Still not used to my new strength.”
“That makes two of us,” I replied. The thought of his newfound limb having enough power to crush my knee to a pulp - much less a ghoul’s skull - suddenly made me very, very nervous.
I hurried to grab an oar, steering with mismatched strokes. Bellamy and Kage churned through the water quickly and quietly, and with their added force, it was a brief ride before the island was in full view. Coarse black rock jutted out at odd angles at the edge, encompassing a flat foundation that rested just above the waterline. Tufts of green dotted the island’s surface, most low to the ground while others reached high into the air.
Kage slowed our speed as we neared. I looked around, matching his pace, worried the crill would appear at any moment.
A fin darted through the water alongside the boat. This close, each bright amber scale was visible, bulging like a thick carapace of plated armor. Where the mouth should have been was just an open maw, filled to the brim with serrated fangs as long as a finger.
Worst of all, it wasn’t alone.
“Umm…Kage,” Bellamy said. He stared, transfixed, as another fin broke the water’s surface.
“Little busy here kid,” Kage responded, straining to steer the boat. The jutting rocks left little room for a safe place to dock.
“I know that, but.”
“What the hell has you so worked up,” Kage snapped, turning to face us. Then his eyes slid over to the pair of crill. “I told you they won’t bother us inside the boat.”
Bellamy and I shared a long look of doubt before one of the crill flew out of the water. It landed in the middle of the hull with a loud thump, spraying water as it flopped around. I backpedaled away with a shout and pressed myself back against the bow, out of range of its gnashing fangs.
Another crill arced through the air and toppled onto the first. I didn’t dare look away, but I could hear Kage cursing and yelling. I was too focused on how huge they really were. A narrow boat like this couldn’t hold more than a few more crill before they were at our heels.
Then do something about it, I thought. I took a deep breath, dropping my oar and pulling the longsword out with both hands. I leaned forward precariously on one knee, putting myself at risk, and shoved the sword forward. The cramped interior gave me an easy path to the bottommost crill.
It spasmed as the rusted metal slid into its body. I prepared to pull the blade out as a popup filled my view.
Mutated Crill Slain
15 Cores Obtained
“Don’t just sit there!” Kage yelled. More crill had jumped in near his section of the boat. Foregoing a weapon, he continued to throw them away with his bare hands, most splattering against the edge of the island.
I sliced open another as Bellamy took my discarded oar. Heedless of the fish fight around him he paddled like a man possessed. It should have been impossible to keep up the feverish pace. Still, we were flying; whatever else that ghoul had done, it looked like his stamina had been affected too.
With one last splash of the oar the boat crashed onto the island. I skewered one last crill then leaped off, following Bellamy and Kage in an unsteady rush. The leather boots I’d taken ignored the worst of the coarse rock, something that I was silently thankful for. My old, light sneakers would have fallen apart in a heartbeat.
I shambled over behind Kage and looked back at the boat. Would it still be intact?
A loud crack sounded in the air, and I winced, watching helplessly as our sole means off the island began to take on water. Moments later only the bow was visible, until that too sunk out of sight.
“Is everyone alright?” Bellamy said.
“Besides the fact we’re now shipwrecked? Yeah, peachy. I mean, how much more horrible can this place get?” I said.
Kage smirked before leaning back with a sigh. “Nah, don’t worry. It can get a lot more horrible.”