Chapter 4: Hawkblade

The first thing Miriam noticed upon waking up was that she was, in fact, still alive. The second thing she noticed was that she felt a comfortable mattress beneath her back instead of hard, hot ground.

She sat bolt upright, opening her eyes. She immediately regretted doing so as she was blinded by the bright sunlight. She grunted in discomfort and cringed, shielding her eyes. When they finally adjusted, she found herself in a small whitewashed room. Its main fixture was the double bed she was currently sleeping in, but aside from that the room was bare. A window sat carved into the wall to her right, separated from the outside world by a curtain of greyish mesh instead of glass. She couldn’t see anything behind it. To her left was a white wooden door, and she could hear the faint sounds of talking and moving coming from behind it.

She immediately checked her Attribute Sheet. To her surprise, not only was she back at full Hp, she had apparently learned a new skill! Right under the [Moves (advanced)] tab, she could read the words [Defy Death Lv. 1].

For a second, she was confused. She couldn’t remember hearing the voice notify her of this change. Maybe I was unconscious when I learned it. Anyway, I wonder what it does.

[Description of Advanced Skill: Defy Death: You experienced certain death, but somehow survived. You are immune to the debuff: Bleeding Out. Additionally, if you would take enough damage to die, you instead drop down to 1 Hp. This ability has a cooldown equal to 24 hours-skill level (minimum of 1 hour).]

Oh my god, this skill sounds so useful! Is it because I survived the imp’s attack?

She pulled off the covers and clambered out of bed. Her joints ached like the devil, but aside from that she wasn’t injured. No hangover this time - maybe I only get those if I was poisoned? She was still wearing the same grey burlap robe, and the contents of her inventory were completely intact. Rubbing her eyes, she walked to the doorway and opened it, revealing a whitewashed hallway. To her left and right, several identical doors led off into hidden rooms. Is this a hotel? Robin said something about a tavern in town, maybe he meant an inn? To her far right, a staircase led downwards, presumably to the first floor of the inn or whatever the building was. Conversation emanated from the lower floor, so she began to walk there.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she looked down into a large, kitchen-like chamber. A large fire burned in a hearth on the opposite wall, and a large black cauldron sat off to the side, unused. A pile of what appeared to be giant dark grey clawed legs sat next to the fire. I haven’t seen any trees anywhere around here, maybe they use those… claws? Instead of firewood? I hope they don’t come from those spiders they were herding. That would be gross. A large wooden counter started next to the cauldron and wrapped around the room, disappearing from sight. So they must have wood around here, it’s probably just too expensive to make fires out of.

She crept down the stairs, and began to make out the sounds of a heated conversation in the familiar New-York-Texan accent. Intrigued, she leaned down so as to better hear the speaking.

“Order damn it!” a deep feminine voice bellowed. “Damn it all!” Miriam recognized the voice as belonging to one of the people who had presumably rescued her from the imps.

“Calm yourself, Melinda,” a lighter feminine voice responded. “We’ve got guests upstairs.”

“She’s right, big sister,” a deep masculine voice interjected. “We lost five spiders to the demons. When the cult comes around t’ collect tribute, we’ll have to decide between giving ‘em what they want or havin’ enough food to last through eruption season. We barely made it through last year - and this year we got at least six new infants to feed. Either way, June, we’re fucked with Order’s barbed claws.”

“You said it, Jared!” the shouting woman - Melinda - exclaimed. “We’re fucked, June. Either we’re killed now, or we starve later. Fuck it all.”

June sighed. “As much as I don’t wanna admit it… You got a point.” At this point, the conversation seemed to end, so Miriam took it as an opportunity to finish climbing down the stairs.

The room on the ground floor was indeed a kitchen. The wide counter continued to wrap around the room, ending behind the staircase. Numerous small boxes and crates were stacked underneath it, presumably full of foodstuffs and other supplies. A smaller wooden table stood alone in the middle of the rectangular chamber, and the three people Miriam had heard talking stood around it.

[Melinda: Wretch Lv. 5] was a tall, muscular Asian woman in her late twenties with cropped maroon hair. [Jared: Wretch Lv. 3] and [June: Wretch Lv. 4] were both short, dark-skinned, and aqua-haired. They appeared to both be in their mid-thirties, and had similar weathered faces. They’re siblings, aren’t they? I heard Jared call June his ‘sister’. Melinda looked to be fuming, and the aqua-haired siblings were just staring dejectedly at the floor.

“Um, hello?” Miriam called.

Immediately, Jared looked up. “Hey you, you’re finally awake!” he said. “I was just about to head upstairs t’ check on ya, but it looks like you’re fine.”

“Thanks,” Miriam blurted. “Uh, for saving my life, I mean.”

A look of consternation appeared on Jared’s face. “Uh,” he stammered. “About that…”

Miriam suddenly felt uncomfortable. “About what?” she tentatively asked.

“You almost died, miss,” June interjected. “Robin and Dane told us all about you. You seriously almost died. In order to stop the Bleeding Out debuff, we had to use a Stability Potion.”

“A what?” Miriam asked. “Like, a magic potion?”

“Of course it was a magic potion!” Melinda exclaimed. “What else would it be, a bean-flavored potion?”

“Peace, Melinda,” June said. “This traveler clearly does is unfamiliar with the ways of our realm, which I was in the middle of explaining to her.” The latter half of her sentence was spoken with force. Melinda sighed and looked down in shame, averting her gaze from Miriam.

“Sorry for my stupidity,” Miriam said. “So, what were you saying, June?”

June sighed. “You see, the Stability Potion cost us a lot of money. Like, around 1,000 teeth. It’s worth more because we only get merchants around these parts every several years, and they’re not likely to carry them. The Bleeding Out debuff is rare, because most people either outright die or don’t get damaged enough to trigger it.”

Miriam sucked in air through her teeth. “That’s… A lot of money.”

“Yes it is,” June sighed. “And we’re not exactly rich, we can’t just give you the potion for free.”

Miriam groaned. That must mean I’m in debt! How can I pay it off if I don’t even know how to get money here? She felt lost and confused. “So I’m in debt.”

“Yes,” June replied dejectedly. “To the tune of 1,000 teeth, as I said.”

Jared finally spoke. “Thankfully, I know a way that’ll enable you to pay off that debt by the end of the next eruption season.”

“How?” Miriam asked, feeling hopeful for the first time.

“You see, I own and operate this tavern with my sister June,” Jared said. “We’re always looking for workers. Anyone who works with us gets free room and board, and an additional 10 teeth payment each night. Assuming you don’t spend it on anything else, you should be debt-free in…” he counted on his fingers, muttering the math to himself. “...Around 100 days. That’ll be in the middle of eruption season, so you’ll want to stay some time longer, ‘bout another hundred days or so, to wait for it to be safe to leave. I’ll wait for you to consider my offer. You won’t find a better one in town.”

Miriam pulled out a rickety wooden chair and sat down, running her fingers through her hair. She mulled over her fate. To be honest, working at an inn for a year seemed like a much more desirable fate than aimlessly wandering the wasteland. I can get to know these people and their ways! Her inner historian and anthropologist began to flare up inside her. I’m the first person from Earth to contact these people! If I get home, I can write a paper or book or something on the denizens of Smogvale and earn money and prestige and stuff! She looked down. But the community of Earth probably won’t believe me. I mean, nobody’s ever traveled to a different world, at least not as far as I know.

“Deal,” she said. “I accept your offer. When do I start?”

“Uh…” Jared seemed to be deep in thought. “It’s around midday now, so whenever the sun goes down. I’ll get you some better clothes; that robe of yours is dirty and ripped.”

“For free?” Miriam asked.

“Well, clothes are cheaper than potions,” Jared replied. “We bought some bolts of cloth off a merchant over a decade ago, and there was so much we’re still using them.” He chuckled. “Gets boring, seeing the same grey clothes after a while.”

“Anyway, let’s get you some breakfast,” June interjected. “You must be starving.” As she turned away and began rummaging in one of the nearby crates, Miriam felt her stomach roaring with hunger. It had dissipated when she was sleeping, but came back in full force.

Well, you can survive for at least a week without food, perhaps longer. Too many people on Earth experience starvation; at least there’s food here.

June returned a minute later, carrying a large plate of jerky and a mug of ruddy brown liquid that looked very unappetizing. “Here,” she said, handing the plate to Miriam. “Eat up.”

Miriam took a tentative bite of the jerky. It tasted like chicken, so she shoveled the whole thing into her mouth. June laughed with surprise as her guest devoured the meat in front of her. Miriam then took a sip of the beverage and almost spat it out in disgust.

“Eugh!” she exclaimed. “This tastes like motor oil!”

June looked confused. “What’s motor oil?”

“...Never mind,” Miriam said. “What is this piss anyway?”

“Ale,” June said.

“...From what?” Miriam asked. God, I hope it’s not spider blood or something.

“...Moss,” June replied after a few minutes. “We grow alemoss in the caves in our rift. It’s completely safe to drink, by the way.”

Emboldened by her host’s words, Miriam forced the vile drink down, consuming every last drop. She had to admit, it was very refreshing.

She put the mug down. “So, anyway, I’m new around here. Can you tell me a little bit about Smogvale or the world?”

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“Sure,” Jared said. “I just need to get prepared first. We do most of the cooking in the afternoon, so we’ll talk once I’ve got that going. Say, Melinda, get Miriam here some clothes now.” Melinda departed from the kitchen without a word, and June headed into a different room on the ground floor. The common room, perhaps?

Jared walked over to the fireplace and placed the cauldron directly onto the flame. He left the room for a few minutes, then returned with a bucket of water. He dumped the water into the cauldron, then walked over to a crate. He removed an armful of what appeared to be large grey eggs, then cracked each one on the cauldron’s rim. Pouring their contents into the cauldron, he discarded the shells in a tall, deep clay basin. He walked over to a different crate and withdrew a large handful of moss. He dumped the moss into the cauldron, then deposited an armful of jerky from out of nowhere (his inventory, perhaps?) into the growing meal.

“Is that soup?” Miriam asked. Of course it’s soup, what else could it be?

“Yeah,” Jared said. “We eat it every day.” He sprinkled a pinch of salt onto the food, then stirred the glop with a metal ladle. Once it was stirred to his satisfaction, he walked away from the cauldron and sat down next to Miriam.

“So,” he said, “You’ve had a pretty rough last few days.”

Miriam grimaced. “I guess I have.” She smiled faintly. “It’s not all bad. I learned a skill called Defy Death this morning.”

Jared’s eyes widened. “By Order, that’s a rare skill! A good one, too. Not many people have it, or even can get it.”

“It seems to drastically improve my survivability, and makes it so that I can’t bleed out.” Miriam laughed. “You won’t need to use any more thousand-teeth potions on me.”

“Indeed,” Jared said. “So, was there something you wanted to ask? Anything you need from me? ‘Cause I’m happy to provide you with whatever’s in my power.”

Miriam racked her brain as dozens of questions floated through it. What to ask first? “Who’s in charge around here?” she asked. “Who’s your leader?”

“That would be Mayor Frances,” Jared said. “She’s overseen this town for decades. But we all vote on issues. Every single adult decides the course of our village.”

“Interesting!” Miriam said. “So, a democracy?”

“Is that what they call a people-led system where you’re from?”

“Yeah,” Miriam said. She felt a twinge of nostalgia for Earth, despite having been in this demonic world for only a few days. “But enough about Earth. What’s this world called, anyway?”

“Uhh…” Jared said. “The world, I guess? It doesn’t really have a name.”

“Well, what’s the name of the landmass we’re on?” Miriam asked.

“I don’t know,” Jared replied. “But I can describe it. Basically, we’re in the center-west of the region. The road ends a few dozen leagues to the west, and the Iron Hills continue onwards indefinitely from there. Don’t go there. It’s dangerous. Really dangerous. It’s where those demons who wounded you probably came from. They like to go people hunting sometimes. To the east, the road stretches onward for hundreds of miles through the Ashen Plains and ends in the city of Painburg. In Painburg, you can find more information. All the smart and skilled people congregate there. There aren’t any other towns on the road except for Fireton, but there’s more roads branching out from Painburg. To the south are the volcanoes. Really don’t go there.”

“So this is the only civilization for hundreds of miles in any direction,” Miriam said. “How do you survive?”

“Well, we raise our flocks of ash spiders, and take refuge in our sturdy buildings and caves during eruption season.”

“What’s eruption season?” Miriam asked. “I’ve heard it mentioned a few times.”

“So basically, for over half of the year, the weather gets all fucked up,” Jared explained. “First, the volcanoes to the south - you know what a volcano is, right? Good - start explodin’. Ash spews out of them and covers the entire ground. It’s so hot it’ll kill everything it lands on. But that’s not even the worst bit. During the latter half of the season, a huge, never-ending duststorm comes and picks up all the ash - and anything lighter’n a twenty-foot block of stone along with it. Lasts about two hundred days in all, but it’s been getting longer and longer lately.” He paused. “Anyway, I’m glad ya came here before eruption season. You literally wouldn’t have lasted a minute, what with the searing ash and the howling storm.”

The weather on this planet is insane! It just… storms and volcano’s for half the year here? These people are truly hardy.

“Also…” Miriam asked, “What exactly is this… Order of which you speak?”

“Order?” Jared asked. “Order is what created the world. He also created the system - levels, inventory, stats, classes, the voice and all that - so that He would have an easier time quantifying information about the world.”

“So like God,” Miriam said.

“Is that what you call Him where you’re from?”

“Yeah,” Miriam answered, “but we don’t have stats or levels or any of that.”

“Must be confusing,” Jared replied simply.

“I suppose it is,” Miriam stated. She prepared to ask him about what whatever the “cult” that he had mentioned was. At that moment, Melinda re-entered the kitchen. She was carrying a large bundle of what appeared to be clothes, as well as a pair of brown boots. She deposited the cloth on the table in front of Miriam and left without a word.

“That’s your new clothes,” Jared said. “How about you go upstairs and get changed?”

Miriam took the garments and returned to her room. Placing them on the bed, she looked at them. A grey cloth t-shirt, a pair of grey cloth pants with deep pockets, and a long, hooded grey cloth robe covered the medium mattress. The boots were made of leather and looked to be sturdy.

She slowly disrobed, putting her tattered Wretched Robe in her inventory in case she needed it later. She pulled the shirt and pants on, pleased to find that they were roughly her size. She took some time getting her arms into the robe, but she eventually cinched it around her abdomen with a cloth belt. Then, she pulled on the comfortable boots and laced them up. She felt cleaner and more comfortable already. She rested for a half hour or so, then sat up.

Checking her Attribute Sheet, she was surprised to find that the clothes provided a substantial defense bonus. The shirt and pants provided +1 defense each, the robe +2, and the boots provided a whopping +3 points and a point of resistance.

“Nice!” Miriam said. “Now I won’t be injured as quickly!”

Attribute Sheet of Entity: Miriam Ward

Name: Miriam Ward

Class/Level: Wretch Lv. 2

Stat Points: 0

Moves (basic):

Unarmed Lv. 1

Defend Lv. 1

Dodge Lv. 1

Enhanced Calluses Lv. 1

Enhanced Breath Lv. 3

Moves (advanced):

Defy Death Lv. 1

Stats:

Hp: 41/41

Mp: 5/5

Stamina: 7/7

Defense: 15

Resistance: 7

Strength: 5 (+0)

Agility: 5 (+0)

Vitality: 9 (+0)

Endurance: 6 (+0)

Magic: 5 (+0)

Wisdom: 7 (+0)

Charisma: 5 (+0)

Satisfied with her progress, she closed the sheet and skipped downstairs. She asked Jared when her shift would begin, and he told her it would start in a few hours.

“Can you cook?” he asked her.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I can. My husband and I, we cooked together all the time back home.”

“Can you mind the soup for an hour?” Jared asked. “I need to run an errand.” Miriam passed the next sixty or so minutes, stirring the soup. It looked surprisingly appetizing now that it had cooked for some time, and her stomach rumbled again. He said that I get free room and board for working here, but this soup’s probably meant for customers. I ought to control myself.

The sky outside slowly began to darken, and Jared returned just as the sun finally set.

“I’m back,” he huffed. “I was just making sure that everything was all right up at the storage cavern.”

“What happened there?” Miriam asked.

“Some ash rats got in.” Jared grimaced. “We killed em’, but we had to make sure they didn’t contaminate the food or anything. Thank Order, they didn’t.”

She tried to ask him about the cult again, but the sound of conversation began emanating from the room, causing Jared to start. “Anyway, your shift’s beginning. Here.” He pulled a small grey lanyard from his pocket and proffered it to Miriam. “Wear this, it signifies that you work here.”

“Thanks,” she replied, putting it around her neck. “So, what do I do?”

“Take the villagers’ orders,” Jared said. “They’ll all order soup, so just ladle some into a bowl and give it to them. Melinda’s serving the ale tonight, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Miriam had worked as a waitress, once during college. It had been an exhausting experience, and she had quit after a few weeks and became a library assistant. But I’m more mature now. I can handle it.

Stepping out into the common room, the first thing she noticed was that it was packed. Over a hundred people of every conceivable gender, ethnicity and age sat gathered around long stone tables. Every one of them was engrossed in conversation, looking happily around the room. This must be where the entire village congregates!

A young woman at a nearby table flagged Miriam to come over. “Soup, for all of us,” she said. She was named [Carol: Wretch Lv. 2] and sat with a young man named [Harold: Wretch Lv. 3] and a young boy named [Lance: Wretch Lv. 1]. The boy had the same hair color as Harold. They’re probably spouses or lovers eating with their child. Without a word, Miriam walked back to the kitchen, filled three bowls, and returned to the family. No sooner than she had placed the bowls in front of them did another voice call out for soup.

Miriam danced around the tables, taking orders and dishing out delicious-smelling dinner. She quickly got into a rhythm, and had served most of the crowd within an hour and a half. She saw Melinda walking around the room, filling people’s mugs with putrid ale. Miriam knew that Melinda didn’t care much for her, so she made sure to keep her distance. During the night, two or three more servers arrived, taking some of the burden off of Miriam. A few people went into the kitchen and served themselves, which Jared told her was okay after she had asked him.

She deposited two steaming bowls in front of two Lv. 1 teenage boys named [Fred] and [Ryan]. Wiping her brow, she surveyed the room. Most of the diners had already finished eating, and were now sipping at their ale and talking. Several had already headed home, including the young couple and their son.

One diner in particular caught Miriam’s eye. She was a middle-aged woman with dark skin and short black hair, and she dined alone. The interesting thing about her was how the voice described her: [Charlene: Champion Lv. 14]. She’s not described as a wretch! That’s interesting. And her level is really high! She was clad in armor of light brown metal, probably copper or bronze. Miriam had passed her by in the haze of soup-distribution, but now that her work was mostly done, she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t noticed the woman’s attributes before.

She walked over to Charlene. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked.

Charlene slowly turned to her. “...Are you that traveler?” she asked in a slow, tentative voice that sounded faintly British. “Are you she who is indebted to the proprietors of this tavern?”

“I think so,” Miriam laughed. “How about you?”

“I am Charlene,” the woman answered. “But I am called Hawkblade by some.”

“Hawkblade?” Miriam asked. “That’s an interesting nickname.”

“It is one that few remember,” Charlene replied. “But I would rather keep it that way.” Miriam decided not to prod the woman.

“So, the voice seems to identify you as a ‘champion’,” Miriam said. “What does that mean?”

“It is my class,” Charlene said quietly. “The job assigned to me by Order. My special power, if you will.”

“How do you get a class?” Miriam asked intently. “You’re the only person I’ve seen with one.”

“I got mine through acquiring powerful gear,” Charlene said. “Classes are more common in lands settled more densely. Out here, the storms and ash keep most enemies separated from each other. You? I don’t know how you can get one.”

“Anyway,” Miriam said, “Is there anything I can get you?”

Charlene reached up and grabbed Miriam’s arm. “You are interesting,” she said. “I have not met one such as you, one from a faraway land where Order reigns weakly. But for now, I have had my fill of soup and ale.”

“Thank you,” Miriam said. “But you’re interesting. You seem like you’ve had a lot of history.”

“It is not history that I wish to remember,” Charlene said flatly. “I quite like it here. The slow pace and inevitable seasons are calm compared to the rest of the Desolation Belt.”

“Desolation Belt?” Miriam asked. “What’s that?”

“Never mind,” Charlene said. “It would take too long to explain.”

Miriam decided to make her move. “I’ve heard tell of some sort of cult in the area; can you tell me what they’re referring to?”

At this moment, the front door burst open. A young man sprinted in, cheeks red and chest heaving from exertion. “It’s the cult!” he yelled to a startled crowd. “We’re under attack! To arms! To arms!”