Grant toyed with the straps on his enchanted football pads nervously as he walked at the front of the group. He glanced back at the rest of the group, making sure everyone was still together. The rest of the party were walking in rows of two behind him on the sidewalk, because the streets in this part of the city had yet to be cleared. It was a less built up area on the East side, fairly near to the blocks that the council had claimed, but away from the denser sections with things like the mall and event centers.
The sidewalk they were on right now was adjacent to a small parking lot for a few tiny abandoned looking stores. Likely they had been empty for a long time. This particular area looked like it had seen more use as a thoroughfare than as a destination for most of its history. The few buildings that were here were small rough looking stores, or one-off offices. Compared to where they were living right now, it was a much more open space.
And that concerned Grant.
He knew a few of the others had been in scraps at this point with some of the beasts that wandered the city, but he hadn’t. He’d really only been in danger one time during the Integration, and he hadn’t fought. He hadn’t even thought to fight back.
He shuddered a moment as he thought back to that first day. Well, first night, really. He’d missed the initial excitement, asleep on the couch. But he’d been awake to find the world changed, to realize he was alone, and to watch the confusion in the neighborhood turn to panic as… creatures took to the streets. As he stood at the entrance to his home, desperately trying to push the front door shut as it banged and banged against his arm, the vibrations shaking him to his core…
He shook his head, breathing out, letting the memory go. He wasn’t alone now, and he had a role to play. He would be their [Bulwark], their shield against the monsters.
He tightened his grip on his makeshift shield and looked back at his comrades, giving them a solemn nod. “Keep your eyes open for beasts. If anything shows up, I’ll try to get their attention.”
The others nodded back. From right behind him, Kevin gave a lazy salute. “Is anything going to show up here, though? I mean, it doesn’t look like there was much reason for people to be here before, why would any of the animals hang around here?”
At the back of the group, one of the two Vanguard members evaluating them looked up. “Best to stay sharp. Nothing nests here that we know of, but our scouts have seen beasts pass through with some regularity.”
Kevin sighed. “Well, that flag’s set.”
Grant glanced back at him. “If it happens, we’ll take care of it. Or, run away. We’ll figure it out.”
They continued on down the street, referencing a map when they needed to, each keeping an eye on their surroundings. Grant led the way, grip tight on his shield. Kevin focused on his heightened senses to stay alert. Violet clutched her arms, looking around anxiously in the middle of the group. The rest kept their weapons at the ready.
Before too long, they came to a fork in the road. A three-way intersection, it was shaped like a ‘y’. It was one of those roads your GPS would tell you to take a ‘slight right’ on when you just stayed on the road.
To the right, the sidewalk continued on unimpeded. In the near distance, they could see that the road transitioned into a new region, with newer buildings and better sidewalks. Taking a left on the intersection, the road continued on into an older, less developed area.
They stopped in the road as Grant referenced the map.
Suddenly, Kevin turned his head, eyes wide. “Guys! Something’s coming!”
Grant turned, heart leaping into his throat. He looked around, bringing his shield halfway up to a blocking position. He quickly scanned down the different paths, looking for any sign of the beasts, but he didn’t see them yet. The group was moving out of their rigid rows, most of their members spreading out around Kevin and Violet.
Grant was opening his mouth to ask Kevin where they were when he heard it. The pounding of numerous padded feet on the road, the low rumbling growl with each step, like a motorcycle revving. He spun to face the right fork, toward the newer buildings, just as the pack emerged.
The beasts were clearly dogs, but it was no longer obvious what kind of dog. They were large, lumbering things, mostly hairless and front-heavy. Whatever pressures directed their mutation had seen them gain an unparalleled musculature, with large paws and bulky shoulder to match, while their hinds tapered off into comically small proportions by comparison. With heavy, drooping jowls, the dogs descended into mad barking at the sight of the party.
A few beats passed as their first fight barreled toward them. As his first fight approached. His body rocked with each beat of his heart, a familiar bang, bang, bang! Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Vanguard examiners turn toward him.
With a resounding slap, he smacked himself across the face. You have a role here! Get to it!
He moved, rushing to put himself between the charging dogs and his party. As he went, he called out a few simple instructions. “Mai, light ‘em up! Ramy, Frank, get any I don’t!” Standing square in front of the pack, makeshift shield shouldered and braced, he stared the beasts down. In the face of their frothing, slavering mouths, his mind almost went blank again. He smacked the front of his shield, an enchanted lid off a dumpster, and yelled. “Come and get it, dinguses!”
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With a small woosh, a bottle sailed over his head, thrown by Mai. With a little flame licking at the opening of the bottle, it was a simple, consumable-type weapon. The bottle shattered against one of the beasts, splashing out and spreading flame to several of them. It didn’t get them all, but it didn’t need to. Of the seven charging at them, four continued on. The three caught on fire yipped and yelped, slowing to roll desperately as flames licked at them.
Grant didn’t have much time to celebrate the success. In a few seconds that felt like an instant, the charge meeting its target. In the brief moment of contact, Grant learned something that should have been obvious. The heavily muscled torsos of the dogs gave them a tremendous ramming power. Their unstoppable force met his very movable object, but they got a bit more than they bargained for in the process.
As the lead dog collided into the lid, the durability enchantments on his shield kept it intact, but the shock of the impact traveled up his arm. The layer of cardboard taped to the front of his shield instantly dented, and the single red word on it flashed, glowing brilliantly; ‘reflect’. In a burst of energy that threw Grant back, the enchantment engaged, sending an equal amount of force into the beasts. The leader of the charge let out a quick yip as it was tossed into the dog behind it, tangling the two up. The one that took the brunt of the blast wouldn’t get back up.
Grant tumbled back, rolling to a stop at Violet and Kevin’s feet. Ramy glanced back at their [Bulwark], concern across his face. “Grant! Are you okay?”
Dazed, Grant slowly started getting back to his feet. Beside him, Kevin pulled his slingshot back and shouted at Ramy. “Look out!”
Ramy turned back to the pack just in time to see a dog bearing down on him take a steel ball to the face, throwing off its trajectory. He clumsily sidestepped and whipped his fist forward, catching it in the shoulder. With his fists wrapped in layers of athletic tape, Frank had been able to layer a number of ‘impact’ based enchantments, and his blow staggered the beast. The lumbering creature turned to him, and he knew he’d earned its ire. Determined not to turn his back on it again, he raised his arms, fitted with padded arm guards, and prepared to duke it out with the dog.
On the other side of the group, Frank frantically slashed out with the newest iteration of Papercut, his origami dagger enchanted to maximize its slashing damage. Blocking carefully with a layered cardboard buckler enchanted to disperse force and maintain its shape, he knew his best bet was to whittle it down, wait for it to slow from blood loss.
He dodged out of the way as a sizable paw batted forward, crashing into the pavement under his feet. He could feel the vibrations from the impact. His arm ached from when he’d tried to take the first blow head on. Even layered, it was only able to take glancing blows from these things. He shook his head, frustrated as he snuck his blade out for a few more swipes. Enchanting is strong, but cardboard has its limits. It’s nice to be able to layer enchantments like this, but I’m going to need to improve my Skill to effectively use stronger materials.
Another blow shook him, almost throwing him to the ground as he took too much of its impact. The beast reared up on its hind legs, priming itself to slam down with both meaty paws.
As it reared back, a steel ball hit it, sending it off balance. It rolled onto its back and struggled back upright as Frank gained his footing again. He sent a glance back at Kevin, and nodded in appreciation. “Thanks!”
Grant stumbled back to the front, shield forward as he came to back up Frank. “I’ll be with you in a sec, Ramy!”
Frank didn’t see any more steel balls flying over to his part of the fight, but he didn’t need the support now. Grant charged into the dog as it got back up, and stayed in its face distracting it as Frank dashed behind. With a quick glance to the now extinguished dogs that Mai had hit with her molotov, he went to town with his dagger, slicing into anything that looked remotely important to the beast.
It roared in pain and rage as he cut into its sides, but it was notably slowed at this point. It took a few ponderously slow steps toward him, swiping ineffectually as it bled across the street. With a quick nod, Grant disengaged. Frank took a few more opportune swipes as another bottle flew overhead, sending fire across the street between their group and the other remaining dogs. They paced warily, watching the group as they started moving around the flames.
Grant got back to Ramy and moved to put himself between the beast and his friend. Both were panting, circling around each other in bruised caution. With Grant to take the blows, Ramy was able to circle around and pound on the creature's side as it tried to figure out who to focus on. In a few short bouts, the beast went down.
Turning to the remaining dogs, Grant took a quick survey of the party. The Vanguard were still at the back, keeping an eye on the fight, as well as the surroundings. Kevin, Violet, and Mai were in the middle of the group. Frank…
Frank was at the last surviving dog on this side of the fire, still stuck under the body of the one that had led the charge. He had his dagger out and was moving to end it.
In a single huge bound, the three dogs on the other side of the fire leaped over it, landing behind Frank. He turned, eyes wide.
Grant was running before he knew it, Ramy beside him. “Frank!”
In slow motion they watched as paws came up, and toothy, fanged jaws opened wide…
And from the center of their group, Violet let out a screech. “STOP!”
The dogs froze mid-action. It only took Frank a half a beat before Papercut flashed out, severing the throat of one of them. Grant and Ramy were on the scene in the next moment. Ramy threw a few punches that made the air quake, and Grant simply shoved. The remaining two beasts, starting to shake themselves free of their momentary paralysis, fell back into Mai’s Skill enhanced flames. Unable to resist, the fire finally brought their end.
Adrenaline pumping, breath heaving, Grant took stock. Seven dogs down, all his people still up. The flames crackled behind him, sending up a scent of burning meat. Blood, pooling across the street, sizzled as it came near the fire.
Frank looked at Violet, panting at the center of their group. “Was that some kind of Command spell?”
Timidly, she shook her head. “It’s a Skill. Animals listen to me. A bit.”
“Well, that bit saved me. Thank you.”
She nodded, rubbing at her shoulder. “Yeah.”
Grant let out a shaky breath, leaning over and clutching his knees. “Okay, I think we should take a quick break. Maybe in one of those shops?” He said, gesturing back a bit at the buildings they’d just passed.
For the most part, everyone agreed. Kevin raised his hand. “I picked up a [Butchery] Skill before we left. I’ll see if I can grab anything useful. We might be able to trade it when we get back.”
Frank nodded. “I’ll help. My Skills work better with material from things I’ve killed.”
Grant waved his hand at them, already moving toward the shop. “Sure, sure. Shout if you need help.”
He stumbled into the store, and tossed himself onto the floor. Pulling out his still cool towel from the enchanters earlier, he sighed. “I’m exhausted and we’re not even at the station yet.”
Glancing at the map, he could see they were close. Just a few more minutes down the road, and they’d come across the tracks. From there, it was a straight shot to the station. What they’d find there, though, was anyone's guess. Hopefully, nothing beyond their capabilities.
He sighed again. “Hopefully that’s not one of Kevins ‘flags’.”