Two hours later, They skirted a collapsed building, rummaging quickly for anything else to pad their haul. Found a handful of nails, some chipped crowbars. Not prime, but workable.
Each item might help Emerson last a bit longer.
A sudden wail echoed from the next street. They froze. It was a human voice, high-pitched, maybe a child.
"We gotta check," Naia said. Fernandez groaned but nodded. They moved toward the sound, creeping through a gap in a half-fallen wall. The scream cut off abruptly.
They emerged into a small courtyard, littered with broken furniture. Two small figures stood near the center, one limp in the arms of the other.
As Wren approached, he saw it was a young teen holding a younger sibling, maybe. The teen stared wide-eyed, face streaked with tears. The younger child lay unmoving, blood on their shirt.
A large reptilian beast with two curved horns prowled at the far edge, watching the siblings. It hissed, drooling thick saliva. The teen spotted Wren's group, mouth opening in silent plea.
Wren didn't hesitate. He passed his salvage bundle to Puck. Then he advanced with the ash dagger. The creature hissed again, snapping at the teen, who tried to shield the smaller child.
Naia circled left with her damaged spear. Fernandez set his webbed shotgun aside, drawing a short hatchet. Puck remained behind, weighed down. The beast lunged. The teen screamed, hugging the child's body.
Wren dashed forward, aiming a slash at the beast's flank. It twisted, swiping him with a scaled tail. He staggered, regaining balance.
Naia thrust her spear from the side, hitting a scaly plate. The tip snapped off, leaving her with a blunt pole. The beast roared, jaws snapping inches from her.
Fernandez swung the hatchet at the beast's hind leg. The blade bit in, making it snarl. Wren circled behind, forming a second piece of ash—like a spike—to drive into a gap near its rib area.
He forced the spike in, but the creature jerked, sending him sprawling.
The beast pinned Fernandez with a clawed foot, leaning in to bite. Wren pushed off the ground, blood pounding in his ears. He yanked the spike out, then stabbed again and again at the creature's side.
Each thrust jarred his arm. Finally, the scaly hide gave way, and thick blood poured from the wound. The creature howled, releasing Fernandez.
Naia tried to jab the broken pole at the beast's eye. It jerked away, turning on her with a hiss. Wren seized the moment to bury his ash spike deeper.
With a final wrench, the monster collapsed in a twitching heap.
[System Notification: Horned Lizard Beast Defeated]
EXP +12
Ash Manipulation (Basic) - LV 2 (15/50 EXP)
Wren gasped for breath. The teen stared, still clutching the smaller child. Blood trickled from the younger one's mouth.
Naia knelt to check for a pulse. She shook her head. The child was gone.
The teen made a choked sob, tears streaming. Wren felt a hollow ache in his chest. They were too late for the younger kid.
The teen just rocked back and forth, muttering. No one spoke for a few seconds.
Fernandez had claw marks across his chest. He grimaced, pressing a rag to stanch bleeding. Naia gently tried to pull the teen away from the body, but the teen resisted, crying out.
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Wren watched, unsure. He was no counselor. He only knew how to survive.
Eventually, the teen let them check the wound on their arm. It was shallow. They forced some water into the teen's trembling hands.
The teen stared at the child's lifeless form, eyes vacant. Wren got the sense that no words would fix this. This was one more tragedy in a world that served them daily horrors.
"Do you have anywhere to go?" Naia asked softly. The teen shook their head, tears fresh. Wren closed his eyes. Another lost soul.
Could they take the teen back to Emerson? The place was short on food, but leaving the teen alone here was a death sentence.
He looked at Fernandez. The man gave a faint nod. "We can bring them. Might not be comfortable, but it's better than leaving them."
So they carefully pried the teen away from the child's body, explaining there was nothing they could do. The teen hardly responded, just stared in shock.
Naia guided them gently. The younger child's corpse lay crumpled. No time for a proper burial out here.
Wren set a broken piece of wood over the child's face, a tiny gesture of respect.
The group trudged back, weighed down not just by metal scraps but by sorrow. The teen walked in a daze, led by Naia. No one spoke for a while. Each street felt endless.
At one point, they heard scuttling in the distance, but the creatures didn't approach. Maybe the presence of so many fresh kills had them cautious.
It was nearly dark when Emerson's barricades came into sight. Exhaustion clung to everyone. They slipped through the gate, greeted by a few concerned faces.
Argus stepped over to see what they'd brought back. Then his gaze fell on the teen, who stared at the ground, shaking.
Puck set down the metal rods. "We found these in the railyard," he said. "Had to fight spiders. Then a horned lizard got in our way."
Argus nodded, counting rods. "We can definitely use these. Looks like a decent haul." He paused, looking at the teen. "And them?"
Wren explained quietly. Argus grimaced, then signaled for someone to get the teen some water and a place to rest. Emerson wasn't a haven, but it was better than dying out in the ruins.
Wren slumped against a half-toppled section of brick wall. He felt a swirl of emotions—anger, sadness, a tinge of relief that they'd survived. The System pinged:
[System Notification: Expedition Return - Salvage Delivered]
EXP: +3
Ash Manipulation (Basic) - LV 2 (18/50 EXP)
He stared at the numbers, feeling numb. Another day, more violence, minimal gains. He saw that he still needed 32 more points to advance the skill further.
That might unlock better constructs or an ability to summon something beyond improvised blades. But how many fights would that require?
Argus approached, setting a hand on Wren's shoulder. "Good work. I know it's tough out there, but you brought back something. We'll figure out how to use that metal. Maybe reinforce corners or build shields."
Wren nodded. "We can try forging spikes for the fortress gates, if we move. Or fix the catwalk here."
Argus sighed. "We need a decision soon. This place can't hold out forever. But that fortress is a gamble. Derek's resting. He says the water situation was a disaster. We can't haul all these people across the city if we have no stable supply."
Wren rubbed his tired eyes. "We might explore for a well or stash a water system. Maybe we can rig a purifier if we find parts."
Argus gave a faint grunt of agreement. "We'll talk in the morning. For now, get some rest."
Wren watched him go, then turned to see Naia comforting the teen from earlier. The kid just stared blankly. Life in the ash.
He realized how easily that could have been him a few years ago, losing everything in a single monster attack. That anger inside him churned. They deserved a better future than scrounging day by day.
He forced himself to walk to a corner near the storehouse, where he had a pile of tattered blankets. It wasn't much, but it served as a sleeping spot.
Before lying down, he formed one last small ash dagger, letting it vanish. Each repeated attempt might refine his skill. He had to keep pushing.
[System Notification: Minor Ash Practice]
Ash Manipulation (Basic) - +1%
(19/50)
He collapsed onto the blankets, shoulders and legs throbbing. His mind churned with images: the teen sobbing over a dead sibling, the spider beasts flailing as they died, that fortress with empty walls.
He closed his eyes, fatigue dragging him down. Another day survived, but the same question remained: How long could they last?
He needed to plan. They had to pick a path soon, whether relocating to the fortress, forging alliances, or finding a water source that let them stand firm.
The city was teeming with threats. Next time they might not make it back. But right now, he could barely keep his eyes open.
He dozed, half-dreaming of forging a massive ash barrier across the entire settlement, blocking out monsters. If only he had that level of power.
For now, though, he was just Wren—scraping by with a machete, a crossbow, and a half-trained skill.