The longer they drove the more certain Blake was that they would never reach Cedar Creek before nightfall. Winding mountain roads blocked their progress at every turn.
Pretty much all of the path they had tried had either collapsed down the side of mountains or had been blockaded using fallen rocks. On one particular passage they had narrowly avoided flying off the cliff.
As he drove, Blake noticed an offshoot road that led up the side of the mountain a little further. He saw the glint of metal and a shining reflection off the glass of a car window. It’d only been for a split second, but he couldn’t unsee it.
A little further on spread a flat overlook with a suspicious pile of rocks piled up there on the cliffside. No way was that formation of rocks natural, not with the overhang right there over the road.
Blake had brought the RV to a stop while he was far outside the shadow of the overhang. He had pointed it out to Harry, who agreed the setup looked way too sketchy to even try to speed past.
It was completely impossible to turn the RV around on these roads, so they ended up having to backtrack at least two miles to a spot to turn around.
Just after they started reversing, Blake looked up at the overhang and noticed a couple of people silhouetted against the open sky, watching them.
Retreat had definitely been the right option, otherwise they might have been killed under a pile of falling rocks.
By this time, Blake had tried almost all of the routes he knew that led through to Cedar Creek, but all of them were blocked. The only other option was to backtrack south, then drive around the base of the mountain range and take the safe route at ground level.
There was no guarantee that would be safe either, but it was their best option.
However, as the sun dipped below the horizon, they knew their time under the light of day was almost done.
While they drove, Harry kept looking for any radio stations which were still broadcasting. In the mountains it was much more difficult to get the strong signal, and if any natural rock formations got in the way, signals dropped out or became garbled.
Eventually Harry struck gold. Suddenly a woman's voice rang out clear on the radio waves.
“For anyone displaced with the current events happening in the Rockies, we have a safe place where you can spend the night. We have plenty of supplies, and everyone is welcome. Come on by the Mistvale Trailer Park. I repeat, everyone is welcome.”
Blake was skeptical. The moment you were faced with the end of the world, normal human trust just kind of went out the window. If someone really wanted to consolidate as much power and supplies as they could shortly after the world started to end, the best way to do that would be the lure as many people as possible into a trap.
What better bait for a trap than food and security, when neither of those things were guaranteed?
“Do you buy it?” Blake asked.
Harry had his foot up on the dashboard. “I honestly don’t know man. If you had asked me a week ago, before all of this started happening, I would have had no hesitation at all about going to that campground. But now? They could just be trying to steal stuff from anyone dumb enough to fall for the message.”
Blake nodded. “We could always just go and check it out, then bail if it looks sketchy. I still have one more summon up my sleeve today.”
“Even then I’m a little bit wary, man. You’ve got one summon left, but I’ve got absolutely nothing. No more anima to power anything. If they’ve got two or more power card Challengers at the trailer park, they could overpower you easily.”
Blake considered this for a moment. Harry was right. But that didn't lessen the fact that they still needed somewhere safe to pass the night.
“If we show our faces at the trailer park at all, then they'll know that we exist. We could err on the side of caution and reach out for help, but we honestly don't need it right now. I know some pretty secluded spots where we could park for the night. We've got more than enough supplies just for us, as well as a roof over our heads. We can light a fire wherever. We don't even really need to worry about the smoke, considering almost everywhere is on fire right now.”
“Right. I think it'd be best if we kept to ourselves while we're on the road,” Harry agreed.
“We can worry about building alliances and that kind of thing when we get to Cedar Creek,” Blake said.
He knew of one particular spot at the southern edge of the mountain range where they would be able to pass the night in peace. There was a small lake, never very popular with the tourists because it was small and far less impressive than the other lakes around that were easier to get to. But it would still be a source of fresh water, and they would hopefully be safe for the night.
The road down was steep and winding, and Blake swore he could almost see the fuel gauge falling with each passing minute. The RV was a gas guzzler, no doubt about it.
He was starting to get tired after a long day of driving, but he pushed on, eager to reach the safety of the little lake. He didn't even know whether it had a name, because it wasn't marked on any of the paper maps he'd seen over the years.
As he drove, Blake couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the beauty of the surrounding landscape.
The light hit differently when the sun was setting. It cast a warm golden light over the forest and the tall peaks of the mountains were etched against the sky. This was his home, and he would fight for it if he had to.
They soon came to the last turnoff before their destination. It was a blink, and you'll miss it kind of turn, which Blake was counting on. The fewer people they encountered, the better.
The track was sealed in asphalt, but it hadn't been maintained. Blake had to swerve out of the way of potholes, and he felt every bump while driving the RV. He had a feeling that the shock absorbers were on their way out if they weren't dead already.
“You're sure that this place is going to be safe tonight?” Harry asked.
Blake shook his head and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “I'm not sure about anything. But when you see how far away this place is from the road, and how well hidden the twists and turns are to get there, I think you'll see it's as safe as we can get.”
“All right, I trust you man.”
Blake felt a strange smile pass over his face as he wondered whether Harry really meant that. He hoped he did because he wanted to trust Harry as well. They've been traveling together for hours now, and Harry had shown no signs of any lingering hostility or intentions of betrayal.
After almost half an hour of traversing uneven roads, Blake saw the final turn off that led to the lake. He slowed significantly so the RV wouldn't tip over when he turned down the next dirt track.
As soon as they turned onto this new unsealed road, a glimmer of blue appeared between the trees ahead of them. Blake let out a sigh of relief and felt his muscles relax a little as they approached the lake.
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This campground, much like the road, had been neglected for quite some time. The grass was up to waist height in asphalt cracks, but there was a large, cleared area in the center that they could pull the RV up to. The remains of an old fire pit sat directly in the middle of this cleared area.
Together they got a fire going, and they heated up leftover food taken from the cars in the mountain Vista campground. It was a bit of a hodgepodge meal, but filling and would get them through the night.
“So how are we going to manage tonight?” Harry asked.
“We should have someone stay up and keep watch at all times. We can sleep in shifts. I’m pretty wrecked from all the driving today. Do you think you could take the first watch?” Blake wished that he didn’t need to rely on anyone else, but he was grateful that he had Harry with him to watch his back.
Blake just wished there was some way he could use his Stone Fists card as a protection overnight.
Suddenly his AI assistant chimed in.
‘There is actually a way you can do that. You have one more anima remaining, and you could place your Stone Fists card in Sentry Position.’
Harry went to speak, but Blake held up a finger to silence him, then pointed to his ear.
‘What’s Sentry Position?’ Blake thought back to his AI assistant.
‘If you place your card face down on your chest, it’ll only activate if you’re under attack. It will remain in a defensive position, without using anima, until it is activated.’
Harry made a face at Blake, but he didn’t say a word.
Blake pulled his Stone Fists card out of his pocket, then placed it face down on his chest. A message appeared.
Would you like to play Stone Fists in Sentry Position?
Yes / No
Blake selected Yes mentally, and the card began to break down into motes of light. Harry’s eyes widened at the sight, and for a moment Blake thought that maybe he'd made a mistake and that his card was disappearing. However, the light sunk into Blake's chest, and the AI assistant confirmed that the Stone Fists card was now played in Sentry Position.
He then explained everything to Harry, who went through a gamut of emotions, from confused to crystal clear understanding.
“Right, so if we get attacked in the night, then your card will activate and your monster will pop out and protect us,” Harry said.
“That's right, but we should still keep watch as well. If we can avoid having to use the anima that's even better. Hey, I've been meaning to ask, can you talk to your AI assistant like I’m talking to mine? I ask questions and she answers back.” Blake paused for a moment. He’d said ‘she’ when referring to the AI assistant, and the voice was certainly feminine.
Harry shook his head. “No, it's just a big database of self-help books, and mine brings up suggestions of where I can find bits of information in the database as messages and links but that's it. Why? Isn't that what yours does?”
Blake shook his head. “No. When I talk to my AI assistant it's like I'm talking to another person. It’s like a conversation.”
Harry narrowed his eyes. “Why would you get a different kind of assistant to me? If this is all the same system shouldn't we be having the same kind of experience?”
Blake shrugged. “She explained to me that the system itself passes from person to person through touch but can also pass into a person upon picking up a power card. So I didn't get my system from you, I got it from the card I picked up. Maybe the version of the system or the AI assistant baked into the card was different from the one that got spread to you?”
“This is wild. There's so much about this that I don't understand, and there's so much to learn.”
“We'll figure all of this out as we go along. I think we're going to have to,” Blake said.
Harry yawned as he spooned another spoonful of baked beans into his mouth. Darkness was descending upon them and in the shadow of the mountain even the warm light of the sunset had begun to fade.
“You should go and get some sleep,” Harry said. “I’m cool with taking the first watch. After all, I did have a nap while you drove down from the mountain. Just keep the door unlocked in case I need you.”
Blake nodded. “I will. If anything happens yell for me. Don’t come and shake me awake or anything like that, just in case my sentry card thinks you’re a threat. The last thing I want is for you to get your face caved in by my golem while you’re just trying to wake me up.”
“Noted, and thanks for thinking of me.”
Blake headed into the back of the RV and crawled into the small bed. It wasn't one of those fold-out kinds with the thin, flimsy mattress. This was a proper pillow top mattress and a lot comfier than he originally assumed.
Blake was so exhausted from a long day of battling, driving, and setting up camp, that sleep came for him quickly. He closed his eyes and listened to the crackling of the fire outside and drifted off.
The sounds of a fight outside the RV jolted him awake.
Blake sat up, groggy and disoriented. A notification announced that his Sentry Card had been triggered. He heard the familiar grinding of stones that accompanied the movements of his Stone Golem, followed by a grunt from Harry, and a chorus of canine snarls.
For a split second Blake thought about jumping into the driver’s seat, starting up the engine, and getting Harry and his golem to retreat. But when Blake got a look at the wolves gathered just outside the circle of firelight. He realized there was no running away from this fight.
At least four pairs of eyes gleamed in the flickering glow of the campfire, waiting just outside the circumference of light thrown by the flames. The wolves were big, but it was impossible to see whether they were empowered in any way while they remained in shadow.
The Stone Golem stood between the campfire and Harry, who was nursing a limp arm covered in blood.
“Are you okay?”
“One of those bastards snuck up behind me and chomped down on my shoulder,” Harry said with a wince. “They snuck up on me! It's like they knew that they were in my blind spot, and they were silent as a shadow.”
Blake grimaced. He was almost certain these were empowered creatures.
Suddenly four wolves snarled and surged forward, surrounding the Stone Golem. Yep, empowered for sure. No normal wolf was that large nor that eager to attack a creature made of stone.
As Blake inspected these wolves he noticed the pack consisted of two variants. Two were called Shalefur Wolves, and one of these was marked as the pack Alpha. These two had rocky plates of armor interspersed with the thick gray fur that covered their bodies. The other two were called Scythetail Wolves, and they had sharpened rock tails that swung upwards from their hind quarters in the shape of a crescent moon blade.
All the wolves were aligned with the earth element, and Blake wasn't sure whether that was good or bad. His Stone Golem was an earth element monster as well, and he wasn’t sure how it’d match up against others of the similar alignment.
The Stone Golem stepped forward, its massive fists raised ready for the fight. The first timber wolf, one of the ones with the sharp bladed tail, leaped at the Golem with its teeth bared. While it was in the air the wolf spun its body toward the golem and brought its sharp tail down.
Rocks sprayed at the impact, but the Stone Golem wasn't the only one that came away worse for wear. The once-sharp blade on the wolf's tail was now cracked and broken.
The other three wolves launched themselves at the golem, either attacking with a sharpened tail, or barging into it from the side with their increased armor. The Stone Golem tried its best to fend off attacks from all sides, but it just wasn't strong enough. It was still only level one after all.
Blake watched from the sidelines, his heart racing. He had never seen the Stone Golem in danger before. Impressive as its power was, he realized now that it was a slow and defensive monster, not an offensive one like these wolves were.
If he didn’t do something soon, his Golem would be overwhelmed and succumb.
Any attack the Stone Golem landed definitely hurt the wolves. They were so fast that they could usually dance out of the way of the strikes, though.
“My Stone Golem's going to fall unless we help,” Blake said as he rushed out of the RV, toward the side of the campfire. He grabbed the unburned end of one of the burning logs, and, without thinking it through, ran directly at one of the nearby wolves.
Blake swung the burning log onto the wolf’s flank, and to his surprise the flames caught. They spread across the wolf faster than Blake thought possible. A second later Harry was swinging a flaming branch at one of the other wolves, warding it away from the Stone Golem so Blake’s monster had a chance to actually defend itself properly.
With a double fisted overhead swing, the Stone Golem smashed a Scythetail Wolf's head against the ground, and it exploded with a sickening crunch.
Two of the wolves were on fire now, and the alpha, the biggest of the lot, was sizing the golem up for another attack.
The Stone Golem didn't have a mouth of any kind but the rumbling of stones as it moved almost sounded like a strange kind of rhythmic speech. It pounded its fists together in a challenge, and the alpha wolf took the bait.
It launched forward and tried to slam into the Stone Golem, using its armored fur to try and knock the golem off balance. The wolves were big, but the golem was a walking boulder. The Shalefur alpha bounced off the Stone Golem and collapsed onto the ground.
Blake’s monster rushed over and slammed its fists down over and over again until the wolf was thoroughly pulped.
The two wolves that were on fire ran off into the darkness, but both Blake and Harry's eyes were transfixed on the metamorphosis that was happening in front of them. The Shalefur Wolf was breaking down into luminous specks of light, which coalesced back into a rectangular card shaped object.
Despite the monster having an extremely low chance of dropping a card, this alpha had done just that.
Blake wanted to lunge for it himself, but instead he looked over at Harry. He needed to be sure that Harry wasn't going to pull a fast one on him and betray him right here and now.
To Blake’s surprise, Harry just reached one hand forward in a please be my guest gesture toward the card.
“You're okay with me taking this?” Blake asked.
“A show of good faith. I want you to know that you can trust me, dude. Plus, it was your monster that killed them. If you weren't here, I'd be dead too. That card is yours by right.”
Blake reached forward and took the new card in his hand.