Derek showed Leroy what it was like to face a superior opponent. “40-1, you lose.”
“One more!” Leroy said, with fire in his eyes.
“Fine, but I’m going to crush you!” Derek said with a grin.
Everyone gathered around the table, eyes wide as the ball zipped back and forth, barely touching the table. The game’s intensity drew everyone’s attention, including the returning leadership staff, who stood quietly at the back, observing the match. Derek could have ended the game any time against the massive nine-year-old, but he wanted to put on a show for the new observers. As Derek methodically crushed Leroy, he wasn’t unkind, but he didn’t let Leroy even consider for a second that Leroy wasn’t anything other than fodder.
Derek sat his paddle down and looked around. “I nominate that game to my beautiful wife, who gets prettier every day.”
“Thanks, babe.” Marie said, rolling her eyes.
The Colonel cleared his throat, causing everyone to turn to him. “We accept your offer of alliance. As odd as it is to ally with the citizens we are sworn to protect. Come downstairs. I’ll share what intel we have.”
Marie held her hand out to the Colonel, who automatically took it. “This is what we know. This is everything we know, except individual knowledge.”
Everyone in the room received the notification with the information transfer request. Even Derek hadn’t seen the consolidated information.
“Does this include your future predictions?” asked one of the Air Force staff.
“No, I can only provide vague details of the future and push things in a particular direction. If I provide exact information, then people will attempt to change the future. For example, if I told Captain Muller that his wife is pregnant, it would change his behavior and he might prioritize family over mission-critical tasks,” Marie explained.
“I don’t have a wife.” The special force guy said. “How did you know my name?”
Marie winked at him with a smile. “I’m an Oracle. Knowing things is what I do. You’re thinking of the number four and now the color is green. Please, Captain, I play these games with the kids.”
“When you told us that Derek was the key to the survival of the city, wouldn’t that have set us on a different path?”
“It did.” Marie answered. “It changed everyone’s behavior except for Derek.”
“Why didn’t it change his behavior?” Someone asked.
“Because he doesn’t care about anyone outside of our household and it wouldn’t concern him if the entire planet died as long as it doesn’t affect our household. Sorry, love. I know you have been working on it, but you can’t hide it, not from me.”
“That cheating.” Derek grumbled.
“So our savior is a heartless monster?” One of them stated with a look of sad realization.
“Ouch.” Derek replied. “That wounds me.”
Marie smirked, “Yes, but he’s getting better. We’re working on empathy. The baby is really what changes him. I can’t say anymore without risking path divergence.”
When they arrived downstairs, they entered a dark room with computer screens lit all the way around the edges. In the center of the room, a 4x4 foot digital map stood. Operators sat at a handful of the stations, some in communication and other working on manipulating data.
The Colonel walked around the table joined by the staff members and Marie followed them. “Pull up the drone footage from yesterday.”
The map shifted to a live video feed from a drone flying over the northwest part of the city, where housing density was higher. Monsters dotted the area, an all-too-common sight now. As the drone flew over city streets and rooftops, the number of monsters grew alarmingly, culminating in a staggering concentration around an elementary school.
“What is this, Colonel?” Marie asked.
A group of orcs dragged a makeshift sled piled high with the mangled bodies of men, women, and children. The streets around the elementary school painted a grisly picture. Blood and entrails painted the pavement, and severed limbs lay scattered amidst the debris. The gutted buildings, with their shattered windows and charred walls, told stories of brutal massacres. The stench of death and decay was almost palpable through the monitor, a sickening reminder of the horror that had unfolded.
The camera panned around, showing hundreds of orcs dragging fallen trees and using it to construct a wall. A goblin wearing feathers and bones looked up as it walked out of the building and into the view of the camera. It raised its staff, releasing a black bolt, striking the drone and sending it crashing to the ground.
“It’s a horde, a ravenous gathering of monsters. They’re not just occupying territory,” the Colonel said, his voice tinged with hatred. “They’re systematically exterminating everyone in their path and turning entire neighborhoods into slaughterhouses. Families, children… no one is spared. Entire communities have been wiped off the map..”
“It’s a horde, building a territory and a larder,” the Colonel said, frowning. “We estimate their numbers are in the thousands, but our drones get shot down before we can get an accurate count. They’re likely led by a… minotaur.” Turning to the tech, he asked, “What types of monster have we found there?”
“Minotaur, ogres, trolls, goblins, and hobgoblins, sir.” The tech answered.
“What other information do we have on the horde?” The colonel asked.
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The video switched back to the map, and the tech approached the table. He manipulated the map as Colonel West explained. “Their leader is competent. They have regular patrols and dedicated food acquisition teams. They are currently building a wall of trees and broken houses.” The tech drew a circle around the school and nearby area, showing where the wall was currently being built. “They just started yesterday and have made little progress. They have gotten wise to our drones and started shooting them down before we can get anywhere close.”
“We sent three helicopters to handle the threat, but they were torn apart mid-air by a pair of griffons nesting in Arctic Valley,” the Colonel said, his tone grim. “The horde is expanding at an alarming rate, consuming everything in its path. If we don’t act immediately, they will overrun the entire city,” The Colonel said, then looked to the tech for confirmation.
The tech confirmed. “We suspect that the drones are small and quiet enough that they aren’t being targeted by the griffons, but the horde’s mages are eliminating them.”
Colonel West nodded in agreement. “We’re running out of options and time.”
“Could you eliminate the horde?” Marie asked, getting the conversation back on point.
Derek shrugged. “Probably. Would be a good fight.” He cracked his neck and grinned. “Might be fun.”
Marie hesitated, weighing the risks. “I think it would be best for us to use this threat to level up the community. Colonel, I recommend putting a team together for an assault.”
“And why can’t Derek simply wipe them out?” The Colonel asked.
“Because Colonel West, Derek is leaving town for a fe… for a little while.” She explained. “He has a quest with a time limit, and we need people here to get stronger. While Derek is gone, it is critical that we have someone to cover for him. Our backup is Leroy. And Colonel, I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want to explain to his parents that we are going to send a nine-year-old to war to save the city.”
“You wanna arm wrestle?” Leroy asked one of the rangers. “I bet 2000 credits that I can beat you.”
Marie cleared her throat. “Despite how strong that nine-year-old may be.”
“I wouldn’t mind taking a shot at the horde.” James stated. “I’ve been working on an experimental spell that might be able…”
He shut up a Marie’s glare.
“Despite the deadly efficiency of my household, there are more people in the city that need the experience. Anchorage can’t put all its eggs in one basket, so to speak.” Marie explained.
“Could your people actually wipe out the horde?” The Colonel asked.
Marie ignored his question, “Colonel West, will you provide us with forty people equipped for battle, no vehicle mounted weapons, no explosives? I want people who are willing to use something other than a rifle.”
“I’ll consider it and let you know.” He responded. “Will your people be joining the battle?”
“Yes sir, my people will handle the leader and stronger monsters. We have a few other groups in town to talk to about alliances. I’m hoping that we can recruit even more people. We need strength spread across the community as much as possible.”
The Colonel nodded. “I will let you know. Take this radio, it is manned 24/7 call whenever you wish, but please state your priority. I don’t want to get pulled out of bed for something minor.”
The Colonel passed her a radio that had been sitting off to the side for a while.
“Of course, Colonel.”
----------------------------------------
The group pulled up to the warehouse where the first group they had encountered was residing. They had moved from the residential area south to an old shopping center without windows. Only steel doors surrounded the area. A variety of vehicles were parked along the building’s wall. As they approached, one of the guards called to the people inside.
The truck pulled to a stop a safe distance from the makeshift base, and everyone disembarked. Derek leaned against the truck with James as everyone else approached. This was the same group they had encountered almost a week ago—a group that had shot at Derek but failed to injure him. He had nearly killed them all in a fit of rage. Marie’s intervention had saved them from his wrath. It was clear Marie and their leader, Sarah, had been in contact since then, as they greeted each other with the familiarity of acquaintances when they met in the parking lot.
As they entered the building, Carson moved through the growing community, muttered incantations under his breath as he moved from person to person, his fingertips briefly brushing each of them. With each touch, a muted flash of pure white magic erupted, healing wounds and cleansing filth. Though the magic could be cast silently, his murmurs served to explain his actions. As he did so, the filth fell from their bodies and the wounds, although hidden by bandages and wraps, were healed, returning the flesh to new.
Marie watched Carson with a gentle smile on her face, then turned to Sarah. “Shall we leave him to it?”
Sarah nodded silently, her eyes betraying a mix of exhaustion and resolve. Marie followed her gaze, noticing how much the group had grown since their last encounter.
“Your group has grown significantly since we saw you last,” Marie commented as they walked.
“Yes,” Sarah said dryly. “Our old leader left to join a different group, one with more power and a better chance of survival.”
“You could take all these people to the military base,” Marie offered a solution.
“I don’t want to live in a military camp,” Sarah answered adamantly.
“Do whatever you feel is best for your people, Sarah. Some may prefer the safety and security of the base over this life, but I’m not here to tell you what to do. I’m here for an alliance.”
Sarah grimaced and sat in an area set up for meals, silently mulling over her thoughts.
Marie spoke as she sat. “The truth is that there is a threat growing in the Spenard area. A horde of monsters has gathered, and they are forming a community. They are dangerous, organized, and they are building a larder.”
“A what?” Sarah asked Marie in confusion.
“Larder,” Marie repeated. “Its cold storage meant for food preservation, typically without electricity.”
“What’s the big deal?”
Marie’s gaze shifted to the distance, her voice heavy with the weight of her words. “They are filling it with human corpses. Over a thousand monsters have gathered and they are expanding rapidly.”
It took a minute for Sarah to realize what Marie was really asking. When she realized it, she looked at Marie in horror. “You.. want us to fight them?”
“It would be an opportunity to gain levels and build strength.” Marie nodded. “If you want to join us in an alliance, we can help with supplies. What do you need most?”
Sarah hesitated, then brought up five fingers, her voice tinged with desperation: “Clean drinking water, food, bedding, clothes…guns.”
Marie nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. The military should be able to provide most of that. We can help with some of it as well, but we are going to be hard-pressed to survive winter.”
Apparently, Sarah hadn’t been thinking that far ahead. Her face paled at the thought. Letting Sarah think, Marie slowly scanned the room, taking in the sight of Carson and his ‘followers’ with mild concern - no doubt they believed him to be a messiah of sorts.
She returned her gaze to Sarah. “I’ve said all I will. Should you decide to ally with us, we will do everything we can to help you.”
Marie rose from her seat with a kind but firm smile, her eyes locking with Sarah’s for a moment, conveying understanding and solidarity, before she turned and walked away. Leroy followed in tow, his gaze searching the room like a hunter. If Marie had to be honest, he was quite imposing for someone so young. Already having grown over six feet tall and nearly as wide as a door with the orcish armor, he looked quite menacing if it wasn’t for the silly look on his face as he tried to look threatening. Marie only glanced at him once, but only in passing. Carson stopped the healing in order to rejoin them.
Once Sarah and her shadows followed her outside, Marie turned to face them and smiled. “Good luck. If you choose to join an alliance,” Marie pointed to a flag at the front of the building. “Then move that flag to half-staff and we will be in contact.”