Astraeus - Cheapside

[Welcome to the city of Astraeus]

Chloe blinked, and the message disappeared from her view.

Finally, the light faded and Chloe rolled over onto her side and threw up. Her head spun, but she looked around for her sister feverishly. Hope and Cassadin were nowhere in sight.

Her hand throbbed steadily, but the pain was somewhat camouflaged by the series of aches all over her body.

I’m going mad.

She’d carved words into her hand without knowing it. She’d seen things-magic, demons and strange words written in her mind’s eye.

Wherever the hell she was, she needed to find Hope and get home. Her father would be worried. If she knew him, he was probably searching for them at that very moment.

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It was clear to Chloe that she was far from home. The buildings were all made of wood and stone. The streets were paved in cobblestone and oil lamps glowed at every street corner.

She realized she still had the amulet in her hand. It was attached to a gold chain, so she hung it around her neck as she looked about. It looked like she was on a fantasy movie set, but how did she get there?

She was confused and scared. But she knew one thing; this was no dream. The pain she felt all over her body felt all too real to her.

A few people dressed in Halloween clothes still wandered about the area. So Chloe made her way to a man who was dressed as an injured peasant.

The guy had gone a bit overboard with the fake blood, though. It was in his hair and running down his neck, and his peasant looking clothes were covered in blood as well. It was really gross.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “Do you know where I am?”

The man made a strange crooning sound and lurched towards her. Chloe jumped back nervously. The man was either seriously into role play or he was drunk.

“Are we still in Seattle?” She tried again, but the man just kept lumbering closer to her without saying a word.

She was seriously scared by that point, and she backed away further and crossed the street. She figured if the man crossed the street as well, she’d run to the nearest police station.

She continuously looked over her shoulder as she made her way down the street. She saw someone then. A blonde girl dressed in a black skirt. She was standing in the shadow of a building, staring at the wall.

“Hope?” she cried, and she moved as fast as her injured body could carry her to the girl.

She reached out a hand and touched the girl on the shoulder.

The girl slowly turned around and Chloe jumped back in fright. Half of the girl’s face was burnt off. Chloe laughed nervously when she realized it was just a costume.

“Sorry,” she said. “I thought you were someone else.”

A low moaning sound came from behind her, and Chloe turned to see the injured peasant man was still following her.

“Is this a film set?” she asked, turning back to the girl, but just as she did the girl grabbed hold of her arm and yanked her close.

Chloe screamed as the girl’s teeth sunk into her arm. She pulled away, and the girl licked her lips and lurched towards her.

“Holy shit,” Chloe screamed. “What the hell is wrong with you?” She backed away and cradled her arm and ran as fast as her injured legs could go.

Everywhere she looked, she saw injured people dressed in medieval clothing with blank looks on their faces. They all turned to follow her as she passed them by.

Her brain had already pieced together what was happening, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. She rounded a corner and bumped into a child clutching something.

“Get away,” shouted Chloe. “It's dangerous—”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Her words faded as she realized the child was holding the bloody stump of somebody's arm.

“Oh crap, this can't be happening!”

She pushed the kid over and kept running. The zombies, because that's what they were-were closing in on her.

She was surrounded. She looked around. Her eyes searched for a hiding place. She was so damn scared that it took her a few seconds to realize that the strange shape in the middle of the road was a wagon.

She ran towards it. She peered inside and when she was sure that nobody was inside the wagon, she climbed in and closed the doors behind her.

The amulet had grown warm against her chest, and she reached inside and felt it burning against her skin. She contemplated throwing it away, but a small part of her brain that wasn't consumed in terror told her that it was important. A man - no, a mage - gave it to her just before he died. It had to be important.

Chloe took the bandage off of her hand and wrapped it around the bite on her arm. She didn't want to think what the bite meant. She knew what bites meant in movies, but this was clearly not a movie.

It only took a handful of minutes before the zombies started beating on the side of the wagon. She’d foolishly hoped that they’d lose interest if they couldn't see her anymore.

The moaning sound became louder and more and more zombies joined in, clawing and throwing their weight against the wagon. The wood cracked and fingers squirmed through the holes trying to reach her.

She backed away from the crack as far as she could, but they were coming at her from all sides. She only had a few more minutes before they clawed open the side and dragged her into the streets.

A strange buzzing sound like a match being lit filled the air. She could see fire through the holes in the wagon. She heard more and more buzzing sounds, and then something collided with the side of the wagon, and it began to burn. Through the holes, she saw the zombies writhing on the ground as they were burnt to a crisp.

She needed to get out before she suffocated. She tried opening the doors, but they were stuck. She noticed light coming in through the floorboards of the wagon. She pulled aside a crate of cabbages and tried to pry loose the floorboards, but they were stuck.

She needed something that she could use as a lever. Something like a crowbar. She searched around the wagon, but it was getting hotter and hotter, and the inside was filling with smoke.

She searched a few crates, and then she found a sword. Not one of those fake ones you find at bargain shops, this was a proper heavy iron sword. She stuck it between the planks and leaned against it with all of her weight. She managed to get one board loose, and she stuck her head down between the boards to catch her breath.

The roof of the wagon caved in on one side and flames scorched her legs. She put all of her remaining strength into lifting another board. It finally lifted, and she pulled it up and squeezed headfirst between the boards and fell onto the hard ground.

She wiggled free and as she lay there under the burning wagon she saw a tight row of men and women all dressed in red robes. They walked with their arms extended, shooting fireballs from the palms of their hands at anything that moved.

Chloe remained still as long as she could, but the burning planks were falling around her. She inched away from the burning debris and watched the mages walking in unison.

They passed the wagon and as they did Chloe got a good look at their grim faces. Their eyes were cold and their lips pressed in grimaces, like soilders trained for battle.

She heard one of them speaking, it was a woman’s voice, “We should have brought the Fifth Order in to pick off any that escaped.”

“Poor bastards,” said a grizzled old man before he launched a fireball at a zombie that was slowly trying to escape. “How could this happen to the whole of Cheapside? It doesn't make sense. These streets were bustling with people on their way back from work a few hours ago.”

The voices trailed off as they passed her by, and Chloe pulled herself out from under the wagon. She made sure that there was nobody around.

When she was sure she was safe, she crossed the street into the darkest shadows. She kept moving in the opposite direction from where the mages were going.

She stayed in the shadows, and finally she reached a wooden barricade. She followed it all along the outskirts of Cheapside until she saw a gate with guards posted in front of it.

She pulled her jacket closer around her and when she was sure that her bandaged arm was covered, she walked up to the guard post.

“Halt citizen,” shouted a guard, and he lowered a long spear and pointed it at her.

“Who are you?” asked a second guard, this one was dressed in a chain mail vest and held a long sword and a shield.

Chloe had already planned exactly what she’d say. She cleared her throat and spoke as confidently as possible.

“I have been sent to fetch the Fifth Order,” she said. “They are needed to exterminate any stragglers left behind.”

The guard lowered his spear a fraction and looked at his companion. The second guard shrugged.

“We have been ordered by the Sixth’s Archon to check all people leaving for bite marks,” said the first guard.

Oh, shit. She hadn't thought of that.

“Right here?” she asked.

“Strip,” said the second guard. “We need to check you all over.”

Chloe could feel her cheeks reddening. It didn't make sense. She was in pain. She was lost and possibly about to be killed, but still the thought of being naked in front of men made her nervous.

The second guard put down his shield and came over carrying an oil lamp.

Chloe bit her lip and slowly began to unbutton her blouse.

“Strange clothing you wear,” said the guard. “You not from around these parts?”

Chloe said nothing. She undid the final button and opened her shirt. The amulet reflected the lamp light as it swung between her breasts.

“I beg your pardon, madam,” the guard said quickly as he glared at the amulet. “We did not know.”

He quickly lowered the lamp, “Open the gates for the Master,” he shouted.

The first guard stared at him in confusion.

“Hector!” shouted the second guard. “Open the bloody gates.”

Chloe buttoned up her blouse as quickly as possible. She didn't say a word in case she betrayed herself. She nodded at each guard and stepped through the gates and into the city streets.

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