"Zander, meet Carlos, Maia, Reginald, Xavier, and Logham, your partners in crime for the foreseeable future." Sarah said, pointing to the small crowd of people adorned in a palette of hardened leather armors, which gave them just enough freedom to move quickly in their environments. On their chest was the familiar symbol of the golden leaf, the insignia Zander had long since begun to recognize as that of his new home, The Garden.
It'd been around a week and a half since the raid, and Zander had spent much of his time parading around as Sarah's shadow and being fitted for his equipment. He was now covered head to toe in thin, leather armor, which glinted with a slight, unnoticeable purple hue. Turns out the settlement had a resident tailor, and once he'd gotten his measurements, he had the pleasure of meeting the infamous man, named Quincy. The man's store was littered with hanging armors and clothing. His shelves held the fanciest of wares: the smoothest silk he'd even seen in his life, shoes that glimmered in the complex's absurd lighting, even tuxedos and business suits, which truly fit the endless halls of office buildings that filled this empty world.
Quincy had a rather bad reputation with customers, often shouting at them to earn their keep, and refusing service from those he deemed "unworthy," whatever that meant. For Zander though, he didn't seem to mind him much, but the grumbles and annoyed grunts he emitted whilst taking his measurements made Zander think that his outfitting was beyond his control.
He shook his head, turning back towards the group of soldiers before him. After he was conscripted into the scouts, he'd heard stories of the deadly squads the braved the unexplored sectors of the liminal world, taking on the dangers of unknown, horrifying thrall that threatened humanity. The stories seemed a little exaggerated, but he kept an open mind, and now here he was.
The first one Sarah had pointed to, Carlos, was a shorter Hispanic man, whose face was covered in terrifying scars, one of which pierced his eyes. His hair was stark black and shaved, looking almost bald up close. He held a pair of small daggers at his side, the pair hanging on either side of his waist. Zander thought that they were rusted, but instead small, moving red stains whirled around within his weapons, making it seem like they were alive.
Carlos stood at attention, his shorter stature forcing Zander to look down. He held out his hand to the man, grunting slightly, but not saying any words as Zander took his hand, shaking it firmly.
"Carlos here is a true 'scout,' as you can probably tell." Sarah said, and after seeing Zander's confused expression, she clarified further. "He moves in front of the pack, telling us of any dangers from complexes before we run into them. With him, we're safe as can be." She said, smiling softly as Carlos nodded to her, bowing his head slightly.
"Next up, Maia. She's our support, and mage.- I forget you're new to the second layer-" She interrupted herself, coughing into her fist. "She's our backline. Hopefully, she can just pelt any monsters before they get to us, but most of the time things aren't that easy. She's also our resident researcher, and she documents any new life, discoveries, or artifacts of mention along our journey. If you see something unfamiliar, go tell her." She said, a little dismissively, but as Zander turned towards Maia, she gave him a brief smile. She had bright auburn hair, like his own, and her eyes blazed with a burning orange, glinting in the daylight. She stood around Zander's height and was built rather well. At her side, her belt held a large, thick book, which reminded Zander of grimoires from fantasy movies.
"Reginald, He's our attendant. He journals the experiences of our travels and serves as a mediator between any parties we may find. Basically, he does the talking so we don't get ourselves killed." Sarah said, shrugging with a smile. The man seemed a bit regal, almost like the butler of a monarch. His hair was a dark gray, and he stood with his back perfectly straight. "He doesn't have any weapons, but he's got some shielding abilities. If you need a quick cover, he's your guy."
"Xavier here is one of our vanguard, a silver ranked awakened with abilities for the axe. His job isn't too complex, he basically just smacks things till they die" she said with a slight chuckle. The man was built like a bodybuilder, his hulking mass towering over Zander as he mumbled a greeting that he couldn't quite make out. Along his neck lay a small golden halo, pierced by a pointed cross. He gripped the necklace tightly for a moment, before bowing his head to Zander in greeting.
"And finally, last but definitely least, Logham." Sarah said, pointing to the last man, who let out a snort at her comment.
"Come on, Sarah, don't talk bad about me in front of the greenie!" He said, a bright, devilish smile growing on his face. The man looked imposing, his bright white hair catching Zander's eye as he took his hand, shaking it profusely. "Welcome to the party, kid." He said, smacking him slightly on the back.
"Ahem-" Sarah said, a frown growing on her face as she watched the Logham's antics. "Logham here, is also a mage, but he only seems to blow up everything in his wake…" She said, shaking her head slightly.
"Oh, come on! That was ONE time!" He exclaimed, his voice peaking slightly. Zander chuckled inwardly, a smile growing on his face.
Reminds me of home. He thought, remembering his time with Jiwoo, his brother. The two spent so much time fighting, yet they never truly got mad at each other. It made this squad seem more like a family than a military unit.
"And this-" Sarah slapped Zander's shoulder, finally turning the attention towards him. "Is our newest recruit, Zander." A small chorus of greetings came from the other members before Sarah spoke again. "Poor fella is one of the fifth wave, so he's only been here… what? Like a week?" She asked, getting a nod from Zander. "He's got some mental abilities that make him able to think on the fly."
"Any offensive capabilities?" Asked Calros, the man's voice just as gruff as his looks.
"Ah- well no." Sarah admitted, getting a small groan from Carlos. "But he's got talent, and I'm sure with a little practice he can find his path along the weapon arts. Still, in just the two weeks he's been here, he's killed a brute class Thrall and over a dozen Buzzards during the big raid, saving several lives." A few of the scrupulous looks turned into that of admiration, and Zander felt the emotion of the conversation die down.
"I expect you to welcome him as I did all of you, especially 'cause we've been ordered to move out soon." She said, which immediately got all of the squad's attention.
"When?" Reginald asked calmly.
"Tomorrow, at dawn." She said, earning a nod from him. "Pack your shit, folks." She smirked; her tone was much more informal. "Zander, we'll get you a sword to work with. That piece of junk you took from the guards won't save your life in a pinch. Talk to Bernard as well, he's requested to talk to you" She said pointedly. She clapped her hands, and suddenly the pack spread out, a few of them giving Zander a quick nod or pat on the shoulder as they passed.
"Zander" Sarah said suddenly, cutting off his line of thought. He turned his head towards her, only to find her imposing eyes boring into his own. He felt like he was once again strapped to the table, being interrogated at knife point. "You've got potential, but you're going to need more than that if you want to get stronger. You said it yourself, that you don't want to sit here and do nothing, so get up, and make a change." Her voice was firm, yet soft, as she turned away.
Zander watched her fading back as she turned into one of the twisting hallways of the complex, his mind aflutter. He thought back to the crazed events of his first week, the mad dash for safety from the thrall on the bridge, Michael's unfortunate demise at the hands of a trapper, and even the horrifying raid on The Garden. More had happened since then, with the mass migration of opportunistic people, and Matsuo's sudden departure, which had thrown some of the linguistics into chaos.
The Garden had an official council of qualified people. They contained the highest ranking members of the different branches within the government. For example, Bernard and Sarah, as leaders of two militaristic branches, would be sat alongside those who ran the settlement, traded with others, and so on. Despite this, The Garden was not a democracy, nor was it a republic. Matsuo ran the place with an iron fist, a path carved by the battles he'd fought for years. Without Matsuo, mistakes were bound to occur, and a massive influx of people certainly wouldn't help that.
Matsuo's departure was rather unexpected to the people of The Garden. Whispers and rumors passed around the small community, but barely made their way to the top. Zander had his suspicions, but never dared to formulate any ideas. He'd seen the man's power firsthand. If he managed to piss him off… he would likely be dead in an instant.
Zander mulled over his abilities for a moment, considering his severe lack of strength. What Sarah had said was true, he had no offensive abilities, or ways to press the attack on the enemy. His only use so far had been just barely snatching himself away from certain death time and time again, but he knew one of these days his luck would run out if he didn't do something.
He found Bernard lazing at a table, eating the largest apple he'd ever seen. It was nearly as big as Zander's head, but Bernard didn't seem to care, engrossed in its sweet juices. Zander tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention.
"How the hell are you going to eat all of that?" He asked, curiously, watching the veteran break out into a devilish grin.
"You'd be surprised, laddie." He said, chuckling deeply. He continued eating his oversized fruit, but patted the seat next to him, inviting Zander to sit down. "A little birdie told me you're one of the scouts" He said, slapping Zander on the back. "Congratulations! Though… I thought I might pick you up as one of my soldiers." He shook his head, his smile turning from a devilish grin to a heartfelt smile. Even Zander felt a little burst of happiness and pride as the man congratulated him.
"Thanks!" He said, beaming back. "I just wanted to figure out how to fight, I guess. I've been doing nothing so far, but we've got our first mission tomorrow." He pressed his thumb to his chin, thinking nervously. "I haven't even been trained, and I'm on a mission. It's… kind of scary, to be honest." He looked at his feet, feeling a pang of cold shudder along the length of his spine. He'd been fine when he agreed to join the scouts, but being active this early just felt dangerous, like he'd be dead weight. He'd begun to worry that his inability would lead to danger, to a possible and frightening end, surrounded by monsters.
"Bah, don't let your nerves get to you. Ol' Sarah chose you because you've got somethin' special." Bernard said, setting down the fruit he was gleefully consuming, the apple landing on the table with a thunk! "Trust me, those feelings are always there. We all feel that overwhelming fear, even big shots like me!" His eyes trailed off, glazing over in thought, memories flooding through his mind.
Zander narrowed his eyes. "You, worried?" He smiled softly. "As if I'd believe that. You'd probably dive headfirst into danger. I can't do that." He said, shaking his head.
"Then get stronger"
"What?" Zander asked, startled slightly.
"Simple. Stop worrying about useless bullshit and get stronger. What good will worrying do? If you're struggling, adapt in the moment, and get stronger." Bernard crossed his arms, staring at Zander intensely. "It's the way of the world, Zander. If there's a danger, stab it in the face until you get better at stabbing. You can't worry about danger or feelings, just live in the moment and react. Be there for your compatriots and listen to your intuition. I have a feeling you've got it in you." His voice was stern, but soft, like a father disciplining his son.
"But-" Zander started.
"Stop-" Bernard interrupted, cutting Zander off before he could say anything.
"Stop. Thinking. About. Random. Bullshit." He punctuated his words strictly, like an orchestra accenting a rising crescendo. "That's enough." Before Zander could process anything, Bernard was on his feet, blinking in front of him. "I've got a little gift for you. Don't ruin your opportunity, kid." He reached his hand forward and twisted, looking like he was opening an invisible door. Suddenly, the space around his palm crackled and snapped, twisting into what looked like a circular tear in space. It emitted a soft, bright purple glow, like the inner core of a nebula, layering the beautiful colors.
"What?!" Zander yelped, his hand moving to the hilt of the damaged sword at his hip, which had cracked after its rigorous use during the raid.
"Stand down, scout. It's just an inventory skill. Don't do anything you'd regret." Bernard snarled, like a dog, his voice piercing Zander's ears. He took his hand off the weapon, but his muscles were still tense. Whatever that was, it was unnatural.
Bernard reached his hand into the pocket of ripped space, his limb disappearing into the scar of space that now hovered before them. He strained for a moment, reaching his arm further into the hole, his shoulder pressed up against the empty space, before he finally retracted, his hands holding a long scabbard. Its décor was simple, a blackened leather scabbard, but within the scabbard was something of much more value.
A bright sword, made of pure, unblemished metal was placed within the scabbard. Despite its simplicity, Zander felt a inherent draw to it, as if his body craved its touch. He caught himself reaching for the weapon, before suddenly drawing back, stopping himself. He frowned as he observed the strange occurrence, but his head shot up once Bernard began to laugh.
"Hah! It seems your calling is the sword, laddie!" He held the scabbard high, his palms fondling the smooth leather of the sheathe, holding the hidden weapon towards Zander's concerned form. "I was going to go around different weapons 'till you had a reaction like that… it seems my job was easier than I thought." He handed Zander the weapon, who gratefully rubbed his hands over its length, his feeling every ridge of the scabbard. He suddenly unsheathed the blade, the sword emerging from its sheathe with a shing! He watched as the light glinted off the edge, tracing the deadly, razor sharp weapon. It was a simple, unimpressive weapon, yet it left him awestruck, much more than the simple blade he'd taken from the guards. He wanted this.
"Every warrior needs a good weapon, and that there will do wonders for ya" Bernard continued, watching Zander's actions with an amused expression. "It takes a proper weapon to awaken a warrior's inner spirit. Take it, it's all yours, free of charge." He said, and Zander gasped slightly.
"For free? You shouldn't have…" He said, his voice trailing as his attention shifted between the blade and Bernard.
"Bah! You need a weapon to be in the scouts, and I figured this old hunk of junk would work for ya!" He said, slapping his knee. "She used to be mine, back in the day, but I outgrew her. Once I heard you were needin' a true weapon, I got her fixed up. Now, ol' reliable will take you far. Keep it safe, alright laddie? I don't want to see you or the blade get hurt." His words trigged a nod from Zander, who placed the weapon back in his sheathe.
A blue light sparked in his eye, burning with a bright intensity. Unbeknownst to him, at the same time a brief flicker of a similarly blue spark appeared above the weapon on his waist, a small bolt of electricity traveling along the edge of the blade.
Bernard eyes the colorful reaction with glee, his mind racing.
This kid's got talent.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Let's get going folks!" A voice echoed along the halls of The Garden, getting the attention of five lone people, each equipped with a thicker leather armor, and a large pack, filled with foods, equipment, and supplies.
Zander stood with the rest of his squad, which he'd learned were the First Squad, the highest performing squad in all of The Garden. They'd waited patiently at the entrance to their complex for thirty minutes after the lights turned on, silently awaiting the arrival of their leader, Sarah. She was fully equipped in her normal gear, her dark blue cloak reaching down to her legs, obscuring the armor underneath. She nodded to each of them, saying a few important words before they set off.
They walked single file along the narrow glass bridge that connected them to the outside world, carefully making sure no one slipped into the endless void below, before making finally feeling the soft brush of carpet underneath them once more. As Zander breathed a sigh of relief, Sarah gathered the members together, her face furrowed in concentration.
"For now, we're to head to the west, to explore some of the undocumented territory just on our border. I know you all know this-" she nodded to the squad, and Maia and Xavier nodded seriously in response. "But this is Zander's training mission. I want to do things safely, no running off, you hear?" She shot a particularly angry look at Logham, who shrugged mischievously.
"As for you-" She turned to Zander, her eyes never quite leaving their surroundings. "You're going to learn a lot of things here. First thing's first, always keep one eye open. I've seen many scouts and warriors alike fall to a Thrall, waiting in ambush." She leaned forward towards him, seeing his expression fall as she mentioned the Thrall. "Keep an eye out for Trappers, too. I think you know well enough what they will do if they get a hold of you." Her eyes thinned as she watched Zander internally panic, flashes of Michael's gruesome death flashing through his mind. He nodded fervently, sweeping his gaze around the edges of the complex, searching for any possible sign of danger.
The group moved together for the first few hours, carefully checking every length of the neighboring complexes, combing them like a seasoned force. Whilst they traveled, Sarah explained the importance of staying together and using each other's abilities and strengths to bolster your own. Whilst Zander knew everyone was stronger as a team, he never really understood the intricacies of a well-seasoned fighting force, something he found intriguing.
He followed in Sarah's footsteps, observing her every move as the squad moved together, slowly but surely. Carlos was located in the front of the pack, carefully poking around corners and occasionally tapping his forehead, which Zander assumed was some kind of scanning ability. He'd sit perfectly still for several seconds, his face steeped in concentration, before quickly moving his way through the next room, still cautiously ensuring his ability did not fail.
Maia and Logham helped carry supplies, with the two sharing cooking equipment and sleeping bags. They chatted quietly as the rest of the squad stood in a V formation, slowly marching through the vast complex, like a search party. He smiled to himself at the thought, of a hardened military group holding hands, sweeping the woods for a missing child, but he shook the thought when Carlos motioned to them urgently.
Something was here.
Zander's face dropped when he saw the figure. It was a lone beast, built head to toe with muscle. It was a Thrall. Zander wouldn't ever forget its gorilla0like appearance, and once it turned around, he confirmed it. Its face was stuck in that all-so familiar shriek, its terrifyingly wide jaw stuck in an eternal yawn, causing wrinkles to appear along the side of its oversized mouth as it moved, making it seem even more unnatural.
For the first time, Zander got a proper look at the beast who'd terrorized him since his first day. It was nearly as tall as himself, lumbering high over his nearly six foot frame. The Thrall was nearly seven feet tall, and its muscles were the size of Zander's head, a weapon that would instill fear in anyone, even without the terror-inducing features.
The squad moved instantly, spreading out around the monster, its eyes still not falling upon them as it tried to dig into the carpet, but making no leeway.
"It's trying to sleep" Sarah whispered to Zander as he followed her, his body seeming to flinch away from the monster with every step he took, remembering the powerful force of its body. "They're active at all times of the day, but on occasion they look to make a nest. It digs out the carpet around it and sinks into the concrete below." She nodded towards Zander, seeing his fearful expression. "We're to take it out, since it's so close to the main group. Follow me and be careful. If it detects us, the others know what to do, but it's your job to survive, got it?" He nodded fervently, and she smiled back. Her smile felt real, but her face was scrunched in concentration.
He watched as the others hid behind a collection of scattered walls and desks that served no real purpose, save for their cover, he supposed. They inched closer and closer, until they finally reached the beast. Carlos rose his hand above his head, palm raised to the sky, before closing his palm into a firm fist.
As if ordered, the squad moved in an instant. A fiery burst of blue energy emerged from Maia's palm, catching the previous unaware beast in the eyes, sending it reeling. It roared, its voice high pitched and ear shattering, before swerving towards the source of the damage, unable to see its attackers. At the same time, Carlos unsheathed his daggers, plunging them into the lower legs of the beast, cutting its tendons and sending it tumbling to the ground, screeching in pain.
Logham and Xavier moved in next, the two seemingly teleporting across the open space, with Logham appearing behind the monster, whilst Xavier stood in the line of fire. Xavier's axe swept through the air, cutting through the space like an interdimensional knife, its blade glowing a fierce blue as its swing left a small trail of light in its wake. Its blade pierced the monster's head, cleaving through it in an instant, whilst Logham raised his hand to the sky, his palm glowing a bright yellow. The energy seemed to build for a moment, before Logham sent a resounding SLAP Along the beasts backside.
BRRT TOOOM!
The monster exploded with the bright yellow energy, sending Xavier flying backwards from the impact. He used the momentum of the blast to somersault backwards, landing on his feet, as if practiced hundreds of times before. He landed right next to where Sarah and Zander stood, and he turned back to them with concern, before smiling at Zander's awestruck face. Zander's mouth hung in shock at the devastating destruction, and he took a small step back, covering his face from the blast whilst Sarah merely looked on, a small smile growing on her lips.
When the dust settled, all that remained was the charred husk of a headless Thrall, barely even recognizable from its terrifying stature.
"Wow…" Zander muttered, his breath catching in his throat as he watched the encounter with a mixture of excitement and horror. "Do not let me get on your bad side" He said, earning a bark of laughter from Sarah.
"Next time-" Sarah uttered her words with absolute confidence, her face titled upwards as a snarky smirk emerged. You'll take part, and will officially be considered one of the sco-" She paused as her eyes widened with fear, her gaze flickering to something behind Zander. "GET DO-"
WHAM!
An impact rocked Zander's side, and he flew to the side, his body skidding along the floor before coming to a halt. Pain exploded in his side, but he burst to his feet, the pain seemingly fading away as he moved, his senses slowing down as he observed what happened.
A massive Thrall, twice the size of the previous one, was standing where Zander once stood, beating its chest proudly whilst shouting so loudly his eardrums burst on the spot, sending a trail of blood down his head as he finally regained his breath.
"Zander!"
"Greenie!"
A chorus of concerned shouts were launched his way, before the squad leapt into action. A steady stream of blue fireballs flew from Maia's palm. Maia had quickly positioned herself closer to the downed thrall, placing herself away from the front of the battle. Her face glowed with a blue hue as she desperately send streams of flames towards the beast, leaving small scorch marks as they connected with the monster. Despite its seemingly little damage, the spells seemed to annoy the beast, who grunted with pain as each bolt of magic connected.
Carlos wrapped around to the back of the beast before leaping onto its back, sending an array of slashes towards its exposed flank as unleashed the full strength of his blades. Zander noticed a small dance of energy emerge along the length of the blades, but he brushed it aside, assuming it to be an affect of an ability.
Reginald leapt into action, sending a resounding blow towards the beast, slapping its face with an open palm. The world around his attack seemed to bend with an aura of strength, distorting the air around his fist, like heat lines on a hot day. When it impacted the monster's face however, it barely reacted at all, and it merely shrieked into the warrior's direction before slamming the ground around it.
A burst of concrete exploded from the floor, sending tiles of concrete and carpet flying in all directions, like a massive grenade. Carlos yelped in pain as one of the rocks plunged into his shoulder, loosening his grip on its back. He slowly slide down its side, before falling to the ground, clutching his now furiously bleeding arm. He writhed for a moment before his movements stilled, and he finally leapt back to his feet, quickly running to Maia, who handed him a small vial.
Its gaze turned to Xavier, who was the closest one to it. Its nose flared, and Zander watched as a familiar energy floated into the beast's frame, before suddenly-
It disappeared.
The massive monster disappeared in front of his eyes, not even a sound remaining as it vanished. Panicked, Xavier looked around quickly, his eyes darting around for a glimpse of it, yet not even the carpet showed the massive footprints of the Thrall. It was as if it had teleported away.
Bam! The Thrall re-appeared right in front of Xavier, a veil of invisibility swiftly falling from its head, like it was removing itself from under a blanket. From the moment it became visible again, it was already mid-attack, sending a flying punch towards Xavier. His head snapping to attention as he raised his arms to block the attack, barely reaching the blow in time to stop it in its tracks.
Shink!
Xavier's axe once again emerged from its scabbard, his long black hair fluttering down to his shoulders as he slammed his battle axe into the beast's form, hoping to score a final blow like the previous Thrall, but it seemed the monster was more prepared than he'd thought. Its attention snapped towards the new threat, and before he knew it, its arm seemed to blur forward, slamming into the side of the axe. It went flying from Xavier's hands before embedding itself into the wall, leaving Xavier weaponless. Instead of panicking, however, he lunged towards the monster with his hands, wrapping it in a massive bear hug. The two forces of nature wrestled together, the beast seemingly unable to escape from Xavier's clutches, all the while the squad managed to regroup, sending a new wave of attacks into its exposed body.
Its legs gave out first, sending it tumbling to one knee, roaring in defiance. It launched itself upwards with its one remaining foot, attempting to catch the ground off guard, but Xavier slammed it into the floor, plunging its face into the carpet with a bang!
It struggled to move, but found itself helpless to the relentless attacks that flew his way. Its movements slowed, before finally stopping altogether, before it sent out one final, shuddering sigh, finally falling still.
Zander breathed a sigh of relief as everyone caught their breath, before a small noise caught his attention, just barely registering within his ears. He froze as the air in front of him seemed to stir, and suddenly another veil began to drop, revealing a hulk of mass and muscle.
Another Thrall, identical to the last, appeared in front of him, its clawed fist already inches from Zander's face…
"ZANDER!"