Chapter 8 – Explorations

Last time of BTL: engma made the difficult decision to go with his friends in spite of a rash of disappearances in Whitehaven that he was investigating. Also…Skold. Onward as we push…west.

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“Are we there yet?”
“No.”
“Are we there yet?”
“No!”
“Are we there yet?”

“NO! Gunblaze if you don’t shut that twit up, I swear, I will gladly sacrifice him to the next lamb we see.” growled Burnsy.

“Gah!” screamed Lil Skold.

“Come over here, Skold, the weird man with a vampiric hand attach to his shoulders doesn’t mean it.” Gunblaze motioned Skold to get behind him.

“That little turd will be the death of me,” Burnsy muttered under his breath.

“Skold does have a point,” I said trying to smooth things out. “We have been traveling for five hours without giving the horses or ourselves a break, Chuck. When is the next pit stop gonna be?”

Chuck stopped and scoped out the surrounding area. We had been traveling in flat farmland for a better part of the day, but as evening drew near, we were now in rolling plains which made for slower and harder walking on the horses and pack mules. Chuck whistled to Jupe and HS who had point. They came trotting back, HS *whirs* could be heard as he ran because of his, formerly Butress’, robotic armor and body parts. Jupe had the dichotomy of animal furs swaying about as he came up to us. At one point, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw one of the skins move on its own, but I blamed it on the hazy day.

Chuck jutted his chin out. “What’s up there?”

“As far as I can see, the plains go on for about ten more miles. Patches of trees here and there.” HS pointed out towards the northwest. “The range you marked on the map is that way. Two more days.”

“Jupe?” asked Chuck.

“Nothing here but prairie dogs, rabbits, and the biggest gawd-damn mice you have ever seen. I haven’t smelled anything dangerous except Skold’s banjo.”

Skold frowned at him. “It’s a lyre.”

Jupe looked at me. “Did he just call me a liar?”

I just held up my hand.

Jupe shook his fist at him. “Just give me one excuse, little man, and I’ll squash you like a turd.”

“Jupe, just calm–”

“Eng, he has been playing Morrison songs all day!” replied Jupe.

“MORRISSEY!!” screamed Gunblaze as he stood up in his saddle. “Ahem.” He lowered himself slowly back into the saddle. “That’s Morrissey. There’s quite a difference.”

Jupe dead-panned Gunblaze and pointed to Skold. “Coming out of him, it’s all shit.”

“You just don’t appreciate the arts!” yelled Skold.

Jupe started to turn bright red first around the rim of his ears and then down to his cheeks. He began to shake his fist and in a moment of self-control he said…”I’ve. got. to. take. a. shit.”

He quickly turned his horse around and trotted away from Lil Skold.

Chuck called after him. “Meet us at the patch of trees to the north by northwest. We’ll make camp there for the night.”

“Woohoo! No more riding!” arm danced Burnsy. “My buh-UT is killing me! Cripes! I didn’t realize that adventuring took so long!”

I smirked as I passed him. “Yer used to respawning into an area, soon as it’s loaded….YOU’RE THERE! This is reality, m’man.”

“Hell, no wonder I like fantasy better’n real life!” quipped Burnsy.

As we started to trot again, I heard Skold whisper a question to Gunblaze.

“Why is that man blue?” Skold asked pointing to me.

“It’s,” Gunny breathed in for a second, “it’s a condition, Skold. Let’s not stare.”

I smiled. He wasn’t totally off the mark. Had I been riding out in the daytime like this on Earth, I would be sizzling for sure. I was glad that Acadia sun did not vaporize my kind like Earth’s sun, but would give my life for my friends, including mileena, for them to get back home. Unfortunately, there was no home to go to.

About a half a mile away, stood a cluster of Acadia’s versions of maple and sweet gum trees. Good for shade and protection against the rain should nature decide so. We started to unpack the mules and Burnsy marked his territory by peeing in a wide circle almost hitting Skold. Jupe joined the group and began sniffing the trees and the grass around them. You could always tell what type of animal has been nearby when looking at the bark of the trees he said. He estimated that our supper would consist of rabbit and perhaps possum.

After Burnsy set up his pup tent he stood up and stretched his arms to the sky to bask in the sunlight. He took off his leather armor and scratched his belly.

“Eyup. I feel like a level up.” He looked up at the sky and rubbed his hands together. “Something’s in the air. I’m about to go up a level.”

As I was taking off my leather armor I scrunched up my face. “A level? Jesus, man, you need to start living in reality.”

“Naw,” said Gunblaze as he took off his helmet, “Fantasy is way better! Like the one where we get to become kings with all the spells and gold in the world and everybody laughs at my jokes and my screenplays are made into movies and my own production company rules Hollywood and I have breasts to where I can…” Gunblaze looked up at us as his hands were cupping his chest plates. “Went a little too far in my scenario.”

Burnsy smiled and looked over at HS. “Hey, Robut! Kill a rabbit so I can watch and gain XPs!”

“You’ve got to be joking.” he said as he pulled up the last pole to his two story four room tent.

“First off,” said Burnsy pointing to the tent, “I WILL want to know how you did that. And second, no I’m not joking. C’mon! Get us sum supper, Dad!”

HS rolled his eyes. Jupe started to sniff the air as he came by and stood next to HS. Seconds passed as Jupe closed his eyes and HS searched the plains for prey. Both stood silent and still with the breeze on their faces. Suddenly, Jupe pointed due east just as HS with blazing speed reached for an arrow, knocked it, and let it fly.

“There.” said Jupe pointing.

*Twang*

The arrow flew straight and sure into a small animal.

Burnsy squinted and stared at the kill. “Woohoo! That’s gotta be at least 2 XPs! Yeh! Heh heh!”

Jupe turned around to sat down against a tree. “It’ll be stringy but good for us.”

We sat down for a better than average meal than most people would have traveling across the plains with nonperishable foods strapped to mules. HS and Butress teamed up to spice up the meat that was caught (and viewed). During our meal small talk was passed around to one another. I so wanted to ask Chuck what he thought the chances were that we would find the body of mileena and be able to meld her body and soul together. But I did not want to dash anyone’s hopes of what they would find; be it her, riches, fame, or women.

Dusk gave way to dark and the night bugs began to sing. A slight breeze rustled the trees. It was a dry warm wind, one that made you stick your chin up into it, close your eyes, and create a calmness within you. Chuck began to put the last log on the fire and unrolled his sleeping bag.

“I feel a sleeping bag fight coming on.” I exclaimed.

Jupe groaned. “Those were fun for about five seconds then the clamoring for fresh cool air began!”

“Just because you always lost.” I snapped.

“Hmph.” hmphed Jupe.

“Well, you girls can have the first watch since you’re so keen on playing games. Gunblaze and Skold have the second watch. Butress and HS have the third.” said Chuck.

Burnsy’s mouth remained open for a second. “A-n-d….when is your watch?”

“I’m a supervisor. I delegate.” he turned over away from our stares.

Burnsy pulled his pants down. “Delegate THIS!” *WAP*

I leapt to the side to get out of the way of the expelled air. “First watch! First watch! I’m running to my post!”

My job, as deemed by my “supervisor” was to collect wood to keep the fire going. Although the light would attract attention, it would also provide light for us should somebody decide to attack us. Plus, the smoke would keep away a good number of pestering bugs.

After gathering an armful of fallen branches and sticks, I sat down to sharpen my sword. My mind began to wander back to Earth. My youthful days spent mostly in mischief, riding my bike, matchbox cars in the backyard, or discovering new bugs with my sister. And the still unsolved mystery of where she was. Dead? Alive? Undead? The point was mute as I remembered our departure was Earth’s final minutes. But my not knowing burned at my heart. I would do anything…

And then it all happened at the same moment. I looked up to see Jupe brandish his battle ax. His companion started to growl fiercely. And HS came off the deck of his tent.

“We’re not alone.” Jupe said clutching his axe.

With that, howling came from all directions and even seemed to come from the heavens themselves. I looked at Jupe’s wolf whose hair was now standing up on her back.

Nodding over to her I said, “She know what they are?”

Looking from her to me, Jupe replied, “Yeah, they’re her former subjects.”

Burnsy slowly rose from his rest. “Jesus. Will someone turn off the alarm clock?!”

“Subjects?” I pried.

“Yeah,” said Jupe as he peered out into the darkness. “She used to be queen over twenty packs and families.”

Burnsy came up to us scratching his stomach. “How many wolves is that? Twenty, thirty?”

“No,” replied Jupe, “more like four hundred.”

Burnsy held his pointer finger at us. “Excuse me. I’m….GOINGTOGETMYWEAPONSNOW!!” He ran over to his pack and began to toss his stuff around.

Chuck walked up to us wearing no armor and carrying a staff. “Forget your armor. No time. They’re about ready to attack.”

“Why are you all so calm?!” screamed Burnsy.

“Because he and I sleep in our armor!” said Gunblaze as he clanked out of his sleeping bag with his platemail on.

“And besides,” said Chuck in a low soft voice. “I’ve come too far to die now.”

I felt the sensation before, but it had been a long time. At least three years. I almost didn’t recognize my own radar going off.

“Uh, guys,” I said in a hurried voice, “I know why they were waiting. They’re not alone either.”

The howling ceased and the rumble of running legs came towards us. The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up and their voices rang in my head…

“Brother! Tonight you die!!! Kill for the Arzenal!!”

-Next time…”Meetings!”