Minor Healing
Effect: Heals 20 Health per casting. Target must be in contact during healing. Cooldown 60 seconds.
Cost: 20 Mana
"Thank you!" Lana clutches the newly recovered dog, pushing her head into its fur as the dog returns the favor with long licks.
“How did you learn that? And how come your bike is still working?” Richard is eyeing me with pure lust and jealousy after the first healing. I look back up, noting the family resemblance, the light smile that twists their lips, the striking features that they both have. Richard is pretty damn good looking too, though it’s an ephemeral charisma that draws the eye to him when he speaks. He’s clad in a plaid shirt and jeans with a light summer jacket on his body, a shotgun held casually on his arm.
“Bought it in the Shop,” I casually mention. Best not to mention Sabres a mecha for now, a working bike these days is wonder enough.
“The Shop?” Lana butts in while Mikito stays silent, watching over the group. I look over and nod to the other fighter in this group and she just stares at me. Right then, not the friendliest one that one.
“Place where you can sell the Loot drops. There’s one in Whitehorse,” I pause, then hold up a hand to forestall more questions. “Let’s get moving, we can talk when we’re safe. Then I’ll answer your questions.”
The trio nod grimly, being reminded of the problems of standing around in the wild. I gesture over the children and one of the mum’s to get on the bike, remotely starting it and setting it to move along at a slow pace next to us.
Now that I’ve got them moving in the right direction I put my helmet back on and speak into it, obscuring my voice, “Ali, keep an eye out. Let me know if there’s any danger will you?”
“Not introducing me? Ashamed of me are you?” Ali grumbles, floating next to me.
“Just cautious. They seem nice enough people, but those dogs are huge,” I eye the hounds who trot beside us, even the one that got smashed around by the Troll. Seems like those things heal faster than we do which is saying something. I guess I wasted a bunch of my mana for nothing.
“Beast companions. Bet you a hundred Credits those two have a Beast Tamer Class,” Ali points to the Pearsons. I open my mouth to ask more when Richard drops back to speak to me and I pop my visor open to stay polite.
“Thanks again. I’m Richard, that’s my sister Lana and the lady over there’s Mikito,” Richard gestures in turn to the combatants before proceeding to point at the other non-combatants who stay in the center of our little group and naming them. Truth be told, I forget their names as fast as he says it, I’ve always been horrible with names and with Ali around, I don’t even have to try.
“John,” I offer my hand for a quick shake before I begin probing for their story. It seems he needs to talk since it doesn’t take long to get the details of what happened to them. When the System turned on, both Richard and Lana had been offered classes as Beast Tamers as their recommended small perk. They’d ignored the option at first, but after dealing with their first monster (a giant Squirrel it seems), they’d accepted. That had caused their mushing team to transform into the current pack that ranges around us and gave them a linked connection to their pets.
Mikito had been with her husband at the Takhini Hot Springs, hoping to get pregnant under the Northern Lights but things ended in tragedy. Neither of the Pearsons have been able to get the story of her Naginata out of her as yet, but whatever it was, it wasn’t pretty as the woman seemed to throw herself at the monsters they’d encountered at the drop of a hat. The rest of the non-combatants they’d picked up, neighbours and others independently moving to Whitehorse in hopes of safety.
“How come they don’t have classes?” I point to the group in the center, letting my head swivel around for new threats.
“They do. Karl’s a Farmer, Jorge is an Industrialist and so on, they’re just not fighters,” Richard shrugs and then mutters. “Neither am I really but you know…”
“Yeah, I do.” We both fall silent then, finishing the walk in our own thoughts. Being drawn into a fight or die situation has not been easy, not for any of us. I stare forwards as we walk, my mind turning to Whitehorse. We can rest when we get in, the safe zone a place where we can find some peace. Maybe put down our weapons, stop killing. Find some sanity in this crazy new world.
When we finally catch sight of Two Mile Hill in Whitehorse, the entire group lets out a little cheer. Walking through the industrial park and suburbs had been depressing, even if we hadn’t ventured from the highway to check out the abandoned buildings. Closer to the town, the zone level had dropped all the way to the mid-20s, so it was pretty safe as far as an apocalypse goes. No more flying drakes at least. However, the signs of struggle and death were all around us as we traveled and once again I was reminded that not everyone received or took a combat class - or had a chance to take one.
The cheers die off as we note another party coming down Two Mile Hill from the community center on bicycles. To our right, the massive white and blue building that made up the community centre sat, seeming to cast an oppressive gloom around it. The Canada Games Centre is something we are going to have to keep an eye on as from what Ali could tell, the mana flows were pooling quite deeply which would result in more monsters being drawn in. In time, if it isn’t cleared out, it’ll turn into a proper monster lair and after that, a full Dungeon. Thankfully, that’s a problem for another time and another person.
I drop the visor in the helmet to pull up basic magnification to start collecting information of the other group. The group consists of a pair of what look like extras from the Lord of the Rings Elves, a dragonman wannabe, a mini-Giant in full plate and what have to be a pair of casters by their long flowing robes. That’s right, the entire group looks like a LARP party on steroids, though with Level’s from low to mid 30’s which makes them a serious threat.
“Ali, what’s up with their levels?” I mutter into my helmet.
“Mmm… Whitehorse probably saw a lot more spawning in the initial period. You’re all getting bonus experience at the start, so if they’ve been working together and killing the monsters around here, leveling is pretty easy. Though, I’ll admit - it’s still pretty high,” Ali intones, eyeing the group as well.
I groan after a moment as I get a better look at the casters, the pair of them having the least amount of changes from their pre-Apocalypse visages. No acne makes the pair of teenagers look significantly better but it’s definitely them. I pull my helmet off completely to run a hand through my hair, shoulders hunching slightly. Lana, buxom Lana whose company is definitely more interesting than her brother Richard’s shoots me a worried look from my side.
“I kind of know them,” I start throwing a prayer to whatever gods there are who might be listening.
There probably is, and his name is Murphy because the bicycle-riding group swerves our way and I get a chance to read all their System names including the female Elf.
Luthien Celbrindal (Level 32)
HP: 420/420
“Fuck me sideways. I swear, I should have put more points into Luck,” I roll my neck, attempting to get rid of the tension that’s suddenly built up. Mikito hefts her naginata, getting ready for battle and I realise even the dogs are rumbling. “Not that kind of trouble people. I think. It’s personal.”
Lana gestures and Richard and the rest of the group come to a stop, obviously waiting for me to explain, “That’s my ex incoming. Bad breakup and all. I left the city to get away from her…”