System Break

The sun dropped below the horizon and the purple clouds supressed the twilight to darkness more akin to the middle of the night. I crept closer to the camp and watched their cores move around or sit by the campfire. I crawled on my stomach along the ground until I could hear their voices and then lay on my side so I could watch them in the darkness.

I picked up their conversation and it sounded well worn. "I'll log out tonight and ask them what happened," one said. I could not see their faces unless they were hovering over the fire. But I could see their cores and if they moved I would know.

"Gunt's dead for sure. Do you have his contact details?"

"Yeah, I have everyone's personal except the Red Queen."

They began to share a meal and I rolled away and then began to crawl again. Once I was a safe distance away I curled up in a ditch and logged out.

It wasn't long before I was disconnecting the cybernetic implant in my stolen pod. The lid rose and I looked around the warehouse. Jake and Rui were nowhere to be seen. I lumbered across the dusty concrete floor and grabbed a spare tablet.

I tapped a few buttons and began to record a message, "Jake. Can you look up two characters I had to kill. One, ensure they're dead and two intercept or fix any communications coming their way. Stonk is one and Salamander is another, sorry I don't know their real names but that won't be a problem for you."

"If you are able to create a cover story this is what you should say. Killed by rampaging Dawnharbour Protector Sigwurd using his bare hands. Gunt may have survived because he was taking a piss in the rubble. Not coming back we're over this."

"I consumed their cores immediately after killing them so they should be perma-dead. I'll come back out for a debrief when it's safe to do so. Leave a comm unit for me."

End message. I left the tablet next to the pod and climbed back in.

I wasn't out of the Qi World for long and two trips in quick succession was disorientating. I lay in the ditch for the rest of the night while I tried to sleep and hatched my plan of action.

.

When the first rays of light breached the horizon I noticed I was an absolute dirty mess. Not only was I covered in dirt, but I had some blood and guts on me from the bullfrog. I sipped on my waterskin and stood.

I gave the nine a wide birth and then circled in front of them. I was between them and their heading, so I stopped running and began to limp in towards Loctris.

The pathetic rich kids took an hour to catch me. I was moving at snails pace and hid my scorn when they finally hollered. 

"Hey you," one shouted.

"Is that Gunt?" another said.

I jumped in reaction to the shout and turned. "Oh thank gawd," I said. "I've been trying to catch you."

Vengance scratched his head. "You're in front of us." He was taller than the rest of us with dark hair.

Then there was Waylander the one they always hung shit on for trying to work his skills. "Yeah, how's he supposed to know that? He left before us." He had a hawk nose and thin arms.

They all wore swords and still had the same gear they arrived on the docks with. They peered at me. I had three swords, a backpack and knives attached to a thick leather harness.

"Where'd you scrounge all that?"

"The swords belonged to Stonk and Salamander," I said. "They died and the rest I found on the battlefield outside of Dawnharbour."

"What happened to them?" Vengance asked.

"The fucking Protector. We were near the wall when he came flying by. I didn't see what happened cos I was taking a piss. But I heard them scream and when I got back to them they were both dead. Blood everywhere. He took their cores."

Vengance nodded. "Heard much the same. Can't believe you made it this far alone."

"The first night I didn't stop because I thought you were ahead of me."

"We've been travelling fast," Waylander said.

I nodded. They didn't mention they were running like bitches from the bullfrog.

Vengance approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. "You're safe now as long as you can keep up."

It's hard roleplaying a weakling when all you want to do is to tell someone to get fucked. "Sure, thanks. I'll do my best."

Thanks to my dead friends I now knew I was an idiot and had a massive crush on the Red Queen. This was not going to be easy. I limped along and slowly picked up pace to match theirs.

Waylander peered at me.

"It's better one I walk on it for an hour," I said.

"What's your running skill now?" he asked.

I peered at him. Really? You moron - was what I wanted to say. "Barely off zero."

He nodded. "I just broke four. I know its crap, but gotta start somewhere right?"

"You gotta start at zero when you reset Waylander," I replied, and he stared at me like I was the moron.

Vengance was the defacto leader and Waylander was the group idiot until I arrived and took over the role.

"Hey Gunt," one said.

"Yeah?"

"How'd you get that name anyway. Was Cunt taken?"

I nodded. "How'd you know?"

They laughed.

"It was blocked moron," Vengance said.

"Why?"

They shook their heads and we marched on. Instead of wasting my time walking at a snails pace I practised with my qi. It had to be delicate because I couldn't afford to waste any qi. I held a dagger in my hand and flipped it was we walked. I controlled its spin with my qi and then began to make it reach higher and spin a second time.

"What skill you working?" Waylander asked.

"Knives is going up slowly," I said.

He nodded and walked beside me. "Good one. Can I borrow a dagger?"

"Sure," I said and caught it by the blade. I held it with the handle towards him. He grabbed it and dropped it time after time.

"Heh," he said.

"Takes practise," I said.

"Never seen you use knives," he said.

"We don't hang out often."

He shrugged and dropped the knife again each time he had to run a little to catch up. I sighed inwardly; I couldn't even practise with my qi in peace.

Waylander watched me with envy so I dropped the knife on purpose.

"You know," he said. "I just realised that Stonk was your best mate. You're going to be alone until he gets back."

"So," I said.

"You should ask Vengance to team up with us."

I shook my head. "I'd rather be alone."

He scoffed. "Don't be stupid."

"I'm sick of everyone calling me stupid. My old man never gets off my case. You know what - keep the fucking knife and stick it up your ass."

The pair behind us heard the conversation and they laughed at Waylander. "Even Gunt's givin' you shit now Gaylander."