The Fool's Freedom

Alan more heard than saw, as some of the people reacted the same as him, throwing up the contents of their stomachs. Someone had fainted. It was Rob. Alan saw Ashlyn on her knees and tried to stand up and go to her. His legs were wobbly and his [Efficient Basic Movement] did nothing to combat his body’s response to the shock and smell.

Only Tim Bishop and the older man next to him seemed to be somewhat holding it together. The man took a few steps around, carefully avoiding the pieces of flesh and most blood splatters. Alan stopped paying attention.

Ashlyn suddenly stood up and covering her mouth with her sleeve turned away from the scene. She saw Alan just as he threw a hand around her shoulder drawing her into a hug.

“It’s okay, Ash, it’s okay,” Alan said. Stupid, nothing is okay. Speaking almost made him throw up again. The girl just stood there; her head pressed into his chest. There was a slight discomfort where the imp’s claws had gotten him, but nothing worth paying attention to. He heard himself speak as his thoughts drifted back to the gruesome scene, “No imp could’ve done this.”

Ashlyn didn’t react. Alan saw Emerson approaching from the corner of his eye. He had left the lizard somewhere behind and was clutching a piece of wood as thick as Alan’s thigh.

Tim’s tense voice made them all turn towards the direction of the body. His hands were covered in blood and he held something.

“It’s Joey.”

Alan didn’t know who that was but Emerson had mentioned they had been together at the start.

The big man’s knuckles went white and Alan could swear there was moisture in his eyes, but other than that he just nodded and turned to survey the trees. It was almost impressive how he held it together.

The group had created a half-circle around the scene. Tim stood with his back to the body, silently staring at the ID card in his hands. His breathing was even and unhurried. There were no other sounds other than quiet sobbing coming from a few people, Salla among them. Most tried to cry quietly, apparently present enough to realize that whatever had done this might be close.

From the corner of his eye, Alan saw the flowery dress of Florence. The girl looked the same as before, with crossed arms and a stony expression. The only difference was her gaze. There was no sign of the vacant eyes as now they radiated sheer concentration. She stared straight towards the body, unblinking and unmoving.

Alan felt his hairs stand on end. Apart from his initial reaction he was doing much better than most of the members of the group. Still, he wouldn’t be able to simply stare at the gruesome scene.

“We should go.” Tim’s voice made Alan look away from the strange girl. He agreed it was stupid to remain here. Who knew what roamed the forest and blood could certainly attract something dangerous. If it happened on non-magical Earth, then he didn’t like their chances while lost in the new and improved Systemville.

No one said a thing as people picked themselves up and got ready to move on. It was almost creepy how fast everyone had managed to gather themselves, but Alan chalked it up to the fact that humans were awfully adaptive creatures. He felt much better.

Alan watched Emerson pick up the lizard they had killed together, throwing it over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. He was also throwing casual, sneaky glances towards Florence.

She was back to her initial state, vacantly staring ahead, refusing to even glance his way.

Am I just being paranoid?

“Shou- Shouldn’t we bury him?” a voice asked. Everyone turned towards the source, a middle-aged woman with glasses who had obviously been crying judging by her runny make-up. The lady with the heels. She visibly shrunk at the attention and took a step back.

No one spoke for a while. They all knew it would be the proper thing to do, but it would also be the stupidest thing to do. Alan decided to speak up for once, but Tim beat him.

“We have no shovels, no soil to dig up, we can’t possibly… gather the body up and carry it with us. I know it is the proper thing to do, but survival is always a priority. We need to move,” Tim said.

The woman shrunk into herself and seemed to sway, taking a step back.

The attack came with no warning. The creature was something akin to a boar from a hunter’s nightmares. Its overgrown tusk tore through the woman’s back and poked through her abdomen without even slowing down.

It flicked its head to the side, throwing the woman on the ground in a shower of blood, stopped, and turned. Alan saw almost in slow motion the droplets of blood fly through the air. He saw the woman gasping on the ground, blood pouring out of her mouth and stomach. She was attempting to crawl away, but all she managed was move her hands in futility. The boar paid her no more attention.

He had pushed himself and Ashlyn to the side at the first sight of trouble. He didn’t know how they hadn’t heard the animal in the eerie silence. Do boars sneak up on things?!

He had wanted to wait until he knew more, but it was way too risky. With a thought 2 of his 3 Attribute Points went to Dexterity, and one went to Strength. It wasn’t much, but any advantage counted. It did feel like his body was better.

INFORMATION:

Name:

Alan Morgan

Race:

Human

Class:

Adult

Level:

2

Titles:

Pioneer

ATTRIBUTES:

Strength

9

Dexterity

9

Vitality

6

Will

26 (+1)

Mind

19

Magic

0

TRAITS:

Severe Weakness; Tongues of the four corners; Limited Vitality; Strong-willed

SKILLS:

Efficient Basic Movement;

The first to respond was Emmerson who screamed and threw the lizard's body towards the boar. It met the corpse with its tusks, which Alan noticed pointed slightly forward. They skewered the flying body and then the boar threw it to the side as it had done with their companion. Emerson wasn’t done though as he had charged right after the corpse, using his improvised club to hit the animal with all his strength. The splinters of wood flew from the impact but the club surprisingly remained whole.

The boar took a few steps to the side, obviously affected.

Tim used the opportunity and hit the monster from the side. Another person was throwing whatever he could find at it, mostly rocks and branches. None of the attacks had done any damage but the monstrous boar was visibly confused.

Ashlyn stirred next to him and he saw her take out her trusty old pocket knife from her jeans pocket, her eyes focused and ready. It was good she had it, as small as the thing was. Alan knew it was a sentimental gift from her grandfather.

“Ash, don’t.”

The boar turned towards the two of them. Did it hear me?! The fuck…System?!

It ignored everyone else and dug its heels in the ground before charging towards the two of them, dodging a wide swing by Emerson.

“Run!” Alan yelled. He pushed the girl to the side and himself backward, once again finding his back against a tree. It was becoming something of a pattern. He prepared his cane and felt like a legionnaire ready to meet the charging cavalry. Only if his spear wasn’t a dull wooden cane and the cavalry was not a mutated demon boar.

He could hear Ashlyn scream something and there were some other voices joining her, but all was background noise. He let himself fall to the side as the boar came upon him. The cane slid harmlessly off its slick black fur, and he let go of it. The tusks missed him by mere centimeters as the monster slammed where his head had been a moment ago. Alan could feel the smell of iron and decay coming from its mouth. A mouth filled with sharp teeth obviously belonging to a carnivore.

Do boars have sharp teeth? Surely not?

The thought came and went and he tried to dodge to wiggle away from the front hooves of the beast as it stomped in place. It was an awkward position, but at least he was not dead. Yet.

Is it stuck?

Its large tusks were embedded deep in the tree where Alan’s head had been a second ago. It was almost funny, although no one laughed.

The boar squealed if one could call it that. It thrashed even more and Alan heard the tree behind him creak dangerously. If it got out, he was done for.

He had a good view of the boar’s lower jaw and throat area and for a second, he considered trying to bite it to death. It probably wouldn’t go over well.

He saw people shuffling behind the boar’s big body. They created a loose circle around them with only a few daring to come closer. Of course, among them was Emerson who started swinging his club at the boar’s head immediately, screaming some incoherent words. Few others tried poking at it with some fallen branches they had found, which was as useless as it sounded. Alan couldn’t really blame them.

The squealing got louder and the thrashing even more intense.

Alan caught a glimpse of Ashlyn near the other side of the boar. She was grabbing her knife with bloody hands. Hopefully, that was not her blood.

Now there is a good idea!

“Ash! Knife! Give me the knife!” he hoped his screams would reach her, but she made no indication that she had heard him. Was his voice even coming out? He tried a few more times until he choked. It was difficult to breathe with the smell but at least the boar had changed its strategy, having dug its hooves in the ground, pulling back with all its strength. The reckless stomping could have eventually found one of his limbs.

Something hit his right hand and for a moment he imagined the small bones turning to dust. Instead, there was a cold feeling for an instant, then it was gone. The cleaver. Salla’s cleaver. It was right there, next to his fingers.

Salla, you beautiful woman.

He grabbed his salvation by the handle and wasted no time. All he could do was swing awkwardly, mostly from his elbow, as his shoulder was pressed down, bearing most of his weight. The first blow just grazed the moving animal. The tree creaked again, louder. Alan swung again, trying to force [Efficient Basic Movement] to guide his arm. Come on you piece of shit. It’s not like I am trying to do ballet here. There was a slight change. He couldn’t tell if it was the skill or just luck. He didn’t care.

The cleaver penetrated the throat of the creature and an ungodly squeal mixed with a choking sound made Alan’s ears ring. Worst of all, hot blood splashed right into his face. It burned his eyes and some even got into his mouth. It tasted oddly sweet and gamey.

Alan kept swinging, not caring if it connected or not.

The thrashing was at its worst and the boar finally broke free in a burst of splinters. It fell to one side from the force it had used and almost rolled over Ashlyn, who barely managed to scramble away in time. It tried to get up and managed to take a few steps towards Alan as more and more blood spurted from its throat. Finally, its legs gave out and its cries slowly died down. It took a few minutes until it became completely still. No one was brave enough to approach it.

Alan watched it take its final breaths. For instance, he felt like all of the boar’s anger fear and madness had drained away, allowing it to pass. It was a strange feeling. He saw its right eye was missing, a flurry of stab wounds littering the area of the eye socket. Probably Ashlyn’s efforts.

With a last exhale and a welcome message, the boar died.

You have slain: Dusk Boar (7)

Level up!

You have reached level 4!

+6 Attribute Points

Alan started laughing. This was what it meant to be alive. This was what it was all about. Not going to doctors or staring at screens for hours on end, trying to escape his miserable existence. No.

Some looked at him oddly, Emerson among them, but he didn’t care. He was alive. For the third time, he was the victor.

Ashlyn was the first one who came to him. She silently helped him stand up once he had calmed himself down. His trusty cane lay broken to the side, probably victim to the boar’s hooves. Alan still wondered how all his limbs had not followed the cane’s fate, but luck was also a part of making it big or dying.

“Are you okay? Are you okay?” Ashlyn frantically asked. Alan felt a twinge in his heart. He probably looked awful, covered in steaming boar blood and leaves.

“Never better,” he said. Funny, he had always responded to people with overly positive statements when they asked him such questions in his daily life. This time though, the words were not doused in sarcasm. He really did feel amazing. This had been his closest brush with death so far.

That didn’t seem to calm the young woman down at all.

“Seriously, Ash. I am okay. Sorry if I freaked you out. It’s a bit of an intense Tuesday for me, hope you understand,” he added. There was still a weight in his right hand. The cleaver.

Salla was standing some distance away, staring at him. Alan turned and smiled, ignoring the fact that he probably looked like a deranged maniac who had just finished a slaughter. He took a few shaky steps towards her and Ashlyn hurried to support him.

“Salla… Thanks.” He handed back the cleaver and the woman took it with a remarkably steady hand. She didn’t seem to care that it was covered in blood.

“…Anytime,” she smiled back, which was worthy of respect. Tough lady.

Alan nodded. Then he suddenly remembered the woman the boar had skewered. There was a small group gathered where he last remembered seeing her. Tim was crouching near her. Alan couldn’t see if she was still alive, but if she was, then it wouldn’t be for long. He highly doubted Tim’s skill could do much.

Throwing a look towards his status screen he decided to spend the new points. There might not be an opportunity to do so next time they get attacked. His physical stats took priority until he knew more about everything. He put 3 into dexterity and 3 into strength bringing both to 12. The surge of energy was intoxicating in combination with the adrenalin still coursing through his veins.

“Let’s go check up on her,” Alan said.

Just in time, Emerson appeared holding a long mostly straight branch.

“I… I thought you might need this,” he said, handing it over. Alan looked one last time towards where his old cane lay in pieces, having taken some of the stomps that were meant for his bones. Goodbye, old partner.

“You are the best, Em. Thanks.” Alan said. He really was. Emerson was proving to be one of the best people one could ask for in a survival scenario. His lack of hesitation and his physical prowess were certainly an enormous asset. And he was thoughtful as fuck to boot. Alan almost regretted not being nicer before the world ended. Almost.

The big man just nodded.

Alan and Ashlyn slowly neared the rest of the group as Tim rose up. The woman was dead. Another woman was sobbing and slowly stroking the dead one’s hair. She threw a hateful gaze towards Alan.

Hey, I didn’t kill her!

Maybe bursting into laughter hadn’t been the best thing to do.