Chapter 19 Flames

Kate activated reckless charge, rushing forward while holding her wooden hammer in front of her. A split second later, she collided with the set up target. One of the stands taken from the armory. Wooden splinters exploded outwards. The entire thing slapped to the ground like a rag doll, Kate moving past before she walked off the momentum.

“Wow,” Allison called out and clapped.

“You’re not sore from that impact?” Logan asked when Kate propped up the battered target once more.

She rolled her shoulders. “Can’t say I am,” she said. “I know what you mean though. I think it’s part of having a higher Vitality.”

“If it affects the whole body, she would have stronger bones… muscles, skin,” Grey said. “I already notice the few points I have… Kate is at twenty.”

Kate turned around and ran at the target, using the newest skill she had unlocked. Hunting Leap activated while she prepared for a jump, the feeling of hot energy flowing through her veins as her muscles tensed. She jumped and took off, her arms and legs flailing in the air before she landed in a roll. Two meters. She had barely felt the impact of her landing. Instead she continued running, towards the target, switching to her forward momentum skill and once again slamming the heavy stand into the ground. She slowed to a jog afterwards, realizing she had a smile on her face.

Stop that, she told herself and schooled her expression as she turned back to the others.

Ethan had gone noticeably quiet after the others had started showing off their skills.

“Y… you’re like…. Some k… kind of terminator,” Grey said with a genuine smile, scratching the back of his head.

“It’s very sexy, yes. We get it,” Allison said and clapped. “How are you feeling after using those skills?”

Kate noticed her breathing. She felt winded but not nearly as much as after running into a burning house. She assumed it had to do with her lighter equipment, and the much more accessible clean air. “A little winded,” she said.

“You leveled Endurance too. Seems like that helps quite a bit too,” Logan said. “Those two stats should be the main focus for all of us. With whatever else is important for our Classes coming after.”

Ethan groaned. “I’m a mage. A wizard. A pyromancer! I don’t want to waste points for useless abilities when I can improve my magic.”

“Then you will die to one arrow. That hit you took already knocked you out for days,” Logan said. “Think Ethan.”

The man opened his mouth but shut it again. Logan was right after all.

“Grey, again,” Allison said.

The man stepped past Kate. He crouched down and put the wooden sword into its sheath.

Kate watched as he rushed forward with inhuman speed, stopping in front of the target before he shifted out of the way, as if moved by an invisible force. Next to his foe, he drew his sword. She tried to see it this time, squinted her eyes even, but the thing moved too quickly. Air was split and a thud resounded when the training weapon struck the dummy, neither giving way.

Grey collapsed to one knee, taking in gulps of air before he fell to his back.

“Are you dying?” Allison called out.

He gave them a thumbs up.

“Does that mean he’s dying or not?” the woman asked again, looking to the others for help.

“He’s fine,” Logan said.

Grey sat up slowly and got out a small notebook. He scribbled something down, still breathing rather hard. “That… doesn’t… no.”

“Calm down first,” Kate said. She noticed the corner of her vision blinking and checked it.

‘ding’ ‘Reckless Charge reaches lvl 8’

‘ding’ ‘Hunting Leap reaches lvl 2’

“The training is doing something by the way. I got two skill levels,” she said.

“I got four so far,” Logan said. “Yours were probably higher to begin with.”

Grey still looked at his notes. He finally managed to stand up and join the group. “So, I’ve got six points in Endurance. Let’s say because of that I have six points of stamina. I use between ten and twenty five percent of that for each skill use… which means no matter how much Endurance I have, I can’t use my skills more often than now. There’s a fixed limit. The same applies to say, Kate.”

“Yes, that’s how percentages work,” Kate said.

Grey kept his focus on the notes. “Yes but you can use your hammer a lot more than I can use my sword… for normal strikes I mean. That one is hard to define because there are different weights, different scores in Strength, and different passive abilities to consider… I do think a higher Endurance stat allows you to strike more often and run longer before you tire. With the skills uses though, we should be able to discover how fast the stamina regeneration is… but it doesn’t make much sense. Not if we consider it a game of sorts. It felt like we recovered at the same speed at first… but later on it doesn’t match up anymore. It’s like…”

“How does any of that help us?” Ethan asked. “You can do stuff, longer. That’s all that matters.”

“I just… t… thought it would be… interesting to figure out t… the math,” Grey said, looking past the other man and then to Kate.

Dragging me into your insecurities?

“Anything we figure out about this magic is helpful,” Logan said. “You should let Jon know about your findings too. But make sure not to take everything as evidence as of yet. Your numbers could just be your attempt to connect these stats to the differences in our endurance as is. You know… based on our training, weight, exertion. It makes sense that Kate recovers more quickly than you, just based on general fitness. If Vitality can influence how resilient your skin is, then I’m sure Endurance can influence how fast you recover your stamina… but it would be more helpful to see your own improvements and document that, instead of comparing people with different backgrounds and stats.”

“Right… I will keep everything written down.” Grey nodded, a smile now on his face before he left to find Jon.

“The limits are worrying. More Endurance won’t mean more skill uses.” Logan said. “But I do feel your abilities have more of an impact.”

Kate shrugged. “Could just be the higher level. My higher Strength, or even my Vitality. Who knows. I can feel when I get winded. That’s the important bit.”

“We understand each other,” Ethan said.

Kate glared at him for a second until he broke eye contact. “What I do know is that these points allowed me to go far longer than I would’ve otherwise been able to. I do wonder what the other ones do. Intelligence and Wisdom most of all.”

“I’ll figure that out,” Ethan said in a self satisfied tone.

“Not until you have at least fifteen points in Vitality,” Logan said.

“What do you mean? That’s just some random number you pulled out of your ass,” the fire mage said.

“Yes. And you will get there. Same with your Endurance. Then we can talk about the other stats,” Logan said.

Ethan just shook his head with an annoyed expression. He was about to retort when he was interrupted.

“That was a good first session,” Allison said. “We will resume tomorrow. Get some rest. Eat something.” She glared at the young man until he left, muttering to himself. Allison glanced at Logan. “He’s not your son, is he?”

“No,” the man replied. “He hates his parents. But I’m sure he’ll listen… at least somewhat. He’s not stupid.”

“What are you if not his dad?” Allison asked.

“I’m a social worker,” Logan said without adding anything else. “Kate, can we talk for a second?”

Allison glanced at them before she gave Kate a look, leaving them alone a moment later.

“Sure, what is it?” Kate said.

“The bodies. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will get,” the man said.

Right, Kate said. She knew what he meant. Most people weren’t accustomed to death, let alone corpses. “Burying is not the best idea. But if we burn them, monsters might come for the smoke.”

“We know at least that the goblins seem to prefer sleeping during the day,” Logan said. “And the forest was more active at night… based on what you said.”

“What about the group we saw in Keilberg?” Kate asked.

The man considered for a moment. “Right after sundown then. Smoke won’t be visible. We’ll have a pyre to see, in case the light attracts any creatures. And I suppose the others won’t see the bodies very well.”

“We shouldn’t let them see at all,” Kate said.

“No,” Logan said immediately. “They weren’t the last.”

Kate didn’t reply. She just looked at the man. A few seconds later she nodded. “Alright. Let’s start preparing then.”

It took them the better part of an hour to build reasonably sized pyres. The firewood supplies took a hit but only Bert complained. Kate had never felled a tree but after seeing Logan use his heavy magical sword strike against a target, she didn’t think gathering wood presented an insurmountable problem. And if it really came to that, they likely had enough time as well.

“Think more monsters are coming tonight?” Grey asked, putting down a last set of small logs.

“I don’t know,” Kate said.

“They came every night, right?” Allison asked. “And you didn’t kill all of them. Which means more are probably coming. They know we’re here.”

“Some do, yes. But with what I’ve seen in the valley, they could easily overwhelm us,” Kate said.

Logan grunted. “They use tools, and speak in a language we don’t understand. They’re not wild beasts, which means they won’t just send the brunt of their army to some castle in the mountains. It’s only been three days since this started. There are far more interesting targets.”

“Falstadt,” Kate said. She didn’t want to think about it. Staying here was the reasonable thing to do. They knew too little, were too weak. The hordes she had seen were proof enough. “Nothing new on the radio?” she asked.

Logan shook his head.

It wasn’t just Falstadt either. There were a few dozen villages and towns in the valley and on the various slopes and mountains. Keilberg was just one of them. There were too many places and people to consider. She took a deep breath. Focus on what you can do. On where you are.

“But tonight we’re ready,” Logan said. “Grey, Ethan, myself, Jon, Bert, and Kate. With the others helping if anyone gets injured. They don’t know what is waiting for them.”

Kate smiled lightly. Wish I had that kind of confidence. She didn’t say anything. Kate could tell he had left an impression on the two younger men, and the overall mood. She would fight with all she had either way. She didn’t need Logan to give her an inspirational speech.

“Get your packs and gear in order before dinner,” the man said, finishing up the second pyre.

Both Grey and Ethan nodded. Jon smiled, as did Allison. The latter with a bit of a hungry look in her eyes. Maybe it was just Kate’s imagination. The two younger men left, their backs a little straighter.

“That was meant for you as well, Kate,” Logan said without looking at her.

She didn’t miss the slight grin on his face. “Shove it up your ass, Paladin.”

Kate was already prepared. After what she’d been through the past few days, she didn’t plan to be caught without her gear and weapons ever again. So she went to the kitchen and brewed herself a cup of coffee. Long nights weren’t new for her, but the appropriate fuel had to be ready.

Eloise had a few pots already set to cook, putting away dried dishes while Celeste looked through the board games they had gotten.

Kate leaned against the counter and glanced at the sitting Bert, his eyes closed as he snored. The smell of various spices filled the kitchen, garlic and onion more pronounced than the rest. Coffee soon joined in, the hot cup warming her hands. She looked down and smiled. Seems like the heat is a little less of an issue too. Normally she wouldn’t have been able to hold the steaming mug for as long as she did.

Melusine and Allison soon joined them, the two starting a game with Celeste, laying out cards and little figures on a colorful board.

If it wasn’t for the hunting knives strapped to her belt and the hammer leaned against the counter, Kate could see this being some kind of skiing camp experience. She sipped on her coffee and smiled. Jon was right, she thought, looking at the smiling Celeste. Her joy was infectious too, Eloise soon joining. Ethan of course refused, muttering something about children’s games. He joined as well after some pestering from Allison and Melusine.

Jon sat nearby, reading a book on medieval defenses.

Kate raised a brow. “Where’d you get that?”

He glanced up. “Oh, the game store. There were a few. Some survival and camping ones too, though I’m not entirely sure which ones are serious. I know that one isn’t,” he said and pointed at one small gray booklet with half a skull on it.

She nodded along, letting him read. Seems useful. I should probably do a first aid refresher, and some survival bits should be helpful too. Not that we’re exactly stranded on a deserted island without any technology.

“I’ll switch with Grey,” Kate said after she had finished her coffee. She took her hammer and left. The air was cool outside, the evening sun hanging on the horizon, illuminating the distant mountain tops. There were no clouds. A few strands of red hair brushed against her cheek as a gust of wind moved past. The medieval walls, ready pyres, and the lack of any lights other than from the home behind her made Kate sober up rather quickly.

Back to… take guard. She felt the weight of her hammer and glanced at the castle gates, the walls around. Hunting Leap isn’t quite there yet. The walls were about four meters high and the second level in the skill got her up to two and a half meters. Kate wasn’t exactly a fan of stairs, or ladders. Soon enough, she hoped, neither would exactly be necessary for her. Of course the twenty second cooldown between jumps would still slow her down but she still liked the idea of just hopping up onto the walls. Or perhaps even a building.

The rest of the evening passed without an incident. Kate kept her eyes and ears open for any monsters but the only thing she heard were birds and crickets. The binoculars revealed little of the happenings down in the valley, the dark copses and rivers as boring as they had been a few weeks prior.

“Kate, it’s time,” Logan said from the yard.

Bert muttered curses as he came up to the battlements. “I hate guard duty.”

“Agreed,” Kate said as she walked past him. She joined Logan down in the yard before they made their way to the old barracks. They both covered their faces with a few layers of cloth.

Hammer in hand, Kate unlocked the door and went inside. She turned the switch near the door while Logan used his flashlight to help. A bulb flickered above. Pale light illuminated the depressing hall of cramped bunk beds, two human bodies lying between the line of furniture. Unmoving. White skin. Bloodied clothes.

She walked closer, tapped one of the beds with her hammer to create some sound. Then she lightly kicked the shoes they still wore. Nothing happened. Kate put her hammer aside and grabbed one of her knives, just in case. She turned the bodies around and they remained unmoving. A sigh escaped her. “We should get moving,” she said and sheathed her knife, grabbing one of the bodies in a princess carry.

Logan did the same with the other.

Peter and Chloe. Kate looked down at the woman, her face peaceful, quiet. Blood had seeped through most of her shirt and denim jacket, dried now. She walked to the first pyre and set her down with a careful motion. She looked at the woman for a moment before she checked on Logan, then went to get her weapon.

Ethan didn’t say a word as he crouched next to the pyres, a flame flickering to life above his palm before he touched the wood.

Smoke soon rose to the horizon, the quickly fueled fires the only light in the yard of Keilberg castle. Two bodies once living now enveloped in rising flame.

The young man joined back with the others, the survivors standing in a half circle around those they had lost.

Kate felt the weight of her steel weapon. She grit her teeth and watched. The familiar flickering fires. For once they were comforting. We shall stand. They remained in silence as the flames consumed the pyres.

The fires still burned when a shout resounded from the battlements. “Monsters!”

An arrow whistled past through the darkness, landing with a thud in the soft earth near the single tree inside their walls.

“It is time,” Logan said and put on his helmet. He raised his sword to his shoulder. “We fight, for their memory. We fight, so that we may live.”

Kate remembered the shocked face of the man she had seen back on the first day. She remembered the savage sword of the orc. She felt the cool breeze of autumn air, an arrow whistling past a few meters above her. She turned and joined the others. Figures dressed in gray and black, flickering light reflecting off of Logan’s armor. We shall fight.

Kate Lindgren

Unspent stat points: 0

Class: Berserker – lvl 8

- Active: Mindless Ferocity – lvl 10

- Active: Furious Dance – lvl 10

- Active: Reckless Charge – lvl 8

- Active: Hunting Leap – lvl 2

- Active:

- Passive: Toll for the Living – lvl 8

- Passive: Courage of the Unarmored – lvl 7

- Passive: Two Handed Weapon Fighting – lvl 8

- Passive: Unrelenting Carnage – lvl 1

- Passive:

Support class: Locked

Status:

Vitality: 20

Endurance: 14

Perseverance: 8

Strength: 13

Dexterity: 8

Intelligence: 7

Wisdom: 10

Equipment:

Torso: -

Legs: -

Trinket: -

Food: -