1.33 Back to Civilization

The source of the blinding, blue light was within sight now, and Robb had even less of a clue as to what it was, than when he had started this trek. “Why does it look so… official?” He could think of no other word to describe the phenomenon before him, gradually coming into view as they passed out of the tree line.

It was a flat plain, wide open and spacious, without tree or brush to obscure vision of the entire area. A safe zone, if Robb had to hazard a guess. ‘Not even the harmless ones will come through, huh?’ Squirrels, rabbits, and other small animals had been nearly ubiquitous in all parts of the forest, even in their previous safe zone. So much so, that the lack of such creatures here was conspicuous at best.

The beacon itself was a blinding blue, something right out of a story book. Its edges were a darker hue, while the center was all but white as it pulsed out from its source. Speaking of the source, Robb had never seen something so pristine. Yeah, pristine. It was pure marble, the whitest of the white, without flaw or blemish.

The beacon’s source took the shape of a marble cone, its sides slanted upwards to form a circular opening at the peak, from which the blinding light shone. It was large as well, its peak standing at about twice Robb’s height. On the sides of the marble were carved all manner of beautiful images. Pictures of beautiful landscapes, idyllic oceans, the night sky with all its celestial bodies.

Robb, just like all the other members of the travelling camp, was enraptured by the very sight of the beacon, and the large majority of men and women stood stock still, staring.

He found himself moving closer to the intricate etchings, circling around the light source until what he saw on the other side stopped him dead in his tracks.

The etchings were darker on the other side. The marble was still white, but there was an unmistakable tone of destruction emanating from the far side of the beacon. Upon closer examination, the carvings were a mirror of their optimistic counterparts. Here was displayed a sun cracking in two, a meadow set alight, and a blade piercing the cosmos themselves.

‘What does it all mean? How can art make me feel so...’ Robb shivered. ‘Cold?’

Robb had little time to ponder the thought however, as one of the men in his group finally spoke up. “Was that, uh, always there?” The individual in question was gesturing towards a stone fort, sitting in the center of the flat meadow which Robb and company had found themselves in.

Atop the walls, he could see guards had been posted. From this distance, he couldn’t make out their species, much less attire or affiliation. “How the hell did we miss THAT?”

His loud tone finally broke the group out of their stupor, several flinching away from the loud noise. A younger woman spoke up. Pretty, with glasses and dirty blonde hair. “W-we just caught sight of the marble and…”

‘Yeah, I’m aware.’ Robb sighed inwardly, vowing never to ask another rhetorical question again. Hey, weren’t those blobs in the distance growing?

It turned out, they were, much to the group’s collective trepidation. Robb sunk his hands into his pockets, feeling at the wooden stakes hidden up his sleeves.

“Hey, are you new arrivals?” An unassuming man bearing a spear and small buckler came into focus as he stopped a couple dozen feet in front of them. He seemed to study Robb’s group, eyes scanning through until his eyes locked onto the nervous, shivering men and women at the back of their line. “Yeah, no mistaking it. HEY CLIVE, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE, NEW ARRIVALS.”

A man who Robb could only assume was Clive came up behind the first. Everything about the man seemed to scream ‘cowboy’, from his dusty brown hair to his old boots. “Alright people, I know y'all are scared.” The man spoke with a faintly Southern accent. “But I’ll thank y’all kindly if you’ll let me finish my sentence before askin’ any questions.”

Moefran, apparently the only man in Robb’s group who didn’t have ears, decided that it was time he took charge. “Well, we-”

“WHAT did I just say?” Robb was liking this Clive guy more and more. “Now, as I was saying…” The man briefed the group on their situation here.

As it turned out, the two men sent out to greet them were guards of this newly established ‘Fort McHenry’. When met with confused looks about the name, the man only shrugged. “I dunno, one of the guys here is a big history buff, he named it.”

It was a bastion that would allow the humans to survive, and the men who had claimed it called themselves the Shieldbearers. The man beside Clive explained, “cause we’ll be defending whatever humans we can find.”

Now that was met with a cheer from even the most terrified members of their column. Good news at last.

The group was brought into the stone fort, the stone gate opening a fraction of the way to allow passage through, before being pulled back together and shut by the men on guard. “We assume,” Clive began, “that all other beacons also have a similar stone fort constructed near them. And that other human groups are setting up shop as we speak.”

Robb waited for the punchline. This was too good to be true, he knew it to be. Where were the marauders, the bandit groups and ruffians that always formed in the stories?

As if sensing his concerns, Clive shifted onto a separate topic. “We keep a pretty tight leash on weapons and armor here, so y’all might have to give a reason for takin’ stuff out.” He gestured down at a tunnel entrance, situated at the center of the expansive stone fort. “Don’t try stealin’ anything. We don’t take things like that lightly.”

The group came to a halt in front of a large, barracks-like structure. “This is where you all will be sleeping.” Clive’s partner introduced himself as James. “Let us know if you need provisions, the foodstuffs in the storage space should hold out for quite a bit longer.”

He snapped his fingers. “Oh! We’re sending out expeditions to try and map the surrounding area. We know a bit about the System already, but you’ll have to be committed to an expedition to secure arms, armor, and information.” James looked several members up and down, his eyes landing on Robb. “Some of you look like fighters. Any of you interested in joining up?”

‘For actual weapons?’ Robb felt at the wooden stakes, still shoved up his sleeves. ‘Hell yeah.’ He raised his hand, as did several other members of their group. Chief among them Donny and a couple other men and women.

James nodded. “Figured as much. Those of you who are interested, head over to that building over there.” He gestured vaguely at one of the stone buildings, differentiated only by the two guards standing before its door. “They’ll get you sorted.”

Robb proceeded to the soldiers on guard, and the boredom began.