Victoria reviewed her notifications as they looted. She saw that the goblins bullet had only grazed her for forty-three damage nearly a quarter of her total health. The deaths of the goblins in the town had been worth eighteen hundred experience, the real prize was a new quest. It had come up in her notifications after both Lacie and Sunny had gone into the town hall. “Remember kid.” Sunny had said. “When you have a fortress it's to limit the access to the interior. Having those narrow slit windows is great for defense. But when it comes time to get out of the fortress they aren’t so good.” She had thought about what the woman had said. While she made a valid point Victoria didn’t know how often she would get to use the advice in her own life. The new quest had come about when Sunny went through documents they had recovered from inside the town hall.

The fall of Man: The monsters have the weapons and a plan. Who is leading this coalition

Of death and destruction. Can you stop them before the world of man falls into chaos?

She found the information sparse on details. “Sunny, This new quest, what are we to do?”

“I hope it will become more apparent when we get back to the hall.” The older woman replied.

“That's after we save the other girl.” Victoria prompted.

“That's right we will go to the hall after we save the other cheerleader—” She sighed. “let's get headed out. Does everyone have a weapon or two.”

“No.” Lacie grumped. “Stupid size restrictions.”

“Lacie, do you have any idea about the quest The fall of man?” Victoria asked her pixie guide.

“Library no. I can’t even conceive of what the results would be if we lost all of mankind.” The pixie sounded sincere. “We might even lose the library.”

“But not the Akashic field?”Sunny asked looking back at the small flying woman.

“No you can’t lose the Akashic field or I don’t think you can, but the library consists of the minds of every living human and the knowledge passed down. I can’t even think of how to describe it. But the death of humanity—” Lacie shook her head in denial. The women began to climb out of the underground area and within thirty minutes found themselves crawling out of a sewage manhole.

“Should we mark the entrance,” Victoria asked.

“No, “ Sunny said. “By the time we could get another group here it would have moved or reverted back to a regular sewer drain.” The older woman said as she looked around getting her bearings. “Looks like we are on the west side of town.”

“I guess there is a lot I have to learn about this world.” The teenager sighed in resignation.

“I’ve found that those hunters who think they have learned everything there is to know about the system and the world are usually the dead ones. Never stop learning girl.” Victoria’s father had often repeated very similar words.

“We still have a quest to finish,” Victoria said as she too looked around. “We are no way near your car.”

With a heavy sigh, Sunny replied sourly. “Yeah. Thankgod for taxis— ”

X X X

Several minutes later found them speeding to their destination in a fog of funk. “What is that smell?” Lacie hissed to Victoria. Fortunately, the cab driver was unable to hear the small pixie's words.

“Shhh…” The teenager hissed to the small pixie in return.”Ixnay on the stinksay.”

“That is not being Spanish?” The driver stated as he turned around to look at the two women quizzically.

He jerked around quickly as Sunny screamed at him. “Eyes out there— “She yelled franticly pointing out the window. “ not in here.” The driver nearly sideswiped a passing truck but disaster was averted.

Victoria swallowed reflexively and gave her mentor a wan smile. “You did tell him to get us there fast. The times I’ve been with you you drove nearly as fast.” She reminded the older woman.

“I never drive faster than I can see.” She cried as her complexion started to turn green.

They were soon deposited on the sidewalk in front of the destination. Both of the women and the pixie rocking with a combination of motion sickness and the stink that fortunately few men can produce. The house they sought was a new ranch in the hacienda-style stucco and brick walls made to look older than it was thick ceramic tile roof and oiled wood accents. Even though its newness the home looked unkempt. “Something doesn’t feel right,” Victoria said as she stared at the home. “Lacie can you scout it for us.” With a flicker, the pixie was moving toward the home.

“What are you thinking?” Sunny said as she eyed both her trainee and the home.

The teenager shook her head. “I don’t know but its a nice warm Saturday. Cool but not cold. The grass is fairly long the shrubs need trimming… and no one is working around the house?”

“They could have hit hard times—” The older woman said playing devil's advocate.

“My uncle did that and he did more of his own work around the house not less,” Victoria said. “No somethings really wrong here.” She said shaking her head. Then looking at the older woman. “We might want to tell them that we were in an accident and may we please use their phone.”

“What?” The older woman then asked and looked down at both herself and Victoria. “Oh. Good idea.” She said taking in their disheveled appearances, the blood that artfully decorated their torn and cut clothing.