They packed themselves into the car. Viv took shotgun, one arm out and ready to swing her strange sword in case more monsters popped up out of nowhere. Rory and Miles took the back, Jerky in Miles’s lap. They kept their eyes and ears peeled for any signs of danger. Truck needed no invitation to squeeze himself into the middle in the back, ignoring Rory’s discomfort.

Their exit wasn’t as smooth as Rory would have liked. Evelyn decided to drive since she was essentially the most useless when it came to Sigils. Rory offered her some from the ones he had gathered so far, but she opted to keep them for later.

He would argue that he wasn’t any better a defender than Evelyn, thanks to his Weaving’s limitation, but then again, he could use it to defend.

Theoretically. Only time to would tell the practicality of that assumption.

A practicality that came upon them all too soon.

As Evelyn started driving the old car—its engine ground out with deep thrum and the tires made a crackle on the old asphalt—Rory had to struggle with the rotating handle to lower the window. He kept it just low enough to let in a low trickle of cooling wind.

“Why is this car working when the others won’t?” Rory asked.

“It’s likely the electrical systems,” Viv said. “Or lack thereof, rather. The EMP that affected the other cars won’t work on this one.”

That made sense. This car was too old to have advanced electronics the way that most modern vehicles would hold.

“Do you hear that?” Evelyn asked.

They were all silent to see if they could listen to what Evelyn heard. Rory frowned. There was nothing there for a moment, but then Rory’s frown deepened as a distant rumble started becoming clearer. It was coming from within the palace, rapidly starting to sound like thunder. Rory stared at the others with panic starting to beat in his heart.

“Speed it up,” Rory said. “I don’t think we want to meet whatever’s making that noise.”

Evelyn nodded. The old Cadillac started thrumming harder as it sped up, but then Evelyn pulled it to a screeching halt. Something leaped out from the entrance to the palace’s interior, landing in the middle of the road. The rumbling they’d been hearing was now staring them right in the face.

“What is that thing?” Viv asked.

Rory stared at the new monster. The creature was easily as big as a golf cart. Built like a mixture of a crab and a spider with claw-like legs scuttling around a central body, it was wholly constructed of navy-blue rocks with a metallic sheen, electricity sparking between them to keep the rocks magnetically connected together. Two smaller rocky limbs made up snapping pincers.

“A Thundershell,” Rory said, surprising himself as much as he did the others. “It’s my Sigil of Knowledge. It gives me passive information about stuff like monsters.”

“Well, does it say what it wants?”

That became a little obvious when the electricity shooting off it grew in intensity. This thing was no less malevolent than the Hooktongue they’d encountered back at the gas station.

“I think it just wants to kill us,” Miles squeaked as Jerky yipped in alarm.

He made to get out of the car, likely to confront the creature before it zapped their car with lightning, but Viv was faster. She leaned out of the window with one hand stretching out. Brilliant red light shaded the whole area in crimson when her strange sword burst to life.

It made the Thundershell pause too. The lightning ebbed a bit, but then it restarted charging even faster, building up to a furious maelstrom all over its body.

“Viv,” Rory warned.

“I got this,” she said.

Just as the Thundershell threw its roiling ball of lightning, Viv swung her sword outside the car. A vicious scarlet arc erupted out of the glowing blade. It cut right through the monster’s miniature electric storm, dissipating the sparks to nothing. Then it struck the Thundershell.

Through a flash of light so bright that it hurt his eyes, Rory watched as the monsters shrieked gutturally. Viv’s red arc struck its centre, crushing its pincers and carving a molten channel into its body. The Thundershell was blasted across the lawn and into a large pool, where the combination of the water, the electricity, and Viv’s energy made it explode.

A gout of steam erupted like a geyser. Water and chunks of metallic rocks rained down everywhere, the harder pieces hitting the car with light pings.

“That takes care of that.” Viv pulled herself back into the car, not even looking winded. “Let’s go before more of those things come out.”

Evelyn only shook her head with a little smile before restarting the car. The low rumble of the engine cut her smile and brought back the worried look on her face.

They didn’t meet any trouble from then on. It took only moments to leave behind the palace, and then the burning station as well. It made Rory realize they weren’t all that distant from each other, which only made his fatigue at the walk feel more pathetic. He was getting too old for all this.

At least he could rest his legs on the journey by car. If it hadn’t been apocalyptic, if the sun hadn’t been climbing to the afternoon, it would have been almost idyllic.

The town started to grow up around them. Everything was either dead, destroyed, or abandoned. Rory was thankful he didn’t see many corpses. Whoever had organized the evacuation had done a terrific job considering the circumstances.

There were instances that made him want to close his eyes, though. A mother and her son lay torn and bleeding in a playground with toppled swings and slides. Elsewhere, a minivan had crashed into a house, several corpses lying dead all over the site of the accident. Another time, he was sure he saw a monster tearing into a corpse that looked all too fresh in the distance.

He was glad they hadn’t stopped then. It was surreal to be travelling through a town that was bustling and alive only a few hours ago.

Now, it was essentially dead.

However, there were moments they did stop. Certain sounds made them think there might be more survivors in need of their help, though they often turned out to be televisions or radios left on. They didn’t take the chance though, always pausing to check and keeping eye out for more monsters as they did so. Offices, houses, shops and stores, it didn’t matter. They looked everywhere that showed any signs of life.

Nothing proved fruitful. Rory was starting to feel like it was a waste of time, considering they had actual people they knew they had to rescue. Evelyn’s expression mirrored the sentiment, though she didn’t voice any protest. She likely knew the values of life better than any of them.

“You feel like this is getting too easy?” Miles asked the next time they stopped.

They had halted at a large manor with the door and the windows closed tight. There was no sign of monsters or death anywhere nearby, so it wasn’t impossible that the people inside were in hiding. Viv and Evelyn had gone inside to check.

Rory nodded. “I’m definitely wondering why we haven’t been interrupted by any monsters yet.”

“You’re going to jinx us, gramps.”

“I’m not the one who started this discussion!”

Miles tutted. “You need to have a brighter outlook in life, old man.”

Rory opened his mouth, then only licked his lips. The crooked little smile on Miles’s face proved that he was gently making fun. Rory decided not to cuff the guy who was about a third his age.

“But on a serious note, we should start figuring out our Sigils,” Miles said.

“What do you mean?”

“Like, we need to figure what sort of characters we all want to be. That means we have to decide our stats and our skills.”

“You’re still thinking like that?” Rory shook his head. “I get it, all of this has an uncanny similarity to Dungeons and Dragons, but we can’t treat it like a game. This is all too real.”

“Right, right, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m saying there’s a thought process about those kinds of roleplaying games that lets you win. We’re going to need that if we want to survive. Like, we need a proper strategy.”

“He isn’t wrong,” Truck said. He was chewing grass he’d picked up from the curb, but then he spat it out. “Disgusting. But yes, those who figure out how the system works have a much greater chance of survival.”

Jerky gave a happy little bark as though agreeing.

“Oh, hmm.” Rory hadn’t considered it that way before, but it was starting to make sense. “We should talk about it soon then.”

Viv and Evelyn returned soon, shaking their heads sadly. There was no one inside. At least no one alive, going by the dark cast on their faces.

They continued their journey. Miles tried to bring up the topic of Sigils and how to use them properly, which Rory was actually interested in discussing, but they stopped all too soon.

Their next batch of monsters had finally arrived.

Distant rumble announced that it was the same kind as the one they had fought at the palace. Well, Viv had. But after a quick turn, Evelyn pumped the brakes until the Cadillac came to a stop. Farther down the road, a gathering of Thundershells had surrounded a distant shop.

Worse, they could hear the screams. There were people inside. People who were alive.

Viv quickly got out. “I’m going to distract them. The rest of you better get out whoever’s stuck inside that building.”

“Viv,” Rory said. “Don’t rush off. There’s a lot more of them this time.”

She smiled back at him. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ve got the advantage of distance and power.”

“She’s right,” Evelyn said in support. “You haven’t even scratched the surface of what her Sigil can do.”

“Still,” Rory insisted. “Be careful.”

Viv saluted quickly then rushed off. “Will do.”

Miles told the pets to stay back in the car while the rest of them headed to the building where the screams were now quietening down. If Truck felt off about being referred to as a pet, he didn’t show it.

Rory crept along with Evelyn and Miles while Viv reached the monsters and engaged them. Red arcs shot into their midst, killing several and forcing the rest to scatter into the surrounding streets. A few thew lightning blasts at her, but Rory blinked when she threw out more arcs from her sword and simply disappeared, reappearing at another arc farther off.

Apparently, Evelyn was right. Rory had seen nothing of Viv’s powers yet. Who’d have guessed she could teleport.

There were too many of the monsters though. Even after the first exchange that had destroyed several, more Thundershells tried to surround Viv. They attacked from multiple directions, forcing her to keep dodging and not letting her get another strike in. It was almost as though the creatures were intelligent enough to know that she couldn’t be allowed to attack indiscriminately.

The rest of them reached the building—a clothing store. A quick look showed there were thankfully no Thundershells inside.

“We can take it from here,” Rory told Miles. “You go help Viv.”

Miles grinned at him knowingly, then rushed off. That boy needed to take things more seriously. He shouldn’t be grinning mischievously when rushing off to fight monsters that could electrocute him.

Rory and Evelyn entered the store. The combination of electricity and fabric had set much of the shop on fire, but it wasn’t too bad. Evelyn tore off a couple of shirts from a rack and handed one to Rory, which he used it to hold over his face to protect himself from the smoke.

The screams had been replaced by a low whimpering, and Rory made his way towards the sound, his heart breaking with every step. It sounded like the noise of someone who was utterly broken. Alive, Rory told himself. A voice meant they were alive, and that was all that mattered for now. They’d see about fixing crushed spirits once they had made sure they were safe.

They found their quarry at the top of the short staircase. The man looked around Rory’s age. But it wasn’t his age that made Rory freeze.

The man was nearly dead. Half his body was burned to a blackened char, hot blood pooling all around him. Most of his beard had turned to ash, and his face sported a horrific, burned gash that tore into his lips and sputtered out blood even as he whimpered.

He didn’t even register their presence. The look in his bloodshot eyes was vacant and devastated. Destroyed.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Evelyn said. Her voice broke. “Nothing at all.”

Rory had to struggle to bring the words he wanted out. “We can at least… put an end to his suffering.”

Evelyn looked at him sharply, but Rory ignored it. He pulled out the knife he had put in his backpack. Outside, the shouts and booms indicated the fight was still raging, which relieved Rory. They were still alive out there.

He stepped into the blood and knelt closer the other man’s body. Just when Rory placed the knife over the man’s heart, his mouth opened wide.

“Save…” he said, his voice choked and scratchy, barely able to push the words out. “Save… my daughter.”

“Your daughter?” Rory asked. He swallowed. “Where is she?”

“The… substation. Mara is… alive.”

Rory was about to ask more but the man’s eyes went glassy as he stared blankly at the ceiling. There was a low, continuous grunt coming out of his mouth, and his body twitched and jerked. Seemed he’d only hung on so long to make sure someone knew about his child. Poor man.

Holding his breath, Rory stabbed the knife into the man’s heart, waiting until he’d fallen silent and unmoving. Then he pulled himself away, staggering a little.

“You alright?” Evelyn asked.

Rory dragged in a quick breath. Things were starting to smell unpleasantly. “I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here.”

New Achievement!

Mercy Giver! You have helped your fellow Homeworlder escape the throes of their wretched existence. They bless you from the beyond.

Rewards

Sigil of Endurance

New Sigil!

You’ve obtained a Sigil of Endurance. Your ability to endure despite hardship is now a measurable quantity.

[Argent I] grants 1 point to health, defence, and stamina per personal Tier. Improves passively.

Stats

Type: System

Rarity: Remarkable

Tier: Argent I [0%]

Efficiency: Medium [30%]

The new Sigil had the picture of a buff humanoid figure. Rory pocketed it. Another stat Sigil. He really was going to have to discuss them with the others soon.

There was a new sound outside, like a blaze burning high and bright. Something strange was going on. Rory nodded at Evelyn, and they headed back downstairs, leaving the man’s broken corpse with his broken livelihood.