Ch 18

  The walk back to their old campsite was uneventful, and the fifteen minutes they spent salvaging what little they could was no exception. All they managed to find were their discarded weapons and a few jackets they had once used as blankets before moving on after drinking some water. In the end, they simply followed the riverbed, hoping to put as much distance as possible between them and the path the goblins had taken.

  Although they knew this wasn’t the best plan, they desperately needed water, and it wasn’t as if they believed they could evade whoever was tailing them. Eventually, they arrived at a spot where the river bent sharply and cut into a rocky slope, exposing a few large boulders above the shoreline. Though it would only serve as a temporary resting spot, it allowed them to reach water once more as they settled for the night.

  Once more, they found themselves without fire, and this time, food was also scarce; the remains of the boar they’d left behind were sadly missing upon their return. Still, most of them managed to maintain relatively good spirits as they gathered around to listen to Matt’s explanation of his words from earlier in the day. With no time for further delay, Matt sighed and began with what he deemed the most vital information.

  “None of us really know what’s going on,” he began, his voice heavy with uncertainty. “And I want to say before anything else: for all I know, I've been fed nothing but lies. Regardless, I have to move forward assuming it’s all true and deal with what that means for me—even if none of you need to do the same.”

  “You can stop beating around the bush and just tell us what you learned and how,” Zara interjected sharply. “We know you have no proof, but anything that might help us survive is worth knowing.”

  “I’m not sharing everything,” Matt continued, his tone cautious. “I believe that would only get us into trouble. While I think I’ll be safe, I can’t say the same for all of you. As for what I will share: you know that voice that spoke to all of us just before everything started? Well, apparently, I caught its eye, and it made a deal with me. Basically, with a few exceptions, I agreed to remain loyal and listen to its commands in exchange for knowledge and some assistance in waking all of you from that drug-induced stupor. They mentioned some side effects, but so far, it seems none of you have experienced—”

  “Withdrawals,” interrupted a swordswoman with heavy scaring on her forearms, her voice edged with cynicism. “At least that’s my bet, considering what I felt when that slurry was poured down my throat—it was like taking a Xanax while I was drunk.”

  “What?” Emily asked, her tone a mix of confusion and disbelief.

  “Just trust me, we should all be grateful that we even woke up at all,” the swordswoman retorted.

  “Let’s not delve into the details of our pasts,” Eleanor cut in before anyone could push further. “Each of us was a loner before—”

  “Nah, I’m done with that crap,” Zara snapped. “Sure, we all have scars from before, some worn openly, but we need to address them before we have another meltdown like the one Maria is still dealing with.”

  “I am not melting down!” Maria shot back, her voice trembling with denied emotion. “You’re all just picking on me for no reason!”

  “I don’t want to hear it,” Matt interjected with a note of anger. “Look, the one thing I can’t handle is drama right now, and the six of you seem poised to launch right into it. If you’d rather argue than listen to me, be my guest—I can disappear for a bit.”

  “Let’s find a middle ground,” Yumiko suggested softly. “We all state why we think we were isolated, and no one comments on it until morning.”

  Matt wanted to prevent even that from occurring, but he sensed that attempting to do so would backfire. So, he just sighed as everyone except Maria and him nodded, and Yumiko continued to speak.

  “I’ll go first. I believe I was isolated because I never did anything but focus on my studies while growing up. I never learned how to have fun with others, preferring to concentrate on myself with my limited funds,” she confessed, her voice tinged with regret.

  “Books,” commented Emily, her eyes distant. “I always wanted to read more than deal with others.”

  “I’ve already mentioned my status as always being above others I knew,” stated Eleanor, her tone matter-of-fact. “Making friends with those whom I might have to fire never made sense to me.”

  “I was raped, and blamed for it by those I thought were friends,” stated Zara, her voice barely a whisper. “Never wanted to get close to anyone after that.”

  There was a heaviness that hung over the group at those words as the group seemed at a loss on how to respond until the one with seemingly even more issues broke the silence.

  “I wasn’t always isolated, but my only friends and lovers, were whoever could get me my next high,” stated the scarred swordswoman, her eyes haunted by the past. “After getting clean, I just didn’t fit in anywhere and don’t know what being friends even means.”

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  “Well, aren’t you all just bundles of joy. I don’t even know why I am here, as I had none of those issues,” commented Maria, rolling her eyes.

  “Sure,” retorted Matt, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I just can’t stand people and the drama that comes with them, especially those with egos.”

  “You’re one to talk,” spat Maria, her eyes narrowing. “You’ve got an ego—” Crack!

  “Just leave if you’re going to do this,” stated Eleanor, dropping the hand-sized rock she had just split by banging it against the rock she was sitting on. “Matt never said he didn’t have an ego, and it is normal for those with large egos to have issues with others who are the same. Now either join the rest of us in being truthful or just be quiet.”

  “Right, I’m isolated because I hate others judging me as useless for being fat. Is that good enough?” Maria snapped, her voice laced with frustration.

  “Whatever,” retorted Matt, dismissively. “Now can we move on?”

  It was clear that Maria wanted to say more, but she just crossed her arms and turned away from the others as mood was completely ruined and Matt continued speaking.

  “Good, now before I start, please just let me get through it all, as I really don’t want to deal with any more interruptions…”

  Matt reviewed the information he’d gathered from Tempormr, though he chose to omit any references to fate, luck, Tempormr’s name, or the politics of the powerful. His account included the detail that Earth had apparently been cultivated for centuries before it was deemed ready for harvest. However, he did mention Tempormr’s claim that Matt had a bloodline—which had allowed him access to regenerative abilities—and how that legacy allowed him to choose his path. His explanation nearly came to a halt when Emily interrupted, suggesting several mythical creatures that might fit the description. Had Zara not cut her off, Matt doubted he would have finished his story, but he managed to do so just as the final light of day was fading.

  He concluded by explaining that he would be removed from the world once his species reached E rank, and only a moment later did Zara interject.

  "Wait, you’re going to be forced to leave the world, not just us, no matter what!?" she exclaimed.

  "That’s what I said—level 9 is what I’m expecting," Matt replied.

  "You have no idea what you agreed to or where you’re going. Why agree to that?" asked Eleanor sharply. "From where I’m sitting, that deal sounds very one-sided. You’re given a bit of information and then forced to follow the whims of some unknown entity that could be after anything. For all you know, you might have just agreed to unlock the gates of hell—"

  "I’ll kill myself or get myself killed if it comes down to something like that," interrupted Matt. "I’ve made my bed, and none of you need to lie in it."

  "Wrong—one of us does," stated Yumiko firmly. "You owe him one more follower if you want to see your pet when you leave here."

  "Bob isn’t a pet; he’s a partner in our mutual struggle for survival," Matt corrected. "Besides, I know better than to pick any of you to be that extra follower I need."

  "And just what does that mean?" pressed Zara.

  "It means that if I’m going to be stuck with someone else for who knows how long, it’s not going to be a woman I barely know," he replied without malice. "From where I stand, it only spells one of two outcomes: either one of us ends up dead, or we get married—and I’m not interested in either possibility."

  That silenced the group for a moment before the scarred swordswoman decided it was her turn to speak.

  "You may not have much of a choice but to pick one of us when the time comes. As for death or marriage, I think you need to expand your imagination a bit and stop being so narrow-minded in how you view the world. Besides, if I were to bet on it, at least four of us are already asking ourselves if we want you to choose us, while one is almost set on it."

  "Which is just another reason to shut the idea of any of you down hard right now. Sorry, but the last thing we need is for this situation to turn into all of you competing to be chosen by me. That setup alone reminds me of those terrible reality TV shows that I hated seeing ads for before I escaped society."

  Matt noticed several of the women recoil from his words, and he realized he was just one misstep away from either being pushed out of the group or having them all try to cling to him. Thankfully, Eleanor quickly interjected, saving him from needing to say anything else for the night.

  "I think that what I said about none of us trying to initiate a relationship with Matt the other day applies even more now. Instead, it seems like our main priority should be to find others in the area, including the guys we split from on the first day and work together to figure out if we can deal with the goblins before we lose Matt."

  With nods from most of the others, the conversation shifted to that, and Matt just sighed as he excused himself. He didn’t go far, just about 20 feet away, where he sat and gazed up at the stars glimmering in the night sky, pondering their location. The question of whether they were even in the same universe, let alone galaxy as Earth, loomed large in his mind, and if not, he wondered just what the laws of physics were in this place, if they even existed that was.

  He could accept the possibility of regeneration and his enhanced physical abilities within the confines of reality as he understood it, but the notion of instantaneous transportation from one place to another was too far-fetched. A part of him still anticipated waking up from the dream or nightmare he believed he was experiencing, yet that idea seemed increasingly illogical the more he pondered it. Too many elements were beyond his frame of reference as he assessed his situation. Gazing at the stars only intensified his confusion, as he failed to recognize any constellations among them, and the presence of two half-full moons baffled him further. If he were indeed asleep, surely he would have awoken by now if he could.

  "It's hard to accept, isn't it?" remarked the scarred swordswoman from behind him. "I'm Rose. Figured since I'm the last one to introduce myself, I might as well get it out of the way. Now, the others want to discuss shifts for watch tonight, and I used that as my excuse to come fetch you."

  "When I speak, do I sound like someone from where you’re from?" asked Matt, wondering why he hadn’t heard any accents after pondering how things worked for a while.

  "Yeah, I suppose that's just part of the auto-translate skill. After all, none of us are from the same places, as far as I can tell."

  "Right, well, Rose, let's see about making the best out of the mess we're in."

  "Of course, and don't worry about what the rest of us think. If one of us is who you want to have with you when the time comes, just say so."

  "No, I don't think that's a good idea. I'd sooner miss seeing Bob and just trust him to survive than create the issues that would cause."

  Rose rolled her eyes, and Matt simply smiled to himself, quietly renewing his resolve to survive as they made their way back to the others.