13 | November | 2012 | Alder's Grove Fiction

To Flofx’s commissioned continuation of The First Quest

Equipping

It was still, technically, summer, at least. That was their main saving grace.

They’d been prepared for a field trip, maybe an hour outside, wandering around a creek bed. Sancha’s shoes weren’t as impractical as a lot of their classmates’ had been – sandals with a flat heel – but once they’d gotten wet, they were pretty much useless. And after “Sancha’s little incident,” they’d gotten not only wet, but a little bit ripped up.

“You can’t have turned into the sort of monster that gets really thick paw-pads or anything, could you?” Fritz examined her feet critically. “You don’t have any cuts, just a couple shallow scrapes.”

“I’m not a monster!” The fact that she had to lisp that around new, long, sharp teeth made it a little weaker a protest than she’d have liked.“Well, at least you’re not a vampire. That would have been the shortest vampire-lifespan ever. What with the burning sun and all.”

“Still not a monster.”

“Mm-hrrm. Well, we need to add finding you shoes to our equipment list. I wonder… hey, up there.” He pointed up the bank. “See, grasshopper, you were right. The river led to shelter.”

“Those are just camping cabins.”

“Roof and a fireplace, probably running water.”

“Probably locked?”

“Pshaw. Don’t worry about locks.”

It turned out they didn’t have to. One of the cabins was wide open, its door swinging on its hinges. The car was gone, but they’d left the radio going and food burning on the stove.

“…York City appears to have vanished, we repeat, vanished. It is not our belief at this time that this was a nuclear attack. We repeat, we do not believe this was a nuclear attack. It is believe that this is the work of the so-called Returned Gods.”

“Oh, shit, them again?” The Returned Gods had been getting louder and louder since mid-June. Chaos in the streets, demanding tribute, demanding to rule cities or even countries. But this was the first time things had gotten that bad.

What was worse was the expression on Fritz’s face. “Yeah. Things are just going to get worse. Okay, grasshopper, this just went from a get-home quest to a survival quest. Let’s see what they left, assume they’re not coming back, and take everything we might be able to use.”

“Fritz… you’re scaring me.” The whole day had been scary. Her new teeth and her new monster-claws were pretty terrifying. But up until now, Fritz had been treating the whole thing as a game, and that had made it endlessly more bearable.

“I know, grasshopper, and I’m sorry. If I could have let you float along longer, I would have. But if they’ve taken New York… the world just got really, really messy.” As unexpected as his seriousness, the hug he wrapped her in was tight and warm. “So.” And then, just as quickly, he was smiling. “What do you need to equip for a quest?”

She could handle this like a game. She really could. She glanced around. “Food. Clothing. Shelter. We still need shelter, if we assume we can’t stay here. And a weapon, right?”

“There you go.” Fritz patted her shoulder. “You’re going to level up any day now.”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/418674.html. You can comment here or there.

Early in Year 15, outside the Addergoole School

If there were things Pellinore had expected when he’d gotten shanghaied into a collar right out of school, they hadn’t been this.

He hadn’t expected being told to get a part-time job, and then, when that one failed, another one – and if he had, he wouldn’t have expected to be allowed to keep part of his paycheck. He hadn’t expected to be pushed into taking community college courses.

And he had not expected to be standing in an elementary school office.

“I’m here to pick up Yoshi Dayton.”

The elderly secretary looked at him over her glasses. “And you are…?”

“Pellinore.” He had a legal last name, the sort that didn’t start in oro’ or sa’. Sometimes it was hard to remember that. “Pellinore Wayne. I should be on the list…?”

“Ah, yes. Miss Dayton is very organized.” She flipped the book open. “ID, please?”

He showed his driver’s licence – something else Cya had made him get. The secretary looked up at him with a very sharp glance. “And you’re her nanny and housekeeper, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Close enough.

“She has a new one every year, you know.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Yoshi had told him that. Helpful Yoshi.

“You’re cuter than the last one, though. Well, I’ll call Yoshi’s teacher. Good luck, son.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Pellinore shifted from foot to foot, waiting, wondering what his life had become.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/418454.html. You can comment here or there.

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Alder's Grove Fiction

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Archive | November 13, 2012

Equipping, a sequel for the Giraffe Call

Being Cya’s, a random drabble

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