Chapter Ten: The Price of Community

TEN

Three more times he cycled through the single hall. Each time he lasted slightly less as his body grew more weary. No matter how many Roan slew, they just filled the channel further. Their shuffling steps had started to kick bits and pieces of their fallen out of the hallway, including several of the daggers. Roan had put those to the side as he rested, finally admitting to himself that he was done. The final cycle had netted him only four of the poor-grade skeletons. He’d become more efficient, but his body was at its limits.

“Need food and water. Sleep would be nice.” Roan knew that he couldn’t be sleeping, not until he absolutely had to. The ticking clock was too loud in his mind, refusing to stay silent as he thought of how much he needed and how expensive it all would be.

Roan checked his alerts and did the math. When he went back in it’d be with six-hundred-forty more points. He’d managed to kill thirty-two of the skeletons in the last hour or so. With his remaining balance his bank account would be at almost seven hundred credits. He still owed Moira a hundred-thirty credits.

His sigh was loud in the relative silence of the dungeon room. No matter what he wanted to work, it just wasn’t going to work with him moving by himself. Not unless he abandoned any thought of exploring the level further and trying to find rewards or unique treasures. Camping in the cul-de-sac and just farming skeletons would be possible, if he bought enough food and gear. If the four remaining coffins didn’t open. If others didn’t have the same idea and come out and cut down on how much he could farm.

“Too many if’s. Take the money and see if you can get someone to help you out,” Roan said out loud. His words echoed over the black stone and the quiet clatter of the moving bones. Decision made he gathered up what he could reach and stuffed it into his homemade slings.

Both of his axes were in poor condition, their rusted edges dulled until they were little better than a lump of metal shaped like an axe. Both of them would have to be replaced as quickly as possible if he wanted to keep his efficiency up. Or he’d find a whetstone or grinding wheel. They were both undoubtedly available for purchase on the market.

Roan had all his, rather pitiful, loot gathered up and was through the gates in a minute. The same sense of nausea and vertigo hit him, but it felt less extreme as he stepped back into the saferoom.

The same group of people were clustered around it, but they were looking more battle ready as they gathered their weapons and did double checks. Eyes followed him, but it was the woman who’d talked to him that stepped forward again.

“Anything to report?” she barked the question as if he was some soldier under her command. Roan bristled instantly at the assumption, but controlled himself as he looked around at the group preparing to go out.

“Coffins didn’t open up for me. The skeletons don’t pass from their hallway into the cul-de-sac. You can stay in the neck of the channel and harvest what you need,” Roan said, keeping it simple as he started to walk by them.

“Thanks. Also, be careful about that guy Nash. He’s gathering up people and came to pitch us. Tried to get us to join him, said we could charge a toll on the gate,” the woman said. Roan froze and looked over the gentle hills covered in luscious grass. Nash was nowhere to be seen, but other groups had relocated to cover the hills around the gate.

“I’m Billie,” she said, extending her hand. Roan took it on instinct as he thought through what Nash had proposed. If people entered the safe room exhausted, tired, covered in loot and wounds, then it would be easy to shake them down. He doubted he could fight anyone right now, let alone a group.

“Factions. Protection. I’ll need it.” It wasn’t a pleasant thought. No emotions clouded his face as he let go of Billie’s hand and thanked them for the information.

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“Others are already gathering together, not just Nash. Even if it’s not big groups, then small teams that watch each other’s backs.” Billie pointed to her own group who all nodded together.

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Be careful out there,” Roan warned as he left them and headed toward where he saw Taoya’s wide figure. The man looked like a second tree on the hill as he stood with his arms crossed across his broad chest, watching the gate with focused intensity. Roan had hardly gotten to the base of the hill before Moira called out to him.