TravelingDreamer
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B4—Chapter 27: Sneaky Sneaks that Sneak
🕑 Added 2024-10-28 19:18:47 +0000 UTCAs we rose in the balloon, I turned to Mahya. "I'm going to ask the wind for a speed boost. We've seen everything we wanted to see, so there's no point in flying slow again. I don't want another hailstorm catching us off guard."
She glanced up at the sky, scanning the horizon. "I doubt there’ll be another hailstorm anytime soon; the sky’s pretty clear. But hey, I'm all for a wind boost."
Al chimed in, his tone thoughtful. "And what if we pass over another agricultural community?"
Mahya shrugged. "Let’s get to the city first and see what’s happening there. We can always double back if something catches our eye along the way."
I reached out, connecting with the wind, and asked it to push us straight towards the city. The response was immediate—the wind surged, lifting the balloon and propelling us faster than any of our previous flights, even quicker than our journey to Vegas. We kept our eyes peeled, scanning the landscape below for any changes or signs of life.
But it was more of the same—ruins stretched out like a broken map beneath us. The highway, once a lifeline of movement, was now a wrecked path of twisted bridges, deep cracks, and gaping holes. Monsters roamed the desolation, and the vegetation seemed determined to reclaim everything. Trees sprouted from every patch of open ground, weaving through rusted vehicles and fallen structures, creating an unending canopy that swallowed the wreckage whole. Occasionally, I thought I spotted movement—small groups of creatures darting between the shadows—but nothing different from what we saw when we first set out.
After about an hour, we flew over a river cutting straight through the highway. A massive bridge must have spanned it once, but now only jagged metal rods jutted from the ground like broken teeth, and huge chunks of stone lay scattered in the water, half-submerged. The current rushed around the debris, sending ripples and foam crashing against the jagged edges.
The area surrounding the bridge was a swampy mess, the earth looking like it had been churned up and flooded. Trees sprouted in strange, unnatural directions, some of them growing almost horizontally, their trunks twisting as they fought to stay upright in the loose, muddy ground. It was as if nature had decided to reclaim the place, but hadn't quite figured out how to do it right.
According to the Map, the river curved in a half-arc and flowed into a lake, with the city on its southern shore. The highway we were following was supposed to connect with the eastern side of the city, likely serving as a main route back when everything was still functional. Now, it was just a broken path of rubble and tangled growth, barely recognizable. The way the river and road lined up, you could tell they used to be important, but now they were just pieces of a world that didn’t exist anymore.
After another twenty minutes, we spotted the edge of the endless stretch of trees up ahead. From a distance, it looked like the green sea of foliage just stopped, a hard line where the forest ended abruptly. We couldn’t make out what was beyond it yet, but it was clear that something different was waiting on the other side.
"I turned on the obfuscation, just in case," Mahya said.
"Good idea," Al agreed.
"Think we should slow down?" I asked.
They exchanged a look before Mahya nodded. "Yes."
Rue shouted, "No!" with a series of loud barks.
We all burst out laughing at my speed demon. I gave him a scratch behind the ear. "Don’t worry, buddy. You’ll have plenty of chances to fly and go fast. We just need to check things out near the city first."
He let out a dramatic huff, shot us a stink eye, and then stuck his head out of the basket again, ears flapping in the wind.
When the treeline finally ended, a vast expanse of fields stretched out ahead, divided into squares of different colors, with dirt roads cutting between them. People moved through the fields, working in clusters, while others rode along the roads, kicking up dust. As we got closer, it became clear they were riding those strange wolves we'd seen earlier, the ones with the long muzzles and floppy ears.
They were holding something in their hands, and after a moment, Mahya leaned forward, squinting. "Those are guns," she said, sounding excited.
I focused on the figures, and she was right; they were definitely carrying weapons, though they looked different from any I was used to. As we approached, the details came into view. The guns had a solid, rugged design. Long barrels extended out from reinforced stocks, and I could see rotating parts near the chamber, suggesting some sort of manual mechanism—probably lever or pump action.
In one field to the right, I caught sight of one rider pulling out a whip and cracking it against the backs of the workers in the field. The sudden, violent motion made me flinch, my whole body tensing up.
"What is it?" Mahya asked, noticing my reaction.
I just pointed, my mouth clamped shut, the sight leaving me momentarily speechless.
Her eyes followed my gesture, and when she saw what was happening, her expression darkened. "Bastards," she muttered, her voice edged with anger.
"Rue, buddy, change your glamor to look like one of those wolves," I said, pointing at one of the riders.
I felt the mana shift, but this time, Rue didn’t pull any from me. It was a pleasant change, feeling the energy flow without that usual tug. As I let my eyes unfocus, his form shifted—now he looked exactly like one of those wolves, floppy ears and all. The long muzzle, packed with extra teeth, gave him an intimidating, almost fierce look. Honestly, he looked scary, and knowing Rue, he’d probably love it. But he was also kinda cute.
I took out a small mirror and held it up to him. "Unfocus your eyes and take a look," I said with a grin. "You look seriously dangerous."
His eyes locked onto the reflection, and I could practically see the delight in them.
After a few more minutes, we saw the city walls. They were massive—easily high enough that we couldn't make out anything going on inside. Mahya steered us toward the lake. As we got closer, more of the city came into view. It hugged the shoreline, stretching along one bank of the lake. The whole place had this kind of hourglass shape—wider near the water and narrowing out as it went back. The wall, which must’ve been at least three hundred meters high, wrapped around everything except for the lakeside.
When we got closer, I could make out the building style—Arab, or maybe Indian. Hard to say for sure. The part near the lake was all about luxury. Elegant buildings with golden domes sparkled under the sun, and everything had this fancy, intricate design to it. There were canals running between the buildings, reflecting all that grandeur, with little arched bridges connecting the paths. Greenery spilled out from courtyards, and fountains shot streams of water high into the air, adding a cool mist to the warm breeze. It looked like a place where only the richest people could live.
As we flew further along, the city narrowed at its middle, like the pinched part of an hourglass. There was another wall there, separating the two sections. On the other side of the wall, everything changed. The second part was a sprawl of slums. The buildings were packed tightly, made of rough stone and clay, with little balconies that jutted out at odd angles. Colorful fabrics and banners were strung between the buildings, but they did little to hide the grime. The streets were narrow and crowded, bustling with stalls and market stands crammed into every corner, and the air was full of smoke, spices, and the chatter of people haggling. It had this chaotic, lived-in feel—totally different from the polished luxury by the lake.
The other side of the city was also full of farms, but instead of fields, there were pastures with large herds of cattle, and animals that looked like llamas with horns. This side was also full of wolf riders with weapons.
As we flew further, the city’s narrow end, where the slums stretched out to meet the wall, came into view. The area looked abandoned—empty streets and a bunch of partially destroyed houses. There weren’t any people around, and as we got closer, I noticed makeshift barricades thrown up, blocking this section off from the rest of the slums. It felt like a no-go zone, maybe for safety or to keep something contained.
Beyond the wall, there was a forest stretching out, and from our view, I could see broken sections of the wall. The wall on the poor side of the city was way shorter and thinner compared to the one around the rich part. Over by the lake, the wall stood at a massive three hundred meters high and a good three meters thick—like they were really protecting something valuable. But here, it was barely five meters tall and maybe a meter thick.
Right behind the barricaded area, I spotted a section of the wall that looked half-destroyed. It wasn’t completely leveled—about half of it was still standing—but large chunks had crumbled away. On both sides, there were piles of stones, scattered like someone had taken a swing at it and left it in ruins.
"That spot looks like a good place to set up your house," Mahya suggested, nodding toward a cluster of houses with a thoughtful squint.
I turned to her, brows raised. "There? You’re kidding."
She met my gaze steadily, her tone serious. "I know you planned on going in as a merchant, with us posing as your guards, but… I don’t think that’ll work."
"Why not?" I asked, folding my arms as I glanced between her and Al.
Mahya took a slow, steady breath, as if gathering her thoughts. "Listen. Can you even understand what they're saying?" she asked, gesturing toward a group of people in the distance.
I shook my head.
"Exactly," she continued, glancing between Al and me with a cautious look. "We don’t know their language. We don’t know anything about this world, for that matter. Since the integration, all the names on the Map are gone. No cities, no continents, no islands—nothing. We need basic information first. We need to learn their language, figure out where we're supposed to be from, things like that. Trust me on this, if we don’t know the right answers, we could end up in serious trouble."
I grimaced, realizing the logic in her words.
Mahya leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if discussing a delicate matter. "I guarantee you, the wealthy types around here will ask questions. And if we don’t have solid answers, they may not react kindly. Sure, we're strong, but have you noticed the sheer number of guards? We’d be in over our heads fast."
Al gave a slight nod, clearly seeing her point.
"So, what do you suggest?" I asked, tilting my head.
She took a quick glance around, then turned back to me with a smirk. "I say we land in the forest, slip into the city through that crack in the wall. Or you and Rue can fly us over it. We’ll set up your house in some abandoned area between two buildings, and get the core to mimic the architecture around here. That way, we blend in."
Mahya’s eyes sparked with excitement as she added, "Once we’re in, we can talk to the locals, get a feel for the language, gather what we need to know. Then, if we need to make a formal entrance, we can circle back and pretend we came from the direction we want."
I nodded slowly, her plan making sense.
The trees outside the city grew dense and twisted, forcing us to search a while before we found a clearing to land the balloon. When we finally touched down, we were farther from the city than planned. We folded the balloon, and moved through the forest in silence, careful not to make a sound. Every so often, a distant roar would ripple through the trees, putting us on edge. At first, the sounds seemed closer, but as we pushed on, they drifted further away, allowing us to relax. Well, mostly.
Then, out of nowhere, Rue started a low, rumbling growl, his attention fixed sharply to our right. We all went tense, drawing weapons in sync. Mahya unsheathed her sword, and I gave her a sidelong glance. "Not going for the gun?"
"Too loud," she replied, her tone all business as her gaze stayed locked in the direction Rue had indicated.
From between the trunks emerged a hulking figure—a Scraglin Behemoth. Or maybe a Scraglin Brute; it was smaller than the full-sized Behemoth, but still massive enough to give anyone second thoughts. Unlike the junkyard variety, this one wasn’t armored with metal bits and shards. Instead, thick branches and boulders jutted from its back and shoulders, a walking wreck of earth and forest.
Then came the smell. Just like its junkyard cousins, this one reeked to high heaven, and I instinctively wrinkled my nose.
"Stay back," I warned, lifting into the air, my mind already working through a plan. I cast invisibility and flew toward the monster. Technically, it wasn’t a true monster—the kind that dissipates after a kill—but as far as I was concerned, it qualified.
Hovering close enough to aim, I unleashed Aggressive Clean, targeting the Brute. With a forceful wrench, branches and stones tore from its body, yanking free in a chaotic hail. Unfortunately, with the canopy pressing down, I couldn’t get enough height. One stone clipped my shoulder hard, jolting it out of place and making me spin in the air. I gritted my teeth, nearly plummeting as pain shot through me, but I stayed aloft, cast a healing spell, and flew back toward the group.
The Brute flailed wildly, swinging its massive arms in sweeping arcs as blood splattered around it. It let out a guttural roar, stumbling aimlessly, unable to spot us. After a few chaotic minutes of thrashing, it finally crumpled to the ground and went still.
Mahya let out a low whistle, nodding appreciatively. "I take back every word I ever said about that spell. It's… something else."
I had half a mind to brush some nonexistent dust off my shoulder, but stopped myself. Not because I was feeling humble—no, I was still invisible, and she wouldn’t even see the move. What was the point?
On the way to the city, we ran into two groups of ambush snakes. Luckily, they were small groups, nothing we couldn’t manage. With telekinesis, we snatched them up, slicing them in half with precision to keep the venom sacs intact—never know when that might come in handy.
After another hour of trudging through forest and dense underbrush, we finally reached the city wall. It was intact where we approached. Mahya gave Rue a pat to keep him steady, while Al climbed onto my back. We activated our invisibility and flew over the wall in a swift, quiet arc.
“We sneaky sneaks that sneak,” Rue said, sounding very pleased with the idea.
The three of us couldn’t hold it in; laughter burst out, echoing off the stone walls around us. I clamped a hand over my mouth, chuckling as I glanced down, scanning the street below to make sure no one had caught our slip. My laughter subsided into a grin, but the tension stayed, a shared understanding that in a city like this, invisible didn’t mean safe.
The abandoned zone lay nearly half a kilometer from our entry point, but at our speed, it didn’t take long. I kept low, skimming above alleyways and rooftops to get the lay of the land, and soon, we found the perfect spot. Five buildings formed a near-circle, a tightly packed cluster that would hide us well. I landed in the middle, nodding in approval as I surveyed the area.
I turned to my core and instructed, “Open the house. Make it look like part of the ruins—blend it in completely with the environment.”
In moments, it responded with the perfect house. Before us stood a convincingly decrepit structure, half-destroyed, with matching arches and crumbling stone walls that mimicked the surrounding architecture. One wall leaned against the neighboring building, and stones lay scattered across the ground, looking as though they’d just fallen from the ‘ruined’ sections above.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say my core had a knack for theatrics—practically an actor and a master of disguises in its own right.
After a quick back-and-forth, we settled on staying in for the day, planning to venture out and explore the city come morning. I had half a mind to head out right then and there—curiosity tugged at me, itching to see what lay beyond those ancient walls. But as I glanced up, my plans faded.
The sky above shifted in seconds, a slow churning of violet streaks that bled across the once-clear blue. Moments ago, the air had been warm, pushing thirty degrees, the sun baking the stone ruins around us. Now, thick clouds rolled in, dark and ominous, as though some invisible hand had drawn them over the sun, and a sharp wind cut through the streets. I rubbed my arms as the temperature plummeted, easily losing ten degrees in the span of a few breaths.
Leaves and scraps of something whirled through the air, spiraling down the empty alleys, dancing in the gusts that picked up strength with each passing minute. A few more minutes, and the world felt transformed, like the city had shifted into another layer of itself, one wrapped in shadow and chill.
Tomorrow, then, I thought, watching the sky as it rumbled, gathering weight. We'd explore the city on a day when it didn’t look ready to swallow us whole.
Comments
TravelingDreamer
First, she needs to think about it and build it. Some things are ingrained after almost 100 years of traveling. You pay mana and learn the language from the locals.
Matthew
You'd think that Maya would have used a drone or something to slip into a city with cloaking. They could sit in the house and listen to conversations while they learn the language without drawing attention.
TravelingDreamer
😊 Took me more than an hour to convince the AI to cooperate. For some reason, creating pictures of scary animals violets some policy.
TravelingDreamer
Language and get info about the current situation in this world
Angela Roberts
Not entirely sure why they're deciding to check out this city after what they've seen. Seems to me that's enough.
Patrick S.
These teeth are cReepy 🎃
