Fallout

A pair of broken glasses jutted from the debris, belonging to none other than Rebecca, the only person in Mirefield who wore glasses. With no time to waste, I accumulated my mana to cast a levitation spell to lift the rubble. It was one of the most taxing spells I knew. Combined with the venom from earlier, there was the very real possibility of overexerting myself.

“Hang in there, Rebecca!” I called out as I went to work, lobbing the chunks of stone and wood away. By the time I freed her, she was worse for wear, wheezing and coughing up blood.

“Rebecca! Why didn’t you hide with the others in the storm shelter?”

“The man came so fast, there was no time… I wanted to be a hero like you, so I ran out to distract him from the others,” she replied, gripping her rib cage. “Don’t worry, I did as you asked and delivered your letter to mommy. She’s with the others.”

“Easy there, save your energy,” I replied while carrying her to Eleanor. As we arrived, there were several more villagers lined up on bedsheets, all disfigured from burns and other injuries. I winced as I handed Rebecca over.

“Is everyone going to survive?” I asked Eleanor.

“I—I don’t know… We’re low on medical supplies as is.”

“In that case, I’ll go search for more survivors and provisions.”

There was a local apothecary shop which also served as Mirefield’s general infirmary. But before I could scavenge for supplies, I checked with the shelter to confirm that everyone was safe.

No! That’s—

Where the bunker once stood was nothing but a mountain of razed earth. Dotting the vicinity were clawed footprints, the impressions so deep that they overflowed with groundwater.

I cried out, my voice hoarse. There was no response. Upon closer investigation, I discovered three distinct rows of gouges slashed across the metal panels. Nothing from the serpent could have caused the footprints and claw marks. The realization hit me, causing my stomach to turn as I prepared for the worst-case scenario.

At the same time, however, the village had turned uncannily quiet. Beside the simmering embers, there was no activity. Even the calls of insects and birds ceased.

There’s nothing you can do here; move on, Verity!

Following the next best course of action, I continued on to the apothecary. Save for a missing portion of the roof, the exterior was intact. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for the interior. The once well-stocked shelves and racks were completely bare. I went to check the infirmary in the back, only to stumble upon a man with a cart. Stacked to the brim in his cart were potions and other medical supplies and ingredients.

“You there! What are you doing? Have you seen what’s been going on!?” I demanded, my staff at the ready.

He took one look at me before making a run for it, the elixirs in his hand crashing to the floor. I pointed my staff forward and released a stream of ice magic. Within seconds, his entire body was frozen up to his head.

I walked up and shoved my staff underneath his chin. “How dare you loot in a time like this!”

“A rich girl like you wouldn’t understand! All the luxury and gold you possess has blinded you!” the man replied, spitting in my face. The rage within me flared, enticing me to punish him, but I knew better. Eleanor required the medicine. With each passing second, the odds of survival for the victims worsened.

Wagon in tow, I left the man to contemplate his actions. The ice would eventually thaw and hopefully, by extension, the greed in his heart.

“Eleanor, I’ve returned with the supplies!”

She slowly turned around, her face choked full of tears.

Lying next to her was the still corpse of the woman from before. Crying into her mother’s dress was the daughter, her screams echoing in my head.

I rushed over and did my best to assist Eleanor with everyone else. Two hours passed before we were able to stabilize them. Shortly after, a party of horses came galloping from Ragosopolis’s direction. Amongst their ranks were Imryll and Alear.

“Verity, Eleanor! Sorry for the delay; we had to work tooth and nail to gain permission to leave,” Imryll explained as she climbed down from her mount. But upon analyzing the severity of the situation, her demeanor shifted entirely. She began coordinating orders, with her first objective being to locate any other survivors.

Eleanor and I attempted to assist with the effort but were held back by Alear at the request of his older sister.

“Why can’t we help?” I asked while sitting on a tree stump.

“M—My sister thinks you’ve exhausted yourself and need to rest. Both of you have been hard at work, so—”

“I’m fine! We need as many hands as possible on deck!” I replied, getting ready to leave, only for a sharp pain to force me to the ground.

“Veri!” Eleanor yelled. She rushed over and began removing my layers of clothing. “Alear, turn around!”

“U—Uh, yeah! Sorry, I won’t look! I’ll stand guard if anyone tries coming over!”

My breathing was haggard, not to mention the fever and chills I was experiencing. Even more concerning, my heart was beating irregularly. With my bare chest now exposed, Eleanor traced the source of the illness to a spot just above my heart.

It was the venom from before, now a deep purple patch.

“This might sting,” Eleanor warned, holding a needle the length of a finger. By now, I was hardly able to process what she was saying. All I felt was excruciating pain that escalated the more I stirred.

I gave a quick nod, allowing Eleanor to do whatever it took to cleanse the venom. As the needle went in, I held her hand, clutching it tightly. The area of skin broke out into a rash as a blue liquid was injected, bubbling underneath the surface with agony worse than my knee injury.

That’s odd, why does Eleanor look so… young?

My mind drifted away as I succumbed to a deep slumber…