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The Waystation Ch.41
🕑 Added 2023-07-19 06:23:33 +0000 UTCChapter 41
The City of the Sun I
Bert was willing to admit he was hiding. He felt no shame in it at all. Anything to avoid the near nuclear war that was Bell and their ‘daughter’ having a discussion.
It looked like a blazing argument to him, but they were both very firm about him merely overreacting.
He winced at a series of loud bangs and crashes.
“Are you going to do anything about that, Boss?” Bud asked nervously.
“I’m open to any suggestions,” Bert chuckled.
“How about not hiding?” Scruff sniggered. Burt had never even seen the young farmer and possible brewing apocalypse approach.
There was a dull thump, swallowed by even more screaming.
“After you,” Bert grinned as the other two flinched.
“You made her. You sort it out,” Scruff grinned back at him.
“Hey, you were there too; maybe that makes her your sister?” Bert said. “Why don’t you try?”
“Okay,” Scruff shrugged and yelled before anyone could stop her. “Bert is hiding out here from you two!”
Silence descended.
“Why?” Bert asked hopelessly.
Scruff just grinned and walked off as the discussion got closer.
Bud looked around frantically before just turning and walking off. He pointed at Bert as he walked away, “He’s over there.”
Et tu Bud? Et tu?
Bert took a deep breath and prepared…
“Dad! She won’t even let me have a room in the inn!” Wendy huffed as she rounded the corner.
“Damn right, she won’t!” Bell said waspishly. “Go sleep in your grubby little garbage truck!”
“Actually, Bell’s right,” Bert said, raising a hand to forestall the argument as Bell puffed up. “You’re one of us, so you should have the spare room in the Barn.”
Wendy beamed. “Thanks, Dad!” She bounced off towards the barn as Bell turned a face like a thundercloud to Bert.
“What the hell?” Bell glowered down at him.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Bert snapped at her. He had really been hoping to avoid this conversation… oh well. “Why do you treat her like shit all the time?”
“She’s a fucking idiot!” Bell snarled, “I don’t like her.”
“Hey, she was a part of you originally. She only exists because of that prick of a Satyr.” Bert said, his face set. “Without her Scruff, I, and a big part of the Waystation, wouldn’t be here.”
“So?” Bell said testily, but he knew she was aware of what she was doing.
“So why do you find her so annoying? You love Slothy, Bud, and the rest like family. You literally made her family; thanks for that by the way, and now she can’t do anything right.”
Bell sagged, looking around furtively, “Promise you won’t tell?”
“Promise,” Bert nodded.
“I don’t know!” Bell wailed. “Every time I see her, I promise myself I’ll be nice, then she just looks at me wrong, and I want to kill her.”
Bert laughed. “I think I know what it is.”
“Well?” Bell asked.
“She reminds you of you. Like all the things you don’t like about yourself, all rolled up into a person and giving you a look.” Bert shook his head.
“Rubbish!” Bell said, “I’m wonderful! How could I annoy myself?” She looked around again.
“Bell?” Bert said.
“Yes, Bert?” She asked.
“What is it?” He sighed.
“Do you think… am I different?” She asked.
“In what way?” Bert asked, confused.
“Like a part of me is missing?” She asked. “I mean, if she is now permanent, then what did she steal from me?”
“Bell, that’s not how it works. You told me yourself… they are copies, not part of you. They aren’t even really that much like you.” He smiled.
“Are you sure, though?” Bell asked, still nervous.
“Absolutely,” Bert said. “How many Multi-Bells can you make now?”
“I’m up to twelve now!” she smiled proudly.
“And before the split?” Bert asked.
“Twelve, why?” Bell asked before realizing. “Oh, I get it. If they were part of me, I would only be able to do eleven now.” She sagged with visible relief.
“Feel better?” Bert asked.
“Much, gods above, that was worrying me.” She brightened. “Maybe that was why I was so off with her?”
“Dunno. I do know one thing, though.” He sighed.
“What?” Bell asked.
“If I ever get to the Summerlands, I’m blaming this whole thing on you.” Bert grinned.
“Oi!” Bell said.
=============
The Express powered up the ramp and into place between the Waystation and Trailor One. It was a small change, adding a little dock for the vehicle to sit in but necessary to allow Wendy to wander the Waystation while they were moving.
And it was time to move.
Bert and Bell were both unsure what awaited them at the City of the Sun. The enormous walls were visible already, dwarfing those around the City of the Dead.
There was another difference, however… the upper half of the walls were covered in bronze, Bert assumed to make it glow like the sun, but they were heavily tarnished, with some even looking like they had dropped clear from the walls.
The whole place had a spooky emptiness that was even more unsettling than the silence. The City of the Dead had been quiet, but this was another level of silence.
Bert and Bell stood in the control tower of the Waystation as they scanned the approaching walls for any sign of life.
“Another city full of dead people?” Bell asked curiously.
“I doubt it,” Bert said. “I mean, what are the chances of that?”
“Pretty low,” Bell admitted.
The closer they got to the admittedly intimidating walls, the worse they looked. There were cracks here and there, but the huge metal gates were firmly closed.
Bert watched as the first of them approached.
He was willing to bet they were steel on the inside, but the exterior was silver with a giant bronze sun in the center. Bronze sunbeams reached out from it, going to each corner of the gate.
Bell turned the Waystation to run parallel to the walls, heading around to find the next gate.
Bud waved from his place on the gatehouse ramparts and pointed. Bert looked, seeing the dust and debris built up around the base.
That gate hadn’t been opened in a long time.
“Bert, look at that!” Bell called, pointing to a huge spire rising above the walls and high into the sky. They had been able to see it even before they saw the walls.
“Where?” Bert asked.
“Right below the top!” Bell said excitedly.
Bert looked, seeing it at last. A section of the spire had collapsed, showing a crystal core to the entire tower. “Do they use crystals in towers a lot?” Bert asked.
“No, dummy.” She giggled. “I can’t believe I have a child with you!”
“Bell!” Bert grunted, although he was secretly glad she was acting more normal now.
To say their relationship had been strained after the whole sudden daughter incident was a serious understatement.
“No, no. It’s fine.” Bell sighed theatrically. “I just have to hope our daughter got her brains from me.” She giggled again.
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Pixie funny,” Bert deadpanned before laughing. To be honest… so was he.
The City of the Sun was weird. There were seemingly random places where a bit of the wall stuck out from the rest, creating little square outcroppings before it returned to being a circle again.
Something had definitely gone wrong with the place, as the walls were in terrible condition. They had found two areas with large cracks that almost reached the ground before they came to the other gate.
Bell was willing to bet they were on the opposite side of the city to the first door, and Bert believed her. They had still to see a single sign of life or movement from the walls or even to hear so much as a bird sing in the silence.
The area itself was not dead by any means. Verdant, abundant life had grown up around this side of the city. Plants and trees were everywhere, to the point they would have had to go slow, even if they weren’t already doing so.
It was making Bert very nervous.
Bud had the Orcs patrolling the walls, and Trailer One had yet to be reclaimed from the vines, so they were covered, but Bert found himself wishing for more.
“So, what’s the plan if we can’t get in?” Bell asked.
“Up and over, I guess?” Bert said absently.
“Bert?” She asked.
“Yes, Bell?” He replied.
“Do you think you’ll be able to?” She asked sweetly.
“Able to what?” He asked.
“Get it up!” She packed out laughing.
Bert grinned. “Well, I’ve always managed before.”
================
Finding nothing after they completed their circuit of the walls, the Waystation set up camp beneath one of the fallen sections of the wall. A good twenty feet of wall had collapsed, piling up at the base and leaving them with only about thirty feet to climb.
“Who needs walls this big?” Bud asked Bert as he sat on a piece of rubble.
“Nobody,” Bert chuckled. “There is no point in walls this large.”
“What do you reckon we are going to find in there?” The skeleton craned his neck up at the parapets far above.
“I’d guess nothing.” Bert shrugged. “If there were anything in there, it would have heard us by now and come to at least have a look.”
“Any point going in, then?” Reed asked as he appeared from a shadow beneath a tree. The man never just walked over.
“Curiosity?” Lowes said, stepping out from behind a boulder.
Bert tried not to laugh. They were always so damn dramatic and serious.
“I said I’d try and find out what happened for Percy,” Bert shrugged.
The four men turned and watched a very nervous young orc sidle his way over to them. He looked ready to run at any moment.
“Sal says we aren’t bringing the rope out until she knows why you want it,” Mic’ali said and tensed.
“You do see the giant walls, right?” Bert asked. “How else are we going to get in there?”
He tried to ignore the sniggers behind him from the others.
“Oh, so it’s for climbing!” Mic looked relieved.
The others lost it, falling over themselves laughing as Bert took a deep breath, “I DON'T HAVE A FUCKING ROPE FETISH!”
“Really?” Lowes said. “You should try it.” He grinned.
The orc ran for it.
“Not helpful, gents.” Bert huffed.
In the end, it was over an hour before everyone was ready. Bell was fussing around everyone so much, ensuring they had supplies, bandages, and more.
When she finally agreed everyone was ready to go, Bert fired his grappling hook up to the edge far above.
The grapple bit in, and he gave it a good yank. One of the advantages of having high stats was being able to pull hard enough to be really sure it would stay in place. The idea of falling and breaking his back was not as terrifying as it would have once been, given he could now simply heal it, but it was still not a pleasant thought,
The climb up the wall proved to be easy enough. The stone was warm beneath his feet in the late afternoon sun. The pulleys on his prosthetic arm spun, lifting him quickly to the top.
Bert stood on the broken wall, about halfway up their total height, and looked around. There was no sound or movement, and he got to work. Hammering long metal stakes into the stone before attaching long ropes to them and throwing the other ends down to his friends waiting below.
Once that was done, he started on the next step, firing his grapple again to hook onto the real top of the wall. He was carefully making his way up when he heard an unexpected sound.
A laugh.
Bert spun in place, losing his footing and bouncing off the rough broken stone as he tried to see where it was coming from.
It was Scruff. She was above him, looking down.
“How the fuck did you get up there?” Bert asked, honestly shocked.
“My vines pulled me up,” She grinned. “It was a bit faster than your route.”
“Damn it, Scruff!” Bert growled. “What if there had been something dangerous up there?”
Scruff just laughed as a pair of strong vines wrapped around Bert and jerked him up to the top before he could even protest.
His vision blurred, and his muscles screamed as his body accelerated upwards without warning. He was standing, woozily, on the parapet before he had even had a chance to scream.
“Why didn’t you ask me for help?” Scruff asked. “Don’t you trust me or something?” She glared at him, but the hurt was obvious in her eyes.
“Scruff, you’re a kid.” Bert shrugged. “A terrifying, amazing, genius of a kid… but still a kid.” He smiled what he hoped was kindly, “I’m not taking a kid into a city we know nothing about.”
“I’m not a kid!” Scruff snapped.
“Sorry, a teenager.” Bert shrugged. What difference did it make?
“No, moron, I’m eighteen! Not some teenager.” She looked awkward for a second. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I learned not to appear my age.”
“Okay, but that’s still technically a teenager,” Bert laughed and held up his hands. “But I get your point.”
“You’re not pissed off?” Scruff asked.
“No! Look, I get it, okay.” Bert said. “Trust is earned, not instant.”
“Thanks,” Scruff almost looked like she was blushing. “I thought you would be pissed. After everything you guys did for me….” She shrugged and looked away.
“Hey, you saved us both back in that fucked up grassland, so let’s call it even!” Bert meant it. He didn’t want people to feel like they owed him anything.
Scruff grinned.
“How are the Spirit Jellies doing, by the way?” Bert asked casually.
“Oh, great! But they’re not spirit jellies, just some kind of plant… version… wait, what?” She definitely blushed this time, “I mean… Fuck!”
Bert laughed.
“How long have you known?” Scruff asked defeatedly.
“The glowing barn was not exactly hard to figure out.” Bert grinned.
“They aren’t dangerous, I swear!” She said.
“Really? They’d be the only thing in your farm that isn’t then.”
Scruff laughed again. “Okay, maybe they are a bit dangerous.”
“Naah,” Bert waved a hand dismissively, “You know what is dangerous?”
“What?”
“Lying to Bell.” Bert gave her a look. “Including lying by not telling her something.”
Scruff paled. “I have to tell her?”
Bert nodded.
“Will she kill me?” Scruff asked.
“Never,” Bert chuckled as he dropped another set of ropes over the edge and down to the break in the wall. “She will be much more creative than that!”
“Any advice?” Scruff asked.
“Hmm,” Bert thought for a moment as he watched Bud start his climb from the breach in the wall. “Yeah, don’t try and bullshit. Just be straight with her.” He shrugged. “It works for me.”
“Gee, thanks,” Scruff said, rolling her eyes as she stepped off the wall. The vines around her bit into the stone like it was made of butter as she waved before disappearing over the edge.
Bert watched her go.
==========
“Keep your eyes on the city!” Bud snapped when he caught Tru’nal staring into the greenery outside the walls.
It had been about an hour since everyone had made it up to the wide, open walkways on top of the walls. The first thing that Bert had noticed was the lack of any defensive emplacements. The top of the walls didn’t even have crenelations or battlements of any form. There was not even a lip.
The second thing he noticed was the fierce winds that regularly buffeted the wide, open walkway.
They currently had everyone tied onto a safety rope. That had not been a fun discussion, and the look Sal’ali had given him was pure disgust.
The only ones not tied on were Reed and Lowes, who the wind never seemed to touch. Even their hair didn’t move. It was apparently an assassin skill.
As another blast of wind pushed against him, chilling him to the bone even as it tried to drive him off the wall, Bert could admit he was a little jealous of the skill.
The city inside was… vacant.
It wasn’t dead, that was for sure. Trees, shrubs, and vines that seemed to have started life in pots and small parks had grown wild and untended in the last few years and almost consumed the city around them.
Plant life flourished as far as they could see, yet there was still no sign of animals inside the city or outside as far as they could see from up here.
The only sign that anything had happened at all was the occasional building looking slightly burnt, with a few blackened stone bricks peeking out from beneath the greenery.
They had made their way all the way around to the first gate they had seen before Bert called a halt.
A small door on the side of the giant pillars supporting the gate waved fitfully in the breeze. Its partner had fallen into the dark interior.
Bert lit a torch and tossed it into the darkness. It rolled down a ramp and out of sight. Approaching carefully, he found a long spiral ramp leading down.
“Saves us a long climb,” Bud said. “If it’s intact.”
It was.
As they pushed open the doors down below, they emerged into a gloomy half-light. Green grass and vines underfoot and the many flowers and trees gave the whole place a sweet, fresh scent.
“The City of the Sun, and they build walls so high it hardly gets in,” Bert said, mystified. “Why?”
“Boss.” Bud’s voice was flat and emotionless. “You better come see this.”
Bert hurried over to where Bud stood, pulling back a carpet of vines and looking at the large, pale stone that had built up against the giant gates.
The caretaker leaned in, holding his torch high, only to recoil a moment later.
They worked quickly, setting up large torches to light the area as they pulled off more and more of the vines and accumulated plants.
In fifteen minutes, they had cleared enough away to be absolutely sure…
“Everyone, up the ramp, quickly.” Bert snapped. “We are not spending the night here.” His eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for more telltale bulges.
Once everyone was back up top, he looked down once more, the gate area lit by their still burning torches…
The gate wouldn’t open because it was blocked… by hundreds of bodies. They had died scratching and clawing to get out… and they were melted into a single awful mass.
“Boss, you okay?” Bud asked as they looked at the giant mass of melted flesh.
“Not really,” Bert said. “What the fuck happened in this city?”
