《The Tanglements: Anya's Tale》 Chapter 1: Under amethyst skies Anya fell to the ground, her palms sinking into the sand. The jump was rough, her stomach churned a little. ¡°The sand is gray here too,¡± she thought ¡°though a bit purple-ish this time, not like the first place.¡± She rose to her feet. Miles of desert stretched ahead of her, all of it tinged a magenta hue. Above her the night sky was a deep amethyst and in place of the clouds there were wispy streaks of blues and whites that seemed to glow softly, projecting paths of light all across the land below. Throughout the desert were patches of cities ¡ª their buildings crumbling and overgrown by twisting blue vines. Above each city was a floating island, and on the underside of each island was a perfect mirror of the city below. Yet where the city below was desolate and war torn in appearance; the city above was pristine and familiar. Anya checked the pouch the campers had given her. There were three small pills, two pink and one yellow. She had just taken a yellow pill. She swallowed one of the pink pills using a drop of water from the canteen the campers had also gifted her. Only then did she realise the air was neither frozen nor scorching like one might expect from a desert, it was an unusually comfortable temperature, and unsettlingly quiet. She picked the nearest patch of ruined city, and started towards it. She walked along the paths of light and found that they were slightly warmer than the surrounding air. The desert was mostly flat, with the occasional small mound or two that needed some extra effort to climb. Upon cresting one of these features, she spotted something on the path ahead. It was like a small blue light bulb, twisting and turning in the air. Suddenly there were two, and then three. As she approached the flying point of light she saw that they were in fact pyramidal in shape, with proportions that shrunk and grew with the movements of their flight. One of the entities flew over to her, zipping through the air like a dart before stopping abruptly in front of her face. It made a low hum as it hovered, She felt as though it was inspecting her. It began to move again, rapidly speeding away towards one of the cities. The other two flying pyramids followed closely behind, and in their wake the path of light bent to match their movements, carving a new glowing trail directly to the city. Somehow the city felt even quieter than the desert. She peered up at the mirrored city above. Its streets were clean, roads in perfect condition, pavements unbroken ¡ª but there were no people, not in either of the cities. She continued walking down the empty streets, reaching what seemed to be a boulevard of sorts. Rows of bushy blue trees lined the pavements, shedding leaves that fell twirling directly to the ground below. The buildings seemed to be made from a mix of some kind of purple sandstone and concrete. Where there were surviving windows ¡ª shattered or intact ¡ª the glass was usually stained in an array of colours. Anya approached one of these designs. It depicted a colossal spear that reached up from through the clouds to strike an upside-down city. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. There was a rustle in the nearby vines, and a sound of clattering wood from inside the building. She stepped away from the window and continued down the boulevard. The sound started low, yet it soon grew higher and louder. A siren. Suddenly it was echoing down the streets, coming from directly ahead of her. ¡°People ¡ª maybe.¡± The ground shook; lightly, but noticeably. Then again, and again. She darted down the boulevard in the direction of the siren. The shaking grew in intensity each time it occurred. She thought she heard something in the trees, or perhaps the vines. Something leapt out in front of her, knocking her back. She caught no sight of it as she raised herself back to her feet, but could hear that it made a creaky scuttling sound as it crossed to the other side of the street. Reaching the end of the boulevard, she stopped to listen for direction of the siren. It sounded from the left, she turns to begin in that direction once more. In the distance, towering over the buildings ¡ª she saw it. A mass of concrete and brick in the vague shape of a person. Chimneys spewed smoke from its back, giant gears churned between its joints. The ground shuddered with every step it took towards the city. Back down at street level, she saw a crowd of people rushing inside one of the buildings. Running to join them she saw a banner draped over the entrance depicting a golden spear pointed skywards. More people appeared behind her and she became a part of the crowd. They huddled into the building and down a wide staircase. It lead down, and down, and down. Sinking into the violet earth. The stairs became a corridor ¡ª a long sloping corridor. They descended further. It was then that she noticed the guards. Uniformed in the colours of the sand above, they held long spears with tips that glowed a deep blue ¡ª alighting the path ahead. They wore strange pistols too, holstered on their belts, though many seemed to attempt to hide them beneath a jacket or cloak. As the end of the corridor neared, Anya saw what looked to be doctors tending to patients. The doctors wore feathered caps, and they had metal exoskeletons that ran along the backs of their limbs. There was one doctor who had no visible hands, yet nonetheless seemed to hold a bottle of medicine anyway ¡ª floating just in front of their sleeve. The patients had no recognisable ailments. There were glowing eyes, wounds that seemed to ooze levitating blood, skin that had turned to iron and was now rusting away. The guards closed in from behind, funnelling the group through a large steel door. Through it was a wide but low-ceilinged room lit by small blue lamps. Some small flying pyramids like the ones that Anya had encountered earlier were also in the room, directing the crowd to separate them into smaller groups. At one point she saw one of them appearing to convene with a guard. Whether it or the guard was in control, she could not decipher. A deafening industrial roar came reverberating down the corridor and into the hall. Anya could see a group of the guards running back up the corridor towards the stairs. The door to the hall was sealed, and the room was plunged into a blue tinged silence. Chapter 2: In the wake of giants She walked down the narrow corridor of her home and into the bedroom. The tiredness seeped through her ¡ª it had been a difficult day, but she could rest now. She flicked the lights off and turned to close the door. A figure stood before her, just down the corridor. It was fuzzy, she couldn¡¯t made out any of its features. It did not move. She blinked, and it was gone. ¡°Looks like I really need this sleep,¡± she said to herself as attempted self-comfort, but something felt wrong now. The door was shut, the curtains closed, but she still felt uneasy. It was as is something was in the room with her. She ducked down on her hands and knees and checked under the bed, the cabinets. She opened the wardrobe and checked between the clothes. There was nothing; not that she knew what she was looking for in the first place. She slipped into bed, and turned her lamp off. Once more the figure stood before her, looming over the bed. It was faceless, its body an eerie white. She could not move. The figure bent down and opened its arms wide. It embraced her, and she felt sleep overcome her. The black desert stretched ahead of her. Wind rushed past her ears. The tiredness was gone, she had fully awoken and this was no dream. In the night sky above a million stars glistened unobstructed, and bearing down on her was a bright moon host to azure seas, green continents, and silky white clouds. It felt comforting to stand in its light. Across the desert walked towering quadrupeds. Tall legs that reached to the sky supporting a black featureless body. One of them strode towards her. It¡¯s colossal foot lifted slowly from the ground and came to bear down upon her. She could not find it within herself to run ¡ª something in her state of terrified wonder and awe compelled her to remain still. The foot landed harmlessly on top of her. The creature was made of a thick black smoke. It lifted its foot once more, and moved away. She looked to the moon once more, its swirling clouds hypnotising ¡ª and in that moment her mind was pierced. She felt both infinite and infinitesimal, she felt everywhere and nowhere ¡ª and then it all came crashing down, and she was just a person again, but now she knew her name. Her name was Anya now. That had not been her name before, and she knew this, but she had been given a new name and she knew that this was to be accepted, not fought. Her stomach churned, she fell and her hands landed on soft forest floor. *** Anya awoke to the soft blue lights of the bunker. It was quiet again, with only the gentle murmuring of people to fill the space. ¡°Were you dreaming of the Gateway?¡± a woman next to her asked. She seemed to be a little older than Anya, and her face was scarred. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The big black desert, moon that looks like old home.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°You seemed unsettled in your sleep, and I see now that you have the eyes of a newcomer.¡± It was then that Anya noticed the small patches of discolouration within the woman¡¯s irises ¡ª thin bands of yellow that lurched out from her pupils. ¡°Will my eyes become like that too?¡± ¡°If you are lucky enough to live long in the Tanglements, then yes.¡± ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Do you mean in the cities or¡­?¡± ¡°I mean these¡­ places in general.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± the woman shifted her posture ¡°I was fifteen when I awoke in the Gateway.¡± Anya suddenly recalled that she was around twenty years of age, though she could not help but feel uncertain about this fact. The woman continued, ¡°I would usually be amongst the soldiers, but the sickness nearly got me recently.¡± She pulled her sleeve up to reveal a mechanical hand. It was skeletal in construction, Anya could not discern anything about how it might have worked. ¡°It¡¯s still a little difficult to move, it¡¯ll be a while before I can hold a spear again.¡± The bunker door began to open. ¡°Say, have you got anywhere to go?¡± ¡°Not really no.¡± ¡°If you could give me a hand getting up the stairs I¡¯ll get one of the soldiers to give you some gear.¡± Anya couldn¡¯t be sure what exactly was meant by ¡°gear¡±, but she had no reason to refuse the offer. She was still lost, very lost. They climbed the stairwell together, the woman leaning on Anya for support ¡ª she had a metal leg too it turned out. They emerged to find a path of destruction cut through the already ruined city. Where some buildings where flattened, others had been ripped from the ground and now hovered in the air above. All around them was a debris field floating in the air, silent and still. The woman gestured Anya to look down the path of rubble. It stopped not too far from where they now stood. At its end was the beast of mortar and steel that had presumably been the source of the ravaging. ¡°City Titans,¡± the woman said, ¡°they have cannons that make things float. Come, lets go and say hello.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What? Is that safe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no more dangerous than standing beneath this rubble.¡± Anya looked up to see a building floating directly above them, she quickly started towards the fallen titan. There were soldiers clambering atop its body, they used their spears like ice picks to scale its walls and climb inside. ¡°Did they bring it down?¡± ¡°The soldiers? Oh no, we can¡¯t stop a titan like that. It probably powered down itself. Maybe its dead, maybe not ¡ª you can never tell.¡± Even in its collapsed state the machine towered above them. Despite witnessing it mere hours ago Anya could hardly imagine it walking anymore. The brick making up its body seemed to crumble at the lightest touch. ¡°Some of the folks here believe the titans are held together by only the strength of their will,¡± the woman explained. ¡°Their will to do what?¡± ¡°Well that would depend on the titan. Some of them wander the deserts until they collapse, others like our friend here cut through the cities instead¡ª¡± ¡°And sometimes they give you a ride home,¡± a nearby soldier approached, he had just jumped down from the felled titan¡¯s arm. He extended an arm to the woman and they shook hands. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you back, how was the other city?¡± ¡°Destroyed,¡± ¡°Completely? By a titan?¡± ¡°Completely, and we¡¯re not sure.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll talk about it later,¡± the woman turned back to Anya ¡°she¡¯s new, looks like no one has really helped her out yet.¡± ¡°Ah gotcha.¡± The soldier led them away from the titan and into a nearby building. The golden spear banner adorned the entrance. They descended another stairwell, though this one significantly shorter than the last. At the bottom was a short corridor with metal doors on either side. The soldier produced a key from his pocket and opened the nearest of these. Inside was a small room with shelves filled with various boxes. He flicked on a lamp ¡ª which glowed a deep blue ¡ª and began sifting through the containers, retrieving different items and placing them on the nearby table. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s twenty pills for the sickness and fifteen for hops,¡± he handed Anya a belt with two pouches attached to it. She put it on and checked the pouches ¡ª in the right one were pink pills, and in the left yellow. She took the small pouch she already had out of her pocket and dumped the remaining three pills into their respective places. ¡°Now the yellow ones should last you a while but soon once the sickness gets to you you¡¯ll be eating through the pink ones.¡± On the table was a small case that he had brought down from one of the upper shelves. He opened it to reveal a boxy looking pistol, and handed it to Anya. She was hesitant to accept it. ¡°I know, but you¡¯ll need it. If not in the cities here then definitely elsewhere.¡± She took the pistol. It was heavy, cold, and uncomfortable to hold. She placed it into a holster on the left of the belt. ¡°You¡¯ll need these too of course,¡± in front of her the soldier held two magazines for the pistol ¡ª equally boxy. Stacked inside of them were small pyramidal rounds that looked as if they were made of sapphire. ¡°We take them from the titans. Despite how they look they¡¯re generally not lethal ¡ª but they make things float. If you¡¯re really stuck you can offload a few into your foot and fly for a moment or two.¡± Anya took the magazines and clipped them to her belt. She could feel the weight. ¡°And the final thing¡ª¡± the soldier began to speak again. ¡°Stop, this is too much. I don¡¯t even know your names.¡± The soldier and the woman paused, then laughed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is tradition in the Tanglements. We help newcomers out as much as possible. Hold your hand out for me.¡± She held out her palm, and onto it the soldier dropped a small compass. ¡°There¡¯s an outpost nearby run by the folks from the Travellers Foundation. You can get more food and pills there.¡± ¡°How did you know¡ª¡± ¡°That you don¡¯t want to stay? Because no-one wants to stay still when they first enter the Tanglements. The longer you spend here the more you¡¯re going to forget who you were, and the more you¡¯re going to search for something to fill that void.¡± The woman spoke once more, ¡°have you felt your name yet?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say. Our given names are sacred in the Tanglements. Tell it only to those closest to you. If you must give someone a name to call you by then give them an alias, they will give you one of their own too.¡± They left the room and ascended into the city once more. ¡°Travel north until the old north becomes new west, then travel new south. You will find them at the edge of another city,¡± the soldier explained. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Welcome to the Tanglements.¡± Chapter 3: In the cries of the dead The desert was a maddeningly silent expanse. She could have easily thought herself deaf were it not for the sound of her feet shuffling through the sand. The compass needle jittered slightly, even when she stood still. From time to time she would encounter another one of the small flying pyramids, the paths of light bending to their movements. She began noticing that they were different colours. As she ventured further from the city, she saw more and more colours begin to appear. It also appeared to her that the different colours had their own behaviours. A blue pyramid ¡ª not dissimilar to those from the trio she had first encountered ¡ª flew over to her and dowsed her in the warm light. It circled her for a moment, then flew away again. In a short while it returned with another blue pyramid. They circled her together, and their paths of light intersected ¡ª warming up the air even more, to the point where it felt as if she were standing under the sun on a hot summer day. The ground ahead of her shook, and the two pyramids stopped circling her, now motionless in the air by her sides. Out from the sand burst another pyramid, this one yellow in hue and significantly larger and slower than the others. It began to approach her, and the two blue pyramids rushed ahead as if to block the new yellow pyramid from moving any closer. What followed was an event she could only describe as an ¡®argument¡¯ between the three entities. In the end each of them left, and the air around her cooled to a comfortable state once more. The compass needle grew more unstable. She continued walked in as straight of a line as she could ¡ª until suddenly the compass made several rapid rotations before coming to a stop in a new orientation. The entire face had rotated a counter-clockwise quarter turn ¡ª where there was once west, there was now north; and where there was once east was now south. She continued travelling on this ¡®new south¡¯. The desert grew more difficult to traverse. The crests of sand became taller, and she found herself clambering up their sides. Exhaustion had started to creep up on her. Faced with ever taller mounds of sand, she collapsed. In desperation she drank the last drops of her water and took one of the pink pills ¡ª still unsure as to what exactly they were. In the sand she laid, compass still clutched in her palms as she drifted from consciousness. She awoke to the purple sky, and a shifting of the sand beneath her. At first it moved in all directions, and then it began to shake. She lifted herself once more as the impassable mound ahead of her began to collapse. From the center outwards a valley was forming in the desert ¡ª and through it she saw the next city. She tried to run towards it but the sand now was like water, and she began to sink. Yet just as the ground was about to swallow her legs, the shaking stopped, and the sand fell still. A shadow burst from the valley, showering her in glistening sand. The creature leapt through the air like a whale breaching the ocean surface. Its body was like a seal, and it was comprised of a deep blue smoke. A thick white spine ran from the end of its tail up to its neck, and in place of its head was a dolphin¡¯s skull adorned with the horns of a ram. The creature plunged into the ground behind her. She freed her foot from the sand and sprinted towards the city. The valley began to collapse around her, the air was thick and sharp with crystalline particulate. She coughed and sputtered yet pushed onwards. The ground shook again, she was thrown to the ground. Once more the creature of smoke burst from the ground ¡ª yet this time it dove towards her. The bone beak of the dolphin¡¯s skull aimed like a dart directly at her. She closed her eyes and braced for the impact. A piercing wail emanated ahead of her, echoing with a shrill, otherworldly sound. She opened her eyes. A pyramid ¡ª yellow ¡ª had swooped in and pierced the creature through its skull. A blue mist sprayed from the fracture. The creature fell to the ground beside her, and it seeped slowly into the sand. The pyramid darted away. The city was still ahead. She rose once more, and ran through the remainder of the valley. Flat desert greeted her. She opened her palm to inspect the compass, its needle pointing south ¡ª directly towards the new city. The new city was nearly identical to the last, though Anya noted a slightly bluer hue in the colour of the buildings, and a red tinge to the vines. She walked through much narrower streets this time ¡ª back-alleys and arched passageways. The remains of market stalls littered these parts of the city, their worn out signs etched in a language she had never seen before. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A hard thud came sounded from behind a nearby door. She stopped and turned in its direction. It was an unassuming building ¡ª a largely blank facade dotted with grated windows. She approached the door, turned its crumbling handle, and stepped inside. A long dark hallway greeted her. It was cold, and damp, and a trail of slime ran down the middle of the stone floor. On either side were rows of doors, a few of them open, a few of them appearing to have been smashed through. Another thud sounded. She placed a hand on the pistol attached to her belt, and slowly unholstered and loaded it. She held the gun up, aimed ahead of her, and began to back out of the hallway. Her steps echoed unnaturally loudly, and suddenly she heard a scuttling rapidly approaching. A door burst open, and through it came a mass of bones. They were human bones, strung together with loose bits of flesh and sinew into the vague shape of a spider. It spanned nearly the width of the hallway, and stood at more than half her height. She froze. A gurgling began emanating from the bone spider, and the sound soon morphed into a cacophony of voices. ¡°Are you here to help us?¡± it cried. ¡°There are no more rations, have you come to give us more?¡± It began to creep forward. ¡°Is the siege over? Can we go home now?¡± Anya fired a round into the creature. It screamed in a hundred different voices as one of its legs began to lift into the air. She ran back through the door and into the narrow streets once more, yet she could hear the creature approaching fast behind her. She picked a direction and continued down it as fast as she could. She was out of water and her legs ached, but the skeletal mass was close behind and fear pushed her forward. She swiveled her arm around and fired a few more shots at the creature, once more it cried out yet its pursuit continued. A second spider ¡ª this one comprised of dry bone only, no flesh ¡ª leaped down from a window and landed ahead of her. She rushed through a nearby door as the two spiders clashed outside. She was in another hallway, and all around her more scuttling could be heard. With nowhere to go she ran down the hallway in hopes of finding an exit. More spiders piled out from the doors behind her as she ran, each one a different size and covered in different amounts of flesh. Some of them fought one another, but most chased after Anya. Turning a corner saw an exit at the end of hallway ¡ª a stained glass door through which light spilled inside. With one final burst of energy she braced her arms and smashed through the glass, tripping on the frame and rolling out into the middle of the street. The spiders came rushing through the broken door and spilled from every window of the building. She pressed her palms to the cobblestone and attempted to lift herself to her feet, yet her arms were too weak from the chase and she fell back to the ground. She laid there as the spiders approached, the creatures wailing out in the echoes of a thousand voices. The gun had fallen nearby, she crawled towards it and wrapped her fingers around the grip. The weapon felt even heavier now, she dragged her arm across the ground and brought the barrel to bear upon the approaching spiders. She fired until the magazine was empty, sending a few of the spiders into the air, yet the flood of rattling bones was unhindered. A sudden burst of sound erupted behind her. It was high and shimmering, like the shattering of glass. A net of white light swept the ground beneath the spiders. There was a flash, and Anya was momentarily blinded. When her vision returned, she could see the creatures sinking into the ground ¡ª it was as if the ground was not there, and the spiders were suddenly falling through the cobblestone as if they were dropped from the air. With another flash the spiders were gone. The ground was unchanged, despite the dozens of arachnid bodies that had just fallen through it. She rolled onto her back and faced the city above, its perfect streets reflecting the exact paths she had just ran through. Fatigue overcame her and her eyelids felt heavy. She heard footsteps approaching, and a dark blurry figure loomed over her as she passed out once again. Chapter 4: The call to infinity Anya awoke to wooden ceiling and more blue lights. She was in a cramped but relatively clean bed in the corner of a small room. As she came to her senses she suddenly grasped her thigh searching for her weapon. ¡°Gun¡¯s on the table, you can grab it if you don¡¯t shoot me.¡± She sat up and turned in the direction of the voice. A young man of similar age to her was leaning against the wall, one hand in a pocket while the other fidgeted with some kind of floating metal contraption. Anya retrieved the gun from the side table and placed it back in the holster on her belt. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked. ¡°I work for the Travellers Foundation, you can call me Kite.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s not your real name.¡± ¡°Ah, well at least the spear folk told you something.¡± ¡°How did you know¡ª¡± Kite tapped his thigh and gestured at Anya¡¯s weapon. She looked down at the holster to see the insignia of a golden spear etched into its side. ¡°I¡¯ve got my own one stashed away. They¡¯re good people, just have a tendency to be a bit cryptic.¡± He stood up from against the wall and pulled up a nearby seat next to the bed. ¡°What else did they tell you?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The Tanglements.¡± ¡°Not much. We were attacked by a Titan¡ª¡± ¡°A City Titan you mean,¡± Kite interrupted, ¡°if it were a real Titan we¡¯d have a big problem right now.¡± Anya gave a puzzled look yet continued anyway. ¡°They told me about what happens to our eyes.¡± She examined the man¡¯s eyes ¡ª he too had the thin gold streaks in his irises. ¡°And they told me this is all called the Tanglements.¡± She paused. ¡°Actually no, I knew that already.¡± Kite took a moment to think. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like our given names. We all just know we¡¯re in ¡®The Tanglements¡¯, but no-one knows why or where that name comes from.¡± He held up the metal contraption he was previously fidgeting with and pressed a small button on its side. The device opened like a flower bulb, revealing a web of small crystals connected by twisting strings that weaved in and out of one another. ¡°Alright, can you tell me where you¡¯ve been so far.¡± ¡°I remember the black desert ¡ª ¡®Gateway¡¯ right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one, we all start out there.¡± ¡°Then I fell into a forest. It was night and the sky was full of red stars. I walked for a while until I found a group of campers.¡± She watched as Kite took a small needle and manipulated the device, poking at the crystals and altering them in some way she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Ignore me, continue please.¡± ¡°They looked frightened to see me, they wouldn¡¯t let me get too close to their camp. They tossed me a pouch with four pills ¡ª two yellow and two pink ¡ª and a canteen with a bit of water. Told me if I heard anything to take one of the yellow ones, and to take one of the pink ones if I started seeing or hearing things.¡± ¡°The ¡®Bleedwoods¡¯ ¡ª there¡¯s creatures there that can mimic people, I¡¯m not surprised they were cautious. I¡¯m guessing you heard something and took one the pills as they said?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was like something crying for help, but it was loud and felt like it was coming from every direction. I took the pill and suddenly landed in one of the deserts here.¡± ¡°And then you met the spear folks, and I guess they told you to come here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Alright, come with me.¡± Kite led her out of the room and into what appeared to be a small store. Large windows lined the front wall, the glass smashed and boarded over. ¡°Forgive us for the state of things, this is a new outpost.¡± Shelves lined the walls, strange objects strewn across them. Trinkets and what appeared to be weapons, equipment she had never seen before. In the middle of the room was a large table with a map laid out across its surface, along with empty cups and plates, and the lingering crumbs from meals past. Against the corner of the table was a long bulky rifle. It was a deep black and shimmered like obsidian. Kite retrieved the weapon and moved to place it on a rack attached to the wall. To the left of the entrance were two dispensers ¡ª one filled with pink pills, and the other with yellow. To the right was a wooden reception desk, behind which stood another man. He was tall and and casually dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, unlike Kite who wore what Anya could only describe as a blacked out soldier¡¯s uniform. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s awake. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, is this the Travellers Foundation?¡± ¡°This is a Foundation outpost, yes. Kite tells me he found you being chased by a hoard of spiders.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure I could sink them all to be honest.¡± Kite noted. Anya suddenly remembered the image of the spiders falling through the ground. ¡°That was you?¡± Kite finished racking the rifle. ¡°Sure was.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± he turned to the man behind the counter, ¡°say, boss, we¡¯re going to need more charges for this thing ¡ª any sign of the doc?¡± ¡°If nothing went awry she should be here later today.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ll ask her to take the order.¡± ¡°Gamma or delta?¡± ¡°Gamma, I don¡¯t like the ones they nab from delta.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t be very happy about that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay her extra.¡± he turned back to Anya. ¡°Alright, sorry for the delay lets get you acquainted with things.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Kite cleared the table and once more produced the metal contraption from earlier. He threw it over the map where it rested in the air and expanded, unravelling into the same web as before yet this time filling the space between the table and the ceiling. ¡°The Tanglements is a collection of alternate dimensions. Each dimension can hold its own laws ¡ª you cannot trust your normal intuitions of reality and physical space.¡± He reached in to the web and plucked out a string of connected crystals. ¡°We call the dimensions ¡®instances¡¯, and they are connected along ¡®branches¡¯. These branches have been named alpha, beta, gamma, and so on ¡ª with each instance in that branch numbered. Following this system we are currently in the first instance on the alpha branch, otherwise known as alpha-one.¡± He let go of the branch and it sprung back into the web, sending reverberations throughout the structure which settled over time. He reached into one of his pockets and produced a yellow and a pink pill. ¡°The yellow ones are called ¡®Hop Pills¡¯. You take one and you¡¯ll be transported to a random instance along the same branch. If I took this now I could be taken to alpha-two or alpha-three.¡± He placed the yellow pill back in his pocket and held up the pink one. ¡°This one is a little more complicated. They¡¯re called ¡®Perception Pills¡¯, and they¡¯re used to mitigate ¡®Perception Sickness¡¯.¡± He reached into the web and grabbed a large crystal at its centre. The contraption immediately retracted back into a small metal ball. ¡°Listen carefully. In the Tanglements there is an effect known as ¡®Perception Transfer¡¯. At any time without warning, any of your senses can suddenly be split between instances. You might be in alpha-one and start hearing things from alpha-two, or your eyes might start seeing things from alpha-three while your body is still here in alpha-one. The moment you start feeling any of these effects ¡ª take a pink pill. They might make you feel a bit dizzy but Perception Sickness is much worse.¡± The boss interjected, ¡°you can stock up on pills from the dispensers. The Travellers Foundation is here to help you get on your feet in the Tanglements.¡± Anya looked down at the pill. She was trying to process everything Kite had just told her. This was her reality now. Her memories of home faded with every passing moment. ¡°It¡¯s a lot, take a seat.¡± Kite said. A small bell chimed as the front door opened and another person walked in. It was one of the doctors Anya had seen in the walking down into the bunker during the titan attack. They wore a long black robe, which once removed revealed the metal exoskeleton wrapped around their body. The doctor hung up their coat and feathered hat, and moved to take off their gas mask. Underneath was a woman with long silvery hair and eyes that were nearly completely golden. A scar ran along her cheek. She removed her gloves and hung them up as well, unveiling metal streaks that ran down her fingers and appeared to be imprinted into her skin. Anya felt as if she could hear the doctor¡¯s hands hum lightly as they moved. ¡°How¡¯s it looking over there?¡± the boss asked. ¡°They will live, but I do not know how many more will fit in that city. We should consider aid to help them set up a supply line between two patches.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to get the equipment ourselves first. Speaking of, Kite¡¯s got a request to make.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Hey I¡¯m paying, its not like I¡¯ve got empty pockets¡± Kite exclaimed. ¡°I need Conduit Charges, gamma.¡± ¡°And what will you pay me to venture into the bowels of St. Moros so you can keep flinging spiders across instances?¡± ¡°How¡¯s five coins sound?¡± He reached into another one of his pockets and produced five green stones, each of them etched with a small symbol resembling the stereotypical cartoon diagram of an atom. ¡°¡ªMorosian of course.¡± ¡°Make it ten.¡± The boss chuckled. ¡°Now doc, come on that¡¯s a little steep.¡± The doctor gave a smile. ¡°Do not worry yourself, I am only joking. Give me three, I have business in that place anyway.¡± ¡°Take four ¡ª sign of good faith. Or a lucky charm, you choose.¡± Kite insisted and held out four of the stones. The doctor took them. ¡°You have business in St. Moros?¡± the boss asked the doctor. ¡°Yes, I am afraid it is quite important as well. You will have to find another courier for your requests to the Foundation.¡± ¡°And where are we going to find a courier?¡± ¡°How about her.¡± The doctor pointed to Anya, who looked up with a puzzled expression. ¡°She just got here.¡± Kite objected. ¡°Exactly. We are at the tail of the Cartographers Era but it has hardly come to an end. Neither the Foundation or Association can hold claim to civilisation within the Tanglements yet. It is still trail by fire through which travellers are born.¡± The boss turned to Anya. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say the doc is wrong. How would you like to become courier, newcomer?¡± Anya thought back to the web of the instances and its sprawling branches. She imagined herself walking each them like a tightrope ¡ª balancing herself between realities. She lifted herself from the chair, and as she began to speak, a thin streak of gold formed in her iris. Chapter 5: Blood for a berry Once more Anya fell upon damp forest floor. She was shivering an covered in snow. The first pill had taken her to a mountain, the second one here ¡ª the Bleedwood. She checked her belt and ensured everything had remained with her during the jump between instances. The pouches had been soaked through, and some of the pills had began to dissolve into one another. Over her shoulder was a heavy leather bag locked tight with a metal latch. She inspected the five brightly coloured squares mounted along its top face. Upon each square was a symbol, each one correlating to a different sense respectively: An eye, a nose, an ear, a hand, and a tongue. Above the squares were embroidered the words: PERCEPTION ANCHOR CASE - TRAVELLERS FOUNDATION. Below was a blank space meant for writing on ¡ª Kite had told her that this would be where her future identification as a member of the Travellers Foundation would be marked. She had been tasked with making a delivery to a nearby Foundation base. She did not know what was contained within the case. She retrieved a partially soggy note from her pocket and read it over: Follow the coin as if north, don¡¯t wander far. Also, if you find any Bronze Berries grab those too. Don¡¯t eat them. She pocketed the note and grabbed the small coin it had been wrapped around. The coin was silvery in colour and inscribed with hundreds of small runic markings. She placed it on her thumb and flicked it into the air. It flew off to the left. She picked up the coin and attempted to flick it again, this time with the back to the direction it previously veered. The coin flew into her face and hit her on the chin. She recoiled and pocket the coin again. The two compasses she had been given ¡ª one from the spear peoples in the city and one from the Foundation were both acting erratically. Averaging their movements in her head she determined that the coin was trying to direct her due west, and she began walking. As the compasses were difficult to use, she would occasionally flip the coin from time to time to direct her course. The forest was cloaked in a thick red-tinged fog, with rows upon rows of identical tree trunks. The trees themselves were slick with blood that oozed from their bark, the smell of the blood also filling the air. She walked for some time, almost feeling as if she was standing still amongst the endless trees. Eventually however, from through the fog she saw what looked to be a faint source of light. The flicked the coin, the light was only a slight deviation from her current path. Reaching into a pouch, she took a Perception Pill and waited to see if the light would disappear. It persisted. As she approached the light, it was revealed to be small campfire ¡ª alone in the woods. There were no tents or any other sign of a camp to be seen. She sat next to the fire in hopes that it would dry out some of her still damp clothes. The fire writhed, it moved and crackled unnaturally. A shape began to form within the flames, that of a vaguely humanoid figure. It appeared to stand, rising to almost twice Anya¡¯s height before crashing forward into the ground. From an apparent mouth several coughs of smoke billowed as the creature of flame let out a ghostly wheezing cough. Anya quickly shuffled back, her hand rushed to the grip of her pistol. Suddenly the creature lurched at her. She drew her weapon and unloaded several rounds into the flames. Each one passed straight through, leaving a trail of blue light hurtling through the fog. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. She was now face to face with the creature. Despite the roaring fire directly ahead of her, the creature¡¯s body let out only the a gentle tingling heat. It moved away, allowing Anya proper time to stand up. The creature was now fully separated from the campfire, which now burned with only a small golden flame. The creature lifted an arm, with a misshapen hand it pointed out to the fog, and began walking in that direction. Anya watched it walk away, before it suddenly stopped, turned around, and then beckoned for her to follow. She checked her coin. The creature was beckoning her away from the guidance of the coin. She decided to follow for a time. They had not walked long until it was apparent what the figure of flame was taking her to. In a small clearing of trees, there was a large bright metallic berry. The fog had dissipated around it, and it glowed in the moonlight from overhead. Anya stepped into the fog-less shaft and looked upwards. There were no stars in the sky of the Bleedwood. Leaning down the berry, she ran a hand over its surface and felt the ripples of its skin. The outer surface of the berry was comprised of a hard bronze. It was about the size of her palm. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to the creature. She knelt down by the berry and took a knife from her belt ready to harvest the plant. ¡°Hello.¡± The sudden voice made Anya jump. She looked up to see a woman standing over her. She cut the berry loose and grabbed it as she stepped back from the clearing. Turning around, she saw the flame creature had recoiled to a significantly smaller size. ¡°Shoo,¡± the woman said with a flick of her wrist. The creature stepped away, disappearing into the fog back towards the campfire. Anya placed a hand on her gun. ¡°They steal the things that they help you to find.¡± The woman explained. ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman tilted her head. ¡°Right, names. Sorry. What are you doing out here?¡± ¡°Just passing through.¡± ¡°What?¡± The stepped towards Anya, Anya took a step back. ¡°Do you know what those berries are for?¡± Anya shook her head. ¡°May I?¡± The woman gestured for the berry. Anya threw the berry gently over to her, the woman caught it swiftly with a lone hand in the air. She placed her thumbs against its skin, and cracked it open. A short burst of flame came from inside the berry, before the woman pulled out a small pellet of metal. ¡°You can shape these. Its very easy.¡± She walked over to Anya and held out the pellet for her to take. ¡°Here, I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll be easier to carry.¡± Anya reached her arm out to take the ball of metal, when the woman suddenly grabbed her wrist. She looked Anya dead in the eyes, as the bronze held in her palms was shaped into a needle that came bursting through Anya¡¯s hand. She screamed and recoiled as the woman burst out laughing ¡ª her outbursts echo-less. With her unharmed hand Anya drew her pistol and fired a round directly into the woman¡¯s skull. The woman stood with a hole in her forehead, still staring down Anya. Anya fired another round, then another, and she soon saw that the woman was hollow. The hollow person in front of her began to warp. Her limbs lengthened, her skin turned an oily red. She grew taller, her face deformed to the shape of some kind of animal skull - yet with human eyes persisting. Anya released magazine from her gun and clutched the weapon in her teeth. She took a new magazine from her belt and rammed it into the weapon, the impact causing it to move and scraped across her teeth. She retrieved the pistol from her mouth and aimed it at the malformed entity in front of her. As the monster lurched forward she unloaded every round in the magazine. The beast dropped dead at her feet, its head lying on its side, with pristine human eyes staring back up at her. Chapter 6: Trail by moonlight Anya limped through the woods, following the path of the coin. Her hand was wrapped in a blood soaked bandage, it dangled by her side. The pouches on her belt had only a few usable pills left, as they had dissolved into one another after the snow had melted into them. The fog remained thick, the night pressed onwards ¡ª even if she could have seen the sky there would have been no indication as to whether it was moving, as she had seen that there were no stars present to gleam such movement from. She decided to take a rest and collapsed against a tree. Her canteen had ample water still, and the soaked through nutrient bars Kite had given her were still edible. However she had been given no tent, partly because the outpost had no such equipment, but also because the journey she was intended to make was supposed to be short enough to make within a day. A faint burning smell entered her nostrils. She jumped up and searched around her for a sign of flame. Yet the fog remained at its deep red, and there was no light to be gleamed. The smell persisted however, and a realisation struck her. She used her functioning hand to quietly click her fingers by her ear, verifying that she her sense of hearing had not also been warped. She checked her pouch for pink pills, noting that there were three and deciding to save them for a later point when the sickness was of greater concern. She pressed onwards. The smell of burning grew stronger and stronger, yet she resisted the urge to take a pill. The ground began to slope downwards, and suddenly Anya was descending on an increasingly steep slope. She was forced to use both hands to the best of her ability to balance herself on the incline. A sharp twang of pain rocketed up her arm each time she used the bloodied hand. The trees grew sparser, until eventually the descent flattened and she was walking over a flat plain of damp grass. The grass however, was solid and brittle. It shattered like glass as she walked on it. The coin beckoned her forward, and she cut herself a few times searching for it in the sharp grass. The blood dripped behind her in a sparse but noticeable trail. With each flip the coin began to rise higher and higher into the air. Until eventually it flew so high that it disappeared into the fog above, and she could not see where it came down to land. It was as she was searching through for the coin that she realised ¡ª she was deaf. Finally, she took one of the small pink pills. Her senses returned to her. The burning smell was replaced by the thickness of the fog, and she could now hear how the glassy grass cracked and crackled as she walked through it, and how every sound echoed wildly across the plain. Where Anya¡¯s footsteps emanated to, a piercing shriek returned, and the sound of shattering glass rapidly approaching. She ran. She ran across the plain as and a cacophony of shatters and screeches filled the air. The grass was difficult to sprint through. Her steps were made uneven by the blades. The fog subsided, and she was met by the stone wall of a sheer cliff-face. To either side of her the plain stretched endlessly. The sound behind grew louder. Out of options, she unholstered her pistol, aimed it at her leg ¡ª and pulled the trigger. She was lifted slightly off of the ground, yet one bullet was not enough. Placing the barrel against her other leg, she put another round into her body. The monster burst out from the fog, a pale spindly body. With the rattling jaws of its skull head it snapped up at her, as Anya floated through the fog to the top of the cliff. She grasped at the ledge, eventually getting a hold of it and clambering up onto the ground, which had returned to soft dirt. The levitation rounds were still in effect, so she dug her fingers into the earth and anchored herself as she waited for the force to dissipate. Gravity returned to her legs, and she flopped onto the ground. She laid in the dirt, gazing up at the pitch black sky. A small and faint amber moon shone down on her, its light was like a mimicry of warmth. Anya rolled over and crawled back to the cliff. Blood floated over the rounds still in her legs, their residual effects taking away just enough weight to allow her to move. Peering over the edge, she saw the forest below ¡ª a thick blanket of fog from which the tall trees pierced like a field of needles. She could smell the dampness of the ground. She could hear the soft breeze that swept over her. Her vision became blurry. She had lost a significant amount of blood. A sense of peace washed through her, yet she was not ready to die yet. Laying next to her in the dirt was her pistol. She crawled towards it and picked it up. With the last ounce of strength in her working arm she aimed the barrel skywards, and fired into the black night. Flashes of vision came to her as she dove in and out of consciousness. Lanterns. Robed figures. She felt herself being carried, descending back into the fog. Voices chattered around her. ¡°Not a mimic ¡ª she¡¯s got a courier¡¯s bag.¡± ¡°Clothes are damp, must¡¯ve got caught on the mountain.¡± ¡°Is there a Doctor at base? When¡¯s the next one coming round? I guess we¡¯ll have to patch her up ourselves.¡± Anya awoke to another wooden ceiling. The lights were a more familiar orange glow. Her vision came to her slowly, and her body ached all over. She rose from the bed, still barely able to move her legs. Using the wall to support herself she crept over to the door. She noted the slimy residue that seemed to coat the wood. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. As she moved to grab the handle, a woman walked in. Anya was startled and fell to the floor, crying out as she hit the hard stone tiles. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be up yet,¡± the woman reached a hand towards Anya and helped her back to the bed. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with the Travellers Foundation,¡± she pointed to a small silver badge on her collar, ¡°the better question is who are you?¡± ¡°Courier, I think. I came from one of your outposts.¡± ¡°You think? Which outpost?¡± Anya scrambled to find the note amongst her pockets. ¡°Alpha¡­ Alpha something¡­¡± ¡°Alpha-one? Alpha-four?¡± ¡°Alpha-one. I had a package what happened to it?¡± ¡°So the case is yours then, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± The woman left. From the brief moment that the door was open Anya could see that it was brightly lit in the outside room, and that there was a group of people having a conversation. She returned shortly with the case. ¡°It is not uncommon for travellers to find the lost bags of unfortunate couriers. If it is really yours then only you can open it.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± The woman paused. ¡°They are bounded to your perception, you will become more susceptible to the sickness but in return the item is kept safe from it. If we were to open it without your input ¡ª well it may have consequences for anyone bound to the case. You were not told this?¡± Anya took a moment to comprehend the woman¡¯s words. ¡°Maybe, it was a lot all at once.¡± ¡°How long have you been in the Tanglements?¡± ¡°A day maybe, I don¡¯t really know.¡± ¡°If it feels like only a day then it is probably only a day, a month and I would be unsure. Who put you on a Courier¡¯s mission after less than a day in the Tanglements?¡± ¡°There was a Doctor at the outpost that suggested it.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°Doctors are powerful people, yet they often think themselves equal and expect the same from you as you would from them. No matter, let¡¯s see what you were tasked with delivering.¡± Anya placed her thumbs on the locks and carefully lifted the case open. It was packed with various pieces of equipment and supplies. There were machines Anya had never seen before, and numerous small leathery pouches marked with symbols she could not recognise. Along the edges were dozens of small pill bottles. ¡°Ah, these were needed, yes.¡± The woman nodded and took the case from her. ¡°Thank you, I presume you have not been registered?¡± ¡°Registered?¡± ¡°I suppose this Doctor wished for you to be tested. Come, if you wish to join the Foundation we can make that happen.¡± Anya was led from the room and through various hallways. Unlike the city outpost, this appeared to be a small compound that was partially buried. At certain points they were walking through caves, their path lit by a velvety red glow marked across the cavern walls. Eventually they came to a small office, deep underground. The woman knocked on its iron door, and they were beckoned inside. It was warm inside, with a fireplace and yellow wallpapered walls. In the centre of the room was a large stone desk, behind which sat a thin man in a blue hued uniform. The woman stood tall in his presence. ¡°A recruit from the new outpost in Alpha-One, sir. Ready to register.¡± ¡°A recruit? Not Kite¡¯s new apprentice I hope?¡± The woman glanced towards Anya. ¡°Uhm, no sir.¡± The man laughed and stood up, he walked around the desk to meet them. ¡°I am only joking. Under what name is she to be registered?¡± ¡°Iris sir. She has made one successful deliver already.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, you may leave.¡± The woman left the office. The man walked briefly back to his desk to retrieve a large book and a quill. He dipped the quill into what appeared to be a well of blood. ¡°Do not worry, it is from the trees. One must live in harmony with the instance lest they wish to fall victim to the sickness.¡± He opened the book and flicked to a particular page. ¡°In the Foundation we use a system of names, everyone is given their role and a number to distinguish. You are free to use any other nicknames you may have amongst your peers yet this will be your official name with the Foundation. Do you understand?¡± Anya nodded. ¡°You may know me as Arc-7, I am the overseer of this base. Do you know what the mission of the Foundation is?¡± ¡°You help out lost travellers?¡± ¡°Not only that, but we aim to connect the societies of the Tanglements. Where the Cartographers Association has mapped these realities, we shall help those who wish to survive in them.¡± ¡°So what will I do?¡± ¡°As a Courier you will be tasked with transporting the supplies that are needed to fund these endeavours. You will work to reinforce the connections between disparate communities and maintain reliable communications between outposts. Is this a responsibility you wish to have placed upon you?¡± Anya felt as if she should think about the decision she was about to make, yet there was little for her to base any such thoughts on. She was in a strange existence, with hardly even a name to safely call herself. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then as of today ¡ª day 253 of cycle 34 ¡ª I shall be registering you under the role of Courier, formally known in the Foundation as an Iris. You will be required to give me the first letter of your Tanglements name. This document will be kept securely.¡± Anya whispered the letter. Arc made a swift stroke with this quill and closed the book. ¡°You have now been registered as Iris-31. Welcome to the Travellers Foundation.¡± Chapter 7: The call to a cause Anya sat by the fireplace of small underground lodging designated for those of the so-called ¡°Iris¡± position. She was alone, and was yet to meet another of Iris. She had been told that they were all out on assignments, and that the timing of her registration could not have been better, or worse depending on how she viewed it. It was a modest room, tightly packed with items and trinkets squeezed into shelves and drawers between the beds. Most of these were unfamiliar to her; even the fire ¡ª she was told ¡ª was only a projection of a real flame, not only because they lacked the resources to build a chimney to the surface but also because fires ¡°have a tendency to become conscious¡± in the Bleedwood. Scouring the bookshelves around her she had managed to find a text on this subject exactly. On the interior of the cover was a dedication to the author, whom reportedly had spent the entirety of his Tanglements life studying the phenomenon of the sentient flame ¡ª a life which lasted only ten years before succumbing to Perception Sickness. The dedication went on to state that field notes that would later be written into the book that Anya held before her were found wrapped in a makeshift Anchor Case next to a pile of empty clothes by a Cartographer that had been dispatched to find the lost scientist. Below the dedication and on the spine of the book was a roughly printed seal of a compass with two needles, underneath which read the words: There is no death ¡ª only imperception. The same phrase and seal were found on almost all of the books. From another, shorter, book she was able to determine that this was the seal of the Cartographers Association, and that similar such symbols existed for groups across the Tanglements. This included the range of different insignia associated with the Travellers Foundation, one of which was inscribed into a small badge that Arc-7 had given her shortly after her registration. It depicted an old ship¡¯s anchor emblazoned atop a pair of angelic wings. Carved along its bottom edge, the name Iris. Her Anchor Case too had been put through the budding bureaucracy of the Foundation. A technician had checked it over, made a few adjustments, and handed it back to her with her registered name of Iris-31 etched into the formerly blank plate. She had queried the technician as to whether this meant she was the thirty-first courier. ¡°Far from it, there¡¯s about two-hundred of you. Slot thirty-one must¡¯ve just been open.¡± ¡°There was another Iris-31?¡± ¡°Well, maybe not officially. The Arc¡¯s like to mix up the numbers to make sure no one knows exactly how many members the Foundation had in each role.¡± There was a knock at the door. It creaked open to reveal the dark black jumpsuit, tall build, and ruffled hair of Kite. ¡°Howdy!¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Anya rose slowly to meet him, her legs were still recovering and it had not helped that she had recently been running up and down the base for her registration. ¡°I heard you made quite an impressive escape up the cliff side. Looks like they patched you up pretty good.¡± ¡°Yeah, its just a bit sore now.¡± ¡°Well your legs aren¡¯t metal yet so I¡¯d take that one if I were you.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± Kite peered into the room and spotted the books strewn across the floor. ¡°Been doing some reading have we?¡± He walked inside and crouched down to read the titles. ¡°Ah the works of Solomon S-55. They¡¯ve got all the originals at the Foundation headquarters in Beta-one.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Beta-one like?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Kite walked to the bookshelf and searched through its contents pulling out a heavy book bound in a deep rose coloured skin, ¡°Amelia CA-4 ¡ª she was one of the first Cartographers ¡ª wrote the first ¡®textbooks¡¯ so to say on many of the instances. They¡¯re a bit incomplete by our standards now but they set a good baseline.¡± He handed the book to Anya, it was entitled: Primary Observations of Instance One of the Beta (¦Â) Branch, by Amelia CA-4 of the Cartographers Association. The edges were worn, and the pages were light and delicate to the touch. Inside were various sketches and depictions showing vast caverns covered with innumerable fluorescent crystals. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°It¡¯s an easy place to get lost in, but once you know a particular path its like the instance takes you where you need to go.¡± Anya made no reply, continuing to pore over the pages. Kite placed a hand on the back cover and slowly shut the book. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to distract you. We¡¯ve been assigned to a mission.¡± ¡°A mission? We? I thought you were helping with the outpost in¡ª¡± she paused, ¡°what was it? Alpha-one right?¡± ¡°Yeah well, that¡¯s were I¡¯d like to be. I know you¡¯re still recovering but it looks like this one is important. Let¡¯s go, the brief will be starting soon.¡± Kite led her through the winding halls of the base. There was a significant uptick in activity, with various personnel dashing between the different rooms. One member was stood at an intersection of several corridors shouting over the crowd: ¡°Iris returns! Iris returns! 41, 18, 73, 52! Repeat, Iris returns! Prepare team four!¡± ¡°In here,¡± Kite said as they entered one of the briefing rooms. It was packed with people, some appearing to be soldiers with rifles in their hands. One held a spear. Two wore vests covered in different pieces of mechanical equipment, each with a belt of runic stones hanging by their side. At the head of the room stood Arc-7, towards whom everyone¡¯s attention was directed. ¡°As many of you will know, there has recently been a shortage of Perception Pills affecting the city of Jester¡¯s Keep and other settlements in the instance Gamma-one.¡± He reached into his pocket to procure an small blue envelope. ¡°Less than an hour ago I received this report. It was delivered to me by Iris-18, who arrived at this base heavily wounded. She had been attacked by a perception weapon, resulting in the annihilation of her left arm and the loss of most of her equipment. By the time she reached us her body was undergoing stage four Perception Sickness. She is now being treated by all available personnel, however without a Doctor present on site it is difficult to say what her chances of survival will be.¡± There was a murmur throughout the room. Arc-7 opened the envelope and began reading the report. ¡° ¡®Jester¡¯s Keep ¡ª Third Church Trade Agreement Mediation Report. Attempts by both the Travellers Foundation and the Cartographers Association to successfully negotiate an agreement of emergency trade of Perception Pills and other relevant supplies between the Third Church of Alpha-one and the City of Jester¡¯s Keep of Gamma-one have failed. The Third Church has engaged in open hostilities with Jester¡¯s Keep. All C.A. and T.F. bases or outposts within one to three days travelling distance of Jester¡¯s Keep are to begin immediate emergency supply operations to the city.¡¯ ¡± He folded the report and placed it back inside the envelope. ¡°As teams one, two, and three were on standby, they have already been sent on the first supply missions. You will team four. Once more Irises arrive from nearby bases we will send out a team five. Team one returned only half an hour ago, they were unable to reach the city and have reported a greatly increased presence of entities in the tunnels. You will be given five Radiation Pills each to mitigate the effects of instance Gamma-one. The Hop Batteries will be ready in fifteen minutes. Dismissed.¡¯ ¡± There was a moment of silence, before everyone began pouring out of the room ¡ª ready to enact their duties to the Foundation. Throughout the crowd Anya could hear their voices chattering as they prepared themselves: ¡°The spear folk have gone too far this time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s hardly enough pills for us as is, how are we going to supply the Keep?¡± ¡°An emergency in Gamma-one of all places? At the same time as increased entity levels? Surely there¡¯s got to be more to this? Anya stood amongst it all. She peered down at her badge, clenched her fists, and prepared to prove that she was worthy of the name Iris. Chapter 8: A step into the circle
¡®Instance Gamma-one, also known as ¡°St. Moros¡±, is an unending sprawl of underground tunnels and bunkers. These tunnels appear as abandoned railways, subway lines, and mining operations. Signage commonly found throughout the instance indicates these structures to be part of a city formerly known as ¡°St. Moros¡±. The primary effect of note within instance Gamma-one (and as would later be discovered to be the same with all Gamma branch instances) is the phenomenon of ever present irradiation. All lifeforms and entities within the instance will experience a constant dosage of gamma radiation which will increase in magnitude exponentially. This dosage can be mitigated using various types of so-called ¡°Anti-Radiation Pills¡±, for more information on the acquisition of such pills, see¡­¡± ¡ª Excerpt from Primary Observations of Instance One of the Gamma (¦Ã) Branch, by Amelia CA-4 of the Cartographers Association
Anya tightened the strap on her Anchor Case and double checked her supply of pills. Her belt now held three pouches: One for the pink Perception Pills, one for the yellow Hop Pills, and a new one for the small green pellet-like N-Bq Pills. These new pills were intended for her to stave off the irradiating effects of the instance they would be travelling within. The group walked in formation through the fog. Anya and the two other Irises were surrounded by Kite and another two scouts. Ahead of them was a navigator, and trailing behind was one of the men covered in equipment that Anya had spotted in the briefing room. ¡°Who¡¯s the guy in the back?¡± Anya whispered to Kite. ¡°Demolitions, he¡¯s the one we hope we don¡¯t need.¡± A howl echoed through the woods. The navigator held up a closed fist, and the group stopped. They waited, another howl came from the fog. Anya shuddered. The navigator gestured with her left arm and sent one of the scouts away. She unclipped a stopwatch from her jacket and began timing. The stopwatch¡¯s face had multiple hands, and it ticked in irregular patterns ¡ª sudden short bursts breaking extended periods of silence. The group continued to wait. Eventually the navigator clicked the stopwatch off, and gestured for the team to begin walking once. ¡°Kestrel-15 considered M.I.A. Kestrel-71, take his place.¡± The other scout moved to fill the gap in the formation, yet as he did Kestrel-15 re-emerged from the fog. ¡°I¡¯m here. Wasn¡¯t a Mimic ¡ª it was Crow mimicking the sound of one.¡± ¡°A Crow that mimics a Mimic?¡± The navigator replied, ¡°I do not recall documentation of such a phenomenon. I shall add it to the field notes.¡± Kestrel-15 stepped forward, the navigator put out a hand to stop him. ¡°Verification.¡± She said. The scout unclipped his badge and threw it over to the navigator, who inspected it briefly. ¡°Return to post.¡± The group arrived at a flat stone circle with a small podium at its centre. They huddled onto the structure. Upon the podium was a bronze plaque engraved with the words: Cartographer¡¯s Association: ¦Ã-1 Safe Hop Point. Anya could see that the podium had been carved from the same kind of rock that she had seen on the cliff-face, and it seemed to have been placed on the circle. The circle however was built with rings of tiles comprised of a deep blue marble-like material, furthermore it was embedded into the ground ¡ª and felt firmer than floors of the various cabins at the Foundation base. The navigator directed the group to stand along the outer edge of the circle. From her belt she produced a case of Hop Pills, and walked around the circle letting each member of the team take a pill from the case. ¡°You are the new Iris, yes?¡± She said, coming to Anya. ¡°I am, yes.¡± ¡°These are tuned Hop Pills. We will use them to ensure the whole team makes it to Gamma-one.¡± Anya took one of the pills, they were smaller and less yellow-tinted than those which she had in her pouch. ¡°Our apologies for the lack of a training program. Our lives in the Tanglements must move fast, for they are fleeting. If you are a capable survivor then you will live and you will learn to survive these realities. But if you are to remember one thing: there is no death ¡ª only imperception.¡± With this the navigator moved to stand by the podium. Each member of the team swallowed the pill they had been given, and Anya followed suit. The navigator pulled a device out from under her coat. It had the appearance of a small radio, with a long thin antenna that had to be manually deployed, yet its construction was notably crude ¡ª with sharp edges and various cables weaving in and out from its body at various points. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She turned a few dials on the device¡¯s face, and inserted a cartridge into a slot along its top edge. ¡°Time check,¡± she called to one of the scouts as she peered at the elaborate watch clasped around her wrist. The scout replied back with a string of seemingly random numbers. ¡°We¡¯re out by about four percent, I¡¯ve certainly seen worse. Expect some minor scattering after the hop.¡± She made a few more adjustments on the device. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re good to go. Prep for hop in three, two, one¡­¡± The jump was rougher than those that Anya had previously experienced. Her body felt as if it was being stretched ¡ª her limbs running away from her, floating off into the ether. Her vision flickered, colours and patterns shimmered before her, each one a flash of light too fast to fully comprehend. The only view she was certain of ¡ª a glimpse of the gateway, its Earth-like moon looming over the black sands. Then just as she was stretched, her body compressed back into the form of Anya. The sensation of touch came back to her slowly, as she began to feel her hands pressed against the rough and porous surface of wet concrete. The flickering images faded from her eyes, and she was greeted with darkness. She felt a swell in her throat, she attempted to cover her mouth yet her arms were too weak to respond. She began coughing up a thick fluid, which splattered across the ground. Her sense of smell returned to her, and with every breath she could feel the stillness of the air, and the damp and grimy smell that permeated it. A light shone upon her, revealing the fluid she had vomited out to be yellowish in appearance. A hand took her wrist and helped her sit up, revealing the holder of the flashlight to be Kite. He attempted to speak to her, yet as Anya¡¯s hearing returned she was suddenly overwhelmed with the blaring sound of rushing wind. Her hands scrambled for the pouches on her belt, unsure which one held the pink pills she was looking for. Kite realised what was happening, and helped her retrieve and take one of the pills. ¡°Can you hear me now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She was short of breath. ¡°What did I just cough up?¡± ¡°Residue from the tuned pills. They can¡¯t fully dissolve, that¡¯s part of how they work I think.¡± ¡°That was awful.¡± ¡°Yeah, usually is. Also speeds up the sickness. It¡¯s why we tend to use normal Hop Pills for solo travel even if they¡¯re random.¡± Anya looked around, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. They were inside a wide circular tunnel, with two sets of warped train tracks running down the centre, and an elevated walkway along the far wall. She noticed that she was sitting in a pile of rubble. Looking up she could she a hole in roof of the tunnel ¡ª one which appeared to lead to another identical tunnel. This upper tunnel had a similar breach in its roof, and on and on were the endless layers of railway tunnels extending upwards as far as she could see. ¡°How far underground are we?¡± ¡°Hard to say, always changes. There is a surface apparently but I¡¯ve never been there. Most of us haven¡¯t.¡± More flashlights began appearing across the width of the tunnel. A small metal sphere could be seen being thrown into the air, and suddenly a grid of blue light flashed across the tunnel. ¡°That¡¯ll be the navigator trying to figure out exactly where we are. Can you walk?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought we used a known hop point?¡± ¡°Well we did, but the positions still shift from time to time. C¡¯mon we need to regroup.¡± Anya pulled herself up using a nearby slab and began walking with Kite towards the centre of the tunnel. ¡°If they shift then how is it a safe point?¡± ¡°Safe point just means its never shifted into a wall before.¡± They reached the rest of the team as the navigator had begun to explain the situation. ¡°We¡¯re almost two kilometres out from the expected entry zone. The supplies will last but I doubt we¡¯ll have time to make it back to base today, we¡¯ll have to spend the night in the city.¡± ¡°Any indication of entities so far?¡± One of the other Irises asked. ¡°None yet, doesn¡¯t look like anything has passed through this area in a long while.¡± A scout, Kestrel-15, replied. ¡°We may be lucky now but there is a crossroads between two tunnels ahead, so remain vigilant.¡± The group resumed formation and prepared to make the trek to the city of Jester¡¯s Keep.