Search for Peace

As they were getting ready to leave the river, John invited Abigail and Grace to his party. Abigail, having been through it before, hit accept. Grace took a bit more convincing. “What’s this do?”

“Stylized like a game, it allows us to keep track of each other’s general physical state and mana,” John explained, and the white-haired girl hit accept. “I can also give us a way to communicate telepathically, if you all want to throw in a small amount of mana.”

“Non-verbal communication would be better for staying hidden from potential enemies,” Lucille reasoned, and everybody nodded in agreement. He activated the telepathy, and all were immediately met with a barrage of thoughts from Grace.

What a weird power to have I wonder how somebody even gets a power like that it’s not like people with video game powers are common it’s just a strange theme overall even technomancers don’t usually-

Grace, please stop broadcasting all your thoughts to us constantly. Just… give your thoughts direction, and they’ll only go to who you want them to. If that’s nobody, then just focus on that being nobody, John pleaded, already tired of hearing the brit’s scattered thoughts. She simply looked at them and made a lock and key motion with her mouth, her thoughts quieting down.

There’s a problem down the road. Three cars are stopped, somebody’s resting against the front, Lucille reported, climbing higher in the tree to get a better vantage point. Can you see it, Gamer?

Looking in the same direction, John couldn’t see what she was talking about. How far away is it?

About nine miles, let’s check the situation. This could be the caravan described on Joker and Cherufe’s list, the elf guessed, shaking her head. She would much rather be searching for her and John’s targets, but owed Abigail a favor for melting her out. So, she decided to prioritize their tasks equally.

They moved nearly silently through the forest. John, in the shadows of the trees, was invisible to everyone outside the party. Hidden by Grace’s magic, her and Abigail followed close behind him. Lucille, in the trees and wrapped in the usually folded-over cloak that covered nothing but her mouth brought up the rear. John had realized it had some sort of stealth enchantment as well. Since he could (barely) keep track of Lucille, and Grace and Abigail could keep track of him, they were able to stick together.

After a few minutes of getting closer, he leapt up to the trees, and was able to see what his partner saw. He used Advanced Spy on the man in front of what Lucille said was a car, though it looked like no car he had seen before.

Instead of wheels, the ‘car’ had a smooth undercarriage which floated a foot above the ground. It looked like it wasn’t designed for aerodynamics or general vehicular balance in the slightest. A slim base on which the vehicle was propelled was fused to a large, hollow metal cube, the front of which was a window. Through the window, John couldn’t see any sort of steering apparatus.

Guess it makes sense that a car without wheels wouldn’t have a steering wheel? Why is it even called a car? It’s obviously not from Earth, John thought, hanging from the tree by his arms before dropping to the ground.

It’s the caravan task alright, his information confirms this is K-66 too, John informed them. Before we head out into the open, we should scout the area. Grace and I will check out the other side of the road. Lucille and Abigail, you guys have this one. Grace, grab my shoulder.

Grace put her hand on his shoulder, and John Jumped across the road, into the cover of the trees on the other side. Stay close, the Gamer told the brit.

Planned on it, Grace joked, grabbing his arm and squeezing it through his clothes, as though feeling his muscles.

Got anything in your bag of tricks that’s like a telescope? John asked, gazing into the forest.

I’ve got a sticker that is a telescope, Grace replied, picking it off her jacket and sticking it onto his forehead.

Alright, give me a second to- John began, but was cut off as she activated the sticker and everything was magnified. Well, that’s disorienting. Is the zoom variable? Is there any way for me to control it?

No and no, but our thoughts are connected. Just say the word. Or think the word, Grace replied, still holding his arms as they crept through the trees. He did a broad sweep, David assisting him by flying above the forest invisible and looking around with his keen vision. When neither of them found anything, he started to turn back.

I’ve got nothing, no voices, no sightings. What about you guys? John thought, peeling off the telescope sticker and handing it to Grace.

No people, but I spotted a Karakadon. If we killed it, we could feed ourselves for the day, Lucille replied, and sensing John’s confusion, she continued, It’s like a bull, but with one powerful horn that can channel lightning. I’m getting into position for a silent kill.

Well, good luck I guess, John replied, the caravan in sight once again. Should we move to your position so I can put the meat into my- John was about to say inventory out of habit, but continued, pocket dimension? It would keep it in stasis.

Good idea, we’ll rendezvous at its **** site and then head to the caravan, the elf agreed. Head half a kilometer south of the caravan, and a quarter kilometer west.

Right. See you soon, John replied, then looking at Grace, You got all that?

Sure did! We- Grace started, and quickly pulled John against a tree, duck and dive! She finished, pointing at a nearby treetop. Drawing Ebony, he pointed it at the tree… and watched as what looked to be a rabbit with a squirrel tail and feet scampered down.

“Nice,” John whispered, putting his gun back into its holster. Since Grace was already clinging to him, he just needed to Jump over to the other side. Let’s catch up with them.

They carefully made their way to the hot and cold duo that awaited them with dinner, but halfway there Lucille’s thoughts reached out to them, Something weird happened. I killed the beast, and it faded into nothingness. In its place are three of its hides and six of its steaks.

Well, that makes things easier, right? Why look a gift horse in the mouth? John said, unwilling to tell her that it was because his powers were based on video games and that it caused the beasts they kill to give drops instead of their actual parts. She was in his party, so it affected her too. Her cool demeanor made him **** to trust her, and she nixed his Advanced Spy, so he knew next to nothing about her.

Still, it is strange. More of this cut of meat dropped than existed on the beast, and the other cuts of meat don’t exist. There’s also more hide than what covered the beast. Lucille explained, confused.

It is weird, John conceded, finding the clearing that Lucille and Abigail had spotted the beast in. On the ground lay three black, leathery hides, each the size of a two-dimensional car. Piled on each were two steaks, though the slabs of meat were hardly recognizable from what John knew steaks to be.

They were oblong cuts of meat, each twice the size of a dinner plate. John put them all in his inventory. “You sure know your way around a beast like that.” After having verified the area was clear, he felt comfortable speaking aloud rather than in their thoughts.

“The Karakadon is famous for its self-destructive power. They can summon lightning with their horns, but cannot withstand the current that goes through them for more than a moment. In the wild, they mostly survive on intimidation alone. Still, they’re very dangerous. Their meat is supposed to be delicious, especially if they cook themselves,” Lucille explained, very much looking forward to take part in such a delicacy. “It’s a cruel method of cooking that many restaurants that serve these creatures partake in.

“Now, let’s head back to the caravan,” the elf proclaimed, looking back up at John. She took off her cloak and wrapped it around her arm. She put it around her neck, covering her mouth again.

“You can let go of my arm now,” John commented, causing Grace to recoil back; she hadn’t realized she was still latched on to him. With a pulse of her tattoo, she also deactivated the chameleon stickers, which revealed a bright red blush.

“They’re half used, but still good,” Grace said, peeling the sticker off Abigail. They headed back to the caravan, approaching the convoy openly.

“Hello there, armed and dangerous drifters!” the man in front of the car called. “We seem to be in a bit of trouble here. We’ve heard tell that the road up ahead is filled with dangers, and could use a group such as yours to escort us through this patch of road. If you would, you would be handsomely rewarded.”

“Just to make sure, this is one of the Rider-Waite tasks?” Grace asked, taking her list of tasks out of her jacket pocket.

The ‘merchant’ sighed, before saying, “Yeah kid, this is one of your tasks. You escort us a few kilometers, you give us your ID number, and we report that you accomplished your task. Each checkpoint can be accomplished by up to five pairs, and at least two are recommended.”

“Well it just so happens that we are two pairs, though if they’re high or low we can’t tell,” Grace said, putting an arm each around John and Lucille, who had hung back as she and Abigail approached.