NOVEL NEXT Memphis
SURVIVAL XP - 80%
KNOWLEDGE XP - 80%
COMBAT / FIGHT / DEFENSE XP - 80%
LEGEND XP
With all of the updates to his display in his eyes, Orion comes back to the main menu.
80%. Come on, legend. How much more?
Orion thinks to himself of how sync'd that data is. Was it a true picture of his brain and body and experience? Was it just numbers?
I feel stronger. I am stronger. I have survived more. I know more. At my age, I shouldn't able to do fight like I do. But I can.
Orion comes back to the present and looks at Memphis, still crying.
Ran tries to hold him, but he pushes away like a child. He kicks and gasps for air.
Orion feels horrible, but he has also had enough. He stares around at the island, and its small fires that are seemingly always going but are nowhere near them.
He comes down to Memphis' face.
"Hey. Hey. Look at me."
Memphis does, tears and snot and hot mess on full display.
"We have to get out of here. I can't take you to the Moon Isle, but we can get you back to our island. Okay? You might be able to get a transport there."
Memphis doesn't know what to say at first. He nods briefly.
"You remember, don't you?" Memphis finally speaks.
Orion looks at him, wondering what he is asking.
"Come on. There aren't many like us," Memphis starts. "You were around before, weren't you?'
Orion does not want to admit it, but he nods quickly.
"Wasn't it something?" Memphis says, tears in his eyes with a goofy smile. "Wasn't life something?"
"Life is something now too," Orion responds.
"It is. It is," Memphis agrees. "In some ways, it is better. In other ways, no. We lost so much. We lost so much."
Memphis looks at the ground.
Ran has a tear in her young eyes. She doesn't know of what they speak, but she can feel it.
"What are you doing out here?" Memphis asks.
"It's a long story," Orion says, helping him up.
"You said your island. I assume the one with the port," Memphis says, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Yes," Orion says, waiting for the old man to get to the point.
"People from your island never say what it is called," Memphis says, annoyed. "They just say the island or the port. We all know it. The Moon Isle is prettier but smaller."
"We've never had a name for it," Orion corrects. "No offense, it is usually just us."
"Do you know what your island is called?" Memphis asks. "Like, do you know what others call it? What we call it?"
Orion shakes his head.
"The Abode," Memphis says quietly.
Orion thinks about it. "The Abode? That is what you all call it?"
Memphis nods, laughing. "Yes. Everyone calls it that."
"There isn't much 'everyone left'," Ran speaks up. "I've never heard it called that."
"Well, it is," Memphis says. "The Abode."
Orion doesn't know if he loves it, but doesn't argue anymore. "We need to get back to the small island across the water. Then Cole and I need to be on our way."
No one argues, as they all slowly start climbing down the sharp rocks.
Memphis, for an old tortured soul, makes his way down faster and easier than the other two. He is like a spider or monkey, grabbing each rock with a surprising flexibility.
Orion swears all the way down, cutting himself on every wet rock and sharp edge.
Soon, they are at the small boat.
Orion takes the rope off the boat and guns the transportation into the deep darkness of the sea.
Memphis looks back at the horrible island, with the small lights of the fires breaking orange into the sky.
Ran lights a small flare, holding it into the night sky, as it gives some light in the darkness.
Each bump and spray of the ocean makes the three even more cold, as does staring into the deep dark abyss.
Orion's eyes bounce everywhere, expecting a fallen patrol or a sea monster or rogue wave to come and knock them to their deaths.
But nothing comes.
Ran squints her eyes.
"We're almost back," she says, smiling and relieved.
Soon, Orion's boat slides up upon the shore.
Memphis hops out and kisses the beach in the darkness.
Ran looks and Cole slowly approaches them, angry.
"Where have you been?" He says coldly, not to anyone in particular.
"Keeping her safe," Orion says back in a harsh tone. "And saving who we can. That is what I do. If you don't like it, you should've stayed behind. And by behind, at our island!"
Cole is put back by Orion's tone and stance, and becomes defensive. "I sent you messages. You blocked them."
"I know, Cole. I was a little busy making sure Ran doesn't have a Demon Lord and sacrifices happening across her bay.'
Cole doesn't say anything, but Orion isn't done.
"I don't think you understand what happened right over there," Orion says, getting in Cole's face. "Years ago, while you were waiting here, bad things were going on right there. Horrible things.'
"We don't know if," Ran starts.
"I'm sure it was there then, too." Orion is done talking. "How do you think they kept attacking you all the time? They had a place to attack from."
Memphis stands up.
"Memphis. This is Cole," Ran says, trying to change the subject and break the tension.
Memphis sticks his hand out. Cole shakes it. "Your friends saved me. You are lucky you have such good friends. Warriors, they are."
Cole again goes silent.
"We need to sleep," Orion says, marching towards the camp in the jungle. "Then we need to get to that aircraft carrier. And Ran, you have to leave this island. Especially after what we just did."
"That's fine," she says, following after Orion.
Cole and Memphis try to keep up.
"You are leaving? Just like that?" Cole asks.
"Yeah," Ran responds. "Once they figure out what we did over there, we are goners. And I have nothing but painful memories from here now."
Cole is confused and hurt and somehow jealous by all of this, but they continue their walk through the jungle to the camp.
Howl hasn't moved from Ran's bed.
"Oh! They return. And they bring another stowaway. Lovely. Well, another person for me to make some money off I suppose, eh?"
Howl laughs to himself.
"Good to see you," Orion says, and not in a joke. He is relived to see his horrible friend.
Orion immediately finds a spot and tries to fall asleep next to the fire, like his military training taught him.
Memphis looks at the capsule sitting in the camp that Cole came from.
"Another one of those? Wow," Memphis says, as he looks for a place to sit.
Orion turns. Cole listens up. Ran sits up. Even Howl is interested.
"What did you say?" Orion asks.
Memphis sits and stretches. "That. The capsule. I've seen them before. They are bouncing around the sea. I held on to one when I swam away from the fallen. You think I swam in open waters that whole time? Please. I paddled and kicked, holding on to one of those."
Memphis is done talking, and lays his head down.
Orion now knows he probably will not sleep.
He stares at Cole.
Cole nods back.