Carnival - A LitRPG Apocalypse

Ryn fidgeted in her new Pyroclast armour. It consisted of sleek, form fitting plates bonded to the most fire resistant materials Bob had access to. Like all newbie armour it was a mottled green and brown colour intended to blend in rather than stand out like the stuff Signatories wore.

“That looks good on you, sweetheart,” said Vic as she passed the door to Ryn’s room.

“Thanks Mum,” Ryn muttered as she continued to fidget and try to get everything seated comfortably. “Who’s going to be our guardian today?”

“Zeeg,” called Vic from the kitchen.

“Just Zeeg? Not that it isn't awesome but usually we get teams of supervisors,” she asked in surprise.

“Probably not just Zeeg but Zeeg is not a dog to be underestimated, love. She’ll be in charge and you’ll have to do what she says. The rest will likely be Bob-bots.”

Her Dad’s old dog was not what she had expected. Having a singular member of the Carnival, Bob didn’t count in that regard, as her team's escort for their first hunting trip was unprecedented. Zeeg wasn’t technically a Signatory. An effort had been made to include her but she had sniffed at the paperwork, peed on Mindscars chair, then ambled back to the portal off Unity back to Wayfaire when they had tried to get her to sign. She had said something about cat people as she left that no one had fully understood but her dad had laughed for a solid five minutes afterwards, Ryn had been told.

Ryn walked out into the living area of the apartment. Their own home needed to be completely rebuilt so in the meantime Ryn and Vic had been staying in the faculty quarters of the Academy while John was off at the Wall. Sleeping at school wasn’t so bad as long as you weren’t in lessons. She’d spent a lot of time with Armand in the evenings; he had fallen into a black mood since his fathers murder and she was happy to escape her mum and the other teachers who now lived right next door to her to spend some time with the kid.

“Greg is going to be pushing you hard. All the new teams are getting the same treatment, pretty much all over the world. Everyone is trying to powerlevel the next generation all of a sudden, so Wayfaire is following suit. The thing is we’ll be better at it, overall,” said Vic in a disapproving tone.

“What’s wrong with that? We all need to get stronger!”

“It reeks of desperation. The Lines are stable, mostly. Despite the losses a few days ago we haven’t lost any territory. So why the sudden need for more troopers?”

“We- you aren’t troopers Mum. You’re frunging heroes!” scolded Ryn.

“Ha! Hardly. I only go to the wall in an emergency these days but I prefer to spend my time teaching anyway. Kathryn, this sudden rush to boost up the next set of powers… why do you think they would do it?”

“To guard the Lines and the Wall while we recover from what- from the other day. The void is still on their way as well so maybe they’re just taking that seriously now?” Ryn suggested.

“The void forces are fifty odd years off. None of the current batch of ‘leaders’ give a shit about that. No, I think it’s a lot more shortsighted than that, sweetheart. Wayfaire took a larger hit than anyone else in the attack. Poor Greg,” Vic said quietly. Ryn was aware Professor Death had stepped back from running the Academy as he was now the de facto leader of Wayfaire. The Department was scrambling to recover as well but as with any large organisation, it would take some time. Also plus one Essence for the Jar. Ryn would mention it later.

“So we’re being let loose on the grind early because, what? War or something?” she asked.

Vic sighed. “It won’t come to that but I suspect that’s the reasoning.” Vic put a hand on Ryn’s shoulder and looked down at her. “Take this next part very seriously, Sweetie. Please?” Ryn nodded solemnly at her unusually serious mother.

Ryn said her goodbyes, getting a fierce hug from Vic. John was still out on the Wall, or one of the Lines. Ryn had long since given up trying to keep track of someone as mobile as her dad could be when it suited him. She knew he was ok because her mum hadn’t launched into the sky to burn half a continent in revenge. It was nice having that kind of reassurance sometimes.

Ryn moved through the faculty quarters. Carefully avoiding, as far as possible, any awkward conversations with her teachers. It was hard to maintain the right level of respect for your mentors when you’d see them scratching their bum in a dressing gown as they picked up the mail.

She threaded her way through the warren of corridors where a goodly chunk of the faculty chose to live; she emerged into the student areas with a sigh of relief. Anyone who chose to live at the same place as they worked… that seemed mental to Ryn. She made a beeline for Armand’s quarters and knocked on the door politely.

“Who is it?” called a groggy voice. Ryn suppressed her urge to grumble or snap at him. He hadn’t been sleeping well since what had happened to his father.

“C’mon grenouille! We’re going to the grind today!” she called back.

A string of French swearing came back as sounds of stomping around and drawers opening came through the door. After a couple of minutes that Ryn spent patiently cataloguing how much Armand owed to the swear jar as she ran his ranting through a translation program the door cracked open and Armand stepped out.

Ryn didn’t say anything but her new friend looked like cringle. His hair was dishevelled and unruly and the bags under his eyes were threatening to take over his cheeks.

"How’s the armour feel?” she asked. The Venture pattern was even lighter than her own Pyroclast type. It was intended for back liners who lacked the physical strength to wear heavier gear.

“Bon, merci. Who is our escort?” Armand asked as he ran a hand through his hair to try and straighten it while holding his helmet on his other hip with his free hand.

“Zeeg!” Ryn grinned as his face and body language changed.

“Sacre bleu! A member of the Carnival?”

“Yeah, kind of. Zeeg hasn’t been involved much with Dad’s team for a while. She’s been focussed on her packs and her pups. She’s probably the most powerful, uh, person, available to keep an eye on us,” said Ryn as she put an arm over Armand’s shoulders and began leading him towards the room they’d been assigned to meet in.

“She killed the Demon! She was there when the Shadeworm died! Mon Dieu, she cleared the highlands with her packs! Do you know how many Englishmen and their dog jokes she’s responsible for?”

“Ha! Dad gave her an Essence because he’s a softie and not very bright, according to the way he tells it. She’s a good dog though. After you,” Ryn said as she held open the door to their assigned meeting room.

“I am glad you think I’m a good dog, little sister,” came an amused voice from the other side of the door Ryn had only just cracked open. Ryn blanched and slowly slid aside the door to step into the room.

It was a standard classroom in the Academy. An array of screens lined one wall, ranks of desks set opposite. In front of the screen a dog the size of a shire horse sat neatly, head cocked slightly to one side and ears sticking out like gizmo from Gremlins.

“Zeeg! Good to see you!” said Ryn, a shade uncertainly. As they entered Armand stopped to bow gracefully to Zeeg and another dog sat next to her. Both dog’s reciprocated his gesture.

“You as well, sister. Allow me to introduce Bolf.” Zeeg swung her head to the slightly smaller dog and he stood before padding over to sniff both Armand and Ryn. His smokey red eyes were almost demonic as he stared at them.

“They smell fine, Alpha,” he said as he sat down next to them and wagged his tail slightly.

“I would like to offer my son as a team member. We appreciate you need the others to consent before approving but he is everything a good dog should be and would be a valuable asset for you in the years to come,” Zeeg said. Her mouth didn’t quite move as you’d expect but the words were clear despite this.

“A pleasure to meet you, humans. I wish to offer my services as a scout and damage dealer,” said Bolf in a pleasant baritone voice.

Name: Bolf

Level: 4

Ability: Etheric Hellhound

Ryn shared a look with Armand, who had no doubt also Identified the hound. He shared Zeeg’s sleek and muscular build but had longer fur, grey rather than tan, and his snout was shaped differently from his mothers, broader than Zeeg’s narrow jaws.

“We’ll need to run it past the others, if that’s ok? I don’t think it will be a problem though,” said Ryn.

“Thank you cousin,” said Bolf.

“The others will be here shortly. They don’t move quietly. None of you do. That will be the first thing we work on in the Reserve,” said Zeeg.

As she finished speaking the door swung open again. Kev led the way, ducking to clear the mantle, followed by Sally and Bad. They were all wearing their new armour and Ryn thought they looked pretty cool. Mean but righteous, with a slightly wild look in their eyes.

They exchanged greetings and Bolf was quickly added to the team, resulting in two tails wagging happily.

“So what can you do Bolf?” asked Kev. In Kev’s eyes both dogs were surrounded by kaleidoscopic arrays of colour as their emotions swirled far more rapidly than he was used to from humans. A green colour he was starting to think represented control, or self control, was dominant but Bolf’s aura was also riddled with pinks, blues and yellows that seemed to suggest playfulness, loyalty and determination.

“I can get big and fight well or become untouchable for short periods,” said Bolf happily accepting ear rubs from Sally with his tail wagging frantically in response.

“So a shifter scout? That’s a good addition for us!” said Bad excitedly. “People underestimate just how critical Zeeg was early on for the Carnival!”

“I was always critical, Bahadur,” said Zeeg with a doggy grin that showed off her long canines. “We are waiting for a healer but they won’t be long, I can hear them drawing near. If she is acceptable to you all you will have seven slots filled. Once you have some levels it will be a lot easier to recruit the rest of the team.”

As Zeeg finished speaking there was a timid knock at the door. Zeeg called out for them to come in and the door swung open slowly to reveal a slight girl with dark hair and grey-blue eyes. She was wearing the robes of Ascension over light combat armour.

“H-hello. I’ve been assigned to this team by the Clergy, if I am acceptable. I’m Claire, level five and I’m a combat healer, personally trained by the Orions for Line duty. Once I have the levels.” Her voice was soft, almost childlike in its pitch and she seemed to lack confidence.

Bad strode forward and stuck out his hand that the girl looked at for a moment as though confused before she reached out to shake it. As their hands met he grinned and pumped her arm vigorously.

“I’m Bad. The leader of this band of heroes. Nice to meet you Claire. You seem a bit gentle for an Ascension combat healer? I heard you guys- well I heard the training was pretty rough and made you into real badasses?” One Essence for the Jar, Ryn noted.

“I have been through the Coursing and achieved high marks.” The Coursing was something of a mystery to anyone outside of Ascension. Ryn had heard her mum say it was something like an extended survival training course where the healer was left to survive with much higher level monsters around them.

“How come you’re only level five then?” asked Sally.

“I am able to hide a lot more effectively than most healers. A blessing of the Gods. So I avoided conflict as much as possible in order to survive. The purpose is not to level, but to survive. We are rated more highly the lower level we are at the end of the Coursing. I will be able to heal and buff you all without attracting any attention from the Scourge,”

“Scourge? You mean the monsters, right?” asked Ryn.

“Yes, Daughter of the Saint,” Claire replied, bowing to Ryn.

“That is right out for a start. No bowing, no titles. Call me Ryn. That’s a deal breaker.” The girl crossed her arms as her eyes met Claire's briefly before the other girl nodded.

“Are you satisfied?” asked Zeeg.

The others looked at each other. Armand looked up briefly and nodded once after Bad said his name, before the boy lapsed back into his bleak mood and stared at the ground.

“Very well. We have an Egg prepared to transport us. I am aware you are all well trained but some of you have not fought together before. None of you, except for Claire, have any real experience fighting monsters so this will be a steep learning curve for you all. Follow me,” Zeeg said as she rose to her full height and moved out the door into the winding corridors of the Academy.

The kids fell into step behind her and followed along, only one of them resembling the “puppies following their mother” that Ryn was convinced they must look like. Or maybe ducklings trailing after a mummy duck?

They talked quietly as they followed the giant hound. Bad was determined to establish himself as the team leader but some of the others were reluctant.

“It makes no sense Bahadur. You will be focused on close combat. This is not ideal for the team's tactician,” said Bolf politely.

“Call me Bad, Bolf. Bahadur is only for when I’m in trouble with my mum or dad. Why, though? I’ll be in the thick of it, able to see and react immediately to any changes!”

“Your strategy scores are lower than mine Bad! It should be Ryn!” said Sally. “She beat Kev in strat! Or Claire might be best?” Sally had noted Ryn shaking her head when her name was suggested. “How do they teach team tactics to the Orions?”

“It is similar to the model for Wayfaire but we have more uniform powers thanks to the mercy of the Gods. If we were six bruisers, two casters and two healers I would be in my element. We aim for uniformity and interchangeability between teams. Wayfaire has too much variety due to their lack of faith. Have you read the Long March by Blessed Gemini? I have several spare copies back in my room if you’d like one?”

“No thanks, Claire,” said Ryn, carefully concealing her concern that Claire would be spending a lot of time proselytising whenever they were out of combat.

“It should be Kev,” said Zeeg, her head briefly turning back over her shoulder.

“Why me?” asked the lanky teen. “I’ve got no combat power at the moment!”

“How far can you sense emotion and thoughts?” asked Bolf, picking up on his mothers point.

“It- it’s weird. If I focus in one direction I can reach further but other directions blur out. It was too weird at first, seeing emotions and hearing thoughts, but now losing that all-round awareness leaves me feeling… vulnerable, I suppose?”

“How many people are in the rooms ahead of us?” asked Zeeg.

“I don’t know? Maybe thirty or so? It’s hard to count as the colours blend together when there’s too many.”

“There are thirty two. I can hear their heartbeats. You have an implant now. It sees what you see. I will speak to Bob about getting you some programs to help filter the data while you learn to understand it properly. My son will be your scout, operating solo along the line of your advance and guarding you while you camp. Ryn is a highly mobile damage dealer. Bad and Sally are close combat specialists. Armand is support and control. Claire is healer and support. Where do you fit in, Kevin? How do you help keep your friends alive?” asked Zeeg.

“By knowing where the threats are. I’m bugger all use for anything else,” he grumbled. Bad slapped him on the back and grinned broadly.

“Knew you weren’t totally useless, mate!” Bad said cheerfully, earning a scowl from Kev.

They entered the Academy’s hangar. The wide space was lined with armoured ground transports boasting cannons and fighting slots for casters. Hovering above were a series of combat platforms, broad, flat contraptions capable of flying at low altitudes and offering a team a height and mobility advantage. At the back of the huge room sat five Eggs.

Sleek and black they radiated threat. The subby barrels under the nose promised death to anything not capable of surviving torrents of alien metal. One of them cracked down the side and the section of armoured hull peeled down to reveal a staircase into the flying vehicle.

“Let us depart. There are supplies inside to cover your needs for a few days in the event you are too incompetent to provide for yourselves outside a cities defences,” said Zeeg as she led them over and disappeared into the Egg.