《When I Die, I Want to Buried Neck Deep in Gold》 From Heaven There they are; those colossal machines that came from Heaven. Falling from the sky, like angels clipped of their wings, from the top of the World Stem. So high above, in that land of the gods, where the streets were clean and buildings as tall as mountains flourished without the fear of a Fallout Avalanche. Higher than even the clouds dare venture so that when they inevitably crashed down here at the lowest level, the impact could be felt miles away. And yet, regardless of the fall, those machines still functioned, moving around their new world as if they now ruled it themselves, much like how their Creators ruled them and everything else. Metallic constructions whose pure white, glistening bodies contrasted the debris and decay of Gehinnom¨Cmy place of origin. Heaven sent they were, or at least that¡¯s what I would like to think. Because nothing truly happens by chance. Because if what I read was true, then they were the only way that I was getting out of here. They were the only way I could make my dream come true. The sight of these beasts of metals made my body burn with anticipation. The experience overtook me more than any other besides the accident. ¡°Let me see.¡± Pudgy fingers pressed against the back of my neck. I turned to see Jeremi who had his shoulders crossed. ¡°Not, yet,¡± I said. ¡°I want to see where they¡¯re going next.¡± ¡°Not fair. You¡¯ve had the viso-goggles for a minute and twenty-two seconds longer than we agreed.¡± I shook my head. Promising anything exact to Jeremi was a big mistake. He was so particular about everything, especially numbers. ¡°Fine.¡± I reluctantly passed on the viso-goggles.¡± Jeremi put them on. Laser red lights flashed across the inner lens. A low humming noise signaled that a target had been acquired. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a hexapod! I wonder how the leg mechanisms work on that thing. Now if only another one would arrive soon so I can see them fight. Oh boy, that would be a treat.¡± I watched impatiently as Jeremi gazed at these magnificent creatures fifty or so miles away. Returning home late was a death sentence. Brother Michal, who was in charge of our wellbeing, did not take well to rule breakers. Three quick strikes to the head with his red dress shoes set the mood for the rest of the conversation. ¡°What were you doing out there to arrive so disgustingly late?¡± ¡°Actually, we were only gone for twenty minutes and thirteen¡­¡± Brother Michael glared at Jeremi, who rightfully froze. ¡°Spare me your pitiful excuses." Brother Micheal adjusted his glasses. The firmness of his stare was strong enough to incinerate the wooden tiles they stood on. The triangle pendant around his neck swung left and right like the pendulum of a clock, counting down to our inevitable doom. ¡°I want to know what caused you to be late today.¡± ¡°We were just playing ball, and Jeremi lost track of time. He was too busy tripping over his own feet.¡± ¡°Hey, I would never mess up the time.¡± ¡°Shut up, Jeremi.¡± I punched him in the shoulder. ¡°Likely story,¡± said Michael. ¡°But it would be better than if you were off snooping at the Collectors again.¡± Jeremi and I gulped. The last time that line of discussion came up, they lost their dessert privileges for an entire month. ¡°Ooh, look who¡¯s in trouble down.¡± From the stairwell, a young girl with olive skin appeared. Her arrogant grin made me want to throw Michael''s shoe at her. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you, Hailey.¡± Brother Micheal turned his piercing eyes on her. ¡°Cmon, Brother Michael. I want to see Icky here squirm a bit more.¡± The look of satisfaction on her face made me sick. It was like she wanted me to get back at her. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Hailey, don¡¯t make me say it again.¡± The sternness in Michael¡¯s voice finally reached her as she retreated back up the stairs towards the girl¡¯s room, laughing all the way. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she get hit?¡± Jeremi asked. ¡°Because she actually listens somewhat to my instructions.¡± Brother Micheal looked like he had many more hits in him. I thought it best to make amends. ¡°Listen, I know what we did was dangerous and wrong. Nightdivers, the Collectors, maybe even an untimely Avalanche¡ª all of that stuff you talk about during sermons over and over and over¡­I mean for a good purpose, right? Because those things could have put an end to us. We were dumb, reckless kids like usual and we¡¯re sorry for worrying you. We¡¯ll do better next time, OK?¡± Brother Micheal shook his head. ¡°If I believed everything you said, I would have schizophrenia. Go to your rooms.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The two of them said in unison. They made their way up the stairs. ¡°And one more thing.¡± I sighed. What more could he have to say? ¡°Your legs, Icarus. How are they doing?¡± The remark caught me off guard. It has been years since the incident. Most people had stopped commenting on it by now. ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± I shook my right leg. The metal moved just like an appendage should. The craftwork was excellent. Wu knew no equal. Not too heavy, but much harder and sturdier than a regular leg to where nobody was willing to tussle with me anymore. Both of my legs, shining metal, just like the machines that came from Heaven. *** ¡°We have to pay Hailey back for this. No mercy this time.¡± Jeremi took in a large spoonful of grits. For some unknown reason, he liked to mix peanut butter with his grits. Ungodly. The other kids had already finished eating and were playing outside with the Field Master. Field Master was so old now, that I was surprised he could even run with the other children. Granted, he needed the Brothers and Sisters to maintain order. With so many of the children outdoors, the dining area was unusually quiet. ¡°Yeah, she needs what¡¯s coming to her. What¡¯s the plan, chief? Are we snipping her hair this time or putting ants in her drawer?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s this plan, guys?¡± The voice came from somewhere beneath the dining table. I bent down to look and a hand as pale as a ghost jumped out at me. I jumped back to the laughter of both the kid and Jeremi. ¡°You need to stop being so creepy, Grimm.¡± Grimm smirked. He seemed to have a permanent mischievous grin, a sign that some sort of mayhem would befall the orphanage. ¡°Maybe you need to stop being such a coward.¡± He pulled himself over to where Jeremi and I sat.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your grand plan to mess with Hailey this time?¡± ¡°None of your business, Grimm.¡± Grimm wasn¡¯t his actual name. It was a nickname that I gave him during primary. I said it so often that everyone forgot what his actual name was and just started calling him Grimm. Even the Brothers and Sisters fell prey to it. The sticking power came from how apt the nickname described his appearance: a walking, breathing corpse with the odor to match. Hell, even he liked the name. That¡¯s how the name stood the test of time. ¡°What? Afraid, I¡¯ll outdo your little prank.¡± There was that mischievous grin again. For a kid who literally looked like he had no backbone, he was as energetic as a bunny when it came to messing with people. ¡°No, this one is personal.¡± Jeremi nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Well, if you say so.¡± Grimm licked his bottom lip. ¡°If you had let me in, I could have provided some juicy personal information.¡± ¡°Like you would know anything about girls.¡± Jeremi laughed. Grimm snarled. ¡°Yeah, you''re right. It¡¯s not like I know Hailey works at Brown¡¯s Bakery during the afternoon.¡± ¡°And? What¡¯s so interesting about that?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Maybe the fact that she¡¯s crushing on one of the other workers there. Imagine embarrassing her in front of her boyfriend. Now that would be priceless. Too bad ain''t it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say. Man, that''s somewhat interesting. Too bad you¡¯re just talking out of your ass.¡± ¡°Not at all! I saw it myself. It was a tall guy with long blonde hair. I think his name is Jeff something-or-another. Anyhow, she totally has the hots for him. I saw them talk together one night outside the orphanage. They were whispering to each other all secretive and stuff. Hailey¡¯s face was brighter than tomato paste. And if you could see her eyes and how they glowed, you wouldn¡¯t doubt it for a second. That¡¯s love through and through. That¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°Why, thanks for the information, Grimm. What could I do without you?¡± The look on Grimm¡¯s face was priceless as Jeremi and I got up from the table. The greatest killjoy of them all thwarted our attempt to join the other kids outside. ¡°Not so fast, gremlins.¡± Brother Michael held out his hand to stop us. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Jeremi asked. ¡°Your punishment for being late yesterday is to go to the marketplace with me. I won¡¯t be taking no for an answer.¡± ¡°Then could you kill me instead?¡± As soon as I uttered those words, I covered my mouth. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still working on my sarcasm.¡± The Lady of the Well ¡°Why did you bring that ridiculous toy, Icarus?¡± Brother Micheal glared at the metallic stick Icarus played in his hands. ¡°I might as well have a little fun while shopping.¡± Micheal shook his head. He was physically incapable of enjoyment. The Tana Avi bazaar was one of the most crowded places I had ever been to. Artisans of all crafts lay their works bare for appraisal at wooden booths. Other booths were decorated with jewelry, red stones, and bracelets of bronze. Garments too were strung across benches where buyers could feel the linen and inspect the design. The smell of roasted beef and fried pork dominated the air, which attracted flies, bugs, mosquitoes, and all those nefarious insects that I hated. Or maybe they were attracted more to the debris. While the bizarre was often cleaner than the rest of the city, it still contained large quantities of leftover garbage from the outer world. There was so much of it after all. Even in our finest places, we were left a reminder of where we stood on the World Stem. Brother Michael was eyeing the footwear. It was practically heresy for him to not have at least seven pairs of red dress-up shoes. Ironic, given how much he scolded us for our ¡°frivolous¡± buys. As for Jeremi and me, there was only one thing that attracted our interest. Honey apples: a rarity among rarity for sweets. So rare that it could only come from outside the town. From the wilderness. Hung on wooden sticks on a booth swarmed by those with good taste. To say I was envious as Brother Micheal dragged me past the booth in order to buy more shoes would be an understatement. ¡°Brother Micheal, can we please get some honey apples?¡± I asked. ¡°You already have sweets at home, and even more importantly, you¡¯re in trouble. Expecting such treats shows me you didn¡¯t learn your lesson.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I really didn¡¯t. Punishment was one thing, but this treat was a one-in-a-million opportunity. This was torture. Michael went back to looking at the shoes. Jeremi nudged my shoulder. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, chief?¡± Jeremi whispered. I shook my head. We were already on Brother Michael''s bad side. Push him further and we might be sleeping outside. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± From the table nearest to us, Grimm poked out his head. The fact his pale face stood out from the rest of the colorful atmosphere made it even more impressive that he managed to avoid our eyesight. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Jeremi asked. ¡°I just followed you guys.¡± ¡°And how did you get past the sisters and brothers?¡± ¡°I hid. It was pretty easy, to be honest. You would all fail miserably at hide-in-seek.¡± Grimm truly was special. ¡°So what¡¯s your plan?¡± I asked. Grimm smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll distract Brother Micheal while you guys go get some apples.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°With what money?¡± ¡°The money I took from him.¡± Grimm reached into his pockets and pulled out some bronze coins. I stood there stunned. ¡°You¡¯re an actual devil, you know that?¡± Grimm laughed. ¡°This is just revenge for Micheal trapping me inside today for putting flies in some of the girls'' drinks. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get to you soon enough.¡± That mischievous look, when directed at us, was truly frightening.¡± And how can we trust you?¡± ¡°Easy. I¡¯m terrible at multitasking. Only one target at a time for me. Just consider yourself lucky.¡± ¡°Wait, Icarus. Are you actually going to trust him?¡± I put my hands on Jeremi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Brother, this is honey apples. HONEY APPLES. The chances of this happening again are non, zero, absolutely impossible. Are you willing to give up this opportunity?¡± Jeremi shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± I turned to Grimm and shook his head. ¡°Pleasure to do business with you.¡± Brother Micheal was still distracted looking at his shoes when we made his escape. Grimm waved us away as went to approach him. Regardless of how good Brother Micheal was at finding us, even he would struggle against the likes of Grimm. Waiting in line for the honey apples hurt almost as much as losing my legs. Therefore, the catharsis of finally receiving it, the ripest of apples draped in golden glory. One bite and I had ascended higher than even the gods above. ¡°This is so good,¡± said Micheal. ¡°For sure. I bet there are thousands of delicacies like this in the upper world.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still dreaming about going there? Even with all the stuff that Brother Micheal said.¡± ¡°Like he knows anything. He hasn¡¯t been there before. Nobody here has. They¡¯re all so complacent, it makes me sick.¡± ¡°But those who do try to go there. Usually they¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Life outside the town was dangerous. Where metallic mechanizations of impossible strength and size dominated the land, killing any trespassers. To survive, you would have to be beyond human. ¡°Yo, Icarus. Look over there.¡± I glanced towards where Jeremi was pointing. Another swarm of people, even greater than the one at the honey apple shop, surrounded a water well. Sitting in front of the well was a small girl dressed in a white robe. She was more legs than torso, with dark black hair that came to her shoulders. The crowd seemed bewitched by her every move: by the swing of her arms and the pitter-patter of her feet. ¡°You¡¯re talking about that girl over?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Just look at her.¡± ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t really get a good look at her with all those people around. Want to get closer?¡± Jeremi¡¯s cheeks turned pink. ¡°Well, um¡­ then we might have to talk to her.¡± ¡°And you laughed when Grimm called me a coward. You can just watch from afar, I guess, though it must suck to live vicariously through me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s bad to talk to people with foodstuff in your mouth. You should first brush your teeth for about three minutes and twenty-two seconds, then¨C.¡± I didn''t hear more of what Jeremi had to say as I dove into the crowd. From closer inspection, the crowd was a lot more organized than expected. Instead of a mass mob, it was more like rings of people gravitating toward a center. Not wishing to waste time, I pulled my way through the outer rings with the occasional ¡°ouch¡± and ¡°no fair¡± until I made it to the center. She was more interesting to look at upfront. Not attractive, per se, but she certainly appeared different from the average citizen. While most people in the town had light dark skin, hers was a licorice black. All across her arms and legs were blue markings in the shape of animals: bulls, sheep, and goats. When her eyes met mine, she smiled with teeth as white as her robe. ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡± Her voice was smooth and calming. Instantly, I felt at ease. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± She smiled as if I was the most important person in the world. Oh, how I wish that were so¨Cto become one with gods above. My Name is Icarus ¡°So how can I help you?¡± The girl clasped her hands together as if in prayer. ¡°Umm, what?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I misunderstood. Don¡¯t feel the need to rush anything. Just come and talk at your own pace.¡± I sat down next to her. It felt like the right thing to do. The others around me looked a bit annoyed, but none made any comments. Perhaps, they wanted to look their best around the maiden of the well. ¡°I guess I should start with introductions. My name is Icarus. I don¡¯t know my last name because I don¡¯t know my parents. I¡¯m an orphan. I was raised by the Legalon Church so I have many brothers and sisters.¡± The girl nodded along. She gave me the utmost attention, something no one else had ever done before. I felt compelled to continue even though I didn¡¯t know what I wanted to say next. ¡°I guess you¡¯re wondering about my metal legs, right? Well, I had this accident a while back and I had to get them removed. My flesh legs, I mean. It was the most painful experience in my life.¡± ¡°That does sound incredibly painful. I¡¯m proud that you could make it through the surgery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± ¡°And the legs, themselves. They look amazing.¡± ¡°I know. Dr Wu made them for me. In the world of machinery, he has no equal.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± She gave a little chuckle, which managed to make me smile. Why did everything she did seem so inviting? ¡°Do you want to talk about how you¡¯re feeling right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling great right now. I just had a honey apple so my tastebuds are through the roof. ¡°Those are really yummy.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°No telling. Honestly, I would lose my arms for a life supply of those.¡± Again, she laughed. Now it was my mission to keep her happy. ¡°And to think I wasn¡¯t going to get any because my caretaker Brother Micheal was so fixated on his dress shoes. The guy has like seven pairs of the same red shoes he wears to every sermon. The guy needs a life.¡± ¡°I can see how that many shoes can be excessive.¡± ¡°Right! And yet he always blames me for getting too much of this or any thing he considered frivolous. The nerve.¡± ¡°¡±I can tell that you really love him.¡± The word caught me off guard. The ways her eyes were looking at me. I wondered how far her vision went. ¡°You¡¯re right. I do love my family even though they can get on my nerves. There are the ones I know who are there for me, even if I make them mad or disobey their orders and prank them pissed. I know others like me, those without family, who live out here in the wild and starve. I¡¯m thankful for my life. I truly am. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± she asked. ¡°Nevermind. I don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful.¡± ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡± She flashed me a thumbs up. ¡°Just say what¡¯s on your mind. Let your emotions come out.¡± ¡°Well, I¨CI just hate it all, okay.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°What do you hate, exactly?¡± I took a deep breath. Thoughts that I had since I was just a young child started spilling in. They needed to be let out. ¡°I hate waking up to a constant dark sky. Seeing the debris of the upper-world covering up everything from the crops farmers grow and the playgrounds kids play in. I hate the mediocrity of it all. Living only a fraction of what those above do. I hate it.¡± ¡°I understand that feeling. At times, it can feel rather dark and desolate here. But you have a lot of things you like about it too, right?¡± ¡°I suppose, but I¡­I can¡¯t really do this for the rest of my life. My wish, no, my destiny, is up there.¡± I pointed up there at the sky. Not at the dark clouds that filled the atmosphere, but higher into the land loved by the sun. Where the food there always tasted like honey apples. Where people were free to live a life of luxury. In short, where dreams come true. I¡¯ll make it up there even if I have to die to do it.¡± The crowd around me gasped. The girl took a more measured approach. ¡°And what do you plan to do once you make it there? You must know that the risks are tremendous, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It doesn¡¯t stop there. Once I make it to the upper-world, I¡¯ll keep on growing. I¡¯ll grow and grow, get richer and richer, until I am the richest man in the whole world.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± one of the people in the back said. ¡°The richest man in the world. Check out the ego of this kid, right?¡± ¡°Seriously, kid. Aren¡¯t you too old for these fairy tales?¡± I stamped my foot into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. I will become the richest man in the world. And before I die, I want to be buried neck deep in gold so that my body never has to touch the filth and decay of this place ever again.¡± The crowd broke out into laughter. Everyone there was having a grand old chuckle. Everyone except one. . The lady didn¡¯t say anything for a while. She only stared, transfixed at the boy in front of her. For the first time in the conversation, her expression wasn¡¯t inviting. Instead, it was one of intrigue or perhaps confusion. ¡°I¡¯m glad you have such high aspirations. It¡¯s good to dream big. But you know, sometimes you have to cut back down. Rise too high and you might fall right back down to where you are. And the higher you are, the harder the fall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to be a bird and rise only to fall than to be like a worm and never rise at all, kissing and eating the dirt.¡± The words sounded foreingn to my mouth. Literature was one of my least favorite courses at Legalon, likely because it was taught by Brother Micheal. ¡°You''re a really interesting person.¡± The girl laughed. She pulled herself closer to me. The ends of her hair grazed the sides of neck as she kissed my forehead. I pulled back away in shock. ¡°What¨Cwhat was that for?¡± ¡°My blessing.¡± She pulled back. ¡°For good luck in whatever you do. You¡¯re quite impressive, you know.¡± The girl raised her hand, and without thinking about it, I stood. ¡°Pleasure to talk to you. May the forces of life always pull in your favor!¡± She bowed, her hands clasped. ¡°Wait!¡± I yelled. My feet had already started walking as I was speaking. The lack of control I had over my own body was frightening, but still I had one last thing to say.¡± ¡°Your name. What is your name?¡± ¡°My name? The girl looked up. ¡°I¡¯ve never¡­¡± A loud roar punctuated the area. I turned to face it, only to be run through by one of the guys in the crowd. All around me, people were scattering, running frantically about like rats. I pulled myself to my feet. There, just a couple yards in front of me, was something that didn¡¯t belong: a shining metallic hound with razors that spun in its metal mouth. Red splotches etched the corners of its jaw. The roar it made was a mix between a wolf''s howl and the sound of lighting striking the ground. My heartbeat went into overdrive. The creature was almost three times bigger than I was. The light from its red eyes nearly blinded me as it closed in. Easy prey. ¡°Get away from me,¡± said a voice from behind. It was the girl, still there in a knelling position. ¡°What are you saying?¡± I asked. ¡°You need to get out of here, now!¡± ¡°I can handle myself.¡± Her voice lacked the confidence of her words. ¡°But I can¡¯t handle that thing with you here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± I stood my ground in front of the creature, my legs shaking. ¡°But what about your dream, Icarus? I thought you said you wanted to get out of here? You can¡¯t go out here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± I said, pulling out my metal rod. ¡°The only way I¡¯m getting out of here is if I take down something like this. Those parts are valuable to the one person whose help I need the most. Then, I will have the power needed to escape here, to survive the outside.¡± The door was now just a couple of feet away from. For a machine without any emotions it certainly enjoyed toying with its food. ¡°Get away from here now!¡± The girl was now on her feet, her fingers pointing at me. This time though, her spell had no effect. Killing this robotic dog now is my top priority. In a world of machinery, one can only win through being a machine itself. My legs were the first step.¡± I held my weapon in front of the dog, waiting for just the right moment. It¡¯s do or die, and I won¡¯t drop until I become one. Until I become the richest man in the world. Strange Magic The metallic dog lunged at me, its maul open to end me in a single bite. I dove to the right just in time. Using all of my strength, I plunged my metal stick into the side of the dog¡¯s neck. Before the beast could retaliate, I pressed a red button located at the stick¡¯s center. An electric current traveled down the end of the stick and into the monster. The metallic dog let out a high-pitched screen, rolling onto its side. ¡°What is that?¡± the girl said. ¡°A gift from my mentor, Dr. Wu.¡± I pressed the red button again, letting the end of the bar glow with blue electricity. ¡°Hopefully, that did the trick.¡± As if on cue, the robotic hound rose to its feet. It shook its head as well as its tail, which looked more like a broken lever. Of course, I could never be that lucky. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here!¡± I reached my hand out to her. To my surprise, she pushed the hand aside.¡± ¡°I can handle this.¡± She looked at me with a worrying look. She certainly didn¡¯t exude confidence. ¡°But I need you to close your eyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Like I could take a glance off this thing before I become dog food.¡± As if on cue, the mechanical dog began to pace towards us. Slowly, it moved, eyeing the electric stick in my hand. Like a vulture it circled us, looking for any apparent weakness in our defense so that it could strike. ¡° Trust me.¡± Again, her voice didn¡¯t sound trustworthy. If anything, she sounded more terrified than I did and that should be impossible. ¡°Even if it''s just a second, close your eyes.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± The robotic creature was circling closer now. Any moment now, and it would decide to attack. ¡°Fine then, but a second only.¡± I closed my eyes. As soon as my eyelids covered my vision I heard a sharp thunderous noise and then a high-pitched squeal. I opened my eyes. Where once the hound stood, still a fuming pile of mechanical parts. Electricity danced from the broken wires. ¡°What did you do?¡± She didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she looked over at the dog, her head bent and hands clasped in prayer. ¡°Who are you?¡± She paid me no attention as she whispered some words, none of which I could understand, to the fallen beast. Then, she turned around. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t answer any of your questions. It¡¯s not you, it''s me or truthfully how others see me.¡± She walked over towards me. I noticed that her red tattoos appeared to be glowing. Her hair too seemed to stand a bit on edge. Whoever she was, the girl wasn¡¯t quite human. ¡°My name is Clarice. I¡¯m just your average well maiden.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing average about you.¡± ¡°Well¡­you see¨C¡± She paused. A look of fear passed through her face. ¡°There¡¯s more coming.¡± ¡°More? How can you tell?¡± ¡°I really wish I could tell you, but for now we have to get moving before they arrive. I can¡¯t take them down all at once.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡± She nodded and reached out her hands to me. I thought about returning the favor from before, but thought better of it. I didn¡¯t want to become the human version of that robotic corpse. ¡°Any idea on where we should go?¡± I asked. She shook her head. ¡°They''re coming from the south of Kiestchen. I¡¯m guessing going up to Taleman might be the safest route. ¡°That¡¯s too far. By then, if those hounds are tracking us, we¡¯d be finished.¡± ¡°You might be right, but I don¡¯t have any better ideas.¡± ¡°Actually, I think I know a place we can go. I think it''s time to pay an old friend a visit."