Rise of Myth: Heir to Valor

Val gathered himself up, taking unsteady steps towards the fixed lookout binoculars.

"Something is going on, but I've only been on the road over the last day. This doesn't look like war, but I didn't hear any warnings on the news in the last few days." Val muttered his thoughts to himself. He was sure of the earthquake earlier but that alone would not be enough to level the entire city. The area had been subject to earthquakes and fires before, they built to handle such situations.

Peering through the binoculars, he looked out to the city, trying to get a clearer picture of the situation on the ground. Many streets appeared flooded, upturned cars littered the streets, but strangely he did not see people. He was expecting to see looters, the National Guard, or any kind of movement, but with the cheap park binoculars he could not make out any clear details.

"?!" Val whirled around, alarmed at the sound of snapped twigs and loose gravel.

"Kriiieeeeee!!!" A hairy, ugly creature barely a meter in height came charging out of the bushes, leaping over the bench and brandishing what appeared to be a knife-like weapon.

Eyes widening in shock, Val quickly jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the reckless lunge of the creature. Fumbling for his shovel, he barely managed to unfold it in time as the creature clumsily scrambled to lunge at Val again.

"Wait! Stop!" Val shouted at the creature but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Moving around in circles, Val kept himself out of reach of the weapon that revealed itself to be a piece of rusted scrap metal, little over a foot in length.

*This can't be real, it looks like some kind of goblin from books and movies.*

The goblin was growing more aggressive and desperate in his failed attempts to close the distance. It had a crazed look in its bloodshot, yellow eyes. Its greasy, hairy body covered lightly in rags that could have been some kind of cloth or stitched scraps of leather.

*If I can't reason with it, then it's just a feral beast I have no time for.* Suddenly taking a half step forward, Val twisted his body, avoiding the latest in a series of reckless stabs, and swung the tactical shovel at the goblin's neck. The bladed edge dug a couple inches into its neck but the tool was too light and ill suited to sever its head completely. A grievous wound nonetheless, the goblin stumbled forward, clutching at the gushing wound in anguish. Val offered no respite, chopping at the creature's neck where the spine protruded. With the spine severed and the head barely attached, the goblin stopped moving.

Trying to calm down, as the adrenaline began to recede, Val turned over and inspected the body. The metallic smell of blood and a stench of what was probably excrement and goblin sweat

was enough to make him gag, but he needed answers. Whatever it really was, as far as he knew this creature did not belong in this world. The pointed ears, muddy brown-olive skin. While some of its teeth were missing, the canines were clearly larger than they should be despite its size.


*This creature should not exist, why it's out here alone is anyone's guess but if it would just jump at humans so recklessly, it would not have survived long.* Val tried to connect the pieces of information in his head but could not find a thread between them. These goblins, if there were more, could not have sacked the entire city in just a day, an earthquake would not be enough either. Even if a million goblins like this one showed up, unless they had access to modern military weapons it would not suffice. Furthermore he did not find signs of explosive ordinance used against the city, those would leave scorch marks, craters, or any signs of a blast.

The goblin's weapon was crudely designed and suggested a primitive level of craftsmanship. The thought that gnawed at the back of Val's mind was the possibility this goblin was not alone.

*One goblin is fine in an open space, if this one is any indicator, they're not terribly intelligent, a scout perhaps? Or otherwise separated from its group? They can't be strong enough to survive on their own. I need to get out of this forest, get to a town, figure out where everyone went. Where the hell is the National Guard? Even the Army should be deployed in a situation like this.* Unsure of what his situation was exactly, it had gone from concerning to dangerous. Val quickly trekked back the way he came, heading to the ruined lodge.

He did not encounter any more goblins but judging by the position of the sun and the temperature beginning to drop, it was already late afternoon. The rain had let up but going by the map he was still at least a few miles away from a real town.

Reaching the lodge, he noted with surprise the still glowing stone that seemed to be just as hot as it was a couple hours earlier. What it was, he was not sure, but he did not have much time for it either. His goal was the vending machines, all he had in the car was a case of water bottles and some jerky. Not knowing what the situation was, his first priority was food and drink, and considering the situation, he did not feel too guilty about looting a couple vending machines.

"Apologies, if I get out of this alright I'll buy an annual pass and donate to the park service." Val muttered as he took out his rescue knife and smashed the glass breaker a few times against the front panel. He stuffed his backpack with as many sports drinks and snacks he could fit. Prioritizing anything with high calorie counts, he ignored all of the 'healthy' and 'mindful' snacks being peddled these days.

His pack full, Val hurriedly retreated to his car, following the trail of broken saplings. By the time he had returned, the sun was already low in the sky. With the possibility of the power being out, and the city not being alone in its destruction, finding a nearby town was risky at best. Even if he followed the interstate, it would be dark and he would not be able to clearly see danger at a distance.

Stuffing his pack in the passenger seat, he sat in the car as exhaustion overtook him. The events of the day had been mad at best and enough to threaten anyone's sanity. A sense of distress crept over him as he realized the implications of what he had seen.

*Firstly, phone's dead, car's dead, there's no one in these god forsaken woods.*

*Secondly, the park lodge is in ruins, presumably caused by that crazy stone that defies logic and seems to be its own source of energy.*

*Thirdly, somehow the city has been all but wiped off the map and no one's done a damn thing about it.*

*Lastly, either I've met an awfully different version of Bigfoot than the tabloids suggest, or I've murdered an insane, homeless dwarf cosplayer.*

*Fuck me... Have I gone mad or has the world gone mad? What I'd do for a shower and home right now...*

He fished out a pack of cigarettes from the glove compartment and lit one up, rolling down the window slightly. He knew it was not the best of habits, but it helped him think, and made the idea of looted vending machines for dinner more palatable.

"If the city is gone, and neither the National Guard or the Army have been deployed... They're either not able to respond or they've abandoned the area..." Val muttered with a frown.

*If only I knew what time it was, was I really only out for a day? That did not look like a city only just destroyed. Sigh... I hope my family's alright, can't imagine what they're doing right now.*

Val was the eldest of three siblings, having a younger brother and sister. both of his parents were academics. His father was a Dane, his mother from Japan, they met during college in America and opted to stay. While not rich, they had been better off than most but he never got along very well with his parents.

He struck out on his own once he got to university, but he kept an eye on them, his siblings especially, often in subtle ways without drawing too much attention. Birthday presents with no return address, paying some of their bills without saying anything. It was not out of guilt for leaving suddenly, more a way of paying his parents back and keeping some responsibility as an elder brother.

Fishing out a notebook and a pen, Val detailed out some of the strange things he encountered. He also started a list of things he needed if he was going to get out of the area in one piece.

*First sign of daybreak I need to get moving. I need to find some wheels... With the current situation there's bound to be some abandoned vehicles I can 'borrow'. I'll need more food and something better than this shovel in case I run into any more of those things.*

Putting out his cigarette, Val made a meal of a bit of jerky and a couple candy bars, washing it down with water. Reclining the seat he made himself as comfortable as he could be and turned in early, planning to catch daybreak the next day.

...

***tap tap tap... tap tap***

"Mmm...?" Groggy, Val struggled to open his eyes, woken by the sound.

"Uh... What?" Propping himself up on his elbows, Val lay there staring at a pair of beady eyes.

"CAAWWW!!"

"What the fuck?!" Val blurted, startled wide awake by a raven almost as large as an eagle.

***tap tap tap*** The raven continued to rap the windshield with its beak.

"Go away, shoo." He tried to shoo off the bird, waving his hands around, but the bird just cocked its head and stared at him as if he were an idiot. Maybe it was the recent head trauma or the mad series of events lately but Val was sure the bird was mocking him.

"CAAWWW!!"

"Ugh... Dumb bird, if I give you some food will you go away? Val rifled through his backpack looking for some chips or crackers he might appease the bird with.

"Dumb human, did you not learn how to express respect or gratitude?" A strange, masculine voice rasped out, causing Val to freeze for a moment.

Val quickly looked out the windows in alarm, looking for the source of the voice.

"Of all the humans I've met, few are as slow as you are. We are alone here." The voice sounded again, with a tinge of impatience, but this time replaced Val's sense of alarm with a sense of shock. The voice was coming from the large raven, still staring intently at Val through the windshield.

"... A raven is talking, I really have gone mad. I should have taken my concussion more seriously. No, I'm dreaming, I must be." Val rationalized to himself, only irritating the raven further.

"This is not a dream, and if you don't gather what little must remain inside that skull of yours, you won't last long out here either. We must leave, now. The goblin you clumsily killed and left in the open has been discovered. Others are combing the forest, disorganized and ill equipped, but they are many, and you are one, equipped with a... shovel." The raven spoke with disdain, making shockingly human expressions of annoyance with his eyes.

"More of those things? Leave? Why shoul--"

"Quiet, gather your things and leave with me now, or I'll happily bring some of them here to convince you. Leave the food, take only the water you need for a few hours. You're slow enough as it is and the food here is better served buying us time. As to the questions your small brain is filled with, leave them for the road, after we have gained a safe distance." The raven instructed sternly. Val sat there trying to process what was going on, completely glossing over the fact a literal bird-brain was belittling his.

"Now!" The raven angrily rapped on the windshield again.

Whether or not there really were more goblins patrolling the woods was not worth taking chances on, talking ravens aside, he had intended to leave at daybreak anyway. Quickly stuffing his backpack with his belongings, Val grabbed his jacket and exited the car. Full of questions-- especially regarding whether auditory hallucinations were normal after concussions, Val followed the raven north, away from the ruined city and deeper into the woods.
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