Arthur hadn’t appreciated how much quicker two people got through food in comparison to just one. Once, his pack had been perfectly arranged to carry exactly the amount of food he would need on a day to day basis. He knew exactly how to ration until he got to the next town or major landmark, which he could raid for resources. He’d certainly gotten close to running out of food, but had always kept himself fed somehow, even if that involved tight rationing. This was the first time in a long time he was worried about running out.
They’d already used up the frozen and dried meats they’d found in the farmhouse. The knight was ravenously hungry for some reason. He explained it as a result of overusing magic back during the dragon fight, but Arthur didn’t believe him: someone like him just wasn’t ready for the trek and didn’t want to admit it. Paladin refused to show his face while eating, always facing away from Arthur whenever he took his helmet off and hiding his hair beneath his cloak.
It made conversation during mealtime hard, but the two didn’t exactly talk much on the road anyway. Paladin was always a few steps behind Arthur, his hand always on the hilt of his sword even when Arthur knew there were no living things for miles around. They only chatted to make sure they were going in the right direction. After how weirdly their first conversation went, and how clear it was that both had things they wanted to hide, neither of them had been that willing to talk.
On their fourth day of traveling together, they finally reached their destination.
Colony 21 was part of many planned communities on agricultural planets like Karrus, and Arthur already knew the layout relatively well. The main road dipped into a tunnel below the town, giving room for a central square that would have been host to a market. Here, farmers would have sold fresh produce that wasn’t quite good enough to sell to the wealthy planets in the Federation. Streetlights were plentiful, and the town would have been bathed in light at night, an attempt to keep criminals off the streets.
Of course, given time, Colony 21 would have taken on an identity of its own. As Arthur and Paladin walked through the main square, they could see almost every wall had art plastered on it somehow: some praising the fact they got to live on such a beautiful planet, some rebelling against the Federation. Most of it was faded now, chipped away by constant frost and graffitied over during the town’s inevitable decline and death, but it still stood as a reminder that humanity lived here once. The people of this town still existed in some form.
“We need to find the scrapyard,” Arthur explained. “Most likely, it’ll be on the edge of town, near where the main road comes out of the tunnel. Might also be worth hunting for some food ‘round here. Doubt the locals are gonna need it.”
Paladin nodded. “I suggest we stick together.”
“Yup. Never thought to pick up a communicator before I met you.”
The trek through the town began in earnest. Arthur was quick about checking houses, already knowing what it looked like when one had been broken into already. He found a few tins of food that were useful to him, but most of it had already been taken a long time ago. However, he also found a few plastic bottles of water, which right now was infinitely more useful to him than food was. Paladin waited outside, clearly uncomfortable about breaking into other people’s houses, even if they were dead.
He must be from another universe, Arthur thought. He’s too damn noble to survive out here.
Once they reached the city outskirts, the scrapyard was delightfully easy to find. The massive piles of metal were blocked by what had once been a fence next to the main road. Now, the fence had been broken down and torn up, clearly from people trying to salvage parts from it and now they couldn’t import machinery from the wider Federation.
“Makes you wonder why they ever threw it away to start with,” Arthur muttered to himself.
The two approached what had once been a side entrance for the scrapyard, presumably for people working in the town. Large health and safety signs covered this entrance, but what they said had long since been hidden under layers of spray paint and ice. The only thing that wasn’t was a diary entry that was somehow trapped in the chainlinks. Arthur pulled it free to find the handwriting he knew all too well.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Date: September 24th
Days since departure: 209
Interactions: The family of farmers, for the last time.
Expenditures: 70 Sel, to get off world.
I was sad to say goodbye to the farmers, even though it’s been less than a week. Most of the farmers I’ve stayed with have been so grouchy (not their fault, job’s hard!), but this family was so upbeat and supportive of each other. Made sure I asked for another slice of the apple crumble before I left. Might be the best I’ve ever had. I have a picture of them in my back pocket. It was a nice calm before the storm.
They dropped me off in Colony 21, where I can hitchhike back to the city. It’s a long way away, I don’t blame them for not driving me out there. I have enough money to book a flight to Berethian. I hear it’s super cold over there, so I’m enjoying the heat while I still can. I think I was close to acclimatising properly, but as always, I had to move on before that happened. Flight’s early, so I could avoid finding lodgings in the city and just sleep in space.
In terms of planets I’ve been to, I’d give Karrus a 7/10. Everything’s super clean and everyone’s friendly, and the weather’s nice, but transport is clearly just designed for commercial use and the landscapes get repetitive after a while. Fields of corn are nice, but not for 3 hours!
Once I reach Berethian, the challenge is getting to the Clocktower. It’s daunting, but I’ve had time to plan. I know I can do this.
“We’re on the right track,” Arthur said. “Our next stop is Berethian.”
Paladin looked confused. “What is this?”
“A diary entry.”
Arthur opened up his pack and pulled out the binder, locking it in with the other entries he’d found. Paladin quickly realised they were from the same diary.
“Are these a common part of this universe?” He asked.
Arthur chuckled as he pushed the binder back into the pack. “They are for me.”
For the first time since they’d left the burning farmhouse, Paladin relaxed a little. “Is this why you’re on your journey?”
“I mean, kinda,” Arthur sighed. “I didn’t start wanting to go to the centre of the universe. I left home because my colony just had too many mouths to feed. I was one of the most physically able, and I thought that maybe I could find a better life if we reached the galactic fringe, where the Rot might be a little better. So, one day, I grabbed a few things I needed to survive and left.”
He looked up to the ticking gears above him as he continued. “I got to a city near my hometown. I thought I’d find some people there. Rot wasn’t this bad at the time, and there were still pockets of civilization around the galaxy. I found a ruin. It got into a fight with the dragons. Lost, of course. So many bodies littered the streets. I’ll never forget the gears beginning to pierce their hearts…”
Arthur trailed off before remembering what he was talking about. “Anyway, in the middle of this whole mess I found the first one of these.” He held up the binder. “It was about a girl from a few planets over, who’d just left on a journey to the Clocktower. ‘Course, the Clocktower’s at the centre of the galaxy, and we lived on the edge. Plus, it’s nowhere near another planet, and there’s no direct spaceship to it. It’s a massive pilgrimage, and exceptionally expensive. That was before the dragons took residence of course, and I’m pretty sure these were written pre-apocalypse. You know where that diary entry was? Pinned to the only working fightercraft for miles around.”
“You think the diary entries are leading you somewhere?” Paladin asked.
Arthur nodded. “At first, I thought it had to be a coincidence. The diary said the next planet she was going to, so I followed it. Soon as I land and the craft runs out of fuel, another diary entry. I believe in coincidences, I really do…but this can’t be one. Anyway, that’s why I’m on a massive intergalactic trek to the home of a dragon army. Call me crazy, but…” He sighed. “This is my calling. Something wants me at the Clocktower. Nothing better to do in this shitty universe than answer its call.”
“You’re a brave man,” Paladin said. “I’ve seen many flee from a quest that grand.”
“Sure. So, what about you? Why do you want to go to the Clocktower?”
“To slay a dragon, of course. What else is a knight to do?”
Arthur looked at him, smiling a little, before laughing. It was the first time in ages he’d let out a genuine laugh.
“Yeah, obviously. Alright, let’s get off this frozen husk of a world already.”
Paladin nodded, and the two walked into the junkyard, hoping to find something miraculous.
