CHAPTER 5 – LEARNING THE WORLD
Johnny had walked a good distance from his campsite heading for the main gates.
"This is going to be tough Albert." He spoke. "I don't know anything about this world. Including the languages or how to pronounce words. One of the first things I'll need to do is find a library in this city." Stated Johnny as he walked his way carefully walked up to the main gate of the city.
Johnny looked at all the people around him and heard many conversations going on. Unsure of what everyone was saying. He asked Albert to record every conversation so he could translate it later when he found a library.
As Johnny approached the city people began to get out of Johnny's way. Some bowed to him while others quickly fled out of the way. Johnny asked Albert out of curiosity. "Why is everyone parting from around me? This is just like Moses and the parting of Red Sea." Asked Johnny with a curious tone.
Albert replied with. "I made the stealth glamour look to the people as some important being to them. Albert replied.
"Well guess that makes sense. Gotta love technology." Replied Johnny as they walked up to the main gate without issue.
Johnny saw and heard the guards asking something. Although he couldn't make out what was going on from the conversation. He picked up from the actions of the people around. People were having their goods searched and having to pay a gate toll into the city. None of the guards or anyone else paid attention to Johnny.
"Should we just walk in?" Johnny asked Albert.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Replied Albert, Johnny was hesitant at first when a guard noticed Johnny. Johnny began to panic. The guard said something Johnny couldn't make out but pointed him into the city. Johnny relaxed and just shrugged and walked in.
Johnny made his way through the opening gates to see a site of despair. The smell was overwhelming to him. He tried to hold in from puking from the smell. Along the road he took he realized these must be the slums of the city. The buildings were in total disrepair and rundown. They were poorly constructed with anything that could be used to hold them together. Most were made of rotting wood with broken windows boarded up. Many buildings were no taller than two or three stories in height.
Johnny then got a look at the people. Most of the people had despair written on their faces. While others just stood around going on with their daily lives, Some looked at him with a sneer while others just walked away in fear. Johnny had a confused look and wanted to ask Albert. Then he remembered the glamour made him look like someone important.
He wondered why these people had to live in the slums like this. Seems poverty is everywhere you go no matter where you are. He thought with an empathy for the citizens. He quickly was taken away from his thoughts when the smell from sewers became too much. He ended up passing what he thought was a bathhouse. The smell was very overwhelming. The people smelled just as bad. Johnny tried to breathe for air. Asked Albert for help.
"This place smells like high heaven. I think my nose is going to puke. Is there any way to get rid of the smell for me, Albert." Johnny complained as he held his nose. Albert quickly made the stealth glamour change, so Johnny didn't need to smell the stench. "Thanks Albert. Replied Johnny with relief.
Johnny then looked up the road. He saw another gate that was a third of the way towards the center of the city. From there he could see even taller buildings. That were much nicer in design. He wanted to get away from the slums and find a library. Which he knew wasn't going to be anywhere around here. He made his way to the next gate. He was surprised when he was let through with no issue.
The city was nicer and cleaner in the new section. The buildings were built much nicer and sturdier. The buildings had five to six levels. They were made with brick, stone, masonry, and all other sorts of fine materials.
Johnny got a good look at the people in this part of the city. They were better dressed but not as fancy. They greeted him with enthusiasm. He wanted to say something back, but he still couldn't communicate. He just nodded in response hoping that was enough.
Johnny looked down the road to see another gate, Past the third gate was a red crystal palace. There were even more taller buildings with even more expensive materials they were made from. He tried to approach the third gate but was given a blank look from the guards. He tried to go through the gate but was pushed back by an invisible force. The guards then yelled at Johnny pointing at him. Their gesture suggested to Johnny he needed to leave. That is what he did as he decided to explore more of the second part of the city.
Johnny spent the next few hours trying to look for anything that was a library. He soon got bored and asked Albert for help. "Hey Albert. Can you help me search around for anything that might be a library. Replied Johnny.
"I'll do my best to find one." Replied Albert.
Johnny and Albert spent the morning looking for a library with no luck. After more hours of walking Johnny was getting tired and hungry. I need to find a quiet spot to get something to eat and rest for a bit. Johnny thought.
"Hey, Albert, can you find somewhere where no one can bother us while I make a meal?" Asked Johnny.
"Sure thing." Replied Albert.
Albert spent a few minutes going over a good location he had mapped out of the city for Johnny to take a break. Unfortunately, the location was in the slums. They had to make their way back through the gates. Johnny was thankful he didn't have to deal with the smell again.
"There is an abandoned warehouse of some sorts that is out of sight." Replied Albert.
"Thanks for the intel, Albert." Replied Johnny.
He and Albert went to the location Albert suggested. The warehouse was in a rough shape. Windows were broken with cracks in the walls and ceiling. There were wooden crates and barrels stacked around in neat piles. While others had been opened or thrown and broken apart left to rot.
Johnny found a room in the middle of the warehouse where he could relax. Johnny began to prepare a fire from the core fragment. He pulled out supplies to make food. He was planning on making himself a burger with fries for lunch. When Albert began to warn him of someone watching them. Johnny quickly put the stuff back into the core and put out the fire. He hid in the room; hopefully no one would see him.
"So much for a good lunch." Grunted Johnny.
"How do you suppose they tracked us, Albert?" He asked softly hoping no one would hear.
"I am honestly, not sure." Replied Albert.
Johnny waited tensely as Albert was giving them the location of whoever was watching them. "Can you create a distraction so I can make a run for it, Albert?"
Albert did just that. Albert appeared near whoever was watching them. He shot out a blast of energy at a bunch of nearby barrels. Unfortunately. Albert's energy beam ignited the contents of the barrels. They exploded with such force Johnny was blown out of a window into the street. His glamour dispelled from the impact. People working around the industrial site were in shock to see Johnny flying onto the street.
Johnny rolled onto his back groaning. "What the heck Albert." He grumbled as he started to get up. He was about to reactivate glamour over his racing suit to run and hide from the industrial workers. Who were staring at him in shock and fear. Before he could activate the glamour, a figure burst out from a wall of the burning warehouse. The building was now engulfed in fire and exploding.
Johnny stood in shock to see a tall muscular orc. The orc spoke in a language he couldn't understand. Albert then appeared next to Johnny. "We need to get out of here." Johnny said in a worrying tone. Johnny took off with the orc yelling at him. The orc said something he couldn't hear under it's breath. He tried to activate stealth mode but felt a dull tingle in his body. For some unknown reason he couldn't activate it. The orc was now casting magic at Johnny as he ran. "An orc shaman, just what I needed." Grunted Johnny.
The whole industrial yard was in chaos. The fire from the run-down warehouse now had reached another nearby building. The flames were beginning to spread to other nearby structures. Workers, soldiers, and civilians alike were rushing out to put out the fires. Johnny caught sight of a few mages casting water onto the fires as he ran. The orc was in hot pursuit of Johnny. He yelled and barked orders at other soldiers to help him. The odds were not in Johnny's favor of getting away.
"I need an escape route Albert." He said as he ran heaving in and out for breath.
"There is a canal about three blocks from here that leads to the lake." Replied Albert. Johnny kept running by other people giving him wide eyes.
Johnny asked Albert to create roadblocks to slow down his pursuers. "Don't use the energy beam again please but do whatever it takes without causing structural or property damage to stop them."
Albert created several walled barriers to slow the orc down. The orc had to blast his way through the blockades with fire magic. While the soldiers waited or tried to find other ways around. A few guards tried to apprehend Johnny with fists. It seemed to Johnny he was wanted unharmed. He managed to subdue the guards with fist blows. This, however, slowed him down more.
Johnny had made it to the canal and jumped in. The water was cold to the touch. Johnny waded throw the canal. He now had another problem. A grate blocked his escape access to the lake. "Albert!" He yelled in a panic. Albert appeared next to him and asked. "What is it?" Albert replied. "I need to blast a hole in the metal grate." Johnny pleaded in desperation. Albert blew apart the metal grate for him with a loud boom.
As Albert blew the grate apart Johnny heard shouting and the sounds of footsteps. He turned around to see the orc with guards in tow just a few dozen yards away on a bridge. The orc said something to Johnny. Again, he couldn't understand. He just shook his head. Then the orc jumped down and started running towards Johnny. Without thinking Johnny turned and leapt from the canal as he shouted "Geronimo."
He plunged right into the lake and swam to shore. He saw the prototype by the edge of the lake. He dragged himself out of the water as he tried to run to the prototype. His wet body and clothes made him drag his feet. By this point Johnny was physically exhausted. He looked back up where he had jumped from and saw the orc was hot on his heels. He was using some sort of air magic to float over the lake to reach Johnny. Oh crap. Thought Johnny. As he dragged his wet body towards the prototype.
Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to get into the prototype. The orc landed on the shore. He sped across the campsite towards Johnny. Johnny tried to call Albert for help, but he was too slow. The orc punched Johnny in the gut with such force it knocked the wind out of him. He gasped for breath; he looked up at the orc who was smiling with a devious grim before he fell unconscious.