The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 41: How you play the game. (Part 1)

Chapter 41: How you play the game.

2 years 9 months 1 week 3 days After the Fall:

"Ardent!" the door to my dark cell crashed open, a stout dwarf appearing silhouetted against the light. I flinched, blocking the sight with my hand. The figure rushed forward and clasped my body. "Ardent. Thank the Great Spirit you're alive. Are you alright?"

"Shin?" I croaked.

"Yeah, it's me," he pushed a bottle into my hand. "Here drink. You sound like you just huffed smoke."

I took the liquid greedily and wet my parched throat. It wasn't just water and after a moment it felt like I could focus again.

"How long have I been here?" I asked as Shin helped me to stand.

"We lost you for three days. The others will be pleased to see you." Shin guided me out of the prison and into a brightly lit corridor.

"Kah'Seer, where is she? She's planning to betray Crysis. She sold us out."

"That-," Shin paused, his eyes drawing back. "That's been dealt with."

I stopped, "Is she dead?"

Shin looked back at me, "She... she made her choice."

"And her people?"

"They're fine... most of them at least." He sighed, "Ardent you'll need to see the outside. Things have changed."

"What do you mean?" my chest thudded in cold anticipation.

"Just follow me but know. Our dungeon, our people, they're fine."

I followed Shin out the corridor and to a spiralling set of stairs. I had been held in an underground bunker not attached to a dungeon. The stairwell however cut off abruptly as if suddenly it had been cut clean. As we reached the top I could see the reason. The sun shone down on us with barely a cloud in the sky, lighting the disaster perfectly. An enormous crater had appeared in the centre of Crysis city. The once lively space had become abandoned after the Fall but now it was nothing.

I touched the ground, and felt a find dust. Everything had been disintegrated and a clear absence now cut across the landscape with buildings half cleaved. Spots of the crater, like I had been, appeared in the open with people as dots in the distance.

"What happened?" I stared in awe and despair.

"A bomb...," Shin spoke through gritted teeth. "The bastards from the North came in droves. They had access to our network and were intent to rob us blind. We were already weakened. They had free reign. Then suddenly boom. Them and all their airships were blown away as well as most the city."

"How many people died? What about the dungeons in the area? There were dozens. Are they-?"

Shin shook his head, "Not a trace. We're searching for survivors... we were searching for you. Mate, I thought you were blown to nothing as well."

"I-," I didn't know what to say. I was relived we were fine. That my family, our dungeon, was unscathed. We were far from the city but the others.... The dungeons here held tens of thousands of people. The Crysis alliance was already near breaking. This was the final nail in the coffin. Despite all that, I had to be strong. I couldn't- we couldn't stop here. The Rift Walkers were absent but they wouldn't be for long. "We need to prepare."