Chapter 37. Brick By Brick

  Raven rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he stepped out of the tent. The sun was creeping over the rooftops, painting the town hall and surrounding buildings in hues of gold and amber. He stretched, rolling his shoulders, and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. His body still ached from the battle, and the exhaustion clung to him, but despite it all, he felt a flicker of excitement.

  He was going home.

  It was funny to think of the hospital that way. It hadn’t even been a full week, yet it had already become his anchor in the chaos. Maybe it wasn’t home, not really. But it was the first place since the world fell apart where he’d felt like he belonged.

  Shaking off the thought, he made his way toward the kitchens. The line wasn’t too bad this early, just a handful of tired men and women clutching tin bowls, waiting their turn. As he reached the front, a cook ladled a thick scoop of porridge into a tray and slid it across the counter.

  "Eat up, hero," the woman behind the counter quipped with a small smirk, recognizing him from the battle.

  Raven rolled his eyes. "Just Raven, thanks."

  She shrugged. "Doesn't change what you did."

  Ignoring the comment, he grabbed a plastic spoon and moved toward the town hall. He wanted to check in with Lisa one last time before heading out.

  Lisa was already at work when he entered, scanning a map with a few of her scouts. The moment she saw him, she dismissed them with a nod and gestured for him to sit.

  "Heading out soon?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.

  Raven nodded, scooping a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. It was lukewarm and bland, but it did the job. "Figured I’d eat first, then get moving."

  Lisa studied him for a moment before speaking. "What’s your plan from here?"

  He paused mid-bite, considering his words. "I have somewhere else to be."

  Her gaze sharpened. "You’re not going to tell me where it is, are you?"

  "Not yet." He set his spoon down, meeting her eyes. "You’ll find that creatures spawn everywhere away from your sink. If you want to send men out searching for us, that’s your choice. But for now, I’d rather you didn’t know."

  Lisa didn’t look offended. If anything, she looked amused. "You’re cautious. That’s good. But you don’t need to worry about that, Raven. I personally consider you a hero, and after what you did at the fort, so do most of my scouts."

  Raven frowned. "I'm not a hero."

  Lisa chuckled. "That’s what all the heroes say."

  He shook his head and picked up his tray, standing. "We’ll talk more about an alliance when you’re more established. Until then, I hope what I’ve done so far is enough to keep things civil."

  "Oh, we’re past civil," Lisa said with a smirk. "I owe you. Just don’t disappear for too long."

  Raven gave a nod before turning to leave. He had a long walk ahead of him.

  Raven gathered Carlos and Reynolds, and told them it was time to go. Reynolds’s face clouded with concern as he replied, “I won’t be going.” He paused, weighing his words. “I think it’s important to keep an eye on how things develop here. I’ve also found my family among the survivors.” Raven understood immediately. He nodded and promised to update Wilkes, assuring Arthur not to worry. Carlos and Raven made their way out, heading back towards the hospital.

  The distance was only a few kilometres, but with the constant need to eliminate creatures roaming the streets, it felt like an eternity. Thankfully, they hadn’t encountered any concerning numbers of goblins, which allowed them to focus more on their destination. As they walked, Raven began explaining more about ether to Carlos. The man’s natural connection to it was becoming clearer—Carlos had a skill called Flame Spout. It allowed him to send a burst of flame from his hands to anywhere within about thirty meters. It was incredibly dangerous, but Carlos was cautious and skilled with it. Raven was grateful, because if Carlos lost control, the entire city could be in flames.

  As they neared the charred remains of the apartments, Raven’s nerves kicked up. He paused in an alley, spotting movement among the ruins. His senses told him something wasn’t right. Through the smoke and rubble, he saw goblins clearing away debris. Raven remembered the strange ether sink he’d sensed beneath the apartments. The goblins were digging, and that made him uneasy.

  “Stay here,” Raven instructed Carlos. “I’m going to scout.”

  He moved silently around the square, taking note of the goblins’ positions. There were about thirty of them, and though there were no brutes, a few of the armoured ones stood out. The odds were manageable—if they were smart. After a quick survey, Raven returned to Carlos.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “There are about thirty of them, no brutes, but a few armoured ones. We can take them, but we’ll need to act fast.”

  Carlos nodded, his expression serious. Raven outlined the plan: they’d burn as many of them as they could while the goblins were still digging in the hole. The two of them crept closer, using the rear wall of the apartments for cover. As they neared the goblins, they waited. Once a large portion of the goblins walked back towards the hole after dumping debris, Carlos ignited the air. The screams of burning goblins echoed through the ruins. Raven would likely have nightmares from the sound later, but for now, it was his turn.

  He bolted from cover, closing the distance to the nearest goblin in a flash. With a quick slash, he slit its throat before moving on. His skill—phasing in and out—allowed him to cut down goblins with precision. The dozen or so that survived Carlos’s initial attack fell quickly under Raven’s relentless assault. The area was cleared.

  Raven peered into the hole. The goblins hadn’t gotten very far down, but the odd ether sink was still there, and he knew it was something he would have to return to later. The two of them left the area, heading towards the hospital.

  Unbeknownst to them, perched on a high vantage point, an old goblin watched the carnage unfold. His gnarled face twisted with rage, but he didn’t act on his rage. The ether construct beneath the ruins was far too important. He had to wait. Patience was key. Beside him, a brutish goblin growled, its desire for action evident. The wizened goblin placed a hand on the brute’s shoulder, calming it. “Patience,” he murmured. “Soon. Soon it will be time.”

  Raven and Carlos moved quickly, leaving the ruined apartments behind them. The air was thick with the lingering scent of charred goblin flesh, but neither spoke about it. They had done what needed to be done. The city was still full of monsters, and the fact that the goblins were so intent on digging up that ether construct worried Raven more than he cared to admit.

  They needed to get home.

  The streets leading to the hospital were quieter than he expected, the usual roaming creatures reduced to sporadic encounters. A lone goblin here, a twisted dog there—nothing either of them couldn’t handle. Even so, the silence felt wrong.

  "Feels too empty," Carlos muttered, echoing Raven’s thoughts.

  "Yeah," Raven agreed, scanning their surroundings. "Either we killed off too many, or something bigger moved in."

  As Raven and Carlos rounded the final corner leading to the plaza, Raven came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in disbelief.

  The entrance to the plaza, once an open street leading straight to the hospital, was now sealed by a solid brick wall with a reinforced wooden gate, fitted snugly into an arched frame. Above the wall, two recruits stood on wooden platforms, crossbows in hand, scanning the street for any threats. The sight of an actual fortified checkpoint left Raven momentarily speechless.

  Carlos let out a low whistle. “Damn. They weren’t messing around.”

  As they approached, the heavy wooden gates swung open, revealing a third man inside who had just removed the thick wooden beam securing them. Without a word, the man gave Raven a nod and stepped aside, allowing them to pass through.

  Inside, Raven was struck by the sheer amount of progress that had taken place in the short time he’d been gone. Several of the abandoned buildings that had once cluttered the edges of the plaza were now partially deconstructed, their brick and timber stripped away and piled neatly outside what was supposed to be their new workshop.

  But what caught his attention most were the two massive constructs sitting outside the building. Each was at least fifty feet long, and as Raven watched, a group of workers pushed broken concrete and old bricks into a chute at one end of what he assumed was the masonry construct. Moments later, perfectly shaped bricks came rolling out the other side, stacked and gathered by a team of two who stood at a nearby ledger, checking something off as they worked.

  Raven turned to Carlos, eyes still wide. “Holy shit.”

  Carlos looked stunned. “I didn’t realize how well-established you guys are.”

  As they made their way toward the hospital building, a familiar figure rushed out to greet them—Liu.

  “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she teased, arms crossed but a smirk on her face.

  Carlos, ever the blunt one, clapped Raven on the shoulder. “You wouldn’t believe what this guy gets up to. Almost got himself killed, like, three times.”

  Liu arched an eyebrow. “Only three? Sounds like he was slacking.”

  Raven rolled his eyes. “Nice to see you too, Liu. Where’s Wilkes?”

  “Where else? At his desk, buried in work.” She gestured toward the hospital doors. “Go on, he’s expecting you.”

  Carlos muttered something about getting food and made his way toward the cafeteria while Raven continued inside.

  Stepping into Wilkes’ makeshift office, he was hit by another surprise. The room had been completely reorganized. Gone were the cluttered piles of paper and random supplies strewn across makeshift desks. Now, the space resembled a proper office, complete with neatly stacked reports, a map of the city pinned to one wall, and a desk that actually looked usable.

  Wilkes, as always, sat behind that desk, pen in hand, barely looking up as Raven entered.

  “You’re back,” he said, voice even, but Raven caught the flicker of relief behind his sharp gaze.

  “Welcome home. Report.”

  Raven detailed everything—the fortifications at the town hall, the divide between Trenholm and Lisa, the successful raid on the goblin stronghold, and finally, his concerns about the ether sink beneath the ruined apartments. He kept his tone level, remaining optimistic about the alliances they could forge but cautious about the lurking dangers.

  Wilkes listened without interruption, his sharp gaze flicking between Raven and the notes he scribbled down. Occasionally, he nodded, filing away important details. Other times, his expression darkened, particularly when Raven described the possibility of goblins digging toward the sink. By the time Raven finished, Wilkes sat back in his chair, crossing his arms, expression unreadable.

  Then, after a beat, he sighed and shook his head.

  “You did good, Raven.” His voice carried genuine approval, but before Raven could respond, Wilkes’ finger snapped up, pointing directly at him.

  “But If you ever drop two hundred people on me again, I will skin you and hang you over the wall.”

  Raven blinked.

  Then snorted. “That much of a hassle?”

  Wilkes let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples before leveling him with a tired glare. “You don’t know the half of it. That Liu is a miracle worker. We’re still sorting out accommodation, but she’s got every single one of them working, and somehow, we’re getting more done than I honestly thought possible.”

  Raven smirked. “You’re welcome?”

  Wilkes stared at him for a long moment.

  Then he sighed again.

  “Get out of my office.”