Page 1 of 35 §f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽§0§lInto§fﯭ§0§lThe§fﯭ§0§lGrey§f﷽﷽§0
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§f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽§0§n__________§f﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽§0Written§fﷴ§0By§f﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽﷽§0§lGTAIV§f﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
Page 2 of 35 §lCity of Rain§0
§0
§0Small droplets of misty§0
§0rain had finally begun§0
§0falling from the grey sky.§0
§0The clouds seemed to§0
§0buckle and roll off the§0
§0edges of the distant hills§0
§0and into the valley, where§0
§0they were now opening§0
§0themselves and releasing§0
§0raindrops over§0
Page 3 of 35 the loading yard. Lucas§0
§0watched from below the§0
§0small awning of the main§0
§0building as the ground, a§0
§0patchwork of cobblestone§0
§0and gravel, began to gleam§0
§0and reflect the light of§0
§0the clouds. The large gate§0
§0leading to the road was§0
§0opening every once in a§0
§0while
Page 4 of 35 as horse-drawn carts§0
§0entered, their great§0
§0wooden wheels passing§0
§0over the mud. Behind them,§0
§0a handful of tall§0
§0smokestacks towered from§0
§0somewhere over the wall,§0
§0belching thick black smoke§0
§0that sharply contrasted§0
§0with the monotone sky.§0
§0
§0He heard his§0
Page 5 of 35 name being called as a§0
§0factory worker walked§0
§0out of the main loading§0
§0doors, gesturing over to§0
§0him.§0
§0
§0Lucas bundled up his coat,§0
§0hunched his head down and§0
§0headed out into the rain.§0
§0They had to yell to be§0
§0understood over the loud§0
§0droning of the compactors§0
§0in
Page 6 of 35 the factory.§0
§0
§0"6 DCs of dark spruce to§0
§0Norvansgard?" Lucas§0
§0nodded. "We're loading§0
§0your cart now". The man§0
§0held out a piece of paper.§0
§0"Here's your POD".§0
§0
§0"Thanks".§0
§0
§0He walked back out into§0
§0the rain as the factory§0
Page 7 of 35 workers pushed§0
§0doublechests onto the§0
§0loading dock, where small§0
§0droplets fell onto their§0
§0coarse wood. He stopped§0
§0to inspect his cart,§0
§0momentarily tuning out§0
§0the hubris of the loading§0
§0yard as he focused on the§0
§0wooden beams and wheels.§0
§0He knew there was a§0
Page 8 of 35 long journey ahead. This§0
§0was no short hop from§0
§0Augusta to Civcorp along§0
§0that Southern Highway he§0
§0knew so well. It had been§0
§0a long time since he had to§0
§0deliver a load this far§0
§0north. The droplets falling§0
§0onto his head and back§0
§0seemed to grow stronger,§0
§0and§0
Page 9 of 35 the water pooled around§0
§0his feet.§0
§0
§0The door of his carriage§0
§0slammed shut as he fell§0
§0into his seat. Clutching§0
§0the reins of his two§0
§0horses, he pulled, stirring§0
§0them from idleness. The§0
§0cabin creaked as he leaned§0
§0out of the side, watching§0
§0as the workers§0
Page 10 of 35 closed up the back of his§0
§0cart.§0
§0
§0"They're all loaded. Hurry§0
§0up, we need loading bay§0
§0three clear!", they shouted,§0
§0slapping the back of his§0
§0cart. Lucas stuck his hand§0
§0out and waved as he§0
§0pulled on the reins. The§0
§0burdened cart rumbled§0
§0down the lot,§0
Page 11 of 35 past the opened gate and§0
§0onto the main§0
§0thoroughfare.§0
Page 12 of 35 §lThe Open Road§0
§0
§0The cart trundled along§0
§0the boulevard as rain fell§0
§0down onto the street§0
§0ahead of him. The large§0
§0avenue was clogged with§0
§0all manners of horses,§0
§0carts and carriages, moving§0
§0slowly around each other.§0
§0The tall cypress trees§0
§0lining the§0
Page 13 of 35 road towered above them,§0
§0planted long before this§0
§0neighborhood had become§0
§0an industrial zone. Their§0
§0leaves, once vibrant and§0
§0green, meant to give§0
§0pleasant shade to the§0
§0streets of an upscale§0
§0residential neighborhood,§0
§0seemed yellowed by the§0
§0charcoal soot§0
Page 14 of 35 from the chimneys and§0
§0factories everywhere§0
§0around them. Lucas was§0
§0slowly picking up speed as§0
§0he got further and§0
§0further from the city§0
§0core, passing the road§0
§0signs indicating the§0
§0upcoming interchange with§0
§0the North-South§0
§0Highway. The amount of§0
§0buildings§0
Page 15 of 35 lining the road diminished,§0
§0more and more empty plots§0
§0and untouched trees§0
§0passed him by, less and less§0
§0traffic appeared on the§0
§0road until finally he§0
§0steered his cart onto the§0
§0asphalt of the§0
§0North-South Highway.§0
§0Pulling on the reins, his§0
§0horses sped§0
Page 16 of 35 faster, their hooves§0
§0kicking up water where it§0
§0was picked up by the§0
§0large, fast-turning wheels§0
§0of the cart's underbelly§0
§0and flung off far behind§0
§0him. The unending rain fell§0
§0through the haze all§0
§0around as he settled§0
§0comfortably into his seat,§0
§0his eyes§0
Page 17 of 35 focusing on the misty§0
§0northerly road ahead.§0
§0
§0* * *§0
§0
§0A loud beeping sound filled§0
§0the cabin, interrupting§0
§0Lucas' reverie. Quickly, he§0
§0held his reins bunched in§0
§0one hand and used his§0
§0other to reach down to§0
§0the discordbox, adjusting§0
Page 18 of 35 the knobs and scanning§0
§0for channels. It had been§0
§0a couple of hours since he§0
§0had left the southern§0
§0valleys and night had now§0
§0fallen on the plains all§0
§0around the highway. The§0
§0redstone lights affixed to§0
§0the cart illuminated a small§0
§0patch of road in front of§0
Page 19 of 35 him, lighting up the falling§0
§0rain in the night.§0
§0
§0"Weather alert. Weather§0
§0alert". The automated§0
§0voice of a meteorologist§0
§0bot emanated from the§0
§0discordbox over the§0
§0background noise of the§0
§0wheels passing over wet§0
§0asphalt. "Severe storm§0
§0system originating§0
Page 20 of 35 from the Icy Easterns of§0
§0Napistan is descending on§0
§0the mid-shard area.§0
§0Precipitation warning is§0
§0now in effect". Lucas§0
§0turned down the volume as§0
§0the message repeated. He§0
§0muttered under his breath,§0
§0looking out of the cabin§0
§0and into the pitch black§0
§0night.§0
Page 21 of 35 The air had become§0
§0noticeably colder and he§0
§0could tell that he was§0
§0gaining altitude. The§0
§0horses slowed slightly as§0
§0they chugged up the§0
§0incline. Occasionally, a§0
§0horseman or a carriage§0
§0would appear traveling in§0
§0the opposite direction,§0
§0their redstone lights§0
Page 22 of 35 shining bright until they§0
§0passed him at speed and§0
§0disappeared again into the§0
§0night. Somewhere behind§0
§0him, the torches of a small§0
§0village nestled in the valley§0
§0glimmered through the§0
§0rainy night as he pressed§0
§0on.§0
§0
§0The rain turned to snow§0
§0as the road twisted
Page 23 of 35 and curved along the side§0
§0of the mountain. The§0
§0highway ahead became§0
§0white, the loud noise of§0
§0the rain slowly replaced by§0
§0the quieter sound of the§0
§0wheels pushing through§0
§0virgin snowfall. He was§0
§0nearing the pass. The§0
§0weather alert had§0
§0repeated§0
Page 24 of 35 again, giving some more§0
§0information, but the signal§0
§0was now becoming lost and§0
§0scrambled. He bent down§0
§0to try to read the§0
§0discordbox and find the§0
§0right channel. The cart§0
§0swerved in the night,§0
§0Lucas glanced back up and§0
§0immediately pushed his reins§0
§0all the§0
Page 25 of 35 way forward, slamming on§0
§0the brakes.§0
§0
§0The cart creaked to a§0
§0stop as the horses neighed§0
§0and complained. Lucas kept§0
§0still as he looked out of§0
§0the cabin. Down the road,§0
§0the lights on his cart§0
§0illuminated the white snow§0
§0covering the highway§0
§0stained dark red.§0
Page 26 of 35 The corpse of a mountain§0
§0sheep, momentarily§0
§0unmoving, and then§0
§0appearing to lift itself§0
§0unnaturally and fall back§0
§0onto the ground. The§0
§0sound of gnashing and§0
§0eating. Powerful canine§0
§0teeth sunk themselves into§0
§0the meat and tendons as§0
§0snow falls quietly all§0
Page 27 of 35 around. Lucas recognized§0
§0it immediately, remembering§0
§0the warning given to§0
§0newfriends not to wander§0
§0past the lit streets of the§0
§0cities. Remembering when he§0
§0himself was just a new§0
§0player, only the clothes on§0
§0his back to his name,§0
§0seeing a farmer shoulder a§0
Page 28 of 35 longbow and shoot one§0
§0that had wandered onto§0
§0the fields on the outskirts§0
§0of the village. His hand§0
§0slowly reached down and§0
§0felt beneath the cabin§0
§0seat. He always kept it§0
§0tucked away beside him,§0
§0but where were the§0
§0arrows? One of his horses§0
§0whinnied loudly§0
Page 29 of 35 and the Big Dog looked up,§0
§0growling. Lucas was§0
§0reaching down, his hand§0
§0finally grasping an arrow§0
§0from the quiver. He loaded§0
§0it into the bow loudly and§0
§0clumsily. The Big Dog§0
§0circled away from the§0
§0corpse and towards the§0
§0cart. Lucas' mind§0
Page 30 of 35 flashed to the tamed§0
§0wolves of CivCorp's pet§0
§0shop. He never could have§0
§0imagined how much larger§0
§0this thing was up close.§0
§0Its snout was long,§0
§0snarling, covered in red§0
§0sheep's blood. Its eyes§0
§0were bloodshot with§0
§0inexplainable fury and§0
§0rage, two large ears§0
Page 31 of 35 standing up on edge, a§0
§0powerful body slowly§0
§0stalking the night and§0
§0meandering closer and§0
§0closer to the cart. Lucas§0
§0made eye contact with it,§0
§0momentarily he thought§0
§0about raising the bow to§0
§0the window and putting§0
§0an arrow through the§0
§0beast's head. Instead,
Page 32 of 35 he set it down on the§0
§0bench, grabbed the reins,§0
§0and slowly pulled back. The§0
§0wheels creaked and moved,§0
§0slipping for a second in§0
§0the snow, his cart passing§0
§0over the red patch and§0
§0the corpse in the road,§0
§0accelerating now. He§0
§0looked back, watching as§0
§0the§0
Page 33 of 35 shadow of the canine§0
§0figure faded. Two red eyes§0
§0returned to the darkness§0
§0from which they had§0
§0emerged.§0
Page 35 of 35 §f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽§0Hand§f﷽§0Made§f﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽§0In§fﷴ§0Augusta§f﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽§0Printed§f﷽§0At§f﷽﷽﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽§0§oDar§fﷴ§0§oel-Villa§f﷽﷽﷽§0
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§f﷽﷽﷽§0Edited§fﷴﷴ§0By§0
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§f﷽§0
§f﷽﷽﷽§0APR§fﷴﷴ§02020§f﷽﷽﷽§0
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