Chef in the Apocalypse

As Jayce fought for his life in the dark, monster-infested forest, Colin and the rest of the party, along with the survivors they had encountered earlier, made their rushed journey back to Bastion.

The city’s walls that were under construction finally came into view, but there was little time for celebration. The urgency of their message weighed heavily on Colin’s mind. He knew that every moment counted, and that their Leader, Jayce, was out there, facing the horrors of the Beast Tide.

As they entered Bastion, the familiar sights and sounds of the city struck them with a mix of comfort and anxiety. Despite it only being 3 months since they had settled in the city, they had made some great progress in rebuilding, however even from just a cursory glance, Colin could tell that it would not be enough to withstand the beast tide.

Colin split up the party to look through the city streets, seeking out Dion, the Paladin who was one of the key leaders within Bastion. When they finally found him overseeing the construction of a barricade, they wasted no time in delivering the urgent news.

"Dion!" Colin called out, drawing the man’s attention. Hearing the urgency in his tone, Dion quickly came over and lent his ear. "We’ve encountered a Beast Tide, and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. Thousands of monsters, Dion, heading this way."

Dion’s eyes widened in shock, his expression quickly turning serious. "A Beast tide? Thousands of monsters?" he had never heard of anything of the like before and was instantly filled with anxiety. He noticed that Jayce was not with Colin, increasing his anxiety even more.

"Where is Jayce?" Dion asked, his voice filled with concern.

"The leader is scouting for survivors, and checking out the scale of the Beast Tide." Colin replied curtly.

"They’re close, Dion," Colin continued, "We need to prepare immediately. Gather all the able-bodied residents. We have to focus on fortifying our defenses and be ready for the worst."

Dion’s voice, filled with urgency, cut through the hustle and bustle of the town as he issued orders to the residents.

"Stop all work on the reconstruction," he commanded, his authoritative tone leaving no room for hesitation. "All construction will now be focused on the city walls. Gather your tools and head to the gates."

The residents, though taken aback by the sudden change in plans, knew better than to question Dion’s orders. They had seen him in action before, leading them through perilous times in the past, and they trusted his judgment, however despite not asking for clarification, there were a few who still held anxious looks.

As tools were set aside, and construction halted, the atmosphere in Bastion shifted from one of rebuilding to one of preparation. Amidst the organized chaos, Kane, the suited-up ally of Dion, approached. He had been overseeing the rebuilding efforts, and the abrupt shift in priorities caught his attention.

"Dion," Kane called out, concern etching his features, "what’s happening? Why the sudden change?"

Dion turned to face his friend, his expression grave. "Kane, there is a Beast Tide coming. Colin and the others encountered it in the east. Thousands of monsters are heading this way."

Kane’s eyes widened in alarm, and his face hardened, understanding the gravity of the situation. "How long do we have?"

Colin’s face was grim as he replied, "3 days at the least, hopefully longer."

Letting out a stifled curse, Kane eventually responded, "I see. We need to be prepared. Let me gather some things and spread the word. We’ll mobilize everyone for defense."

Dion nodded, however he was not too confident in their chances, at least as it stood right now. If they had another 3 months instead of 3 days, that would be a different story.

Kane seemed to see the unease on his friend’s face, so he put his hand on his shoulder in a comforting fashion. Unfortunately, due to the height difference, it looked kind of comical.

He cleared his throat, trying to breach the awkward atmosphere the sight brought and said in a confident tone, "Ahem. Don’t worry too much, I have a few tricks I can employ. Not only am I a civil engineer, but I also have an interest in the middle ages."

Colin blinked a few times, trying to understand his meaning, yet he didn’t elaborate. Dion however, instantly understood. A small smile appeared on his dark and handsome face, brightening up his features considerably. "I’ll leave it to you then old friend." he responded, sending a friendly pat onto Kane’s back.

Kane almost doubled forward as the large hands covered in heavy armor hit him square between his shoulder blades. He flashed an embarrassed smile before scurrying away like a little mouse.

Dion felt a little bad, he had forgotten that Kane’s level was still low and chose to not wear any armor for protection. Colin however, found the whole thing to be hilarious. It reminded him how he intentionally played around with his Leader from time to time, it was the easiest way for him to help Jayce let down his guard.

Yet after thinking about Jayce, his expression hardened. His Leader was still out in the forest looking for survivors with Zane. Although he had never seen a Beast Tide in person, the name and description was apt enough that he could garner a guess.

The fact that the man he swore to protect and be of use to was out in danger when he was here safe in Bastion did not sit well with him. However, he still understood that he had another duty, and that was to prepare the people of Bastion for clashing with the Beast Tide.

Therefore, he turned to Dion who was still staring at the large gauntlet that had almost snapped his friend in half, and said, "What do you need us to do?"

Dion thought for a moment, although Colin was large and a good fighter, he had learned over the past few months that he was limited in other areas. Those areas namely involving finesse and subtlety. After a moment he spoke up, "Can you head to the construction site of the city walls and help with labor?"

Colin gave a thumbs up, seemingly happy with his assigned job. After all, his number one hobby before the Apocalypse was to lift heavy weights and work on his physique.

"Can you also send some Fire and Ice Mages to help with the catalyzing of ingredients for the building materials? They will greatly increase the speed we can process and refine everything." He added.

"Consider it done. If any of our crew come looking for me, send them my way." Colin smiled, and quickly headed towards the city wall to the south.