Warren wanted to lie with Kassandra longer, but a kitchen island wasn’t exactly the most comfortable resting spot. After disentangling himself from her embrace, and standing up, he reached out to take her hand.

  Kassandra gave him a lop-sided grin again. “Did you truly mean what you said about staying with me?”

  “Every word of it.”

  She beamed at his response, then frowned slightly. “I’m going to freshen up a bit.” Turning, she almost bounced as she left the room.

  After he had cleaned himself up and gotten dressed, he set about raiding the kitchen. He briefly wondered if he should wait for Kassandra to return, but he didn’t think she’d mind him starting without her.

  A few minutes later, when Kassandra strolled back into the room, she looked fresh as a daisy. Every hair was in place, and her makeup was flawless. He wasn’t sure if this was a side effect from her becoming a minion or if this was a super power all women possessed.

  Meanwhile, he was starting to feel a bit like a hobo. His clothes had suffered an incredible amount of abuse over the last few days. There was a hole in his shirt where the flower monster had stabbed him, and his pants had more than a few rips in the material.

  He supposed he could always start to wear some of his dad’s clothing. But that would have felt weird even before his father had passed away. Anyway, the last thing he wanted was an all-plaid wardrobe.

  Maybe he could scavenge up clothing somewhere else. There were numerous resorts scattered around the mountain. At least one of them had a store that sold mountain gear. Hopefully, they hadn’t been looted yet because he really needed a good pair of hiking boots.

  “Find anything good?” Kassandra asked.

  He held up a half-empty box of cookies. “What do you think?”

  Kassandra shook her head and walked over to the pantry. Swinging the door open, she grabbed an armful of boxes. She then dumped them on the kitchen island before returning for more.

  After a few minutes of work, there was a veritable mountain of food piled up around the room. Together, they’d found more boxes of cookies, canned meat, and other non-perishables. But most importantly, they’d retrieved a huge jar of freeze-dried coffee. As a caffeine addicted doctor, he’d been growing increasingly concerned about their dwindling supply.

  “How are we supposed to carry all of this?” He stood back, regarding the huge pile of boxes, cans, and bags.

  “My dad’s truck is in the garage…” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Do you think it would be safe to drive on the roads?”

  “I honestly have no idea,” he replied. Since the initial invasion, he hadn’t seen a single hostile craft in the sky. And his map should give them plenty of warning of an approaching monster. But who knew what aliens were lurking out in the woods? Driving a loud truck might paint a target on their back.

  However, he didn’t want to hike all the way back to the cabin with a hundred pounds of food on his back either. Maybe it would be worth the risk of transporting the food in a single trip.

  “Let me think about it,” he finally said. “It might be safer to carry the food back on foot.”

  Kassandra pursed her lips. “I say we risk it with the truck. If we run into anything, I bet I can handle it.”

  “What if we run into an alien squire?”

  “Then I’ll kick its ass,” she said with a wink. “Obviously.”

  “I’m sure you could,” he said with a laugh.

  Warren returned his attention to the problem of transporting the food, and he drummed his fingers on the countertop. Taking the truck would be a risk. But it didn’t seem like the aliens possessed drones or satellites to track them. Otherwise, they would have found him on the farm. The Slaviigolaris bodies would have been easy to spot—as would have the mass grave.

  Plus, he could see most of the monsters on the map. And the aliens didn’t seem to be straying too far from their initial landing spots. Maybe they were consolidating their holdings. Or maybe something else was going on. He’d have to ask Zarya when he got back.

  I hope Valentina hasn’t given her six warning shots in the back.

  He’d left the Zarya in the care of the green beret who had an intense dislike for the woman. But she had promised that no harm would come to the alien while he was gone. And he’d made Zarya swear she wouldn’t betray him. After he’d given his orders, he’d even received a notification from the system.

  He was starting to believe that a vassal couldn’t betray their liege. Or if they could, it was only in a very specific set of circumstances. Though he had to wonder why she hadn’t sworn vassalage to Alatu. Had she somehow thought this was the only way he’d accept her?

  Warren shook his head and forced his thoughts back to the task at hand. Right now, he needed to figure out a way to get all these supplies back to his dad’s old place. Initially, he thought it might be better to relocate here, but this was too close to the town for comfort. A patrol might stumble upon them, and then it would all be over.

  “We’re going to take the truck,” he said. “A vehicle might come in handy in other ways, too.” While he had his sister’s truck, it would take a minimum of a day to repair it. At least this one would be fully functional—and it had windows.

  Kassandra nodded and walked over to the back door. She then grabbed a pair of keys from a rack in the shape of a canoe. Unlocking the deadbolt, she swung the door open and gave him one last smouldering look before disappearing outside.

  He watched her go, surprised at how much he still desired her. She was one of the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. And he couldn’t wait for a chance to sneak off with her again.

  As he returned to sorting the food, a new notification appeared.

  “What now?” he muttered.

  The Eternal Emperor congratulates the Terran squire of Knight’s Fee 240402 for his continued survival. An event to test your bravery and fighting skill has now commenced.

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  Steampunk Horde Invasion

  A horde of goblinoids have descended upon the Knight’s fee. There are four main encampments, each with a leader present. If all four encampments are defeated, then the true leader of the invasion will emerge. A significant reward of your choosing shall be granted should you emerge victorious.

  Warren reread the notification several times, focusing on the part that mentioned the Terran squire. According to Zarya, the invaders couldn’t gain anything from the world monsters for 60 days after arriving.

  If they hadn’t received the notification, then this was a great chance to level up and gain some rewards. But if they had, then he’d probably be facing another ambush like he’d encountered at the Dungeon of Terran life. And he had no doubt the squires would come this time instead of sending a small group of warriors.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an engine roaring to life, followed by tires crunching on the gravel driveway. A minute later, Kassandra reappeared from outside.

  She stopped in the doorway, raising a single perfectly manicured eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

  “There’s an event starting,” he replied. “We need to get back as soon as possible and talk to Zarya about it.”

  Kassandra leaned her elbow against the doorway, her round breasts almost overflowing her shirt. “What sort of event?

  “It’s called Steampunk Horde Invasion.”

  Kassandra gave him a blank stare in response.

  “You don’t know steampunk?” he asked, genuinely surprised. “With all the cosplay and stuff?”

  She shook her head.

  “Steampunk is a setting where everyone uses late 19-century technology,” he explained. “There’re airships, steam power, and crazy outfits with top hats, goggles, and way too much brass. Apparently, the horde is composed of goblins.”

  Once again, she gave him a blank stare.

  “Come on,” he said, giving her a surprised look. “You don’t know what goblins are?”

  Pushing back a strand of dark hair, she pressed her red lips together. “Did you become a nerd after you left?”

  “What?” he exclaimed. “I didn’t become a nerd. Everyone knows about goblins!”

  She walked forward and playfully hit his shoulder. “I’m only messing with you. Of course I know what all that stuff is.” Leaning in, she gave him a peck on the cheek. “Plus, I think nerds are sexy. And you’re the sexiest of them all.”

  “I’m not a nerd,” he muttered.

  Kassandra giggled and rubbed his shoulder.

  “As I was saying, there are four camps we need to defeat.” Warren checked the notification again. “If we complete that, then the leader of the horde will appear. Apparently, if we succeed, we’ll get a significant reward.”

  “If that’s the case, let’s get moving.” Kassandra grabbed an armful of food before hurrying back to the door.

  After a brief hesitation, Warren grabbed a bag of supplies and followed her out the door. It took quite a few trips, but before long, they’d loaded the back of the pickup truck. He also noted quite a few bottles of wine and beer had mysteriously appeared.

  When Kassandra caught him looking at the alcohol, she shrugged helplessly. “My dad stores them in the garage. I thought we could all use a bit of relaxation tonight.”

  Honestly, the thought of a few beers tonight was a pleasant one. Since the aliens had invaded, he’d been going non-stop. A little breather wouldn’t hurt while he waited for his deck to come off cooldown.

  “Wait,” he said as Kassandra moved to get into the truck. “I thought you were going to show me your art?”

  Kassandra pursed her lips. “Do we have time for that?”

  “I doubt delaying a few minutes is going to decide the fate of the world.” He laughed. “Plus, I really want to see it.”

  She gave a little terse nod and then headed toward the garage.

  After a second, he followed her toward the structure. Like most of the buildings in the hills, the garage had seen better days. It had two separate doors on the front, the red paint faded and peeling. Meanwhile, many of the wooden boards looked loose, while one near the roof hung off. A single round window provided light to the loft.

  Inside, the detached garage wasn’t in much better shape. All sorts of tools had been left scattered around the room, and cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Near the back of the space was a ladder leading upstairs.

  Kassandra didn’t slow as she walked over to the ladder. Once she reached it, she took the rungs two at a time and disappeared into the darkness.

  He followed her up into the loft more slowly, not trusting the rickety rungs. At the top, he clambered onto the floor, grateful to be off the creaking ladder. As he stood up, he took in the vast collection of artwork spread around the room.

  A single beam of light cut across the gloom from the lone window, illuminating sculptures, paintings, and piles of sketches. An easel was setup in the far corner, and a half complete carving was set on a table.

  “I thought you said you just made a bit of art?” he said, marvelling at the sheer quantity. Not only had she produced a tremendous amount, but a lot of it was really good.

  Kassandra blushed at his words. “I like to do art to relax.”

  He walked over to a painting. The strokes were bold and swirling, reminding him a bit of Van Gogh. As he moved from canvas to canvas, he realized she had painted the town and many of the hills. “These are amazing…”

  “Do you really think so?”

  He nodded. When he reached the next one, she let out a gasp and rushed over to grab it before he could see. She swung it behind her back and backed away slowly.

  “This one isn’t done,” she said, her eyes wide.

  Frowning, he craned his head to the side in an attempt to catch a glimpse of it. “Is that me?” he asked, his brow shooting up.

  “Of course not,” she said quickly. “That would be weird, right?”

  “Not weird at all.” He walked over to her side and gently touched her arm. “May I see it?”

  She chewed on her lower lip before slowly bringing it around to show him. Though it was painted in an impressionistic style, there was no mistaking the image of his younger self.

  “We’re bringing this back with us,” he stated. “I want to keep this painting safe.”

  “You really like it?” she said, sounding painfully hopeful.

  “I love it,” he replied. “To be honest, I have no idea how you didn’t succeed as an artist. If I had a doctor’s office, I would have bought every single one of these paintings to hang on the walls.”

  Her eyes shone in the dim light. “No one, not even my dad, told me they liked them.” She rushed forward and flung her arms around him. Then she planted a kiss on his cheek. “This means so much to me.”

  “I wish we could stay longer, but we really should get moving.”

  She nodded, and together, they headed over to the ladder.

  Warren went down first, and once he reached the bottom, she handed him the painting. She then followed him, sliding down the ladder without using the rungs.

  Landing lightly, she took the painting from him and gave him another big grin. “Is it crazy to be this happy in the apocalypse?”

  “Not at all,” he said, though his own happiness would have to wait until after he freed his sister. But he was glad that Kassandra had found some joy. It was important to hold on to every bit of happiness you could find in situations like this one.

  He walked out of the garage and headed toward driver’s side of the truck. But before he could reach the door, Kassandra slid in front of him.

  “What are you doing?” She held up the keys and jingled them. “I’m driving, not you.”

  “I don’t think so. Remember, I’ve been your passenger before.”

  “It’s my dad’s truck, so I get to choose who drives,” she replied, dangling the keys from her finger. “As your bodyguard, I’d rather be the one in the driver’s seat. If anyone shoots at us, they’ll aim at the person behind the wheel.”

  “I doubt the aliens will bother to aim when they hose us down with their beam weapons.”

  She crossed her arms. “The aliens aren’t the only dangerous things out there. There are people out there too, you know.”

  While he hadn’t met any other survivors since Valentina, it didn’t mean they weren’t out there. And by now, they’d probably be hungry and desperate. People like that were dangerous. What would they do to steal a working truck?”

  “Fine,” he said, heading over to the other side. “But try not to kill us.”

  “I’m a sheriff’s deputy.” She opened the door and hopped inside. “Which means I’m a skilled driver.”

  He leaned down to speak through the open car window. “I remember driving with you in high school. If I recall correctly, you made my sister look like an old lady driver.”

  Kassandra’s mouth dropped open in mock outrage. “How dare you call me a bad driver? I’ll have you know that tree leapt out in front of us.”

  “Sure, it did,” he replied sardonically. “Trees are known for doing that.”

  “Just get in,” she said, her eyes dancing with glee.

  Warren walked around the truck and jumped into the passenger side. Sliding the seatbelt across his chest, he then grabbed onto the ‘oh shit handle’. He had a feeling he was going to need it.