The world was silent in the valley as the rain continued to fall. In the distance, a faint, eerie kind of moan could be heard as Krobus mourned his lost comrades.
No one waited on the road for their return. Their soaked clothes were heavy on their bodies as they trudged into town, shoulders slump. The fighting was over, but they could not find it in themselves to be happy.
Harvey stood in the doorway, taking in the cool, damp air. He was the first to notice as the five men walked quietly into town. His face was worn and exhausted. He nodded to them simply in greeting, still grieving at yet another death to their little community.
He stepped aside, allowing Lewis to step into the rain. He, too, nodded towards the five men as they neared.
“Is it over?” he said, his voice soft. “Finally over?”
Marlon nodded in response.
“John would have brought out the good alcohol,” Lewis said, clearing his throat. “And I think that’s what we shall do tonight.”
*****
Grief. Betrayal. Fear.
Strength. Love. Courage.
The people of Stardew Valley had felt all these things over the last year.
They gathered in the community center together to share in John’s favorite bottle of scotch in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. But Shane did not linger.
He departed quietly from the building, stepping out into the rain. The world was darker, now, as night neared. He wandered aimlessly until he found himself standing by the lake by Marnie’s ranch. He watched the unsettled surface of the lake, disturbed by the rain that fell.
At the corner of his eyes, a dark figured moved. A familiar glow caused his heart to race for a moment. His eyes turned, locked on to Krobus’s as the creature approached him.
“Thank you,” he said simply. His eyes blinked once.
Shane hesitated. “For what?”
“For not hurting all of my comrades,” Krobus said. “Najia trusted me, and you did, too.”
Shane broke his gaze, turning back to look over the lake. “I trusted Najia.”
Krobus’s gaze shifted downward. “Nevertheless,” he said. “You could have hurt me. You could have killed them all. We owe you our lives.”
“Your people already gave us their lives,” Shane muttered.
“Yes,” Krobus said softly. “I know of their sacrifice for you in the sewers.”
“Then I guess we should be thanking you.”
“No thanks,” Krobus said. “They were honored to help you; honored to risk their lives for the people that helped save their world.”
Shane bit his lower lip, but said nothing.
“I hope to have the strength and courage of you humans one day,” Krobus said. “All this time, I only hid from our enemies. While my comrades suffered, I remained in hiding here in the valley. I am ashamed.”
Shane raised his drink to Krobus, but the creature only tilted his head to the side, staring blankly at him.
“Well, we’re not any better,” Shane said. “I’ve done my share of running and hiding.”
“I don’t think so,” Krobus said. “Cowards wouldn’t save the people of their enemy.” He looked up at Shane. “Please don’t tell them I’m here.”
Shane said nothing for a moment. When he turned to speak, Krobus was gone.
*****
It had been six months since the war that brought darkness upon their land ended. The people in the valley moved forward with their lives, living off the land for yet another year. Haley had given birth to a little boy and all was well in their little community.
Sheila, Morris’s wife, was still unaware of what had happened to her husband, but had adjusted well in the valley with her two children.
Marlon and Gil officially announced their ‘retirement’ from all adventuring, swearing an oath that should another war come to their doorstep, “You valley folk are on your own!”
With the start of another autumn, the people of Stardew Valley prepared themselves for the quickly approaching winter. They made continuous trips out into the world they once feared, their weapons still in their possession as they raided stores for the appropriate supplies needed.
Now that things had settled down, Shane was determined to make Jas’s life as close to normal as possible, which resulted in the long drive across the country and back into the city he hadn’t seen since the invasion.
His stomach twisted nervously, unsure of what to expect when he got to the city. He knew it would be desolate, but with the light of day now on his side, he wasn’t sure what to expect. It would surely seem less intimidating, but what scars and traumas would the light reveal to him?
Shane’s stomach continued to twist as he drove across the bridge into the city and through the empty streets. Cars were scattered along the roads where they were left when the invasion happened. But to his relief, there were no bodies. No blood. No sign of any kind of struggle. Surely all washed away over the last year and a half.
Shane pulled into the driveway of the last house he had been at. He sat in the truck for a moment, the engine still running, before he worked the courage to get out. But, instead of going inside the house, he walked around.
Shane looked across the backyard. The blood had washed away and fresh, green grass made the yard over grown. The bodies he remembered so vividly were gone; likely just bones that were hidden in the tall grass. He pushed the image out of his head as he spotted the black and white soccer ball among the weeds. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands, and a small smile crept onto his face as images of Greg and Jess played through his mind. He wanted everything to be as normal as possible for Jas. Playing soccer together seemed like a start.
He made his way back into the driveway and tossed the ball into the bed of the old, green truck. It bounced against the rusted spare tire where a dirty, off-white piece of paper slipped out, making it obvious it had been hidden there for some time. Shane eyed the paper carefully and noticed his name scrawled on the front of it, folded in half. He picked up the paper, staring at the familiar handwriting for a moment, before opening it. His eyes traced the letters on the page and he smiled.
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An eerie hiss echoed off the tunnel walls, sending a chill up Shane’s spine. Gil’s flashlight spun around and the hiss turned to an ear shattering shriek as a dark shadow darted away from the light.
“Shadow Brutes,” Alex hissed, fumbling for his gun.
“Wait.”
The voice did not belong to any of them. It was strained, on the verge of a hiss. A shadowy figure stepped forward, just outside Gil’s beam of light, just barely illuminated. It’s glowing eyes were wide as it peered at the humans through the darkness.
“Krobus,” it said with a nod. “Good.”
“Krobus?” Sam repeated.
“The brute that lives in the valley,” Shane said. “Najia told me about him.”
“Humans,” it hissed to them. “Run. Krobus waits. Run.”
It stepped around the light, moving closer to them. Another brute moved forward, followed by another and another, until a small group of Shadow People emerged from the shadows of the tunnel. They stepped carefully around the flashlights and towards the dynamite. The brute that spoke to them made his way to Gil, holding a shadowy hand out and taking the line from Gil. Gil watched, mouth gaping, as the creature took the line, it’s hand brushing up against him. He flinched, but its touch was warm against his skin.
“Run now, humans,” it said. “Shadow People help.”
“You’re… going to set off the dynamite?” Gil asked. “And give us a chance to escape?”
“Yesssss.” The glowing eyes moved up at the corners, as if it were smiling to him.
“No,” Marlon said. “We can’t let you do that.”
“No time. We fight. Go now.” The creature pushed its hand towards them and hissed loudly. “Thank you, Human. Be good.”
Marlon and Gil exchanged glances before turning back to the Shadow creature.
“Thank you,” Marlon said.
Gil motioned with his flashlight. “Let’s get out of here,” he muttered.
Sam and Alex took off after Marlon and Gil as they broke into a run down the tunnel. Shane hesitated, his eyes on the Shadow creature. The creature seemed to nod at him. Shane pinched his lips together and turned away, following the others quickly, sprinting down the tunnel to safety.
*****
“It’s fear that drives a man to fight… because he simply wants to survive… No one is brave. We’re all cowards. We’re all running… for our lives. Fear is our bodies being rational, being sane, telling us to get the hell out of a bad situation. Fear is normal. Fear is real. Bravery is not. Bravery is a lie… a mask.”
Shane’s chest burned, not from the stress of sprinting down the dark tunnel, but from the pain and grief that tore through him. He stopped and spun around, his chest heaving, when he heard the explosion. It was too far away to effect them now, but the blast was enough to echo down the tunnel and stop the others in their tracks as well. They stared down the long, dark tunnel until the echo finally subsided and their world fell silent.
Death. At some point, Death would come for them, whether it was now, or in fifty years; it was inevitable. But Death was feared. By every rational human being, it was feared. Shane feared Death. The death of those he loved, of himself. It was that fear that drove him forward, even when Death claimed its victims around him. It was fear that drove him down the tunnel, because his instincts told him to do anything he could to live, to survive. Yet Malone, his men, the Shadow People - they faced death head on. Maybe they weren’t fearless, but they weren’t cowards.
Malone was wrong. There was a difference between being fearful and being a coward. Fear was an acceptable, reasonable emotional response, but how one chose to act upon their fear separated the cowards from the heroes.
And Shane was just a coward.
The five men stood in silence, staring down the dark tunnel for a moment before turning around and moving forward, no longer running.
It took them two hours before they reached the ladder, climbing out of the sewers. The morning was dark as rain pelted at the ground. Thunder rumbled in the distance. They trudged through the mud, their clothes soaked, clinging to their bodies as they made their way back to the vehicles. They drove up the mountain range, stopping when they reached an overlook, and stepped out.
The rain had let up some, falling gently around them as they stood together, looking out over the world. Marlon dug through the back of the Hummer, ripping open a case of beer, passing a can to each of them, and they drank in silence on the side of the mountain.
Much like the last time they traveled through the sewers, it took them a couple of uneventful hours before they neared the crossroads. However, this time, they were met with an eerie silence. The tunnels that they had previously closed were reopened, the western tunnel stretching in the direction of the valley.
“You don’t need to come any further,” Malone said to them. “You brought us where we needed to be, and that’s all I asked for.”
“What do you expect us to do?” Sam grumbled. “Turn back after coming all this way?”
“There’s no way to know how far this tunnel goes,” Malone said. “But it’s likely they’re working night and day until they reach the valley. They’ll all be there which will make them an easy enough target for my men. We can handle it from here.”
“At least put us to use,” Gil growled. “Like he said, we came all the way out here.”
“We could always use someone to cover our six,” Malone said. “In case any others wander up this way. Don’t need anyone flanking us.” He turned to Shane, handing him the bag that he carried on his back. “Set up the dynamite down the tunnel.” He tossed him a radio. “I’ll let you know when to blow this place to bits.”
“Fine,” Shane said. He shoved the radio in his back pocket and peered into the backpack. Malone lead his army down the tunnel as Shane unpacked the dynamite.
“So, we just wait here?” Alex said.
“Guess so,” Marlon said, helping Shane set up the dynamite.
“This is a lot of ammo,” Gil muttered as he set up the line. “And not a lot of line.”
“What does that mean?” Sam asked.
“It means we won’t have a lot of time to high tail it out of here.”
“How will Malone get out?” Alex asked.
“I don’t think he plans on getting out,” Marlon said.
“Sounds like he didn’t plan on us getting out alive, either,” Alex muttered.
They stared at the dynamite once they finished setting it up.
“This was a suicide mission all along,” Sam hissed.
“Let’s just wait and see what happens,” Gil said, exchanging an uneasy glance with Marlon. “Nothing we can do but wait.”
*****
The hours passed uneventfully as they waited in the dark tunnels, their flashlights off to save what little batteries they had left. They leaned against the walls, sitting on the floor in an uneasy silence as the time ticked by. They jumped when the radio finally buzzed to life, breaking the silence and echoing off the walls. The static drowned out the faint, panicked voice. Shane held the radio before him, straining to make out the broken words.
“… too close… they’re… now… it now…!”
Gil’s flashlight clicked on, illuminating the area around them. “That’s good enough for me,” he said.
“No,” Shane hissed, still straining to interpret the static voice. “We can’t block them in. We don’t know what he’s saying.”
“I think we can put the pieces together,” Gil snapped. “I’m not sticking around to find out.”
“What about the line?” Alex said, growing panicked. “You said so yourself - it’s not long enough to give us enough time.”
“What do you want to do about it, Alex?” Gil shouted. “Sit here and wait for those brutes to rip us to shreds?”
“We’ll be crushed,” Sam said.
“I won’t go out at the hands of those brutes,” Gil hissed, getting to his feet and moving to the dynamite.
Shane stood abruptly, his heart racing. “Wait.” He wanted a chance. Just one last chance to survive, to see Jas again.
Shane stood over the storm drain at the plant that had brought them into the sewers just days - weeks? - earlier. It had to have been a couple of weeks now, but the days all blurred together. He was too tired to try to separate the memories. War, grief - it had all finally caught up to him.
“Down on the ground! Drop your weapons and get down on the ground!”
“This is it?” Malone asked Shane. “A fucking waste plant?”
“It’s likely the only entrance into the sewers where you won’t be seen,” Shane said. “They can lead you the rest of the way to the crossroads.”
“What’s your plan, kid?”
They let their weapons drop as they got to their knees, placing their hands behind their heads… The armed men were in front of them, looking down on their captives… The man smiled wickedly. “Our orders are to bring you back… dead.”
“Well, I suppose when you don’t make it out alive, I’ll go back and tell everyone you fought bravely until the very end.”
Malone’s lips curled into a smile as he held his gaze on Shane. “Lemme tell you somethin’ about war; no one fights bravely. It’s fear that drives a man into battle. It’s fear that drives a man to fight, not because it’s something he believes in, but because he simply wants to survive.” Malone’s smile faded. “You know how I know this? Because I’ve seen death in war. I’ve seen grown ass men crying out to their mothers like children, begging for the comfort of their mother’s arms, begging to be reassured, that everything is going to be okay. I’ve see them take their last breath with fear in their eyes. None of them are at peace. They die only knowing fear. No one is brave, Shane. We’re all cowards. We’re all running from something; running for our lives. Fear is our bodies being rational, being sane, telling us to get the hell out of a bad situation. Fear is normal. Fear is real. Bravery is not. Bravery is a lie - a lie we tell to mask the reality of a situation in an attempt to comfort and reassure those around us.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Shane muttered.
“Because I can see through you, Shane. I see through the wall you put up around yourself. And sooner or later, that wall is going to come crashing down around you, and you won’t know what to do about it. You’re a coward just like I am, Shane. The problem is that you won’t admit it.”
Shane’s brows knit together. “I could argue that it takes a brave man to admit his fear.”
Malone smiled. “Only a stupid man would admit his fear. That’s the thing about fear; all the men I’ve watched die - they were damn scared, but they never admitted it. They carried that fear with them until they died.”
“I’d say that makes for a brave man,” Shane said.
Malone nodded as he seemed to consider this. “Maybe, maybe.” He adjusted the gun on his hip. His eyes moved to the grip of Shane’s gun, poking just slightly out of his back pocket, and he smiled. “So, what’s your plan?”
Shane clutched at his stomach where the bullet entered. He stared, mouth gaping, and the blood that covered his hands. He fell to his knees, gasping, as the world began to spin and fade in and out. Shane squeezed his eyes shut as the pain seared through him like fire. Najia held his hand as he drifted in and out of consciousness.“Don’t go,” Najia sobbed. “Hang on, Shane.”
Shane looked around the sewage plant considering Malone’s words. He certainly didn’t have a plan. Not now, not when it was all over with. He figured he’d just live in the valley forever until he died. But a part of him knew he was already dead. With each passing day since the invasion, he was dying. There was no life left in him. No will to live any longer. It had all gotten to be too much.
“Hang on, Shane.”
It was obvious to Shane; Malone was only trying to manipulate him to get him to help them in the sewers. He didn’t know what Malone’s endgame was, but he was sure that Malone was just trying to win him over for one last fight.
Shane watched as Malone moved towards the entrance to the sewers. He barked orders at his men and one by one, they descended. Malone was the last to climb the ladder down into the sewer. He met Shane’s gaze and saluted him casually just as he disappeared under ground. Shane stared at the storm drain for a moment and sighed. Life was simple, meaningful, when he had a goal: to find Jas, to get to the coast, to find Stardew Valley, to save Najia.
“I realized I really had nothing to live for, and wandering around the world aimlessly really wasn’t going to accomplish anything.” He paused. “I guess I wasn’t ready to give up, and the valley felt like another goal to work towards. Plus, I figured I’d find you there. And that didn’t seem so bad.”
Najia grew quiet. “And what if we don’t find anything?”
“Like you said; we’ll find something else to get to.” He smiled to her. “I heard the Fern Islands are great this time of year.”
“You know,” Najia said, returning his smile, “I’ve never been.”
Shane pulled the gun out of his pocket and moved towards the storm drain. He peered down into the darkness as the glow of their flashlights faded. He climbed down the ladder and his feet splashed in the puddle at the bottom as he skipped the last couple of rungs. He trotted down the tunnel until he caught up to Malone and the rest of their group.
“So, you’ve got a plan, I take it?” Malone said, but did not turn to him.
“I’ve got a little girl back home,” Shane said. “And I can’t trust you not to fuck up this world for her.”
Shane had his hands shoved in his pockets as he watched Jas and Vincent play at the edge of the river with the two newest kids in town, Sophie and Daniel. They each held a long stick with string tied to the end, and squirming worms at the end of the strings, in an attempt to catch fish. He leaned against the tree just yards away from them as they giggled and splashed at one another.
With the war over, there was no more running, no more fighting, and worst of all, there was nothing left to distract him from his grief. It took every ounce of energy to remain composed for Jas. Even the small crowd that had been gathered in front of the medical cabin did not catch his attention. Not until Marnie and Lewis stood at his side, their eyes on the children playing by the river.
“Shane,” Marnie started, her voice low. “John’s gone.” She hesitated. “He died early this morning.”
Shane said nothing for a moment as he continued to stare ahead. “How?” he finally asked.
“A heart attack,” Lewis said.
“I heard you’re the new man in charge.” Malone’s voice was strong behind them, interrupting their conversation. The three adults turned as Malone approached them, his eyes on Lewis. “I’m sorry to hear about John.”
Lewis’s face hardened. “What do you want?” he said, no longer interested in pleasantries.
“I need the guidance of some of your guys here,” Malone said, his gaze falling onto Shane.
“With what?” Marnie hissed defensively. “The war is over. Leave us alone.”
Malone shook his head. “Unfortunately, there’s still a few loose ends that need to be tied up.”
“Loose ends?” Lewis repeated skeptically.
“I’ve met with Krobus,” Malone said. “The brute that lives here in the valley. He has suggested to me that there is still an army of Shadow People in the sewers. An army that intends to avenge their fallen leader. They have reopened the seal you have made in the sewers that will lead them into the valley. Without Rasmodius here, you have no defense for their power. Their power doesn’t compare to Nox’s, but it could be enough to destroy this valley and all of you in it. They will need to be stopped and their passage way sealed once more. But I don’t know the sewers like you do. I need someone to guide my men there.”
“No,” Shane said fiercely. “I’m done.”
“The war isn’t done just because you are,” Malone hissed.
“Ask someone else.”
“I know who I want on my team,” Malone said. “I won’t deal with dragging anyone’s ass around. I want to get in, do our job, and get out. And you’re the one who’s going to do that.”
Shane hesitated, his eyes still on the children by the river. “I’ll bring you to the sewers,” he said. “But that’s it. You’re on your own from there.”
“Fine,” Malone said simply, turning his back to them. “We leave tonight.”
Marnie turned to Shane as Malone left them alone. “You don’t have to do this,” she said.
Shane’s brows knit together. “It’s fine,” he grunted. “Anything to get him out of here.”
*****
Shane was waiting by the vehicles as dusk fell. He had been there for over an hour, but mostly to be out of town and alone. He looked up as Malone appeared from the tunnel with Sam, Alex, Marlon, and Gil behind him.
“This is your team?” Shane asked with a raised brow.
“Since you won’t be joining us,” Malone hissed, “I needed a couple more guys with me to bring us through the sewers that could hold their own.”
“Must be that K to D ratio,” Shane muttered to Alex, who rolled his eyes.
“Let’s just finish this,” Sam muttered. “I don’t want to be doing this anymore than you do.”
“My men are waiting outside of the mountain range,” Malone said. “Bring us to the sewers and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Malone, Gil, and Marlon climbed into the Hummer while Shane, Sam, and Alex climbed into Malone’s Jeep. Shane lead the way as they drove out of the valley, just as the sun disappeared behind the mountain range, dipping past the horizon.
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Shane hadn’t even noticed that they were separated from the rest of the group. Not until they found them back at the valley, parked just outside of the tunnel. He ignored them as he stumbled out of the trunk of the Hummer and trudged down the tunnel. With their newest members in tow, they followed suit in silence.
John was standing on the dirt road just outside the tunnel as they made their way back into town. His smile disappeared quickly and his face whitened when he realized Najia was not among them.
“No,” he said. “No.” His voice grew fierce. “Where is she? Where is my granddaughter?”
“You knew all along,” Shane hissed, getting into John’s face. “This was all a part of your plan, wasn’t it?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” John barked at him.
“Don’t play dumb. You knew she was going to die.”
John shook his head, his eyes wet. “No, she didn’t. No.”
“John didn’t know,” Rasmodius said as he walked up from behind John. “Only I did.”
Both men turned and stared at him, confusion, grief, and anger on their weary faces.
“You planned this?” John said. “You let Najia die?”
“It wasn’t planned,” Rasmodius said. “But Najia knew what was at stake. She chose to sacrifice herself. It was the only way the war could be won.”
“You let her die,” John hissed.
“There was nothing I could have done.”
“Nothing you could have done?” John roared.
“Najia was the key to winning this war,” Rasmodius said loudly.
“You were the one that told me to reach out to her, that she was still alive. You told me to bring her to Stardew Valley. And for what? So you could give her a sword that would ultimately kill her?”
“John-”
“You used us,” John shouted at him, his face red.
Rasmodius stood his ground, holding his head high. “I did what I had to do to see this war end,” he said through gritted teeth.
“That’s enough, Rasmodius!” John shouted, his eyes wet. “You’ve done enough.”
The group watched on in silence, waiting, but Rasmodius did not speak.
“Get out of here,” John said, his voice a low growl. He pulled a handgun out of his back pocket in threat. “Get out of this valley, and don’t even think about stepping foot here again.”
The wizard held his gaze on John for a moment before speaking. “Very well,” he said simply. And with that, he left them alone on the dirt road, making his way back into the forest. The villagers stood in silence until John cleared his throat.
“Excuse me,” he muttered. Without another wood, he made his way down the road towards his cabin.
“Shane?” Jas’s fingers wrapped around his. Her voice caused him to jump. He looked at the girl at his side, then down the road to where Marnie and Penny stood, watching silently. Shane pulled his hand out of hers and walked down the road.
“Shane-” Marnie started, but Shane pushed passed her without a word.
*****
It had been two days since they returned to the valley. Two days since Shane seemed to have disappeared without a single word to her. But Marnie didn’t try to look for him. Not after Marlon and Gil told her what had happened.
It was on the night of the second day that Shane finally emerged; a still figure by the edge of the lake.
Marnie stood at Shane’s side, looking out over the lake. The moon’s reflection glistened off the still, glassy surface.
“It’s been two days,” she said softly.
Shane didn’t answer.
“Jas needs you. She’s scared.”
“Seven,” Shane said simply.
Marnie looked to him, puzzled. “Seven?”
Shane met her gaze. “Seven people I watched die.” He turned back to the lake.
Marnie looked back across the water.
“And that’s only since the invasion.”
“Shane-”
“I did nothing.”
“You know that’s not true.”
“I didn’t even tell her.” He met Marnie’s gaze. “She warned me not to.”
“Shane.”
Shane waited, searching Marnie’s eyes, but she said nothing more. He broke his gaze. “What?”
Marnie shrugged. “Tell her.”
Shane turned away abruptly, looking back across the water.
“You don’t have to always pretend you have it all together,” Marnie said softly. “Jas would understand.”
“Jas is scared. She depends on me. I don’t have a choice but to keep it all together.”
“Jas isn’t here.”
Shane shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. “What do you want me to say? Najia is dead.” He gritted his teeth together. “And I did nothing. I didn’t even tell her I love her.” His throat tightened around the last three words. He closed his eyes.
“I think she knows,” Marnie said.
Shane said nothing for a moment as he stared across the lake. “I can’t keep it together anymore,” he said softly.
“Then don’t.”
Shane hesitated. “Is it over? Really over?”
Marnie nodded. Malone had met with the Dwarves just outside the valley the day before, where they agreed upon a peace treaty between the two races. The Shadow Army was gone. Light had returned to their world. The war was over. “It’s really over,” she said.
Shane closed his eyes and sighed, allowing a single tear to escape. He was tired of pretending he had it all together. For one night, he wanted to fall apart.
Shane let his head rest against the window of the Hummer. His eyelids were heavy, but sleep eluded him. He felt exhausted; mentally, physically, emotionally. It was hard to believe that only twelve hours ago, they were just arriving outside of the base where they would attack the Shadow People; that Najia hadn’t even been dead for an entire day, and that the day wasn’t even over yet. It felt like an eternity since that morning. A day that just wouldn’t seem to end. All he wanted to do was sleep forever.
He felt the Hummer slow to a stop. He had just enough energy to lift his head slightly to peer out the window. A woman stood terrified on the side of the road, shoving two young children behind her in an attempt to protect them. This caught Shane’s interest and he followed Marlon and Gil as they both stepped out of the vehicle.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” Gil said to her as gently as he could. “Are you okay?”
The woman’s eyes moved quickly from Gil, to Marlon, to Shane. She stepped backwards, hesitant.
“The war’s over,” Marlon said softly. “You’re safe, now.”
“It’s over?” she squeaked. She turned her face to the warm sun as if she didn’t believe it were really there.
“Where are you headed?” Marlon asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, her voice on the edge of a sob. “My husband,” the woman said. “His name was Morris. He was supposed to be here. To bring us somewhere safe.” She pulled her two children close to her. Their frightened eyes turned to the three men before them.
Shane stared, horrified, at the family who waited for the man he killed so ruthlessly. He forced his gaping mouth to close.
“We escaped the Shadow People,” she said. “We were hiding in the sewers for the last year. Morris promised it would be safe. He said he would do whatever he had to do to keep us safe. He said the Shadow People promised they would not hurt us. Oh, Yoba, I didn’t know. I didn’t know what he did.” She started to sob. “I don’t know what deal he made with them. They probably kil-” She snapped her mouth shut as she looked down at her children. She pinched her lips together and blinked back tears. Her voice shook as she continued. “He told us to go to Stardew Valley if… if he didn’t make it.” She closed her eyes for a moment as she attempted to steady her breathing. “He never showed. He said it would be safe there. Please, I just want my children to be safe.”
Shane’s gaze shifted to the boy and the girl clinging to their mother’s arms. He had killed their father. He was a murderer.
He could feel Marlon’s eyes on him.
“Well,” Gil said, clearing his throat. “You’ll be safe with us. We’re heading to the valley ourselves.” He smiled. “Got a couple kids there already. I think you’ll like it there.”
The woman forced a smile as she clung to her children. She bent down and kissed their cheeks, ignoring the tears that rolled down her face.
“What about Daddy?” the little girl said, her voice shaking.
“I don’t know,” the woman said, fighting to keep her composure in front of her children. “Let’s just… let’s go to the valley, hm? It sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Other kids your age?”
The girl nodded slowly. “Okay.”
Shane turned away, his eyes on the horizon.
“Let’s go, kid,” Marlon said to Shane. “Bus is movin’.”
Shane shook his head. He attempted to swallow the hard lump in his throat. “I killed him, Marlon,” he muttered. “I can’t…”
“What are you gonna do? Walk?”
Shane didn’t answer.
“Get in the damn car,” Marlon said. “Plenty of room in the trunk.”
*****
Shane shoved himself into the corner of the back of the Hummer, his legs spread out across the floor and his arms folded as he stared out the back window. He let his head rest against the back seat, turning his eyes only when he sensed someone watching him. The little boy peered over the edge of the seat and smiled when he caught Shane’s gaze.
“Are you in the army?” he asked curiously.
Shane turned his eyes back to the road. “No.”
“But you have a gun.”
Shane moved his arm in an attempt to hide the weapon in his pocket. “No.”
The boy giggled slightly. “Yes you do, I saw it. Army guys have guns.”
“Army guys have uniforms, too,” Shane pointed out, still averting his gaze.
The boy was quiet as he considered this for a moment. “Did your uniform get dirty?”
Shane sighed. “Sure.”
The boy smiled at him. “You saved us,” he said. “The army people always win. They’re the good guys.”
Shane said nothing.
“I want to be an army guy some day,” he continued. He made his fingers into a gun and shot at an imaginary enemy. “It would be so cool.”
Shane met his gaze, his brows knit together. “Were you afraid?” he asked the boy. “Were you afraid of the Shadow People? Afraid of what they would do to you and your mom and your sister?”
The boy’s smile disappeared quickly as he stared at Shane.
“It’s not cool,” Shane muttered, turning back away.
“Heroes aren’t afraid of nothin’,” the boy said after a moment. “I’m gonna be one, just like you.”
“Superman’s a hero,” Shane said, his gaze on the horizon. “And superman isn’t real.”
Shane stood over the Trans Am, his hands shoved in his pockets, as Malone spoke heatedly to Marlon and Gil. With the Shadow People defeated, they were able to make it out of their base alive. But Marlon was right: the war wasn’t over.
Shane looked up into the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun, as two helicopters flew low over them.
“The Dwarves are heading to the valley as we speak,” Malone said. “My men are prepared for their arrival, but with the Shadow People defeated, we may be able to end this peacefully. This was their war with the Shadow People; they have no reason to harm us.”
“There’s still a group of those brutes hiding out in the sewers,” Gil said. “We need to destroy them before they try to rise up again.”
“No,” Shane hissed. “No. Don’t touch them.”
Gil turned to Shane, staring blankly at him. Clearly the traumas of war had finally gotten to him. He wasn’t thinking straight. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t hurt them.” His voice shook and trailed off. “I promised Najia…”
“Why the hell would you promise something like that?”
Gil hesitated, holding his gaze on Shane. He was clearly out of his mind.
“Shane,” he started. “Look -”
Shane pulled his gun out of his back pocket. “You look,” he said with a hint of a threat in his voice. “If you touch them, I will shoot you.” Shane met his gaze. “Don’t make me break my promise.”
Gil turned to Marlon, hesitant.
“Najia’s never steered us wrong,” Marlon said simply. “We leave them alone.”
Shane pocketed his gun quickly and opened the car door. There was still one more thing he needed to do. One more enemy that needed to die. Someone who he had heard not too long ago and who had managed to escape when they attacked.
“Where are you going?” Gil barked to him.
“I’m going to kill Morris.” Shane was sure he had escaped during the fight. He would find him, and he would kill him.
“Killing Morris won’t bring Najia back,” Gil said as the engine of the Trans Am roared to life.
“But it will make me feel better,” Shane muttered. He stepped on the gas hard and peeled out into the road in search for Morris.
*****
Shane sped up the interstate in search for Morris. He didn’t know where Morris would have gone, but it was the most direct route to get anywhere, and if he were on foot, he wouldn’t have gotten far quickly.
And even if he didn’t find Morris, Shane would drive to the ends of the world until he found him and killed him.
It was probably a stupid goal to have, but what did Shane have left? His hands tightened on the steering wheel as his eyes focused on the road.
Jas. He had Jas. He couldn’t abandon her. Shane’s foot lifted off the accelerator. The car slowed dramatically until it came to a stop, the engine still purring. Shane stared ahead at the seemingly endless road. He had no desire to move: to keep driving or get out of the car. He didn’t know what he wanted to do, except that he wanted to disappear; to simply cease from existing. No, he didn’t want to die. He just didn’t want to be any longer.
He cut the engine and sat in the silence of the world. He leaned back and turned to the empty seat beside him. His gun lay against the leather, loaded and waiting. It wasn’t all that long ago that Najia sat there, beside him, staring out the window as she did, lost in thought.
He knew then that Najia knew what she was doing. That Najia knew what would happen to whomever took the sword.
A distant engine interrupted his thoughts. It grew louder as it accelerated down the road. Shane moved his eyes to the rear view mirror, searching for the source of the sound, but there was nothing behind him. He twisted in his seat, searching out the back window. A glint of the sunlight caught the corner of his eye, and he turned to look out his window as a silver car sped across the desert.
He peered at the vehicle as it neared. Then, as if realizing Shane was there, the car cut away dramatically, its tail end swerving as it made the tight turn.
Without another thought, Shane turned the key hard in the ignition and slammed on the accelerator. The car fish-tailed across the road and onto the desert sand. It skid across until Shane regained control and the Trans Am rocketed forward in pursuit of the silver car.
He grabbed the gun as he quickly closed in on the car, and with two shots out the window, he blew one of the tires, causing the car to spin out on the sand. Shane pulled to a stop behind the car just as Morris stumbled out, his hands in the air. Shane hurried out of the car, slamming the door behind him and holding his gun still, aiming directly at Morris. A sly smile split Morris’s face as he recognized Shane.
“Well, well, well,” he said. “My old friend from the valley.”
Shane sneered at him. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
“Things to do, places to go, people to see,” Morris said casually. “Such is the life, hm?”
“Working for the Shadow People must keep you busy,” Shane remarked snidely.
Morris’s smile widened. “You have no idea.” His eyes moved to the gun in Shane’s hand. “Looks like you’re ready for your revenge.”
“I’d love to watch you suffer,” Shane said. “But I’d rather see you dead sooner rather than later.”
“You’re a very vengeful person, Shane,” Morris said. “War has changed you.”
“Enough,” Shane hissed.
“Killing me won’t solve anything,” Morris said. “I was only a tool in this war, just like Najia was.”
“I said enough.”
“You know,” Morris said conversationally. “I was there when Najia was first kidnapped, just before the invasion. I had been keeping tabs on her as she ran amuck about the city. I told Nox, who was hiding under your very nose in those sewers, waiting for his chance to strike. I ordered my men to take her and bring her to me. I was there when Nox appeared to her. I was there when she so fearlessly threw herself out the window. And I was the one who brought her back to Nox where she was given a second chance at life.”
“I don’t need any more reasons to kill you,” Shane muttered.
“I’m not telling you this to give you any reasons, Shane. I’m telling you because you need to know.”
“Know what? How you betrayed your own race?”
“War is not clean. It is not black and white. It is dirty and grey and full or moral questions and doubts. I simply chose the winning team. Can you really blame me?”
“Looks like you haven’t noticed,” Shane said. “But we won.”
“You under estimate the Shadow People,” Morris said. “I chose life. I chose the winning team. Working for Nox ensured the safety of me and my family. Wouldn’t you have chosen that fate if it meant keeping Jas safe?”
“I don’t need safety from my enemies,” Shane hissed.
“You say that now,” Morris said. “But had things gone differently, you would have made the same choice I did.”
“We are not the same people,” Shane said.
“But we are, Shane. We only want what’s best for the people we love.”
“You killed the people I love,” Shane spat at him.
“Did I, though?”
“You brought those things right into the valley where we were supposed to be safe.”
“Just business,” Morris said. He beamed proudly. “It was my idea to be the terrified captive. I knew if I made myself valuable, my life would be spared. That’s how you win a war. That’s how you stay alive.”
“Yet, here you are,” Shane said as he cocked his gun.
Shane pulled the trigger and the bullet ripped through Morris’s chest, blood sputtering out from the entry wound. Morris fell to his knees, his wicked smile plastered onto his face as he choked up blood. He wavered for a moment, his smile never disappearing, and finally collapsed onto the ground.
Shane stared at the body and let the gun drop from his hands. He pulled his eyes away from the corpse, bleeding out in front of him, and turned around. He slid into the car and slammed on the accelerator, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. He drove back to the interstate, faster and faster until his racing heart finally slowed and his vision began to blur. The car slowed as his foot lifted from the pedal. He stopped the car and threw it into park, staring out the windshield as his breathing grew heavy and forced, shuttering with each breath.
Feeling suddenly claustrophobic, he stumbled out of the car and fell to his knees, trembling. His tears fell down his cheeks and stained the dry tar. His hands tightened into fists. He leaned back against the car and closed his eyes to the sunlight.
He stayed there until the tears stopped and the sun moved across the sky. He didn’t move until a car pulled up beside him. Marlon stepped out and sat beside Shane. He looked out into the desert without saying a word. The sun moved further still until the sky began to darken as twilight approached, threatening to blanket the world in darkness once more. But this time, faint stars began to dot the sky with promise.
Marlon finally stood, pulling Shane up with him, and pushed him into the Hummer. Gil drove up the interstate, leaving the Trans Am abandoned in the middle of the road.
