Down In Ohio - Down In Ohio - Prologue (Part 1)

A green, murky sky cast a dreary light over the hilly embankments, as it had most days of recent. Dead, brown grass covered just about everything, with the occasional patch of butterfly weeds strewn about. Normally, they’d offer a splash of color to the otherwise monotone landscape, but most of these flowers had turned a sickly black, giving the hills a pockmarked appearance from a distance as if they were ill. Countless bones littered the dying landscape, relics from past battles fought on top of even older ones. Only some of those bones were human.

A large foot came down on a skull, cracking it open like an egg. The creature, a massive buckeye, continued to meander forward without concern. Riding on its back was a grotesque humanoid known as goetta, named after its skin which had the appearance of burnt, ground meat. These monsters were a common sight in Ohio, but rarely did they appear together and in such numbers.

Behind the goetta-mounted buckeye, thousands more shambled forward, although they came in many varieties. There were bengals and mud hens, there were wendigos and copperheads. Overhead one could see wrights flying across the sky in hunting formations that would bring a chill to any human. This army moved with an indomitable purpose, making a direct push toward the only fortress still within northern Ohio, the Ohio State Penitentiary.

The gothic structure remained standing, a final refuge for those who would call themselves survivors. Ten years since the day of Awakening, and this was all that was left of the residents of this state, and possibly all that was left of humanity. Ohio could be considered a downright paradise compared to some places that were irreparably changed after the Awakening. Yet, no one behind the hastily assembled walls around Ohio State Penitentiary was thinking about these kinds of things. Questions like ‘How did this happen?’ and ‘How did things come this far?’ were replaced with far more basic questions, like, ‘Will I live to see tomorrow?’.

The answer to that question appeared bleak. The army of mutants and abominations had finally crested the hill, and they came to a stop just out of range of even the best archers. There was no doubt that this army of monsters was being led by someone. They were too organized and too direct in their movements. However, if the elites hiding within the more comfortable building knew who sent them, they wouldn’t tell the disposable meatshields out on the wall.

“What are they waiting for?” a young boy standing at the wall asked, looking out at them with obvious fear in his eyes.

“Orders,” responded an old man next to him, fingering a crossbow, at the ready.

“Orders?”

“It’s got to be the Michiganites,” the old man spat. “They say the army came down from Michigan. I reckon the human survivors sent them. They couldn’t handle their shit, so they dumped it on us. Fucking typical.”

“I-is that true?” the boy asked, nervously shaking in the chilly evening air. “Is it humans killing humans?”

The old man snorted. “It’s always humans killing humans. Do you think monsters care to attack a fortress like this? You think they’re even intelligent enough to get this organized?”

“I’m not so sure about that,” another man interjected; he was middle-aged with a bushy beard hiding various scars on his face and long unkempt hair. “I heard that they have been evolving. The monsters are getting smarter.”

He pulled out some tobacco wrapped in paper and held it in his lips as he brought his lighter to it. The lighter was custom, a silver chassis with a tiger emblem on one side. The refillable kind. The fact he had managed to find a way to fill it after all these years was a bit surprising. He’d have to have salvaged parts from countless lighters to keep it going, but it showed the care he had for it. It was the only thing he had left from his father.

“Maybe they are,” the old man continued with a shrug. “It’s still humans. No one is as good at killing humans as other humans.”

“A-at least… there are still other humans that are thriving. If they have control of the monsters… then there is hope for a future for humanity.”

“What does it matter if we’re not going to be part of that future?” the old man grumbled, before glaring at the bearded man. “What? You’ve been giving me a dumb look.”

“You honestly think there are still any human survivors in Michigan?” he asked dubiously. “Or anywhere else? We might be all that’s left.”

“Didn’t scientists say that humans survived previous awakenings? This has already happened before. Humanity builds a civilization, then the awakening wipes it out, and then we rebuild. Atlantis was one of the cities that survived before the last Awakening,” the boy spoke eagerly. “So is the continent of Mu.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed as he wore a mocking expression. “Look at this kid… does his research, eh? Is that what your survival camp told you?”

“Is it wrong?” the kid protested.

The bearded man shook his head. “Scientists say a lot of things. They used to say the center of the planet was made of molten rock and that monsters didn’t exist. Now, look at where we’re at. Well, it doesn’t matter. All the institutions that could afford to protect scientists fell years ago anyway.”

The kid winced, and the old man subtly nudged the bearded man and nodded toward the kid. “Tony…”

Tony finished a long drag before putting out his tobacco with his fingers and storing the rest in his pocket.

“Your parents were scientists,” he said in a croaky voice as the smoke left his lungs slowly.

“My dad was…” The kid answered, partially to himself, his body shaking although it was hard to say if it was from emotion or just the cold. “For the first eight years after the Awakening, when the government still had some control… we lived in the quarantine zone. It fell two years ago. My dad… he barely got me and my ma out before he… she didn’t last much longer after that.”

“How old are you, kid?” Tony asked.

“Seventeen.”

“Young.” The old man whistled. “Since you’re on the walls, you must be what? Level fifty-five?”

“Sixty-two,” the boy responded, looking at them challengingly.

“That’s impressive,” Tony added, and when he got a doubtful look from the boy he held up his hands. “No, I mean it. You were only seven when the Awakening hit. You’ve only been an adult, what? Four years? To reach level sixty-two in four years… you might even catch up to the curve in another four.”

The boy’s shoulders relaxed slightly, although his expression didn’t change much. That wasn’t much of a surprise. Most of the children who grew up post-awakening showed emotion sparingly. They wore their trauma plainly and deeply. As for Tony, well, he still had a little bit of Virginia tobacco in his pocket to help him deal with the shakes.

“You’re just saying that…” the boy finally answered.

Tony chuckled. “No, I mean it. You have potential. More potential than me.”

“You should listen to him.” The old man continued. “I was retired when the Awakening began. My wife died from cancer a short time before, bless her, that lucky bitch. I had been vegetating around the house waiting to die when all hell broke loose. Even then, I managed to climb to level 75. However, this numbnuts was eighteen when the Awakening happened. He was in the prime of his life. Guess what level he is?”

“Um? One hundred?”

“Now, we both know that they aren’t putting anyone over level 90 on the wall. We’re the meat shield as the real forces remain cozy back in that castle behind us.” He nodded back to the gothic reformatory behind them. “No, this idiot had the most potential to level than anyone, and he’s not even as high a level as you. He’s only fifty-five.”

“You’re fifty-five?” The kid looked at Tony in disbelief.

“You sure know how to make a guy feel loved.” Tony sighed, wondering if he needed another drag while reluctantly confirming the old man’s words. “I got a crap gift. Bad luck of the draw.”

A level a month to meet the curve. That’s how the saying went. It had been roughly ten years since the Awakening. That meant that to be considered average, you’d need to be level 120 now, 12 levels a year. Of course, there were people below the average and those that were above.

This was only a theoretical level. The higher level you got, the more experience you needed to level and the more difficult monsters you needed to fight, so leveling typically slowed as you got higher. Some fell behind while others surged ahead based on opportunity, but for most, it seemed like those who grew to high levels in the beginning typically remained above the curve, and those who didn’t fell further and further behind. That said, there were still people with levels in the two hundreds and even rumors of beasts with levels in the three hundreds.

It stood to reason that the trio on the wall were those considered below average, but Tony was even lower still, barely enough for them to even bother conscripting him. It was close too, as the man who came to recruit them just before an enemy army swept through the Chuyahoga Falls encampment almost left him behind. If it wasn’t for the old man, he might have been abandoned. After all, someone below level fifty wasn’t even worth the cost of food to keep him alive.

The old man stepped up, and the two had been friends ever since. Not that their situations improved all that much. It was a single ladle of gruel a day, no shelter, and oh yeah, they had to fight on the wall to keep the monsters at bay all while the elites got to play overlord doing god knows what inside the building. Well, the two would be dead already if they didn’t join this last encampment, so there was that.

“I won’t lie. Some people did win the lottery when it came to their gift.” The old man sighed. “I got Precision to C rank. I may not look it, but I used to be able to shoot out the eye of a Buckeye from 1 kilometer away. Since I had been a hunter before, I was even ahead of the curve for a time.”

“What happened?” the boy asked.

“They ran out of bullets.” Tony chuckled, causing the old man to make a face.

“No one can keep a bullet press going, not since the last survival settlements fell.” He sighed, lifting the crossbow in his hand. “I never did get a hang of this damned thing. Give me a rifle and I could decimate the battlefield, but for this thing my damn arthritis makes my fingers hurt too much to reload it….”

His words drifted off and he dropped the crossbow to his side, a look of resignation on his face.

“Most monsters these days are bulletproof,” Tony added, relieved he could get one on the old man after his previous insult.

“Okay, well, let’s talk about your gift, memory boy.” The old man gave him a mischievous look.

Tony made a face, but seeing the curious look of the boy, he couldn’t help but respond. “I can remember things. Like… anything I’ve ever seen or read. It’s called Insight. Rather than a gift, it’s more like a curse.”

There were many things he had seen over the years Tony wished he could forget. That’s why he smoked so much, although he smoked before the Awakening too.

“Insight used to be a sought-after ability!” the boy protested. “My dad would have killed for your ability, ah… I mean…”

Tony chuckled. “It’s okay, kid. I honestly didn’t realize how to use the ability when I started, and by the time I got a good grip on it, it was no longer as useful.”

“I don’t get it. Can’t you discover monster weaknesses, path find… predict the future?”

“Sure, at the higher levels. I’m level D. I only unlocked the Identify skill a short time ago… don’t even talk about the S rank skills.”

Even though they had only been there a month, he had been leveling quickly. Considering he was forced to defend the wall with his life on the line, it was only natural that this would happen. If he had had Identify a few years ago, he would have been considered more useful and treated better. He faced a lot of strife over the years because of his uselessness.

“What’s yours, kid?” the old man said, seeing Tony’s mood sinking.

“Ah…” The kid looked down, an embarrassed expression on his face. “Stalwart.”

“What was that?” The old man tilted his ear.

“Ahem… Stalwart!” the kid said, louder.

“Are you kidding me?” The old man looked at him incredulously. “That ability is ridiculous! The stamina of those guys is no joke! I’ve seen one fight for two days straight without sleep. You can completely restore yourself once a day. They say in the higher evolutions, it can be done multiple times a day.”

“I-I only have it trained to D,” the kid said modestly. “The best it can do is restore 80% of my stamina and health once a day.”

“It’s a cheat gift!” the old man cursed. “It’s like a second life. Right, Tony?”

“Mm,” Tony agreed, as the old man kept nudging him.

He had also seen others with this Stalwart gift. They could be on the verge of death and suddenly be perfectly alright again. They could fight harder and longer than anyone. They often had nicknames like cockroach or unkillable. Few people used their real names following the Awakening, so they were often given names instead based on their exploits. Tony had none of those. Either way, he knew of many enemies who fell to someone with Stalwart. Tony might have felt envious of the boy, but weren’t they both still on this wall? Then again, with Stalwart, maybe this kid had a chance to survive the oncoming battle, while Tony was pretty sure he was fucked.

“At the least, you’d be able to satisfy all the bitches,” the old man declared. “Man, I wish I had that Stalwart stamina back when I had my harem.”

“Damn it, old man, not this again.” Tony gave him an annoyed glare.

“What’s wrong with sex?” the old man asked. “In the early days of the Awakening, there were fine ladies everywhere. For a time, I was thankful for the apocalypse. So many fine Ohioan women were desperate to be protected and would do anything for a man with a gun. I had a harem with three girls. I mean, they weren’t the hottest, but it’s more pussy than I experienced in my thirty years of marriage.”

As he spoke, the boy turned increasingly red, while Tony looked increasingly annoyed.

“Can you quit being vulgar? Show some respect for women, they got the raw end of the deal after the Awakening. Those who couldn’t get strong died when their men failed to protect them. Any survivors are either far higher level than any of us, or in some stronger guy’s harem.”

At the beginning of the Awakening, many women refused to fight and depended on their husbands or boyfriends to protect them. This caused a level disparity that only grew more pronounced as said boyfriends eventually met grisly ends.  This created a period a year after the Awakening where there were more women than men. Yet, as the Awakening continued and enemies became more plentiful and more dangerous, that time didn’t last.

At some point, the ratio of men to women shifted, and women became increasingly more difficult to find. Since the world had become lawless, the surviving women were often set upon by any man strong enough to claim them. It was extremely common for attractive women who lacked the strength to find a strong guy and become his lover. This meant that those who were considered strong often had a dozen ladies around them that they protected from other men.

Survival wasn’t always a blessing, since if those women were pretty enough, stronger men might come along and steal them. In short, it was a mess and many capable men died simply because they were horny. As for the women, they were passed around as little more than commodities. Some unfortunate ones met warlords who weren’t interested in used women, and they were thrown into the camps to satisfy their men.

“Yeah, well, what about the princesses then?” The old man gave a toothless grin.

“They’re naturally exceptions.” Tony coughed, feeling somewhat awkward at the mention of them.

The Ohian Princesses was a nickname given to women who beat the curve. Although strength wasn’t enough, they also needed to be beautiful. They didn’t typically end up in harems because they were strong on their own. That didn’t mean people didn’t conspire against them and some met grisly ends, but those that survived tended to sit at the top of the curve, sitting among the strongest in Ohio. They were all practically celebrities at this point, their exploits shared at every camp like campfire myths.

They were so popular that just their name could form armies. Most men wouldn’t dream of having one, because if any other man found out, they would be ripped apart. Among humans, they were a protected class, like royalty.

“Haha… I’d have given up all my bitches just to enjoy one Ohioan Princesses for a night.”

“They’d probably kill you as soon as look at you.”

“Ah, but it’d be worth it. What about you, kid? You ever had sex?”

“M-me!” The boy jerked. “Ah, o-once…”

“What?” Tony finally looked startled. “You did? How?”

“Ah… when I turned fifteen, my friends traded some food for a girl passing through with a caravan.”

“Oh…” He calmed down, “A rental. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

Those ladies who weren’t fortunate enough or pretty enough to find a man to care for them often ended up becoming commodities, owned, rented, and traded. Although there was still a good group of women like that, they were overused and abused. They rarely outlived their owners.

“Tony… I’ve been meaning to ask, but the way you always get angry when I talk about this stuff… and your reaction now.” The old man looked slightly awkward. “You’re not a virgin, are you?”

“What are you saying?” Tony yelled a bit loudly, earning a few dirty looks from those nearby.

The old man lifted his hands. “I’m just curious. You’re nearly thirty, but you seem to get angry or embarrassed every time I mention ladies. I reckon you’re a virgin… or gay.”

“I’m not gay,” Tony complained. “I’ll have you know I used to be quite the looker. I used to have women hanging off my every word back before the Awakening!”

The old man gave him a dubious look, but Tony wasn’t lying. He had been very attractive. Even after the Awakening, some women still chased him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always women. Since he lacked the strength to protect himself, he was forced to do many shameful acts in the name of survival. Eventually, he scarred his face and grew a beard. He sometimes wondered if he’d be better off if he had kept his looks. Either way, after ten years, he was barely recognizable from the man he was back then.

Thankfully, before the old man could start asking questions for which Tony wouldn’t care to answer, a horn blew. It didn’t come from the enemy waiting outside, but from the balcony overlooking the wall, causing everyone outside, shivering, to turn around and glance up. There was a group of people wearing army uniforms like such organizations still existed in this world. A man in an officer uniform stepped up. He had slicked-back hair and a perfectly shaven face that spoke of someone who had the time and resources to do just that.

“Must be nice,” the old man grumbled, seemingly echoing many people’s thoughts upon seeing him.

“I know that the last winter has been hard on all of you,” the officer announced once the crowds quieted enough. “I know you’re tired, hungry, and cold. Life has been rough for you. However, I ask you all to fight for humanity just one last time. You may not know this, but as we speak, I have the highest-level enchanter Ohio has ever produced currently working on his finest enchantment. He is creating a tool that will be able to change the course of this war. If he can complete his work, not just Ohio, but perhaps the entire United States of America can be saved!”

He finished like he was expecting a roar of applause, but all he got in response were a few coughs and mutters. He let out a sigh and nodded. There was some movement behind him, and some people in the crowd grew excited. The old man was one of them.

The old man grabbed Tony’s shoulder. “He’s going to bring her out! It’s her!”

His eyes seemed to have seen something back in the building that other eyes couldn’t. It was probably the same for others in the crowd with similar abilities. The young boy was glancing at the excited old man with confusion. Of course, Tony already knew the old man enough to know why he was acting this way.

“Ack, will you stop it? You’re embarrassing to be around when you’re like this.”

“So, many of you are wondering why you’re here.” The officer seemingly recovered from the previously cold reception. “Well, I will show you a reason right now.”

“She’s coming! She’s going to show herself!” The old man was practically bouncing like a young boy, while the actual boy was looking at him with the oddest of looks.

The boy wasn’t the only one giving him weird looks. Tony could only shake his head. Whatever anyone could say about the old man, he was consistent.

“She is powerful. She is beautiful! You all know her as the Flame Princess of Ohio. Please, clap your hands for Olivia Blane!” This time, several groups of people honored or shouted.

This time, the officer got the cheering he had been hoping for. Although it was only some of the group, they cheered with enough fervor that they made up for those who didn’t cheer at all. The old man was one of those fools. Tony could only roll his eyes. He was fond of the guy except for this one serious character flaw. He was a fanatic when it came to the princesses.

As the officer stepped aside, a woman stepped forward. She looked young, in her teens, but anyone who did their math knew that she had to have been at least twenty-six. After all, it was found that rapid leveling seemed to delay aging. Well, that assumed you could remain above the curve. For someone like Tony who was under the curve, the stress of living in this world had the opposite effect. Despite only being 28, someone couldn’t be blamed for thinking he was in his fifties. Next to the old man, their age gap didn’t look like much at all.

Once the cheering subsided, the beautiful girl came up onto the stage. She exuded an otherworldly beauty, and her face held a cold, aloof expression. Her hair, cascading down her back, was silver with red tips, and her eyes were a fiery orange. Of course, she wasn’t born like that, but her body had transformed after leveling so much. Her body, hair, eyes, and skin had all been shaped by her gift over the years, giving her a flawless complexion. She had a modest bosom; her body was slim, yet still possessed shapely curves at her hips and thighs that displayed her fitness. On her back was Firelance, one of a handful of weapons that was so famous that it had its own name.

“Please, fight as hard as you can.” Her face looked passionate and energetic. “We all have our battles to fight. Let’s win.”

The crowd exploded into cheers as she made a victory sign, The microphone screeched as she handed it back to the officer who seemed surprised that her speech was so short. However, the crowd ate it all up anyway.

Tony rolled his eyes once more. Even now, ten years after the Awakening, men were willing to die for a pretty face. The thought caused him to touch his face. His skin had once been as smooth and milky as hers, but wounds, time, and outdoor weather had worn it down until he was more calluses than skin. Well, he had never asked someone to die for him like she did in her chipper voice, so at least he had never been that shameless.

“Alright, Men!” the officer cried out as the cheers started to die. “It is time to fight. Protect this reformatory! Fight for Ohio! Buy us the time, and change our fate!”

The roars came, and the last battle of Ohio began.