Chapter 19: Refugees
Coop’s predawn routine began as usual. Jett seemed to be finding more creative ways to sleep, this time she had all four of her legs up in the air, occasionally kicking one or the other in response to her dreams. Coop left her to wash his face and do his morning warm up at the top of the fort.
He would jog a bit and enjoy the sunrise while stretching, then he’d take a quick shower and have breakfast at the Tavern. It used to be a lot harder to wake up before dawn, though he still did, but he used to rely on the aid of multiple alarms. Now, he woke up by himself. He supposed it was proof that sleep wasn’t as necessary as it had been before. He still wanted to keep a regular schedule, as he credited his simple routine for granting him the wherewithal to grind so many monsters. The journey of gathering strength would be a marathon. In his own way, he was pacing himself.
As he casually jogged along the ramparts he noticed something far in the distance, too far to make out any details. He continued his jog and watched the mystery object drift lazily toward the island. As the sun breached the horizon he realized it was a small boat.
Coop interrupted his routine to find Jones and let him know they might have some visitors. A few minutes later, he was joined by Jones at the top of the fort, watching the vessel approach. Once it was closer it became clear that Coop’s initial assessment, calling it a boat, was too generous. It was nothing more than a raft. It had three occupants.
Coop hustled across the island to the eastern beach where the raft would land. He hurried in case they needed help. The cool sand on the trail was already warming in the morning sun as he marched across it. He didn’t feel like much of a welcoming committee, but he’d do his best.
When he reached the beach the raft had already washed onto the shore. Two young boys were laying in the sand, exhausted, with relieved expressions on their faces. They had obviously been at sea for long enough to miss solid ground. The third person was standing further up the beach, watching Coop approach. She was an old lady, with white hair and a face that had been weathered by what must have been hard living in salt air and hurricane winds. She was leaning on a driftwood staff that was taller than she was, but that only meant the staff was a bit over five feet tall. All three looked ragged.
Coop heard her rouse the boys in the sand to attention, warning them of his approach. She told them to stand up and look peaceful and let her try to communicate because the man wouldn’t understand their language. But Coop did understand, they had a skill for that. He identified the old lady.
[Human (Level 2)]
Coop felt his eyebrows rise, surprised by how low level she was. The boys had both stood up, and were covered in sand. Even though Coop thought they must be around 12 years old, they were both half a head taller than the lady. He identified them as well.
[Human (Level 0)]
[Human (Level 0)]
Coop wondered how they had managed so far, but judging by their states it had been a struggle. Their clothes were barely rags and their faces showed the pile of stress that they had been under. Coop raised a hand to greet them, “Do you need help?”