Hearing the commotion increase, Luke turned and ran towards the village center, earning a view impressed glances and good-luck hoots. As he ran, Luke felt the familiar sensation of his weapons bobbing at his side and back, a feeling that brought him a strange sort of comfort. Time spent shooting targets out in the Dustlands, training to become a patrolman, was time away from Jonathan. It was a beautiful sort of destructive escape.

After a few minutes, Luke made it to the center of the village. Hundreds of his kin had gathered around the great monument of a United Earth Federation Marine, donning his heavy suit of powered armor and wielding a powerful assault rifle - fabled weapons of the past capable of firing many shots at once, now sacred relics. As Luke stared at the statue of the marine, he smiled, noting its effect on morale. He had heard tales that some strange force had caused human beings to be taken from a land of lush green - some elders of the village called it "Earth" - and planted them on this barren dustbowl of a place. Humanity faced many problems and strange creatures, Luke heard, but conquered them through the only thing that mattered in the world : firepower. However, due to a lack of resources, humans spread out farther and farther from their original location, in search of greener lands. The result spoke volumes in places like Luke's humble village: A backwater farming community struggling to grow crops, hunt game, and draw water while depending on ancient technology. Although no one quite remembered where the original human settlement was, the statue of the marine still stood as a hope for mankind's conquest of his surroundings.

"Hey, Luke," a familiar voice said, approaching from behind the boy. Luke turned around to see a face he knew very well, with its piercing black eyes and slick, short blonde hair, wearing a confident grin. Someone Luke would recognize anywhere, Adam.

"You're actually on time! I'm surprised, man! I thought the patrol would leave without you!" Adam laughed, slamming a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Of course I'm on time! I wouldn't let old man Nate hammer me for being late," Luke replied, his hand shaking Adam's opposite shoulder. The two friends tossed their heads back and laughed as they waded through the crowd and met with the rest of their patrol unit. The unit itself was an interesting medley of people. From an outsider's point of view, it would have looked like a ragtag militia group. Men of various ages and colors stood in the group, armed with a plethora of different builds of pistols and rifles. Some of the men were as old as Luke's father, and some were as young as Luke himself. Some were fair skinned like Adam, and some were tan, like Luke. Within the group, however, was a single woman, looking slightly older than either Luke or Adam. Her hair and eyes matched Luke's companion, and she waved at the two.

"Hey, delinquent duo! C'mon over here, we're about to begin!" The woman called out, beckoning the two boys to walk over to her. They complied, and just as Luke was about to say something, the woman placed a finger to her lips and shushed him. Pointing a finger towards the monument, she called the boys' attention to a tall, gruff-looking black man standing right in front of it. The man stood at least two heads taller than Luke, and held in his hands a sacred treasure, a Federation assault rifle! The brilliant weapon, so compact in its frame yet so powerful in its effect! The old weapon simply commanded authority, and Luke immediately recognized the man as the patrol's leader. As the tall man held up a single hand, a sign to stop the chattering, the talking of the village square ceased. Every eye was stuck on the patrol leader, and every ear glued to his mouth.

"Ahemn. Thank you all, citizens of Dust, for gathering here on this momentous occasion," the man began, stretching his arms out as he spoke. "I am sure that you are all aware that this is a patrol unlike any other in the last few years. Yes, while our previous patrols have been essential acts of surveying game, spotting for threats, and finding artifacts. However, today, we have a special mission. Of course, I trust that you are all know of the increased Raptor activity in the area."

"Demon birds from Hell! They took my child!" A screeching cry from the crowd interrupted the speaker. Luke couldn't tell who it was. Just someone absorbed in the sea of faces.

"They''ll kill us all, the bastards!" Another yell. Soon enough, the crowd erupted into a series of angry screams and shouts directed at the Raptor threat, exposing the raw fury of a species in peril. Luke, much like any other citizen of Dust, hated the Raptors. The disgusting, bipedal birds were known for assailing the village's trade caravans, skulking on the outskirts of the farmland, and kidnapping citizens for their outlandish rituals. Their cries were said to sound like the Devil's scream, and their claws and armblades could slice through flesh like a knife through soft bread. The thought of meeting them evoked feelings of fear, revulsion, and excitement within Luke at the same time. The chance for death against the chance for glory.

"Settle down, settle down," the man continued, a solemn calm tinging his voice. His words commanded authority, and the crowd quickly ceased its yelling. "The elders recognize this threat, and we, the patrol, are going in to parley with the Raptors. There is - "

"Talk with the bird men? No! Kill them! Kill them all!" Another shout from the crowd interrupted the leader's words, and soon the square was ablaze with harsh cries of bloodlust and protest.

"Worry not! Worry not, citizens! If the birds do not agree to our terms of ceasefire, we will deal with this problem as our forefathers would have," the man finished, a small speck of sadness in his eye, Luke noticed, betraying the enthusiasm of his tone. The words calmed the paranoia and rage of the crowd, and the noise dropped down to a few muttering whispers and grunts of approval. Adam nudged Luke with a wink and made a mock gun with his fingers, imitating firing it. Luke blew him off with a small grunt and turned back to the speech.

"Now, if you would please kneel down for a time of silent prayer," the large man said, laying his weapon down and dropping to his knees. Seeing this action, the entire village square did the same, kneeling down, bowing their heads, and closing their eyes. Luke's mind drew blanks through the ritual. Although he went through the programmed response mumbling a request for protection for the patrol unit and a good outcome to the Raptor mission, Luke had nothing deeper than that to contemplate or request. All he really wanted was to stay back in the safety of his home, shooting targets in the Dustlands and goofing around with Adam, but obligation dictated otherwise. However, the patrolman could not deny the slight tinge of boyish excitement he felt at going outside the confines of the village. Part of him pushed for comfort, safety, and familiarity, but a small bit of him begged for adventure. Shaking his head, he decided that such debate was useless. Going on patrol was his lot in life, scared or not.

After a few minutes, the prayer ended. The tall leader of the squad picked up his rifle and slung it against his back. Then, with a sweeping motion of his arm, he beckoned the patrol unit to the exit of the village, a single, solitary gate in a low concrete wall, surrounded by the characteristic brown dirt of the land.

Luke playfully slapped Adam on the back, receiving a grin in return. If Luke had to risk his life, he may as well do it with his best friend. Slinging his weapon to his back, Luke followed his unit out into the endless brown, the everlasting barren land.

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I'm just a guy who's ill at ease and only knows how to write.

Madness - simply no way to live.