Ravenia Rose

|End Point|
Guard's Station

Julius Iron-Root

|End Point|
Medical Center

It was the wee hours of the morning; it wasn’t even time for the sun to rise yet. There was no sleep for the wicked, was what the young woman always thought. Sometime between midnight and three she always found herself curled up in her large plush chair, simply staring out into her back yard at the roses that were blossoming in her garden. On the nights when the stillness of her house became to unbearable she could be found patrolling the city and walls. It was no secret in the Paradise Lands that Ravenia didn’t sleep much these days. She held the warm mug of tea between her hands, rolling the cup between her palms. Her bright green eyes slowly focused more and more on the roses, getting caught up in her thoughts. She chewed the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. An old habit that would never die. Sighing gently, Ravenia set her mug upon her small table and made her way to her bedroom. She decided she would prepare for the day. Sliding out of the large shirt she had been sleeping in, Ravenia began to pull on her normal gear and clothes. She laced her skin-tight light leather pants up, pulling her high boots on up next. She opted for a loose, white shirt that would breath well in the heat. As she slid the cloth of her head, she caught the scars that riddled her body in her peripherals of her mirror. Fixing the shirt comfortably, she pulled the leather brace on that she always wore. It hugged right under her bust and laced tight. On the sides there were sheaths for her favorite pair of short daggers, it was made for quick access.

Ravenia piled her long, wildly curling mane atop her head and fastened it with a bright red scarf. She knew that by the time high noon rolled around that most of it would have fallen down. For now, it was out of her face and way. Once that she was satisfied with her appearance, Mother headed out of her house. The sun was just slowly starting to peak the horizon and she could hear a rooster crow in the distance. The markets would be starting up soon and people would be out and about. The woman took her time in her stroll to the wall, lost in her own thoughts. She created familiar faces with a gentle nod but really didn’t say much as she moved along. She quietly hummed a tuneless song to herself as she thought about the duties she had to perform today. There was construction on one part of the wall that she needed to see how the progress was going. A quick travel to the High Tops was also in order today, she would need to make sure that there was no discord there.

In the five years since the 3-Day War, much had changed in Ravenia’s face. Her bright green eyes no longer sparked, they were almost dull in color. She very rarely smiled, and when she did, most times the look did not reach her eyes. Even her closest friends couldn’t recall the last time she had laughed. Ravenia had almost made it to the wall when a courier came to her with a message. Her adoptive brother was in the medical center with her adoptive sister and niece. Apparently her niece had fallen when trying to climb the wall. The little girl had just turned five. Ravenia said nothing as her cape suddenly swallowed her up, condensed into itself, and a black raven shot out. A few feathers floated to the ground as the raven flew quickly across Paradise Lands towards the medical center.

The raven swooped low to the ground and it suddenly exploded in a mass of feathers; however instead of a mutilated mess the feathers began to writhe and duplicate. They doubled and doubled until Ravenia fell from the feathers. She hit the ground running with the mass of feather following behind her, now connected to create her familiar cape. She burst through the doors and found her adoptive family in no time. She calmed almost instantly when she saw her sister and niece sitting on a bed with Tank sitting in a chair beside them, all three laughing.

Tank stood as soon as Ravenia walked into the room, noticing the look of concern on her face. Almost immediately, though, the look fell away as a look of relief washed over it. He grinned sheepishly at the younger woman and rubbed the back of his head. “Hey, Rave. Didn’t mean to scare you. Emerald attempted to climb the wall today and fell on her head. I kind of just freaked, y’know.” He said and looked down to his niece. He saw Emerald’s little face light up at Ravenia’s presence. “Aunt mommy!” The little girl squealed as she wriggled from her mother’s hands and scrambled off the bed. She dashed to Ravenia and giggled when the woman swooped her up. “Emerald, remember she is either Aunt Raven or Mother, you can’t combine the two.” Her mother, Flora, scolded. Ravenia patted the little girl’s back and strolled farther into the room. “Your mother is right, Emery. Call me Aunt Raven, okay?” Ravenia agreed as she handed the little girl off to her mother and sat at the end of the bed. “So, what happened?” Ravenia asked, looking from Tank to Flora.

Tank produced another sheepish smile as his sisters both fixed him with a look. “Well, you see, I took Emerald out to the wall this morning since she was up so early. Well I was talking to a guard posted at the door when she tried to climb the lines. She was a good five feet up when I finally saw. She got scared when I yelled for her to get down and fell straight on her head. She was unconscious so I thought she was really hurt so I rushed her and sent two couriers to collect you and Flora. I’m sorry, I only took my eyes off her for a minute.” Tank explained as he shrugged in response to the withering look both Flora and Ravenia shared. “I’m sorry, I scared you Ju-Ju. I won’t do it again.” Emerald said as she smiled to her uncle. Julius smiled to the small girl and affectionately rubbed her head. “I hope not!” He turned to Ravenia as she stood and began to leave. He held up a hand to Flora and Emerald, following after his adoptive sister. “Rave, wait.” Tank said as he rounded the corner into the hallway. “Not now, Julius. I have too much to do. Keep me updated on Emerald.” She said, suddenly realizing where she was.

Tank caught Ravenia’s wrist and forced her to turn to look at him. “Rave, have you been sleeping any?” The big brute of a man questioned as he held Ravenia’s chin in his hand and tilted her face up to look at her tired eyes. “You know how it goes, Julius. Please, let go. I need to get out of here before somebody shows up.” Ravenia said as she pulled away from her brother’s grip. “Bring Flora and Emery by later today when I’m in the office. Tell them I’m sorry for leaving so abruptly.” Ravenia said as she rushed out of the hospital center. Tank sighed and leaned against the wall. “Damn.” Julius murmured as he stood there for a bit, thinking to himself.

Ravenia made it out with no awkward encounters. Standing outside the doors, she tilted her head back and looked to the sky. She closed her eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath, taking in the hot air. With a sigh, she shook her head and went to the guard’s station and collected the nightly reports. She leaned against the make shift shack they had created as she thumbed through the reports, listening to the two guards tell her about certain notes that had left in the reports.

Carl rose before Dawn, since he really didn't sleep anyways. Since he came back he found it harder and harder to pretend to rest with each passing day. Hell, he had to remind himself how many years it had been since he actually slept, but still he tried to pretend to rest for routine/appearances sake. After all, it's not like there was an instruction book for being half dead.

He donned his best merchant gear (a set of finer clothes he wore on his trade route between PL and Dead Town) and in the light from his oil lamp he noticed one of the elbows needed patching. His old joints freaked and clicked from the cool and moist morning air as he reached for a sewing kit. After patching up the tear in the elbow he made his way to the trap door that lead down into his cellar.

The hinge freaked a little and he made a mental note to oil it up when he came home for this trip. As he descended he thought about how funny it was that this was his life now. He did the things he used to consider hobbies to keep himself busy, and his new hobby had become trying to fit in with the regular "fully alive" folk. He didn't have many friends, and that was okay, after losing his life (literally) and everyone he knew and loved having been dead for years, the seclusion suited him just fine for the day to day.

His left foot hit the plank board flooring he had custom built for his cellar, and he lit the oil lantern at the bottom of the stairs. After seeing that the flame was steady and strong he took the light off of its nail hanger and moved to the other side of the cellar where he had gathered his trading supplies for this weeks trip. Box by box he carried it all upstairs. Real meat jerky (venison, turkey) that he had smoked and cured and seasoned himself, dozens of fine pelts and leather pieces, trinkets and odds and ends, weapons and tools he had smelted from scrap iron and steel and polished and sharpened. Various articles of clothing including leather belts and shoes.

By the time his cart was loaded up and ready to go the morning sun had begun to dry the thick forest dew. The birds and insects and small rodent creatures were all calling to each other throughout the forest. Sometimes it was easy to forget the world was a wasteland now. And he clung to these fleeting moments like any of them maybe his last.

He grabbed a handful of jerky and a water bottle from his trip pack and climbed onto the seat of his wagon. Flanders, his horse, was chewing some moist grass as Carl pulled the leads. Flanders was an old soul and new the trade route by heart. 3 miles to PL, a stop there for 3 days. Then a half a day trip to a dead Town, a day stop there, and then back home. Once a month, for the foreseeable future.

As the duo was clearing the forest edge Carl patted his vest pocket to make sure he had packed the bone dice set for Billy. A thank you gift for a boy who was forced to be much older than he was. Last time Carl was in PL, Billy had stood up for him in front of a group of young bullies at the refugee house.

Carl smiled broadly when he felt the dice in his vest pocket. He had every intention of making this a good trip to the city this month.

He nearly missed the sunrise when the air felt like it did the last time around, he never let himself miss it afterward. He left his post during the worst possible time, another thing he now corrected himself on. He now worked without end on the gate and the city, finally getting around to the exterior defenses he always told himself about. He talked even less than he did back then, his vocal cords raspy and struggling to speak normally.

His coat stayed over his shoulders, breathing just as normally as any other piece of clothing would. After the war five years ago, he had found the coat and had asked one of the seamstresses to make it a little more breathable. As always, it hung over him and his burgundy vest and suit, keeping most of his arm hidden from view.

He sat atop the wall, watching the sun rise over the horizon. The crisp air hit his face ever so gently, reminding him so much of the three day war. A grimace found itself onto his face. He had taken the ordeal badly, but noting could compare to what Ravenia must have been going through. It never really ended. The stress, the losses. It just continued to pile and pile, the weight becoming more than one could bare without some sort of loss mentally. Sanity, sleep, energy. It would all just fade away.

As he leaned against a pillar, not even the morning light in his eyes was enough to keep Marcus from starting his drift into the land of dreams. He never got any real sleep these days. Any time he fell asleep it would just be a small nap, the mare minimal requirement for his body to function properly throughout the day. His grandfather had done all he can for the man, even now, he stilled urged him to sleep a full night, at least once.

His head drooped low before snapping back up. He wouldn't let himself sleep. He couldn't afford to miss anything again. Not with the city on the line.

Sasha rolled off of his cot as the sun began to shine through the window. His bare feet met the dirt floor. His pale, shirtless torso gleemed in the sun, untouched by its rays long enough to give it any sort of color. Sasha didn't tend to go around shirtless much anymore; the hideous scars on his back weren't something he liked to show off.

It seemed like not too long ago that he got those scars, and he was fighting for his life in the medical ward. Weeks of recovery after infection had set in left the large man weak. Five years later, he had fully recovered, but those scars still seemed like they hurt from time to time.

Sasha stood and began going about his morning routine: get dressed, wash his face, eat something, and go out for his morning jog. After the Arab migrants had left, the area they had once inhabited was left up for grabs. While the hand-built houses and huts were nothing fancy, Sasha was easy to please. He'd happily moved into one.

He set down at his shabby table and poured himself a bowl of milk and cereal. Both were something that Isam's community had imported. Apparently they had quite the little farm going on over there. They came by often to trade cows, grains, and produce for salvaged electronic parts and metal scraps. Sasha often wondered what they were planning on building with all that crap.

He munched on his breakfast, staring at the brick walls of the house until his bowl ran dry. Sasha got up and put the bowl in the sink before heading out for the day.

The Paradise Land was nothing like he'd ever seen before. It wasn't a struggle to survive here; not like out there anyway. Nobody had to kill to live, and there was usually enough to go around. Sasha didn't feel like someone would try to kill him at any given moment, a security he hadn't felt in his previous years.

Of course, after the war, people weren't all that welcoming towards him. Everyone knew he had come from the despicable group that had attacked them, and his attitude didn't help. Sasha's defensive barriers were still up towards those he didn't know well enough. Or those he didn't care to know at all. The few he had let past that thick outer skin mostly consisted of those who had first met him in the medical ward. The people who had helped him recover through what was a very painful end to a very painful chapter of his life. Those few people knew that he was loyal to the Promise Land, so everyone else could shove it for all he cared.

Sasha started off down the road on his usual route. It took him around the city wall, letting him get a good patrol in while he jogged.

Tobias lived in the Medical Center currently, leaving what available space was to those that needed it. though it wasnt always like that, he did at once share a place with someone but.. no more. his room was in the back, off the supply room, nothing but a single bed, and his books that piled up in multiple stacks. up before most, to make his rounds, he'd been able to sleep in a bit, since he didnt have any patients, that was til Tank came in, screaming his head off about Emerald. Tobias woke quickly, bolting out of bed, pulling on his pants, shoes and grey v button shirt. his beard, a new addition was getting on the thick side and his hair was wild and everything, he bolted out of his room..

ten minutes he had Tank calmed and exclaimed Emerald was fine, and he would go get something just in case she had any head pains..and sweet oblivion would have been nice, and he'd never would have known she'd showed up if not for his power, what made him a blessed one.. he heard whispered words, hushed voices and after a moment, something internal in him changed, adapted so that the sound came as clear as a bell,as if he was right there, in the room, right in the conversation. and he heard who Tank was apologizing to.

the sound of her voice, and Emerald's happiness at seeing her aunt struck a cord in his heart that he'd thought he'd buried, but apparently not.. though out of respect he waited, taking the time for Ravenia to do what she needed, and to get use to the now heightened sounds that were assaulting him.. before he'd have to suffer with it til his body changed back, but if there was one thing in five years he had learned, was that he could "force" his body to revert back faster, which is what he did, willing himself to change back to normal and soon the assaulting sounds all retreated, then faded and he was able to relax. "alright" coming out of the back just as Ravenia left. "now then" coming up and smiling to Emerald and Flora.

"give her this in a bit of water if she feels any pain, its mild in strength and mixed for a child her age. there was no bleeding, and just a little knot so after checking her out, i dont believe she has a concussion" holding out the mixture of white powder for flora "but just to be safe, dont let her go to sleep though with her energy you'd have to be lucky for that im sure but no naps today, by tonight if no problems, then everything is okay" checking on Emeralds head. "and you monkey" he teased, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of candy. nothing special,a bit of vanilla mixed with some boiling sugar water. it was more like a vanilla taffy then candy, but the kids loved it so he made it when he could. holding the piece out for Emerald. "no more wire climbing huh" though he wore a smile, always wore a smile and was always kind enough, the pain in his eyes was there, and anyone that had experienced the heartache of being pushed away, could see it.. and see that he'd know Ravenia had been there, and she'd rather leave then see him, that probably hurt the most then anything that had been done to him.

"if you want Flora i can make a tranq for Tank, you know if he steps out of line you can knock him out" he teased, waiting for Tank to come back in

He began to pace atop the wall. He needed something to do, anything. All of his meticulous work around the city and on the wall could only keep him so busy before everything was as good and clean as he could possibly make it. He stopped in his pacing. Tank's girl, who Marcus considered tanks daughter though actually his niece, had a little accident earlier that morning with the wires leading up the wall. He'd have to check on them and do little adjustments so that another accident wouldn't happen again. Not that he anticipated the dead coming back to the city like before, but in the event of an attack, he couldn't afford to let warriors, metas, or other blessed ones get injured because he didn't work on the upkeep of the grapple lines.

He began working on the first one, twisting his metal arm to join with the edge of the wall while his other hand worked on tweaking the line, ensuring that nothing was wrong with it. Once he was done with the checkup, he scaled down the wall and checked the bottom of the line, then repeating with each of the other lines on the wall.

Ravenia Rose

|End Point|
Guard's Station

Ravenia scoured over the reports, not liking the lapses in times of some of the travel logs that she was studying. She corrected it with the guards, giving them a good ass chewing in the process. The apologized for the errors and nodded their ascent. In full Mother-mode, Ravenia turned to walk off when she saw Marcus scouring the lines and Sasha rounding the corner. She liked seeing them at work, it made her feel good that she wasn't the only one carrying the burden of protecting the Paradise Lands. "Marcus. I hope you're not adjusting already perfectly good lines due to a certain niece of mine." Ravenia called up to the man, shielding her face with the back of her hand as she watched him move up and down. When Sasha was close enough to her she called out, "Sasha, I need eyes on the wall today, one of the Warriors is sick. Are you up for the shift or do you have plans?

Julius Iron-Root

|End Point|
Medical Center

Julius shoved his hands in his pockets and walked back into Flora and Emerald's room, his head slightly down. A look of obvious surprise was on his face at Tobias's sudden appearance in the room. Emerald was always excited to see Tobias, having seen him a lot when she was younger due to Tobias and Ravenia's relationship. "Oh, Tobi! You brought me candy!" The little girl squealed and would have shoved the whole thing into he mouth had Flora not interjected to break off half of the candy for the littl girl. "Hey, thanks again, Doc for patching my niece up. Man, when she had that fall I thought I was gonna shit myself." Tank said with a grin and clapped Tobias's shoulder. The other man's look of obvious rejection was not missed by Tank, however. "Bad word, Ju-Ju, bad word!" Emerald muttered around her piece of candy. Flora thanks Tobias accordingly, gathered their things, and left with Emerald in tow. The little girl was begging to invite Tobias over for dinner, Flora tried to hush the little girl as they left the room. Tank watched his sister and niece leave, saying as he watched them go. "You know, you and Rave drive me crazy. You look like a kicked puppy whenever she runs out of this place and she acts like she's simply broken. You both want each other, you're just too stubborn to fess up to it. Tank gave Tobias a pointed look and shrugged his shoulders with a wide grin on his face. "Between you and me, Tob, there's something wrong with her. She's angry, she lashes out, she's cold, she has nightmares. Sleep is next to impossible for her. She just can't get it together." Tank said as he plopped down on the bed that Flora and Emerald had previously inhabited.

Marcus chuckled. It wasn't even a chuckle, just a small breath that could almost sound like a laugh. He nodded, but continued his work on the lines. Ravenia was almost putting Sasha on wall duty if he was available, which Marcus didn't mind too much. He remembered the Russian laying in the bed next to Shay's at the hospital so many years ago. He had never addressed it back then, but he was one of the new additions that day. He wasn't quite sure what to think about Sasha. He didn't recall ever speaking to him much at all in the past, but he believed that it would change somewhat if he was going to be all wall duty. Marcus probably wasn't going to speak much at all, if at all, but he hoped that Sasha wouldn't take offence to his silence.

Sasha was about halfway through his jog when he was stopped by Ravenia. He stopped immediately and came over, his eyes wandering up the wall as she spoke to him. He nodded. "Sure, no problem. Whatever you need." Sasha could do with a little down time. He glanced at the other gate guard, a man who's name slipped his mind, and grunted as he began to climb the ladder up.

Sasha settled in at the top, looking out over the barren landscape. He didn't miss that crap for one second.

A mere couple moments ticked by when a cloud of dust off in the distance caught Sasha's attention. He cupped his hands over his eyes to shield them from the sun, trying to see what was approaching. As it grew closer, the form of a couple horse drawn wagons could be made out among the dust kicked up from the party. Several riders flanked the wagons, no doubt on guard duty. It looked like some supplies runners from Isam's group were paying them a visit.

"Incoming," Sasha hollered down at Marcus and Ravenia.

Carl approached the city gate right on schedule around noon. After clearing with the guard he heads to the market to start setting up his goods. The side of his cart let down with the removal of two large metal pins on either side. After it was folded out he would pull a strap that would open a panel that folded out and locked into place acting as shelves the length of the cart.

He unloaded and positioned his goods in typical order. The more expensive things at the top and the smaller and cheaper things at the bottom. After positioned Bing his items he unleashed his horse and tied him up to a post near his cart and allowed him to feed and drink.

People began to approach, most purchasing his tasty meats (a local favorite), some children begging for a few of his little wooden toys and dolls, and even a few guards/ warrior types inspecting his bows and swords. Things were going steady, if not a little slower than he had hoped. Still business was business and he would have more than enough by the end of the third day to stock up on the things he needed to take home with him.

A couple of hours later his favorite customer came calling. "Hey CW!" He'd know that voice anywhere. It was Billy. "What ya got this time?" Billy said as he climbed onto the back of the cart and plopped down beside Carl.

"Oh you know, the usual, hungry?" He held out a piece of savory deer jerky for him to take. "How are ya kiddo? Getting along alright? Hope you're staying out of trouble.

"Well, honestly? Ugh, those kids won't stop calling me names. Since you were here last they keep teasing me about standing up for you. They've been going around saying mean things about me." He looks obviously upset, despite his usually cheerful demeanor. "I don't regret it you know. It's just I wish they would stop being so mean. It wasn't right what they were doing to you either.

What a good kid, too bad he's been put in this situation. The war had left Billy without a family and forced him to grow up alone living in the refugee camp. Whenever Carl was in town he tried to make sure Billy had everything he needed to get him through till the next visit to the city. "sorry to hear that kid. Sometimes people are just bad by default. Like those people that attacked the city awhile back, they just aren't the same. And that's alright, because it makes you stronger in the end when you stand up for what's right. Which reminds, I have something for you. For that game of yours you're always begging me to play." He reached in his vest pocket and pulled out the pouch that contained the highly polished hand carved deer bone dice set and handed it to Bily.

"Wow, thanks. These are super cool CW! He exclaimed as he rolled the dice around his hands.

The two Sat on the cart eating jerky and drinking fruit juice while people walked around the market. Flanders the horse stood like a sentinel chewing his feed in silence.

Tobias would smile. "what kind of Doctor would i be if i didnt give something other then your mom some medicine just incase huh"he said. laughing when Flora broke it in half to give her half now, saving the other piece for later. Tobias looked to Julius and nodded. "its no problem, nothing to patch up really, and yes i could tell when you came in, but she's fine" feeling the man's hand on his shoulder, before smirking at Emerald. "bye you two" waving before hearing Emerald begging to invite him over for Dinner and Flora trying to sush her, well that didnt make it any better, but he pushed it down. "im sorry?" hearing that he and Rave drove him crazy. "i dont look like that, cause i never see her run out of this place" rarely did he catch her, and when they did make contact it was professional as can be and then she was gone..

"i'm not ashamed to say it or stubborn, i do want her, but after what happened, getting back to this stability, fixing and rebuilding, she pushed me away Tank, despite everything i did, everything i tried and i tried it all" hearing the other part. "the scars are a big part of it i think, and with Sun.. that was the catalyst, and the beginning of the downward spiral" Tobias, for once felt the weight of the words he was told once, that there are somethings one just cannot adapt to, and who'd have thought heartache was one of those rare things, no matter what he tried, how deep he pushed it down, buried it under work or studying or just ignoring it, he could catch a scent, a sight, even hear her name and it all came crashing back to the surface. "i honest dont know what to do Tank" he admitted, running his hand through his hair.

Ravenia Rose

|End Point|
Atop the Wall

Ravenia inclined her head gently to Marcus's raspy chuckle at her request. She did feel a little bad for always asking Sasha to take over whatever wall duty she needed filled in for. She looked up to Sasha though as he said that there were visitors coming in. She knew it was more than likely just traders but that didn't ease her troubled mind. Ravenia sunk into the shadows of the guards station and emerged from the large shadow that Sasha casted. "You know guys, there's some days that I just wished I could close the gates to PL. Doesn't matter if they're traders and have been here hundreds of times, they can easily turn on us." Ravenia said, a sober look donning her face.

Julius Iron-Root

|End Point|
Medical Center

Leaning forward, Julius rested his elbows on his knees and looked Tobias steadily in the face. "Don't be insulted by Flora trying to shush Emery. She's trying to prevent you and Ravenia the pain. We would love to have you over, believe me. I want it back the way it used to be." Tank said with a small sigh. He suddenly stood up and stretched his hands over his head. He nearly touched the ceiling of the room. "Tobias. She wants you. She needs you. She loves you. She damn near pushed Flora and me away when Emery was a baby. We had fights where we screamed at one another, some of them even ended up physical. " Tank admitted. He hoped Tobias never repeated this. Ravenia would kill him if she found out that he had let others know how bad she had been. The large man crossed the room and pulled the blinds back to look out at PL. He could see his sister in the distance, standing atop the wall. Her long black hair and raven cape catching in the wind. "You know, I read something once about people becoming too stressed. If can affect them on a whole different, crazy level. They called it post traumatic stress disorder, I think. I was wondering if maybe that's what's wrong with her. Can you fix that doc?" Tank asked as he looked over his shoulder at Tobias. He held a hopeful look on his face, wanting anything for Ravenia to return to who she was before the 3-Day War. He wanted all of it to go back to that way.

Ravenia was right, and after the trader had made their entrance, Marcus had gone back to his work in making sure all of the lines were secure. "Yeah." His gravely voice sounded out the single word to the leader of the city. Even if they were to pass through the gates a thousand times, they were still just as likely to turn on the city as the first time they had come in. Traders were the least likely to actually earn trust within the city. They talked to too many people, made too many deals to be fully trustworthy.

Even if he didn't give Sasha full trust, he did respect the man and what he had been doing since his arrival, and was thankful that he could step in whenever Ravenia needed him there. Even if he wasn't aware of it, Marcus had been keeping tabs on all of the newcomers in the city since the Three-day war. He didn't invade their privacy to get his information, but simple observed when they were around him to take notes.

With the last of the lines done, Marcus planted his feet into the ground and looked about, wondering if there was anything else that needed to be fixed or worked on. He didn't have any projects going on at the moment, somehow, but there was always something to do, and something to inspire him to make something new.

The travelers approached and halted outside of the gate. Sasha watched them from above as they were allowed in. They were definitely from Isam's group. Their copper complexions and the language they spoke to each other in gave that much away. However, an unexpected visitor came from around back of the party, his sleek, chocolate brown horse bringing up the rear.

The familiar black curls bounced and shifted as he rode around to the front of the party. Isam gave a small smile at his old friends as he slid down from the saddle.
"Hello, friends. It's been a while," He said as he approached Ravenia. He looked a bit different from the days he had spent inside the city's walls. There was a small, but barely noticeable, spring in his step. His smile was a bit more sincere. His eyes were a little bit more alive. Perhaps the success of his civilization had given the man new hope over the years.

"I thought I might come by, since we were sending out a load. Would you be interested in a little trading?"

He was lucky he bit his tongue. Marcus knew the colors of that caravan coming in. He knew what he said about traders, but Isam was another story entirely. He could almost say that Isam was a friend of his. Marucs didn't have many friends, but he believed that he respected Isam to that sort of level, and hoped that the leader of a completely new and successful civilization felt the same.

Just like those in the city, Marcus kept tabs on Isam and his other friends. Something about his just seemed more... alive. He may have had a hardened soul like every else, but what divided Isam from Ravenia and himself was the fact that he had life in his eyes, something Marcus didn't seem to remember years ago.

Indeed, it had been a while, and while Marcus said nothing to the man, he did nod and smile back at him out of respect, closing the gate behind his caravan. Marcus looked to Sasha, then Ravenia, and finally Isam. A melancholic smile graced his face as he remembered the past. Life had not gotten much harder, but it didn't get easier in the least. Life gave and took away, balancing the good with the bad. While new people came in, others left. New settlements, more area to keep track of and defend until it can defend itself.

Tobias shook his head. "not insulted, and i wish i could come over for dinner, and i get it Julius, and i want it back to the way it used to be as well, but i dont know if it will go back to how it was" standing when Julius did, he watched her stretch, listening to him, Tobias shook his head. "that was different Julius, she fought with you, spoke to you. with us, there was no fighting, shouting, nothing like that, i waited for it, i expected it.. i was short to everything, snappish right after i lost my father, but it never came, she just cut me off." Tobias knew not to go to that window, it face the front wall, and he knew who'd be there so he stood his ground, wanting.

"yea, PTSD is what it was called, i read about it as well, its more of a Psychological problem" he looked at Tank, and when he asked if he could cure that, he shook his head "not me, but you can.. she needs to talk about it, to get everything she got bottled up, keeping to herself, out.. she needs to talk to someone that she'll actually talk to, and that isnt me" moving to his counter, he found a bottle, small brown bottle. "give her this when you see her, its some sealing glue, you know for how she likes to bite the inside of her cheek" holding it out for Julius to take it "she'll run before she'll talk, some advice.. get her raven cloak from her, and make sure the locks are sturdy on the door"

Tobias waited for Julius to take the bottle from him, before he went over to his desk. "on another note, how's you best friend? you heard anything from him?" the friend thing was a big, big,.. huge stretch. Tobias and, well everyone knew Nic was not Tank's friend, they had beef between them, and it was still unsettled, since whenever they saw each other, that first tiem, Nic and him just beat the hell out of each other, and there was no holding back, usually took someone or someones to come and break them up. Tobias moved back to his table, looking at his list on the small notepad that hung on the wall, he'd have to find some of it on his own, knowing what to look for, but other things, when he was lucky, Nuckin Futs Nic could be given a list and explained what it was, and he'd come back with it or try at least.. Tobias didnt like him, and for the reason that he was a constant flirt toward Ravena.




whistling to himself. his large, Barret sniper rifle hanging over his shoulder as he walked up to his dune buggy, modified for the extra weight that he carried. he and baby been together a long time, both of them had been broken and beaten but they still survived and were kicking, so clearly they were doing something right. "hey sweety, you miss me?" he asked, as he disassembled the sniper rifle, and placed it back into its case, laying it back down under the jugs of water he carried, the jarring made the half burned bobble head he had on the front jerk its head up and down. "aww, missed you too" Nic said, smirking as he hefted up the box he'd "found" and by found, he meant killing the damn raiders that had it. wasnt bad enough with the undead going around this place, damn people had to turn into savages as well. "well, they can be savage all the want now, let the birds have them" finish his thought out loud as he opened the case and inside, he whistled. medicines, things from the old time, but mainly some homemade stuff, some jars of this and that, ammo of course and a lot of things "oh yea, so worth it" his bobble head just bobbing away. "right then" throwing the box into the back spot, right on top of another gun case, his big bad gun, he strapped it down before he went to climb in and take off.

. that had been the plan.. til about five other Raiders appeared, and the expression on their face meant they were pissed. "hm, they had a party out" as he climbed out of his ride and held his hands up. "easy boys, easy" he grinned. "im a Scavenger, i didnt kill your people" total lie, he did, but he didnt like Raiders, about as much as he liked the undead. "i came upon the scene, didnt think anyone was alive but look, i got your stuff here, its yours" backing up to the box, before he felt a knife blade pressed into his back, making him think 'oh, six' "easy, easy" smiling. "no troubles here, we can do this without any troubles" but by the looks and that the one now in charge glared. "kill him" that wasnt going how he suggested. oh well. spinning to the side, moving fast for a large man, he grabbed the man's wrist that was behind him and twisted, snapping the wrist bones and stripping the knife free that had been held against his back, then jamming it up into the man's soft pallete, right under the chin there.. burying it to the hilt, grabbing the gurgling body of the guy he'd just killed, he flung it to his buddies, throwing them off balance and disorganized before he drew his own blades.. his twin daggers from behind him and grinned. "lets do this thing" as he lept right into the middle of the five.

after all that was said and done and there was more blood then usual, he cleaned his blades off, before he replaced them on his back.. not that, they were the only set he carried on him, he was loaded down. looking at his arm, the thick gash taken out by one of those damn Raiders. "fucker" kicking the body. "im going to have to get stitched up" moving to his ride he slid into the driver side, pouring some water on the wound to clean it.. somewhat, before he wrapped it up, tying it off.. the smell of blood was going to draw the undead, so time to go. wetting a rag with more water, he wiped his hands and face off, then his other arm before, he drenched and wrung it out, then drenched it again before he wrapped that around his head to keep him cool as he started up his ride, shifting to gear he kicked the gas down, tires spinning and spitting up dirt as he flung the ass end around, before he shot off like a bullet.

Ravenia Rose

|End Point|
Atop the Wall

Ravenia did not regret her previous words of wanting to close the walls of PL, even when Islam walked up to her and smiled brightly. The young woman, gently inclined her head to the man. "Welcome, Islam. You look good, if not better, since the last time I have seen you. You are welcome to take your caravan to the marketplace and trade your goods, as always. Just remember, the rules is all I ask." Ravenia said as she clasped the man on the shoulder. The warmth she had held so many years ago was no longer apparent in her voice or mannerisms. "Now gentleman, if you will excuse me, I'm going to make my rounds around to the High Tops. If you need me, send a signal." Ravenia said as she nodded to the men. With that, she stepped off the side of the wall and immediately the process that turned her into a raven started. Now in her raven form, she took off in the direction of the High Tops. She did not mean to be rude, but she had many things to do.

Julius Iron-Root

|End Point|
Medical Center

Tank quietly watched as his sister stepped off the side of the wall and suddently transform into a raven and took off to the skies. "She refuses to talk to me these days, doc. And even if I took her clock and locked the doors on her she would just phase out. There's no containing that woman if she doesn't want to be. Ever since that day that they strung her up...." Julius stopped for a moment, gently sighing and wiping his mouth as he relived the memories of his sister being whipped bloody. "She is like a wild animal, now. Back her in a corner and she'll come at you with teeth and claws. Tobias, you have a bigger part in her heart than what you think." Julius said as he pocketed the glue that he knew Ravenia would need.

He leaned against the window sill and searched the sky for his sister, no longer seeing her. He looked back to Tobias at the mention of his 'best friend' and let out a sarcastic laugh. "My friend? Far from it, but no, last time I heard from his was when I approved of his travels outside of PL for you. Another reason why you need to get back with Rave is so Nic will stay far away from her. I'd dare say, even in her damaged state, she'd accept his advances." The large man said with a fierce sneer.

Caden had a day off from meeting with patients. This was a rare occurrence, and one he planned to take full advantage of. He had his sketchpad and pencils with him as he set off on a walk with no destination, just a hope that he would find something interesting to draw. It had been a while since he had been able to take much time during the day for his favorite hobby, so he was reasonably excited. There was a spring in his step as he walked through the streets, eyes constantly searching for a noteworthy sight. He took note of how many people still looked worn-down and depressed, among the many faces he passed, few were truly happy.

People had been like this for a while, so it was easy to become desensitized to their obvious lack of joy, but it was still a prevalent issue. Almost everybody around here had issues that could be made so much better even just by talking them out with someone, anyone, but even though in this place people were happier than if they were outside, it was a very lonely place to be. True, Caden had never been outside the walls for very long, but he could not imagine that things got much lonelier than being surrounded by people that you didn't have in-depth, meaningful conversations with. Although things were starting to get better, many residents of the Paradise Lands didn't seem to even trust each other, let alone those outside the walls. There were too many people that needed psychological help, and not enough people to provide it.

Caden's train of thought was broken as he neared the gates. He hadn't even come here on purpose, his feet had been on a kind of auto-pilot, his subconscious navigating the area while he was deep in thought. A caravan was entering. Seeing his opportunity, he quickly pulled a pencil out of the left pocket of his trenchcoat, sat down, and proceeded to draw as much as he could before the caravan passed him. Dissatisfied with the result, he turned the page to start another rough sketch of the caravan. However, before he could start drawing, he saw Ravenia Rose take off, and he couldn't resist. Immediately he drew a very rough sketch of her turning into a raven. It was a sight he had not seen very often, and it was quite awe-inspiring. He drew in the background, including the caravan and the guards. He wouldn't finish anytime soon, but the caravan piqued his interest, so he put his pencil back in his pocket and readied to follow the caravan to the market and see if anything worth drawing would happen.

Ramera stood atop the wall, resting her wings after having made the flight out to confirm the members of the caravan. Her role as Paradise's eyes has certainly lost its value with the soldiers on constant watch, but there were many things she could do that out-paced them in the line of reconnaissance. She stretched her left wing out, hearing the click of metal against metal as the wind raked through her metallic feathers as she stared out into the red waste. So much had changed in Paradise, but this view never changed. The orange, scorched, cracked ground never changed. But, she had felt the burden of change, albeit less so than many of the people in the walls of Paradise. People had lost their ability to trust after the 3 day war, and who could rightfully blame them?

The dead had at least thinned out over the years. At one time the landscape was dotted with them, but these days the only threat on people's minds were other people invading Paradise. The "judging town" stood as a monument to what happens when you trust outsiders. Somebody was bound to snap with the traders entering and exiting our walls, even if they held strong ties with the Mother of Paradise. This city had once held an air of safety, but now whenever she frequented the city's streets it always felt like there was a thick air of suspicion. None of it was directed at her at least, being one of the more recognizable people held its own perks she guessed. Although, she had had a few comments about her looking like a half-dead, but she'd assumed they were mostly light-hearted.

She changed wings, feeling the wind pull on her feathers, ruffling them as the breeze arched over the wall. The wing felt alien, even after having dealt with it for the past four or so years, having a wing that didn't consist of metal still felt strange. A time ago she'd wished for something of the like for its beauty, but now it felt more like a weakness she had to constantly compensate for. Metal wings were far more conventional in a world where nothing cared for the notion of beauty. However, a mutation was better than what had occurred to Clo, and Anora... Clo was now in some far off place. Her brow twitched as she tried to shove the thought of her sisters out of her mind before taking to the skies again, deciding to check the caravan's path to make sure nothing had been attracted to the sight of their dust cloud.

He nodded out of sheer respect for Isam before nodding to Ravenia, understanding her command loud and clear. Watching her turn into her corvid form was nothing surprising to him, but even as long as he had known her, it was still one of those things that he just couldn't explain. He wasn't as aggravated with the prospect of mystical powers as he used to be. Of course, he still couldn't figure out how they worked at all, but he didn't feel the anger of not knowing, but the joyous curiosity of how it worked.



"Pechew. Pechew. kaboom...!" The girl whispered to herself and made explosion noises as she watched Ravenia through her sniper scope. "And Miss Gladwyn lines up the shot, takes the shot. Oh, what a wonderful rifle she's using today, eh, Left brain?"

Making the radio static sounds with her mouth, she impersonated another voice to herself. "Sure is, right brain. Rumor has it that she was given that rifle to the legendary huntress of the waste herself! Cynthia's very own mother, Renee Gladwyn!"

Seeing Ramera herself take to the skies as well, shifting her view onto the harpie. From her position in the high-tops, she could see so many things. It was a wonderful vantage point, and she wasn't even quite sure if the village knew of her presence yet.

Cynthia had stowed away on a caravan cart about a week ago. She didn't dare take one of the caravans from New Arabia, just one of the smaller traders in the waste. Once she got inside the city, she looked for the best place to hide and watch, not to mention close enough for her to sell her wares so she could be in and out of the market in a flash. She was curious if that gate guard, the one the never slept, was nice and let little ole her pass through pity, or if he really didn't know. She had watched him for days, and he hardly slept or did anything other than work. He was interesting, but the Mother and her Harpies were cooler in her opinion.