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Adelaide shot awake with watering, red eyes. She had woken up to black fog and the choking odor of scorched wood. She was blinded by the combination of smoke and her own tears. A thick, acrid aroma drifted through the one-roomed cabin like incense, surrounding the young woman in its heavy clouds. "For fuck's sake." She mumbled as she struggled to untangle herself from the blanket. Her head felt as heavy as the smoke around her and every instinct inside her was telling her to bolt out of there. She waved the billowing smoke out of her face as the sound of crackling flames reached her ears. She could make out the sight of smoldering flames through her squinted eyes, hungrily sweeping across the wooden logs that held up the cabin. Common sense finally clicked in and she hauled her backpack, which had a crossbow attached to it, and a rifle over her shoulder. She gazed around the room, coughing hysterically.

The door hadn't been overcome by flames yet fortunately. She ran outside and leaned her palms on her knees, panting as her lungs got a taste of oxygen. Once she had caught her breath, she turned to look upon the one-room abandoned cabin she had been residing in. Dark smoke billowed into the morning sky, which was a beautiful mix of pink and orange as the sun rose over the horizon. Adelaide could only get a glimpse of it between the trunks of the trees unfortunately. She wiped dirt off her jacket as she watched it begin to crumble. "What an alarm clock."She muttered under her breath.

It was starting to register to her that this fire did not happen on accident. Someone had been either been bored and felt like burning someone to death, or they had been trying to force her out of the house out into the open. She did a quick scope of the area, stepping backward as silently as she could out of the open area. There was a forest surroundings the area and she had plenty of room to hide. Adelaide knew she wouldn't have the upper hand in a fight with whoever could have done this. They clearly had time to plan and were waiting somewhere to attack. Adelaide turned and made the split decision to make a run for it.

- Viviana -

Vivi's little family traveled as silently as any were capable through the forest. Nikita's large padded paws made no detectable sound even to Vivi's highly tuned ears, Gunnar was only slightly louder. Vivi walked, rather than riding the sturdy looking horse that followed just behind her. His back was covered in beautifully tanned hides from all kinds of creatures. No leash or collar adorned the massive dog, his paws as big as a man's face and his shoulders coming up well past Vivi's waist. He was a big as any man that Vivi had ever encountered and frightening enough that he kept most bandits away from her. He never strayed more than a few feet away from her nor she from him. The only thing that gave any indicator the dog was tame was the single strand of leather cordage around Nikita's neck, much like a necklace. Strung on the cordage was a single pendant of blue labradorite and a pair of feathers.

Gunnar was adorned in much the same way, other than the pelts thrown tidily across his back the only mark that he wasn't simply a feral horse was a set of feathers beaded finely into his thick black and gray mane. Though he was not an overly tall horse that was just fine by Vivi, it simply meant it was easier to get on and flee should the need arise. Gunnar knew little other than the fact that he could trust Vivi and that was enough for the horse to follow her anywhere she went. Vivi's mother had taught her much about horses, they had owned several but many of them had died or been stolen in the chaos of the early years of the war. Now she kept only Gunnar though she had been considering getting another horse, a mare this time.

Vivi's cloak of dyed black hides, pelts turned in, kept her warm during their nightly travels. She kept its hood pulled well over her head, hiding her long blonde hair from sight, allowing for only glimpses of a pale sharply structured face and gleaming blue eyes. She inhaled soft, taking in the scents of the forest around her. Only one scent caught her attention, smoke. Smoke in the forest was never a good thing, it meant other humans and Vivi had zero trust for other humans. Her animals she could trust with her life, other human beings, not so much. She leaped easily atop the grulla stallion, it was a well-practiced move at this point in their relationship. The tall slender blonde sat comfortably on the furs she had collected, they padded Gunnar's back well but she had to keep her balance. Pushing the horse into a slow but ground covering trot they moved through the forest quietly, to the side of the source of the smoke scent. Her massive dog moving at a slow energy conserving job beside them.

Sarah woke with a groan, and ran her left hand through her long hair. The bed she was in wasn't exactly the most comfortable, but that would be due to the fact that it was actually a couple of them set side to side and end to end just so she could fit on them. Being almost ten feet tall meant that most things would be makeshift at worst or custom made at best. She rolled out of the poorly made bed and got dressed in her custom made work pants and tossed on a leather vest that fit rather well considering it was the first thing she made with leather. She ran a large belt through the loops and tightened it as far as it could go. The simple hut she was in had a fireplace in one corner, a pantry in the far corner from that, and her dresser which sat beside her bed. She rinsed her hair in a bucket of clean water and began combing it back and tied it back in a ponytail.

Opening up the door of the hut, she grabbed the sword sitting next to the doorway and attached the scabbard to her belt. She looked out to her fields and set out to check on the cattle. She learned how to handle hers safely quite quickly when they started growing quills not unlike a porcupine. She heard that some grew two heads instead! Oh how those would be much easier to tend to but also easier for raiders to make off with. She sighed and sat down near one of her cows and began scratching the underside of its head, one of the few places quills wouldn't grow. This did exactly what she wanted and began calming the great beast down. She would be heading into town later with her crop harvest and having the cow saddled with the cart harness would only make things easier.

Two years ago…

“I don't wanna to do this anymore.” Tia grumbled as slumped lower into her chair and pushed the textbook she was reading away from her. “We've been working on this textbook for days now and it's boring. I hate it.”

“It will come to great use one day Tia.” A woman in her early forties said as she grabbed the chair next to Tia's desk and sat down. “I know learning some of this can be bothersome and trust me, I know. Just a little secret between you and me, I've fallen asleep in a few of your parent's lectures before the war but nonetheless, this information is important and you need to learn it.”

“But why Annie? Kimber said that her momma and dad said that the we are all going to die and then that's it. They said that there isn't going to be a future and the world won't be rebuilt and that the world is nothing but a hellhole that...”

“TIA MAE PHILLIPS! Watch your mouth! What would your parents think if they heard you cuss like that?” Annie exclaimed, cutting the girl off before she could continued. “Don't let anyone make you lose hope. Humanity has been hit hard but we are not eradicated. Your parents and I might not be alive when that time comes but when they do they will need help when it comes to rebuilding society and we are giving you and all the kids here that knowledge. You are the hope for the future.”

Present…

“Little giiirl, where are youuu? Don't think you can hide foreeever.” The man said in a singsongy voice as he walked in the direction Tia was hiding in as he dragged the metal bat he was carrying so that it scrapped the tile beneath him with a loud grinding sound. “Little giiirl, why don't you come on out and I promise I won't hurt you too much.”

Wedged beneath the display table of what appeared to be a clothing store at the edge of the city before the war Tia could only see the man's boots and knee length pants as they slowly made their way towards her. She could feel her heart pounding but at that moment there was no opportunity to make a run for it and fighting wasn't an option. All she could do was stay as quite as she could and wait.

“Come on, I've asked nicely. I promise that you don't want to upset me kiddo.” The man took a few more steps and stopped as he looked around the room.

Gripping the baton tightly, Tia watched the man carefully. He was close enough now that he was within range of using her weapon but that also meant that she was in danger of being clobbered by the bat. She had to time things just right if she were to escape. A loud crash was heard which caused Tia to jump but she made sure to stay put.

“Fine, if you won't come out I'll just have to swing my bat around until I scare you out or hit your pretty face.” The man said as he swung a second time, this time in the opposite direction from Tia and knocked down a clothing rack.

With the man facing away from her, the man's calves exposed, Tia rammed her baton into them and sent an electric charge out. Although it wasn't enough to knock the man out, it was enough to send the man tumbling down and taking this opportunity, Tia took another swing towards the man's head and ran out of the store. She hoped that she knocked the man out and not just dazed him but she didn't want to waste any time seeing the result of her swing and get as far away from the man as she could.

Rushing out the door, she ran into something hard as her eyes struggled to adjust to the daylight but feeling a hard grip Tia knew she was in trouble.

“Going somewhere missy?” A man asked.

Clawing and twisting away, Tia tried to get out of the man's grasp but she wasn't strong enough. Yelping in pain as the man twisted her baton out of her hand, Tia listened as it fell to the ground. Her only hope of fight the man off was now out of reach. She was screwed.

Slow, purposeful grinding. Slight slithering, flesh over rock. A worm the length of a man's forearm slowly made it's way upwards through the crumbling concrete wall of a New York appartment building. Tiny hair-like legs pushed it ever upward, their structure allowing them to hold the far greater weight of the worm. It's teeth were large and blunt, twisting in a way similar to a drill as it worked it's way through the man-made structure. It had felt a tremor, a small one, a prey tremor. The slight movement that indicated that a large insect had landed on the side of the wall. It swiftly but patiently made it's way towards it's prey, before suddenly shooting forth from the concrete. It's mouth opened completely to reveal an extended sticky tongue like that of a frog, and it dragged the insect - a fly the size of a fist - towards it's waiting teeth. It struggled desperately but could not get away, and once it got too close, those same large teeth crushed it's head. This was a feast of a meal, and as the worm pulled it back into the network of tunnels from which it had emerged it knew that this one insect would feed it for many days. Perhaps this would be enough food to begin it's long-awaited metamorphosis, that it might soar through the sky that had been denied to it before now.

Aaron smiled beneath his mask as he followed the creature's small adventure. He could still hear it as it pulled back into a hollow spot to enter a hybernation state. Perhaps his tiny companion would finally leave, escaping into the great blue. As he mused he opened a can of beans, and began unwrapping a set of cutlery he often kept in his 'utility belt'. Had he had the supplies he might have found a better use for the pouch, but for the moment he got to pretend the world hadn't ended with every meal. The beans were cold, but to a hungry man they were like divine nectar, and he swiftly began stuffing his face. Eating was one of the few reasons he would remove his mask, and when he did, he had to make sure none of his peeling skin made it's way into his food. Luckily he'd been able to find a relatively shaded location, so sunburn wouldn't be an issue. Of course, he could always-

Screams. A single person, female. They were far away, faint, but he could hear them. There were calls of satisfaction, male, congratulations shouted to one another. She'd probably been hiding, running away from this group, for who knows how long. Maybe she'd even done something to anger them, stolen food or even killed one of them. But more likely she'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, too much food and too little protection. In the modern urban jungle people hunted people like animals, and only strength was the difference between predator and prey. And it was clear, in this case, what roles had been assigned. The beans were forgotten as Aaron made his way out of the small appartment building that had temporarily served as home. There was an abundance of suffering in the world, and much he could do little about. But he would be no better than the very men down there if he just sat there and did nothing.

As he walked, Aaron assessed the situation. They were loud, and there were multiple voices. That was bad. One bandit wouldn't have been an issue, but it seemed there were multiple, and their confidence implied competence. Those who announce their presence without being able to handle what came for them didn't live long in this world. He'd have the element of surprise, and hopefully whomever he was rescuing would be able to fend for herself, at least a little bit. Assuming that she didn't just take him for another bandit and shoot HIM while escaping, that is. But even then, there wasn't much he could do if this was a full gang like the Wolves. At least he hadn't heard a motor, implying they were on foot.

Walking out onto the streets, Aaron stuck to the shadows. He moved from building to building, making use of the many shortcuts he knew about in this area. Walls that had collapsed, windows close enough to jump, and in one case a series of roofs that had been connected through long steel cables by an enterprising but long-gone gang. The cries continued throughout, growing steadily louder as he approached. It seemed that they weren't planning on killing her quickly. Either they were taking her somewhere else, or they had plans to enjoy themselves before she died. best-case scenario: they wanted information, and she was safe as long as they didn't have it, probably the location of supplies of some kind, maybe whatever she'd stolen if that was indeed the cause of the conflict. Either way it was a good thing, as she'd probably still be alive to save when he got there.

Finally Aaron found himself hiding behind a pile of crashed cars, quickly unfolding his rifle. When he leaned out the side he could make out the struggling figures, a couple of hundred meters away. He got the scope into place, and then lifted it to his eyes. Lying down, he slowed his breathing, focusing. Through the scope he could see most of what was going in. Sight wasn't his best, but he was still a fairly good shot, even with his eyes in their current state. Seemed there were at least three of them, and from what he could see, he would need to take the shot if he wanted her out of there alive. A shame. But it wouldn't be the first time he'd been forced to kill someone, and this death would be far less regrettable than many others. With a slight squeeze of the trigger and a loud bang he fired, as the fellow holding Tia suddenly dropped to the ground, a bullet in his shoulder. Not what he'd been aiming for, the man wasn't dead. And the others were alerted now. Damn. This might become a rather unfortunate incident.

Calmly, Aaron shifted his weight, lining up his next shot.

Perenelle

The mansion with only one usable side as was a castle to Perrie. It was an improvement from her shitty little two room bedroom with no escape. Here, she had all the room she would ever want and more. The mansion was evne kept in semi-fancy condition, too, despite large chunks of rubble. It had long winding hallways with wine carpet and marble floors. The windows were adorned with gold curtains with frill hanging down. The grand staircase was half blown apart but the right side of it worked. The stairway had a smooth feel to it, despite its' old age. The mansion had plenty of bedrooms with boarded up windows. It was large enough to accommodate the Wolves and more. She had thought she was dreaming when she found the mansion. It was in decent condition and abandoned. The owners must have died. Not that she cared, anyways, as she would kill them if they ever came back for it.

It had three stories, so it was organized by that. Perrie and the beta wolves were on the top floor and the subordinates on the second floor. The mansion had a medium sized road leading to it. There was a high iron gate around it with barbed wire and an electric fence. Whoever had lived here had installed high security that fortunately wasn't too shabby to use after the war. It was kept relatively clean despite half the left side of the mansion being blown off. Perrie had assigned Amelia to clean their base. If it wasn't kept clean and she found it dusty, she wasn't given food for a week. Next, Perrie withheld water. Failure to respond by then warranted her to be stuck in the freezer. Perrie sighed. She had spared the child despite her lack of skills. Her farming was useful. For the most part she was in charge of cleaning and cooking. Before Perrie ever tried to eat, she had a subordinate wolf she didn't care about test her food out for her.

Still, Amelia was young. The younger they were the more they could be molded into what she wanted. Normally she was could to everyone; despite it, she showed rare acts of kindness to her and wasn't as hard on her. Perenelle folded her arms and looked down from the third floor. She watched as they performed their duties; whether it was training, gathering food and water, torturing and interrogating people who came too close- the list went on. For the most part, she had Amelia sit and watch these acts so she would become accustomed to it. Perrie had taught most of the wolves, though some came in with their own set of skills. Those were the wolves she appreciated.

She sighed once more. In the mansion wasn't Xander. She had sent him out in the town to gather supplies and find more followers. Perenelle missed him. He was so loving and devoted. On top of that he could fight and was catlike. She grinned and leaned her arms on the marble railing in front of her. The day she had found him in the university and brought him in was one of the best days of her life. Perrie flashed a toothy grin to expose her fangs. Build them to believe then tear them down. That was one of her greatest skills that nobody knew about. Nonetheless, she treated him especially kind. Deep down she had a soft spot for him though she never let anyone see that. As for as she was concerned: this was his family now. Not that cowardly bunch at the university.

She smirked and adjusted her white wolverine mask. She had pulled her hair into a low ponytail and cracked her knuckles. She hoped for Amelia's sake their was a hot meal ready. She was hungry and she was bored of waiting for Xander to return. Perrie sighed and adjusted her pulled her leather gloves on tightly. She wore them to help stop herself from accidentally contracting her claws. She would sometimes cut herself from doing so and hated how long it took to heal. Though she struggled with them on and off (especially when angry), she would also use them to her benefit. She would travel into town with security and without her mask to trick people. After gaining their trust, Perrie would quickly kill her prey with her claws and then she would raid their household with the wolves. God, she enjoyed the thrill and utter disappointment from the people she betrayed. The sight of the light leaving their eyes.... The blood... She let out a hushed chuckle so nobody heard her and continued down towards the kitchen.

If there was a hell, Amelia was sure she was in some small corner of it. The mansion, which she had been shocked to see and even more shocked to learn that it acted as the Wolves base of operations. Upon her arrival, she had been brought before the woman (though in Amelia's mind she barely qualified for such a title) that they referred to as the Alpha Wolf for judgement. Her luck had managed to hold out and she was spared and put in charge of cooking and cleaning. On top of that, she was forced to watch the various cruel acts that went on in the base. While the experiences where definitely scarring and made it hard to sleep some nights as the images of what she saw haunted her dreams, along with dreams of the events that had brought her here.

When it came to her duties, she was very good at getting them done, despite the harsh demands. She spent most of her time cleaning, as the Wolves were far from the cleanliest of groups, always making a mess of some sort some where. Some messes where impossible for her to fix, such as some bloodstains that had been in places for far too long, the larger piles or pieces of rubble, rust, and various, other things she didn't like to think about. Cooking was hard since, while the kitchen was big, with was made to feed a family of four, probably six people, not a clan of fifty or more. Balancing cooking with cleaning was difficult without help, but she was learning, slowly but surely and getting better at the act.

At the moment, the young girl with in the kitchen, cooking chicken for Perenelle. The chicken was in the oven and had been in there for a while but she had checked it recently and found it was still a little raw in the center. So, she was currently sitting on the island, reading one of the few books in the mansion. She would've loved more material to read but she didn't bother with making any request as she wasn't sure it was a safe idea. She heard the door open and looked up to see the Alpha entering the room.
"There's a chicken cooking in the oven right now. Should be done soon. It you want, you can take it now but you'll risk getting food poisoning. It's not guaranteed but I figured I'd warn you." She said, guessing the Alpha had only entered due to being hungry. "Is there anything else you need or are you finally bored of me?"

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The mansion doors loudly burst open as a group of ten men piled in. Three were carrying dead deers, and a couple were carrying clothes and weapons they had gathered. The black haired man came in last, dragging a gorgeous sparkly gown. His black mask stood out amongst the sea of grey ones. The details of his mask were that of an rather menacing wolf. His vivid blue eyes stood out from the eye holes as they searched the foyer. The smell of chicken cooking made him turn and make his way toward the kitchen. His group followed.

"Let me do the talking boys. Tonight we'll have a grand feast and tomorrow we will head into New York. The white wolf will be pleased with what we've come back with." Xander was always careful never to tell them her name. They had all decided they had to prove themselves worthy of learning the higher ups names. They had been calling him black wolf and just today he had revealed his name to be Xander to them. It would take a lot more effort to learn the her name though. They owed her everything. They had it better than anyone in the world right now.

Xander finally found her as she was entering the kitchen. Her beautiful red hair was tied in a ponytail. She was so kind and gorgeous. There was nothing wrong he could find about her. Sure, to some, the wolves were cruel for their killing but this was a world without law and governed by nature now. Nature's only law is survival of the fittest. Perenelle was more than kind for taking so many people into one of the only standing mansions. It was remarkable just how unharmed it was.

"My lady. We've brought gifts."Xander announced to her. The group had surrounded her with the gifts. They were all down on one knee respectfully except for Xander. "We've got three more deers, lots of clothes, a couple more guns, a working radio, 2 working jeeps and a truck." He then presented the gown to her, "And I found you a dress that is almost as beautiful as you." His eyes traveled to Amelia as he awaited her response. He was surprised they had found a use for the child. She hadn't any skill with a weapon so they had given her cleaning and cooking duties. There was maybe one or two more younger ones they had captured and allowed to survive. He had planned to train them to be strong, loyal wolves for Perenelle. Amelia was one of them. He had not got around to training her yet since everyone seemed to enjoy her as the cook. He was debating on just making that her permanent role.

Perenelle

Perrie's intent gaze on the young girl facing her faded into a smirk. The sassy remarks from the girl caused a boisterous laugh. Her hand clenched then rested on top of the knife sticking out of her pocket. She could not believe the words she had just uttered. Was she joking? Had a death wish? Wanted to leave? That wouldn't happen. Perenelle sauntered over to her with a grin and took the young girl's chin in her hand. Her sharp blue eyes gazed down at her with ferocity and amusement. Before she could say or move, however, the rest of the Wolves arrived. Perrie pulled her hand away roughly enough to leave a mark and moved over to see Xander and the others.

The kneeling and bowing Wolves before her made her grin. This was all she had ever wanted. Loyal, faithful servants; Xander's devotion and kindness; the people at her mercy. Her heart fluttered. It couldn't be anymore perfect, could it? Devon had told her that it would be wonderful. He wasn't kidding. Perrie looked down at them and then over to their haul. The three deer must have been from Vanitas - his hunting skills were impeccable. Of course, Xander had helped. She nodded her approval at the weapon and supplies. The jeeps and truck were remarkable to come by in this age. Most of them were hidden or too damaged to use. She couldn't be prouder of this group. They had learned well. Then, when Xander mentioned the dress, she let out a gasp. It was a deep purple - one of her favorite shades, and was v-neck with a lace back. She smiled broadly as she picked it up and looked at him.

"Thank you, black-wolf. I appreciate it." She turned to address the full group. "This is an amazing haul. Way to go, ladies and gent. You all can take the night off except for Amelia." She moved in front of Xander. For a second it was if she might kiss him. Then, she patted his cheek with appreciation and looked over at the others. "We'll definitely enjoy our feast." Perrie gazed at Amelia and stared at her without blinking. "Except for you," She gestured for the Wolves to stand and then crossed over to the girl.

"This one," she told the others and glanced at Xander, "decided to sas me off." Laughter filled the room as a result of knowing what happened if that occurred. There had to be an extra step in this process. The regular punishments weren't working as properly. "Not only will Amelia not eat tonight, but if she does it again, we'll whip her pretty little face." Perrie pointed to the supplies and deer with a grin. "Set these away, ladies and gent, then clean up for our feast that Amelia's going to prepare in a half-hour. I hope the chicken's ready right now, Amelia. Also - Black Wolf, why don't you join us?"

Perenelle sat down at the table once the deer were removed and waited.

Amelia didn't resist when Perenelle came over and lifted her face up to look her in the eye. The vicious blue ones met defiant red, as Amelia didn't look away or back down. When the others arrived and Perenelle left, she returned to her book but listened to what they had to say. The list of goods that Xander brought back barely interested her, with only the deer being of any possible interest though. Perenelle seemed to love the dress though and was more then happy with the haul they brought back, deciding to reward the Wolves with a feast that Amelia would make. However, she said Amelia would be unable to eat due to sass, to which Amelia gave a visible shrug. It wasn't the first time she had been denied a mean and she doubted it would be the last.

With the treat of her face being whipped should she talk with an attitude again she waited until the Wolves had left the kitchen before getting to work. She got out enough plates for the hunters and set them out nice and neat. She then found some potatoes, garlic, and a large pot and began boiling the water with the potatoes inside. While that got to work, she took the chicken out of the oven and began dividing it up as best she could so everyone got a decent about of meat. Luckily, the chicken was rather big and made the task easier. After that was done, she pulled out some carrots, cabbage, spinach, iceberg and romaine lettuce, red onion, and some cheese. She check on the potatoes quickly and after making sure they were how she wanted them, poured the water out before mashing them and adding some crushed garlic and a bit of butter that she found in the fridge. She then put the mashed potatoes on the plates followed by a salad, finishing with just seconds to spare.

Grabbing Perenelle and Xander's plates first, she took them out and placed them in front of their owners before returning to the kitchen. She had no doubt she was going to get in trouble again, as she had given Xander a larger portion then Perenelle, however she had her reasons and spite was not one of them. She got to work taking the rest of the plates out and once again, those who had just returned from the scavenging trip got larger portions then those who had been at the mansion all day. Once all the plates where handed out, she walked over to a nearby wall and waited for what was likely going to be an inevitable grilling and punishment from Perenelle.

Hiram Oxton

"Its damn cold out, what's taking them so long?"

Hiram looked up towards Rufus, sparing him an apathetic glance as he watches the sun slowly break free from the horizon, enjoying the vivid splash of colour as it raced across the night sky. Hunching his shoulders, he sighed into the confines of his coat, shifting uncomfortably upon the tree stump he had taken to using as a seat on these long, uneventful nights, wishing again the man would stop his moaning. Not an hour had passed where his fellow guardsman hadn't found some sort of complaint to add to his unending list.

It was hard to sympathize with Rufus, he'd volunteered for the night guard, just as Hiram had. Where the two differed was in their motivation, Rufus saw an easy job, one where all he would be expected to do was stare out into the darkness, and hail whatever passerby might wander close enough to draw alarm. Hiram, on the other hand, recognized that while most nights passed by without due cause for alarm, in the event of any co-ordinated attacks, it only made sense to attack at night, if that day were to come, Hiram planned to be on the frontlines. It also helped that the night shift kept his interaction with the everyday people of the settlement to a minimum, he didn't hate any of them, it simply was difficult for him to inspire enough of a commanding presence to get the citizens to listen, let alone obey, not to mention that it pained him whenever they were expected to act as police within the settlement. Despite all this, Hiram would admit a certain displeasure of his own at the endless monotony that the nightshift presented.

"I swear to god, if you're sleeping down there..." The faint sound of rustling fabric drifted to Hiram's ear from above him; craning his neck backwards, Hiram looked up past the palisade to the rusted watchtower sheltered behind the wooden wall. Atop the listening post's rail, Rufus stood brazenly, his pants undone and his privates freely exposed, as he took steady aim down onto Hiram.

Leaping from his stump, Hiram snatched up the heavy shield he carried with him, raising it over his head to deflect his fellow guards foul assault. He stood there, knelt upon the dirt road with his shield upraised for the anticipated shower for a long moment, before summoning the courage to glance out from behind the protective barrier, "What the hell, Rufus!". No answer was fast coming though, still standing upon the corrugated metal of the watchtower, Rufus was staring out into the darkness, his attention torn away from Hiram as he squinted towards the forest. Ignoring Hiram's demands for an explanation, Rufus hastily re-buttoned his trousers, scrambling through the box kept within the tower to retrieve the binoculars.

"It looks like a fire."

Hiram gathered up his gear, before slowly retreating behind the gate, smacking the Gate-Guard over the head as he walked past, "Stop snoring your idiot, you're supposed to operate the winch! What if mutants had attacked?" He hissed not waiting for a reply before beginning his ascent to the top of the watchtower, leaving the shield resting at the base; his leather gloves creaked soothingly, distracting his mind from the feeling of the thorns as they caught and dragged against the same leather. Hand over hand he climbed, until finally he was dragging himself through hole in the floor. Standing next to Rufus as he looked through the binoculars, Hiram squinted in the same direction, picking up the telltale flicker of fire, and smoke wafting into the air above the trees. "A fire? So someone set a campfire, I don't see why you're acting all antsy." Now it was Rufus' turn to ignore Hiram, his expression merely darkening in response.

Frustrated at the refusal to share the binoculars, Hiram unholstered his rifle from his back and peered through the scope. As he scanned the woods, Hiram felt a sinking feeling within his stomach, he couldn't make out the details, but the intensity of fire and the amount of smoke told him all he needed to know; he had seen houses burn before after all. Why is it always fire... he thought grimly to himself, slowly lowering the rifle to his side, trying to push away the haunting screams that rose unbidden to memory. He felt his hands ball into fists, before he swung himself back onto the ladder, rapidly descending back to the ground, followed quickly behind by Rufus.

As the two were staring out against the smokey horizon, the morning replacement arrived to the gate, laughing and joking between the 3 of them. Their laughter was quickly put to an end as they noticed the two upon the watchtower. Inquiring to the Gate-Guard as to what was occurring, they were only answered with a quick grunt, and low grumbling as the Guard trudged off quickly back into the Settlement, hasty to return to his soft bed, and away from the uppity youngster who clearly misunderstood how the night guard was supposed to work. The three stood with their arms crossed against their chests as Hiram and Rufus stepped of of the ladder, demanding an explanation. Stumbling clumsily through his words, Rufus struggled to explain what they had seen, shifting between grandiose embellishments, and drastic understatement in the course of seconds. Hiram stood by, gloomily looking down towards the ground, wishing that Rufus would fall silent, if even for a moment, so that he could offer up his own explanation.

To their credit, somehow the three managed to parse the important information from the mad ramblings of Rufus. "Listen, we can't go out and check on that fire, for obvious reasons. Chiefly being someone has to watch the gate." Listening passively, Hiram felt his hand tighten around his rifle, his mouth opening in protest before suddenly being cut off by the apparent leader of the three. "WE, have to. You two are free to do whatever you want, that fire isn't a direct threat to the settlement." Rufus and Hiram gaped at the main, shocked at his callousness. "Don't look at me like two helpless children, I don't outrank either of you... If I was you though," The man's eyes narrowed towards the two of them dangerously, commanding attention despite his previous claims, "I would have one of us run to alert the other Guards, where someone in command can prepare a proper expedition, while the other would head out, to serve as a forward scout for the expedition, and hopefully lend whatever aid they can, to whomever may need it. The two of you are dismissed."

Hiram stood speechless, staring blankly at the man as he was shouldered out of the way, and the man began his own ascent to the watchtower, ignoring the two, Hiram and Rufus, with utter disregard. Far to the east, the sun rapidly tore away nights shroud, the golden glow of dawn giving Hiram false hope, even now, with the promise of a new day. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Rufus by the shoulder, giving him a hard shake to stir him from his own reverie. "I'm going out, make sure no one runs off with my shield alright?" Clamping a hand over Rufus's mouth, Hiram leaned in closer, his breath hot against Rufus's face, "No arguing, and do exactly what that guy-" Hiram jerked his head towards the watchtower, "-said. Someone could be trying to draw us out, though. Make sure they know that's a possibility."

Hiram didn't wait for an answer, breaking away from Rufus and rushing out past the gate as he ran off in the direction of the fire, his limbs feeling awkward and stiff from the hours spent upon the tree-stump. Memories of fire flickered within his mind as he raced into the woods.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Sass you off? Is she crazy?" Xander replied with disbelief and yelled over the laughter, "What an ungrateful little brat! I'll beat her." He stormed over to Amelia while she was cooking, nodding to Perenelle's invitation distractedly. "I'll be the one to whip you if you keep being a smart-ass. We've given you a roof, safety and usually even let you eat. That's more than most people have nowadays. Hell, you live in a mansion. What is your fucking problem?" Xander had been consumed with the anger of someone disrespecting Perenelle. She gave everyone so much and barely asked for anything.

However, the more he glanced down at her, the more her youth became more obvious to him. She seemed to morph into a tiny little girl with short blonde hair in his mind for a short moment. TiaHe thought with a heart lurch. This girl was as old as Tia probably would be now if she was alive. He softened a bit and glanced over his shoulder to see Perenelle and the others had gone to the dining room. Looking back at Amelia, he gently put his hand over her shoulder. "Look, kid. I get it. There's probably other people you rather be with right now and you must think we're the bad guys but that's just not true. The White Wolf took me in when I had no one like she did for so many others. I don't know how you ended up here but I'm sure she helped you too. Just try to cut the crap and show some respect okay? I'll make sure she lets you eat tonight if you show her respect." He let go of her shoulder and moved into the dining room to sit with Perenelle, grinning at her.

Amelia brought his and Perenelle's plates out first. He glanced down at his then over at hers. The food looked pretty good. She had done a pretty good job for a kid. However, there was one thing wrong. She had noticeably given Perenelle less food than him. He watched her serve the rest of the table, noticing everyone else had more food too. This kid really does have a death wish. He thought to himself. He considered putting some of his food on her plate when she wasn't looking but they were sitting right next to each other. It would never work.


_____________________________________________________________________

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..."

There it is. Adelaide thought with annoyance as she pressed herself up against a tree. The bark was digging in through her thin jacket uncomfortably and she was fighting not to reposition herself. She had to stay as still as possible. There were at least three male voices in the area, trying to draw her out with stupid lines that wouldn't work on a five year old. She supposed these were the people who set the hut on fire. They were too close to pick off with a bow without giving away her location. Guns were not an option obviously. She took out a dagger and stole a glance behind the tree, managing to catch one of them in sight. It was a relatively young man with a gun. She wasn't savvy enough with guns to pick out what kind of gun it was.

"What's she look like, mate?" A voice coming from the right questioned. She glanced in the direction and inched more behind hte tree.

"Little girl or something. She looked maybe sixteen or so. Should be an easy kill. Looked like she had a lot of shit in her bag. " A voice from the left direction answered.

Adelaide grabbed the dagger and positioned it facing outward. There was a clear path to the left and he sounded the closest. This was her chance. She waited until he was in her line of vision to suddenly dart out from hiding. She slashed him hard and deep into his side as she passed, making him yell out in shock. She kept running, leaves noisily crunching under her. Gunshots reverberated through the air as bullets whizzed passed her. The three males were yelling now but she was too focused on running to try to figure out what they were saying. She heard distant footsteps from another direction. Adelaide had no idea if they were with the males but it was quite possible the fire could have attracted others.

@Penguin @Sanctus Spooki

Drake

The young man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes caused fear in anyone who looked him in the eye. There was something dark and brooding about him, despite him never doing anything wrong. It worked in his favor because he was left alone. Though, on the other hand, it would have been nicer to have company. He sighed and ran a hand through is hair. He did have company up until being betrayed and killed. His heart ached tremendously for Tia. The pain paralyzed him. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground doubled over and struggling to breathe. Drake took shuddering deep breaths while his eyes filled with tears. The poor girl was alone or even dead. It was his fault. Drake knew he'd never forgive himself for leaving her. After the incident, he had stayed up for 36 hours until losing consciousness. Drake had gone back to work the next day to look for her without success. Now, he was meandering aimlessly, trying to find her. Xander and his parents were dead. Sometimes he wondered if it would be best to join them. His gut, though, told him otherwise. He had hope Tia was alive and would find her again someday. He owed it to his little sister.

When he stood back up and noticed people were staring, he let out a menacing growl. They scattered quickly. He stood back up and straightened his backpack. It was filled with his weapons and food supplies he had found. He had found canned soup, beans, and a packet filled with rice. Drake had also found fruit cups and even a banana. Despite it being nearly brown, he was pleased with it. He was going back to his "home" when he spotted smoke in the sky. Drake slowed to a halt and frowned. There was fire as well.

"Dammit," he muttered and began to sprint towards it. Though he stayed on his own and didn't interact with others, he wouldn't turn a blind eye to someone in peril. His stomach churned uncomfortably and he felt as if he might panic. Drake hated his anxiety more than anything, besides himself. Someone was in trouble. Perhaps that individual had someone in their life too. He didn't want what happened to him to happen to anyone else.

When he arrived, he saw the hut was destroyed, then noticed three men chasing a woman. One of them was injured, which meant she was armed. The gunshots from them en made him jump. He knew he couldn't catch up to them so instead he took his knives out. Drake whipped them individually at each assailant. He quickly took his rifle out next and fired warning shots into the war to grab their attention. "What kind of cowards gang up on a woman like that?" He snarled at them as he began to jog over. "Awful cowardly if you ask me, assholes,"

---

@Saint Girralo

Iris

For most people, a dirt road was nothing. Yet, for Iris, it was a challenging endeavor. Her wheelchair took a beating from bumpy dirt roads. Thankfully she knew how to fix it but it was difficult. She sighed as she gripped the wheels and adjusted herself. She took her drawstring back off the back of the wheels and tucked it behind her back to rest her neck against it. Almost instantly she let out a sigh of relief. Her neck was aching from keeping it upright. She painstakingly leaned over to the right and fixed the clothing seated underneath her butt for comfort. Then Iris leaned over and adjusted the straps against her legs since they had come loose. Years of using the same chair had worn it out. She pulled her bow and arrow over her body closer and tucked the quiver in her pant loop. The knives she had sharpened were tucked in her boots. The collapsible spiked cane had a sting around one of the spikes and was looped like a necklace.

Iris knew it was dangerous displaying all of her supplies but she didn't trust putting anything on the back of her chair. It was too easy to come up behind her and steal it. Although Iris hated to hide her wings, she knew nobody could find out about them. It was too dangerous. Her jacket covered them, as did the shirt underneath. She wore layers to keep herself warm and to keep them hidden. Whenever it was dark out, she would go flying to keep her wings fit and healthy. She sighed. It had been two days since had flown since the town had been filled with bandits. She was thankful she had avoided any mishap.

Lost in thought, she jumped when her stomach growled from her lack of nutrition. Iris hated the idea of eating any animal, so she was struggling to find food. The crops were dead around the area. Nuts and berries were all she had left and she had already consumed most of them. Her eyes teared up at the thought of eating animals. Eventually, she knew she might have to give in; though, momentarily, she was fighting it. These poor animals didn't deserve to die just because she was starving. Iris sighed and performed a wheelie over the uneven ground. Once over it, she rolled normally over the ground. Her gloves were dirty from gripping the dirty rim and wheel. She wiped them off on her tattered pants and wiped the sweat off her face with her jacket sleeve.

When she turned the corner, Iris found herself facing a field. In the field, however, was the tallest person she had ever seen. Iris stared at her and then to the cow. She glanced back to the girl and swallowed. The land looked easier to maneuver then the bumpy dirt road leading out of town. Iris, though, kept her distance. She seemed harmless. She wasn't hurting the cow and was petting it rather sweetly. Iris bit her lip. She wanted to join her and yearned fro company. What if this girl wasn't innocent? Iris sighed and decided to test it knowing she was armed enough already if it was trouble. "Hello?" She called to the girl. "Do you mind if I join you? I love cows - not to eat, but in general." Iris offered a friendly smile and added, "Don't let my equipment scare you, please. It's for my safety - not to hurt your animals with." Iris was impressed that her soft voice carried over the large terrain. She smiled kindly at the girl and allowed her to approach her first.

@Penguin


The crack of gunshots was not something Vivi typically headed directly towards. If anything she most often went in the exact opposite direction, actually. This time, however, the stench of fear and female made the young woman push her stallion into an easy loping gait. His hooves pounded into the ground, his squared off toes giving him the needed traction to maneuver more readily through the trees. Vivi directed him towards the scent of the other female, once he realized what she was doing he needed no more direction from her. She could hear their target running rather noisily through the woods just ahead of them. She slowed Gunnar to a brisk trot as Nikita went for the man the girl had appeared to have slashed. Her dark cloak along with Gunnar and Nikita's dark coloring would keep them from being noticed until the last moment more than likely.

When the girl finally came into her direct line of sight Vivi realized that the girl was several years younger than she was but like many people, she knew the hardships that came with this wasteland. The long strides of her stallion closed the distance between them easily. Once she was closer she let the hood from her cloak fall back to reveal her pale face and blue eyes before she spoke in a growl. "Grab my hand and get on, girl. It's much harder to track hooves and paws than noisy feet." She could clearly hear the grunt from the man closest to them which Nikita was dispatching, his gurgled breaths left little to the imagination as to what her dog had done.

Nikita reappeared within her sights, his face dripping with blood. Her brilliant blue eyes flickered briefly to the dog, offering him a soft smile. She would reward him greatly for his part in their little rescue mission. They would easily outpace the men threatening the girl. Gunnar was strong and young, he could carry them for many miles at a lope before needing to slow down to cool himself off and catch his breath. Unless they had a vehicle or horses as fit as her own they would never catch them. Another man had jumped into the fray, firing off several more shots to get the attention of the last two men. That would give them more than enough time to put a significant distance between them.

@Dephyus

A man sat on the side of the road, squatting on his haunches surrounded by various cloth bags and a mule fully loaded with nondescript crates and boxes. Whipping back his majestic chestnut hair, Don lifted his chin towards the blaring oranges skies and took a deep breath. After days of wandering in no man's land, he had finally found civilization. Well, what passes for civilization these days. A bunch of scared people, hiding themselves away in makeshift bungalows, pretending that they're safe. That everything's gonna be OK. A smile crept across Don's face. How wrong they were.

There was no malice in Don's heart. No malice, but the fact still stood: it pumped blood, just like any other man's. And to keep his heart pumping, he was going to need fuel: food, slaves, companions, whatever to get him to the next day. Letting the smile fade, Don stood up, taking the mule by the reigns and turning to his business partner.

"Alright Donahue. Looks like the info that water merchant gave us was good after all. Motherfucker could have given us a better bottle though, I swear we lost half a gallon when the seal burst last night."

Turning to face the town, Don continued:
"Not much to look at, but they've been here a while. They'll have what we need. What're you thinking? Go in with smiles? Smash and grab? Personally, I could go with a drink and a woman. Not sure if I'll have better luck at the bar or the pig trough in a town like this, know what I'm saying?"
Don cracked with a wink as he cheekily dug his elbow into Eddie's ribs.

@SkankingDevil

Eddie took a deep breath. First in, then out. That's normally how it all starts, right? First in, then out. He relaxed his shoulders, leaned back a little bit. You needed some prep for things like these. He whipped his head from side to side, cracking his neck loudly with each twist. He closed his eyes and his breathing slowed. It had been a long few days, not a lot between where he was and where he is now. He though maybe for once some Intel that they get would lead to a trap. He exhaled and let nature take it's course. He caught most of what Don was yammering about in the background.

"Uh huh... Uh huh..." He muttered out gruffly.

The key words were "women and drink" that caught his ear, but it was the jabbing at the ribs that upset him a little.

"Daan," He started, his thick Boston accent pushing through. You know me, Daan, Nobady like the gals like Eddie like dah sauce, yeah? But come on, man, we talked about this..."

He finished his business and zipped up his jeans. "Could Iy get like... 10 feet maybe when Iym taking a leak?"

He walks over to the mule and peers around it for the water they had been drinking. "They aa pretty held up, yeah? If day been here a while, they might be rooted in deep." He takes a hearty drink of water. "I'd say lets stroll up all cool like, you know Iym sayin?"

"Now," He says after wiping his lips, a Cheshire grin growing on his face "What's da con this time?"

@Potter
Sarah was deep in thought about her trip into town later. How much should she bring with her? How much does she leave behind? She doesn't deal with raiders too often and none have been sighted in the area too recently and besides she'd be back before nightfall. She'd only need a quarter of what was in storage currently to hold her till the next harvest season, but loading ALL of that up, carting it to town and selling it was time consuming more than she wanted to spend. If she broke it down into a several trips it would cut down the amount of time she was away from the farm. That meant she could protect get back to finish the final harvest from thieves.

Then as if to prove her cautious mind right there was a voice off to the side, asking to join her. She was startled. As soon as she laid eyes on the source of the voice, she squinted her eyes and cautiously stood up. She looked over at the girl with quite a few weapons. As the woman continued talking, Sarah hoped she was being sincere about caring about animals and not being a threat. Making a cautious decision, she decided to slowly walk over to the girl and see if things were truly as they seemed. As she approached she noticed she was in a wheelchair. It didn't truly affect the fact that she didn't know the girl, but it meant she wasn't very mobile. Sarah sighed in relief, moving closer to the girl before putting a hand on her chest. "I...I...ugh! Me... Sar...ruh. Sarah. Who... who... are you?" Sarah asked, frustration flitting across her face when she struggled with her words. She took a quick look around just to be safe, making sure there wasn't any others nearby waiting to catch her off guard.

@Bleu Flacon @Potter
Sorta @Sanctus Spooki since they will be joining the scene


_____________________________________________________________________

The sound of galloping made Adelaide glance over to find a blue-eyed girl looking down at her from a horse. She glanced behind her, hearing the man that had been chasing her grunting as a dog attacked him. She wasn't sure how she kept getting into these lucky situations where she avoided death but she was thankful. She wasn't so sure how much longer she could keep getting lucky.

"Grab my hand and get on, girl. It's much harder to track hooves and paws than noisy feet."

The girl was right by all means. She was one noisy runner and they'd track her despite how fast she had been running. Adelaide went to grab her hand when someone firing shots made her glance over her shoulder. She nearly froze in her tracks. Is that... Is that Drake? Drake was an old friend of hers. She hadn't seen him in years and had no idea of his whereabouts or his wellbeing. What the hell were the odds he'd be here out of all places?

"Hold on. That's my friend over there."She told the girl on the horse. "I'm really grateful for your help but I gotta make sure he's alright. I'm going to go back and face those men." She knew it wasn't the smart idea. The smart idea would be to get on the horse and get some distance. Who knew if these guys had backup? However, she wasn't about to lose a good friend again. She didn't have much family and he was the only friend she had ever had.

@Dephyus

Don stared off towards the town. In the distance he saw smoke billowing from chimneys and windmills slowly rotating their dilapidated arms. Strange, unsightly crops were visible, as were the women working in the fields. Placed seemed like it was practically begging for a visit from the Wolves or the Hunters, or whatever group of bandits was killing each other these days. But it looked like the storm had passed this place over. Couldn't remember what the town's name was. New Something-or-other. The water merchant had said it was one of the first waves to be claimed under the protection of the Town Guard, leading to almost five year stretch of quasi-prosperity.

"Yeah, goin' in cool. If anyone asks, we're traveling merchants. We gotta go clandestine, on the DL, you know? They got what we need. First, we gotta snag some new tools or I can't fix our shit. I need a pair of pilers, the real skinny ones. And my 10mm wrench is rusted to hell, it's gonna give soon. I can almost get the solar panel going, but we're gonna need some copper wire and a new transformer, one of the small ones."

Don took the mule by the reigns and slowly turned towards the town, his eyes intense and calculating.

"That's the move. Grab a drink, a room, and a couple whores. What you think?"

Hiram Oxton

Speeding through the forest, low hanging branches whipped against Hiram, leaving thin scratches across his face as he ran towards where the fire had seemed to originate. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the minor nuisance out of his mind, focusing on placing one foot in front of the other; he rarely had a chance to run flat out, and the thought of slipping and giving himself a concussion, or worse, a broken leg, did not sit well with him, despite whatever danger may have found whoever's shelter had been set ablaze.

Up ahead, the burning shelter began to grow larger, letting him know he was getting close. Suddenly, the relative quiet of the forest was dispelled by the loud crack of gunfire. Slowing down to a jog, he tried to pace himself, clearly someone was in a fight, and he would rather not be mistaken for the enemy by the wrong side, if there even was a "wrong" side, it could just be a quarrel between two separate raider bands. He could feel the sabre at his hip slapping against his thigh with every other stride, the loud smack of leather as the scabbard collided with his leg seemed to ring out throughout the trees, despite his loud crashing through the brush and he prayed that he was merely imagining things, that the adrenaline he could feel pumping through his veins was merely heightening his senses.

"...Cowardly if you ask me, assholes." A voice drifted to Hiram, punctuated by gunfire.

Rushing forward, Hiram crashed against a tree trunk with a soft grunt, blood pounding in his ears as he readied the rifle still clasped in his hands. Peaking around the trunk, his eyes widened as he spotted a massive dog loping through the forest, fresh blood dripping from its canines. Holding his breath, he watched as the monster disappeared back into the bushes. He let out a soft sigh of relief; humans he could deal with... animals had a nasty habit of refusing to die - or even to acknowledge that by all rights, they should be dead. Unbidden, a memory of his father lecturing him about the ancient bond between man and dog sprang to his mind, "Man's best friend: more than one dog has given it's life without a second thought to protect its human. Never underestimate any Canine. If the pack is threatened, they will happily throw themselves, with abandon, into the fray. It's why humanity has always loved dogs above all other animals. Like a parent, a dog's love is unconditional" Hiram's father smiled sadly, softly stroking the fur of the sickly pup laying in his lap, before with a sudden brutality, he grabbed the dog around the head, and twisted the dog's neck sharply to the left, silencing the whimpers of the pup.

"Ignore it." He berated himself, as he pushed himself off of the tree, dropping into a low crouch now as he crept forward, making his way toward the clearing and sliding into a bush. He cursed silently to himself as his limbs got tangled by the dense foliage, "Idiot! Move!" Untangling himself, he rolled back out of the bushes into a kneeling position just in time to hear more gunshots sound off, and the dull thump as the bullets collided with the ground where he had been laying a moment before, "Well, you know which way you're shooting now at least, if not who you're shooting at..." He mused to himself, bringing the bolt action to his shoulder, and firing off two quick shots in the direction the last gunshots had came from before breaking off to the left, careful to keep moving.

As he kept moving he crashed through another bush, only for a horse to materialize in front of him, a savage woman sat comfortably atop the likewise barbaric horse, the same demon-dog he had seen previously panting happily beside the two. Running purely on instinct and fear, Hiram raised his rifle to his shoulder again, not bothering with precise aim, merely leveling the barrel at the horse's midsection. "Hopefully the horse will buck the girl, and stun her long enough to take care of the dog." The sabre hung heavily on his belt, he'd never fought a dog with a sword and it was far too close for him to fire another shot off. His finger pulled back on the trigger as he braced himself for the expected buck of the rifle.

Click

Hiram stood motionless, stunned as the pitiful sound echoed throughout the trees, mocking him. How could he have forgotten to chamber a new round?

"Fuck me."