The End (GreenEyed23xI)

It is the year 6565 the governments that once stood strong have fallen and to each their own. However in the world of chaos as it is known today are groups of people who live somewhat civilized lives however cruel they may seem they are safe from the outside world as long as they are band together. These groups are called Civilz and within them there are rankings leading from Royals to slaves and everything in between. However there are those who wish to roam the land free of titles and free from others who wish to control them. Hero’s, Moles, and Wonders.
The land that once was filled with thousands of builds reaching for the skies above them crumbled to the ground from years of harsh winds, rains, and winters. Buildings covered in trees, moss, and other plant life looking more like jungles then like once enormous cities. The once great city of New York now lays in rumbles the streets over grown in grass and the builds that still tried to stand covered in moss and vines that reached for the heavens above. It was much like a jungles then a city. Wild animals that once belonged in zoo’s now roamed the open city killing those who didn’t protect themselves. The city wasn’t safe not like it used to be with the civilz and the wild creatures that hid within the jungles of New York.

Marie had escaped her civilz maybe one to many times she had been branded by her royal over and over again as a way to put her in her place and every time she had run after the royal thought she had submitted and cowerd into her place as a slave. Marie wasn’t a dumb girl she knew that freedom would come at a cost and every time she ran she always somehow ended back in the hands of a royal. She climbed the vines of a large building that she had hidden and lived in years ago. It was once called the ‘Trump Tower’ It was probably the largest one still standing that had very few openings in it to keep the insides warm. She looked around herself from up high her hands clinging to the vines that creaked for her to let go. She pushed herself throw a large window that had been shattered hundreds of years before and placed her small bare feet against the broken glass that covered the floor.

She looked down at the small little shatters of glass that lay flat against the ground. She winced as a small piece of glass cut into her heel and she jumped off it picking her foot up and looked at the small amount of blood that dripped from it. This wasn’t a good start hunter as well as wild animals could smell blood from miles away. She pulled the piece of glass from her foot and licked the small amount of blood from her foot. Yeah gross but it was what she had to do for now there was no water here and until she could find water her spit was going to have to do.

Marie wasn’t always a slave she was once just a Mole she knew how to live off the land but of course being caught by a hunter had brought her into the slave trade and straight into the hands of a royal. She sat back against the wall ripping a piece of her dress and coving the spot on her foot. Marie mumbled to herself about how this was going to be too easy for the hunters to find her and that she should have known about the glass. She pushed herself up onto her feet hobbling around the building that seemed more dangerous inside then outside.

Wallace Everett Grant. Or the man known as the Flame to those who liked him, the Fucker to those that hated him, and a number of other names. He was one of those that had refused to ever join a Civil. No one knew his past, and his rare speech never revealed anything further.

He was always heavily clothed with a heavy backpack on his back, a thick hood over his head, some very dark mirrored sunglasses over his eyes and with weapons sprouting from every inch of his body. He had a camel on his back and as needed would turn his head to the nozzle held in place by his hood and take a sip, revealing the long thick black dreadlocks that fells into his hood and down through the slit within it to lay over his backpack. His dark skin was entirely covered except for his nose, his mouth covered by a thick black facemask.

His booted feet marched along both heavily but surprisingly quietly. They were well worn in beasts and had covered many miles with their owner. Wallace was heading north yet again, already within sight of the former great city of New York. He visited the city at least once a year. He nodded as he passed by a few of the gatherers that were along the road harvesting food for the nearby Civils, their overseers keeping a close eye on their slaves and on the Flame, having already sent their assistants to inform the royals that the flame was back in the north.

He continued to walk along silently watching everything and every one.

Just as he reached the city limits, marked by a line of fungus that lay on the grid lines between the Civils, and the destruction of the many wars that had taken place in the last two and half millenia, Wallace stepped over the fungus lines and out of sight of his watchers.

Now he drew his bow and uncapped his quiver drawing an arrow and watching everywhere for any threat as he walked silently into the former urban jungle that had become a true jungle with massive baobab and redwood trees sprouting through and out of former skyscrapers towering thousands of feet into the air. His powerful body seemed perfectly relaxed and ready to explode at the first possible threat.

He continued to walk silently, his own destination the former location of the might Empire State building, now replaced by a massive baobab that had slowly but surely grown within the building then finally broke it apart sending the wreckage from the titan of architecture hurtling down onto the cracked and crumbling asphalt, shattering the tunnels underneath and forming the trashpits that were scattered all around the city. The baobab in question was thicker than the building had ever been as well as far taller. It served as Wallace's home every-time he visited for a number of reasons, the least of which that he was the only person who had ever entered the one tree killing ground and survived the snakes, great cats, wild dogs, and occasionally feral humans that resided within.

So on he walked growing ever closer to where he would sleep that night still watching everywhere at once, his green eyes sweeping the cityscape carefully his bow at the ready and more than thirty more arrows waiting on his back.

Marie rested the flat of her back against a cool wall her once pale milky skin loved by the royal who in slaved her now quickly covered in dirt. It was easy to hide her beauty in the wilderness but her hair wasn’t that easy to hide her long thick locks of gold hair seemed to be a dead giveaway to her not being a Mole. She’d have to go out soon and find mud or something to put in her hair and darken it enough to hide the fact she was a runaway.

Her once beautiful clothing ripped and dirty from the run looked more like mole clothing then slave clothing the longer she sat there with a wide grin. She pulled her hair back and tide it into a ponytail as she’d done thousands of times before with vines from the trees that encased the builds. She knew that the berries were just a story above her and she knew the hunters were going to be out yet they weren’t dumb enough to come into the jungle during this time of day without reinforcements. She grinned as she walked to another room and grabbed a large piece of building that had crumbled and throw it at a window watching the glass shatter around it and fall to the earth bellow.

Marie was beyond proud of herself as she pushed the few pieces of jagged glass of the window so that she wouldn’t cut herself again and climbed the vines once again to grab herself something sweet to ear. Of course Marie’s thin dirt cover skirt that seemed two sizes too short could be easily seen up if someone were below her as she climbed her flat stomach visable to the building she tried clinging too and the dirt covered white top that wrapped around her breasts seemed to move with the wind as it blew across her skin.

Marie wasn’t a weak slave after all being a Mole at one point in time you had to build muscle and had to be quick and that’s what she was. She reached up grabbing what was known as a Quaba. A small round fruit that had many colors and was sweet she grinned as she yanked it from the vine pushing it into her mouth and taking a bite out of the flesh it’s juices running down her lips and onto her shirt. She smiled to herself reaching out with her other hand grabbing another piece hanging like a monkey from the vines as she grabbed fruit after fruit into her mouth crossing into another building.

Wallace carefully climbed through and around the rubble around his destination surveying the whole area. the lack of change and the lack of sign told him there were no humans about though he did see signs of Old Scar the massive orange tiger that ruled the Empire baobab and several blocks surrounding.

He quickly ran to the stairwell that the tree had grown around and began to run up the concrete and steel steps not giving them time to collapse beneath him. Around the thirtieth floor the tree had grown through the stairwell cutting him off so he slipped onto the floor it supported and to the inner space of the tree and beginning to climb it. He heard the roars of Old Scar far below him and smiled as he climbed on.

Near the top where only the primates dwelled he found his old notch in the tree. A hollowed out cave that the larger primates could not get into and the smaller ones he fended off with a steel mesh net over the opening he slipped inside and lay down on the makeshift he had left there years before. It was growing dark and he needed some rest.

She heard the growl of a large predator and looked down as she swung up grabbing hold of one of the many tree branches that stuck out. She grinned and chipped at it as if the were like the primates that swung around her. Sure Marie was a much larger meal then the primates around her but she wasn't going to be an easy one to catch. She chittered as the smaller monkeys egged her on taunting the large predator that lingered on the jungle floors and Marie chuckled as they chimed in. Marie handed them a piece of fruit as they guided her away from where she was staying.

She knew where they were leading her it was where most of the primates slept to keep away from those carnivorous beasts below. Sure Marie wasn't nearly as fast as them but she did her best to keep up and even stopped on a branch of a large tree where once the Empire state building had sat. She grinned she'd seen old pictures of what new York looked like in the early 21st century. She climbed the tree as the small monkeys chirped and clicked and Marie walked over to were they were.

It was like a little cave built inside a tree as they grabbed hold of her hand as if telling her to scare out whatever it was inside there and Marie chuckled thinking it was probably just a bunch of other small monkeys inside. Marie slowly stepped up to the front of the cave being as careful as she knew how to be and roared like a tiger into the cave. Marie was pretty good as sounding like the animals after all being a Mole you had to lean these things to live.

But not perfect.

The moment she had come within twenty feet of him Wallace was up and had his bow drawn with an arrow aimed right at the opening,. As she was pushed in he snarled. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

His eyes were flashing all sorts of danger signs at her and his left arm was steady as steel as it held his bow right at her face. Even the quickest monkey could not dodge the arrow at this distance.

Wallace knew that most likely she had followed the primates here but he did not care. He wanted to be left in peace. He had just pulled a rescue a few days ago.

Marie was pushed to the entrance and froze when she say the tip of an arrow head aimed at her face and the snarling sound of a man. "I'm sorry." she said quickly her eyes wide with fear.

"I didn't know you were human I thought..." she took a step back as the monkeys chirped and cried out for her to make him leave. She waved her hand at them to get them to shut up. "Really I am sorry don't shoot me I have enough problems I don't need to be worrying about an arrow."

Marie's eyes darted around "See I'm leaving..." she pointed out as she backed up hoping he'd lower his arrow from her so she didn't have to watch him as she left. "I won't take your sleeping place and the monkeys won't bother you." she said quickly turning and bolting for it. "You monkey's tried to kill me!" she said running as the monkeys followed her.

Sure Marie knew the monkey's probably didn't understand her and she defiantly didn't understand them which made her more nervous where else were they going to lead her. "Gotta get back to my hide out." she said softly looking at the vines that connected buildings. It would bee dark soon enough and Marie didn't want to be out at dark that's when the real problems started.

Wallaca was impressed with her bravery. but she seemed a little dim. Who the hell ran into the jungle at night? hell he was doing it now.

Before she had gotten to the edge of the floor he caught her and dragged her back to the cave ignoring her cries and struggles his strength far beyond hers. He set her on her butt on a flat spot and tossed her a pallet and pillow. "Shut and get some sleep. i don't need you drawing scar here. And yes he has managed to climb up here before."

He growled and sat down his back against the tree watching her closely. "Who are you? And what are you?"

Marie knew it was probably stupid to run out in the jungle at night but she needed to get back to her shelter where the large predator couldn’t get to her. She knew that damn cat couldn’t climb up a building or get inside where she was hiding. Sure the cat probably would find out where she was and try and eat her but that man was scarier than the damn cat any day. Marie climbed down just almost to the edge of the jungle floor her slightly bare feet covered in mud, grass, and some cloth from her skirt. She could hear something coming from behind her and she went to run when something grabbed her from behind.

Marie screamed in surprise and then stopped her scream when she realized what had grabbed her. Her eyes went wide she wasn’t sure what he wanted. “Let me go!” she growled at him as she dragged her along behind him. Marie didn’t know where this man was taking her but wherever it was it was probably better than the jungle floor for now. When day break comes she was going to run for the hills and hide from him. When she knew he wasn’t going to let her go she turned and bit his hand just hard enough to hurt but nothing to break the skin or make him hit her.

They were back in the cave before she realized what he was doing and set her down on her butt cheeks. “I’m sorry.” She said looking at the pallet and pillow. “You call. Him Scar?” she grinned as she laid back on the ground pushing the pillow and pallet back towards him. She was use to sleeping on the ground after all she was a slave. “I’ve seen Cassius… I mean Scar climb many things so of course he’s been up here before.” She stated lying back on the ground.

Marie turned her head looking at him as he growled she didn’t know many men that growled like him but it was entertaining. She knew he was watching her because; every time she looked over at him his eyes were trying to burn little holes into her. “You may call me Marie.” She smiled softly as she flipped onto her stomach. “What am I?” she paused “Free!” she laid her head against the floor of the cave in the tree as if listening to everything around her. “Do you have a name? And what are you?” she asked with a grin making sure not to look at him as she asked those questions.

Wallace watched her closely and pushed the pallet and pillow back. "you are a former slave. Freedom is much more than not being under your Royal's thumb. Sleep like a human."

He moved to put the metal mesh into place locking it as he sniffed the air. he lay down on his bedroll still watching Marie. "You might not want to leave anytime soon. There is a monsoon coming in." he reached into his pack and tossed her a small canteen of water. "Conserve."

He sighed and lay down. "I'm Wallace. Or the Flame." He knew he would not have to tell her what he was after that. in truth he did not really know. He wandered too much to be a member of any Civil though he hated them all anyway, but he also rescued far too many slaves to be just a wanderer. he could live anywhere like a mole and he fought harder than any other hero alive. His title would be hard to nail down.

He opened his pack again and pulled out a roll of plastic sheeting which he hung over the opening just as the smell and feel of the storm began to fill the alcove. Seconds later the heavy rains broke and he sighed as he listened to it pound on the tree above them and the city around them. "The rain still acidic here?"

All of the cities that had once existed had put out so much pollution when they had been destroyed they had been showered with toxic rains for centuries and New York was one of the worst having still had toxic rain all the way up to last year when Wallace had come last. The animals had long since learned not to drink the foul rain water instead using the Hudson river where it was clean or the rain after it had fallen through a number of natural filters making it safe to drink. unfortunately so high up neither Marie nor Wallace could collect any for drinking themselves.

Marie looked at Wallace of course he knew what she was. She stared at the ballet for a few minutes trying to discern how the thing worked as he spoke. “I haven’t sleep on anything other than the earth so I’m not sure that would be comfy.” She pointed to it touching the pillow. Sure she’d seen them and touched these things but never slept on one and she actually enjoyed sleeping on the floor it helped her know when to run if it was needed.

Marie’s eyes darted over watching Wallace as he lay he’s things out and she grinned and did as he did with a grin she’d laid the pallet out for herself to lay on. She looked over at the exit of the cave and wondered how long till the rains would come. She sat down on the pallet watching the outside of the cave closely the air seemed to change which meant there was a storm on the way. It was getting cold and the air seemed to had the smell of fresh rain lingering.

Marie’s eyes slowly moved over to Wallace as he mentioned that she wouldn’t want to leave anytime soon. Sure she knew she couldn’t leave didn’t mean she didn’t want too. He tossed a small canteen at her and she caught it and looked at him “Thanks.” She said softly pushing her mud covered hair back behind her ear. “The Flame… The royals don’t like you I’m surprised you got here.” She laid down on her back “There’s a price on your head.” Marie closed her eyes.

Marie knew Wallace’s story after all he was legendary all over the Eastern part of the continent. Wallace wasn’t really someone you could plant into just one type he wasn’t just a hero, or a wonderer, or even a mole he was all of them.

Marie stood up watching him as he moved to the opening of the cave. She watched for a few minutes as he closed the opening with a large plastic sheet. “Yes and no it depends on how high the rain falls from… the lower the rain the less acidic the rain is but by the smell it’s probably too acidic to go out in.” she said climbing to her feet and moving towards the back of the cave running her fingers over the wood.

The pollution New York had put out into the world was great so there was no way that the rain wouldn’t be somewhat acidic. Marie had tested the rains for years and depending on the place the rain came from the rain could burn the crap out of you or not hurt you at all. Marie placed her ear against the tree as if listening to it. “It sounds like the rains from high up and it’s just getting started.” Marie pulled her ear from the tree. “That plastic wouldn’t keep the rain out it’ll probably burn through it if the rain hits it straight on.”

Wallace touched the plastic. "It's made of an antiacidic base that repels rain and totally diffuses any acid no mater how corrosive. It's also flameproof."

He sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I am aware. What is the price on me now? it changes all the time so..."

He watched the rain for a long while then looked back to her. "and as to the Royals they don't fuck with me. Not since Leopold. Idiot."

Leopold of Leopoldia had been a Royal just outside of New York, who had taken a liken to the feral children in the city. He had had a whole herd of them as his slaves and had been using them as shock troopers to take over his neighbor's lands. When he had also begun molesting the kids Wallace had stepped in. He had slaughtered Leopold, his whole family, and personal guard, burned down his 'palace' and mounted their heads on spikes after torturing Leopold by dragging the bastard screaming behind a makeshift chariot through the streets of the jungle city allowing the animals to rip him apart as he passed.

This and a number of other very wicked stories of a similar nature were what made him the most feared and hated man on the continent, where even in the West they despised him.

Marie moved against the walls of the cave as she listened to his reply about the plastic being laced in anti-acidic materials and that it was also flameproof. Marie knew that there were a lot of things like that plastic tarp out there after all they had to do that with the materials on the houses that belong to the royals.

Marie turned her body leaning it against the walls of the cave and smiled when he asked what the price is on his head. “I can’t remember the price exactly but I know the royals around here have been talking about it.” Marie said watched Wallace as he looked at her for a few minutes.

“I heard stories of you Wallace… well thousands of stories that the slaves tell each other.” Marie walked over to her stop and sat down. “You’ve rescued lots of slaves in your life time haven’t you?” she laid back looking at the ceiling of the large cave. “You’re also not a man to be messed with.” She turned onto her side facing him “So why are you here?” she quizzed him “People don’t just come to new York for no reason.” She glared at him.

He smirked. "Too bad. I could turn myself in again and get the money..." He had pulled that trick several times. Was infamous for it actually. He would turn himself in, learn where they kept the money, then break free, kill everyone, free the slaves, and walk out with a fortune, most of it split up amongst the slaves.

"Really? Which one is the current favorite? last year everyone said I was the one who burned down that Civil just off the coast and ate everyone. I did burn the civil but no cannibal. They were feeding their slaves to the sharks. And making them fight to the death. Not something i approve of."

"As to New York...this is where i start my walk every year. With nothing up north worth speaking of..." New England had been utterly wiped out in the wars and still could not support life. In fact it was currently under a volcanic winter, with hundreds of layers of lava sprouting from nearly a hundred volcanoes in the region, and the resulting atmospheric disturbance had creating an ashfall so thick and heavy that from the northeastern part of New York state up to the Hudson bay was a layer of semi solid lava fifty feet thick and ash at least double that. Many of the volcanoes were still oozing lava daily and very few if any had fallen dormant or extinct. This had been caused by a revolutionary new weapon used in the final war to caused manmade volcanoes to erupt. This had destroyed New England, all of Japan, the entire United Kingdom, major cities all around the world, and had literally melted away a number of the islands in the Pacific, as well as whole former nations on every continent though Asia and South America had suffered the worst.

Asia especially. they had somehow turned Everest into the most powerful volcanic eruption in history and the resulting lava flow had turned the Himalayas into the worlds highest plain though now Kilimanjaro was the tallest mountain in the world.

She looked at him as he smirked about something she didn’t quite understand. “Wouldn’t that be pointless to get the money for turning yourself in?” she asked shyly trying to figure out how he’d get the money after they killed him. She hadn’t heard that he’d done that before.

Marie chuckled in amusement she remembered that story of him and shock her head. “I didn’t think you’d be a cannibal you didn’t seem like it when the slaves tell your stories.” She said softly looking back up at the ceiling. “You’re tales are all very good and it’s kind of like you’re a super hero to the slaves.” She hummed to herself softly a lullaby that she knew.

Marie took a deep breath she knew that New York was currently the furthest north that any creature would go. It was too dangerous to go much further up north. “But why New York there are other places you could travel… Is there something in New York you come to see all the time?” she turned onto her side to look at him. “Like a lover or something?” she watched him to read his reaction. Marie wasn’t physically attracted to him but she was curious.

"If they had managed to kill me they would have the money. with them dead I get the money pretty simple."

He shrugged at her comment but did not speak. he was silent for sometime watching the rain patter onto the plastic sheeting occasionally his eyes flicking about as he considered things.

"No. I come to New York every year. Clean up the trash listen for rumors see how the world is doing. Then I head south. Florida is finally managing to become somewhat civilized again."

The southern state had become a swampy jungle with massive crocodiles and alligators, huge snakes of every kind, and other animals of immense size. For centuries not a single human had entered it and returned.

"There are these people called the Seminoles who have taken control of the swamps. Still dangerous but they are fighting back. After Florida i head west to the Mississippi. i ride it north to what use to be St. Louis."

St. Louis was one of the furthest north midwestern cities as Chicago and Detroit had both been destroyed and their destruction had burned the continent throughout the Ohio valley evaporating the Ohio river. Since then the massive plain it had become had filled with the waters from the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi, resulted in the new extension of the Arctic ocean that had been dubbed the American ocean. this had come about soon after the destruction when all the madness had frozen the northern pole flooding Canada washing it clean and swelling the Hudson bay so quickly and so powerfully it had broken off whole sections of land. the new ocean extended from the edges of new York and Pennsylvania down into parts of Kentucky but somehow Illinois had survived the madness while Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were gone.

"After St. Louis I usually head north and west to the city they used to call Denver. It's this huge castle now. right atop all these mountains. Some crazy fuckers out there. Past the mountains is a whole slew of cities and civs all mixed together. i usually just wander around finding and fixing issues then when i can't take any more I head back here. that's my path."

“So you’ve done that before? Turned yourself in and then took the money?” she asked softly watching him closely they weren’t really questions more statements.

Marie fallowed where his eyes were looking and did what he was doing staring at the tarp that keep the rain out and them in and safe.

“So you come to New York every year just to come? There really must be a real reason for you to come otherwise why come?” she grinned at him “Like if you once lived here or you have family here or something.” She watched him flipping onto her side to look at him “If I could get away I would travel west back home where my people are.” She said watching him.

“Florida actually has people there now huh?” she said softly wondering how they would survive in Florida after all most of it was under water the only place they could live were up in the trees or on boats but then there were always danger with the oversized creatures that flourished there. The alligators, crocodiles, and snakes that once to be normal sized grew twice as large and the crocs and gators weren’t the biggest danger no it was the snakes that typically ate everything around.

Marie remembered when she hid in the Florida glades when she ran away from her first royal. She almost was eaten by a giant snake that was about fifty foot long and as thick as she was. The memory of the snake made her shiver and made her remember promising herself never to go back to that hell hole. Marie knew where he was talking about Denver was almost on the west coast. California had fell off of the continent after the war a long time ago and is starting to sink, most of Arizona and all of Nevada were under water alone with other states. In Utah the once salt lake was no longer a lake but part of the ocean as well as everything west and north words. Although Las Vegas was under water there were still building popping out of the water where people lived and bridges connecting building from building.

That was probably the most civilized place although slavery was the biggest thing there it was the only place that had laws and no royals or at least not like the rest of the world. Marie flipped onto her side staring at him and wondered if he passed through her home in Ohio after all he did travel a lot. “You ever stop up towards where Cleveland Ohio was?” she asked softly watching him closely.

He shrugged. "A couple dozen times. You think everyone hates me just cause I free slaves? Marcus Towns freed a hundred thousand slaves and everyone still loves him." Towns was a very old hero who indeed had rescued slaves by the thousand, still lived, under the protection of a rather moderate Civil and their Royal.

He shook his head. "I was born on one of the American islands. The winter storms forced me off after killing my family. But no matter what happens to it New York is always new York." He looked over at her. "You want to go west? I can take you."

He nodded at her Florida question, letting her ponder his offer. He could see her remembering things.

"You're from the Cleveland Isle huh? Yes I've been there. I don't go onto the American much. Huge whales, sharks, and sea monsters. I will still take you if you want."

"I wouldn't say they hate you just because you freed the slaves I'd say because you free them to often and you seem to outsmart them to often." Marie was very blunt with her words after all she didn't want him to think that she was dumb. "Marcus Towns was a different case he may have freed slaves by the thousands but he wasn't like you he didn't trick the royals nor did he make them made like you have with what you've done." Marie had heard thousands of stories about Marcus and how he had saved thousands of slaves from the royals.

Marie looked at Marcus for a few seconds he actually offeared to take her off of New York and back home to the Cleveland Isle her home town the place she was raised and the place she was born. She wondered if her family was still there after all she was taken away what made her think they'd still be there. She had to really think about it after all it was dangerous to travel now a days.

She looked at him a little taken back for a second and then nodded when he asked if she was from the Cleveland Isle. "Yeah that was my home." she said softly "I wonder if it's the same as I remember..." she said dreamily as if remembering a dream of her home. "The whales you don't need to worry much about it's the sharks and some of the sea monsters." she said softly and looked at him.

"I think I'll take you up on the offer of taking me home... but there's the problem of Royal." Marie said softly she knew she'd ran away from the royals and that she was a high class slave/pet whatever they wanted to call her after all she was beautiful when she wasn't covered in thick coats of mud and her hair was clean and brushed. "It might be a bit hard to get me out of New York after all I'm a special case." she looked at him.

He sniffed. 'bring it on. i love special cases. They lead to good fights."

He studied her thoughtfully. "Which Royal do you belong to...or rather which one did you belong to? And how did you escape them? And why are you so filthy? it's not that muddy out there."

Wallace stretched and reached behind him and pulled out a small pouch, then began, one by one, to pull out knives, his bolts, and arrows, and began to sharpen them and remove the trust on the heads and blades. As he did he continued to watch her just flicking his eyes down occasionally to check his work.

"How did they get you from your home? And when? And who was your first royal and where...better yet how about you tell me your story. i need to know these things." He would not tell her but he had been approached by high value slaves like her to try to seduce him so he could be killed after they had sex. None had caught him yet but only because he was very very careful.

She stared at him for a few seconds "I'm a wanted slave in many places so I'm a very special case." she watched him as she played with her mud covered hair that looked a lot like dread locks except sloppy. "I prefer to stay out of fights I'm a love not a fighter." she giggled laying on her side as she thought about the words she used.

"I belong to about thirteen different Royals." she said softly "Depending on where we are... such as her I belong to Roy the big shot." she said playing with her long hair. "How did I escape... sex." she pushed her hands into the air "I've done it thousands of times before and yet he still insists on having sex with me." she shivered at the word sex every time. "where I stay had running clean water in it and I brought dirt with me." she watched him closely.

Her eyes followed Wallace's every move as he reached out and pulled out a small pouch and began to take things out of it. "That a lot of sharp tools." she said softly eyeing each of them as he sharpened them one by one taking off the thin layer of rust on each of the blades and heads.

She thought about it she was very young at the time when she was taken from her home the first time. Marie took a long deep breath she looked at her legs that were covered in a thick layer of dark mud and began to pull the dry stuff off her legs as she began her story. "Well I was thirteen when I was first taken from my home... I lived in a colony of Moles it was amazing!" she grinned closing her eyes as if remembering everyone. "I didn't look like most moles probably cause my mother wasn't a mole she was a royal slave just like me. I'm not sure how they captured me I don't really remember much besides I didn't like my capture or royal or whatever you wanna call her." she opened her eyes and took a deep breath "I escaped her and every time I escape I am caught by another royal family..." she eyed Wallace "Once I grew up." she motioned to her breast and the rest of her body "I became somewhat of a prize to most Royal males." she watched Wallace "When it stops raining I'll take you to my hide out and show you what I really look like without the mud covered body, face, and hair."

He nodded. "I see."

Roy the Big Shot. A nothing little pissant last time. Seemed to have become a bit of a something. Wallace would have to fix that.

He nodded again. "Alright when it stops raining and when it's daylight." He gestured as full night had started and despite the rains the screams of hunting and dying could still be heard.

"A tribe of a Moles.... interesting. Who was your father? And is your mother still alive?"

Marie looked at Wallace for a few moments and then looked out at the tarp that separated them from the outside world.

Marie could hear the cries of wild animals outside their hideout as they screamed for mercy from whatever was hunting them or devouring them. "When day breaks..." her voice trailed off as if thinking about how long that would take. "Ok." she said softly she didn't want to be stuck in here all night it was highly likely that she could be found if she stayed in one place for to long and the fact there was a tarp probably was eye catching.

"It wasn't a big tribe... it was just a family I suppose a large one." she turned to look at Wallace. "My father is Anton he was the leader of the small tribe at the time I'm not sure if he's still alive as for my mother I'm not sure if she's alive or if she's still with my father." she closed her eyes "She probably was the reason the tribe was attacked in the first place." Marie muttered softly "She was a prized slave and had a high prize on her head I think."

Wallace nodded thoughtfully.

"You'll be fine. That rain will keep anyone in and it's just getting started. I promise not to kill, eat, or rape you. get some sleep."

He continued cleaning and sharpening his weapons making sure everything was in the best working order. This girl would be a good beginning. Taking her home would also get him started on his westward journey.

"oh stop looking at my tarp like its a trap. You can't see it from outside because of the metal mesh which just looks like part of the building if you can even find the cave. Which no one can in the dark."

Marie looked over at him pushing herself up on her elbows as he said he promised not to kill, eat, or rape her and that didn't seem to make her feel any better.

She looked over at the tarp if she had to she'd break it and then run like hell in the rainy dark forest that was once new York city. She had rather good eyes in the dark and that was probably the main reason she escaped the royals every time.

Marie flinched at his words and then darted her head and eyes over to Wallace she didn't like when she was told what to do but he was nice to her so she'd do what he asked and stop looking at the tarp. "Are you sure you can't see it out there?" she whispered biting down on her lower lip nervously. "That's what you think." she said to the fact no one could see the tarp in the dark.

There had been a new hunter that she had known him for the fact he can see in the dark like a nocturnal animal it could probably be because he wore something over his eyes in the day light so he was blind in the day and very much a hunter at night. "If they find me they'll find you and then you'll be trouble." she muttered turning away from him as she closed her eyes. "But if you think no one will find us..." she yawned "I'll trust you."