To Break Down The Walls (Kravin5150 & darkangel76)

[darkangel76]

The world is no longer as most know it. Most of the world is covered in wastelands, treacherous terrain crawling with savagely brutal mutated creatures that once may have been recognizable, maybe even at one time called ‘friend’, but now no longer are. Despite this, small pockets of civilization exist in what are known as sectors, each one trying to sustain itself with what little resources are left. Some sectors have an easier time of maintaining and replenishing themselves, while others rely on neighboring sectors for aid. Living this way has caused problems for humanity, has made them a fractured race. For some, they have found it easier to band together and form close knit communities. Others have found that hostility is the best way to survive, living by the creed that ‘he who serves the self will live another day’. Still others have found solace in total solitude, living alone, depending on no one….



“No way in fucking hell.”

Kyle Sullivan glared at the man, her emerald eyes fierce with anger. “No?” she shrieked.

“You heard me.”

Kyle heaved an exasperated sigh and walked up to the man who dared to tell her that she couldn’t go. “Look, Tuck. I didn’t ask you if I could go. I told you that I was.”

Tuck grimaced at the girl. “Oh you did, huh?” He rolled his eyes.

Pursing her lips in an angry frown and pushing her wild, brown hair out of her eyes, Kyle nodded. “Yes, I did.” She thumped Tuck on the chest with her pointer finger, making him just laugh rather than take her seriously.

“Okay, okay. But you do realize you’re so not qualified to go, right?”

Kyle just rolled her eyes at Tuck. “Of course, you big ass. But I’ll have guys like you and Con and Smitty at my back.” Pausing, she smiled. “The way you three talk, you make it sound like you could take on anything and everything that could possibly come at us on the trek.”

Tuck nodded. “Well, yeah. But…”

“But nothing,” Kyle interrupted. Just then, her face turned serious. “Besides, I really want to help. I’ll try not to be a burden. I promise.”

Tuck saw how determined Kyle’s eyes were and he felt a sort of sympathy for her. She wasn’t the most skilled fighter among the people of Sector 8. In fact, if he had to label her, he’d say she was one of the worst. But he also knew that she loved the people of her sector and would do whatever she could to help them. He could see that she was tired of always having to sit back and watch everyone else contribute, while she was forced to sit on the sidelines.

“All right, Ky. But you stick close to either myself, Con or Smitty. Got it?” Tuck finally conceded.

Smiling, Kyle gave Tuck a hug. “Thank you, thank you! I promise, you won’t regret it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Tuck muttered under his breath. “Get some rest, we leave at dawn. Sector 10 is a quite a trek across the wastes. It’s going to take a couple days to get there assuming we don’t have any… distractions.”

Kyle nodded in complete understanding. “Dawn then,” she spoke and she quickly turned on her heels and headed to her place to sleep. It was already fairly late and dawn would be upon them all before they knew it.

Kyle awoke before the sun rose and got her gear together. Anxious and terrified, though she’d be damned if she’d let Tuck or anyone else know that, she headed toward the meeting place to meet up with everyone set to go on the trek to Sector 10. Sector 8’s resources were dwindling fast and they needed to replenish themselves with things that they just could not provide for themselves. The soil of Sector 8 was too polluted to grow anything substantial and they were running out of food. Fast. Sector 10 was the closest location to them that had soil clean enough for crops.

Tuck, Con and Smitty were already at the meeting place, waiting for the rest of the group to show up. Kyle approached them casually, wearing her bravest expression possible.

“Hey guys,” Kyle said.

Con and Smitty nodded at her and snickered. Kyle couldn’t help but scowl. Figures that they’d side with Tuck. Ignoring their mumbles and chuckles, Kyle leaned against the wall and waited for the others silently. When everyone arrived, they went through the barricades surrounding Sector 8, keeping it safe from the nasties that lived on the outside. And so began the treacherous journey out into the wastes towards Sector 10, each traveler, especially Kyle, hoping that their trek to their neighboring sector would be as uneventful as possible.

 

[Kravin5150]

It was hot, like standing in an oven. The sun shined bright in the sky. There were no clouds, ever since the war clouds were a rare sight, rain was far more rare. Vino Gandor continued to walk though, his attire wasn’t one to accommodate the weather either. He wore a long black jacket that was practically falling apart at the bottom from constant wear and tear, He wore a black tank top underneath, the fabric worn and faded, his shirt tucked into his dark blue jeans that was littered with dirt marks and holes, a studded belt held them up along with his leather gun holder, he rarely used it though, he preferred to use his steel katana that was slung on his back. He find out quick that bullets would only last so long out here, he needed something that didn't run out of ammo. On his wrist was a gold bracelet with a small jewel hanging off of it.

Vino had spent most of his life by himself. Since the end of the war he quickly found out that he could only rely on himself as he watched everyone around him die. He had fought with the horrid creatures that now infect the land. They weren't human, at least not anymore. Ever since the world went to hell Vino's mind and health altered and he became a loner, destined to walk forever until his death. Before all this he had everything he could want, a family, a normal life and even a faith. Not anymore though. Vino found that the only one he could put his faith into was himself and him alone.

He ran a hand through his medium length black hair as he scanned the area through his shades. He had lived through the war and through constant attacks and he found it good use to know the land. He knew how to get to the sectors scattered around the land. He would visit and trade things he found for water. He never stayed more than a few hours before he continued to walk again.

Vino came up to a boulder and decided to rest in the shade. He was on the side of a cliff that overlooked a sector route. A small road in the middle of the wasteland that would lead to salvation if you could survive. The creatures, violent but clever, knew that it was more populated than the plains and that if they hid long enough they would catch prey. They traveled in packs and violently tried to kill and eat everything that came their way. Vino couldn't decide if it was the mutation for the nuclear war or if god got pissed at the human race. All he knew was how to kill them and how to kill them fast.

 

[darkangel76]

It wasn’t long before the sun shone brightly down on the group headed toward Sector 10. The road was rough and the heat emanating back up from it was excruciating, making the trek that much more unbearable. Kyle tied her dark hair up off her neck, but it didn’t do much good to cool her down. The sun and heat were merciless. Her once white tank top was nearly drenched with sweat and her blue jeans were starting to stick to her legs.

Despite how hot and tired she felt Kyle refused to complain though. She wasn’t the sort, especially since she’d begged Tuck to go. If only she’d thought things through a bit more, she’d have remembered just how harsh the land outside Sector 8’s walls really were. The land was truly a sight to see. For miles, there was nothing, or at least, nothing living.

Kyle felt her skin get goosebumps as she thought about the horror stories told by those who’d traveled the sector paths. Stories about savage creatures that would kill without remorse, raping and eating their prey while they were still alive. Shivering, despite the heat, she pushed those thoughts from her mind and tried to take in her surroundings instead. Kyle was never good with landmarks or directions and was one to easily get lost, but she felt the need to try anyway. It would distract her from the fear she felt bubbling up inside. Besides, something deep in her gut told her that she needed to stay on full alert and a feeling like that usually was something you listened to.

Kyle saw a cliff across the way with a large boulder teetering near its edge. She wondered if any of those creatures lurked up there. Waiting. Again she shivered.

“You all right, Ky?” asked Tuck. “You seem tense.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kyle lied.

“Good,” Tuck said, obviously buying her lie. “And here.” He handed Kyle a hunting knife. “It’s not much, but I figure it’s better than nothing.”

Kyle’s eyes widened a little as she took the knife in her hand. She didn’t really know how to use one, at least not in the way she was sure Tuck meant for her to use it. “Thanks,” she said, keeping her voice as calm as possible.

“Sure. Smitty says this area can get quite nasty. Best to be prepared.”

Kyle suddenly felt her hands begin to shake. She started to wonder why she even made such a big deal about making this trek in the first place. What was she trying to prove? Everyone in Sector 8 knew they could depend on her, knew that she wanted the best for them. So why the sudden urge to travel out into the wastes? She knew the answer and she knew who she had to prove things to. It was herself.

“Uh, thanks.”

At that Tuck nodded and rejoined Smitty at the front of the group. Con had the rear. The few others that were going along all seemed to be at relative ease, though Kyle could see that they weren’t totally unafraid either. She wondered how they could all remain so fucking calm while she was doing her best not to shake like a quivering leaf.

Walking along the road, Kyle thought she heard something. But when she looked over toward the one rockslide they were approaching and saw nothing, she dismissed it. Deciding it was just paranoia and fear making her hear things. Suddenly, from behind the rockslide, the most grotesque-looking humanoid stumbled out. It moved quickly and grabbed the girl walking nearest to Kyle.

Kyle felt her blood run cold. She wanted to run, to hide. Gripping her knife tightly, making her knuckles turn white, she backed away from what was happening. Tears of fear started to well in her eyes as the sound of more growls filled her ears.

“Oh god!” Kyle shouted.

When Kyle finally focused, she noticed that Tuck, Con and Smitty were already engaging in their own battles with other creatures. Everyone was shouting and fighting, knives were slashing through the air, guns were being fired. It was chaos and Kyle was right in the middle of it panicking, doing nothing.

Looking down at her hand, Kyle saw the knife Tuck had given her not all that long ago. She clutched it close to her chest, her mind totally blank. She then looked up and saw that the creature who’d begun the ambush was feasting on that one girl’s flesh, the one who’d been right next to her, and she was screaming as he did so. Wincing and trying her best not to get sick, Kyle backed away slowly. Everything around her was a blur. So, she let her instincts take over and made a run for it toward another nearby rockslide. Hiding, Kyle watched the terrors unfold before her eyes, fearing that soon death would come to her, like it was to her friends.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino had begun to nod off. One thing he couldn't get rid of from his past was his love for naps and lazing around, but he no longer had the luxury. He had to stay on constant alert, these little bastards were as sneaky as they were ruthless. Trying to fight off his laziness Vino began to play around with his bracelet. A tiny smile formed on his face as he recalled happier memories.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of gunfire. Vino looked around to try to decide from where it came from. He instantly looked over the cliff towards the route. He could barely make out the small group of people being attacked. Vino could tell these men didn't have much experience fighting these creatures and that all of them will surely die.

"It's not my problem, those who can't handle themselves are doomed to death." He muttered to himself as he leaned back against the boulder. Vino could ignore the gun shots, the shouting and even the horrid noises the creature made, but when he heard the pained screams of a woman his resolve began to wear down.

Vino clutched his fist as he tried to block it out but the screams penetrated all of his mental defenses and bore into his brain. He began to breath heavily as he tried to remain calm. He looked back over the cliff and could see the woman being torn apart by the creatures as well as most of the other members in the group. There was nothing he could do for these people, they're death was already certain even if he made it down the cliff.

He looked over to see another figure hiding behind the rocks. He couldn't tell if it was another survivor or if it was another creature. Vino could still hear the womans screams in his head, he felt his blood surging as he once again tried to calm himself. "I can only depend on myself...everything else...is just...a... hindrance." Vino repeated to himself as he struggled not to get involved. Soon the womans cries finally ended. Vino found himself beginning to feel at ease again. He looked back over the cliff to see where the creatures were headed. He instantly didn't like what he saw and began to descend the cliff without hesitation.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle’s mind was reeling, her stomach feeling sicker and sicker with each passing moment of what she had the unfortunate luck of witnessing. The one girl was definitely dead now. Her screaming had stopped and Kyle noticed that her insides were strewn along the various parts of the road.

Tears streamed down Kyle’s cheeks and one of her hands covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She felt like all hope was lost. Her friends were easily being picked off like flies in this ambush, those creatures proving to be much smarter and stronger than she’d ever imagined. She was sure that even Tuck had underestimated them.

Kyle saw both Con and Smitty trying their best to fight off the creatures. But in the end, it was no use. They were taken down. Their screams echoed in Kyle’s ears.

“We’re all going to die,” Kyle muttered to herself, her body trembling uncontrollably. “Not like this, not like this,” her voice pleaded to anyone or anything that would listen.

The creatures took down the gunmen without too much trouble and little injury to themselves. Despite how they looked, they were fairly agile and very tough. Kyle saw a gun get thrown near to where she was hiding. For a split second, she thought about leaving her hiding spot to retrieve it, “better to strike from far away with a gun than up close with a knife,” she thought. Then, Tuck’s body was suddenly hurled next to that gun.

Kyle’s face went white, making her stop right where she was. Tuck’s body was broken, but he was still alive. His head twisted a little and he caught sight of her. Face contorted in pain, fear deep set in his eyes, he mouthed something, “Run! Go back!”

Kyle wanted to do exactly as Tuck had demanded. She’d been thinking it the moment this ambush started. But she was trapped, those creatures barring her way. She looked at the gun lying next to Tuck, her brain telling her to just grab it and fire at anything that moved. That if she did that, she could possibly make it past the creatures. Just as she was ready to run, a creature pounced upon Tuck’s body. Tuck shouted out as the creature began gnawing on his torso.

Kyle let out a sob. The strongest of their group were dead, everyone was dead. Except her. And Tuck? He’d been like her big brother for years. Suddenly, the creature eating Tuck looked up. He had heard Kyle’s sobbing whimpers and now saw her crouched low, ready to bolt when the moment struck. But it was clear that he had no plans of letting her escape. His growl signaled the other creatures and he began to stalk toward Kyle. She was to be the next meal.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino made it down the cliff as fast as he could and hit the ground running. He sprinted towards the pack, not entirely sure why. He had noticed that the figure behind the rocks was a woman and though it was too late to save her friends he could still save her. Vino cursed at himself for being this stupid, he should have turned around and left her there, it wasn't his problem. However, the screams of the woman before still buried in his mind continued bringing back the horrid memories. He then realized he wasn't doing this for her, he was doing this because he was pissed off at the creatures.

As he got closer he devised his plan. "Five creatures in total...two that are at least semi-wounded...and three that are just plain hungry." The odds were against Vino, but then again they always were. "quick slice to the head or stab through the heart." He reminded himself as he drew closer. He set his sights on the girl and the creature that was drawing in on her. The creature had her pinned down and was going in for the kill. "fuck, i'm not going to make it." Vino withdrew his gun from the holster, took aim and fired one shot. The creature had reared its head up before it was going to strike but the bullet pierced it's skull mid-motion. The creature fell down dead on top of the helpless girl.

The sound of the gun grabbed the attention of the other four and they all charged him. Vino holstered his gun as he withdrew his sword. "Come on you ugly bunch of fucks, show me what you got!" He yelled as they came in closer. One of the creatures lunged through the air in effort to tackle Vino, but with his quick reflexes he sidestepped the creature and drove the sword through its head, nailing him to the ground from mid air. He placed a boot on the back of its neck and yanked out his sword, a trail of black blood dripping from the tip.

Another creature came up on him with intention to claw at him. Vino swiftly dodged all incoming swipes as he delivered a kick to the creatures sternum. The kick sent the creature back a foot and Vino capitalized with a downward slash that sliced through half it's body. The dead creature hit the ground with a wet thud as the black blood began to flow.

While he was occupied with the one creature another one had tried to sneak up behind him. Vino swiftly spun around with the sword taking the creatures head clear off before it could do anything. Vino looked at the bodies "1...2...3...4...where'd the other one go?"
Vino looked around and noticed that the creature had decided to run for the girl instead of him.

Vino quickly sprinted towards the girl. The creature drew in closer and was about a foot away from the girl. It loomed over her with hunger in it's eyes. The creature let out a loud growl and advanced on the girl. Before he could reach her, however, Vino had came up behind it and pierced it's heart with his blade. The tip sticking straight out of it's chest as some of the black blood splattered on the girl. He threw the body down and now it was him that stood over the girl.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle thought she was about to be sick when the creature ready to devour her suddenly dropped onto her body, totally lifeless. She heard the gunshot, but had no idea as to where it had come from. She hadn’t seen anyone else on the path.

Pushing the heavy creature off of her body, Kyle curled up into a ball near the rockslide. She saw the silhouette of a man dashing about and slicing the creatures to bits. Black blood and guts were flying all over the place, making the road turn a strange mix of colors. Red and black.

Kyle watched the man in total awe. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing, so different from how Con and Smitty and even Tuck had tried to fight off the creatures. This man was actually taking the creatures down.

Suddenly, Kyle heard a growl. Turning her head, she saw one of the creatures making his way towards her. She tried to get up, but her feet wouldn’t comply. Instead, she scrambled on the ground until her back was against the fallen rocks. The creature was getting closer, ever closer. Again she feared that she was about to die. Screaming out, Kyle covered her face and waited for the inevitable. But it didn’t come. Instead, she heard a slicing sound and felt something wet spray her body.

Opening her eyes, Kyle realized that the creature had stopped mid-step. Trying to regain her senses, she focused and rested her eyes on the blade she saw sticking out of the creature’s chest. Her breaths coming in short rasps, she let out a choked sob. The creature was dead, or soon would be. Frantically glancing all around, she saw that all the creatures were dead, their bodies strewn with those of her friends along the sector path.

Kyle looked up and saw a man standing over her, the man who had somehow taken the creatures down single-handedly. He tossed the creature he’d just stabbed to the side and loomed over her. She couldn’t quite make out all the details of his face since the sun was shining in her eyes. But she could tell by his silhouette that he was handsome. And that he was the sort you didn’t want to cross either. She had no idea where he came from or how he managed to take the creatures out all by himself, but she honestly didn’t care. The fact that he had saved her from death was enough for her. She owed him.

“Thank you,” Kyle said in a shaky voice. “You… you saved me.” Tears filled her eyes as she stood up, knees wobbling. At that she threw herself at the man and hugged him tightly. “I owe you my life!” she sobbed.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino grimaced a bit at the physical contact. He was pondering what he had just gotten himself into. This girl was no where near skilled enough to travel these lands. The creatures obviously saved her for last because they deemed her the weakest. He didn't know what to do with her. Sighing lightly he managed to pry the girl from himself.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he looked her over. She was definitely a cute one. He shuttered at the thought of what would happen to her if bandits had gotten a hold of her, they were as ruthless as the creature but in a different way. He very well couldn't take her along with him though.

Vino ran a hand through his hair again and looked at her through his dark shades. "You should head back to your sector, the smell of human blood will attract more creatures if you stay her too long." He said as he wiped his blade clean of the blood and returned it to the sheath.

"You better hurry, nightfall is coming soon and if your not in cover your surely die." He said as he turned away from her. He began to walk, going back on his path. 'She is not your concern, she will only get you killed.' He thought to himself over and over again. He felt sorry for the girl but there was nothing he could do.

 

[darkangel76]

As Kyle hugged the man, she could feel his entire body tense up. After the display he’d just shown with the creatures, she didn’t quite understand why. He was strong, he was skilled. So why would a simple hug of gratitude cause him to have that sort of reaction? It truly perplexed her.

“Are you okay?” the man asked her.

Kyle felt him trying to place distance between himself and her. Not wanting to upset him and feeling grateful that he’d saved her, she let him have it. As he backed away, she got a better look at him, though she couldn’t see his eyes as they were hidden behind his shades. She wondered what sort of emotion he held there. The way he looked at her just then piqued her curiosity. There was something about him she found intriguing and she was certain that there was more to him than what could be seen on the surface. She needed to know what that was. She needed to know what he was thinking. She had always said that the eyes were the windows into the soul and she wondered just what emotions lied within his.

As the man wiped his blade clean, he spoke again. “You should head back to your sector, the smell of human blood will attract more creatures if you stay here too long.”

What he said made perfect enough sense to Kyle. She feared the creatures, but she also feared the bandits she’d heard stories about. When she’d been little, her sector had dealings with a few, but at that time they’d been able to handle the situation. Nowadays, she’d heard that they’d grown in numbers, not to mention their hostilities.

Besides, there was no way she was going to head back to her sector. She had two very good reasons as to why that just wasn’t an option. The first being that her sector was depending on her alone now to get them the resources and supplies they needed. The second being that she’d never make it back on her own anyway. The only choice she had, as she saw it, was to take her chances and continue on to Sector 10 and hope that she could gather a group together to help her bring back the needed supplies. If she even made it there. That was the problem though. Kyle knew very well that there was no way she’d make it to Sector 10 if she traveled alone. She had at least another day and a half to go, if not more, before making it there. And she’d be damned if she even knew the way to get there. Plus, as a woman traveling alone, not to mention one with poor fighting skills and a terrible sense of direction, she needed an escort. A skilled escort. Biting down on her lip, she stared at the man wondering if she should dare ask him to be the one to help her.

The man interrupted her thoughts as he said, “You better hurry, nightfall is coming soon and if you’re not in cover you’ll surely die.”

Kyle blinked hard as the man spoke the cold, hard truth only to then suddenly turn and start walking away from her. Was he really just going to leave her there after what had happened? Couldn’t he see that she was frightened, that there was no way she’d be able to travel by herself?

Her heart racing with fear, Kyle ran after the man. “Wait!” she cried out. “Please, wait!” She grabbed onto his arm and began to plead to him. “My name is Kyle, Kyle Sullivan. I was heading to Sector 10. Please, please help me get there. I can’t go back to my sector empty-handed. I just can’t. And there’s no way I’ll make it to Sector 10 by myself.” She paused a moment, trying to catch her breath. “Please, I beg you. Don’t leave me alone out here. Please.” She felt the tears pricking at the backs of her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. More than anything she hoped he wouldn’t just abandon her now, not after he just saved her. “For some reason you saved me. Please don’t leave me now when you know it’ll mean your actions just now were for nothing.” At that, a couple of tears fell from her cat-like eyes, though she refused to let her body succumb to the sobs it wanted to release. She wondered if he’d stay with her or not. It was up to fate now.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino stopped walking. He stood there looking at the dirt beneath his feet. 'What did i get myself into?' He said as he looked up towards the ask as if it had the answer. He heard her pleas and her voice. There was no way she would survive and he knew it. He sighed in frustration over what he had to do. He felt her tug on his arm and couldn't help but look at her.

He saw she was on the verge of tears and Vino couldn't stand the look. He had made a decision to help her and he was going to have to stick with it. 'Why did I save her anyway...' He pondered as he continued to watch the girl. He felt compelled to help her for reasons he didn't know. Sector 10 was a ways off and the route was very dangerous. As much as it pained him he was still human and he had to help.

"Kyle was it?" He said after a moment. "Sector ten is a long travel and it is littered with evil things out there that all want to kill you or do even worse things." He told her as he put his hands on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes through his shaded lenses and continued. "If you aren't alert or if you don't remain calm you will die. These creatures are cunning and agile and very good at killing there prey, you must avoid them at all cost. If you run they will catch you, if you hide they will find you, your best bet is to stay as close to me as possible."

He released his grip on her shoulders as he walked over to one of the group members bodies. He picked up the gun off the ground and checked its ammunition and cocked it. He walked over to Kyle and handed it out to her. "If all else fails shot them in the head or through the heart, anything else will just piss them off." He said as he handed her the weapon.

Vino looked up at the sky to see how much daylight they still had. He judged that it was only a few more hours. They needed to find shelter. "Also if you aren't in a secure place by nightfall you'll come to find out that there are worst creatures out at night than the day." He told her as he began to walk away from the path. "As you know paths are easy to follow and they get you to your destination the fastest way possible. What you may not know is that everything out here knows that as well. What just happened wasn't a random attack. Those creatures knew that you would come down this path and chances are there are alot more. We will travel this way, over the ridges in the distance is a small cave. We make it there by sundown and we get to see tomorrow."

He turned around to look at her. "You getting all this?" He asked her. "If we are going to survive we need to be aware of all the dangers and how to avoid them. Now, is there anything that you can do or know how to do that will make this trip just a little bit easier?" He asked. He secretly hoped to everything that she was a sure fire crack shot and was capable of surviving the harshest conditions. As it stood right now, he knew he wouldn't be so lucky.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle tried her best to hold back the tears. The man already looked put out, but she was desperate, terrified. And this man had just saved her for reasons unknown and shown her that he was a true survivor. All for which she admired him greatly and she didn’t even know his name.

Fearing the worst, Kyle felt her heart rate speed up a little as the sound of his sigh reached her ears. ‘He’s going to just leave me here to die,’ she thought. Just then, he suddenly gripped her shoulders, his hidden eyes somehow piercing her own as he began to speak. “Kyle was it?” he began.

Kyle felt his words wash over her like warm water. A gently caress. Despite his expression, his tone hinted at something deeper inside of him. Was it compassion? She let him speak his piece and absorbed every word, even though the facts he laid out before her made her blood want to curdle within her veins.

“… stay as close to me as possible,” he finished up, his grip loosening until he broke contact with her all together.

Kyle let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. Her muscles relaxed and she could feel her heart rate slow a bit in relief. He wasn’t going to leave her. ‘Oh thank god,’ she thought to herself. She watched him walk over to Tuck’s dead body and lean over it. At first she wanted to shout out, but she thought better of it when she saw him take Tuck’s gun and check it’s ammo.

The man looked up at Kyle, holding Tuck’s gun in his hands. He cocked it ready for use and slowly approached her with it. Kyle couldn’t help but notice the way this man moved. It was almost as if he were a part of the land and the land a part of him. It was so strange, yet so very beautiful. He handed her the gun and she took it, though she felt a little uneasy about taking her now dead friend’s gun. She didn’t want to displease him further, especially since he was being kind enough to help her.

Kyle swallowed as the man looked up into the sky. She figured he was concerned about the time, about how much light was left before night fell upon them. Her thoughts were confirmed when he spoke again. But then he mentioned leaving the sector paths, traveling via an alternate route. This made her shake with fear. The paths were supposed to be a means of not getting lost as one traveled between sectors. Her sense of direction was already hopeless. To leave the paths would mean she’d have to place her complete trust in this man to get her where she needed to go, that he would ensure her safety. Strangely, as she thought about it, she realized that she did trust him. She had no reason not to. He could kill her in an instant or worse if he’d wanted to and he hadn’t. Plus there was something about him she couldn’t quite place. Something intriguing.

“Now is there anything you can do or know how to do that will make this trip just a little bit easier?” he finally asked her. From his expression, Kyle could see that he wasn’t expecting much and that upset her a little. She had her inadequacies; she knew that. But still, she was capable of some things. She felt the need to prove herself to this man. She wanted his approval.

Tilting her head, Kyle spoke. “Of course. I’m not a totally hopeless person you know.” She winced a little as she said that. Back at Sector 8 she’d been considered totally hopeless, not worth much when it came to most things. The only thing they could count on from her was a smile and kind word. Sure, they all loved her despite this, but it pained her that everyone felt like she wasn’t dependable when it came to certain things.

“I do know how to shoot a gun,” Kyle added. ‘Sort of,’ came the afterthought. “And I can use a knife too!” she shouted, squaring her jaw. ‘For cooking and whittling.’ As Kyle tried to defend herself, she felt like she was in a battle where no matter what she did or said, she’d come out the loser.

Kyle heaved a sigh. “Look, all I can promise is that I’ll try my best. I’ll try to learn from you what I can to make it easier.” She hung her head a little feeling stupid. “I do have sharp ears,” she mumbled. “I just don’t always pay attention to them, I shrug things off to paranoia or something.” She then looked up at the man. “I promise not to do that. If I hear something, I’ll tell you. I swear it.”

Biting her lip, Kyle hoped that even this little skill would prove helpful. At least in his eyes, though she’d yet to see them without the dark lenses hiding them. “By the way,” she added quietly. “You know that my name is Kyle,” she hesitated a little. “So, what’s your’s?”

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino let out another sigh and he began to walk. He was hoping he wouldn't end up regretting this decision. After hearing her explain her so-called useful skills he looked back at her. "It's good to be paranoid, you'll last longer out here." He said as he continued to walk of the beaten path. They needed to be on the move or else they wouldn't make it there by nightfall.

When he heard her ask for his name he simply looked back at her. "Vino." He said curtly as he continued to walk. He wasn't expecting to gain a travel companion and he didn't know how exactly to deal with it. He just hoped she could hold her own long enough to not be killed. Though not many people are that skilled.

They reached the ridge and he paused in front of it. "I hope you know how to climb..." He said as he looked up at the ridge. The side was covered in rocks and sand and one slip up could cost you your life.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle blinked. So his name was Vino. Biting her lip, she could swear that he wasn’t happy about letting her know that. She wondered why, especially since they were going to be traveling together for a little while. What did he expect her to call him? Heaving a sigh, she tried to shrug it off, though it upset her that he didn’t seem to really care that she came or went. He seemed bothered that she had to tag along with him. Yes, it was clear he was only helping her out of some strange sense of obligation. There was no compassion in the way he spoke or moved away from her. And she recalled the tension and cringing he did both times she touched him. Yes, he did not want her around and he didn’t think much of her either. Despite that, she still admired the man, found him intriguing. She wondered if he’d ever let go of that prickly shell he held so tightly onto.

As Kyle stared upward, taking in the side of the cliff, she felt her heart race once again. Oh god, he expected her to climb that thing. She shut her eyes slowly and kept them closed for several seconds before opening them once again. Vino had no clue that she was afraid of heights and she didn’t want to tell him that she did either. Not when it was so clear that he thought her totally useless. This would just be another thing he could add to his ever-growing list. Just wonderful.

“Umm… yes,” Kyle responded to Vino’s question about being able to climb.

Vino just looked over at her, a very doubtful expression crossing his face. Scowling and narrowing her eyes, Kyle pushed past him and began to climb the cliff side. She was shaky and clumsy in her grips and footholds, but she was on a mission. A mission to show this man up. She knew she could never equal him in skills. Not even close. But she needed to show him that she was capable of something. Anything. At this point she didn’t fucking care.

Kyle climbed up higher and higher. As she did so, the grips available became more difficult. Swallowing hard, Kyle could feel her breath catch as the early stages of panic began to course through her veins. Finally, she chanced a look downward. Big mistake. Instantly she could feel her body tremble, her breathing getting faster. ‘Shit!’ she cursed at herself. ‘He’s going to know now. Goddamn it!’

Closing her eyes, Kyle’s body froze where it was along the cliff side. Her hands shaking as they held on tightly to their grips. She was so embarrassed and knew she’d have to endure some sort of snide remark for bulling on ahead like she did when she knew her own limitations. But oh, her blood had been boiling. She couldn’t help what she’d done. ‘Shit!’ she cursed at herself again when she heard Vino climbing up below her.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino watched as Kyle started to ascend up to ridge. He judged by her hesitant answer to his question that she either couldn't climb or was afraid of heights. He didn't particularly like either scenario at the moment. As she made her way up he could tell the she wasn't used to having to climb. However, she seemed to be doing alright so far. He stayed below to watch her for a minute in case she slipped up. Figuring she had a good enough grasp on it he began to climb up.

The rocks were ridged and steady. They provided good footholds and Vino was at least thankful for that. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like if this were a ridge with loose rocks. He began to climb up at a steady pace, not wanting to rush himself. He looked down a realized they were a good height off the ground. A fall right now wouldn't be very pleasant.

He finally caught up to Kyle but that was because she stopped. "Were not at the top yet, why'd you stop?" He asked as he looked up at her and realized she was trembling. He saw her hands and legs shake slightly as she held tried to hold herself as close to the cliff side as possible. 'Great, she scared of heights.' He thought to himself as he watched the girl tremble on the cliffside.

"Hey, it's only a few more feet. You can make it, just don't stop and don't look down." He told her as he waited below her. He hoped that she could make it up the ridge and not fall. He began to watch as she slowly began to climb with shaking limbs. He could tell she was forcing herself onward but there was no turning back now. "That's it, your almost there." he encouraged her as he began to follow.

He looked up to see that she had made it to the top. He let out a sigh of relief, but it was cut short when he heard her scream. He looked up in time to see her being yanked up off the cliff.

"Kyle!" he yelled as he tried to climb up faster. Just the a group of shadows peered over the cliff. He could make out four men, all worn looking with dirty clothes and poor hygiene. They wore worn out jeans, some had shirts and some didn't. They were average build aside from one very overweight one that was currently holding Kyle. A very skinny one laughed menacingly as he jumped about.

"Bandits." Vino said through clenched teeth. This day had taken another turn for the worse. One of the bandits stood over the cliff, he had a shotgun in hand. By the looks of things he was the leader. He had a full beard and long matted hair. "Well now, lookie here at what we dun rounded up." He said. Judging by the way he talked Vino had guessed he had more fingers than teeth. Bandits were inbreed psychos that roamed the lands robbing men and raping woman and it all ended in them killing them and sometimes feasting on the dead body. The world was a cruel place now.

"I sure do wanna thank you kindly for blessing us with such a purdy girl. Me and my boys are going to have lotsa fun with dis one." He said with a large smile. "Sorry theres not nuff room in our group fer you so we's gunna hafta kill ya." The leader said as he pumped his shotgun and shot at Vino. The buckshot sending him off of the cliff and he fell through the air and landed at the bottom with a huge thud. His body laid there motionless.

 

[darkangel76]

“Vino!” Kyle screamed out as she watched him fall over the cliff’s edge. Terror filled her heart, body and soul. She feared that he’d fallen to his death, that the shot that sick bastard took at him killed him if the fall had not. She feared what was going to happen to herself now that she’d fallen into the hands of these psychos.

The skinny man jumped around and giggled like a sociopath and the fat one clutching at her body licked her cheek and nibbled at her ear. Kyle struggled against him, but it only made him laugh harder.

“I like the fight in yeh, girlie,” the fat man rasped in Kyle’s ear making her shudder.

The one who appeared to be the leader, the one who’d taken that shot at Vino, turned around and smiled a nearly toothless smile. His eyes glinted menacingly as he walked toward Kyle, who continued to struggle against the fat man.

“Looks like yer boy took a bit of a tumble there,” the leader spoke with a laugh. “Tsk tsk. Such a shame, strapping lad that he was.”

“No! No!” Kyle screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“It’s ok. I don’t think the fall killed ‘im. Knocked ‘im ‘round a bit. Yeah.” The man sneered. “The shot?” the man shrugged. “Dun know. Maybe it got ‘im, maybe it didn’t. But dun you worry none. Them there creatures’ll get ‘im once night comes ‘round if he managed to live through all that.” Again the leader laughed.

“Oh god! Vino! Vino!” Kyle shouted out though she was sure he couldn’t hear her.

The leader walked up to Kyle until his nose brushed against hers. The fat man continued to nibble on her ear and sniff at her hair. The feel of his breath against Kyle’s skin made her sick. She wanted to bite his face off, gouge his eye out.

“Mmm. We’s gonna have some fun with you. Yeah,” the leader spoke.

Kyle spat at the leader, her eyes filled with fear and anger. The hate she felt toward him was overwhelmingly strong. She wanted him to die a painful death, despite how terrified she felt.

The leader just grinned. “Feisty, feisty. But we’s like a feisty one, right boys?”

The other bandits shouted out in agreement.

“I want ‘er now boss, I can’t wait much longer,” the fat one said. Kyle could feel his erection rubbing against her backside.

“No! No!” Kyle shouted though she knew it was pointless. She was outnumbered and they were so much stronger.

“Patience, we’ll all get our share and then some,” the leader spoke. “Gotta bring ‘er back to our camp first.” He paused and walked up to Kyle again. He gripped a hold of her left breast and squeezed making her shout out. “Mmm… nice,” he said in a whisper. “Yeah, she’s gonna be fun to break.”

The fat man laughed as he reached one of his arms around so that he could grab at her right breast. “Ah but boss, I can’t hold out much longer!” he whined. “She’s so soft and pretty.” He continued groping at her breast.

Kyle felt her body shake. This was far worse than her encounter with those creatures. What was she to do now? There was no way out of this. None. And not only did she get herself into trouble, but she got Vino killed after he’d saved her. Suddenly, she choked on a sob as reality hit her. This was the end for both herself and for Vino. And it was all her fault.

“Let’s go!” the leader shouted.

At that, the fat man groaned and began to drag Kyle along reluctantly after the leader. The other bandits fell in line, even the freakish skinny one. Kyle felt her heart sinking lower and lower as the dirty men took her further and further away from the cliff’s edge, the sun slowly setting along the horizon. She held no hope for her own fate, so she focused her thoughts on Vino. Hoping beyond hope that he wasn’t truly dead, that some way, some how, he survived both the shot and the fall. And that if he did, he would save himself.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino sat down in a large black leather recliner. He sipped the drink he had in his hand as a woman wrapped her arms around him from behind. She bent down and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Vino smiled as he took her hand in his. The woman smiled back and squeezed his hand. Vino felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down. He saw a young girl looking up at him smiling holding up a picture she drew. It had two stick figure people and a stick figure child in front of a house with a large sun. Vino took the picture with a smile from the girl. The girl handed him the picture, a small bracelet with a jewel on it hung from her wrist as she did so. Vino looked at the picture to see everything the little girl had drawn. When he lowered the picture from his view he was in a dark place. Blood was everywhere, Vino was in a panic. He searched around and found the bloody corpse of a woman with a smaller corpse on top that was wearing a small bracelet with a jewel on it.

Vino's eyes shot open as he looked up at the sky through his shades. The first thing that registered through his mind was the horrible amount of pain he was in. He gasp for air but ended up coughing. Spouts of crimson liquid escaped his lips. He tried to regain his senses but his body was racked in pain. He turned his head to his arm, there were holes in his sleeve and a small puddle of blood. Fortunately for him the bandit was a bad shot.

'Is this it? is there where my journey ends? After surviving so long I was done in by inbred bandits?' Vino let out a small chuckle that just came out as a huff due to the pain in his chest. 'Looks like I wasn't able to save anyone.' He thought to himself as he rolled his head to his side. A glint had caught his attention and he looked to see the source. It was the sun reflecting from the bracelet on his wrist. Vino stared at the piece of jewelery as emotions surged through his body. He clenched his hand into a fist as he remembered Kyle's cries. "Fuck that, I refuse!" He yelled as he forced himself to sit up.

He let out a small cry of pain as various parts of his body ached. He pushed all the pain aside and he forced himself to stand. His legs were shaky and felt like they wouldn't hold. He staggered to the side of the ridge and wasted no time trying to climb. The arm with the buckshot in it bleed and ached with every grip he made as his back and shoulders felt like they were on fire.

'Not today...I won't allow it.' Vino thought as he pushed himself to climb faster. He wasn't afraid of death and made a deal a long time ago that he would accept death when it came calling but not until he was ready. A single face was burned into his memories right now. It was of Kyle, if it wasn't for him she would be dead. He had made the choice to save her and he would be damned if it was for her to become the bandits new pet.

He grasped onto the ledge and pulled himself up. His breathing was heavy as he looked around. The area was empty and there was no sighting of the bandits or Kyle. Vino stood up and looked at the ground. The soil of a once rich and grassy plain was reduced to nothing but sand and dirt since the war. This was the only time in his life he was thankful for the war, if not then the bandits footprints wouldn't be so easy to follow.

He looked up at the sky to see the sun starting to set. He hurried his pace as he began to run. Blood dripped from his fingertips as a result from the shot he took. All pain had been erased from his mind as he continued to follow the prints. He had to save her, he was in too deep not to. He wouldn't lay down and die as another person died because of him. He had seen too many people killed in his life because of his mistakes and he wouldn't let it happen again. The world was a cruel place and he would have to be more vicious than it to survive.

The sun was now almost gone as Vino glanced towards the sky. "Fuck." was all he could say as the sun set and darkness consumed the planes. The thing about nightfall is that there are a different breed of creatures out. The creatures are thinner and more bony than the day creatures. They have sharper claws, faster speeds and a more ruthless temper. Night creatures bury themselves deep within the sand and come out to hunt at night. They use their other senses to hunt and are completely blind. They run the nighttime and prey on anything that moves. There only weakness is light, so a person was safe as long as they were in the light.

Vino cursed to himself as he stopped in his tracks. They were hear, he could sense them. After living in the plains for so long he had tuned his other senses for when his sight was taken out. It was the only thing that kept him alive when the sun went down. Vino closed his eyes and opened his other senses to the world. He could hear their steps, he felt their movement and he smelt their horrible stench. He took out his sword and braced himself, they were coming.

He took note of every step he heard and every vibration he felt. He took his time with his swings. He could feel his sword slicing through the bodies as he could practically taste their blood. He didn't know when it would end. He kept on slicing and cutting until he could no longer sense any more movement. Vino opened his eyes, he could barely see anything in the dim moonlight but he could feel that he was standing in large puddle of blood and gore. He let out a sigh, he was safe for now.

Vino looked across the plains and spotted a small fire in the distance. It was the bandits, he was sure of it. Vino put away his sword and started to sprint. He had wasted too much time and he needed to get to her. He kicked up sand as he his boots made their imprint in the ground. He wiped the blood from his face and never stopped running. He was closing in on them and when he got there he would make sure every bandit there would suffer for everything they have done and everything they plan on doing.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle could not stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks as the bandits bound her hands and secured her to a spike they had pounded into the ground so that she couldn’t run away. As they began to build their fire, they taunted and harassed her relentlessly. The fat one never left her side though, his hands groping and touching her, eager for more.

“Boss, now! No more waiting!”

“Calm down, the fire’s nearly goin’. Just a bit longer an’ then I promise we can all have our fun,” the leader spoke with a chuckle.

The fat man groaned in protest, but couldn’t stop himself from grinding against Kyle’s body anyway. She could feel how hard he was, how ready. Whimpers escaped her lips as she watched the bandits preparing the fire. Try as she might, she couldn’t block out what the fat one was doing to her body. It made her stomach queasy, made her want to pass out.

“Please stop,” Kyle begged.

“Stop?” the fat one asked with a laugh. “Girlie, you’ll be beggin’ for more of my cock after I’m through with you.”

The skinny one came up to Kyle’s other side and giggled, “And me too. Don’t forget about me! Been a long time since I’ve felt pussy around this!” He grabbed himself and jumped around with a giddiness that made Kyle shiver in fear.

The leader laughed, “Aye boys, been a long time for us all.”

‘Oh god, no,’ Kyle thought to herself as she cried. ‘No, no no!’

The skinny one approached Kyle again, pushing her tank top up so that he could see her breasts with his own eyes. “So delicious,” he said with a smile. Kyle struggled, but the fat one held her down. The skinny one immediately buried his face against her breasts, his tongue swirling, his mouth sucking.

“Stop! No!” Kyle screamed. But no matter how much she struggled, the skinny one’s mouth was all over the flesh of her breasts.

The leader looked over at the scene, his mouth drooling. The other bandits watched on with delight as well.

“Boss, now! Now!” the fat one exclaimed with a grunt.

“Aye, now. Have at it. Just don’t forget the rest of us want our turns.”

The fat man growled hungrily as he unbuttoned Kyle’s blue jeans. A horrible glint of delight in his beady eyes. She kicked and screamed as he did so, thrashing wildly. But the skinny man, who was stronger than he appeared, held her down as he continued to ravage her breasts.

“I’m likin’ the fight girl, makes the takin’ that much sweeter,” the fat man said as he yanked her jeans off.

“No! Please, no! Stop!” Kyle shouted desperately, hoping that somehow a miracle would save her.

The skinny man reluctantly sat up and licked his lips. “A little help,” he chuckled. At that, one of the other bandits went over to Kyle and held down her one side, while the skinny man held down her other. The fat man loomed above her and pried her legs apart. He ripped her panties from her body and grinned.

“I smell you, girlie. I smell your cunt!” He thrust his palm against her core and gave her a hard rub. He then brought his hand to his nose and sniffed deeply.

Kyle’s eyes widened with fear as she braced herself for her brutal fate. She watched the fat man frantically undo his jeans and whip out his cock. He stroked himself a few times, though it was plain as day he was hard and ready.

“No!” Kyle screamed once more before she closed her eyes tightly and waited for the inevitable to happen.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino could make out the shadowy figures as he approached ever closer to the fire. He could tell they were of the bandits. He say Kyle held to a spike in the ground as the large one began to position himself in between her legs. He could here Kyle cry out as he stepped into the light of the fire. All the bandits preoccupied with Kyle's struggling to notice him approaching ever closer. Vino could feel the anger steadily build up in him. He took a deep breath to calm himself, his rage would be satisfied soon enough.

"You ready girly? I want to hear ya scream." The larger one said with a large menacing smile. "Get ready, here I come." He said with a laugh as he positioned his cock at her entrance. "One...two..." The fat mans counting was halted by a large swift kick to his face that threw him off of Kyle and left him on his side clutching the side of his face as he yelled out. The rest of the bandits immediately looked up to see the dark silhouette of a man. They all quickly stood up to see him and realized that it was the same man from before.

Vino looked them over, with the fat man down for right now that left three. The skinny one pulled out a large knife from his boots and held it pointing towards him. Another bandit had pulled out a large steel pipe from somewhere and was holding it like a club. Lastly, the leader held out his shotgun and aimed it at Vino. "Well, well, well, lookie who came to save his little girly friend. We was just bout to have our fun with her. I don't know fer sure how you dun survived out dare in tha night but yous better turn back round and skeedaddle before wes gunna hafta kill ya." The leader said with a toothless grin. Vino looked at the man "Your voice annoys me, I'm glad that your going to die tonight and I won't have to hear it again." he said calmly.

The leader's eyes widened at the audacity of the man. "You sure do gotta lota balls fer talkin to me like that. Boys, teach him some manners." the leader spoke as the one with the large steel pipe approached him. Vino looked at the man and placed a hand on the handle of his katana. The leader noticed the sword "Lookie dare, he's got himself a pretty big blade there. I can't wait to be addin it to my collection." he commented as he looked at Vino. Vino looked back at the leader and smirked a bit "That's a pretty big word for you, hope you didn't strain yourself." The leader's face contorted in anger as he yelled at one of the men to kill him.

Vino quickly sprinted towards the leader and was infront of him before the leader could realize. Vino swiftly kicked the shot gun out of the mans hands and it landed just beyond the fire's light. "Shit!" The leader yelled as Vino reared back and was about to punch the leader before a large pipe came from nowhere and almost collided with Vino's head. Vino was alert enough to dodge it. The man with the pipe swung at Vino's head again, he had barely any control and swung blindly at Vino. Vino quickly ducked and dodged all the swings the bandit made. When the bandit attempted to swing at his legs, Vino jumped up and swiftly kicked the bandit right in the jaw sending blood and teeth flying through the air. The man screamed and stumbled back a few steps but instantly returned to trying to bludgeon Vino. The bandit held the pipe over his head and tried to swing it down on Vino's head. Vino reached up and caught the pipe with both hands and delivered another kick into the gut of the man making him release the pipe. Vino threw the pipe away and stood infront of the man as he clenched his gut. "I advise you stop trying to harm me and run. It be the smart thing to do." Vino said to the man with a hint of malice in his voice. The bandit refused to listen as he tried to straight punch Vino.

Vino caught the mans wrist and gripped it tightly causing the mans wrist to begin cracking and snapping. "Too bad.." Vino said as he drove his free hand into the bottom of the mans elbow nearly snapping his arm off. The bandit cried in agony as Vino grabbed the mans throat in his hand. He put the man between him and the leaders shotgun as he began to squeeze the bandits throat. The bandit tried desperately to escape the choke as Vino's grip grew tighter. The mans face began to turn purple as his cries were caught in his throat. The bandits eyes began to bulge out of it's sockets and he scrambled around trying to find something to get him out of this situation. Vino's eyes stayed glued to the leaders as he clenched his hand tighter and a loud pop could be heard through the darkness as blood began to pour from the mans mouth like a fountain. Vino through the body down and turn his attention to the skinny one who seemed a bit more hesitant now.

The leader shouted to the other bandit, "What you waitin fer? kill this god damn mother fucker now!" as he stepped back a little from Vino. The skinny one looked at Vino for a moment before lunging at him with the knife. Vino jumped backwards avoiding his slashing. The skinny one jumped around from side to side slashing wildly at Vino. He was fast and Vino had a hard time predicting his moves. The bandit attempted to slice at Vino's throat and was almost successful. Vino had leaned back, the blade missing his neck by mere inches, as he threw his body weight backwards and brought his feet up to kick the bandit underneath his chin as he flipped back onto his feet. The bandit scrambled to get up and was right back on the attack. Vino kept dodging the bandits attacks as he was being pushed back. Vino kept backing away until he hit something.

Vino looked up to see the fat one had gotten up and gotten behind Vino. Before Vino could react the fat man wrapped his large arms around Vino and gripped him in a bear hug. Vino struggled as the skinny one began to laugh. "Hahahaha, nothing you can do now! your trapped! and killing you is going to be as easy as raping that little slu-" The skinny ones speech was cut short by Vino's boot. The big one had his arms but Vino still had his legs. He lifted his leg up high enough to be perfectly perpendicular to the ground and connected with the fat ones head. The man released his hold on Vino and held his hand to his nose as blood began to spill from it. The skinny bandit had gotten up and jumped towards Vino again. Vino swiftly pulled out his sword and in one motion cut off the bandits leg at the thigh before he landed. The skinny bandit screamed out as he held the bloody stump that was his leg. "My leg! the mother fucker got my leg!" Vino walked up the the bandit and placed the tip of his sword into the screaming mouth of the bandit. "silence." He said as he rammed the sword down the throat of the bandit, the tip sticking out on the other side as the bandits body twitched and spasmed.

Vino drew out the sword as a trail of blood followed it. The fat one began to charge at Vino trying to surprise him. Vino gripped the sword and swung into the fat ones stomach. The blade almost getting stuck as he ripped it free from the fat one. He dropped to his knees holding his stomach trying to keep his own organs from spilling out. Vino looked at him and put his sword back, he knew the fat one would die soon enough. Vino looked for the leader but was stopped by the sound of a shotgun being pumped.

Vino looked over to see the leader had gotten back his shotgun. From the sweat and look of fear in the mans eyes he could tell that he had to step away from the light for a moment. The leader pointed the gun at Vino as Vino walked towards the man. The leader still backed up a few paces before holding the gun out. "Hold it right there!" He said as Vino walked placing himself between the man and kyle. The fire behind Vino as well as he stood a little ways away from it. The leader smiled as he pointed the gun at Vino. "You sure did cause me lotsa trouble tongiht. Nows i's gunna hafta find me a new crew. But it's all good i reckon, after all i gets to kill you right here and i still have yur lilttle slut to keep me company." The leader laughed as he aimed for Vino. "Any last words for ya?" The leader ask. Vino smirked "Yea." he said as he took his coat and held it open, spreading it wide. "Hit me with your best shot." He said as the leader looked a little confused but shrugged it off. "Alright then, I will" The leader said but before he pulled the trigger he was snatched into the darkness.

Vino's coat had casted a large shadow from the fire, engulfing everything infront of him in darkness. The leader was too preoccupied with Vino to realize he wasn't in the light and the creatures struck without hesitation. Vino still held his coat open as the creatures began to devour the screaming bandit leader. The bite and scratched every possible part and fought with each other over the bigger piece. Vino closed his coat and walked away, the light shining over the creatures as they screamed in pain and ran off leaving the chewed up and deformed body of the leader behind.

Vino walked over to Kyle and took off his coat. He wore a black tank top that showed his lean and well toned arms that were littered in scars as well as the few gunshot wounds that still bleed down his arm. Vino threw the coat over Kyle's exposed body and untied her from the post. Vino was about to search the bodies for some gauze or something to cover his wounds but with the anger and concern for Kyle no longer driving him his bodies injuries caught up. Vino's vision began to dim in and out before darkness enveloped everything around him and he passed out next to her.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle was racked with total fear, her body trembling and thrashing as best it could despite being held down and tied up.

“Get ready, here I come,” the fat man said with a roaring laugh. Kyle could feel his cock just barely rubbing against her entrance. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t believe what was happening, what was going to happen. Then in a taunt, the fat man spoke, “One… two…”

And just like that, the fat man was off of her. Kyle’s eyes flew open and she saw the fat man fly backwards and away from her body. She immediately closed her legs together and tried to twist her body so that she could see what had happened. But deep within her soul, she somehow knew. It was Vino. He’d survived. And he came for her.

Kyle had no idea as to why Vino would come after her when it would’ve been so much easier for him to have just saved himself instead. After all, he’d only just met her and she was well aware that she was more trouble than not for him. Look at what she’d done to him already. Plus, she didn’t think he liked her all that much either based on how he had been around her earlier that day. But in the end, all of that didn’t matter. What did matter was that he did come after her. He was the miracle she had wished for when she thought the worst was going to happen. Though it wasn’t over yet. The fat man was merely down, not out for the count. And there were still three other bandits he had to deal with besides the downed fat one.

Kyle’s heart raced as she watched Vino fight with the bandits. Her tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she watched him, totally awed by his display. He’d been wounded, yet he fought as if those wounds were mere scratches, nothing serious at all. It made Kyle’s head spin at how he was able to block out the pain she was sure he was experiencing. It made her admire him even more than she already did, despite the fact that his demeanor had been so cold. Underneath that coldness he exuded, she could see the warmth, the fire, just barely peeking through. She knew without a doubt that there was more to him than what he showed.

Kyle couldn’t help but watch Vino fight off the bandits in between her struggles to free herself, loosen the ropes, anything. But it was no use. Her bonds were too tight and struggling only made the ropes cut into her wrists.

The fight was a blur to Kyle. Though she tried to shout out and get Vino’s attention when the fat man started to stir and finally sat up. But her cries were lost with all the chaos and shouting going on in the fight. When she saw the fat man grab Vino and then the skinny one try to slash him with his knife, Kyle felt her blood run cold. This man was trying to save her yet again, placing himself in harm’s way on the chance that he could keep that harm away from her. She didn’t want him to die like this. He was a man of worth, a man of honor. Hell, she didn’t want him to die at all even if he found her to be a bother.

Kyle breathed a small sigh of relief as Vino miraculously kicked the fat man and then managed to slice off the skinny man’s leg. She winced a little at the sight, but felt so much comfort in seeing these bandits slaughtered one by one. When Vino took down the skinny man and then sliced open the fat man’s stomach, she couldn’t help but smile. Though her tears continued to flow freely down her face.

Finally, Kyle saw the leader approach Vino. Her heart in her throat, she began to tremble uncontrollably once again. That sick, psycho bastard was going to shoot at Vino once again.

“No, no, no,” Kyle muttered while shaking her head. That asshole couldn’t shoot him again. He just couldn’t. But Vino remained ever calm and then taunted the bastard to actually shoot him. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Kyle then watched Vino open his jacket, shielding her from seeing the grin on that sick fuck’s face. It was then that she heard the screams. It was the leader. Kyle tried to see what was happening, but Vino blocked it all from her view. She knew what he was doing and she couldn’t believe it. How that man could hear the night walkers was beyond amazing to her. They were said to be totally silent, nearly impossible to hear and find under the cover of darkness. As he dropped his arms back to his sides, Kyle caught the smallest of glimpses of a night walker shrieking in pain from the fire light. She could also see that it had been feasting on a part of the bandit, the sight made her shiver.

The bandits had all been slaughtered, each one had met their demise and it was all thanks to Vino. Kyle felt like she ought to be indebted to him forever after what he’d just done. At that, Vino turned toward Kyle and began to walk over to her, taking his coat off as he did so. She couldn’t help but take in the look of him without the jacket, her cheeks reddening as she did so. But he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he placed his coat over her exposed body, which only further showed Kyle just how much honor and respect he had for others. He then untied the bonds around her wrists, freeing her from the awful spike the bandits had secured her to so that she wouldn’t run away. As he was about to get up, she noticed that his breathing was labored. Something was very wrong. And before she knew it, he fell over onto the ground next to her.

Kyle sat up, thrusting her arms into the large sleeves of Vino’s jacket as she pulled her white tank top down, covering up her breasts. She knelt beside Vino and saw that his arm was bleeding, from the buckshot the one bandit had taken back by the cliff’s edge. She needed to stop the bleeding, to clean out the wound.

Without hesitation, Kyle got up and began to rummage through the bandits’ belongings as well as their dead bodies’ pockets for anything useful she could use. As she searched, she found her blue jeans that the fat man had tossed aside. Her panties were ripped beyond repair, so she quickly just slipped on her jeans commando-style. In her search, Kyle managed to find some linens and she was beyond ecstatic that these psychos had a small stockpile of water bins. She dragged one of the water bins over to Vino, taking care that they were both always within the light of the fire, along with anything else they’d be needing.

Kyle found a small bowl and filled it up with some of the water. She then dipped one of the linens into the bowl and gently began to dab at the wound on Vino’s arm. Once it was clean, she leaned in closer to get a better look at what had happened to him. From what she could see, there were several small piercings where the buckshot had drilled its way into the flesh of his arm. Biting her lip, Kyle examined further to see if anything was still in there, anything that needed to be removed. There were. So Kyle gathered up what utensils she could and she slowly began to remove buckshot out of his arm. Several times, Kyle thought she was going to pass out, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. She needed to help Vino. It was her turn to repay him.

Once she was sure all the buckshot was gone, Kyle once again cleaned the wounds on Vino’s arm. She then wrapped several pieces of linen about the wound, staunching the flow of blood. For now, it was all she could do. There were no other wounds she could visibly see. At that, Kyle found a small drinking tin and filled it with water. She sat down next to Vino and adjusted him so that his head was in her lap. She dipped another linen into the small bowl of water and placed it along Vino’s forehead. She looked down into his face as she pressed the cool cloth against his skin.

Kyle found Vino to be quite handsome. As his head lay in her lap, she couldn’t help but tenderly touch his face a little. Yes, there was definitely something about him.

“It’ll be all right,” Kyle whispered as she stroked Vino’s hair. “Rest now. Rest.” She paused, taking notice of the scars along his arms. Hesitantly, she traced a few of them with her fingers. “Thank you for coming for me,” she whispered as she leaned over him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

Kyle sat with Vino for several hours, her hands gently stroking his face and hair. Every so often she made him drink water from the tin she’d filled. As she felt her body become weary with exhaustion, she noticed the bracelet around his wrist. It was curious. And for some reason, she found herself wondering where he’d gotten it, if he’d ever tell her where it came from. Something in her gut told her not to ask about it. That if he wanted her to know, he’d tell her when he felt like it. Heaving a sigh and trying to clear her mind, Kyle continued to stroke Vino’s face and hair. She leaned back and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the crackling fire and humming softly as sleep finally overtook her body.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino stared at the two bodies. His world turned black and grey. The world felt cold and lifeless, the details of the world seemed blurred as if slowly fading away. He dropped to his knees as panic filled his veins. He felt as if the world was fading out of existence and leaving him with nothing left. The feeling of being alone with nothing left anymore. Vino stood up on his feet. His body felt lighter and his movements felt more fluid, it was as if he was just barely floating. It felt like the world was loosing all its mass, leaving him with nothing to stand on. Vino didn't know what to do as he watched everything he'd ever known leave him and there was nothing he could do.

Just then something caught his eye. It was a small glint of blue. A tiny light that refused to fade with the world. Vino frantically tried to run for it. He seemed to be going slower than he could process. As if there was a slight delay in reality making everything slow down a noticeably. The blue light becoming just a little bit brighter as he got to it. He bent down over what was just a gray blurry outline of two people. He saw the small sapphire jewel in beautiful crystal clarity. It stood out even more in comparison to the fading, lifeless world. He stared at it as if was the most beautiful and wonderful thing he had ever seen. The jewel shined brightly in his eyes. He could feel his corneas ache and strain. He didn't care, he continued to look as mixed tears of pain and joy began to well up in his eyes. A few escaped and ran down his cheeks.

Suddenly the world stopped fading away. The world became whole again, but not as it was before. The colors and clarity of everything was still gone, but he could still sense that everything else was back as it was. The bodies still on the floor, lifeless just as everything else except the jewel. Vino looked as he could see the silver chain stand out as well. He took it off the girls wrist and stared in slight awe in it. He put it on and stood up. Everyone he loved still gone, but he was still in the world. Reality and everything still stayed with him, but Vino knew that it didn't want him. He heard a very loud and foreign shriek from behind him. He turned to see a horrid disfigured creature. Blood covered its face and hands and was looking at Vino with a hunger. The creature stood out in high definition quality. Every feature stood out in great detail and color. Vino looked up and saw a katana placed on the wall also just as clear. He instantly knew what he had to do. The world didn't want him and it was putting him to work. He felt relieved that he at least had a purpose to stay.

Vino's eyes shot open and he was instantly blinded by the intense light of the sun. He shut his eyes immediately and fished out his shades from his pocket. He put them on and then slowly opened his eyes, the light was more bearable now. He then looked over to see Kyle right above him. He noticed that he was laying in her lap. She had her arm around his chest and her other arm underneath his head. He felt strangely comfortable at the moment. The pains he had felt the night before were gone and he could feel that he was patched up. He looked into Kyle's sleeping face and was glad she was okay. She even fixed him up for him. He felt that he owed her thanks but he also felt the he owed her an apology. If it wasn't for him she wouldn't be in this mess. He knew that there are things in life worth than death and nowadays thats what the world is reminded of every day.

As much as he didn't want to he got up. He laid Kyle on her her side and looked around. He recognized his surroundings and it was very easy to tell where they where. He could what used to be a forest but was now nothing but a large collection of dead trees. Large pointed trunks shot into the air. Every other one had a few long branches sticking out. The forest was dead and there was just a skeleton left. He knew section ten was on the other side of this forest but without a paved route one could be lost forever. Luckily Vino had known how to navigate the large forest, but he wasn't the only one. There is a life inside the dead forest and they are very hostile.

Vino looked around him and saw the left overs of the massacre last night. The dead, disfigured bodies of the bandits laying there in dried up pools of their own blood. A few vultures picking out the pieces of dead flesh. Vino picked up the skinny bandits knife off the ground and held it in his hand. A vulture began to fly off and and Vino threw it at the vulture in mid flight. "Breakfast time." He said to himself with a smirk as he walked over to the dead bird.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt a little sore due the horrid events that had passed the night before. And the sun shining down overhead felt hot against her skin. The day had come so quickly, too quickly. Slowly, she pushed herself up onto her elbow. Somehow she’d ended up on her side on the ground.

Suddenly, Kyle felt a wave of panic wash over her. ‘Vino,’ she thought to herself. ‘Where was he? Was he still all right?’ Immediately, sat up and frantically began to glance around for the man who had saved her not just once, but twice. She didn’t even take notice of the half eaten dead bodies strewn around her, the reminder of the horrors that had happened only hours ago.

A few yards away, Kyle saw Vino. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she caught sight of him. He was standing over a large bird, a vulture. She peered up into the sky and saw a few more circling them. They were not after her or Vino, but the bodies of the bandits that littered the area with their grotesque presence. Kyle shivered just then despite the heat. She suddenly felt very dirty as the events from the night before started to process in her mind.

Kyle watched Vino as he worked on the bird, getting it ready for them to eat. But, as she watched him, her mind was elsewhere. All she could think about was how those men’s hands had felt all over her. Touching her, violating her, making her scream, making her sob. Seeing their dead bodies gave her a strange sort of satisfaction, not to mention a small sense of comfort. They’d never be able to terrorize another woman ever again. That made her glad. No one deserved to go through what they’d tried to do with her. She bit down on her lip just then as she continued to watch Vino. Not only did this man save her life, but he’d saved her, her dignity as well. And to her that was almost more valuable than her life.

The way Vino moved as he prepared the bird for the small fire that was still somehow burning left Kyle feeling a sense of awe. Everything he did was done with a fluid grace. It was absolutely mesmerizing. She had no idea how he managed to do that. How he’d learned to become so at one with the harsh lands surrounding them. As she watched him, she managed to push the dark thoughts of what had so nearly happened to her out of her mind. Instead her mind began to fill with thoughts of Vino. How he’d come for her, saved her. The feel of his skin as she traced his scars with her fingers, his lips when she gave him the small kiss while he was sleeping.

Kyle shook her head just then, trying desperately to clear it. She looked away from Vino just then and wrapped her arms around herself. Biting down on her lip she quickly glanced at Vino one more time before she looked around herself, trying to see where they now were. They were far from the sector path and the cliff that they’d been trying to climb. So she had no idea how far they were from Sector 10 nor did she have any idea as to where it was now.

As Kyle looked around, she could see what looked like a dead forest in the distance. For some reason, the sight of it made her shiver despite how hot it was. She wondered if they’d have to head in that direction or not.

Slowly, Kyle stood up and walked over to Vino. He was done preparing the bird and was setting it up in the fire, cooking it through for them to eat.

“How are you feeling?” Kyle asked, her voice sounding somewhat groggy.

Vino just looked up at her, saying nothing.

Kyle blinked her eyes and pushed her dark hair behind her shoulders. “And umm… thank you. Thank you for coming for me,” she added. Her voice barely a whisper.

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino looked up from the bird at Kyle. "I've been worse." he said to her as he began to cook the bird. Vino heard her thank him and looked back at her. "Your welcome...and, uh, thanks for the patch up." He said with a slight smirk that lasted for just a second. He looked at her remembering the nights events. The memories all a bit hazy but he could still remember most of it. "Erm, Did they do anything to you?" He asked trying to phrase it as delicately as possible. He still didn't know just what they did but he was still relieved to have saved her all the same.

As the bird finished cooking he started to pick off outer cooked layers of the bird and eat it. "Make sure you eat, food out here if very scarce and we need the strength to finish the day. We are going to have to navigate through the dead forest to get to our destination. Creatures in the forest are different from creatures out her. In the forest there are lots of bare trees and the creatures that live there have become very nimble and agile at maneuvering in and out if there so watch your back. In the forest the only fights are close quarters battle and its the strongest that live. Be sure to stick close and be alert or else you might not make it out."

He looked around the bodies and spotted the leaders shotgun. He walked over and picked it up. Vino noticed the mangled left over body that was left unfinished by the night creatures. He checked the pockets and found a few more shells. Walking back to the fire, he handed her the weapon and ammo. "Try not to have me in the line of sight when you fire it. I'm perforated enough." He said a little sarcastically as he picked up the bandits knife. He then stuck it into to his boot in case he would need it.

Vino put out the fire and settled up. He made sure his sword was on tight and threw on his black coat. He looked over at Kyle as he got ready. "I can't promise you nothing bad will happen, but I can promise you that i'll protect you with my life." He told her with a slightly reassuring smile as he looked away. He began to walk towards the forest with her following behind. He hoped that it would go well for them but ever since he found the forest he had always had a bad experience.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle smiled at Vino’s words, telling her that he’d protect her with his life. The expression on his face as they said them moved her. She could see how serious he was, how much he meant it. And the smile he gave her after only reaffirmed that for her.

As Vino got his things together and put his jacket back on, Kyle tucked the gun he’d given her in her back pocket and then tore off a few strips of meat from the cooked bird. The meat was gamey, but it was more than she could’ve hoped for being out in the wastes as they were. She was grateful for a turn of luck… for once.

Vino began to walk towards the dead forest and Kyle followed him. Though she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread she felt as they neared it. She didn’t want to go in there, but Vino had said that Sector 10 was on the other side. If that was the case, they had no choice.

They walked in silence for a little bit until Kyle finally decided to answer Vino’s question about the bandits. About what they did. The events of the night before were still so very fresh in her mind. She remembered how the fat and skinny bandits had touched her, groped her, hit her. And how the fat bandit had come so close to raping her. She dry-heaved as she remembered feeling him between her legs, so close ramming himself inside of her.

Kyle fell to her knees suddenly, her dry-heaves getting worse until she actually vomited. Vino stopped walking and turned around to look at her. “I’m sorry,” she said as she wiped her mouth. “I’m fine, really.”

Kyle sat on the ground for a few more moments until the nausea had passed. She suddenly felt so very dirty. She looked up at Vino then, her mind starting to process what had happened.

“I’m glad they’re dead,” Kyle spoke. She wrapped her arms around herself and then touched her breasts and winced. “I’m so glad they’re dead.” She shivered and then stood up. “They’ll never be able to do what they did to another ever again.” She paused a moment. “You arrived just in time…” her voice trailed and she felt her eyes water a little. “So close, he got so very close.” Swallowing, Kyle gave Vino a watery smile. “But thanks to you, they’re gone.” At that, she walked up to him and gave him a hug. “Thank you. You have no idea. Thank you.”

 

[Kravin5150]

Vino looked a little concerned at the girl. He walked over and helped her up. He was relieved that he had made it in time and that she was safe but still worried about her vomiting. He could tell that this girl had not been used to the extreme cruelty of the world. She was lucky to have a safe upbringing but out here, if you weren't strong emotionally as physically you will get eaten alive...metaphorically and literally. "It's okay. This is what is left of the world now. Remember that people like that are what run wild and live out here. They have no remorse and follow no laws except ones they deem worthy to listen to; That's not a very big list either." He told her as the walked farther into the forest.

Though the trees had no leaves, the branches had provided a good amount of shade solely on the sheer numbers of them. The sight of many trees blocking every line of sight to the path around them. The forest eerily silent as all that was heard was the whispering wind. The deeper they went in the forest, the darker it got and the trees grew in number. Vino continued to walk through the forest with ultimate fluidity. He gracefully walked around every tree as if his movements were carefully choreographed. We walked slower then usual to allow for Kyle to keep up. He knew the deeper one got in the forest, the more in danger one was. He was alerted to a sound in the trees. It was distant but approaching. Vino looked at Kyle "Out here, you have to have resolve and a willingness to kill if necessary. You must also know how to remain calm in the face of danger." He told her as he started to pick up his pace.

"If you show the slightest bit of remorse or hesitation you will die. That is the world we live in now. It's not right but that's what it has become." He grabbed Kyle's hand and began to pull her along with him as they weaved in and out of the trees. The sounds of branches being snapped and broken began to crescendo behind them. Something was catching up to them fast. "That is why, before we get any farther i need to know that you can kill without hesitation." He told her as they continued to run faster through the trees. "That shotgun has a round in it that the bandit never got to use. So all you have to do is pull the trigger. Be careful though, that kick back is a bitch." Vino's grip tightened on Kyle's hand as he told her to hold the shotgun in her hand close to her so it wouldn't be hit by a tree and go off.

"We are going to approach a nest. It's a small clearing in the middle of the forest. When we get to it i'm going to pull you backwards and your going to land on top of me. At that time, the thing that's chasing us is going to jump out of the trees and try to eat you. I know this is going to be one of the scariest creatures you've seen but i want you to kill it before it gets to you." He explained to her and the sounds became louder and louder. The creature letting out a high pitched screech that shook the very marrow of your bones.

Vino suddenly pulled Kyle towards him, turning her back to him. He grabbed Kyle's waist and shoulders and the entered a large clearing. Vino hit the ground breaking the fall for Kyle. The sun light brightening their vision. In the same motion a large creature propelled it self from a tree and was barreling down on both of them. The beast was about ten feet long with skinny arms and legs that were longer than the body. It's face was horrid and angry. A mouth so full with fangs that it couldn't even close it's mouth. The eyes were huge and segmented and glinted red in the light. It reached out with it's long and skinny claws, drool running from it's mouth. Vino saw Kyle holding up the shotgun towards the creature. "Shoot!" is what he told her as he watched the creature come flying down.

 

[darkangel76]

Kyle’s gem-like eyes widened as she saw the winged thing coming at her at full speed, its fangs dripping, its voice screeching. She wanted to panic, to scream. But Vino was counting on her and she couldn’t let him down. Not after everything he’d done for her. He’d saved her twice and was trying to teach her how to survive the wilds of the wastes. Not an easy job for someone to do given her level of hopelessness. The fact that he was trying meant something to her. Showed her that he thought she had potential, even if only a little bit.

As Kyle felt Vino grab a hold of her waist and twist her body around to face the creature, she pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. The kickback wrenched her shoulder. But despite the pain, she held fast onto the gun in her hand. There was no way she was going to let go.

As they fell onto the ground, Kyle felt her body hit Vino’s. He pulled her close and then rolled them away, away from the spot the creature had been heading. Rolling on the ground, she saw the creature land with a hard thud, its body twitching, but staying put nonetheless. She wondered if it was dead or just hurt badly. She hoped for the former.

Kyle felt her entire body shaking with fear as she and Vino waited a few moments to see if the winged thing would get up. When it didn’t, Vino slowly let go of Kyle and sat up.

Looking at Vino, Kyle shivered. “What the hell was that thing? How many more are there in here?” She feared what his answer would be, but she needed to know. She needed to know if she had to brace herself once again. She needed to know if there was anything worse residing in this nasty place they now found themselves in.

Kyle winced as she sat up. Her shoulder ached and the gun in her hand was burning hot. She looked into Vino’s covered eyes and waited for him to tell her what would surely be bad news.

Just then, the winged creature twitched. Its arms thrashed causing Kyle to jump and scream. Hugging Vino’s neck, she cried out, “It’s not dead?” But the creature’s arms flopped back down to the ground. Again it was motionless.

Kyle could feel her entire body shaking. She hated this dead forest. It was hard to see anything and the creatures were worse than the nightmarish ones she’d encountered out in the open plains. She wondered if that thing was truly dead now. Terrified, she felt her entire body go tense.