Ignavus : City of Blood

Act 33 : Road for Carrel

~swoosh~

Shanice and her fellow teammates were walking under the shades of Darte for two hours this time around. Below the gentle winds that blows on top of their head, the afternoon drought felt way less unbearable than usual. It is relatively low on vegetation around the vicinity that could provide them with shadows at the moment. Most of them are scrubs and bushes that were curdling in various location as it is harder to obtain water source and direct illumination under large obstructions above. Their sole course to pinpoint liquid energy is situated past the river bodies at the north, therefore its concentrated mass lining up on the flank of its water to forming a natural barricade across the side as the most of sunlight could be found there than most places in this vicinity.

Darte sub-city was designed for trade and commercial relation with numerous sister cities across New Pangaea, one that has settled a joint contract for either domestic or international business matters within the city. Argos Archimeda took advantage of its elevated geographical landscape to fabricate sophisticated pipeworks that also acted as transportation hub of its citizen onwards. Top to bottom, the pipelines were constructed in producing extreme speed by difference in height, thus its floating positions above ground to sustain such no-electricity haulage.

~zuuu~

Gads Gilmore turned off the steel casket feature for flying upwards and make it crawls on the ground straight after. Light-powered electricity will be switched off automatically once hitting a place without infinite embrace of perpetual rays from the sun. It feeds from the reserves for the subsequent five hours on the ground whilst munching more if the steel casket floats up airborne instead. So, in order to safeguard its full function and attained safety for their fellow teammates within, the bearded man chose to pull its manual feature by a large string on the edge that Gads Gilmore pulled for generating kinetic energy as its alternative power straight after.

~beep-beep~

The bearded man checked on the other device he owned. In this kind of environment, Gads Gilmore forced to think harder regarding battery conservation than most days under the sun. For that reason, he overviewed the rest of his technology “Signal reception is rather low in this area. We’ll be reaching open field after three hours mark, so hopefully the sunset would recharge most of my depleted batteries there.”

“At least we’re safe from intruders, Gads. It would be hard for us to survive if we chose to stay on the ground filled with our opponents in the city.” Shanice commented,” Ugh, our man inside was padding himself hard, I’m starting to strain myself on the knee.”

Hearing her mind complaint, the bearded man shrugged,”Well, if we both exhausted, there’s always an option to cannibalize energy from other device we have. It’s merely about when we would have to use such thing, though.” He followed.

By now, the leader supported her brother and wearing another string on the line. She utilised her strength to garner more energy for their friend onboard and struggles besides him for more than an hour straight. John Straverman, after all, was a decorated beast-tamer of WIC company. His feat at work were renowned by the other beast-tamer prodigies around the continent. It is the utmost result from his powerful brawn across either flanks of his chiseled physique, made his endurance goes up to the brim against every close-fitting situation he had apprehended in the past.

~rustle-rustle~

“I heard something...”

Shanice closed her eyes to focus. She concentrates ahead of seemingly-malicious threat and tried to locate its position from their current spot. The forest surrounding them were getting much denser and rather crowded than the first few kilometers of their entry. Instead of regular trees and vegetations that commonly known to humans, numerous alien-like follage were the only ones that could thrive against depriving amount of sunlight around them. Its meandering trunks dominate the entire landscape despite of extreme conditions and growing larger everyday without concern of such lacking essential parts of life in that regard.

Whilst their leader searching upon the land with her tingling senses, the bearded man enjoys luxurious display before them and indulge himself towards the view. It is unlikely to find such variety of plants normally in the wild as nothing like these plants would be deemed common for most eyes.

“See that one, Natasha? It has jiggly greenish branches over the top. Should be one of those failed experiments they’ve been talking about.” Gads Gilmore nodded in agreement to his own thoughts, caring less of the weirded look that appeared on the auburn-haired woman’s face straight after.

~tang!~

Without further ado, the curly-haired woman leapt across the right flank of the steel casket and deflected such advance with her rifle. A man approached them close and moving towards them in full speed, having adorned himself with a knife on both hands,”Hmph, so there’s a marine-trained warrior in your team, and it’s the leader amongst all else.” He complimented amidst their stand-off with either hands pushed her rifle up front.

“Are you one of those participants? What’s the offer for killing us?”

Shanice asked towards the muscular character ahead as they stuck in deadlock. Instead of answering thoroughly, the opponent shifted one of the knives downwards and trying to pull another assault across the stomach. Sharpened intuition excelled Shanice into knowing of his exploit, that the curly-haired woman hauls her weapon to blocking his advance once more,” I’ll kill you if your position is of no worth for us. Mind to tell me what’s the prize for our head?” the leader questioned of his motives yet again. But, in oppose of her burning passion to learning more of their apparent obstacle, the opponent shared none of such pointless bargain. He chooses to maintain his pressure and kept shoving both knives forward.

“Your bet to comply, then. Adios.”

For that reason, the curly-haired woman releases her counter-act defense subsequently, ruining his steady-on assault and thus swaying aimlessly straight after. It is the small window for the leader as the opponent slightly unable to control himself a bit. To make most of those vain attempt of the man, Shanice immediately aim the barrel of her rifle and blasts its trigger away.

~ratatata~

Shanice goes stiffened across the face. It is unexpected to meet another participant of this contest under the shadow of Darte,” Raise your awareness, Gads, Natasha. Somehow that pesky billionaire sets us up a brawl that early.” Warned the leader towards her fellow teammates. After such ordinance, Natasha Gastano follows her conduct and carries an MP-5 sub-machine gun for fighting their opponent against. She hides a knife under the wrist for means to execute in close combat manner, courtesy from Gads Gilmore and his prolific inventions that proliferated her capabilities on the battlefield straight after.

~beep-beep~

On the other hand, the gadgeteer switched on his remaining surveillance drones into its combat mode. They would engage into frontal assault whenever someone entered its virtual zone that were employed onto its frontward vision and the bottom-side detector to enhance its covering grounds,” Okay, we’ll be safe unless my drone has no ammo left on their supply.” He muttered faintly, but still adequate for his fellow teammates to understand.

~beep-beep~

The two surveillance drones he has deployed immediately detected another foe in over one kilometer radius. Its automated assault will engage when such opponent walks closer into the red zone in around five hundred meters from their position that it has virtually implemented on the radar. At this moment, the drone will merely inform them out of any forthcoming threats they might have to neutralise, as the bearded man received on his goggles at present,” What’s your command, milady?” clamored Gads Gilmore towards the leader as he circled over the four bystanders on the close proximity of their place.

“They hold long-range weapon like ours, or...”

Gads Gilmore smiled,” Barely fitting themselves with socks. It’s naked and afraid for them, now. I’ll take the chance for getting laid this time around.”

~tap-tap-tap~

The bearded man crouches slightly under the presence of alien trees around. He requires three hundred meters further to reach its proper distance for giving out killing blows onto their opponent afterwards. He wanted them to die, for himself and Natasha Gastano will only become the burden to the leader and her killing streak dominance,” I’m closing in, now. You can also participate if you want, Natasha.” He advised. Natasha Gastano was already on the verge of reaching their target, as well, way before his notice emerged.

“Don’t be too high on yourself, big guy. I’m already midway to the target. I’ll blast them up before you do.”

After grasping onto the desired distance of five hundred meters to the target, Gads Gilmore scoped his aim onto the four targets inbound. Three adults and one child were nestling besides the firepit. Their intense laughter could be seen from the vision on the goggles, compelled the bearded man into uttermost pity as he saw the bright expression of the child,” I can’t take a shot, Shanice, it’s so wrong to take their life somehow.” He confessed whilst pitting heavy breathing before the scope,”Abort objective, now-“

He noticed that their eyes now fixated upon him.

The innocent child was never a truly honest kid, after all, for that he rushes on the open field once marking the target across the far end of the forest. Three adults followed the child’s example and running behind him in rather-sluggish pace. Against exhilarating performance driven by the kid at the spearhead of its running group, Gads Gilmore trembled heavily on both palms. He was unable to holding the trigger properly and squishing his load onto their head. Both palms full of perspiration, the bearded man tried to calm himself down before the impending crowd that gradually arrive.

“I can’t hold my weapon! I’m finished.”

~bam-bam-bam~

Three complete headshots on the temple cleared off the menace from three adults at the rear-end. For the child at the forefront, however, the following shots were never adequate to slow its movement down as the small guy springs up into the bushes. Gads Gilmore throws his defense away as most of his muscles avoiding direct engagement with young brethren up ahead,” I can’t kill him! Why, you senseless prick of a muscle-“

~c***k~

Shanice snapped the head of his oppressor in one shot after grasping the chest from behind. Her surprise attack was out of contention for the kid in berserk as her attempt takes no needless effort in overall,” You’re killing yourself, Gads! This is a world of survival. Your pity will murder everyone in our group if it continues that way.” She insinuated after throwing away his remains to the left. Gads Gilmore bears no bravery upon the face as the bearded man shrunk under his crouching stance. He avoids to look directly upon the kid’s face, even after the curly-haired woman shrouded them behind the other side of the tree.

~tap-tap-tap~

“I’ve murdered the adults. Yay, I’m no longer a virgin, now.”

Natasha Gastano shrieked in joy. Yet, her happiness seemed unsuitable for the ongoing mood between two siblings, so the auburn-haired woman tone down her pleasant voice shortly after,” Hey, look at this kid’s eyes! It’s all white.” She announced once fleeting her interest towards the corpse of their latest pursuer. Shanice pursed her lips before such dubious assessment, thinking if her companion has been hallucinated by an unknown substance produced from the trees nearby,” Don’t tell me that, Natasha. Are you hitting something up behind that tree?” asked the leader in curiosity.

“No way, it’s their appearance that’s weird, but I presume it’s relatively safe for us to breathe in one way or another.” She responded,” How about Gads? Is He okay?”

Gads Gilmore crawls before his companion after listening to Natasha’s babble and running closer to the kid’s corpse. Indeed, the kid has white all over the pupils and a shriveled lips on the bottom. Most of the child’s hair has been shredded by unknown cause, making it difficult to discern of their gender at the most,” It might be absurd theory at a glance, but our sample here needed thorough examination for us to move outside the shade.” Muttered the bearded man shortly after,” It could save our lives, too, so I’ll deploy our pods here for two hours. How’s that for you ,sis?”

“It’s uncharacteristically suited you, Gads, but I can’t complain if it’s for the best of our survival. We’ll do like you wished.” Shanice affirmed his request with a thumbs-up before the stomach, smiling towards her brother in utmost relieve.