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Dragging her Katana along the cracked floor, the sun shone on the
blade, revealing the words: αργυρά είδη (Silver). Artemis lifted
her trusted blade and continued to search through the abandoned
building. Glass shards seemed to litter the floor, adding to the
carpet of debris and dust. Black smoke billowed from a nearby house
and she sighed. Another fire. Artemis looked around the room one
last time and quickly exited it. A large metal fridge laying
abandoned on the road. She kicked it and it swung open, revealing
some canned goods. Artemis breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly
put them in her battered rucksack and walked back home, an
abandoned shopping mall.
Zelda strode through the many boulders that scattered the the once
magnificent city. She unzipped her battered backpack for a quick
drink only to realise she was out of water. She began to search for
a shopping mall of some sort. Seeing a sign that read S-HOP--NG
MA-L OF ARP-- bearly clinging onto the building where it once stood
proud. She walked over to the shopping mall and began looking
through the plethora of broken shelves that used to house a variety
of foods that had long since disappeared.
Artemis walked upstairs to the clothes store in the shopping mall
she lived in. Opening her battered satchel, a torrent of canned
goods cascaded out of the rugged bag. Artemis breathed a sigh of
relief. Finally, good food. With her trusty knife, which was called
Χρυσός (Gold), she cut a whole in a tin labelled, "Peaches" and
scooped the fruit out with her hands, the sweet taste bursting on
her tongue. Putting the rest of the cans in a hidden box, Artemis
stood up and went to her makeshift house, overcome with fatigue
after today's excursions. Pulling the patchwork quilt over her, she
thought of the other survivors out there in the world, and if any
were near her. Artemis stared at her knife and katana, longing for
her parents. A feeling of cold dread crept up on her, enveloping
her like a blanket and swaddling her with misery and regret.
Something was going to happen...
Zelda ventured further into the shopping mall searching more
thoroughly in hope of finding water and if she was lucky maybe some
food as she was running low on her supply. Then as she was
beginning to loose faith she spotted a few water bottles upon a
shelf in the corner on the shop. As she went closer she saw that
they were all empty in frustration she let out a huge sigh that
seemed to last forever before carrying on her search.
The shaggy, grey-haired mutt watches as his hooded partner finally
pulls herself up and out of the dingy alcove that had been their
home for the last couple of days. He watches intensely as Canna
carefully dusts dirt from her leggings and coat, before pulling out
a familiar-looking packet from the pouch securely wrapped around
her torso.
"I'll... be right back, Faolán," she mumbles softly as if the
canine could understand a word she said, but as Canna steps around
the corner into the daylit street, he follows behind anyway,
sitting beside her legs with his tail wagging, "I said I'd be right
back... Nevermind. It's... fine."
It takes her a couple of attempts to successfully get the lighter
to spark, however the small flame it managed to produce was enough
to light the cigarette between her fingers. She sighs, taking the
first drag, before exhaling a cloud of smoke. The nicotine helped
soothe her hunger pains. With another drag, her free hand finds
itself petting the animal beside her, her back sliding down the
wall of the ruined building and into a crouched position.
"We'll be okay, I promise."
Smoking in silence, she noted to herself that she would have to
soon re-stock on supplies. She remembered seeing a mall of sorts
when she first arrived in the city but decided against exploring.
It would have been a popular foraging spot, and she didn't want to
have to fight her way through desperate survivors. Hopefully, there
would still be some supplies worth salvaging left, most
importantly, a new lighter or even matches would do. She flicks the
cigarette butt onto the ground, extinguishing it under the sole of
her shoe, before rising to her feet once more.
Erin stood silently in a thickly wooded area, a little ways away
from the place he had once called home. He stared blankly at the
vague entrance he had come from, studying the broken landscape of
the once beautiful city beyond. He had come here to be at peace,
moving away from the land that clouded his thoughts. He found this
forest to be a good place to relax, no matter the danger that
others feared. He wasn't dead yet, so maybe this forest wasn't as
bad as they made it seemed to be. Either that, or him being in the
thinest part of the trees meant less danger. By this point, he had
done what he came here to do, staying would just be a waste of
time. He figured it was best to head back, gather more supplies and
live another day in hell. Ever since it started, Erin had been
living on autopilot. He did things with no second thought, no
emotion or meaning put into it. 'You have to do whatever it takes
to survive' was always a saying, even if it wasn't applied in
nearly any situation, until it happened at least. He always thought
about it, wondered what the other survivors were doing to stay
alive. He even wondered if it was worth it, the things he had done.
He began to let those thoughts back in when he left the forest, the
thoughts that he went there to get rid of, and he soon regretted
it.
Zelda continued to look though the shop after calming down. She
suddenly found a cracked water dispenser that still had a small
pool of water that filled the bottom of it. She grabbed her grimey
water bottle and pressed ditto against the lever in order to fill
her vacant vessel of a water bottle. Once it was filled about half
way and the water the ruined water dispenser's container was empty
she took a massive gulp of the liquid and let out a sigh of relief.
Artemis twitched, someone else was here. Her whole body tensed
slightly, and she gripped her weapons tightly. She debated whether
to make friends with them, maybe start an alliance or...would she
have to kill them? The guilt that she carried over her shoulders
from the few that she'd killed disappeared gradually through the
years, but 3 small lines she cut into her pale wrist always
reminded her of them. Artemis would never forget, she couldn't. And
she hoped, that the people in the mall, wouldn't end up as another
red mark.
She gathered up all her supplies, stuffing them into a battered
rucksack, and went on her way, slashing small little marks in the
walls to mark her territory. At first glance, the symbols look like
gibberish, but it was actually several Greek words only Artemis
would understand. It helped her mark and locate areas around the
city, and she would share them with anyone she trusts....but she
has to find someone first.
A blinking LED sign above her head showed Artemis that she was near
JellyBeans! Arpia's No.1 Toy Store! . She grimaced at the
sight of all those abandoned toys, in their states of ruin. Dust
settled down on the floor slowly, causing her to sneeze. Artemis
mentally cursed herself, making noise meant attracting unwanted
attention. She glanced at the marks on her wrist again....she
didn't want that.
Zelda immediately jumped at the sound of a sneeze -someone else was
with her-. She suddenly packed away her water bottle and looked
around wearily in the direction of the sneeze that reiterated
around the whole mall.
Erin paused and took a second to look back, as an odd way of saying
goodbye to the peaceful woods. He knew he would come back here
again, he always did, he just found it more reassuring to do
something like that. He turned back around and continued towards
the city, deciding his next stop was a run down gas station sitting
on the edge of Arpia. Taking a look inside, it was surprisingly
still intact with a lot of supplies. He didn't bring a bag with him
but luckily there were massive duffel bags on the shelves. He began
to stuff it with food and clothes, finding other things
unnecessary. As he was about to walk out, he looked behind the
counter and stared blankly at the assortment of cigarettes and
lottery cards. The sight of the former left a nasty taste in his
mouth, but he decided to grab it in case he encountered a smoker,
or just someone who wanted that stuff.
"The phrase “it’s just a
game” is such a weak mindset. You are ok with what
happened, losing, imperfection of a craft. When you
stop getting angry after losing, you’ve lost twice.
There’s always something to learn, and always room
for improvement, never settle."
-Sun Tsu, The Art of Gaming
Zelda left the shop she was previously in and reaching for a little
pocket knife in case she had to defend herself. She passed a
variety of shops until she reached a shop, which sign was strangely
intact, it read jellybeans. The 'jellybeans' sign rang a bell but
Zelda couldn't quite put her finger on it. She entered the shop
alert with her knife stretched out in front of her, ducking behind
a shelf stacked with ripped and tattered teddy bears.
Artemis watched an unfamiliar girl enter the Toy Store. As quick as
a flash, she ran out of the Mall, stopping only to catch her
breath. She glanced at her surroundings, the Mall was behind her,
maybe a five minute walk away. A gas station was to her right, and
rubble and more shops were to her left. In front of her was a park,
there would be nothing there. Maybe she could set up camp there?
Artemis decided to raid the gas station, perhaps there would still
be provisions there. She walked quickly, glancing behind her every
few minutes, just in case someone was following her. As she reached
the station, Artemis noticed that someone was already there. She
gripped her Katana angrily and stepped inside. Artemis pointed it
at the stranger's neck. "Who are you?" she demanded.
Zelda seeing the figure that she assumed was the one who sneezed
sprint out of the store she sprung up after her, following her to
the nearby gas station past mounds of rubble. She decided to watch
from afar hiding behind a rusty car. She was suddenly shocked to
see the figure who she could make out was a girl holding a katana
to a boy's neck.
Canna enters the mall with caution, scanning the surrounding area
before actually stepping inside. She can't remember how many times
in the past she'd been chased out of similar places for
shoplifting. She wouldn't be surprised if there were posters with
her face on them, banning her from entry. The most ideal scenario
for her, right now, would be being the only one around. However, if
there were others, and they kept their distance, that would be fine
too. Canna wasn't much of a fighter. At best, she could probably
throw a solid punch; though, she typically relied on her agility,
stamina, and stealth to remove herself from tense situations before
confrontations could even begin. Weapon-wise, Canna only carries a,
now blunt, penknife that she uses to open the feistier tincans.
The first store she winds up in is a clothing store of sorts,
Faolán staying close behind, sniffing at the as he does so. To no
surprise, the clothing that remains is covered in dust, more
sprawled across the floor than on the actual racks. What pleases
Canna most is a modest selection of backpacks which remain, meaning
she would no longer have to rely on just whatever she could fit
into her small sling bag. Picking up one of the bags, Canna also
scours through the clothing for anything that could fit, or ran
slightly bigger, or would be able to keep her warm and dry if the
weather took a turn for the worst. She manages to secure a couple
of items, nothing fancy, stuffing them into the bag.
"Alright Faolán, let's have a quick search for food, and then we
can head out."
The dog barks and the sudden sound causes Canna to flinch and
freeze in place, listening out for anyone who may have heard the
two. Once sure that no one was coming, she indicates for Faolán to
follow her out. Despite having been a stray, the canine was
surprisingly obedient, which had the girl assume that he, too, had
had a family at some point. But where they were, Canna was unable
to answer. He'd found her one evening about a year ago, shared her
food, and has since stayed by her side.
Canna enters a second store. Like every other, it looked as if it
had already been ransacked. The counters that contained 'food' was
actually the rotting fresh produce, now swarming with flies. Canna
could have gagged from the smell alone and hurried along to where
the processed goods would be. Dehydrated meats, canned fish, tinned
fruit...
Artemis' ears twitched at the sound of a dog barking. She tensed at
repeated the same question to the stranger, anger creeping into her
words. "Who are you?"
Kaylan jumped at the sound of a dog's bark, and went to
investigate, hoping to find an ally. Half of him tells him that
this is a bad idea, and the other urges him on. Kaylan shook his
head, now wasn't the time for his mind to struggle. He carried on
walking quickly to the mall, a backpack slung on one shoulder, and
a quiver on the other.
He clenched a well-made makeshift bow in his scarred left hand.
After a few minutes of fast-walking, he arrived at the
partially-destroyed Mall, and saw evidence that someone had been
here. Small, little symbols were inscribed in the stone walls, they
were in Greek, much to his astonishment. Who wrote them?
He climbed up the broken escalator, searching for someone, anyone.
Kaylan's eyes fell to the ground in sorrow. He didn't see anything.
Then, a small and stupid idea popped into his head. Kaylan took a
deep breath and asked, "Is anyone here?"
Zelda ran away from the fight scarred tripping over an old rusty
sign that was positioned on the floor letting out a scream in pain
but she ought to carry on. She strode through the broken buildings
along the cracked road until she came across an abandoned school
bus and hid in it whispering under her breath "I hope they didn't
hear me.".
Canna had moved on to the pharmacy area of the store, which was, as
expected, even emptier than the rest of the store. She eyed the
on-site dispensary area. If she was going to find anything that had
been left behind, it'd probably be in there, right? Signalling for
Faolán to sit, Canna hops over the counter with ease, slipping into
the back room.
Documents, glass, trampled medicine boxes, and other medical
instruments that she was unsure of their uses, had been scattered
across the floor making it difficult for her to navigate the
already cramped room. She picks up a small bottle of Codine pills,
a box of Amoxicillin capsules, and various wound dressings. To
conclude, it was a pitiful haul. But, it was something, at
least.
"Is anyone here?"
Faolán swiftly picks up his head at the sound of the voice, looking
back towards the entrance of the store in doing so. His greying
muzzle pulls back as he lets out a low growl. Canna, alerted by the
animal's sudden change in demeanour, hurries back out, her eyes
following that of the dog's. Was someone else here?
She clears her throat, yelling, "Who's there? What do you want? I'd
stay back if you don't wish to be bitten!"
Erin was looking elsewhere when Artemis approached him, so he was
unable to see that she had arrived before he had a blade pinned
under his chin. The question bounced around the gas station while
Erin was trying to adjust to another voice again. He held his hands
up to show he wasn't a threat and thought for a bit before
answering. "Just another survivor, roaming around and trying to
stay alive." He said calmly. The katana striked no fear into him,
he wasn't even concerned about it. He found it odd to be in this
situation, since he figured that the more survivors there were the
better. He never dismissed the thought of trying to kill each
other, but it wasn't really his first thought in increasing the
chance of survival in an apocalypse. "Well, I could ask the same
thing."
"The phrase “it’s just a
game” is such a weak mindset. You are ok with what
happened, losing, imperfection of a craft. When you
stop getting angry after losing, you’ve lost twice.
There’s always something to learn, and always room
for improvement, never settle."
-Sun Tsu, The Art of Gaming
Kaylan was taken aback. "I'm sorry, jeez. I just heard a dog bark
and wondered who was here. I'll leave shortly then, I won't come
near you. I just need to pick up supplies..." So he did, scrounging
around and finding some food her, some bottles there.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a bit tense, regarding the current situations.
My name's Artemis, Artemis Mizayaki. What's yours?" she asked,
whilst sorting the supplies in her rucksack. She also debated
whether or not to invite him on her journeys, as she needed the
company. She frowned, "Are there more people out there? You're the
first one I've seen..." Artemis asked.
Erin lowered his hands and strugged, staying silent while Artemis
talked. "Erin Deril, nice to meet you Artemis." He moved his hands
to his pockets and looked around the store. "You're the first one
I've seen that isn't dead." he let out a sigh and returned his gaze
to the girl iin front of him. "Anyways, go ahead and grab whatever
you want, I left most of it untouched." He mumbled, unsure of what
to do next. Walking out is an option, but it would be rude, so
he'll just have to wait. Suddenly, the thought of teaming up with
her came up, a thought in which he quickly discarded. He couldn't
trust himself to stick with anyone else.
"The phrase “it’s just a
game” is such a weak mindset. You are ok with what
happened, losing, imperfection of a craft. When you
stop getting angry after losing, you’ve lost twice.
There’s always something to learn, and always room
for improvement, never settle."
-Sun Tsu, The Art of Gaming