"you there!"

I slowed my walking and turned to the voice

"are you skilled in that broad sword you carry? Am I not mistaked you are the woman that protected old man grayson from those arrogant gaurds?"the man said as he became visible from the tree line.

"What of it? "I said resting my hand on the handle of said sword threatening him to challenge me

"Oh I meant no harm! Its just…my village would lie to hire your services"

"Services? "This was sounding very interesting

"My village has been plagued by the growing horde masses. The people have held them off for weeks now but we cannot hold them off much longer "he said, though now that I looked at him you could see the dried black substance that only came from necromantic.

I pulled my sword from its hold and to a stance at him checking all the signs to see is he was infected.

"Don't worry I haven't been bitten, I give you my word. "He said taking a step closer and placing his had on my sword to pushing it down gently

"Can you meet my payment?'

"What would you wish as payment?"

"A pound of wheet, a pair of leather boots, and a bag of rice"I would of asked for more but my the looks of the man standing before me his village couldn't of been in much better shape.

"I'm sure we could scrounge that all together, when can you start?"

"Take me there now and tonight at last light I will do my task "I said placing my sword in place and pulling my hare back into a bun to keep me focused

The journey took us through a patch of wood swam land that was littered with abandoned cars with necromantic hanging from the windows, all of them frozen or decapitated.

A sobering moan rang out from one of the cars; the moan of a necromantic could be death to you. Necromantic moans could lead others to you, others meant a horde, and not much hope could be had for two people against a whole hoard.

I pulled my sword immediately watching as the necromantic was silenced my jackhammer wielder by the man infant of me.

"We need to move. Fast" I say and vult onto a top of a car to survey the area

"Yes we do, the village is a mile through there "he said pointing to the right of him were another nec stood "shit!" he said jumping back like he was zaped

"Bugger scared you did he?" I said laughing and with one swift movement stepped in front of the man and cleared the head off the nec splattering black sludge onto the mans already dirtied pants.

"We best get out of this area, its slowly becoming a horde zone. "I saw a take of sprinting into the tree line were he had said his village was.

Before the fall I was a science teacher at a high school in the northwest of the us, I had thought so highly of myself because I had been teaching for twelve years and rode my Harley to school every day. I had descent pay and a nice apartment. None of that mattered when society fell after the necromantic plague fell. The world went into panic, that panic caused the re animation and death of 70 % of humanity.

"Miss?" the man held my shoulder

"You best not touch me if you value your limbs" I said my hand snapping to push his of me

"I just wanted to know how I should address you miss" he explained and started walking forward again at a brisk pace

"Mina"

"Just that?"

"Yes"

"My name is Alexei… not that you asked." he said timidly his hand resting on the head of his hammer in nervousness

We walked in silence the rest of the way to his village before we saw another nec, but by that point we had found the horde. It spanned in ever direction for miles. Just the sight would of made any normal man fall to the ground in terror. Wordlessly I walked fast paced towards the horde, puled out my sword and when I met the hoard I slashed side to side and over my head mercilessly. Alexei pulled out his hammer and hit away the strays I had left behind. In few feet that the village was left took what seemed like hours with all the necromantic swarming us. When we reached the barricade the villagers must of set up I vaulted over with the blade of my sword and landed in a fighting stance with Alexei landing clumsily behind me. Instantly sharp random objects you'd find around your house were brought to my neck, hoping not to startle them too much I disarmed each of them and sat peacefully to the ground.

"You are very strange woman" Alexei said and rushed forward to calm his neihbors.

"Who is this woman?!" a angered cry came from one of the crowd I disarmed

"I am the one you has been hired to eradicate that little gift," I said pointing over the barrier

"Very strange woman" Alexei said" we need help and you know it Viktor, she doesn't have a high price and did you see how she cut through the horde without a scratch? I mean look at her! Didn't even break a sweat!" he said gesturing madly at my sitting calm form

"Fine" the man who was addressed as Viktor said "but only if you promise not to make things worse than they already are and that you need to gather her payment yourself" he said and picked up what looked like a baseball bat with nails in it up off the ground.

Alexei motioned for me to get up and to follow him as he walked toward a clock tower I could see rising over the other small buildings. I got up gracefully and picked up my huge sword wiping the black sludge off on a sand bag near by. Alexei walked strait to a building that lay at the foot of the clock tower and knocked randomly before hearing a series of clicks and pushing the door open. From the looks of the inside of the room is was a rations room along with many breeds of dogs in cages

"What's with the different dogs?" I asked

"We were doing study's to see if dogs could be immune to the virus," he said leaning down to pet a lone beagle

"Any success?" I asked catching my eye on an Irish wolfhound lying alone on a counter

"Only Bruce over there was immune but not one of our scientists and researchers could get the strand to transfer to human cells, Bruce had a girly friend who was immune as well but the idiots in town though they could make the necs go away if she bit each of them… the necs ripped her apart in seconds, she was a great dog. Just had no idea what to do with the necs without orders" he was clearly still morning the dog as a tear fell form his face and he quickly pushed it away

"You know I could use a hunter to keep me on my toes" I said walking over to the beautiful wolfhound whose name as it said on the makeshift collar Bruce.

"Please yes take him, anything to get him away from these idiots" Alexei said and led me to get my payment

I placed everything into my bag and laced up the boots. Bruce had linked to me the second I had shown him affection. I sprinted out of the building and back to the barricade Bruce hot on my heals

" I cant wipe all of them out, that would be impossible but the second I get to the back of the horde I will cut down 300 deep spanning the mass and then have myself and Bruce make enough noise to bring at least half of what's left in our direction. I cannot help you farther than that "I said patting braces head and tying down the leather strap of my shoulder and arm armor

"That is more than we could of even asked for mina" Alexei said and then placed thick leather padding around Bruce's neck, back, and under belly "this is the least I can do to help him"

"Thank you" I said and with those last words jumped over the blockade and set my plan in motion.

Every stab and every swing had a purpose; each one landed dead in a necromantic head or disabled them from walking. I made it to the back of the horde and let loose on every NEC in sight. Bruce to my great please was barking and disorienting as many as he could so non were to focused to realize my blade coming in contact with their gray flesh.

Once my plan was set and finished I sprinted off into the trees without a look back, Bruce in tow.

The last stand on the little village in the middle of the woods saved 94 people from necromantic fait. I never lived to see any of these towns' people survive but to my last days Bruce and I remembered the lives we saved that day and the lives we ended that day. A cure was never found for the virus, but humanity made a stand and defeated the last of the hords with great loss to the resistant. Humanity to tis day is still feeling the affects of the fall.