After Waylon and Eddies relationship was solidified it was a bumpy road dealing with guards. Constantly arguing with Waylon about Eddie being his guard AND being his partner. Guards being highly concerned about Eddies possible negative behavior, and with good reason based on Eddies past. However, Waylon wasint about to back down on his decision, and like hell Eddie wasint gonna get a say between all the guards. Once Eddie got into the mix the heated argument quickly backed down.
Waylon and Eddie had moved into one room after the bumps were gone. The now multiple layers of shared blankets and pillows in one bed keeping both comfortably warm. Waylon had moved his working desk into Eddies room along with the file cabinet he kept to hold the records of supplys they had on a daily basis.
Spring had been kicking into high gear with the now consistent heavy rain storms and mass flooding. Hunting party's had been compromised greatly by the weather. Some days they had to cancel all together from the flooding making too huge a moat.
Even worse was it was the main hunting season for cannibals. Besides humans, they ate animals when they could. A lot of animals drowned during the springs rain season and multiple packs of cannibals could be seen feasting on dead animals that washed up. Unlike Waylons group, they didint care for there clan members. If one got seriously hurt or drowned, it was over for them as the member meant easy prey to other starving cannibals.
Waylon, Eddie and other hunters were suiting up early this morning. The storms usually hit hard starting in the afternoons. Waylon hoped that if they got up early enough they could hunt down some food before the storm came.
"sure we should do this?" Eddie asked, checking his hunting bag.
"we've already skipped 2 days of hunting, we cannot afford any more." Waylon said, sharpening his spear with a knife stone.
"where should we start hunting?" a hunter asked.
"the upper eastern fields. Deer are probably up there to avoid the flooding. Its also safer for us that way too since we dont have to pass the river." Waylon answered, checking his bag.
"remember, if we get stranded from each other. Head for the road tunnel." Waylon said, before they headed out.
Out side the sky was a light grey with absolutely no sun out in sight. The rain was already lightly pouring down from the sky having Waylon prey that they wouldn't have lightning this early in the day.
They followed the steep cliff edge, avoiding the now large raging river below. At the fields they spotted a heard of deer. Finding that there clan was in luck. All the mother deer had finally given birth, which meant easy hunting. Still, Waylons clan had made the mistake of killing too many young dear, almost wiping out entire herds. The most young they were allowed to kill was 5.
"okay, we're gonna set up a spiked ditch to catch some adults and grab what ever young are abandoned." Waylon spoke to the group of hunters. Having them split up to dig a large ditch or gather coverings for the hole.
Being used to digging traps like this, it didint take long for the group to finish it. They split again into two groups and carefully approached the heard. One group to scare the heard toward the large covered pit and the other to grab any young that got separated. Just when the main group was ready to charge the herd, all the deers heads suddenly shot up to look for something.
The teams froze in confusion. The deer had spotted something, but it wasint them. The deer stayed still, staring off as something for a moment. Then the bolted off into a stamped toward the hunters. The group had no choice but to run back and slit up to hide behind trees. Once the group was out of the stampedes way Waylon was able to see what had startled the deer.
A huge grizzly bear was ripping the meat off a young deer it had managed to catch. Unfortunately the bear seemed unsatisfied from the small meal. It licked its mouth of the fresh blood before sniffing after the heard and right toward the hunting group that was hiding.
"fuck!" Waylon thought. Entirely forgetting that besides cannibals and storms, bears were waking up from hibernation. Waylon thought quickly on what to do. The trap was no good as deer were lying dead in a pile at the bottom. His group was no match against a adult grizzly. So he had only one other choice, slowly reaching down for a large rock.
He got out from behind the tree and threw the rock square into the bears face. The bear roared angrily with a wide mouth, showing its bloody teeth to Waylon. Waylon didint hesitate to run as the bear charged after him. Eddie hid there furious that Waylon didint consult to him about his plan. Despite other hunters telling him not to, Eddie followed in the pursuit.
Waylon ran down the steep hill, knowing bears weren't the best at maneuvering that way. He managed to get by quickly climbing up a crumbling cliff edge to the top. It was much too weak to support the bear, and much to high for it to reach Waylon unless it went around to the lower area. The bear let out and annoyed roar and a huff of air before wandering off.
Waylon panted as he watched the bear leave. He couldn't go back the way he came with the bear lurking around. He didint mind that however, at least the bear was away from his team and he was pretty close to the asylum. He turned away from the cliff edge and began heading back home. Stopping not very far from the cliff when he heard a noise near by. He turned with his spear raised, expecting a bear, but seeing something worse.
He was met with a wide, shredded, smile from joker. Fresh blood filled drool poured out of the shredded holes in jokers cheeks. His whole chest being coated and smeared with the disgusting mixture. Just the sight of his smile made Waylon sick enough. Waylon jumped when he saw more and more cannibal clan members come out from between the trees, surrounding Waylon with a look of hunger.
Waylon began to panic inside as the space around him was closing very quickly. They all pounced at him with Waylon managing to keep them at bay with a stab or hit from his spear. One managed to sink his teeth into Waylons arm before he was hit by Waylons spear and yanked away by joker.
"i get the first bite you idiots!" Waylon snapped at his hunting pack. The attention on Waylon was pulled away when joker started fighting and killing some of his own team. Waylon saw his chance and escaped the group, fleeing into the woods. Joker noticed Waylon fleeing and dropped his recently killed team mate to hunt after Waylon.
Waylon fled through the woods like he was hunted by a pack of wolves. Stopping when he reached the shallow and calmer area of the large river. He had to make it back to the courtyard gate and get inside to the guards. He took a deep breath before leaping into the river, swimming across as fast as he could. He looked back as he climbed the opposite side of the river, seeing jokers clan pacing at the river edge.
Waylon watched them with a mixed feeling of confusion and curiosity. They obviously wanted to follow Waylon, so why wernt they? The quick pacing on the river side turned into another large fight. Blood along with large amounts of drool flying all over the place. The cannibals attacking each other had it broken up when some of them fell into the water. The clan members were suddenly terrified as water splashed on them. They all panicked and fled into the woods from Waylons sight.
Waylon stood there, frozen, after his realization. They were all sick, with a lethal disease.
"rabies." Waylon thought, looking down at the bite on his arm. The bite meant he was probably diseased as well.
"it was only a matter of time." Waylon thought. He wasint surprised that disease had reached him. Especially with it spread from the cannibal clan. They were always attacking wild animals and eating them raw. Who knows how many infected raccoon, possums, or even foxes they had eaten.
Now, Waylon had to get back in the asylum and tell everyone the bad news. Waylon only had a week before it was too late for a cure and the symptoms started taking over. Like it really mattered, Rabies was deadly and they had no access to the rabies shots that were the only cure. By the time they possibly made it past the wall or over the mountains, weeks would pass before they made it fully to a town.
He made it inside and called a meeting in the main hall. A sign to everyone that something serious was to be announced. Waylon stood up in front of his clan, swallowing back some tears. He told them about how the cannibal clan was heavily infected with rabies. The "doctors" who were once veterinarians immediately knew what that meant. They had to explain further to those who didint know what it was.
Rabies was an aggressive disease transferred through spit or scratches by an infected animal. Symptoms being uncontrollable aggression, excessive drooling, trouble in swallowing, fear of water, loss of mobility and finally, death. It was only curable by repeatedly getting rabies shots for 6 weeks after infection.
After everything was explained by the "doctors" he gave the bad news. That he was bitten by one and was most likely infected. Showing his bloody wrapped arm where he was bitten. Panic filled the room on what was going to happen. Questions going back and forth on what they could possibly do to cure Waylon. What should happen if Waylon died. Who would take over after him.
Waylon shushed the room, having it go quiet. He continued to say that he would make plans for what would happen after his death and would announce tomorrow who would take over in his place. Waylon closed the meeting after that statement, meeting up with the doctors to be tested. There was no doubt in his mind that he was infected, but he still hoped he was wrong.
The doctors took some blood from the bite, carefully examining it. Unfortunately it was confirmed that Waylon was infected. The doctors began talking with Waylon on how they could treat it or somehow make a cure from scratch on what little supplys they had. Waylon told them not to waste supplys on experimenting for a cure. Even if they could make it, they had to make 5 more large shots worth. A rabies shot wasint a normal sized syringe.
Waylon left after the meeting with the doctors. Returning to his room to write things down that needed to be handled. The first thing Waylon wrote down was that they needed to strengthen the walls toward the cannibals by warning the battlers. God help them if they recently fought some infected cannibals. If the battlers clan was infected they would all have a epidemic on there hands.
He wrote letters and sent them with a messenger to the battlers and then to the other clans. He got a written letter back from the battlers saying that some of them were infected, but they wasted no time in putting infected out of there misery. The Walrider clan gave a written letter saying that it was a plague sent onto Waylons clan by the Walrider and that the walrider clan would prosper and be safe from the disease as long as they were faithful.
After that note Waylon added that they needed a stronger blockade on there side too. He wrote down the various tasks that needed to be done during the day. How much food they needed before certain seasons. How the rationing should work during the harsh fall and winter seasons. Then came the time to consider who should become the next leader. Waylon choose the announcement for tomorrow because he feared it'd be harder to do if he waited.
Waylon was startled by Eddie bursting into the room, having Waylons pen jump off the page with a long line of ink following it. The other hunters had returned with there kill after first trying to find Waylon. With no luck they returned and were immediately greeted by the mass talk of the diseased cannibals and Waylons infection of lethal rabies. Eddie bolted to there room after hearing the news.
"is it true?!" Eddie questioned Waylon. Finding out himself as he saw Waylon writing what is basically his death will.
"yeah." Waylon nodded.
"so can the doctors do anything? Did you talk with them?!" Eddie questioned, sounding desperate to get help for Waylon somehow.
"there's nothing they can do. We need a rabies shot and we don't nearly have the supplys or equipment to make the shots needed." Waylon spoke sadly.
"could antibiotics work?" Eddie asked, sitting next to him.
"no, it'd just be a waste." Waylon said.
"so, what will we be doing?" Eddie asked.
" I will quarantine myself in the room permanently. I cant go on hunts anymore and I rather avoid contact to avoid spreading it as much as possible. Then after about a week- … ill - … ill have to leave." Waylon said, having a bit of difficulty in saying it.
"leave?!" Eddie exclaimed.
"or- … to keep the disease from spreading further. i- … go to the wall and end it fast." Waylon said.
"what?!" Eddie exclaimed in shock.
"you cant leave, you cant go to the wall!" Eddie yelled.
"there's nothing else we can do! i am dying and nothing can change that!" Waylon yelled back. Silence filled the room soon after.
"so, what are we going to do?" Eddie repeated his earlier question.
"... i am writing instructions for the new leader. Who i am going to announce tomorrow morning." Waylon said.
"so ill be there guard?" Eddie asked.
" yes." Waylon said.
Eddie stayed sitting next to him through the night. It took Waylon the entire time to write down all the things he learned from years of experience. He had a thick stack of papers large enough to rival a dictionary.
"you should get some sleep." Eddie said.
"it wouldn't matter. Its time to go announce the new leader." Waylon said, looking at the clock on the wall that said 7:53AM.
Waylon left the huge stack of papers on his desk. Taking his spear with him as he left for the meeting hall. Followed closely by a saddened Eddie.
Everyone was finishing the last of there breakfast when Waylon came. Everyone rushed with the last few bites to meet in the meeting hall for the announcement. Once everyone was there, Waylon took a few deep breaths.
"i finished writing the instructions for the new leader to review after the announcement. I hope that everyone agrees with my decision and that there is no backlash from those I didint choose to replace me." Waylon started.
"so, with that. My replacement will be … Eddie." Waylon announced. Immediately met with backlash from half the guards.
"hes an aggressive, he cant lead!"
"he was only to be used in defense purposes!"
"he hasint even been here that long!"
all the guards argued to Waylon. Waylon stood quietly in front of the crowed till the arguers went quiet.
"well then, if you don't like him being the new leader and don't trust my advice. Then you can just challenge him for the position for yourselfs." Waylon stated neutrally. Even when Waylon was leader, it was tradition to face challengers for the position. It was no different after Eddie took over.
There was only one he thought of that would be fit. It had to be Eddie. He followed Waylon the most on his routes and knew best on what to do in situations. Despite his past aggression he had calmed down since then. He was powerful enough to handle any challengers. Calm and smart enough to handle an emergency situation. And above all others was healthy enough to work and survive.
Waylon held out his long time spear for Eddie. When Eddie grabbed it, it showed the passing of leadership along with it. Everyone stayed silent during the pass. Waylon knew no one would challenge Eddie. He was too strong and no body was cruel enough to take Eddies leadership away since his partner, his old leader who appointed him, was now dying.
Eddies first task as new leader was to dismiss the meeting. Following Waylon back to the room to read over the tasks Waylon had written down. The two paused when the heard a rumbling noise.
"is that thunder?" Eddie asked.
"no, its helicopters." Waylon said, recognizing the distinct noise quickly approaching.
please leave a comment. =]
since i want to keep this a short story. the next chapter will be the LAST chapter. :3
whos coming? is it murkoff?
Sicknugget
aaand now there torn apart by nature. :D
shortfangirl
too bad he accepted him a bit too late.
cadillacslim3
yeeeaaah, right. never messed with at allll. 8D