Chapter Two
Crossing the broken asphalt at full speed, the group of four took flight with a barrage of asphalt chunks and crossbow bolts, from them, to the Afflicted. Sounds of battle from behind the company made them slow, unwilling to leave their team behind. However, a large, relentless group of zombies hastened their flight.
Down a steep hill that also slowed the companions, they fled, taking a short refuge in an alley that joined two streets. They were soon smoked out by the Afflicted. Dory had ceased her firing and, instead, took up any miscellaneous object in her immediate area and threw that.
A beer bottle shattered amidst the Afflicted, felling a couple in a splash of glass shrapnel, hurled by Dory. Faladon took a valuable second to shove an aluminum trashcan, with his foot, towards the zombies. It stalled their advance for a little, but wasted time, as they continued soon once again.
Faladon, now second, behind Sarah now, felt a cold hand reach out from an open doorway to grasp his robes. He was tugged through the threshold and into the bare front room. Sarah and the others chased Fal into the house, ready to defend him.
However, a steel door slammed shut, sending Sarah back into the joining alleyway. The company helped Sarah up before reluctantly fleeing back towards the adjacent street. Sarah looked back at where her lover had disappeared, but, now, the Afflicted pounded away at the door.
Sarah turned. "We need to go back. We need to get Faladon," she said to the others. "No," said Jack in the southern accent he adopted when emotionally stressed. "He is gone, but if we go back, his disappearance will be in vain," Jack said, grabbing Sarah's arm and tugging her into the street. Sarah struggled and tore free of Jack's surprisingly powerful grasp. She sprinted towards the crowd of Afflicted, tearing through their ranks with a fury as yet unheard by mortals. Thus, she reached the door, but found it useless to try, as it was stalwartly locked. Just then, she was grabbed from behind.
Sarah cried out as she felt sharp fangs dig into the tough flesh of her shoulder. Sarah thrashed about, crashing her shield and slicing her shield into all Afflicted around her. Many fell in her plight, but more filled their places.
Before she blacked out from fear and pain, she heard a shutter open behind her and a cold hand bring her in. A faint sound of exasperated voices and then: nothing.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Will she be alright, sir?" asked Faladon concernedly to some unknown person. Sarah's eyes softly fluttered open. She was lying on some hard mattress on the steel floor of some bunker, it seemed. A soldier stared down at her, dressed in full fatigue. Faladon lay his pretty emerald green eyes.
"I don't know, she doesn't seem too affected by the disease, but it hasn't been too long, either," answered the soldier. Faladon let a sigh of relief and fell to his knees to embrace Sarah tightly. Sarah hugged him back, though she was careful not to be moved enough to kiss him, as she may infect him unintentionally, through exchange of bodily fluids. "I love you," she whispered meaningfully into Faladon's ear. Faladon's smile was unseen by Sarah.
Faladon stood, still looking down upon Sarah protectively. "She'll last until the day after tomorrow, at dawn's awakening," said he. "How do you know this?" asked the guard. "It's a long story. Here, let's sit," offered Faladon, pulling two chairs from a corner of the hospital-like room.
"Well. you see," Faladon began slowly, considering every word.
Crossing the broken asphalt at full speed, the group of four took flight with a barrage of asphalt chunks and crossbow bolts, from them, to the Afflicted. Sounds of battle from behind the company made them slow, unwilling to leave their team behind. However, a large, relentless group of zombies hastened their flight.
Down a steep hill that also slowed the companions, they fled, taking a short refuge in an alley that joined two streets. They were soon smoked out by the Afflicted. Dory had ceased her firing and, instead, took up any miscellaneous object in her immediate area and threw that.
A beer bottle shattered amidst the Afflicted, felling a couple in a splash of glass shrapnel, hurled by Dory. Faladon took a valuable second to shove an aluminum trashcan, with his foot, towards the zombies. It stalled their advance for a little, but wasted time, as they continued soon once again.
Faladon, now second, behind Sarah now, felt a cold hand reach out from an open doorway to grasp his robes. He was tugged through the threshold and into the bare front room. Sarah and the others chased Fal into the house, ready to defend him.
However, a steel door slammed shut, sending Sarah back into the joining alleyway. The company helped Sarah up before reluctantly fleeing back towards the adjacent street. Sarah looked back at where her lover had disappeared, but, now, the Afflicted pounded away at the door.
Sarah turned. "We need to go back. We need to get Faladon," she said to the others. "No," said Jack in the southern accent he adopted when emotionally stressed. "He is gone, but if we go back, his disappearance will be in vain," Jack said, grabbing Sarah's arm and tugging her into the street. Sarah struggled and tore free of Jack's surprisingly powerful grasp. She sprinted towards the crowd of Afflicted, tearing through their ranks with a fury as yet unheard by mortals. Thus, she reached the door, but found it useless to try, as it was stalwartly locked. Just then, she was grabbed from behind.
Sarah cried out as she felt sharp fangs dig into the tough flesh of her shoulder. Sarah thrashed about, crashing her shield and slicing her shield into all Afflicted around her. Many fell in her plight, but more filled their places.
Before she blacked out from fear and pain, she heard a shutter open behind her and a cold hand bring her in. A faint sound of exasperated voices and then: nothing.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Will she be alright, sir?" asked Faladon concernedly to some unknown person. Sarah's eyes softly fluttered open. She was lying on some hard mattress on the steel floor of some bunker, it seemed. A soldier stared down at her, dressed in full fatigue. Faladon lay his pretty emerald green eyes.
"I don't know, she doesn't seem too affected by the disease, but it hasn't been too long, either," answered the soldier. Faladon let a sigh of relief and fell to his knees to embrace Sarah tightly. Sarah hugged him back, though she was careful not to be moved enough to kiss him, as she may infect him unintentionally, through exchange of bodily fluids. "I love you," she whispered meaningfully into Faladon's ear. Faladon's smile was unseen by Sarah.
Faladon stood, still looking down upon Sarah protectively. "She'll last until the day after tomorrow, at dawn's awakening," said he. "How do you know this?" asked the guard. "It's a long story. Here, let's sit," offered Faladon, pulling two chairs from a corner of the hospital-like room.
"Well. you see," Faladon began slowly, considering every word.