The ranger turned his optics off. Even after spending many years with the helmet, he still couldn't get used to them. There were nothing within 300 meters around them, so he decided to take some moment to rest, turned his eyes toward Agate. The girl was sound asleep, her chest softly rose and fall as she breathe. The Pip-boy showed that she had recovered most of the injuries, which was good. But he hadn't seen anyone healed with this speed. Her tail(?) covered her abdomen, looked like it also gave her some warmth. He felt a little guilty since he could only find a thin blanket for her.
The moonlight was bright. It made him remember the days when he was still wandering on the wasteland. He took out a journal, something he kept with him since the day he left the Mojave, and an old pen.
Journal Entry #17:
Monday: Decided to scout the south part of the city. Wasn't as big as I thought it would be. Located and marked some areas for supplies. Many houses had some kind of bunker under them, storages was plenty, like the rest of the city. Looked like they were preparing for the Great War. No corpses or skeleton. As if this city were abandoned for a long time. The only damages I could find was from the animals.
Tuesday: Found another weapon shop. Found more of that weird color powder again. What are they anyway? More ammunition and spare parts. Fixed my sniper rifle. Isaac told me that I can make gunpowder on my own with correct ingredients, but all I could find was those powders. Aren't they supposed to have spare gunpowder and cases in their shop? Found a safe place to make a small supplies storage.
Wednesday: Found a group of locals. Dressed in white and wore masks, carried various types of weapons around. I think I should keep distance and observe them first. Stumbled upon a rad scorpion nest this noon. They were much different from those in Nevada and Arizona, from size to appearance. Bigger than the California breed and more hostile than Mojave's local, with bone-like carapace and luminescence stinger. The poison was also much more potent. Spent the entire afternoon just to cure it. No doubt it could cause some minor migraines and hallucination later on.
Thursday: I was strolling through the pre-war city when I witnessed a commotion on the street. It was that white tribe. Three of them were beating a girl, presumably was one of them. She was wounded in several area, but not life-threatening. Saved her and chased the tribal out of the area. She was a small girl with hair similar to Coyote's fur and a tail-like accessory. Provided her some first aid, but she need better treatment so I carried her to some where safer.
Friday: Made a makeshift camp in the new supplies storage. Good spot, clear view and hard to be ambushed. Brought her to a higher level so that the animals couldn't reach us. Started to do some advanced treatment. The bruise and minor wound was already healed. The rib and the shoulder however, the Pip-boy showed that their condition wasn't good. I used my last dose of hydra to stable them. Don't have good medical equipment with me yet, so this was the best I could do. Maybe I can find some in the hospital, should be a few stimm-pack or med-x there, or at least the essential medical equipment.
Saturday: The girl awoke. Her body only need a few more days to heal. Gave her my Pip-boy. Didn't seem have any mental trauma, but this require expert medical training to identify. Told me her name, Agate Lace. Said she was with that tribe, the White Fang. Said that there is a big city nearby, called Vale. She was running from the White Fang, but was caught. They seemed to be some kind of raider tribe or at least a nomad tribe. A lot of them had animal accessories on them, kind of similar to how the Hangdogs wore dog-like accessories, maybe their culture had something similar. The girl referred herself as a Coyote Faunus. Coyote seemed to be her 'animal designation'. Faunus can either be a rank or how they refer to people within their tribe. Not sure which one, I may ask her when I have a chance. Julie was right when she said that I shouldn't spend too much time with Ezekiel. I can't stop thinking about that tribe.
Maybe I should go with her to this Vale. I want to find a place to settle down. The small farm I found is nice, but from her description, this neighborhood is far from peaceful. The White Fangs doesn't look like a cheerful bunch.
He could see the moon slowly went down. It had been a long time since he saw the moon this clear. The bright disk on the sky shone down, gave him enough light to read and write. He put his helmet down and breathe some fresh air. The air was much better than the dry wind of the waste. It was like the air in Zion, but somehow even better. He took some tobacco leaves out of the pocket under his coat and put them in his mouth. He slowly chewed the tobacco, felt the herb's spicy and mildly sweet taste on his tongue. It was a habit passed down from his grandfather, he said that it helped him focus and stay awake.
His eyes checked the girl again. There more he looked, the more 'real' that tail was. He swore that he saw it moved, slightly. It rubbed her body, or was it a swept? When he was cleaning her wounds, the tail even shivered, as if it was one of her limbs. He believed that it was the poison from one of those radscorpion messed with his perception. He stayed awake the whole night since he had already rested in the noon. Soldier life changed his circadian rhythm to the point he doubt that it could be normal again. The Followers told him to think more about his health, but he didn't have the chance to listen. Maybe he should, when he truly retired.
Agate awoke early. She turned her gaze to the windows and saw the sun rising. Next to the window was the man. He sat next to it, gun still in hand.
'Is he sleeping?' She tried to stand up. Most of the pain had gone, but her chest still hurt. According to him, she had a broken rib after all. She hug her chest and moved toward him.
He was a human, or at least smelled like one. He sat still, as if he was in a deep sleep. His left hand held the gun while his right hand was put on the safety, as if he could rise up at any moment and shoot someone with it.
"You shouldn't walk, you haven't fully healed yet."
She was surprised when his voice suddenly came out. He stood up, slung the rifle behind his back.
"I can walk now, no need to worry." She rubbed her wound. "Thank you…" When was the last time she said 'thank' to a human?
"No need to. You should stay here one more day, make sure that you are good enough to go…"
"No, thank you for everything, but I think I should come back to the city now."
"What about the White Fangs? Aren't they after you?"
"They won't search for me, at least not now. They have a job elsewhere. I can return and find a different spot."
"Then why don't you just stay here?"
She shook her head.
"I need to get to somewhere near the center of the city. Beacon often send their huntsmen here once in a while. This place is near the border of the city, isn't it?"
She looked at the man again, and bowed.
"Thank you for saving me, but I think we should part way now. I can't repay you for your help, I hope you can forgive me. And, here, I don't think I should keep this." She touched the Pip-boy and tried to unstrap it. But he stopped her.
"Don't. It help you more than it does to me. Also, if you need to get back there and wait, I can escort you."
"But I will only bring troubles to you…"
"Better than digging another grave. Stay here until you are healed, then we can go."
His voice wasn't threatening, but it had authority and care. He said it once, he wouldn't say it again. She was like a small child against a doctor. And so, she sat down, eyes hadn't leave the man. The ranger returned to the campfire and lit it up.
"So… what is your story? Why would a… 'desert' ranger wandering around a place like Glenn?"
He looked up, but only for half of a moment before he returned to the pot.
"Long story. But generally, I decided to go around, see the world, things like that."
"How old are you?" She hugged her leg, the tail covered her toes
"30, give or take a few years."
"You don't sound that young."
He chuckled.
"This is what war make you. You come in a young enthusiastic lad, come out a tired men."
"War?" 'What war is he talking about?' She remembered that the only war she had ever heard of was the Great War. Unless the Faunus Revolution counted as a war.
"The Mojave Campaign, haven't heard of it?"
She shook her head, the tail wiggled slightly.
"Thought so, that place is far from here after all. The Mojave is the name of a great desert, far west of here."
"So you are a Vacuan?"
"Vacuan?"
"The great desert west of Vale, it's part of Vacuo, right?"
"Is that how you call the area?"
"Yes, the kingdom of Vacuo, the land of deserts, aren't you from there?"
He took a moment to process the information, the nodded.
"Yes, I think so. Though from our place, we called it with different names."
"Such as?" Agate leaned forward with curiosity.
"Nevada, it is where the Mojave is. Arizona, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico all of them forms the southwestern wasteland, part of the West Coast. That, I think, is the Vacuo you are talking about."
Agate wasn't a geologist, but she knew that there weren't any place in Vacuo named that way. The man seemed sane, and he said that it was how 'they' called it. Maybe some sort of local tongue? Or maybe he was talking about the wild land outside of the kingdom? That seemed more likely.
"There were a group called Kaisar's Legion, they tried to conquer the Mojave." The water boiled. He poured some into a canteen, the rest was used to sanitize medical equipment.
"A rebellion?"
"No, an invasion. The Desert Rangers was the first proper line of defense."
"And you were one of them?"
He nodded.
"We fought back, but wasn't enough. The Legion was strong and numerous. At the time, we thought that it was the end."
"So what happened next?"
"A lot… I think this should be enough. Let me change your bandages."
He put on a pair of clean gloves and brought bandages out with some medicine and other equipment.
Agate was flustered as the man undress her. But she soon remembered that he must had done it before since he was the one cured her wounds.
"So… what exactly happened in that war? And why I don't see anyone talked about it?"
"The Desert Ranger later found a new ally, and they pushed the Legion out of the Mojave after a decisive victory. And like I said, it happened far from here."
He sounded… uncomfortable. Agate couldn't put it to words, but clearly, the ranger didn't like talking about that subject.
"But why Glenn out of all places? You can go to Vale or somewhere else safe."
"This is the first city I found. It was good enough, so I decided to stay, at least for a while."
"How about Vale? I think you can get there. Beacon should be here soon."
"Depends. I don't have good experience with big city."
He changed her bandages and helped her wear her clothes, then moved back to his seat near the windows.
"I have some food in the bag, you can eat them if you want. But stay here, I am going to get down there and gather some supplies."