He didn't want to go back. But he had to, for the security of the city.
Zoot had returned out of nowhere it seemed. He had just shown up and
attacked. Like a plague, he was coming down on the city. Chaos had started.
The Mall Rats and other tribes were doing their best to fight him off, but
he came with a stronger army of followers and the allies were losing. It
was decided they needed outside influence. The Protectors. So here he was,
Pride, back a month after he had told Faith, the leader of the Protectors,
not to ever come to the Mall again. They needed their help.
The Protectors seemed a little more different than Pride had remembered them. They were more friendly to him this time, they didn't look at him with scorn anymore. In honesty it kind of scared him, creeped him out really.
He stood now in front of Faith's hut, looking at it as a guard went in to announce his arrival. He found himself thinking what would she look like, any different than before? When the guard came out and said he could go in, Pride took a deep breath and walked in.
"Well, well, this is unusual. I wasn't expecting you back here," Faith said as he entered. She stood on a bamboo mat, with a rather long pole in her hand. She wore gray workout pants, and a tight green workout top, sweat glistened on her skin, she had obviously been working out.
Pride noticed this and quickly averted his eyes from her body to her face, "I've come about matters of the city," he said.
"Mmm, and why should I care about the concrete loving people there? I do expect that's why you're here, about your people?" she said resting the pole on the wall nearby and grabbing a towel, dabbing at her sweat.
"Zoot, has returned. He's causing destruction all over the city. Everything that we've built since he's been gone, he's destroying it all. Our society is collapsing," he said.
"I know all about Zoot and what he's been doing," she said rather coolly.
"How? I thought you cut yourselves off from the city?" he asked her.
"What? Do you think you're the only one who's propositioned us?" she said, "The almighty Zoot himself has come here, asking on very similar terms what you are"
"Zoot? Has come here?" Pride asked a little surprised that Zoot had ventured into the forests for alliances.
"Yes, he wants a strong front line, through all of the land," Faith said grinning as she draped the towel around her neck and stood there in front of him, her hands on her hips.
"So have you signed your soul to the Devil then by siding with him?" Pride asked dryly.
Faith threw her head back with a laugh, and then looked at Pride, "I haven't made my mind up. I said I'd think about it, he wasn't too happy about that, though he gave me a couple of days to think it over," she said to Pride.
"So what will you do now that I've come to ask?" Pride asked her.
"I'll think about it. Two very good offers are on the table, I can't just click my heels and decide right away," Faith said. She turned her back from him and looked out a nearby window, the sun was low in the sky, soon it would be gone from the sky for the night, she turned back to Pride, "Do you wish to stay the night? It is very late..." Pride was a little taken aback by the question, it almost seemed like it was out of nowhere. He too looked out the window and saw the same thing Faith had, "Well...I'm not sure..." he said not really sure if that would be a good idea.
"Not with me silly, though I wouldn't mind it at all," Faith said with a smile, "My bed is always open for you..." She could see the emotions play out on his face, "Though if you're precious Salene will get worried..."
"She wouldn't get worried, we split up months ago, after your little intrusion," Pride said seriously. He tossed and turned the idea of staying the night with the Protectors. It was a long way back to the mall, and though the night didn't scare him, the thought that when he got back to the city and Zoot and his army were all over didn't sit well with him. "Thank you, I'll stay the night," he said to her.
Faith smiled, "Perfect...shall I see if one of our guys' have a spare bunk, or....?" she said looking to her bed and then back to Pride.
"No, I'll share something with one of the guys thank you," he said.
"As you wish," Faith said grinning, "I'll go see what I can do, feel free to stay in here, or walk around the village, I'm sure dinner is started already." And with that she exited her hut, to go find Pride a bed.
Pride stood there for sometime. Was it really the threat of Zoot and his army that made him stay here tonight? Or was it something else? Or someone else?
The Protectors seemed a little more different than Pride had remembered them. They were more friendly to him this time, they didn't look at him with scorn anymore. In honesty it kind of scared him, creeped him out really.
He stood now in front of Faith's hut, looking at it as a guard went in to announce his arrival. He found himself thinking what would she look like, any different than before? When the guard came out and said he could go in, Pride took a deep breath and walked in.
"Well, well, this is unusual. I wasn't expecting you back here," Faith said as he entered. She stood on a bamboo mat, with a rather long pole in her hand. She wore gray workout pants, and a tight green workout top, sweat glistened on her skin, she had obviously been working out.
Pride noticed this and quickly averted his eyes from her body to her face, "I've come about matters of the city," he said.
"Mmm, and why should I care about the concrete loving people there? I do expect that's why you're here, about your people?" she said resting the pole on the wall nearby and grabbing a towel, dabbing at her sweat.
"Zoot, has returned. He's causing destruction all over the city. Everything that we've built since he's been gone, he's destroying it all. Our society is collapsing," he said.
"I know all about Zoot and what he's been doing," she said rather coolly.
"How? I thought you cut yourselves off from the city?" he asked her.
"What? Do you think you're the only one who's propositioned us?" she said, "The almighty Zoot himself has come here, asking on very similar terms what you are"
"Zoot? Has come here?" Pride asked a little surprised that Zoot had ventured into the forests for alliances.
"Yes, he wants a strong front line, through all of the land," Faith said grinning as she draped the towel around her neck and stood there in front of him, her hands on her hips.
"So have you signed your soul to the Devil then by siding with him?" Pride asked dryly.
Faith threw her head back with a laugh, and then looked at Pride, "I haven't made my mind up. I said I'd think about it, he wasn't too happy about that, though he gave me a couple of days to think it over," she said to Pride.
"So what will you do now that I've come to ask?" Pride asked her.
"I'll think about it. Two very good offers are on the table, I can't just click my heels and decide right away," Faith said. She turned her back from him and looked out a nearby window, the sun was low in the sky, soon it would be gone from the sky for the night, she turned back to Pride, "Do you wish to stay the night? It is very late..." Pride was a little taken aback by the question, it almost seemed like it was out of nowhere. He too looked out the window and saw the same thing Faith had, "Well...I'm not sure..." he said not really sure if that would be a good idea.
"Not with me silly, though I wouldn't mind it at all," Faith said with a smile, "My bed is always open for you..." She could see the emotions play out on his face, "Though if you're precious Salene will get worried..."
"She wouldn't get worried, we split up months ago, after your little intrusion," Pride said seriously. He tossed and turned the idea of staying the night with the Protectors. It was a long way back to the mall, and though the night didn't scare him, the thought that when he got back to the city and Zoot and his army were all over didn't sit well with him. "Thank you, I'll stay the night," he said to her.
Faith smiled, "Perfect...shall I see if one of our guys' have a spare bunk, or....?" she said looking to her bed and then back to Pride.
"No, I'll share something with one of the guys thank you," he said.
"As you wish," Faith said grinning, "I'll go see what I can do, feel free to stay in here, or walk around the village, I'm sure dinner is started already." And with that she exited her hut, to go find Pride a bed.
Pride stood there for sometime. Was it really the threat of Zoot and his army that made him stay here tonight? Or was it something else? Or someone else?