4. Untouched and Regained

K-Mart stopped her bike when they came rounded a corner of a steep platue. She dismounted and rubbed her thighs where she'd landed on them.

Damn, that landing had really hurt!

Neo jumped from her shoulders and curled on the ground. He sure did look happy to be on stable ground again. The ride had been a bitch for both of them. Bumping up and down on the dirt terrain had taken a real number on their stomachs. Not only that but she probably couldn't even begin to imagine what it'd done to her poor motorcycle. She looked over to the instruments on her bike and groaned. Well in two more miles, she'd be officially out of gas. She'd even used the last of what was left in her gas can a few hundred miles ago.

This was a real pain in the ass. Now she would have to risk miles of open country to find a broken down gas station and hope there was still a bit more juice left.

Hmm, she hadn't seen a zombie for a long time now. Not since she'd blown up the UC's base. Where the hell did they all go?

She turned, shading her eyes from the sun as she scoped out a promising route to the nearest seven-eleven. Then stopped when they caught something unexpected.

"What the… What is that?" She snatched the binoculars from her bike and scanned what had caught her eye. "No… it can't be. Is that a town?"

She focused her goggles and zoomed in on a man stumbling around an old barn. For a moment she mistook him for another one of the undead. But then he looked up at the sky and stretched the way any normal human did. He turned to a couple of horses—real horses!—and patted one affectionately as he fed them.

K-Mart's mouth dropped. That wasn't the body language of an undead. Yet she still wasn't sure if her eyes were deceiving her. Her eyes swerved on a group of children playing in a field of bright green grass. She studied a crowd of women conversing by the river and washing the week's dirty laundry. Everything looked so old and… and… ancient. The houses were all wooden and nailed with poor isolation and roofing. Only a few buildings were made of stone. The people wore heavy woolen clothing and dull natural colors. She recognized tools like hammers and swords. Where were the guns? And did they actually ride those horses? She couldn't see a car or a truck or any mechanical vehicle whatsoever.

How were these people able to live like this? The Umbrella Corporation had made it certain to ruin every single life on Earth, and yet here were these people, happily living their lives as if the infection had had no impact on them.

Their way of life was so… primitive.

She had to get to the bottom of this.

It was nighttime when they reached the village. She could feel the curious stares of the villagers on her as she walked into the town. Judging by their expressions, they'd never before set eyes on the metal thing she was riding. And it made such a loud sound, how could they possibly ignore it? She parked it by a wooden post and dismounted. K-Mart pretended not to even notice the awkward glances she was receiving from each and every human she passed; even the animals seemed to look at her curiously.

She took the backpack that held Neo snoozing peacefully and swung it over her shoulder carefully. She headed towards a bar or pub that was a buzz of activity in the night air. Perhaps K-Mart would get some answers there.

She walked in and saw the occupants were mostly middle-aged men and a few bar maids tending to their orders. The room suddenly fell silent when they caught sight of the stranger.

Her dress was so out of the ordinary from everyone else that she couldn't blame them for staring. She was literally unlike anything they'd ever seen. She was pale and her face hadn't a single blemish to be seen. Thanks to the T-virus all her scars had healed beautifully, except for the worse of the worse. She was tall and slender yet with a steady strength and balance that spoke of years and years of constant training. Not only that, but her attire also drew attention. She was clad completely in black and her clothing was tight, displaying the curves and perfect angles of her youthful figure. Her trench coat was made of the finest leather, as was her boots, and were decorated with bright, smooth metal buckles, chains and zippers.

As an addition, she sported weapons most never saw an equal to: two long swords slung over her back, knives and throwing blades strapped to her belt, and other things that didn't look much like weapons to the villager's point of view.

In short terms, her disposition shouted with threats of "don't mess with this girl."

She glided over to an empty table and sat, putting her bag gently on the floor below her. She looked over her shoulder to the people who dared stared at her and cast a look that would burn them up. They looked away at once.

Her server came over at that moment. K-Mart looked up and studied the scrawny girl before her. Approximately four feet four, white skin, a few freckles, strawberry blond hair tied into two braids, green dress and a dirty apron. She couldn't be more than fifteen or sixteen.

"W-what can I get you miss?" Her voice was saturated with fear. K-Mart could even smell it with how strong it was.

"Hello there." She gave the child a blissful smile and the girl relaxed somewhat. "What's your name?"

"M-my name is Ada, lady."

"What do you have for food, Ada?"

"We have some good pork roasting on the spit and some potatoes and carrots if that's fine for you."

K-Mart looked at her, shock clear on her face. Despite the fact that she'd seen the livestock in the fields, she still couldn't believe these people. A real hot meal. No canned processed life sustaining matter which people devoured in the belief to be food, but an actual homegrown cooked meal. She couldn't remember the last time she ate one.

She grinned so bright it was as if her weapons and her threatening disposition completely disappeared. "That sounds perfect. I'll take it."

Ada looked startled. She clearly hadn't been expecting that. She smiled somewhat as well. "And what will you drink today. We have fine mead if you're interested in that? Or wine perhaps?"

"No mead thanks, but some milk if you have it."

"We do have milk." Then she skipped away to get the lady's supper. The moment she was gone though, her inauspicious disposition returned. The other occupants were looking at her again, so she threw another glare over her shoulder and even put a bit of kick into the glare with the help of her telekinesis. They shrank away instantly.

The girl returned in time with a steaming plate of food and a goblet of fresh milk. The smell of the food made K-Mart's mouth water. She bit into the meat with a fork and sighed. The pork was perfect; just enough juice to make it good and tender without making it seem soggy. The spices themselves were absolutely delightful. And the vegetables were magnificent. She sincerely hadn't tasted anything like it. She swigged her milk. That proved to be excellent as well. She paused mid-bite when she noticed the girl standing over her.

"Can I help you?"

Ada beamed brightly, all trace of fear for the strange lady had left her. Her voice was hushed as she spoke her curiosity. "A-are you a rider?"

K-Mart straightened, dropping her hand. "I beg your pardon?"

The girl's smile faltered a bit. Maybe she shouldn't have spoken after all. "You know… a dragon rider?"

"Dragons?" Maybe she would be able to gain some knowledge from this child. "So you know of them?"

"Of course." Then she stared more intently at her. "You're not from Alageasia, are you, lady?"

"Is that what this land is called?"

"Yes. I could tell when you walked through the door. You're a magician, aren't you?"

K-Mart smiled slightly. "I might be. It appears you have some questions for me. Well I have a few of my own. Sit down and tell me some things and I will try to answer a few of your inquisitions as well."

"Oh I can't miss. I'm on duty and my father will scold me for not attending to the other guests."

"Well then I will buy your time." She reached into her pocket and withdrew two golden coins. She'd filled her pockets after she escaped from that treasury. Normally she wouldn't have bothered with such material trinkets, yet something in her just told her to take it. You never knew when these things could come in handy. "Will this be enough for your time?"

She tossed the coins and Ada caught them awkwardly. She looked into her hand and gawked at the money. Then she smiled bright and beautiful. "This much for me? Oh thank you, lady!"

"Give it to your father and come back here. That should give me enough time to finish the meal."

The moment she was out of sight K-Mart felt the stares back on her again. She heard someone approach but didn't react. They weren't going to attack her. A fist pounded the table roughly, causing her food to bounce and making the milk slosh over the side of the goblet a bit. A scrawny man, round his mid-thirties, stood before her. He glared conceitedly down on her.

"You're not from here, are you?"

She folded her arms behind her back and balanced very casually on the back legs of her chair. "My, my, my," she said in a terrifically girly voice, "is it really that obvious. Oh whatever will I do? It looks like you've caught me." Her chair dropped to the ground and she leaned on her hands, smiling thoughtfully up at him. "So what do you intend to do, little man? So far as I'm concerned, I haven't done anything incriminating besides pay for my meal."

He stared at her for a moment and at her exotic beauty. Then he righted himself. "I-I'm not going to let you hurt anyone around here."

"Well... that's good." She said no more after that but turned back to her food.

He pounded the table again. Before he could speak though she cut him off.

"Honestly sir, I am simply trying to enjoy my meal. It's been a long time since I've had anything this good. And I don't intend to let you spoil it for me." She stood up and he could see the outlined magnificence of her as she righted herself into a fighting stance. She reached for her swords but didn't draw them. "If you do not abscond, then I will remove you from my sight." Her arm flew out and she snatched a handful of his shirt, drawing him close to her face. Her strength caught him completely off guard. She didn't look strong enough to lift a man of his size off the floor, yet she did. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. Damn idiot doesn't even know what he's doing. Her voice came out as a hiss and she pushed a little of her telekinesis punch into her threat. "Now get out of my sight before you do something incredibly stupid, you drunken fool!"

She released him and he stumbled back with surprise. Her eyes flashed and he skittered to another corner of the room. She could still feel the stares on her back as she sat down, yet refused to even acknowledge them. She just went right back to her meal until Ada returned.

"I gave my father the money and he said it was fine if I had a rest from my duties."

K-Mart smiled pleasantly and the threat she'd been radiating melted away instantly. Ada smiled and sat in an opposite chair.

"Hosts have the first question." K-Mart sang sweetly.

"Oh—alright. Who are you? What's your name?"

"I have many names, but for the moment I suppose you may call me… Alice."

"My what a peculiar name. Where dose it hail from?"

K-Mart shook a finger. "Now, now, if we're going to get anywhere with this we have to take turns. You had the first question. Now it is my turn."

Ada looked taken aback but didn't seem offended by this arrangement. "Oh… um very well then. What do you want to know?"

"This land, what do you call it again?"

"Alageasia. Have you never heard of it?"

"Not ever."

"You must be from very far away. Possibly across the sea then. What is your country's name? How did you get here?"

"Please, miss, one question at a time." Ada became silent at once and K-Mart smiled. "In answer to your first one though, yes. I come from very far away. Have you ever heard of the United States of America?"

The girl shook her head. "No never."

"Huh… I thought not. What about the Umbrella Corporation?" Again Ada shook her head. K-Mart looked away, clearly disappointed. "No I suppose not. This village is so primitive, how would you ever know what I'm talking about?

Ada looked sincerely confused. What on earth did she mean by primitive? "What is this Umbrella Corporation? And this United States of America, is that your country from which you hail from?"

"Yes." And her voice hinted a trace of what sounded like regret as memories of her life flew by her eyes. "At one point. Now it is my turn. What is this village's name?"

"Bullridge."

"And I suspect you've lived here for your whole life have you."

"Yes, lady. My whole life."

"And how old are you?"

"I'll be fifteen in six weeks."

K-Mart looked away. Ada was so young. She was the same age K-Mart was when the bulk of humanity were all dead.

Ada was speaking now. "How did you come to be here, lady?"

"An accident. I didn't mean to end up here. I was traveling and I'm afraid my vessel was caught in a storm. It was destroyed and now all I have left is that mechanical horse out front." She decided that terms like 'motorcycle' would be too much to comprehend for thes people so she kept it simple.

"A mechanical horse?" Her face lit up, but then dimmed with suspicion. "But there's no such thing."

"I assure you," K-mart smiled shrewdly, "venture outside and you'll see the truth sitting right in front of your pub."

Ada's eyes narrowed. "Your are not lying?"

"What reason would I have to lie? Proof is before your eyes if you look. But there will be time enough for that later, for the moment I have another question. Who rules this land? I expect your people are still the victim of monarchy?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Do you have a king?"

"Why yes, lady. King Galbatorix rules Alageasia. He has for one hundred years."

Even to someone who fought zombies, battled telekinetic monsters, lived through the apocalypse and watched the dead rise again, that still managed to surprise her. A king for one hundred years? Now that was something.

"He must be very old then."

"Why no lady. He does not age. Not ever"

Now that didn't surprise here as much as it should've. She'd once come across an endorser that was assumedly supposed to grant never ageing life. "Is he a good king?"

This made Ada, stop abruptly. She seemed to wish she'd never sat down with this woman. She looked over at the men who were all carrying into hushed conversations so that they would be able to hear what was being said at the one table. "I um… I can't…"

K-Mart's hand raised and she cut her off "No need. I can tell perfectly from your expression."

Her face fell to the table and she was suddenly very still. "The king takes people away for his army." She said so softly K-Mart almost didn't hear her. "He… took lot's of people from our village." From the sound of her voice, this child had suffered much from the loss of someone very close to her for the king. Perhaps a relative or a friend.

K-Mart could've pried her mind for more information but decided against it. That seemed like sincerely personal information. If the child wanted, she would tell her. She'd actually been a lot more useful than she even realized. While she'd spoken, K-Mart searched her mind for any other information. She'd been careful to sort the personal matters away from the data. She didn't want to cross any lines unnecessarily. For the moment though she would need to leave and regroup somewhere else. This pub was far too public to think properly.

Without another word, she dropped another gold coin on the table and stood. "Thank you very much, Ada. You've told me much."

The girl looked frightened like she feared she'd just uncovered something very secretive about their king. "W-what are you going to do?"

"Nothing of course." K-Mart said almost laughing. "This Galbetorix hasn't shown me any move of hostility or comfort. I intend to neither hinder or aid his attempts at… whatever it is he is doing."

"War." The girl said sadly. "He's making war. There are some people in the village who are for our king but there are other's who hate him… I hate him." Her voice was so soft no one but K-Mart heard her. For the second time she was tempted to pry, yet she resisted again. She could only assume.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ada. I hope you will see them again. That is to say whoever you lost."

Ada opened her mouth but at that moment a messenger stormed into the pub and nearly broke down the door in his haste. It was a boy of no more than sixteen or seventeen. He was scrawny and had a thin mop of yellow hair. He panted in the doorway as he pointed to the sky.

"A rider!" He shouted to the people. "There's a rider landing in the town. It's Murtagh and Thorn."

The reaction was immediate. Everyone, even the drunken ones, rose from their seats with terrified animation.

"Thorn and Murtagh?"

"The king's dragon rider."

"Here? In Bullridge?"

"But why?"

K-Mart snatched her bag from under the table and followed with the rest of the crowd, to see what the commotion was exactly all about. What she saw took her breath away.

There, in the dead center of town was the most magnificent creature she'd ever seen.

It's been a while since I updated. Hopefully I'll get more viewers after this chapter.

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