This chapter was hard to write initially...I had writers block something fierce. After I fought it off though, the chapter went smoothly. I'd posted this last night, but I'm not going to lie...It just wasn't satisfactory. My brain refused to cooperate with me.

Anyway, welcome to Zion. Enjoy.

There are varying opinions on time and reality. Isn't it strange that time seems to come to a crawl when you're doing something you'd really rather not be doing? And yet…it seems to fly by when you don't want something to end…or, even worse, when you're drawing in on a deadline. The reality of it is simple…time's passing is unchanging. It moves at a solid sixty seconds per minute no matter what you're doing or who you are. The key to it all, as it turns out, is perception.

The journey to Zion was seemed to pass in a matter of moments…though his pip-boy argued the contrary. Two weeks…two weeks he'd been on this rocky path, climbing down cavernous walls and cliff faces he was sure he'd never be able to scale again. Six stopped momentarily to gaze back up one such crag…taking the briefest moment to think to himself.

"How have we not fallen to our deaths…"

It was Jed.

"That's what you're thinking right?"

"Actually, I was a little more concerned about how we'd be getting back to the Mojave."

"Ah," Jed nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good question. One we'll discuss with the residents of New Canaan."

The air around them danced and twirled, picking up brush and dust. The wind howled – the terrifying sound of a banshee, a sound that…for reasons not quite known to him…sent shivers down Six's spine.

"What can you tell me about New Canaan?"

Jed shrugged. "Don't know too much about the place, to be honest. But the people…follow some kind of religious principles from before the war. That don't mean they're pacifists…believe me. They control the old city of Ogden…built the city of New Canaan within those ruins. It's a ways north of Zion…" He pointed over a nearby ridge. "We'll be in Zion by sundown. From there, it's quite a ways."

Six frowned. "New Canaan…I've heard tells of the Burned Man being from up that way."

Jed shook his head. "Don't mention the name Joshua Graham to anyone. At all. Ever. Or the Burned Man for that matter. It makes the New Canaanites powerful uncomfortable…and scares the hell out of the tribals. Trust me…it's for your own good."

Six could see Stella, Raul, and Boone ahead of them, near the top of the ridge. Stella turned and made her way back towards them at a light jog. "Just head," she explained, "there's a gorge…a big one. Leads down into cave system. We'll have to go around it."

"No," Jed shook his head. "We'll go through. We don't have the time or resources to trek around."

The inside of the cave system branched off in endless directions – dark corridors twisting seemingly endlessly through the Earth's crust. The dark was all consuming – Six's pip-boy light could barely penetrate it.

"I can't see shit…" Six complained.

"Here," Stella's voice replied in the darkness. Six felt her hand grasp his shoulder. "Take a couple of these."

She snatched his wrist and dropped two pills into his palm.

Six shook his head in darkness. "Never been one for drugs."

"Never heard of anyone getting addicted to cateye," she mused.

With a shrug, Six swallowed the capsules. After a moment his eyes adjusted…the cave was alive in a brilliant blue light.

"Do you feel that?" Boone's voice echoed faintly throughout the cavern.

"A breeze," Six answered. "Must be getting close…"

They continued along their way, finally stumbling out into the open terrain. The moon was high in the night's sky.

"Do you mind?"

Six turned to see Jed, who – in turn – was staring at Six's pip-boy. Six flipped his wrist up and showed it to Jed. He studied the map carefully.

"We're definitely in Zion…see here…" he pointed along the map. This is Route 9, coming up through Rockville. We can follow through to the Pine Creek Tunnel. It'll take us to 89…where we'll head north, traveling parallel to the Long-15. Should keep us out of harm's way."

Jed stretched and cast his gaze to the sky.

"But…for now, let's set up camp," he wandered over to his guards and began giving them instructions. Before long, they disappeared into the wilderness and returned with kindling – with which they built a fire. Six plopped down into the dirt next to Stella. She stared into the crackling flames – occasionally prodding the fire with a branch.

"Where's that friend of yours? She seemed pretty keen on getting the caravan last I talked to Jed. Surprised she isn't with you now."

Six cleared his nose. "Things don't always turn out like you'd expect, I guess. So…you said you were from New Reno. What made you leave?"

Stella chuckled softly to herself. "You been there…it's like New Vegas, 'cept without the all-seeing eye of Mr. House. No authority…everybody has a gun and a jet addiction. Non-stop whoring and drugs."

"A city of vice and sin…right? What's not to love?"

She laughed again. "I know, right? I couldn't walk down the street without being asked to star in a porn movie."

Six shrugged lightly. "Can you blame them for trying?"

Stella shook her head, a wry smile spread wide across her face. "Anyway…I got my ass out of there quick, while I still owned it."

"Where'd you go?"

"A little place called Caliente…north on the 93. Spent the prime of my life playing sheriff there…protecting people from dangers within and without. If it wasn't the 80's or White Legs raiding…it was some asshole drunk off his saddle, trying to win an argument with a shotgun." She sighed. "I got tired of shooting folk I set out to protect. Talk about a pain in the ass…you want my opinion? Best to keep moving. At least the scenery changes."

Six grinned at her. "The scenery looks pretty good from where I'm sitting."

She smiled a petite smile, biting her lower lip. "You're certainly a smooth one, aren't you?"

Six raised his brows and tilted his head lightly to the side. "I have my moments…"

"Well…liste…"

"Am I interrupting something, Boss?"

Six turned his gaze up to Raul, who situated himself across from Six and warmed his hands at the fire.

"As a matter of fact…"

"Not at all," Stella smiled at the ghoul. "What's your story, handsome?"

"Oh," Raul grinned coyly. "It's a long one, Miss."

"Well, we are going to be here a while."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt to divulge a little bit…if it's alright with you, Boss…"

Six sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Well…I grew up in a place called Hidal…"

The valley echoed with thunder.

"Get down!"

Six turned to see Boone diving to the ground. He situated himself and scanned the hills around him.

More thunder ripped through the valley as a pelt of bullets sprayed the sand around them. Six was on his chest now. He surveyed his surroundings…Raul was behind a sizeable rock, periodically taking blind shots onto the mesas surrounding them. Stella was on the ground next to him…he fumbled for his rifle. Bullets peppered ground. "Take cover!" He barked.

She didn't move.

"C'mon…you can't freeze up on me…you said you've dealt with…"

Then he saw it. The crimson spreading from beneath her.

"Fuck!" He rolled her over onto her back…she was long gone. He scurried across the warzone that had once been their campground and situated himself flat on the ground next to Boone. "How many?"

Boone's voice was calm…too calm. It was terrifying. "I don't know. Can't get a visual. It's too dark."

Dark…

"Wait…I have an idea." Six crawled back to Stella's body and fumbled through her pockets. "C'mon…" he withdrew a small rust colored bottle with poorly drawn green feline eyes branded across the label. He returned to Boone. "Here!" He emptied the contents of the bottle into his hands. Two tablets. He gave one to Boone. Boone downed it in a swift motion. Then returned to firing. Six rolled onto his back and looked to Raul's position. He was still firing. "Raul!"

"Kinda busy, Boss!"

Six jammed the pill back into the bottle and closed the lid tight. He pitched the bottle at Raul.

"It's cateye!"

Raul scooped it up and took cover. After a moment he remerged and fired. A scream echoed through the canyon.

Six holstered his rifle and reached for the holorifle. He peered through the scope…the world was alive in an eerie green light.

"I knew I kept this thing for a reason…"

Six could see them. Dozens of them…lining the walls of the canyon, firing at the group. What was left of the group…

Six fired. A blistering white light zipped across the canyon. Their attackers ceased firing. Through his night vision scope, he could see them staring at the ashen remains of their comrade. Again he fired. And another fell. They were dropping like flies now…between Boone, Six, and Raul. But…even still…they were dropping so fast...too fast.

"What the hell…" Boone wondered aloud. He searched the mesas around them. Then he saw them, charging fast – wielding pistols and warclubs; lead by a thin man with an ornate baseball cap. The man split off from the others and made his way to the group. The gunfire…or at least the gunfire from their attackers had long ceased. The only gunfire remaining was that of their would-be rescuers.

The man approached them swiftly – all three stood, greeting him with the ends of their barrels.

"Hoi! Whoa! I'm a friend!"

"Yeah? And who are you, exactly?"

"My name is Follows-Chalk! Our advanced scouts saw you enter the gorge. We assumed the White Legs would attack you, so when word reached our camp our Chief instructed me to assist you."

"Well," Six took a breath. "I guess we owe you our gratitude. Lucky you came along when you did. Else we'd wound up like them…" Six cast a glance at the other members of the expedition. All dead…or dying.

"White Legs don't leave survivors often! You're some kind of lucky, let me tell you."

"White Legs?" Six cast a glance back to the corpse of Stella.

"Nasty bunch, the White Legs. They've been raiding deeper into Zion ever since New Canaan was wiped out."

"Hold up…step back a second. New Canaan was wiped out?" Boone asked.

"The White legs came down from the Great Salt Lake in force . Fell on New Canaan before they could mount a defense. The entire settlement was massacred…all except for our Chief and a number of other missionaries."

Boone turned to Six. "This whole damn expedition was for nothing, then."

"Maybe… You said your Chief sent you…"

"Yes. Joshua…he leads our tribe. He has instructed me to bring you to him. He wants to talk to anyone coming up from the south…from the civilized lands."

Six smiled…partly because the notion of a civilized Mojave amused him. But also because his gut told him this Chief was the man he sought. "Civilized?"

Follows-Chalk nodded. "The lands beyond the valley…the place where the cities never fell. Where people don't live in tribes and struggle and forage for food."

Six laughed. "I don't know where you think we're from. We might not have tribes…but we're definitely not civilized."

The tribal laughed nervously. "You sound like Joshua."

"Take us to this…Joshua."

Follows-Chalk nodded excitedly. "Of course! This way. He'll be most eager to meet you. And maybe while you're here…you can tell me about where you come from."

"We hail from the Mojave…"

"I've heard about it! Is it true that people there live inside of a giant thunder lizard?"

Boone smirked. "Live? No. But they sell stuff from in it…I used to sit in its mouth all day."

Follows-Chalk's eyes widened. "That must have been horrifying!"

Boone shrugged. "I got by."

"So…Follows-Chalk. That's an…interesting name. Certainly a mouthful."

"Please, call me Chalk…our advanced scouts, like the ones that saw your caravan, leave signs to mark places rich with game or other resources. I am not yet a full scout…so I follow the marks and guide the hunters."

"You're a scout…and your Chief sent you to our aid?" Boone asked skeptically.

"Well…I did not lead the group of warriors. I merely escorted them. And I was told to escort you back. The warriors are being lead by Two-Bears."

"That's a remarkable club you have there, kid," Raul commented, eyeing the club hanging at Chalk's waist.

"We decorate our clubs with bullet casings of Joshua's old tribe…they were once his weapons, and so now they are ours. We go north here…then south along the old road." They fell in line behind him. He walked silently – almost unnaturally silently. "Joshua has been our chief since he came back from the civilized lands. He fought in a war…but it didn't go well. Before he came to us, he served a man named…"

Chalk froze in place. Before them was the corpse of a giant green gecko…or, at the very least, what was left of it.

"Freeze."

The group did as they were commanded. Six glanced around in darkness. He couldn't see but he could hear the steady thump of something massive lurching down the hill at an incredible pace. He reached for his holorifle and peered through the night vision scope. The biggest yao guai he had ever seen was charging down the hill at them. It stopped just short of Six, roaring into the barrel of the rifle. Six felt his finger squeezing the trigger.

Both Boone and Raul raised their rifles, aiming at the beast.

"Don't…move…" Chalk slowly gripped the barrel of Six's rifle and lowered it. Six could see it now…it was in range of his pip-boy light. He could hear it sniffing him. He could smell its putrid breath. He could feel its breath on his skin. The creature let out a low, guttural growl…then turned away from them and began trudging back up the hill.

After a beat, Chalk let out a sigh of relief. "Hoo! That was a close one!"

Six raised a brow. "You…did know that it wouldn't attack us, didn't you?"

Chalk shrugged. "It was an educated guess…" He motioned to the body of the gecko. "That's definitely the work of a yao guai…"

"But it could have been the work of a different yao guai."

"Ahh," Chalk smiled lifting a single finger into the air. "But it wasn't."

"Next time," Boone growled. "I'm taking the shot."

The tribal laughed. "Bet you don't have anything as nasty as yao guai where you come from."

"Have you ever seen a deathclaw?" Six asked tepidly.

"Death…claw?"

"Yeah, didn't think so."

They continued up the hill. Follows-Chalk took every opportunity to comment on the beauty of Zion: every nook and rock, flora and fauna. He was even more excited when the sun began to rise.

"It's beautiful, isn't it! If we head to the top of that hill, there's a wonderful view."

Raul seemed to be enjoying himself as well. Absorbing the scenery around him.

They were on a road now. Follows-Chalk pointed to pikes lining the side of the road. All mounted with the heads of, what Six could only presume to be, fallen foes.

"You see the dead sentries?"

"Yeah."

"Our shaman say that the souls of our enemies are trapped in them…but Joshua says it shows we are serious about fighting the White Legs."

"Or anyone else," Boone mumbled.

"And there…those handprints?"

Six followed his gaze to a decrepit booth. It was decorated with white and red handprints.

"Dead Horses and Sorrows put those markings on taboo places. Places from back when."

"Taboo?"

"Yes. Those are the places the Father in the Caves forbids us from entering."

"The…Father in the Caves?"

"Yes. I'm not so sure about the old tales. But a lot of the tribals are. This way…"

The trio followed Chalk as he began to descend further into the canyon.

"I hope you don't mind getting wet…and be wary of traps in the water. Have to keep the white legs out somehow, yeah?" He laughed.

"What are these paintings?" Raul asked, looking up at massive murals decorating the walls.

"They show the Dead Horses' victories over other tribes. We have quite a bit more since Joshua came to us."

Raul admired the paintings a moment before catching up with the group. They waded waist deep through the clearest water Six had ever seen en route to the camp. After a while, the canyon widened. It was here the Dead Horses had set up camp.

"Joshua is just ahead, in Angel cave," Chalk walked seamlessly through the camp. Dodging playing children and working tribals. The tribals watched the group warily.

Inside the cave, a young woman greeted them. Her eyes shone with suspicion. Then she turned to Chalk. He pressed his lips to hers.

"Chalk…Owslanders zooka Joshua?"

Chalk nodded lightly. "Ja. Owslanders Joshua sent for."

She turned back to the group. "Joshua in high place of cave. You show respect, utman! Joshua is tribes greatest warrior. You show him respect or he show you thunder and fire!"

Chalk furrowed his brow. "Liebe. You should not talk to our guests in such a manner. It would displease Joshua."

He pressed his lips against hers again and turned back to the group. "Come, this way."

They followed him through the winding passages of the cave. This one…at the very least…was well lit. The cave's narrow passages opened up into a large hollow area. It was here they saw him…bandaged from head to toe and dressed in a white collared shirt and faded blue jeans. On his chest, he wore an old world vest. The sleeves of his shirt were adorned with tribal markings.

The man looked up at them – his eyes a surreal blue. He flipped a pistol around, examining the magazine, the slide, and the sights. When he was satisfied, he neatly stacked the pistol on the table at his side and scooped up another one. This time, however, he spoke as he inspected the weapon.

"This type of .45 automatic pistol was designed by one of my tribe almost four hundred years ago." His voice was icy. Calm. Rivaling Boone's own callous demeanor.

He sat the pistol down and reached for another, laying it on the table before him, and looked at the trio again. "Forgive me. We should have given you a better welcome on your first visit to Zion…but the White Legs, it seems, beat us to it…You have my sympathies; for the deaths of the other members of your group. The White Legs are the only visitors we seem to have these days. So we were ill prepared. I was not expecting anyone…least of all, someone from the Mojave."

"You know me?"

"Personally? No. But I know of you, courier. You're not the one I was expecting…but, I wonder, are your intentions the same?"

"Depends on what his intentions were. How'd you know we were coming?"

"The Dead Horses are capable scouts. More than capable really. Nothing passes into or out of Zion without my knowing of it."

"You seem to know an awful lot about us…just who are you?" Boone's asked flatly.

The man cast his cold gaze upon Boone. After a beat he gave him a light nod. "Fair enough. My name is Joshua Graham."

Boone instinctively reached for his sidearm. With lightning fast speed he drew it and fired.

The exploit to bring companions into DLC worked out really well this time. I actually have Boone and Raul with me. So it's really keeping the in game tone in line with the game. If only Raul would stop finding cliffs to jump off of.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter...Until next time!