Laika left the funeral behind, headed back to her house. Puppy clung tightly to her neck, as if Laika would disappear if she let go. She stepped through the threshold of her home and set Puppy down. "Mommy?"

"Yes honey?"

"Are you okay?" Puppy asked. Laika couldn't help but feel a small smile. In spite of everything, Puppy was worried about her.

"I will be. Go to sleep honey, it's been a long day." Laika said as she turned to leave.

"Okay." Puppy said, dejectedly.

"Don't worry Puppy, I'll be back. I just have to talk to your grandmother." Laika said as she left the house. Maya was only two houses down, but Laika found herself wishing it were miles away.

The dirt crunched beneath her feet as she came to the stairs to where her mother groaned. Reluctantly, she climbed the steps and brushed aside the awning. "Where's Puppy?" Maya demanded.

"Busy."

"Bullshit. You're punishing me again." Maya responded bitterly.

"Stop messing with her head mother, she's too young for this." Laika growled.

"Someone needs to prepare her for her future."

"Mother…"

"She's not like your previous daughters, she's-"

Laika took two furious steps forward, her muzzle twisting into a snarl. "Don't-you-dare!" She shouted, jabbing a finger towards Maya.

Maya was seemingly stunned into silence by Laika's outburst, but only for a moment. "But it's true! She's like us!" She protested.

"I'm not getting into this with you mother." Laika said firmly, no less angry. "The Birds are getting worse. It wasn't just Poochie and Jakob, they built a bulldozer. They were going to destroy Where We Live."

Maya sank back into her chair. "I miss my blood." Maya said. "The power of the bike under my thighs, the smell of gunpowder…" Laika practically smacked her forehead with her hand as she scowled, muttering a curse to herself as Maya rambled. "If only it could be me out there."

Laika snorted. "If only. Back in your time, it was easy. All you had to deal with was the occasional bandit, or drunken idiots going at it. It's worse now." Laika said, frustrated.

"Which is why you need a new weapon; that old thing isn't going to cut it anymore." Maya said, gesturing to Laika's revolver. "Take these schematics to Zooey, bind a new weapon to the spirits." Maya handed the paper to Laika, who gazed at the schematic. A shotgun.

"Tomorrow. I'm tired." Laika said as she turned to leave.

"Bring Puppy with you next time!" Maya said as Laika exited the house. Laika dragged a hand across her scalp, before letting her arm fall lifelessly as she walked down the steps. Nothing could foul her mood like a conversation with Maya.

She spared a glance back at the still burning pyre, and saw Kara watching the smoke rising. She was holding a gold ring attached to a necklace, gently rubbing the ring with her thumb absentmindedly.

Laika crossed the distance between them, coming to a stop by Kara, the warmth of the pyre almost welcoming. "So, what's the plan?" Kara asked.

Laika watched the fire dance in silence for a moment before answering. "Poochie and Jakob's ashes will be ready tomorrow, so we'll have to take them to Where Our Ancestors Rest. I'll probably have to talk to the Elder before that, find out what we're going to do about the Birds…" Laika let out an exhausted sigh. "You asked how I was holding up? I'm so fucking tired…"

"Get some rest." Kara said, knowing full well sleep wouldn't help Laika's kind of exhaustion. "You can lean on me when you need to. You know that." Kara added as Laika turned to leave.

"Hmm." Laika hummed as she walked back home. She stepped inside and found Puppy laying in their shared bed. Laika removed her holster, hanging it somewhere out of Puppy's reach before climbing into bed.

Puppy muttered something as Laika laid next to her. "Shhh, Puppy. Go to sleep." Laika whispered softly as she wrapped her arms around the pup, holding her close. "I'm not going anywhere."

Laika's sleep was blissfully uneventful. She opened her eyes, the familiar sight of her home blurry as she awoke. Puppy was already awake, having slipped out of Laika's embrace, and climbed out of bed.

Groggily, Laika scanned the house, yawning, when she saw Puppy. It took Laika a moment to register what she was seeing, but when she did, she instantly snapped into alert. Puppy was jumping up and down, trying to reach Laika's revolver. "Puppy!" Laika barked as she shot out of bed.

Puppy snapped to face Laika, startled by the sudden noise. "What do you think you're doing?" Laika demanded.

"I need a gun if I'm gonna help you make the Birds pay for what they did to Poochie!" Puppy said indignantly.

Laika's expression softened. "You're staying here, Puppy, where it's safe." Laika said softly.

"But I wanna! I wanna I wanna I…" Puppy pouted and stomped, angrily protesting as Laika watched, her expression one of carefully maintained neutrality. Puppy stared at Laika, her expression full of childish anger, before it evaporated, revealing the grief that fueled it. Puppy howled.

Laika sighed, and knelt in front of Puppy, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Puppy, daughter of Laika, Granddaughter of Maya, I hereby name you Poochie's funerary friend." Laika said, trying to lend her words an air of import.

Puppy stopped howling, and met Laika's gaze. "Mom.. that's… that's so… cool!" Puppy said in childish glee, until her expression shifted to one of confusion. "What is that?"

"A maker of… funerary wreaths." Laika said, pausing to come up with the lie.

Puppy was silent, before nodding in determination. "Okay. I'll make the best wreath ever for Poochie! With a Heartglaze flower!"

"Oh…" Laika said, surprised. "Honey… are you sure about that?"

"Mooom. You need the best flower ever if you want to make the best wreath ever." Puppy said, as if she were stating the obvious.

Laika smiled softly. "Of course you do, sweetheart. I don't know what I was thinking." She said warmly. Puppy turned to leave the house, running with her arms held behind her, as if that made her faster.

Laika pushed herself to her feet, breathing a sigh of relief as she did, then moved to follow the pup.

As Laika stepped outside, the early morning rays of the sun bathed Where We Live in golden light, warming the fur on her face. She turned to follow Puppy, and saw the little girl running up to Kara. "Auntie Kara, Auntie Kara did you hear?" Puppy yelped excitedly.

Kara knelt, smiling down at the girl. "No, I didn't. What's got you so excited?"

"Mom made me Poochie's Funerary friend! I'm gonna make the best wreath ever for him!" Puppy squealed.

"That's so cool!" Kara said, making an attempt to match Puppy's excitement.

"Yeah! I gotta go, bye Auntie Kara!" Puppy said as she took off, looking for parts to make the wreath.

"Don't forget to make yourself breakfast!" Laika yelled as Puppy ran away.

Laika came to a stop by Kara. "She seems much better." Kara said, smiling.

"Yeah. I fed her some bullshit about being Poochie's funerary friend. Thankfully she's still young and gullible, so she fell for it." Laika said.

Kara tilted her head to look at Laika. "It's not bullshit to her. You did good, Laika."

Laika felt fluttering in her gut, unaccustomed as she was to genuine praise. She shrugged off the compliment. "Come on, I gotta talk to Zooey and the Elder."

"Right behind you." Kara said, standing to follow. The two walked through the village, passing Maniu's garden of bone onions and garlic. She waved to the pair as they passed, who nodded back.

It wasn't much farther to Zooey's forge, and Laika fished the blueprint Maya gave her out of her bag. Laika stepped into the forge, and saw Zooey resting by the bellows. "Hey Zooey, got something for you." Laika said as she handed the blueprint to the massive feline.

Zooey took the paper, and read it carefully. "Yeah… yeah I could build this. Gonna need better materials than the shit you can find around here though."

"Like what, specifically?" Laika asked, leaning against a wooden support beam.

"Some quality wood, for starters. And any metal you can find when you're out there; I'd get the stuff myself, but the Elder has declared you and Kara are the only people allowed to leave Where We Live."

Laika nodded. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out." She said, pushing herself off the beam, and leaving the forge. Her next stop was the Elders hut. Laika brushed aside the awning as she entered the hovel, and saw the shriveled figure of the Elder resting in her wheelchair.

"Laika, what happened to Poochie and Jacob?" The old woman asked, her voice a decrepit husk.

Laika growled, not eager to relive last night's events. "The Birds killed Poochie. Jacob went out to get even, killed a lot of Birds before he finally bled out…" Laika was silent for a moment. "They built a weapon to destroy Where We Live."

The Elder sat in silent contemplation, her expression dour. "The Birds have gone too far this time. Kara was right, peace is no longer an option."

Laika rolled her eyes. "So… what? We're supposed to fight a war against the Birds? Just the two of us?"

The Elder ignored Laika's exasperation. "No. Give me some time to come up with a plan. In the meantime, take Poochie and Jakob's ashes to Where Our Ancestors Rest."

"Sure. Anything else?"

"Not at the moment. Shaza is on her way back to the village. Speak to her when she returns."

Laika nodded in response, then turned to leave.

"And start training Puppy. It won't be long now until her menarche."

Laika scowled, and shot a baleful glare back at the Elder. "Stay the fuck away from Puppy."

While Laika spoke with the Elder, Kara sat outside, looking over her equipment in a meager attempt at distracting herself. Rage boiled in her gut as she thought of Poochie. She knew what the Birds were like. Where their bigotry and greed would lead. She should have been fighting them from the start, but instead, she'd embedded herself in this quaint little village, gotten too involved in their lives and struggles.

If she had been more aggressive, more proactive, the birds would have never gotten this far. What they had done to that poor boy would never-

Kara shook her head furiously, as if that would empty it of the thoughts inside. None of that mattered now. She had made her choices, and she couldn't do anything to change the consequences. All she could do now was make sure the violence and death that was coming never reached Where We Live.

Not Again.

She finished assessing her gear, and holstered them as Laika stepped out of the Elders hut. "Good news." Laika said sardonically. "You get your wish. We're at war with the birds now."

Kara ignored the barb. "So what's our next move?"

"Don't know yet, Elder needs sometime to come up with a plan. You and I are delivering Jakob and Poochies ashes in the meantime." Laika said, walking past Kara back to her home. "But first, I'm gonna check on Puppy."

"I'll come with you, if you don't mind. I'd like to say goodbye before we leave."

"Sure." Laika said. When they were in eyesight of Laika's house, they saw Puppy's tiny frame bolt inside, a bundle of twigs and branches under her arm.

Laika heard Kara chuckle behind her. Kara knelt by one of the windows as Laika entered. "Hey honey." Laika said as she crossed the threshold.

"Hi mommy." Puppy said, giving Laika a quick wave of her hand before she went about sorting the pieces of wood she'd gathered.

"Just checking up on you. Kara and I are gonna head out soon, so remember to keep the radio charged and close to you."

"Okay mommy."

"And remember to eat three times a day, whether you're hungry or not."

"Mooom, I'm not a baby anymore. I was going to make arepas for breakfast later." Puppy protested.

"Oooh, your arepas are the best!" Laika said enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" Puppy giggled sweetly.

"We'll be back by tonight." Kara said, her head poking through the window.

"Okay." Puppy said, before her demeanor shifted. "Are we going to die?"

Laika's smile disappeared, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kara's smile also fade away. "Why would you say that Puppy?" Kara asked as Laika knelt by Puppy's side, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I had a nightmare last night… of people going boom." Puppy said.

"That was just a nightmare honey." Laika said, gently petting Puppy's head. "It wasn't real."

"Laika's right Puppy. You don't need to worry, your mom and I are going to take care of everything." Kara added, reassuringly.

"Okay. But if you need help killing birds, you can always ask me!" Puppy said confidently, before turning her attention back to her wreath. Laika shot a concerned glance at Kara, who beckoned to her with a claw.

"Goodbye Puppy, don't get into too much trouble while we're gone." Kara said, leaning away from the window.

"I won't." Puppy said.

"Seriously honey, don't leave the village." Laika said firmly.

"Mooom…" Puppy groaned. Laika gave Puppy a stern glare. "Okay." Puppy said, shrinking under Laika's gaze.

"Good… Love you Puppy." Laika said as she turned to leave.

She found Kara waiting a short distance away.

"I'm worried about her…" Laika said, crossing her arms.

"You should talk to her. After what happened yesterday, she'll need you." Kara said.

Laika sighed. "I know… I want to, but I'd just fuck it up. I'm barely keeping a lid on my own shit." Laika released a pent up breath while pinching the bridge of her nose. "Can you talk to her for me? While I get the ashes from Molly."

Kara nodded, after a moment's hesitation. "If that's what you want. But don't sell yourself so short Laika." Kara knelt, and placed a hand on Laika's shoulder, gazing at her face to face. "She thinks the world of you; you're doing great."

Kara's words struck Laika in her core. She felt her eyes start to water, and she abruptly pushed Kara's hand off. "Gotta go, thanks for talking to Puppy." Laika said, wiping at her eyes as she quickly walked off.

Kara watched Laika until the old coyote disappeared behind her shoulder. She walked back to Laika's home, and poked her head through the window. "Hey Puppy."

"Hi auntie Kara." Puppy said, briefly looking at Kara before turning her attention back to the wreath. It seemed to be coming along rather well. "Can you come here for a moment?" Kara said, extending her hand to Puppy through the window.

"Sure." Puppy sprang to her feet, and bounced to Kara's outstretched palm. Kara gently wrapped her hand around the girl's tiny frame, and pulled her through the window before she adjusted her grip, having Puppy sit on Kara's arm, held closely to her breast, supporting Puppy's back with her other hand.

"How are you feeling, Puppy? And be honest."

Puppy kicked her legs. "I'm… scared."
"Of people dying?" Kara asked, spurred on by Puppy's nightmare. Puppy nodded. "I understand. It's getting dangerous out there. But your mom and I will protect you."

"You didn't protect Poochie." Puppy said. There wasn't an ounce of malice or anger in the girl's voice, she was innocently stating an observation, but Puppy had no idea how deeply that statement wounded Kara.

"No…" Kara said. Her voice wavered, and she cleared her throat before continuing. "No we didn't. And I know that's why you want to help, so you can make the birds pay for Poochie. But that's not your responsibility Puppy. It's mine, and your mother's. It's dangerous outside Where We Live, which is why you need to stay here." Kara gently set Puppy down on the windowsill. "Here you are safe, here you are loved." Kara gently rubbed her muzzle against Puppy's. "I promise, your mother and I won't let anything like what happened to Poochie happen again." Kara said, rubbing Puppy's arms.

"Okay." Puppy said.

"Now make yourself those arepas, it's almost too late for breakfast." Kara said, giving Puppy a gentle pat on the forehead before leaving.

Laika reached Molly's house, and knocked on the elderly woman's door, crossing her arms as she waited for her to answer. Molly opened the door surprisingly quickly. "Laika. The ashes are ready." Molly leaned over towards a table by the door, picking up two jars, one slightly larger than the other. Laika carefully placed each jar into her bag, then thanked Molly.

As Laika left, she saw Hilda stepping outside. Hilda was one of the oldest people in Where We Live, and unlike most of the other elderly living here (namely Maya and the Elder), Hilda actually seemed to care about Laika's wellbeing. It was sweet, but Laika would rather do anything besides talk about how she was feeling at the moment.

Hilda spotted Laika, and waved her over with her free hand, steadying herself with her cane. Laika muttered a curse, hid her apprehension, and approached. Hilda placed her hand on Laika's shoulder, the same way Kara did. "Laika dear, how are you doing? It must have been awful for you, finding Poochie and Jakob the way you did."

"I'll manage. I'm taking their ashes to Where Our Ancestors Rest." Laika said, brushing off Hilda's concern.

"At least they'll be resting together then. But I'm serious dear, you need to take care of yourself. Don't be afraid to lean on Kara if you need to, she seems a strong sort."

"Sure." Laika said, ending the conversation. "Thanks." She turned to leave, barely catching a glimpse of Hilda's concerned expression as she left.

Laika reached the edge of Where We Live, passing Pebble, who was sitting atop a makeshift tower. "Hey Laika." He said in greeting as she passed.

Laika nodded to him. "Pebble." Pebble was Iris's best friend before she died. Laika never liked seeing him. She didn't have anything against him, she just didn't like reliving the memories of her daughter that came with seeing him.

She felt the ground tremble, signaling Kara wasn't too far behind her. She decided to wait for her, placing a hand on her hip, while steadying her bag with the other.

Thankfully she didn't have to wait too long. "How's Puppy?" Laika asked as Kara came to a stop.

Kara crossed her arms. "She's scared and worried. But she's strong, too. I'm sure she'll be fine, in time. But you should still talk to her."

"I know, I know." Laika said, frustrated. "I'll talk to her when we get back."

"I'll hold you to that." Kara said. "She needs you, now more than ever."

"I know." Laika said. "I'm just…" Laika stopped herself before she could voice her concerns. "Nevermind, let's go." She said, donning her helmet and hopping on her bike.

She turned on the engine, and the bike growled to life, its power rumbling beneath her thighs. She spared a glance behind her at Kara, who settled into a sprinter's starter position. She looked forward, and revved the engine

The bike kicked up a cloud of dust as she took off, Kara close behind.

Laika and Kara hadn't made it too far outside the village when Laika spotted Inok bopping his head in rhythm with the music playing on his headset. He spotted the duo, and waved them over.

They obliged him, and Laika hopped off her bike. "Hey Inok." She said warmly. "You finished wrapping up Jakob's will?"

"Almost. Just got the one last thing." Inok said, before producing a letter, which he promptly read aloud. "And to Laika, I leave my music collection. Nobody needs music more than her." Inok put the letter away, and handed Laika Jakob's tape player, and a handful of tapes.

"Oh." Laika gasped, touched by Jakob's posthumous generosity. "He really wanted me to have this? He spent practically his whole life looking for these." When he wasn't helping out around Where We Live and Where We Used to Live, Jakob would roam the wastelands, looking for any music tapes he could find.

"Yeah. Gotta admit, I'm kinda jealous. I know people hate Beicoli these days, but musically, she was the fucking best! Just a shame Jakob's collection isn't gonna get any bigger."

Laika's eyes drifted to the decrepit boombox she saw nearby. "Huh. Maybe it will." Laika approached the boombox, and pried open the tape drive. She found one of Beicoli's old tapes still inside; she removed the tape, and added it to her inherited collection. "Thanks Inok."

"No problem Laika. Take care of yourself out there. You too." Inok said, nodding to Kara who'd silently observed the conversation.

Kara waved to him. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." She said as Laika played the new tape, and took off, with Kara not far behind.

Kara hadn't heard any of Beicoli's music before then, the singer having left long before she had arrived. But as she heard the beautifully sorrowful song playing through Laika's tape, she understood why Inok liked her so much.

It was a long journey to Where Our Ancestors Rest, and when Laika and Kara arrived at the base of the mountain the cemetery rested upon, they found two more of the wastelands denizens: Kai and Qwota. The pair were sheltered from the sun by a cloth lean-to, and Kai shifted when he heard the pair approach. "Laika! I haven't seen you in forever!" He said, excited.

Laika was similarly enthused. That is, until she saw Kai's mutilated body, missing an arm and a leg. "Kai, what the hell happened to you?" She demanded.

"Birds came by, raided our village and destroyed our bar." Kai said sadly.

"My bar…" Qwota whimpered.

"Right, Qwota's bar." Kai amended.

"My bar…" Qwota repeated, rocking back and forth.

"He… didn't take it too well." Kai gave Qwota a sad look.

"You guys can't stay out here." Laika said. "It'll be safer for you Where We Live. And it'd be nice to hear you guys play again."

Kai waved his remaining hand dismissively. "I'd rather have another run-in with the birds than put up with Beicoli again."

"You won't have to. Beicoli left years ago, not too long after you guys." Laika responded.

"Oh. In that case, We'd be happy to go. Wouldn't we Qwota?" Kai said, glancing at his friend.

"My bar…"

Kai nodded to himself. "He says yeah. But I'll need new guitar strings if you want me to play. The old girl's been through some shit." Kai said, turning back to Laika.

"Don't worry, I'll get you those strings." Laika said warmly. "I'll see you guys back home tonight."

Kai nodded. "Actually, we'll probably wait for you to come back, safer that way." He smiled. "It was nice seeing you again, Laika."

"You too Kai. And you Qwota." Laika nodded to Qwota's hunched form.

As Kara and Laika left, traveling up the road to Where Our Ancestors Rest, Kara spoke up. "Old friends of yours?"

"Kind of. They're members of an old band, The Wastelanders. They broke up a while before you showed up." Laika said.

"Because of creative differences, I gather."

"You could say that. Fernidu was the original singer, but the birds did what they do, and slit her throat. Didn't kill her, just made it so she couldn't sing so well anymore. Beicoli, the backup singer, took her spot, and the spotlight went to her head. Turns out, she's as much a bitch as she is a good singer." Laika said.

Kara hummed in response, and the two traveled in silence as they arrived at the base of the mountain Where Our Ancestors Rest. They found Unae, the undertaker, calmly rocking back and forth in her chair on the porch. The elderly woman raised a hand in greeting. "Hello Laika, Kara. I'd say it's good to see you, but I expect you're not here to visit."

"Sorry, no." Laika said, parking her bike.

"Hmm. Who died?" Unae asked.

"Jakob and Poochie. We brought their ashes." Laika responded.

"Oh. Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I know how close you were." Unae said. Laika remained silent as she handed Poochie's Jar to Kara, carrying Jakob's herself. "At least they'll rest together."

"Always looking on the bright side, huh?" Laika said sarcastically.

"Oh hush." Unae responded. "You can set them down here, I'll bury them soon." Unae pointed to a stone slab in front of a bone memorial. Kara and Laika gently set the jars down, and turned to face Unae. "Tell me you can feel it too." The woman said, turning to gaze at the still living trees higher up as Laika placed a hand on the bone memorial.

"Feel what?" Laika asked, pulling her hand away from the totem.

"The air here. It feels different now. Heavier, like it's trying to suffocate you."

Laika and Kara shared a glance. "I wouldn't know. Don't really know the place well enough I guess." Laika said.

"I'm telling you, somethings wrong. Help an old woman out will you? Go check on the trees. See if anything is wrong." She asked.

Laika shrugged. "Sure."

"Thank you dear. Be careful." Unae said, moving to take care of Jakob and Poochie's ashes.

Laika simply hummed in response as she hopped back on her bike and donned her helmet. Kara pulled her rifle over her shoulder, readying it in case they actually found something. They moved further up the mountain, and as they did, Laika's stomach churned in disgust at what they saw. There were dozens of bootprints, and tracks left by vehicles "Bastards." Laika growled. The birds were here, desecrating one of the most sacred places in the wasteland. Laika snarled behind her helmet. If there were any still here, their blood would fertilize the ground they stood on.

As they climbed, Laika could hear the sound of machinery over the growl of her bike, and when she and Kara rounded the bend ahead, they came upon a lumber mill.

Felled trees, their bark and leaves a stark white, littered the ground of the sacred mountain. A dozen birds walked about, their presence at Where Our Ancestors Live an insult to Laika's people, an insult she wouldn't let pass.

Laika's rage boiled over, and she leveled her revolver. The gun roared as Laika fired, sending two bullets screaming at the birds, killing one, and striking the other in the lower beak, leaving them clutching at their mangled face.

Kara fired a moment later, her volley of fire adding four more bodies to the count. The remaining six birds scrambled for cover. Laika fired two more shots, hitting one bird in the knee, and the second in the gut. The last four scrambled over a fallen tree, hiding behind it as Kara sent a furious volley of rounds mere inches over their heads, keeping them suppressed.

Laika drove her bike around their flank, catching them by surprise. She shot the first two birds before they could react, blazing past them atop her bike. As she drove past the third, she swung her arm, delivering a skull shattering pistol-whip.

She sailed past the fourth, who pushed himself off the ground into a crouch, intending to take aim at Laika, only to place his head squarely in Kara's line of fire. His skull exploded in a cloud of red mist as Kara hit her target. Laika's bike growled to a stop, and she put it in park. She hopped off the bike, and reloaded her revolver as she turned her attention to the two wounded birds.

She stomped towards them, rage burning behind her helmet. The bird with the wounded knee threw up his hands, and Laika noticed he had a white armband on his left arm. "Wait, don't! We surrender! We don't wanna fight!"

Laika leveled her gun. "Good for you." She didn't lower the revolver, but she didn't fire either. A part of her wanted to, her trigger finger almost fought against her to fire, angry as she was. Instead, she waited for Kara to come to a stop by her side. "What do you think?" Laika asked.

Kara looked from Laika, to the wounded bird, and in the blink of an eye, drew her pistol and fired, putting a round between the bird's eyes, and a split second later, another shot aimed at the other bird still clutching his guts, putting him out of his agony.

"We can't take them with us, and there's nowhere to put them even if we could. Besides, those wounds were fatal." Kara said.

Laika looked at the corpses. She didn't disagree, but shooting those two birds felt wrong. But what was done was done, and Laika was somewhat grateful Kara was the one to do it.

Laika turned her attention away from the bodies, and scanned the lumber yard, looking for any other birds that might be hiding. The only thing she could see was more tracks leading further up the mountain.

She hopped back on her bike, and followed the tracks, her ire growing as she and Kara moved through what was once a forest, now finding only the ghost of one remaining. She snarled. Most of the trees here were centuries old, only able to grow thanks to the ashes of her people buried here.

It wasn't long before they reached the tallest tree in the forest, which to Laika's relief was still standing, though it was clear the birds had started the process of felling the tree.

Laika scanned the area, seeing plenty signs of Birds, their vehicles and machinery littering the place, but didn't see any Birds. She turned to Kara. "See anything?"

Kara shook her head. "Not out here, it looks like they're inside the tree."

Laika followed Kara's gaze, seeing bootprints leading inside the hollowed out tree. "So get ready for a fight then?"

"Most definitely." Kara responded.

The pair readied their weapons, and entered the massive tree. They swept the area inside, and again, found nothing.

"Where the hell are they?" Laika demanded, frustrated.

"Waiting for us to spring the trap, no doubt." Kara said, keeping her weapon raised. Kara's head and rifle suddenly snapped upwards, noticing something out of Laika's sight. "Heads up!" Kara barked as she fired at whatever she saw.

Laika quickly reoriented herself, and saw the thing Kara was shooting at. The Birds had used their geneticists to create an abomination, the thing that bore down on Laika looked as though a bird's corpse had been stripped down and shaped into a snake, its bones covered with leaves, allowing it to blend in with the trees it infested.

A dozen Birds dangled from ropes tied to its spine, firing as the woodcrawler passed over them. Laika accelerated, avoiding the incoming fire, while Kara simply stood still, shrugging off the bullets as she returned fire, killing three of them. The Crawler wrapped around another tree, coming back around for another attack. Laika was ready this time, as she leveled her pistol at the creature.

It flung itself over them again, shrieking as it sailed over their heads, and the Birds fired. Laika felt a sharp pain and the feeling of something hot and wet running down her left arm just as she fired her first shot, causing her to flinch and miss the shot. She growled, fighting to ignore the pain, took aim again and fired, this time hitting her target.

Three more corpses fell from the bowels of the woodcrawler as Kara fired, leaving five left.

The woodcrawler shrieked again, and whipped its tail towards Kara, who attempted to jump out of the way. Its bony tail struck Kara's cuisses, wrapped around her thigh, and cut open her back, eliciting a roar of pain from Kara as she felt it scratch at her spine.

Laika reloaded her pistol, and prepared to fire as the woodcrawler came around for another volley. She and the Birds exchanged fire, with Laika killing two more. But the Birds didn't miss either.

Laika felt their bullets rip through her chest and neck, and her bike tumbled end over end as she lost control and choked on her own blood. When she landed, her skull hit the ground hard, snapping her neck, her lifeless body tumbling to a halt.

She felt as if every cell in her body screamed in agony as her body and soul were torn apart, and then, she became nothing.

Then, in an instant, Laika saw a flash, a rush of memories; Puppy building her wreath, the Birds desecrating her peoples resting place, then her death. Then she was remade, reforming atop her bike in front of the bone memorial by Unae's hut. "Fuck." Laika hissed.

Unae stared at Laika, surprised. "Laika dear, what happened?"

"Not now!" Laika barked as she pushed her bike as fast as it could go. She needed to get back to the tree.

She kicked up massive plumes of dust as she retraced her steps, blowing past the lumber mill and the corpses soaking the dirt there as she climbed the mountain.

When she rejoined the battle, she found Kara still fighting the woodcrawler. The Bird soldiers riding it were dead, and the creature was doing its best to make sure Kara joined them. Its mouth yawned open, attempting to crush Kara in its jaw, while Kara's hands gripped its upper and lower beak, fighting to keep it at bay. Laika didn't hesitate, she drew her revolver and fired into the abomination's skull. It reared backwards, screaming as it died. Its corpse collapsed lifelessly, and Kara rolled her shoulders as she turned to Laika. "Thanks for the help." Kara said, nodding in gratitude.

"No problem. How's your back?" Laika asked.

"All healed. Hurt like hell though." Kara said, turning so Laika could see for herself. Sure enough, there was no sign of the injury Kara had sustained. Not for the first time, Laika wondered what that felt like, having your body stitch itself back together that quickly. She looked around, and let out an audible "Oh." Her eyes settled on what was considered the most beautiful flower in the wastelands. A Heartglaze, its petals a vibrant orange. Laika hopped off her bike, and plucked the flower. Puppy was going to be ecstatic when Laika brought this back.

As Kara and Laika made their way back to Unae, they made sure to gather the materials Zooey needed to make the shotgun as the sunset over their heads. When they stopped at Unae's, Laika greeted her. "You were right Unae, there were birds further up the mountain."

"I knew something was wrong. You took care of them, I take it?"

"Yeah, they're dead. But they won't stop; you should come back to Where We Live, it's not safe for you here anymore." Laika said.

Unae smiled, and shook her head. "Thank you for your concern dear, but I'm too old to worry about death anymore. Besides, someone has to keep the graves company." The old woman said warmly.

"If that's what you want." Laika said.

As Laika and Kara reached the bottom of the mountain, Laika stopped. "Hey, you mind if we stop somewhere first? Wanna check a place out."

"Not at all." Kara said.

"Thanks, it's not far from here." Laika said, before following the road east. After a few minutes, her destination came into view, a lone gas station. A pair of Birds were milling about, watching the road. Before they could do anything, Laika took care of them. She and Kara passed their corpses, both of whom sported a white armband. As Laika parked her bike, and entered the station Kara observed the bands, wondering what they signified. Laika found the gas station's attendant, Kally.

"Hey biker, what brings you here?" The ox asked.

"Wanted to see if you got anything new." Laika said as she browsed the store.

Kally nodded. "A couple of things. Let me know if anything catches your eye."

Laika hummed, and after a minute, settled on three things. She found a couple of guitar strings which would probably work with Kai's guitar, and a toy bicycle and handheld console, both of which would be perfect gifts for Puppy.

She bought the items, thanked Kai, and got back on her bike. Kara pushed off the wall she'd been leaning on, and the pair retraced their path west.

Laika stopped again when she arrived at Kai and Qwota's lean-to. "Hey Kai, will these work?" She asked, showing the strings to the guitarist.

Kai looked them over. "Yeah, yeah these will work! Thanks Laika! Looks like the Wastelanders are gonna perform live at Where We Live again!"

Qwota stopped rocking back and forth, seemingly roused from his stupor. "My bar… my… what?"

Accompanied by Kai and Qwota, Laika and Kara returned to Where We Live at nightfall, their arrival met with some excitement. Laika noted with some satisfaction that people seemed happy to see The Wastelanders again, even if it was only two members of the band. And after the pair began to play, it was obvious why. Kara stayed by the campfire with the gathering crowd, watching them play as Laika continued home.

When she saw her house, she also saw her neighbor's daughter, Tressie sitting on her house's roof, staring at the stars sadly. Laika stopped by the girl. "Hey!" She called out, getting Tressie's attention. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I can't stand my dad's crying." Tressie said sadly. "And my body's starting to hurt."

Laika placed a hand on her hip. "Hurt how?"

"My belly." Tressie said. "It's been hurting really bad lately, and I saw blood come out of me." She continued. "Am I gonna die like your daughters?"

Laika felt a twinge of pain in her heart. "No, Tressie, you're not gonna die. I'll get some medicine to help you with the pain tomorrow."

"Okay." Tressie said, sounding not entirely convinced.

Laika stepped inside her house, and saw Puppy still awake, busy finishing her wreath. "Hey Pup, how was your day?" Laika asked warmly.

When she heard Laika's voice, Puppy bolted upright, and wrapped her arms around Laika enthusiastically. "Mommy! My day was really good, did you find the flower for Poochie?"

Laika hugged Puppy back. "Yeah I did, got it right here." Laika said, pulling the flower out of her bag.

Puppy gasped, and her eyes widened in excitement when she saw the flower. "It's so pretty!" She yelped in excitement. She snatched the flower, and slid it inside the wreath. "Finished!" She squealed. Puppy picked up the wreath, and showed it off to Laika.

"It's beautiful honey. Poochie will love it." Laika smiled. "But that's not all I have for you. Here." Laika produced the toy bike and console.

Puppy's already exuberant smile grew wider, and she jumped up and down in childish glee. "A bike! I can finally go with you!"

Laika knelt. "You'll probably need a lot of practice riding before you're ready for that, Puppy." Laika smiled.

"Oh yeah… that's probably true. I'm not like you, if I fall I can really get hurt. Unless… Do you think I'll ever be like you mommy?" Puppy asked innocently.

Laika's smile faltered. She couldn't imagine anything worse. Instead of answering, she held out the console. "I also got this for you. It has a bunch of games already installed. I… didn't check the titles though…" Laika said.

"They should call them all 'mommy simulator'. 'Cus if they kill you, you can try again." Puppy said sweetly, before falling ponderously silent. "What's that like?" Puppy asked.

Laika's smile disappeared. She didn't like where this conversation had gone. "It's like every cell in my body screams while it's torn apart, then in an instant, I'm nothing, just gone. Then I remember everything. Everything from what I ate that morning, to how I died… the smell of tangerines…" Laika shook her head as her mind began to drift. "It's getting late. Have you had dinner yet?"

"Nuh-uh." Puppy said.

"Alright, how about I make some rice-burgers before bed?"

Puppy gasped in excitement. "Yeah!"

While Laika was cooking dinner, The Wastelanders finished playing, and Kara stopped by. "Hey Auntie Kara!" Puppy said through a mouthful of food, spitting bits on the floor.

"Don't talk with your mouthful honey." Laika said.

"Hello little one. "Kara said warmly. "Have you finished your wreath?"

Puppy bolted upright. "Yeah! It's right here, isn't it pretty?" Puppy asked, brandishing the wreath proudly.

"It's beautiful, Puppy." Kara said.

"Thanks." Puppy giggled. "Can you take it to Poochie tomorrow?"

Before Laika could answer, Kara responded. "I could take it tonight, while you two sleep." She said.

"Really? Yes please!" Puppy said, scrambling over to Kara, eagerly handing the wreath to Kara.

"Thank you, Kara." Laika said, genuinely touched by the woman's generosity.

"Yeah, thank you Auntie Kara!" Puppy gleamed.

"No problem. Sleep well, both of you." Kara nodded to them, and left the mother and daughter to enjoy their dinner. She felt the warm glow of their home fade, and was replaced by the cold vigil of the stars above as she began to trek back.