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Post by Kelathi on Jan 17, 2016 22:05:47 GMT
He couldn’t help the laugh that tore from his lips, despite his better judgment and their circumstances. Her answer had thoroughly taken him aback. Remembering himself, the chuckle died, but a faint smile was still visible on his face in the gloom. “Right.” He simply replied, getting ahold of himself. “We should keep moving.” He stated, even though it was he whom had originally stopped. He unfolded his arms and began to move again.
They walked for a while in relative silence, only the soft patter of their feet, specifically the horse’s, could be heard. As they pressed on, the tunnel widened into a great expanse, collars keeping the ceiling aloft. The floor gradually, and thankfully, became mossy, silencing their footsteps. It was perhaps surprising that anything green had managed to flourish in the darkness, but life will always find a way. There was a faint light up ahead, which grew and brightened steadily as they approached. Soon, it was evident how the plants had managed to survive.
A giant hole in the rusted metal ceiling, wooden, rotting debris hanging down over the lip of the rift, tangled in sprouting vines. Evidentially, above the surface a house had collapsed, or perhaps the tunnel’s fragile ceiling had demolished the building? Either way, it spewed into their path like blood from an open wound. He paused. The sky outside had yet to darken, which the survivor within him noted was good. He scanned the scene quickly, looking for signs of movement, listening for groans or shuffling feet. When he was satisfied that there was no immediate danger, he stepped forward. They would need to find a way through… He spied a small hole, and after shining his light into the gloom on the other side and seeing no one, he turned to Katya. She would be able to squeeze through that hole. But as for the horse and himself… He would need to find a way to create a gap without sending the whole structure crashing down… “Help me with this, and don’t pull on anything that makes the structure creak.”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 18, 2016 1:44:36 GMT
Only Kirill had given the human a strange look for the sudden burst of laughter. Wasn’t that usually taken as an insult? Katya was far too busy ignoring him to look over in surprise. Instead, she focused on what was ahead – and making sure there was no “who” to discover.
The hole was a source of fascination for the two oddballs, who studied it intently and not simply for escape. Katya came up as close as she could, given how Max had leaned in to check for anything beyond. She glanced at him at his comment. “Help with what?” she began to ask, as usual keeping her voice low enough to not echo. Realizing what was likely intended as she asked, she began to move towards the hole, but suddenly twisted around. This corresponded with the horse’s sudden push forward, Katya’s voice echoing down the tunnel at full volume.
“No!”
She suddenly threw herself at the horse, shoving him back into the darkness. “Kirill… don’t… not in front of him,” she pleaded, forgetting to shift her language. The horse struggled for a few moments, but settled at last, snorting unhappily. The one unknown danger addressed, and the two listened to see if their actions had attracted anything. Hearing nothing after a few panicked moments, Katya hugged Kirill’s face and made her way back towards the hole, far more cautious than she would have been before. She gave no look to Max, nor did she show any indication of having any intention of explaining why she would risk being heard to stop her horse from doing something.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 18, 2016 2:16:30 GMT
He had been just about to answer her when this time, the sudden noise made him almost jump out his skin. His immediate reaction had been to whip the rifle off his shoulder, assuming there must be infected about, but when he saw this was not the case, and after the initial pause to check nothing had heard... He looked furious. Danger averted, he swung the gun back onto his shoulder, and snapped, "I swear to god, woman! If I have to gag you to keep your mouth shut- I will!" Was she doing this purposely? Did she want the infected to come through some kind of morbid curiosity? Well, he was not going to die because of her! He turned back to the hole, still fuming and wondering how he could make it any clearer to her the need to be quiet, and began working on the hole himself, pulling away heavy beams and strips of flooring. "Stay back, I'll do this." He growled, figuring he was better off not asking for her help after all.
Soon enough and without calamity, he had cleared enough space for the horse to fit through, even if it was a little bit of a tight squeeze. He had calmed down now, but his expression was still grim, and he had yet to lose the tension in his arms and shoulders. "You should go first, to calm your horse and guide him through." He stated sternly, stepping away from the hole.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 18, 2016 6:14:12 GMT
It was only at his note about doing the work that Katya pulled back, swallowing the growl he let out and letting Kirill feel the guilt for it. Had she not stopped him, a ferret would have searched the area above first, and just left the human there. Not only would the human be abandoned, their only guide at this point, but even if the human had been able to follow, he would know they were not normal. As it was, she simply had switched from a horse to a dog and back again, rather than the same beast never having left her side. So instead of defending herself, or pushing through, she let him work, glad to let him do the heavy lifting.
As Max finished with the hold, once more growling at them, Kirill looked cowed as he followed Katya, who had already softly forgiven him for his hasty decision. She had yet to speak to Max since the incident, and continued to remain silent towards him as she slipped through, blinking as she stepped into the light. Kirill slipped through with no problem, and it almost seemed that he had sucked in his sides to slip through as silently as possible. Once they were outside, able to see that it was indeed safe, Katya sent the horse a smile before a quick spin, simply happy to be above ground, once more able to access the sky.
She quickly controlled the feeling as Max came out, not wanting to offer him any other things to critique.
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 11, 2016 2:13:20 GMT
The sky opened its arms to them, framed by trees and fleeting patches of blue amongst greying clouds. Rain now would be both a blessing and a curse. Heavy enough and it would mask the sound of their presence… unfortunately; this could work both ways- the sound of a clicker was much harder to hear in a downpour.
Around them, a forest. It looked pretty formidable, but Max knew the way. Human-made landmarks were placed here and there- a red strip of cloth on a tree branch, or perhaps a carving in a trunk, all small signals that lead the way. First the forest, then the abandoned city… That was the part that was not going to be fun. The regular walkways to pass through for scavenging expeditions were usually managed in an attempt to keep them void of walkers, or at least, they were supposed to be. But walls collapse, the landscape changed constantly, and walkers were mobile... They would need to be on their guard just as much as anywhere else.
He began to walk, also feeling the tension temporarily relieved from his body, although he did not seem to show it. Being amongst the trees, walking on the soft grass… you could almost forget that the apocalypse had happened, pretend that you are out hiking, that the bag on your back was full of sandwiches instead of nail bombs, and the gun slung over your shoulder was a trekking pole…
It would be at this point that you might notice that the forest is silent, and reality would come crashing back down...
Birds were one of the first species to go. For a while it had been suggested that the disease had begun as a type of zoonosis, that it had mutated in birds and had been transmitted to humans. Whilst the idea was later scrapped as the origin of the disease was found to be fungal, birds nevertheless began to die in mass. Songbirds were hit the hardest. The hardier species, such as corvids, somehow managed to survive, and were the species that dominated the aerial kingdom now. Why so many birds had died in the first place was unclear. Birds dropped from the skies daily, but by the time the world realized this was not a pandemic caused by a mutation in a strain of avian influenza, it was too late. The walkers came next.
Walkers did not tend to eat animals, although they had been seen to feed on occasion on the carcasses of already deceased animals- seemingly more out of something akin to curiosity than hunger. A deer could prance noisily through a walker-infected city and get no more than a passing glance in its direction. In fact, they often did. This was the other challenge that humans must face in this world- the animal kingdom. From rabid dogs to scores of exotic zoo escapees- it was not unheard of to be unlucky enough to come across a lion, or a poisonous snake in these concrete jungles. Max had yet to come across any, although they were possible, it was rare. As keepers turned most of the animals unfortunately starved behind iron bars before animal rights activists could reach them. Therefore it was unlikely… but not impossible.
Animals such as foxes and cats did particularly well in this new dystopian land, able to navigate decaying structures more readily than dogs. It was these animals that Max would be keeping an eye out for; they would need to eat on this journey, after all. Although deer were much more desirable, they were much more elusive than their felid alternatives. For now, they had some bread, but meat spoiled quickly on the move, so would be better sought out on the journey than brought along.
On the upside, the sound of the horse’s hooves was much stifled by the grassy ground. No longer caged in, Max’s spirits were temporarily lifted, and he decided to take the moment to attempt to engage in conversation with his troublesome companion. Her contempt for him had not been missed, and although he stood true to the way he had acted, it was a matter of life and death, after all, for better or worse they were stuck with each other for a few days. He thought he might as well attempt to smooth things over... “What’s his name?” He asked, nodding towards the horse.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Mar 15, 2016 17:41:08 GMT
The giddy feeling of freedom above the ground hadn’t entirely dissipated for either of the odd pair, the energy of the distant clouds invigorating. Rain! One of the last few joys out in the wild… mud puddles, racing through the trees to see who could stay the driest, feeling the world being renewed. How so like her mother, her father would say.
This was all that kept Kirill from his guilt at almost revealing what they were, Katya encouraging him. Hadn’t she almost revealed it herself? Yes, so the past was the past. Besides, he had to carry her pack. A few minutes of readjusting the saddle bags to account for her own heavy supplies and they were off.
Kirill was the only other one of the group to notice the lack of birdsong. Despite his often childish mannerisms, he was in fact quite old, old enough to remember the beginning. Katya had been raised without such things, an unusual product of the apocalypse as she still felt hope and cheer for the future. She was used to the woods being quiet, the more human-friendly creatures few and far between anymore. Of course she knew of these things, but it also meant she knew why. A curse gone too far. Two sides to blame. And those like her, treading a path that tried to avoid both.
While walking, Katya couldn’t help her curiosity trying to pick apart Max. A human willing to leave the so-called sanctuary to help her get to another human settlement that was apparently not only hard to get to – y’know, given the infected – but hard to get into. And not because of the infected. Sounded rather like a non-survival instinct. And during this journey, as careful as Katya and Kirill would be, it was very possible that their secret would be revealed. How would Max react to that? Could he have any idea that it was in part because of one like them that they had the apocalypse in the first place? Of course it wasn’t just her peoples’ fault, humans were very much a part of the problem, but humans were more the method than the means… Besides, Max clearly had his own agenda, something referred to by both he and Johnny. What was that about? Did it have to do with Max’s past? Who was Max, anyway? Could she trust him, with or without knowing her secret? How’d he survive to get as weathered as he looked? Why would he be willing to help her?
And who the devil is Lar?!
Katya might be good at keeping secrets, but she hated having them kept from her.
It was this line of thought that got Katya to once more seem a little less than interested in Max by not responding immediately. It wasn’t contempt, so much as distracted. “Who’s – oh! He’s Kirill,” Katya replied once she got the connection, glancing to the horse who snorted at the human. “Behave yourself, we need him,” Katya grumbled at him, pausing when Kirill’s response was to trot ahead a few paces. He wasn’t happy with having Max there at all. “Kirill, stop being so stubborn and make nice! I don’t care how you feel about him!” Katya growled as she tried to run and catch up, not even realizing she was speaking English.
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Post by Kelathi on Jun 4, 2016 22:39:12 GMT
Max cocked a smile as the horse trotted away, with Katya chasing after him. "Perceptive horse." he merely commented under his breath, although his meaning was not immediately clear. The smile did not last long, however... as buildings began to loom into sight. The floor inclined steadily for a while, until finally, the trees opened up to reveal a scene of decadence.
Buildings rose before them, skyscrapers bowed under the pressure of age. All around they could see caved in-walls of houses, the sides gaping open like copen wounds and showing collapsed floors. Nature prevailed, without the interference of human maintenance, ivy steadily reclamed the land that greenery had previously lost.
He stared straight ahead, scanning the scene for any signs of movement, years of experience teaching him to be wary, and not to charge in straight away. “See that building?” He spoke to Katya, pointing towards a domed building a few blocks away. “That’s our first stop. Aiden’s been known to camp out there often when performing drops.” He began to walk down the hill. “It’s closer than it looks, I’ve walked this way before. But there’s gonna be infected, and because of your horse…” He glanced at Kirill, “…we will have to take another route.” The statement wasn’t accusing, merely an observation. As he walked, he swung his shotgun off his shoulder casually, holding it in his hands. Only clickers were especially sensitive to noise, so usually it would be possible to take out a few with a shotgun without inviting a whole horde.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jun 4, 2016 23:15:42 GMT
If Katya had heard Max’s soft comment about the horse, she would have countered with “stupid horse” before she could stop herself. Saying more than she was supposed to was a bad habit, especially due to a naive lack of experience hiding important facts. As it was not situation-based, even as she felt herself grow uneasy as the buildings began to loom overhead, there was still the risk she would say that one phrase, utter the words it would take to give away the entire game.
Her unease with the ruins of the city was focused in two ways; one, she had been warned against them of course. The infected congregated here, almost as if still driven to follow the old pathways of life. But cities also tended to draw humans, looking for supplies of one sort or another, the kind that had already long since vanished from the shelves of safer locations. The second reason behind her unease was, raised in a world after the fall of mankind, she was used to suburban areas; having the horizon blocked was unnerving.
The second reason was the main motivator behind her step eventually falling in line with Max’s. He might be human, but he was at least a known quantity, despite how little she actually knew him. Kirill kept his distance longer, but they had spent many years under the protection and guidance of a human - it was hard not to fall into similar patterns once danger loomed. At least they had been subtle, slowly inching closer until they were within a safe distance. The shops looked more alien than the greenery, the holes more welcome than they might appear to be.
Max’s words were quickly picked up given their proximity, Katya within brushing touch of the arm that was raised, leaning in to see. “Because of Kirill?” she echoed, her surprise written all over her face before she raced in front to stop him. “Waitwaitwait! If there IS infected, Kirill will be a lot faster in case we need to run,” she argued, hands up as if she could possibly stop him physically. “Besides, he’s a good defense against the infected!”
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Post by Kelathi on Feb 8, 2019 18:13:02 GMT
Max looked at her quizzically as she spoke, letting her finish what she had begun to say before speaking. “I wasn’t suggesting we leave him.” He clarified, seeming amused at her explosive response to what she had thought he had meant. “Nor that we don’t go to the domed building. I just mean we will need to take a different way, one with less climbing, and as a consequence, riskier.” Whilst infected could just about climb stairs, ladders or high walls were an effective barrier against them. As such, the route Max would normally take was out of the question with a horse in tow. Hooking the crossbow off his shoulder, he looked at her expectantly before stepping onto the street. “Ready?”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Feb 9, 2019 3:38:16 GMT
“But if we’re out in flatter areas, it’ll be easier for the infected to find us!” Katya pleaded, in spite of the fact that she understood why he was suggesting this alternate path. She understood Max’s confusion at what she was asking but unhappy that Kirill’s secret could cost them safety. True, she had kept the shapeshifter from doing just that not long before, escaping the underground tunnel at nearly all of Max’s patience, but there hadn’t been infected around. In the city… that could be a wildly different situation.
Drawing herself up to her full, short height, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she let it out with a look of determination, praying that the human would take her seriously. “We should take the safer route, with… more climbing,” she began, referring back to what he had explained. “Kirill won’t be a problem climbing, or jumping or anything else. And if we do encounter anything, he can go back to being a horse and we can ride him out of danger.”
As if to counter her, the horse whiskered, pawing the ground anxiously at her words. She turned and shot him a dirty look, retorting, “Oh, he’s going to find out sooner or later anyway. Do you REALLY want to be running from infected all day?” In a manner hard to describe as anything but sheepish, Kirill lowered his head, ears flicking back. No, no he did not.
Katya turned back to Max, once more adopting the puppy-dog eyes of please-believe-me. “I know it sounds… really really weird, but he’s not a horse. Let’s go the safer route, with less open space. Please?”
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