Fight or Flight

[Kryos]

((Closed to Lexxum Vordic))

Trees rushed past him as he ran. The red leaves surrounding him melted into a crimson blur, staining his world in blood. Sweat fell from his face, his hair, as he pushed onward, deeper and deeper into the forest. His right hand clenched around his sword, muscles straining with effort as he fought to keep going. His breath was deep as his lungs sucked in precious air that fueled his body as it plunged onward. At the sounds of the bloodthirsty howls of the undead behind him, he glanced over his shoulder, eyes catching a brief glint of the afternoon sun. He urged his legs to run faster.

Flying over a fallen tree, his eyes, mirroring the color of the surrounding forest, searched for something that could aid him. Suddenly, he slowed, then veered his course. He came to a halt in front of a large rowan tree. However, he didn’t get closer than eight feet. For it was the teeth that erupted from it’s base that caught his attention in the first place. Careful not to get any nearer, he jogged around the tree once, before taking off into the forest once again, away from his previous trail. His scent should be enough to guide the undead to his trap. He just hoped that it would be enough.

Kryos grinned a minute later, when the undead flew past the trunk of the Dur’Taigen. The tree appeared to burst apart into at least fifteen wolves, each intent on killing their unlucky victims. Sounds of fighting and roars of pain issued from behind him, yet he did not slow. It would be wise for Kryos to put as much distance between himself, and the fighting monsters.

~ / | \ ~

Dropping his muandrian to the ground, Kryos leaned against a tree, utterly spent. His fingers shook from fatigue, and he dropped to his knees. He had run at least five kilometers from the place where he had first seen the Dur’Taigen, and he hoped it would be enough for a brief pause. He blindly reached for his waterskin, and uncapped the container. Drinking deeply, he paused to take a breath of air, then continued drinking, feeling strength slow flow back into his limbs. He let out his breath, and returned his waterskin to his small pack. He closed his eyes, trying to recover from his arduous trek.

Movement. Something was clumsily moving about twenty feet to his right. Kryos’ head snapped up, surprised that the sun had set, and the moon well on its journey. Time had passed. Quickly, summoning some energy, he activated his Lumneye. Checking the area near him, he confirmed that there was only one presence near. And it was growling. Letting his eyes readjust to their normal appearance, Kryos rose slowly, grabbing his sword. His muscles were stiff and sore from his flight, and he winced as they protested. Slowly, he moved into some shadows. The creature was approaching.

Stumbling into view, the undead raised its head, picking up on his scent. It appeared to be a human male. Or at least, that’s what it was. Its clothes were dirty and bloodstained from combat, and his limbs bore many fresh wound from its encounter with the wolves. Kryos’ eyes narrowed. It looked like at least one undead escaped. Hopefully it was the only one, since the rowan was sizable. The creature snarled, and took a step forward. Kryos noticed that it walked with a limp. The Dur’Taigen must have done a good job. Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Kryos prepared to take the only option that was left to him. He slowly stepped into the moonlight that filtered to the ground.

The undead, upon seeing its target, roared. It rushed forward, intent on killing. Kryos, meanwhile, held his ground, sword raised, ready. As the zombie got closer, it leaped to his left with incredible speed. Kryos tried to dodge the incoming blow, but being as tired as he was, received a powerful strike to his shoulder. He fell back, spinning, landing on his hands and knees. Remarkably, his blade was still clenched in his hand. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the monster rushing forward for the kill. Gritting his teeth, Kryos rose to his feet, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The blade, loaded with centripetal force, whistled through the air, and connected with the creature’s neck. The corpse bulled into him, nonetheless, forcing his breath from his lungs. Throwing the body off him, he rose. But the threat was gone. Separated from its command center, the lifeless body was just that, lifeless. The head, meanwhile, was face down on the leafy ground. It would die, or rather, return to being dead, after a few minutes of an energy devoid system. Kryos wiped his muandrian on some leaves, sheathed it, then turned and left the grotesque scene.

Kryos’ vision was growing dim as he stumbled through the dark forest. Trees became shadows, and the little light there was soon blended into grey. He was aware of dropping to the ground by the trunk of an oak tree, and settling into a giant fold of its roots. Bark obscured him from view, except that of directly in front of him, but he didn’t care. He closed his eyes, and slipped into oblivion.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

Meanwhile--

After what happened not too long ago, I found myself standing alone at Fort Valinatal. It was a quaint fortress hugging the Red Forest near the outskirts of the area. Somewhere nearby, screams of pedestrians being torn apart by an army of ravaging zombies was carried across the wind to my ears. I decided it was best to part ways with my companion, a man named Typheus who fought alongside me and my men. Scattering into the wind, my former soldiers abandoned me to my own devices. It was probably for the best anyway. I stood up from the site of my enemy's attack against my person.

I have no idea how much time had passed since I was hit by the Atma Fire maneuver. Netha'Tu, an enemy commander working under Xem'Zund's himself, called forth the power of the Eternal Tap. I became as one with the Tap energies even after I ate several powerful Arta warriors. That might not have been the smartest idea ever on my part, but it was an effective method of getting rid of any Arta foolish enough to get in my way. In the process of fighting against the Arta warriors, I lost my buster sword but gained something else, courage and determination. I faced down my enemy, but he proved to be my superior in combat.

I don't know how many hours passed between Netha'Tu's final attack on the city of Valinatal and his attack upon my person. Netha'Tu's attack was meant for Typheus, but I took the maneuver in Typheus' place. It burned me to my very core and essence. Scars were freshly placed upon my body and I could still feel the pain. One more scream into the early evening air wouldn't make much of a different anyway. By now, Netha'Tu's forced had invaded Valinatal and took it over. Then they moved on to Eluriand. They were going to reinforce whatever one of Xem'Zunds' Commanders were present at Eluriand and reaking all sorts of chaos there.

I was tired and defeated. Despite the pain coursing through my body from the archaic scars, I managed to stand. It was a weak stance, but a stand nonetheless. I took a look at the carnage my men and I had caused. Seeing the body of a nearby soldier of Valinatal, I decided it was best to arm myself before heading out. I grabbed one of the Valinatal broadswords, the scabbard, and a shield. The more I fought alongside the humans, the more I lost many of the old ways of my people back home. I would have many stories to tell them. The immediate situation was Valinatal itself. I would have to go and investigate it to ensure that I could rescue any survivors. I also wanted revenge against Netha'Tu.

But revenge would wait. At my current level of power, I stood no chance versus Netha'Tu. Taking up the mantle of a soldier of Valinatal, I prepared myself to face the disaster at hand. I could still see the smoke rising from the impact point where Netha'Tu's meteor spell struck the city and leveled it. Thousands were instantly killed and more left to suffer from the after effects of the impact point. I gathered up my wits, and walked towards the Valinatal Site.

[Kryos]

Nothing existed. There was no sound, no feeling, no smell in the place that Kryos existed. The void completely covered anything that might have been there, smothering everything into emptiness. No emotion could be felt. The terror that might have risen in a man was swept away before it could even be recognized.

Slowly, very slowly, Kryos became more alert. His soul lit up the surrounding nether, pushing back the void. Yet he was alone. There was nothing in his sphere of reality. He set off, searching for others, as well as answers. Kryos constantly looked about him, vainly hoping for some clue. There was none to find. Wandering for hours, Kryos walked, not being able to tell if he was walking in circles, or even moving at all.

Kryos suddenly became aware of a light to his left. Its oncoming was so subtle, he barely noticed it. He paused, hesitating, uncertain of what was to come.

“Well, it has to be better than this eternity of nothing.”

He strode forward, dark clothes rustling against him. As he approached the light, it grew brighter, until he could make out people, walking towards him. The quantity of them astounded him. He approached a man, who was walking with a glazed look to him.

“What is going on here? Who are all of you?”

The man ignored him, pushing onward, softly talking to himself.

“The skies grew dark. . .everything was so peaceful. . .the clouds became rent with fire. . .the terrible meteor descended with might. . .the Second Age of Darkness. . .there was no hope. . .no time. . .

Second Age of Darkness. . .

My Nia. . .

Age of Darkness. . .”

All around him, the people were muttering accounts of the same story. Death, fire, and destruction. And constantly, the shiver of the Second Age of Darkness prevailed. Kryos pushed through the crowds of people, mostly elves, trying to obtain as much information as possible. Then he heard something that chilled his bones.

“Valinatal is no more. . .no more. . .no more. . .”

Kryos swung around to its speaker. The elf was in battle armor. A captain. All at once, the information came together. These were the souls of those who had died at Valinatal. Killed by the impact of a meteor, summoned down from the heavens. Kryos stood there in shock, unbelief in his eyes. If Valinatal had fallen, then the next target was Eluriand. But what could Kryos do.

Slowly, he slipped away from the others, returning to the void. He hopelessly though of a solution to the awful terror that gripped Althanas. Just as he disappeared he wondered.

“What can I do?”

[Lexxum_Vordic]

What can I do? An oppressive feeling filled my heart turning the Blood Lizard's emotion into despair. The moment I felt the terrible devil creeping up inside of me I turned on an emotional front. There were people who needed my help, whatever I could offer them. My walk lasted an eternity but it was a walk that I had made many hundreds of times before. It had become instinctual now so I barely even looked up as I moved towards the former city of Valinatal. It was as terrible as I could have imagined it was. My people were born from strife and conflict, but we had a code of honor. We had a sense of justice and of right and wrong. Netha'Tu and his ilk were evil incarnate to their very core.

Frustration soon came. These demons haunted me as I walked and saw the corpses of the dead. Up ahead, battles were taking place with survivors and elements of Netha'Tu's forces that were too stupid to follow orders. All around, the archaic residue that was my enemy tainted the air with the horrible powers of the Tap. All at once, I came to loathe the Tap and admire its efficient nature. Instinctively, I understood the power of the Tap as I'd come in contact with it for the briefest of moments. It was unnatural power, but it promised to make me stronger. So, another day, I would pursue its secrets and seek to control its power. Then, I would have enough power on hand to take on my enemy, Netha'Tu, and best him in battle.

There, at the center of former Valinatal was a giant crater. Digging into the earth like a gash upon Althanas' surface, the meteor site gave off a distinct and strangely glowing energy. The color of radioactive force was a mysterious green hue that subtly affected everything in its immediate environment. That included people. I felt intrigue when it came to that strange source of energy, but I ignored it for the time being. There were more battles to be fought and a different feeling touched my heart when I saw the destruction of Valinatal. This feeling was all too familiar to me, it was anger and hatred. I allowed those emotions to engulf me, filling me with a newfound purpose. The people of Valinatal needed my help! I could do something!

Marching towards Hell's maw, I started the process of investigating the nearby buildings. There were dead everywhere. Fires from the impact site scorched everything with a thick layer of burnt matter. The entire grounds at Valinatal were inexplicably hot. They reminded me of the sands back home at Fallien, only a hundred fold worse. I unsheathed my swords and started to pick off the bodies of those that were too injured to be helped. There were many who were burnt to a crisp, literally. These were beyond the aide of even the most powerful song-spells of healing. I finished the few off that still clung to life and were an unfit meal even for a zombie. The whole affair made me angry and I embraced it. As I explored the first structure that was once a family home, I marveled at the devastation that Netha'Tu had caused.

It was nearly completely. Charred documents and furniture floated in the air as a breeze created a small twister of objects and debris. Hellfire scorched the wind. Everything was hot to the touch. A part of me rejoiced this matter because Valinatal felt like Fallien felt. For a moment, I allowed myself to reminisce of home. I could see desert dunes and this brought a smile to lips. After that brief moment of thought, I put myself back to the task at hands. Suddenly, something stirred in the building I inspected and I prepared myself for imminent combat...

I knew what I could do. I could fight.

[Kryos]

A cool breeze startled Kryos from his slumber. His silver eyes jerked open, alert for any danger, then relaxed, seeing no threat. The moon was directly above him, disappearing now and again as clouds drifted by. He had slept for three, maybe four hours, during which he had seen that strange scene. He didn’t doubt its truth either, no matter how hard it was to accept that Valinatal was destroyed. The grief and fear that radiated from the souls that he had encountered made him clench his fists in anger. He would ensure that they would not be forgotten. But what could he do by himself?

Another cool breeze wafted past him, and he shed his midnight cloak, and wrapped it around his body. He could feel his sore muscles as they stretched, and knew that it would be at least a day before he could get back to normal movement. Adjusting himself against the giant tree, he tried to obtain a more comfortable position. All around him, the trees of the Red Forest swayed, leaves softly rustling in the night, hiding the dangers that lurked within. As Kryos closed his eyes, he tried to remain alert for any danger that might sneak up on him while he slept. After all, Dur’Taigen wasn’t the worst thing out there. He hoped that he could sleep undisturbed, and be ready to move the following morning. He would head west, closer to Valinatal, to see for himself, the horrible battlefield where so many perished.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

Indeed there were many dead and many who suffered. Everyone had lost someone during Netha'Tu's horrible attack. I, Lexxum Vordic, touched death myself. But my Lord Mitra intervened on my behalf and petitioned for my revival. The blood of my people was powerful, well structured, capable of surviving many traumas. I adjusted the grip of my clockwork hand around the handle of my newly acquired sword.

Blood already dripped from the weapon thanks to the suffering that I dispatched. The shield felt heavy against my own body weight, but I lifted it with ease. I'd stolen a sword and a shield from the warriors of Valinatal, as well as a cloak. It bore the embroidered markings of the Soldiers of Valinatal. Shattered glass from broken windows littered the floor around me. Everything was scorched. I saw a metal table and heard the source of the noise.

It was a whimpering sound. I sighed as I prepared myself for the inevitable task that I needed to complete. Moving the table, I saw something that shocked me! A survivor! She was a young Elf wearing a tattered pink dress. She was dirty, but otherwise in good form. She was clearly under an incredible sense of trauma. Looking up at me, she let out another loud shriek that could potentially draw enemy units to our position. I shook my head at the little girl and reached out with a hand.

"Don't hurt me! Momma and poppa are gone! Brother and Sister too! Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me!" She started to cry. I extended my hand towards her, unsure what to do. "Come with me if you want to live." I suddenly found myself saying without realizing why I said the ancient phrase. Traumatized, the little girl could sense that I meant her no harm. She took my hand and I easily lifted her up on top of my powerful trapezius muscle. "The bad men ate my family." She said in a strangely calm voice. "Were there many bad men? These things are called Arta in the tongues of my people." I responded to the little girl acting as her caretaker. "There were a lot. At least twenty of them." Lord Mitra be blessed. A survivor. The little girl was strong and I could teach her the ways of my people. "We shall have to be careful then. Let's go." As I prepared to leave the house, I heard a barking sound nearby. "It's Alk! Alk is still alive. Please, scaley Mr. Can you save Alk also?" I could tell that this was going to be a very long day.

"I shall try to."

[Kryos]

Dawn.

A red sun rose over the great trees of the forest, casting amber light on the already crimson leaves. Yet no bird chirped its greeting to the sun. No wildlife stirred within the forest’s depths. Silence endured.

Rising from his resting place, grimacing due to his sore body, Kryos put on his sword and pack, readjusted his cloak, and set off at a brisk pace through the radiant glow of the branches about him. If he was lucky, he would be able to get to Valinatal tomorrow by sundown. That is, if he didn’t run into any inconveniences.

As he wove between trunks, he wondered why everything was happening like this. Why did Xem'Zund want Raiaera in the first place? Especially if he killed its entire population. Fury at the destruction of Valinatal slowly bloomed in his heart. He needed to do something to help. But what exactly that was, Kryos was at a loss.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

Right now, Valinatal was the situation at hand. I heard no field reports from any other Commanders currently fighting Xem'Zund's forces elsewhere in Raiaera. I feared the worse. If Valinatal had suffered such a fate what about the rest of Raiaera's ancient cities? Were they fairing any better or simply much, much worse? I didn't want to think about such a dread outcome

Instead, I focused on the situation at hand. Survivors. Anybody I could rescue and get hell out of dodge was in immediate need of assistance by my scale covered form. I kicked open a door that held the barking noise and was surprised to see a single golden retriever fending off four unarmed Arta. It didn't look like the dog was bitten anywhere on its form. So I took the opportunity to prepare my sword and dive into combat, making sure that the little girl was safe the whole time.

The safest place for her to be was on my person. She shrieked out Alk's name catching the attention of the Arta. With the Arta's vessel still floating in my blood stream, I knew biting them was out of the question unless absolutely necessary. I remembered what happened the last time. I didn't want to put any of the survivors at risk in case I transformed into the black scale form once more.

Evading to the side, one of the nearest zombies went straight for me seeing a much larger meal approaching the room. I brought my sword up at the slow moving creature. Even though they knew that they stood no chance against me, the Arta warriors fought anyway. Without fear, without remorse of any sort. I respected the strength that the Arta possessed. As it moved, I swung my weapon to counter its movement on instinct. My killer instincts were sharp and I moved with purpose. A moment later, I heard the satisfying sound as the head of the creature was severed from its body. It was rolling on the floor a moment later. The other Arta warriors moved upon me, but one stayed attempting to attack Alk. The fearless canine warrior roared as it instinctively knew that its strong maw was out of the question for this battle. It took deadly swipes at the nearest Arta, keeping it at bay. He growled and revealed his sharp fangs whilst he fought to keep the Arta at arm's bay. I respected the courage of the dog. A moment later I took down another zombie by severing its upper body.

I was already used to the tactics of these savage creatures. I saw them battle first hand in the Fortress at Valinatal. So I knew what to do, I knew that their weak spot was their head from experience. So I went to work on this small group of Arta warriors with swift tactics and strategy. Soon, they were all dead. I removed the little girl from my shoulders and placed her on the back of the powerful golden retriever named Alk. The dog licked my hand in gratitude for saving him. I nodded to the fellow predator and continued to go on my way.

"My name is Anne Mr. Thank you for saving Alk."

"All right Anne. I'm trying to see if there are anymore people needing rescue. Then we can get the hell out of here understand? Raiaera is not safe anymore."

"The bad men are everywhere. I didn't see many other people."

"Me either, but it doesn't hurt to look. You Elves are a clever lot indeed."

After I said that, I heard a loud explosion erupt outside. Immediately, I moved with a mission outside and saw the fire bursting upward from the explosion. Several Elves were fending off a large group of Arta that gathered around a smaller group of pedestrians. There were screams. But apparently there were some people who could be saved as well. I moved forward and Alk followed me keeping a swift pace. It was a wise choice on my part to put Anne on the back of the huge dog, it was an ideal riding beast for someone so small.

"Hang on tight, Anne!"

Several burnt corpses of the dead rested upon the ground near where the explosion took place. I heard shouts in Elven as they saw my approach against the Arta warriors. My sword dripped with Arta blood and they immediately saw me as an ally. I wore the cloak of a Valinatal Warrior and a few of them recognized me from earlier encounters. I went to quickly dispatch this group of Arta warriors and rescue any survivors that were present at this battle site. There were ten all together. But with the support of the Elves on the rooftops, I was able to take the Arta warriors down much faster. Arrows backed up with Elven skill hit some of the Arta and within moments, the slaughter was over. Four more people were there fending off the Arta, but one of them had an injury on his arm. Once I was done getting rid of the Arta I walked over to the four survivors. The Elves on the rooftop descended to the street level, ten of them all together. They walked over to me and the rest of the survivors. The Captain of the Elves was a man I recognized from earlier encounters with the Valinatal military.

"Report Soldier."

"Hail Captain. Fort Valinatal has fallen. There are few survivors from the brigade, most of them managed to escape. Commander Typheus and I parted ways when we realized it was too dangerous to for us to stick together. I don't know where he is. The name of the enemy Commander was a Necromancer calling himself Netha'Tu. He commanded the powers of the Eternal Tap. It was he who leveled Valinatal with the meteor spell. I've been looking for survivors ever since and found you all. He is injured."

I pointed to the one with the injury on his arm. "He could be infected with Arta blood. Do you have the cure?" The Elves had long ago developed a cure for the Arta's bite. I didn't bother stating that I was infected because the Arta's infection affected my people in a slightly more positive way. I didn't want the cure. The Arta's blood would be my curse. I would carry it as an unwanted guest. It turned out that they did have the cure on them and implemented it immediately. The lad who was bitten was saved.

"Commander Vordic. Take them to a safe location outside of Valinatal. Our field reports suggests that Eluriand still stands. But your Netha'Tu may be heading there next. Take them outside, to Corone or Alerar. You've earned the mantle of a hero of Raiaera and are always welcome here Lexxum Vordic, son of Vexxum Vordic."

"What about the crash site?"

"It's too dangerous right now. There's an energy substance it's giving off. We are calling it Reiko energy for the time being. We have no idea how it interacts with the living and have ordered everyone to keep away from the site. Its a quarantined zone."

"And what will you be doing?"

"There are Arta warriors left in the city. We're going to pick off the remaining zombies and clean up this mess. Try to rebuild. Netha'Tu didn't completely wipe us off the map. Many buildings still stand. We can move Valinatal to a secondary site. We're also going to ask the House of Sora for help." I nodded to him. I heard that the House of Sora was famous for being able to help with humanitarian causes.

"May Lady Suravani bless your endeavors and watch over you. May Lord Mitra give you the strength to strike your enemies down with all the hate of the Elves."

"Be safe brother Vordic. Tell people what happened here."

By the time we parted ways, I was a Soldier First Class of Valinatal's militia. I was given a spare sword as a reward for high heroics against a formidable enemy and a ring with a sigillium of my rankings. It was close to Midnight by the time I left to head towards the Red Forest once more. I was heading away from Valinatal. I'd gotten together a size able group of survivors and lead them as if they were an army. There were two women and two men. They'd immediately developed a fond respect for me. I walked with my sword drawn and kept my eyes on the road. Who knows what dangers lay ahead.

Little did I know I was walking in the the general direction of another survivor...

[Kryos]

It had already been a day since Valinatal had been destroyed.

As Kryos walked through the never-ending trees of the Red Forest, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would be too late. By now, any survivors would most likely be evacuated, or the remains of the undead army would have taken control of the ruins. There seemed like no hope was left concerning one of the great elfin cities. Nonetheless, he pushed onward. He had to see for himself the great devastation that had scarred the earth. He needed to see it, because it could hold a clue to why everything was happening. If he had something in which he might act upon, he would do so, and gain all the more power along the way. The power that defied the evil and corrupt. It was with this reasoning, that Kryos wove through the forest.

His legs and arms were almost back to their normal movement. A full day of walking had seen to that. During the day, he had passed several streams, but all of them unfit to drink from, until an hour ago. Pure, cool water bubbled up from the ground, and Kryos replenished his water supplies. But the forest, overall, was different from all other forests. The silence that enveloped its depths was unnerving. No birds flittered about. No wild animals were ever seen or heard. It was just like the vision Kryos had. The emptiness was absolute.

When the sun began nearing the tops of the Mountains of Dusk, Kryos began angling his course more northward, and out of the forest. He wouldn’t get out for another few hours, due to the angle of his approach, and the distance that he had gone into the forest, but by the time he emerged, he would be more-or-less south of Valinatal. He hoped that something had survived.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

I knew a resupply despot. So I headed over there first, before leaving the great city of Valinatal. Currently a site of mass destruction. Survivors existed here and there. I'd managed to rescue a few of them. A little girl named Anne who was a Half-Elf, her dog, Alk. Alk was a brave golden retriever. There were two others, a man named James Stormdusk, and a woman named Allaria who was an Elf. There were Ellers and Lucas were the two others. At the supply despot, I kicked the door open. There was no sign of life anywhere in the area and so I was hoping to get to the supplies before there could be any looters to these holy grounds.

Stepping into the dark room, I saw that the glow balls, still held up. I grabbed one of the nearest ones and used them as a makeshift lantern. My compatriots walked silently behind me only speaking every so often. I explained to them that we were gathering supplies. They agreed it was for the best. Moving into the despot, I saw many crates and no guards. With such a heavily fortified area, one would think that the area was heavily fortified. There were several bodies near the entrance. I dispatched three more zombies on the way in without incident. Getting over to the supplies, I ordered Ellers and Allaria to procure foodstuffs and fresh water. I procured a fresh tent made of thick hide and other supplies to ready us for the trip ahead. There was an area marked "Spares." This happened to be a convenient weapon storage area. I made sure to grab an extra sword, some repairing equipment, and other necessary supplies for the journey ahead. I gave Anne a sturdy looking dagger made of iron with a scabbard. She happily took the weapon and gave a few practice swings with it.

When everyone gathered their supplies and was ready for the trip ahead, I nodded to them. "Good. Well done. Let's get out of here now, I don't want to stay longer than necessary." They nodded in agreement. "Agreed." James said for the rest of the group. I started the trip out of the warehouse and was well on my way. Leaving Valinatal, they started their trip forward to the Red Forest. Everyone had gathered themselves suitable weapons, fresh water, food, and other crucial supplies for the trip ahead. I knew how to repair damaged equipment so I made sure to grab the proper tools for the job. We walked. It was already becoming late by the time we left Valinatal and started on our way towards the Red Forest. We walked forward and encountered several more zombies on the way to the Red Forest. After several hours of walking, it was close to Midnight. By that time, we'd covered a great deal of distance from the site at Valinatal to the Red Forest. We were heading in the general direction that another was approaching us in...