[ Chapter XIII (13): "03/20/2025— +CITIZEN, +PUPPY, +MULTIPLE HEADED RAVEN'S HATRED" ]
[ "That lights is... expanding?" ]
Isaac holding his pup at hand could be seen running in the dirty trash filled streets, his feet reddened and dirtied by the said streets in which he had endured for hours on end with little complain.
He doesn't care about the pain, as it had numbed to some degree, instead his eyes then widens in surprise in seeing the bloody red light show expand.
So with all of his might he ran close to the said lights in hopes that there would be food there, company, and even a shelter to rest his feet on... Nothing much, even the floor would do good, as long as there aren't any monsters nearby ready to eat him.
A few minutes pass by and the lights of the building became closer and closer, within reach for Isaac, give or take a minute longer and he would be able to make it inside.
About to continue running, he paused slightly, as he then noticed something... [ "People...?" ] To the surprise of his that is, there are indeed people, as he could see a pair of them from where he is currently standing, as he widens his eyes.
Both of which being in their early 20s judging from their height, the build, and the apperance with the much more fit even wearing a school uniform. Seeing this, he ran even faster than before.
[ "H-hey! O-over here, save us!" ]
Waving his free arm wildly in the air, he hopes to get the attention of the said Survivors as he runs pass cowering oversized bugs, mischievous rats, and prowling monsters in-between, outside and even inside the abandoned buildings.
He smiles as then sees that one of the men had indeed notice his plee for help, or at the very least small waving hand. As from the distance he could see him pointing at him- no, at his direction... screaming...?
[ "What...?!" ]
To the best of his abilities he tries to gauge out what the man is saging, he couldn't properly hear it due to the gruffness tinging the voice of the other, but after some time the more closer he got... then the more he was able to understand.
[ "-ehind... you...!" ]
In response to what he heard, he then quickly turned around while running... The comfort he was feeling inside his whole being quickly melting away as he felt cold instead seeping— to the point that he feels something weird in his stomach.
A knot being tied as he noticed a mutated black giant sized bird floating in the sky, is at the moment looking down at him with a venom and hunger in it's red-eyes.
[ "What the?" ]
He could hear the dog in his hands whimpering in distress, as he too felt what his little familiar is feeling. As his instinct told him to stop and instead hide, he doesn't know where exactly it is safe...
But at least hide somewhere, may that be inside a car, under one, or inside one of the many monsters infested houses. His choice really, but his choice wasn't to do any of those above at the moment...
His choice may sound dumb, but he chose to instead run into the people as he screamed out loud in fear of getting devoured.
Perhaps hearing this, the men in front of the building, which is but half a street away from sight— merely a cross on the road, could be heard encouraging him to run even faster, as one of them then pointed inside the building of theirs...
Signalling for him to get inside, the said inside hopefully being safe at the very least.
[ "Run faster, kid!" ]
Isaac and his pup could only hope that after entering the barrier, then the building, then hopefully the insides of the building have more people in it in waiting, wherein equipped with bows or guns that could take down a gigantic bird.
And he also hope that they— the Survivors would get in as well, as to not get killed by the monster-bird.
To the surprise of his, the two didn't seem to be bothered by the bird at all, more bothered instead by the fact that Isaac isn't running inside their lights or something...
He doesn't know, but he kept running, running, and running until finally he got inside the weird red box.
[ CAW ]
[ "G-get inside...!" ]
Crying tears, he couldn't believe the closeness of the bird behind him, as he hears it cawing loud to the point that his eardrums are even hurting... About to run even more, inside the building that is, he wasn't able too do that as he felt his legs finally give up.
[ "N-no!" ]
As he instead quickly dive forward covering the puppy in his hands in realizing that his legs gave out in exhaustion from all the running that he had done; closing his eyes, he hoped that the Survivors would at least get into safety, or even carry him inside the building wherein the bird couldn't chase.
[ "N-no get away! Get away!" ]
Not directed to the people around him, but instead to the bird as he hugs his friend even tighter. As he in hopes in being harder to pick up, to peck at, to maul, balled himself into a fetus position.
[ 'I-I don't want to die...!' ]
Waiting any minute now for the bird to grab him, it came off as a surprise when he didn't feel anything peaking at him, or trying to eat at him. But he still kept his eyes closed when he heard the bird cawing loudly right besides him.
[ "A-ahh!" ]
Hearing the scary cawing sounds, but not feeling the talons of the bird dig into his whole being... Isaac became confused, as he warily opened his eyes to look at the direction where he could hear the bird.
[ "What the...?!" ]
And to his surprise, that said bird seems to not be able to do a thing against him... As it instead tries to reach out for him, to no avail that is— to his surprise and confusion, the red lights seems to have mystical properties and is blocking the bird from getting in... Which sounds absurd.
Staring wide-eyed at the bird in front of him, Isaac clawed lightly at his arm using his sharp nails to see if he isn't dreaming at all... [ "Awtch..." ] And to his outmost shock, the pain is there, indicating that he isn't dreaming, and is in fact very much alive.
[ "I-we're alive...!" ]
...
[ "H-hey, kid, you alright?" ]
Out of concern Elias asked the random kid on the ground, that he immediately granted to be his second Citizen, in turn being protected under his Dweller's Domain. And thanks to that, the kid and his puppy is safe.
He then turned to look at the bird which is tinting the ground into mush, trying desperately to claw at the bag of flesh which is that of him and his Citizens, to of course without any results other than damaging the streets and it's talons.
[ "Arthur, carry the kid inside base." ]
Seeing the state of the kid which is malnourished, dirty even compared to Elias who haven't bathed in more than a week, or to Arthur who ran pass a city filled with monsters and survive it all...
He immediately became worried, wanting for the kid to be fed immediately— plus the friendly animal in his hands, which is a rare sight, usually he would see a stray cat or dog... but already mutated, turned into another monster type, but this... this is geeat news to him.
[ "On it, boss!" ]
Arthur in response to his boss, princess carried the young kid into his arms, also the sick-looking pup in his hands in turn. As he without hesitation then ran back inside the building, not giving the unnamed kid a chance at all to refuse.
Elias on the other hand also followed in worry, but before he could enter, he then turned around and gave the gigantic sized monster outside the barrier... A middle finger, for the 2nd time today, causing it to be more angrier inturn.
[ "Yeah-yeah, try digging, you fuck..." ]
Taunting it to the extreme, Elias in now being assured of his safety, and his apartment building's safety didn't worry about the monster getting in. As no matter what the bird does, unless it gained a recognition from him, then it wouldn't be able to enter inside his Domain.
So after some time of taunting it, Elias finally felt relieved enough to turn his back from it and enter his building. That is of course while ignoring the said monster's annoyed look, as it then cawed using all it's might. Annoyed in seeing dinner escape.
[ "Get... lost!" ]
Before then flying away, dodging a rock being thrown at it, aimed in it's red round eyes especially. This enraged the bird further, causing the thing to have an vendetta, remembering the faces of the dinners that had done this to it.
[ CAW ]
...
[ "I-is this all... not a dream?" ]
Isaac questions himself as he watches as a guy in school uniform panicked about in the room, in his hands are food that made him who hadn't eaten for days, to salivate.
So too the pup in his hands which has most of his vision covered by sleep crust, his nose with snot, and body with cold. As he then barked with what strength he has, in seeing the food laid in front of them both.
Canned foods, hotdogs still wrapped, softdrinks, catfood that was quickly snatched back inside the bag, junkfood, and even candies varying...
At the moment the only thing missing is rice, plain old cooked white rice made and done on a rice cooker, then everything would have been more than great... But even with this, it was more than enough for Isaac who had been starving.
About to dig in and opened some canned foods for himself and unwrapped hotdogs for his dog friend that has been starving. He was stopped, by the other person in the room, the one which is seemingly the leader who Isaac hadn't known the name of.
[ "What are you doing?!? Don't we have any healthy alternatives, or what?! I-I mean, bring out everything else, had you not stolen meat or what?" ]
This said unknown guy placed two cleaned bottles of water besides Isaac, giving it to him, all the while scolding the uniform wearing guy with a stern expression to his face at that.
In response to his questioning, Arthur then emptied out all the bags that he has... Dropping everything it all contained into the floor, it ranging from canned goods, crushed eggs, biscuits, pills, weapons, and even gadgets.
[ "Meat?! My guy, electricity had been cut off for days now, all the meat had gotten rotten. Couldn't even find one without a monster chasing my ass." ]
Fair point. Isaac sided with the uniform wearing guy, as he had been running for hours and hadn't seen a place that isn't infested with monsters, or a place that any humans is stationed at— this being the first out of them all.
Seeing that there is no better option at the moment to feed to the kid, the unnamed guy made the decision and gave all the biscuits he could see— chocolate, vanilla, or even plain, all of it to him.
Before then sitting besides the kid, unwrapping the stolen-stolen hotdogs from their plastic containment, before then softly giving it to the puppy in Isaac hands.
With no strength to move, or even to whimper, the pup became happy as it then tried eating it slowly with the most of it's current ability.
[ "T-thank you..." ]
[ "Just eat already, kid. Just eat." ]
Being scolded by this unknown man, Isaac did what he was told and silently opened up a biscuit for himself— Cambi, a chocolate wafer filled snack that he once loved before the monsters started appearing.
As he then chewed into it, crying tears of joy in finally being in a safe space; before then drinking freshwater for the first time since forever.
[ "T-thank... you." ]
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 06/25/2025 ]
[ 06/26/2025 ]