Let mother nature take her course!

[Toneh]

Personal ID: PFC Ira Ramirez

Date: August, 28, 1127 AE

Location: The Western Desert



A crack of Thunder smashed through the air of a desert tiny desert canyon sending the desert fauna scurrying to safety. The sound of rocks crumbling send echoes bouncing through the canyon walls. “That’s right!” Ira howled, his voice muffled by his re-breather as it let out a hiss expelling the carbon dioxide waste his lungs expelled as he exhaled. His voice echoed through the air as he stood lowering his MA rifle from an aiming position.

Below him, at the bottom of the canyon scrambling away was a battered man running for his life. He wore a mo hawk, and had facial piercings. No doubt during his better days he was a real terror to the few humans still left on this planet. Blood ran from various cuts and scrapes coming from all over his body. His bare feet were blistered and butchered from his frantic running. “OH GOD!” He exclaimed as he looked back and saw the seemingly alien form that was chasing him.

“RUN!” Ira howled as he leveled his rifle at the man. He fire off another shot, the thunderous report of the MA weapon virtually shook the ground below him. The man ran again, how ever before he ever heard the sound of the rifle, he tumbled over, smashing his face into the small creek that had helped shape the canyon. “Ugh…god..” The raider said stunned by the fall. Dazed he looked around, his vision blurry and his hearing distorted. “you are crazy..” he whispered. The Raider felt a blunt pain coming from his right shin, and he reached down to touch it. When his grimy hands came back covered in dark red, he decided to look down at his legs. He let out a horror filled cry. “WHAT THE FUCK?!” he shouted as jerked his head up and saw the dusty armored figure of Ira calmly walking to him.

The Raider’s right leg was completely gone, his left leg was mangled beyond all hope of saving. The skin fat, and muscle were all gone on the left leg, all that remained was some of his foot, and a visible red set of twin bones. “AAAAIIIIEEEE!” The raider howled as the pain started setting in.

Ira wearing his dusty armor, and holding the his long barreled MA 37 rifle walked towards the down raider, noticing a smoking crater that was painted red was roughly ten feet from the raider. “So you like to rape women?” Ira hissed as he advanced, the gravel crunching beneath his feet after every step. “You like to kill children?” Ira snarled growing even more disgusted at the very existence of this man.

“AAAAAH oh god!” The raider howled in response. “JUST! FUCKING! KILL! ME!” He gasped, his bare tattooed chest heaving with every gasping breath.

Ira came to a halt, looming over the wounded raider. “Kill you?” He said almost laughing. “I killed your friends, the deserved that much, but you? You are the worst one!” Ira said raising his voice. “You ran away, and I chased you for two hours.” Ira said calming his voice. TO the raider he had to have looked almost demonic. The heavy armor plates, they were turning grey, the thick helmet covering his head, and the re-breather mask covering his face, but the orange goggles that covered Ira eyes burned with an eerie light.

“JUST FUCKING KILL ME ALREADY!” The raider howled as he began attempting to back up.

Ira tilted his head to the left. “No.”

“I’m not gonna kill you, no no no…I am better then that, I am gonna let you live.” He said as he advanced to the right of the Raider. Ira slung his rifle over his back and Sat down on a rock right next to the raider. “No, we are going to sit, and watch the sun set.

Ira’s right hand reached up and unfastened his mask, showing his bare face. He was a young man probably only 23 years old.

“YOU ARE FUCKING CRAZY!” The raider howled.

Ira removed a small box form his hip pack, and pulled out a cigarette. “Yea.” He said as he pulled out a small electric lighter and flicked it, lighting the cigarette.

“Id say you are an animal…but the animals, they kill us because they are hungry…you ,you kill because you can.”

Ira said as he took a deep puff of the cigarette. “But I chased you five miles, and id discharged twenty three rounds. You notice I never hit you?” He said turning to face the raider, and letting a malevolent smile form across his face. “That wasn’t and accciiiidddeeent!” He exclaimed letting out a chuckle.”

“FUCK!” The bandit said looking around frantically as he gasped for air.

“So yea I am fucking crazy.”

“FUCK YOU ANC MAN!”

“Nah, I’m good, lets just be quiet, and wait…for the animals.”

[Kings Anointed]

Gabriel heard the crack of thunder and smiled, “I hear you Lord.” He said as he carried his water pail to draw from the river. The wind blowing against his back always comforted him and helped him sound more in key when he sang hymns. Carefully along the rocks with staff in hand to steady his balance since he’d bummed out his leg a couple days ago, it was healing nicely thanks to ointments and prayer. The needs of his small group kept him constantly in search of provision for them. Times were hard; all they had were themselves and what little food there was and the Lord who was greater than all the problems combined. He had a Bible passage memorized from Isaiah 52 and quoted it verbatim, “Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.” This gave Gabriel strength and peace as he walked.

Another verse also gave Gabriel comfort from Isaiah 51:11, “Those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness will overtake them and sorrow will flee away.” Gabriel was now in the valley and along side of the river but as he drew closer to the wide area he saw two people and heard one screaming and the other laughing, “Not a good sign he thought to himself, he couldn’t just leave the man in agony to his fate of a slow death the love of God which abode in Gabriel wouldn’t allow it not in a million years. “I say there is that man alright?” Gabe called out to the laughing man as he began to run carefully along the rocky terrain forgetting about his hurt leg adrenaline kicking in.

[Toneh]

The raider lay, his head bobbing up and down gasping for air. “Just kill me..” He wheezed as his tear filled eyes glared down and what was left of his legs. The bone on his left leg was bare, the remains of blood and flesh painting them read. Below them on the rocky gravel that compose the floor of this canyon the moist river was beginning to be streaked with a cloud of the crimson paint. Ira let out a loud lung filled laugh in response.

“No, I won’t be giving you favors, not after what you and your buddies did to that farm stead ten miles back. We are going to sit here and think about what you did, maybe you will be lucky and die of blood loss before those beast catch your scent, personally I hope you live.” He said taking another drag of his cigarette. Moments later Ira heard a voice echo through the canyon. It was not a voice of begging but sounded like an ordinary man.

Ira stood to his feet and looked around. The raider raised is head and called out.” HELP ME!! FUCKING HELP ME!”

Ira turned his head to the man and grabbed his rifle and held it in both of his hands. Ira then stabbed he rifle down into the sump that was the raider’s right leg.

“GIIIIIYAAAAAHAAA!!! AHAAAAAAAA! God oh god!”

Ira then leveled the rifle and aimed at the new comer. “He has some life let in him! I suggest you drop what ever weapon you have and come forward, unless you feel like getting a new hair cut!” He retorted to the new fellow.

[Kings Anointed]

As Gabe got closer he realized a firearm was being pointed at him and he immediately slowed his pace to a less threatening one and slowly made his way about 50 yards from the two men and dropped his cross shaped staff and pail. “Friend I mean you no harm, I am Gabriel a spiritual leader and I’ve come to draw water. The wails of your evident prisoner drew me instead here.” Looking eyes with Ira and spoke again then looked to the man on the ground with most of one of his legs’ flesh missing, “He doesn’t look like he’s in too good of shape. What is he a raider or something? If you don’t want him to die I have a settlement on yonder that back that way we have supplies and lodging free of charge.” Pointing behind him past the rocks to where light flickered from and he smiled "By the way The settlement is called Zion."

God knew what was to happen to him and Gabriel trusted the Lord completely with his fate. It was the substance of which faith was made an unseen force from Heaven deposited into all mankind in small measures. Gabriel looked down on the man who wriggled there in pain bleeding and felt empathy for him even though the man had done evil, the mercy and love of God abode within Gabriel’s heart. “I know this man must have done something terribly wicked to be treated as you have dealt him but please allow me to help stop the bleeding to his leg sir.”

[Shemyaza]

Amidst the screams a loud metallic grating could be heard and the dark and bloodied form of a young woman could be seen slowly wobbling up behind Ira. She carried a length of pipe which she let drag noisily on the ground behind her. The sound created as it scraped the half buried cement and stone had the same spine tingling effect as would nails on a blackboard. Her style of dress ultimately had the same makeshift look as the raider who lay in a bloody heap. The the sole exception of this being the ANC jacket she had on, which was the only thing covering her plump breasts. The soft swell of her belly gave away the fact that a child had been growing inside of her for the past few months now, just starting to show to the world. Already it was beginning to take its toll on her stamina. Usually her pace would have been perfectly kept with Ira. Their every move synchronized with almost mechanical precision, but now it was hard enough to follow him while running, much less on the battlefield. That’s not to say she didn’t do her job (or do it well for that matter). The other raiders Ira had neglected to pick off were now not only dead by her hand, but also completely unrecognizable. Pieces of their wet insides still clung to the length of pipe that she was carrying around with her. Their blood painted her face and forearms a dark crimson. Which only left . . . her listless eyes fell on Gabriel and lingered for but a moment. Without a word she came to Ira’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder almost lovingly . . . almost. She looked down at the screaming man with eyes and expression void of anything at all (though maybe a glimmer of a smirk danced across her lips at the sight of the bloodied mess), and tilted her head softly towards Ira as if to say “What about the other one?” Mathilda’s entire body tensed up almost imperceptibly, hand tightening on her makeshift bludgeon as she silently awaited her orders.

[Toneh]

As Mathilda wobbled up Ira did not even flinch, he merely inched away, keeping his crosshairs firmly onto Gabriel’s center mass. He was moving so that the blood from the beaten raider would not fly all over him forcing him to spend even more time cleaning his equipment. “New Zion…..the old man in town ten miles back mentioned you. Jericho I think they called it.” He responded allowing Gabriel to move in closer. Ira’s indecision would mean only one thing when it came to “The other one.” Ira was being cautious but did not feel this man was a threat. She would know this because Gabriel was still very much alive.

“But then again the old man told me that as he lay on the ground holding his guts in. Terribly wicked id say so, this man and his ilk killed your neighbors. Of course that isn’t as wicked as what is about to happen to him….is it Mathilda.” Ira then lifted his rifle into the air, and freed up his left hand. A pair of gloved fingers reached over to his unmasked lips and grabbed the cigarette. He then held the cancerious bit of heaven out to Mathilda in the event she wanted a drag. “He is all yours..” He whispered to Mathilda as he felt her touch.

“Alright…you can come closer, but you try any funny shit and I am going to rip your balls off, ya got that?!”

[Kings Anointed]

Coming closer to get a better look at Mathilda to see she was indeed with child and her smoking struck a chord with Gabriel but he didn’t let on. “Old man… “ Gabe sighed remembering the old fellow well, “That man once patched me up one time when I had a run in with one of those giant insects a couple months back, He knew the Lord too so I’m not worried about where he is now, he’s at peace and in Glory. By the way what’re your names’? You know mine.” He bowed his head lightly to the woman out of respect.

He then looked upon the condemned man with pity and had a thought, Gabriel would offer him a chance the raider never gave the people he’d murdered. “Before you get to killing him ma’am I’d like to ask him a few questions.” Gabe came and knelt beside the man looking him in the eyes. “Sir you know that the actions you’ve taken have landed you before this woman who is about to send you to the maker of all things? And that after you meet this Holy Maker that if you haven’t been forgiven by him your soul will be damned to more suffering and alienation than you’ve ever known in this life for all eternity?”

Gabriel paused and took a breath then continued, “I know you’ve done wrong but the Bible says there is a way, a prayer you can pray to someone who saw you a long time ago and died for your wrongs and mine so that we could be connected with his Father the Creator of all things.” It looked like the man was listening to him and Gabriel smiled and continued, “When we die those who believe are with that being forever and if not and they reject the Son’s sacrifice they go to Hell the place of suffering. I ask you now are you willing to repent of your evil ways and accept the sacrifice of the son. His name is Jesus the Christ. Call upon his name sir please I urge you do it now before you draw your last breath. What do you say? You haven’t got anything to lose by this trust me.” Gabriel looked deep into the mans eyes without wavering as he knelt there, the stench emanated from the man's trembling mangled form. His eyes not leaving Gabriel's not leaving them for a second full of trust. A man truly desperate for something different. "There's no way I can save you from your life ending but Jesus Christ can save you're soul this very moment if you'll let him."

[Shemyaza]

She smiled at Gabriel now, and a truly frightening sight it was, lacking any real warmth or human affection. “Doubtful . . .You of all people should know that we reap the things that we sow, Preacher-man . . .” Her cold eyes shifted to the nameless raider that was moaning in pain out of a sea of his own blood, yet her smile stayed sickeningly intact. It was a wonder he was still alive, much less still able to make those feeble pleas for help every so often. She needed to stop the bleeding before he got off the hook completely.

Mathilda wrapped her cracked lips carefully, almost daintily around the cigarette Ira offered her, taking care not to get any gore upon the welcome gift. The filthy raider blood would’ve ruined the taste of it completely, and a little nicotine was welcome right now. She inhaled slowly, dropping the pipe so she could lean down to the small stream that was just in front of them and wash the drying blood off of her hands. A puff of blue smoke appeared every few seconds from her parted lips. She knew she’d soon be covered in the red mess again, but when she started things like this she always wanted to begin clean. Maybe it was something left of the old her, a little bit of memory and routine that clung from her days as an ANC medic.

As Ira and Gabriel talked she made short, but expert work of tying tourniquets on both of the mangled legs of her second gift to help stop the blood loss. Though she couldn’t be sure of just how long that would keep him alive now (it was nothing short of a miracle that he was still cognizant), she figured it would give her enough time to make him suffer considerably more before letting him go. She straddled the raider across his stomach with a gleeful smile, leaning close to look him in the eye as her hand slipped down to one of her heavy boots, fondling the hilt of the fillet knife that she kept there (In case of situations such as these).

She was about to pull the wickedly sharp knife out of its sheath when Gabriel interrupted her with his request. Her head furiously snapped in his direction, and she stared the preacher down with marked distaste. Mathilda looked over to Ira in hopes that he’d give her the go-ahead to at least make him shut up while she worked, but to her immediate disappointment he still gave no signs to use hostility against the preacher. With a derisive snort she pushed herself back into the sitting position, and pulled the cigarette butt out of her thin mouth. It was almost to the filter so she thought it was about time to tamp it out. She made a point to keep eye contact with Gabriel as she plunged what was left of the cigarette into the raider’s open eye. It fizzled out with a nauseating hiss, and he let out a scream of utter agony in response.

“Go ahead, Preacher but if he passes from blood loss before I’m through you’ll be the one to take his place . . .”

[Toneh]

Ira at this point had slung his rifle over his shoulder and resumed his position sitting on a rock near the raider. His thick planted boots down on the moist gravel that composed the canyon floor with satisfying crunches. Ira sat and had removed his goggles so that Gabriel could see his brown eyes. Ira’s stare was nothing short of remorseless and bestial. It was akin to looking into the hallow gaze of a mad dog, or in this case a soldier suffering with an acute case of battle fever. He paid Mathilda no heed as she set about doctoring up the raider. She hated men like that more then anything, probably more then Ira did.

“PFC Ira Ramirez…Army of the Northern Cross…her name..that is hers to give..” He mused as he began lighting up another one of his cigarettes. The bandit struggled and tried to fight Mathilda by using his hands to force her off of him. But the blood loss had made him weak. He frantically looked around as she sat in his lap and smiled at him. “Fuck off whore..” he groaned as she placed the tourniquets on his legs. “If…I was…I’d fuck you hard…like I fucked the other one in the…town…fuckin whore…”

Ira again kept looking at “Yea…The old man…the kids..all of em, killed. We got there as it ended, looked like he and his buddies planned on setting up camp in that town….Jericho was what it was named? What ever.” Ira said with a sting of regret in his voice. “A few of the women were alive..but I ended up having to do em…their was no saving them.”

“What the he..” Ira said as he realized what Gabe was. “Oh…a god fearing man…fair enough.” Ira shifted a look to Mathilda and rose to his feet. Mathilda was slow to react and glared back at Ira, but she stood up and watched over the bandit as Gabe began speaking to him.

The Raider’s head bobbed and his hands began fumbling with the tourniquets that were wrapped around the remains of his leg. “I know you’ve done wrong but the Bible says there is a way, a prayer you can pray to someone who saw you a long time ago and died for your wrongs and mine so that we could be connected with his Father the Creator of all things.” The Raider smiled and held his head up to the sky “The bible can suck my filthy fucking cock.” Gabe however did not seem intent on giving up on the man.

“When we die those who believe are with that being forever and if not and they reject the Son’s sacrifice they go to Hell the place of suffering. I ask you now are you willing to repent of your evil ways and accept the sacrifice of the son. His name is Jesus the Christ. Call upon his name sir please I urge you do it now before you draw your last breath. What do you say? You haven’t got anything to lose by this trust me.” The Raider began laughing “That old man begged for god and called his name, you are gonna do the same!” He howled. “You are gonna cry and moan like a stuck fucking pig!” He was now yelling at the top of his lungs, and spitting on Gabriel.

"There's no way I can save you from your life ending but Jesus Christ can save you're soul this very moment if you'll let him." “There are more of us! They are gonna come and push your shit in! FUCK YOU!”

Ira let out a low growl and took a sharp strong puff of his cigarette causing the cherry to flash brightly. “Mathilda…” He said loosing his patience.

[Kings Anointed]

Nodding softly to Ira and Mathilda’s words Gabriel knew they both meant business, yet he did not fear the threats for he feared not serving the Lord more than he did death. “Thank you and I offer him this because it is my duty as Christ’s representative here on earth. Also all people everywhere are commanded to repent by God almighty,” he said addressing them both. And sighed watching the man be stuck in the eye with a still lit cigarette, “That was a bit much you’ll get to have your way with him soon enough ma’am and I know the world is harsh now but those of us, we who are more intelligent than to loot, rape, and murder others, are to whom decency should be shown through. “ Gabriel finished with to them unafraid of their response or retaliation as he heard the doomed raiders words of ridicule and defiance even to the last and sighed standing up and looking down upon him. “Yes there is more of you and much as you have been struck down you poor pitiful soul; they shall fall also by the hand of people such as these two as God’s hand of wrath against the evil.”
Throughout, Gabriel’s voice stayed calm and pleasant one of what Christ would speak in. Even in light of the rejection and mocking towards the offer of salvation. “Then, you have rejected God’s undeserved gift to you in payment for your wrongs, thus you shall reap what you’ve sown against you. God have mercy on you. For this woman will show you the mercy you showed your victims. By the way that old man was a friend of mine, the whole community was.” With that, he turned away from the man leaving him to the woman’s care.

Gabriel’s face was one of anguish because he could feel the pain that coursed through the raiders’ limbs, his composed face of strength diminished knowing the fate of the man’s soul now that he passed on the offer of Christ’s gift of salvation. “Lord please I beg you to forgive him look past his façade of pride Father please Jesus…” Gabriel wept for the man. His crystal blue eyes welling up tears as he petitioned God on the man’s behalf even though he didn’t deserve this act of contrition or did any man when it came down to it really. “Hearing nothing from the Lord Gabriel sighed and looked back at the condemned man and sighed “You really should reconsider while there is still time. “ Gabriel said, “For he who doesn’t believe is condemned already.” Then looking a way He ran his hand through the long mangled brown hair upon his head. Sweat forming on his brow and it eased down his slim nose. Then brought his hand down over his face and lips letting the tears fall from his eyes as he hung his head, the wind blowing hard through the valley and Gabe hit his knees refusing to give up on the man’s soul petitioning the Lord again and soon as he hit his knees Thunder and lightning broke through the clouds striking a stone hear by Gabriel. Seeing that God had finally spoken, Gabriel got up shaken and nodded sighing again, “As you will not as I will Father.”

The wind blowing harder now, whipping Gabriel’s loose shabby work clothing around and against his semi-muscular form as he walked slowly to his walking staff not that he was old at all maybe about 25 or so but due to the leg injury he used it. Now silent he gathered his water pale and looked once back to the duo and the condemned. He broke his silence and offered them lodging at the settlement if they needed it. “Come if you’re weary from your travels, there will be a warm meal and a place for you there friends.” He managed to smile but it pained him to do so knowing what was to happen shortly. He quickly walked to the stream and dipped his pale of water into the deep water and pulled up the most beautiful clear water and it made him smile brighter. Finally he walked back to the rocks and back down the bank toward New Zion.

[Shemyaza]

“Mathilda. . .”

She knew Ira well enough. She knew that tone and exactly what it meant and it gave her a thrill like no other. Her eyes dilated in excitement at the chance for retribution.

Green Light Means Go. . .

Mathilda couldn’t remember where she had picked that up, but it was the first thing to come to her mind. As much as the Preacher was upset for his loss of an eternal soul, she was happy that her playtime had finally begun, and that this whelp on the face of humanity would finally pay for his sins.

“Well I guess that goes to show you can’t win ‘em all, Preacher-man" She patted Gabe half-heartedly on the back as he passed by.

". . . He belongs to me now. I’ll take good care of him.” She wiped off her hand on the jacket sleeve. This last bit wasn't meant for Gabe's ears. Not really.

As soon as Gabriel had turned his back on them both she was upon the raider once more, a big cat falling with deadly accuracy onto it's prey, knife in her hand, ready to strike into his gut. Then all of a sudden, amidst all of his bitterness and swearing, she stopped. Her smile faded, flickered back again, only to quickly vanish once more. She talked softly, calmly, and to the raider alone.

“You know, I’m getting really tired of you running your mouth, sweetheart. You shouldn’t talk like that right now. It totally ruins the mood for me, and lets face it, the mood completely makes or breaks the entire experience . . .”

As she talked she was running her hands up his body, from his hips to his chest and up his neck. They finally came to rest on his cheeks as if she were caressing his face gently. Only her eyes flashed. Only her fingers quickly dug into his jaws and ripped the bone from the sockets that held them. His jaw, now properly dislocated, hung off-kilter from the rest of his face. The raider could now only gurgle his contempt as Mathilda grinned wickedly, a shudder of pleasure running through her body.

“Much better . . . Ingrate.”

She really wanted to rip his tongue out, but he wouldn’t have been able to sustain himself for much longer with another blood-letting wound, and Ira wanted him to feel it. The knife passed through the soft tissue of his stomach and up to his rib-cage with one repulsive slice.

And felt it he did . . .

[Toneh]

The raider let out a sharp sound of pain as the pop of his jaw being torn from his skill reverberated throughout the entire canyon. Ira did not even flinch as the blood began squirting out from his torn veins and arteries, creating a nice shower that fell over his bare chest and the gravel below him. It also gave Mathilda a nice new crimson over tone on her face and hands.

Ira turned his head back to The Preacher listening to his nervous rambling as he offered them a bed, but more importantly warm food. Most of what Mathilda and Ira ended up eating was some poor animal that got shot and slice up by the pair. Some times they would set the flesh on a rock and let it seer in the day time heat. Other times they would simply clean the flesh and eat it raw.

A hot meal was a prospect that made Ira step forward, and certainly clarified his intentions towards Gabe. “Feed us, and I will lend you my skills and my rifle, Mathilda will lend you hers.” He said turning his head to look at the now plump young woman.

It was not something he would admit. But Mathilda was slowing down, she was getting hungrier with every day that past, and the fatigue was really making it a challenge to keep up with Ira. She was becoming a risk, and In another month she would become a target for a hungry predator. Holding out in this town for a few months would probably be good for her.

“But let me make one thing clear Sheppard. You try to make us one of your flock, and you are gonna end up looking like him.” Ira said as he flicked his cigarette onto the gurgling Raider.

Ira would then follow Gabe to the Town of New Zion, he would take great care to ensure Mathilda kept up.

[danieru]

Fixing his tank was one thing seeing it almost go over a canyon was another. " I REALLY need a drink." said James.
Of course how he got the tank was a totally different story altogether. The fact that a bunker was beneath his shack the whole time he was living in that town got him right in the jimmies every time he thought about it but after fixing it and salvaging what he could from the land he felt alright about the times of repair. He sat on his tank looking at the canyon he heard gun shots not regular six shooter shots this one sounded like his cannon but it wasn't his was a boom this was a crack but the same shock hit him.
As he sat he reached into the tank pulled out binoculars and saw reddish black in the creek
James followed the bloody creek he saw what made it a stump and a foot or a piece of foot. "ew" he said with sarcasm.
Just as he said that a figure loomed over the wounded man. "JUST KILL ME!!" He heard it was echoed in from the canyon. He had been sitting on his tank for half the day repairing this monster but then he gets this free drama show so this must be karma telling him that he was doing something right.

As he watched the melodrama happen he saw a change in the way business was done in this harsh place. He didn't do the Coup DE Gras.There were another set of people after this event he discovered. They talked and kicked the victim. " god's will be done if that isn't a preacher in on this!" Thought James. Then it happened the covered man looked at the girl and the girl ripped off the jaw of the wounded man.
"Wow these guys are sick or saints!" He thought. No, punishing him. the desert would never be this kind. "Well this should be interesting!" He thought as he started the tank.

[Kings Anointed]

Inwardly their words meant nothing to him, he knew he’d failed but comfort did come to him from the words of Jesus in the Bible as the scripture flashed across his mind, “No one comes to me but the Father draws him.” Gabe knowing that this must have been the case that God gave this man a chance to repent but realized the raider would reject the mercy offered toward him through him. “It’s not my loss, it’s his.” Gabe said to himself as he continued walking towards the mouth of the canyon, the journey that awaited him would be a long one. An hour even by donkey, which is what waited for him at the mouth of the canyon. “Chubby” Gabriel called the little colt which he hawed as Gabe stopped and untied him and secured his walking stick across the donkey’s back. Picking the pail of water back up and mounted “Chubby” and pulled the reigns and gently pushing in on the animal’s side making him go forward headed for town. “Don’t worry.” Gabe yelled back to Ira, “I won’t make you part of the flock my friend, though if the conviction of the Lord comes upon you, it would be grand to have you as a deacon in the Church!” Gabriel was joking of course but if that miracle did occur he’d give it some thought. Then turned back heading toward the afternoon sun and put took his wide brimmed hat from the top of Chubb’s head and placed it on his own.

“That’s a boy Chubby giddy on down the way let’s get home.” Gabe encouraged the animal with gratifying words and stroking behind his ears as they forged onward. Then reaching in to a saddle bag Gabe pulled out a carrot and lifted it to his mouth and ate, “Mmm delicious as always.” He smiled and continued working the vegetable down to a stub then reached forward and gave the rest to Chubby who immediately inhaled the remaining carrot. He smiled and the Chubby increased his pace towards the bridge leading to town. Gabe hoped that Ira and Mathilda would join them for the night knowing they both needed nourishing food and restful beds. Mostly because of the woman’s pregnant condition, it would do her especially good. As Gabe neared the bridge leading across the chasm to New Zion, he thought how grand it was to be guarded by God firstly then secondly the wide chasm which kept out invaders. “Beautiful simply beautiful a blessing of a place and I thank you Lord so much.”

The town truly shined other than it being the only remaining civilization for many miles on this harsh land but the fact it was filled with so many good people eager to serve God. “Joe!” Gabe called to the guard at the bridge on his end of the chasm, ”Pastor Gabriel what is it?” Joe looked worried until he saw Gabe’s smiling face. “We will be having two guests tonight, they are weary travelers and one of them is a woman she’s pregnant, I want you to extend every courtesy we offer. Let them pass without question.” Joe nodded to the affirmative. ”Yes pastor I will, you have a blessed day now.” Gabe smiled nodding, “And you also fine sir.” Gabe motioned Chubby to gallop across the ten foot wide wooden bridge and into town.

[Shemyaza]

Mathilda struggled to get back on her feet after she was finished. The light was fading fast, and the beasts would be out soon to dispose of what was left. They needed to find some kind of shelter for the night and soon. The howls were getting louder, longer, closer. Without a word to her Ira set off for the town of Zion, following after Gabe’s trail in the waning light. Mathilda stood there for a few seconds dumbfounded.

“You have to be shitting me . . .” Though she knew he really wasn’t. With each step she grew more livid, but she followed behind him anyway.

“Ira, I know why you’re doing this, and you and I both know that I can damn well take care of myself without their help! There is no fucking way I’m sleeping in that filthy hick settlement they wanna pass off as something civil-“

All of a sudden her head was swimming, and she felt like she would retch from the mix-breed kicking inside of her. The pain was absolutely unbearable. It felt as if he were tearing up her insides, and in all likeliness he probably was. Mathilda knew that the human carriers of sub-human hybrids usually died in childbirth (if they were even lucky enough to last that long). One hand flew to cover her mouth while the other rubbed her swollen belly almost subconsciously. She stumbled, but regained her footing soon enough.

Calm down you little bastard . . . I don’t want him to know what you’re up to in there yet.

Her voice became suddenly calm and almost imperceptibly quiet like the small aside of a petulant child that knows it isn’t going to get it’s way, “There is nothing that that little shit stain of a village can offer either of us, and you know that, Ira. I know how to handle my own fucking condition . . .”