Kingdom of Jara

Chapter 2; The Tenth Member?

‼️TW: gore, blood, yelling, knives‼️

Mid-Morning to Early Afternoon

The 2 DCOJ members and the guards entered the forest, all cautiously looking around for walkers before suddenly, a woman's scream echoed through the forest.

Varin's ears perked up at the noise, his expression filling with concern, "The fuck?" he asked, taking his scythe from where it had been hanging from his knapsack. Juno immediately jumped himself, taking out his bow.

"Stay close behind us, boys," the lead guard ordered, all guards taking out their guns as they began moving towards the noise slowly.

"We can handle ourselves, Harlem," Juno replied sternly, marching up to the front of the group and taking Varin with him.

"It is our direct orders to keep you two safe. Stay behind us," Harlem replied.

"It is my direct orders to let us stay at the front and keep YOU all safe," Varin replied. He had to seem tougher now that someone might be around. He pulled the hood of his cloak up above his head and pulled a mask over his mouth and nose (like a decent person).

"Stay behind cover," Varin whispered when they got close to the source of the noise. "I'll check it out. I'll call for back up if I need backup."

"Varin, I swear to the Gods..." Harlem began as Varin began walking closer to the noise.

He located the source of the noise. A woman had crushed an infected's head in- and she was covered on blood- both her own and the infected's. She stood over it tiredly, and her dog sat beside her, growling at the dead, bloody corpse. A bandaid sat on the cheek of the woman, something was... glowing beneath it.

"AND STAY DEAD THIS TIME YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" the woman told the corpse. Her face was streaked with tears, and dark bags were under her brown eyes. She looked as if she hadn't eaten in a long while-her dog looking just as thin.

Varin snuck up behind the woman, and in two swift movements, he was hugging the woman with one arm, and held a knife to her throat with the other. He felt bad for doing it, but it was to keep himself, Juno, and the guards safe.

The woman's dog growled, at Varin, but when the Demigod looked into the canines eyes, it immediately stopped. Varin could come off as the sweetest, most charming young man, and you would still be intimidated.

"Now, I want you to listen to me very closely," Varin said to the woman in his most calm and quiet voice, "I want you to stay calm, and let me take your bag."

The woman yelped, allowing Varin to take her bag, "Please, just don't kill me."

Varin laughed, his deep, gravelly voice striking more fear into the woman, "I don't have a reason to. Not yet at least."

"Please! Don't! I'll do whatever! Take my stuff! Take my dog! Just spare me, please!" she begged. She didn't strain against Varin's grip, but merely leaned her head away from the knife.

"The more you beg and yell, the more you increase your chances of getting killed," Varin replied, digging his knife into a the woman's throat a little. His grip tightened.

The woman quit begging, her breathing only getting heavier and her breaths becoming more shallow. She kept her head leaned as far as she could lean it so that the knife wouldn't dig into her neck as bad. She was... surprisingly warm. She radiated pure body heat. Did she have a fever?

"Are you ill at the moment?" Varin asked the woman.

"No sir," the woman replied swiftly.

"Then why are you so warm?" Varin asked, his voice filled with pure suspicion.

"Maybe you're just cold? It is chilly out here," the woman replied.

"You would be cold as well," the young man replied, his knife digging even more into the woman's neck. His hand gripped her side tighter, where he was holding the woman still.

"Please, just let me go," the woman pleaded.

"Your pleading is not helping your case," Varin growled. "Answer my question. Now."

"I'm a demigod, okay?" the woman said after a moment, her voice quavering.

"Oh? Who's your godly parent?" Varin asked.

"Muroia," the woman grunted in reply as she leaned her head away from the knife. "Please. Just let me go."