Tales from the Wasteland | The No Leaf Clover

Chapter 4

Several hours have passed since Rod and Eric made their escape from the Sanitarium. The men continue their route east, toward the mountain range. Most of the trip has been in silence. Trust, in this world, is a deadly currency that no one can afford to give lightly. But under these circumstances, Eric decides to take a leap of faith. At any point, Rod could've left him for dead, but he didn't. That at least gave the thief from Orgrimdeare a slight comfort. If only to nod off for some well-deserved sleep. Time passes on quietly for a bit, leaving Rod to only concentrate on the road ahead. No reflection or contemplation of past events. He left that to the side for the time being. For now, nothing more than the world lain out before him. Eric soon awakens with a grunt. "Stop the van."

Without hesitation, Rod hits the breaks. Eric shoots out of the tarnished heap in a maddening dance. He jogs over to the closest plant, if one could call it that. Nothing more than a simple stem with two twigs outstretched, begging for water. Eric frantically unzips his fly and showers the pleading plant. He lets out an orgasmic moan, tilting his head skyward. "Come on kid. Hurry it up. We have several more hours before the sun sets. We need to find a place to hunker down for the night."

He gives two hardy shakes and pulls the zipper back up from his faded denim jeans. Jogging back to the passenger side, he jumps in and closes the door in one fluid motion. He looks over to Rod and asks, "What happens at night?"

"Demons usually come out to play," Rod answers, scanning the horizon. The van has just enough gas to make it to the mountain range, but they won't be there before nightfall. They need to make a camp and take the necessary precautions. Rod spots an elevated portion of earth next to some concrete walls. He throws the van into drive and makes his way over. "So how exactly do these demons work? And why are they not able to enter Orgrimdeare. And how do you know so much about them for that matter?"

"Well, you're full of questions," Rod replies.

"I got a few winks and my brain actually feels like it can function now." "Demons are entities from the astral plane. A realm that parallels our own but they were never meant to exist together. "

"So why do they now?" Eric always thought the Walled City was too massive to ever fully see all it had to offer. But now that he's seen the world outside, Eric is a bit overwhelmed. In some regards, Eric is like a child stepping out of his house for the first time. The initial fear of the unknown gripped the thief tightly but it was quickly washed away by the wonder of new sensations. This new imagery of the world. Eric can't help but remember his mother after all that he's experienced these past few weeks. Looking up at her when he was only ten or so years old, still quite naive to the world of Orgrimdeare and the city's inner workings. He remembers her whimsical yet stern cackle as she spoke, "Knowledge is power, my little man, and you need to soak up all the information you can if you want to survive this world. It's too unforgiving and you're just too naïve." Her snide words start to overshadow Rod's, and Eric quickly pushes his mother from his mind to finish listening to his new friend.

"The cause for this schism has been lost to the past. What we do know is they are weak to light. Sunlight being the strongest. But really any light is better than none."

"So what if we don't make it to this home of yours. What was it again, Mercan?"

"Mercantile," Rod corrects Eric. "Right, Mercantile."

"As for your second and third question," Rod continues as the van rolls to a stop at the ruined wall. "There is something unnatural about that wall. I'd hazard a guess that the wall is the reason the demons can't enter the city. Though, I've never seen the city myself. Only stories from friends and colleagues."