ONE DAY AFTER

Prologue

AN:
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MashedPotato_Girl234

The tall woman led the three ragged children across the cracked, dry desert.
"Hurry up, Gravian is waiting for us just past The Border." She encouraged them, but she knew that they were barely 7, and it had been days since they had had a decent meal or water.
"Can we have a break?" One of them asked, and the older woman turned to face it. He was only about 5 years old and scrawny, like all of the Freljord children.
"What is your name?" She asked him, and he started quivering.
"Dronan, and this is Valorian, and Aiday." he pointed to the two girls.
"Aiday, moon child. Right?" She asked the last and scrawniest girl in the single file line. She nodded and the woman turned away, walking briskly forward.

Two hours later, just as the night was beginning to fade away, all four of them reached The Border. Gravian was waiting for them.
"Finally! What took you so long?" He asked, smiling warmly at the three youngsters.
"Hello you lot! I'm Gravian and this woman and I will be your guardians until the others arrive." Gravian led them all into a dark tunnel underground which seemed to go on for hours. When they finally made it, they realised why it was such a good hiding spot. It was a giant open space, with barrels loading with drink and small makeshift tables made out of giant stones and patched in giant blotches of clay carrying food such as oats, wheat, and corn husks. Food was pretty scarce and the Nuclear War had destroyed almost everything edible.

"Who are the others?" Asked Aiday, tucking into a corn husk that was on one of the stone tables.
"The others that have been evacuated, which means that you will be with another set of kids soon. Don't worry." Gravian winked at them but pulled the other guardian into a corner.
"I'm really worried, you guys had the longest route, the others should be back by now. And all those kids..." he looked over at the short midgets who were talking in hushed voices as they ate some wheat and bread.
"Gravian. Get it together! I made sure we were quick, and you know Ahlee and Fralia, they're too soft on kids. Gravian nodded, turned back to the kids, and strolled over, opening his arms and sitting down to tell them a story.

Two days passed and there was no sign of the other groups, so Gravian went to investigate. The screams started soon after. The woman raced up to the surface, and then she screamed too, Gravian and the two other guardians and ten kids were all lying dead on the hard rocky earth. But wait, Gravian wasn't dead. She raced to his side and he reached up to stroke her face.
"Protect them. Please. They have no idea what's coming. Here," he handed her his half moon necklace. "Take this. The tribe's future depends on you. Aileen."