The Lantern Bearers

chapter 21: the hell is that noise??

The campfire was made with scrap wood and some fire starter i always carry on me. Don't know why willow doesn't use her fire powers to make a fire or to fight, but who am i to pry?

We all huddled around the crappy campfire for warmth, while Zeus laid still on the ground, on his back. Yui would sit beside him and stroked his hair to comfort him through the aches and pains. He only needed to lay there until, i knew for sure the bleeding has stopped, then i could stitch him up. Sadly, our first aid pack didn't come with  pain meds, cheap bastards. Zeus is a tough kid though, he'll manage.

I was over with willow and melody, looking at all they found.

"We have three semi auto pistols, five semi auto rifles, around two to three clips each to the weapons, sixty-seven nine millimeter rounds, and thirty-two point twenty two rifle rounds, as well of course, three machetes." Melody said.

"Keep a rifle on you and some cartridges, you too willow. Maybe a pistol for you too willow, gotta cover your bases. Any holsters?" I asked.

Melody nodded.

"Holsters and slings for all of them, even sheathes for the machetes." She said.

"Good, we only have one injury and gained a lot from these goons. I'mma bout to go check on zeus." I said.

The two nodded as i went to got to zeus and willow.

A faint static noise would tickle my ear though.

I knelt down and started to unravel zeus's bandage and the noise started to get a teensy bit louder and i could hear faint radio noises, like someone flipping through stations.

"Ugh, turn off your PDA or something! It's getting on my nerves!" I exclaimed in annoyance.

"My PDA isn't on, mister manfred." Melody said.

I paused for a moment and pulled out my rifle, looking through the NV- sight on it to scan my surroundings. Willow was on the verge of having a panic attack to the right side of my hearing.

"Whats up willow? What am i not knowing?" I asked.

"The...the....the static." She uttered.

"Ohhhh, so that's what I'm hearing." I said.

"O....one butchered my friends i escaped with into pieces....." she said with a shuttering tone.

"Did you catch what it looked like?" I asked.

"Spikey sharp teeth....no eyes....paper lathe.....wore a red dress....." she muttered.

I scanned the horizon for it, but would see one within a few meters of us when i turned my sight to it. Sneaky fucker was loud as can be and it still managed to get this close!

"Willow, torch it!" I cried as i started shooting at it.

Everyone else, bar zeus, stood on standby.

It was a mannequin type static, every time i shot at it, it would twist and contort unpredictability to dodge my bullets somehow. These things will possess anything thats humanoid shape, including mannequins, statues, metal art projects, even human corpses.

"SIINGING ON- YOUR DEATH- BED AS YOU- BLEED AND DIE." the static said through radio cut ins.

"Willow! I said torch it!!" I yelled.

She tossed me a molotov.

"Pain in my ass!!" I yelled at her, before lighting it and throwing it at the static.

"AND IT BURNS BURNS BURNS- HELP ME- BURNING ALIVE." It said as it writhed and screeched.

I would take careful shots and eventually shot it's core, making it slump to the ground, seemingly dead.

I glared at willow.

"Why didn't you smoke it?!" I yelled.

"Because! I...I'm afraid!" She said.

"Of what??"

"Of.....it hurting the baby...." she said solemnly.

I would inhale deeply, then exhale. During the moment, i had forgotten she was several weeks pregnant. Her reasoning is justified.

"Sorry for yelling at you, I'm glad you're thinking of your baby's safety. I got worked up and everything and i took it out on you." I said.

"I understand.....was it the one?" She asked.

I motioned for yui to follow and she did.

We would walk down the hill and look at the body, shining a flashlight over it. It had the sharp teeth like willow described, but this one wielded a machete and not a paper lathe. It also wore a jeans and a graphic tee shirt, with a picture of some sort of mascot beaver on it.

All in all, not the one that brutally killed willow's comrades.

I scooped up the fragments of the artifact core and bagged them, as well as the machete.

"Master, we need to exercise caution with these types of anomalies. If they possess a human corpse with a gun, they will use it with utmost precision. They can adapt extremely quickly. Luckily, this one had damaged legs, they usually can sprint towards their prey and are remarkably fast. Please exercise caution, master." Yui insisted.

"Yui, i heard you the first time. So they're actually supposed to be fast. No wonder she said her group was slaughtered. It probably killed them in seconds and with its maneuverability and being able to fucking dodge bullets, it's not rocket science to understand how they would wipe out groups easily." I said, rubbing my chin.

"....to be helpless.....and see your friends killed and all you can do is run as you hear them die....a new emotion has arisen for me, master. What do i call it?" Yui asked.

"Sympathy, i guess." I said, lighting a cigarette.

"Sympathy......" yui mumbled.

I puffed smoke in the air.

"Let's head back and tell them." I said, as i motioned for yui to follow and she did.

When we got close, willow stood up and stared at us.

I shook my head.

"It wasn't the one. We were lucky it's legs we're damaged, otherwise we'd probably be dead meat.....asid yui of course." I said, nodding at her.

"Masterrr...." she said with annoyance.

"So it wasn't the monster that butchered my friends...." willow said, sitting back down.

" 'fraid not, but that's fine. You'll get closure soon I'm sure. Right now, you need to be careful. You're carrying a plus one." I said.

She nodded and rubbed her belly.

I went to check on zeus again, taking off the bandage. The bleeding had stopped finally.

"Alright, need you to be a big man for me, okay?" I said.

Zeus nodded.

"Don't look unless you want to." I said, pulling out the needle and thread that came with the first aid kit.

I began sewing up zeus's wound. It only took a few stitches, since it was a bullet wound, but to him, it was like a paintball sized projectile hit him, due to him being so small.

Once it was all done, i knotted it off and cut the thread with the scissors the first aid kit came with. I'd then put everything back in the kit and zipped it up.

"There, all done. Congrats on your first battle scar, kid. The ladies will love it!" I said with a chuckle.

Zeus looked at his stitches and grinned like a doofus.

Camp time is over now....
Now its time to go find the promised stash that awaits us.

Hopefully, it has good shit inside...