the garden within the wasteland

act 1, part 5

Many, many, did the daring hundred of thousands march over a hundred years ago. They traveled with their liege, till the forgotten royal took his venture, with a handshake with something unspeakable.

After the exchange at the park, the pair continued the mindless venture. Ereo reached to his side, spinning around his trusty revolver, fidgeting with it before checking the barrel.
"Ayyyyy," let out Ereo.
"What?" the brush looked over his left, seeing Ereo checking his pockets.
"Out of ammo?"
"Only one bullet."
Both of them replied and nodded in agreement.
"I gotta head by the old warehouse."
"Oh, I can find myself something as well!" replied Brush, pretending to swing around a sword with both its hands on the grip, swinging in front of him before dropping it. Left hand aiming; it's right pointing a finger gun; it places its left hand grabbing the inner side of its elbow before whispering out "bang." As the lower part of its wrist quickly dropped, it began to shift and change, moving left and right sporadically before lowering down, revealing a small barrel of a gun and firing one strong bullet, a bullet that echoed throughout the empty space like thunder.
The brush, out of a mix of recoil and surprise, stumbled over its own feet, falling over and aiming towards the sky. Without another moment wasted, Ereo shot a single bullet, his last at it, causing it to explode in the sky before being able to harm anything of value.
"That's how it's done," Ereo spoke as he spun his gun around, puffing out his chest more.
After regaining his footing, the brush looked around at the crowds of worried overseers standing.
"We aren't welcome here much longer," spoke Ereo flat.
"It's been long enough. We should just head to the Enkidu, refuel, and resupply." Ereo spun his gun back into its holster as he marched off, speed-walking away from the scene as quick as his legs could carry him in all that armor, the Brush sheepishly following him as it continued to examine its wrist.
After a few moments, they came across a warehouse. Resupply.
"Food."
"Bullets."
"Extra gun."
"Water."
"Rope."
"First aid."
"You know, Ereo, even with all this equipment, you won't last long," the lady behind the counter said as he continued to examine the supplies the two have collected.
"Quit it, Anna. I'll be the one to bring it down, you'll see," replied Ereo with slight annoyance.
"Sure," she chuckles.
"Ya know, I don't even get the point of the whole mission," she turned around, tending to her giant, unorganized pile of random supplies. Among the supplies were a massive sword with no guard, weighing at least 300 pounds, a scythe covered in a sheep's wool, a black blindfold, a carved helmet with wings attached to its side, and all the other random items you'd expect to find in a hoarder's storage unit hidden as a warehouse for anyone willing to explore the area outside the "borders" of the settlement. Only an idiot would do that, Anna thought to herself as she took a glance at the idiot she's known her entire life.
"Before I forget, Ereo!" she tossed a shovel to him. He struggled to catch it, launching into the air and catching it for a few seconds before getting a good grasp on it.
"A shovel?" Ereo questioned it as he inspected it.
"Pssst, we don't need one; my hands can dig faster than a shovel." Brush put its hands in front only a few meters away from its head and moved its wrists quickly, quick enough to look like a still image.
Anna stared directly into Ereo's helmet, her gaze piercing through his helmet, his skin, and his skull, and staring directly into his soul, with an almost sympathy-driven look.
"You never know who you might need to bury, Ereo."

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The pair, after some discussion, decided on a final stop before their pilgrimage towards the beast of metal. They made a stop before the temple where they first gained the quest.
As Ereo brushed up against the bead-filled doorway before sitting down, his legs crossed as he faced the sickly deer, the Brush decided to wait outside; the matter seemed personal.
"The two of us are prepared to make our trip, but I wished to ask a question first."
"Speak, Ereo."
"I wanted to ask about the scanner you asked me to bring. I had forgotten about it last time we talked," Ereo said as he raised the scanner from his bag, giving it a slight spin.
"Why did you have me bring it before giving me the quest?"
"My dear Ereo, I wished to test you to see if you are prepared to venture. I can't have another one lost to the Enkidu."
Ereo stopped to ponder the device before speaking once again.
"Do I get rid of it then? Doesn't appear that useful."
"Do—do not," the deer raised his voice, straining his voice; the pain you could almost feel from his voice.
"Ereo, it—it contains knowledge not even the Enkidu could've accessed."
Ereo paused before turning to the device and turning it on.
"How do you know about it?" questioned Ereo.
"I can't say."
"And why's that?"
"You won't understand, Ereo."
"And why not? I'm an adult; you saw me grow up."
"You don't have the full picture of the details."
"Then give it to me."
"I can't, Ereo. The past is dangerous; the knowledge of the past is dangerous; the past is not something I want to curse you with, Ereo."
"No one survived the quest to take on the Enkidu, yet you're willing to see me die rather than tell me the truth about anything. Why won't the Enkidu move? What is the serpent? How are you talking? Where was I from?"
The deer began to cough violently, lowering its head to its pillow.
"You know... Ereo, I won't be here long."
Ereo gets up quickly, facing the door, quickly taking a step before stopping.
"Always playing that card."
Ereo steps out, leaving the temple. He places the scanner back into his bag, gesturing to Brush to move with him towards the endlessly hungry beast, a hulking massive machine god that seems easier for Ereo to face than him to face the truth—that the deer who raised him is hiding everything from him.