Generations

Part 1

This story is part of my Ten Generations and One million words challenge!

I will be chronicling ten Generations after the apocalypse, over the course of one million words,

so do the math, and that's 100,000 words for each generation.

Which is approximately the size of a large multiple chapter fanfiction.

Of course, given the nature of this fanfiction, there will be numerous events of character death,

as well as OCs once we get past the second generation.

That being said, I hope you'll stick with me through this journey

and see my interpretation of how the apocalypse will impact the survivors over time.

10,000 words a chapter, 100,000 words a generation.

Ranet Castle, moment de l'argent sans fin, year Three, month of the Bull.

They paused in front of the castle's gates, watching as their escort and her two adopted children raised their left elbow into the air, and extended their right arm with a bladed hand down diagonally, pointing to the floor, the two joints making a continuous line. Rick watched nervously as the guards atop the wall scrambled to open the gate on the other side of the moat, a few ran off, seemingly to prepare for something. He looked to Daryl, to make sure he was ready in the event that something went awry, which of course, he was.

"Rick. I trust her." He whispered, looking to the red head that he had known since before the fall, Irene. They had found her when they stumbled across Shawn, her adopted son, and his twin sister, Dawn, as they were fleeing from another group, crying that their mother desperately needed help. Daryl had recognised the woman's name, and rampantly rushed to help, finding her right arm cut at the ligaments, so she couldn't use it, left as walker bait.

Despite Irene's past connection with Daryl, she and Carol made quick friends. Irene couldn't be happier that Daryl found someone, even in today's mess. She was still disappointed when she learned that the two weren't officially together, but knew that there were sparks in their eyes each time they exchanged glances, and that it was only a matter of time before they professed their love to each other.

Carol held Judith close to her, standing beside Carl. The baby looked up the the lowering bridge with a sense of wonder, "Irene, there aren't any walkers near, how is it so clear?"

Irene smiled, turning to face her, walking backwards, leading them towards the bridge. "We aren't the only castle in the area." She pointed up to the black flag at the top of the castle, which had a red and purple stripe leading down from the upper right side, to the lower left, and a white circle in the upper left side, "We're Ranet, there's also Schubert, Kirk, Erickson, and Gulyert castles. Erikson castle does a great job with the walkers, leading them away and killing them. In the event of a herd, Ranet castle has two moats, one outside the first bridge, and one on the inside. The Inner one has generators that we can power using either gas reserves or manual labor to zap anyone and anything that gets in, however we've never had anything get past the first gate."

Dawn put her hands on her hips proudly, jutting her chin into the hair, blonde hair flicking around in the wind, "We have the largest population of all the castles, as well as the biggest trained militia. Ranet and Gulyert castle deal with other survivor groups that are threats, such as the Wolves, which I'm sure you've encountered, they're active in these parts, and like to target our scouts, like mama."

"Not to mention our library." Shawn added, "Lyra, our leader, is adamant over keeping knowledge alive, and not letting ourselves fall back into the dark ages. We teach the kids everything, navigation, basic medicine, chemistry, even masonry." He smiled at Carl, who was around his age, "You'd be in my class, we're learning weaponsmithing this lunar month."