Enigma Source: Grey Area

Chapter 13: Mechanized Memories II

August 07, ????
Sinclair
Somewhere in the Wildlands

"Stay behind me!", I commanded the kids that had accompanied me on a hunting trip. There were three of them, all around the same age. Lux thought it was a good idea for me to bring some of the children we had rescued from that raid a few weeks ago. I had not really spoken to any of them since that night, mainly because I thought it was a stupid idea to have kept them. Lux was persistent though, she fought hard to convince Richter and the others that we should keep them safe at the camp. And she actually did. Now here I was, babysitting three kids, attempting to bond with them.

We've been watching them and giving them a safe place to stay until we find out what to do with them. Surprisingly, everyone warmed up to the little brats. Yes, even the terrifying brutes of the Strider Gang found some joy from having little rascals running about camp. It certainly livened the place up. But I digress. A more pressing situation was occurring.

A pack of beasts had ambushed us, surrounding the children and me in a very strategic (and honestly brilliant) trap. Quadrupedal beasts with beady eyes gazed at their meal with great interest. Their fiery red manes were flared out, making them seem like radiant suns. Their fangs pertruded outward in gnarly forms and thick saliva dripped down from thier muzzles. There was like ten of them around us. I was sure what to call these things.

I felt the sound in my back begin to sting. "Damn. They really caught me off guard". A few moments earlier, while we were packing up for the day, one of these things managed to sneak up on us and tried to take down one of the kids. I was able to react to it, but it's curved claws swiped me in my back. I tried to make a retreat with the kids, but like I said, they laid a nice trap, pinning us down in a perfect spot.

I heard the whimpers of the kids behind me. I quickly glanced behind me, checking to see if they were all right. If I remembered correctly, thier names were Icarus, Robyn, and Vent. They didn't come with names, so Lux took it upon herself to name all of the kids as if they were her own. Icarus was a brash and arrogant little fellow. Always picking fights with the other boys. His bleach blonde hair made him stand out like a swore thumb. He also had darker than normal skin, not essentially brown, but tanned. He seemed the most scared out of the three. Even the girl was holding it together. Robyn was pretty small, having red, straight hair and a fair complexion. She usually had a joyful appearance to her and was apparently the nicest little human in the group too. She would call Lux mom and mommy which fed Lux's ego quite a ton. Lastly, there was Vent. He had dark brown hair that was practically black. His skin was also pale like Robyn's, but a shade darker. He had a stern face and rarely smiled. He was quiet and reserved, only ever grouping with the others when it was time to eat. Lux said he reminded her of me which was ridiculous. I may have been a "loner" but at least I knew how to cooperate with other people. The funny thing about all three of these kids was that they all did not like me at all.

Icarus found me to be a "rival", whatever that meant. Robyn was scared of my personality and general appearance and Vent didn't like anyone, including Lux. I guess that was why she wanted me to add them to my trip. Tangent aside, we were still in trouble and I needed to access the problem carefully.

"I-I'm scared", Robyn commented as she and the others huddled closely behind me. Icarus let out a small cry of fear and began to speak incoherently. I did not understand a word he said, and that made it very difficult to stay focused. "Shut up. I'll figure a way out of this. Just give me some time". Vent, being the more level headed of the bunch, made no real sound. Whether he was brave or just too scared to make a sound was beyond me. But he would prove useful if they survived this.