Liberty's Heirs

Chapter 21

Another dreary day broke as Blion continued ambling down the road between Grimsby and the Capitol.  Really it was just the barely passable remnants of a road that hadn't been that big to begin with.  South was the right direction, but perhaps this wasn't the right way of gettng there.  The farms had gotten spread out again and there were no signs pointing the right way.  Just the ruins of Ancient buildings that couldn't be reused for something, the omnipresent plastic bits, and other garbage that the islanders had never bothered to clean up.

Aside from all that, it was still a beautiful green place.  There were no people, no robots, not vacikarces flying through the air, no multi-mile high towers.  Just Blion, the birds, and the smatter patches of asphalt and concrete marking the ancient route. 

His hands, legs, and feet were still very cold, though mostly dry now.  The rain had stopped several hours earlier.  Even out in the open air he could smell himself, the accumulated body odor had only been slightly washed off by the rain.

As the day brightened and the clouds began to lift, the foliage seemed to be getting ever denser and the road ever narrower.  He began getting worried about bandits again as the forest seemed to close in around him.  He heard an animal noise up ahead, perhaps it originated from domesticated ungulates.  Intrigued, he continued forward and saw the white fluffy tails of several sheep, thickly covered in wool.  Did these creatures live out here on their own or did they have a shepherd to care for them?  They all stood still facing in the same direction.  But given that the pathway was narrow enough that if he spread his arms out he could touch the leaves of the branches on either side, he couldn't see the front of the flock. He brushed past several of the bleating creatures and started calling out "Hello!" in case their caretaker was about.

"I could use some help here!" said a male voice from up ahead.  Apparently Blion's calls could be heard.

A moment later, as Blion pushed past more of the animals, about a hundred in all, he saw a human figure looking down and forward.  Something was definitely wrong: the shepherd wasn't looking at the approaching stranger.  At the front of the flock and there was a vicious looking dog facing a fair skinned young man with brown hair who looked to be about the same height and age as Blion.

The dog was big and wild looking with patchy brown fur, it seemed a wolf.  Its sharp teeth dripped with saliva in anticipation of rending flesh, perhaps the young man's if he didn't give it a sheep.  Blion had his staff and was prepared to come to the aid of the young man who also had a staff, though he hoped to avoid hurting the wolf.  He had never seen a wolf or a dog before and considered them rare and precious creatures.  The Aye didn't generally permit carnivorous pets, Riojme's fox was the only one he knew of.  During the period of the camps, there were no pets, all the work of Ancient domestication had been undone.  The Aye had re-domesticated some animals like rabbits for human use companionship.  Though not as rare as Riome's fox, they were not common.  Apparently even the barbaric islanders had not kept their pets from reverting to wild forms.

Just as Blion came to the young man's right side, two more wolves emerged from the undergrowth.  Still cold, he began perspiring anyway and brought his staff up to fend off an attack.  The wolves began to slowly advance on Blion and the stranger.  As they did, another wolf came out, then another and another and another. The alpha wolf lunged at Blion.  As soon as it began its attack, the others ran forward too.  Blion's staff was swift and instinctual.  It impacted the top left of the wolf's head, smashing its skull and sending it limply to the ground.