The Wanderers [Old Version]

Chapter 10: No Hope

Petra's POV

I was tired of walking. We had done nothing but walk and sleep since we left Lightstone. I wanted to do something. Read, swim, anything. I wouldn't mind stealing at this point, if it meant not having to walk.

I don't know why I started thinking about my parents. I missed them. I honestly did. Although we left off on bad terms, they were still my parents. I still cared.

I let my emotions control me and I began to cry while walking along the dirty old road. Rain noticed but tried to pretend he didn't. I didn't care.

We passed a few Old World military vehicles that had been shot at. They idled on the side of the road for centuries. We were probably some of the first people to see them since they had been shot at.

Five soldiers were laying in the dirt, all of them were blindfolded and had a bullet wound in their forehead. Someone had executed them.

A makeshift campsite sat beside a flipped over truck. A stack of newspapers sat next to a rotting body. A soldier's throat was slit.

I looked through the newspapers. They were all the same so I just took one for myself to read.

It helped occupy me while we walked this endless road.

The paper I grabbed was open to the second page so I just skimmed around on there for a while. Just a few obituaries and some kittens for sell and a number to call. I never understood Old World culture. Why would someone voluntarily own an animal other than a horse? There was no use from such small animals.

I flipped to the back page. It was a picture of a kingdom under construction. I couldn't recognize the kingdom though. Written at the top of the picture was "Where Will You Live When Communism Attacks?"

I was confused. In all the Old World books and newspapers I had read, I never once found the word communism. I didn't know what it was. Probably an Old World term that slowly faded from memory.

I flipped to the front now. The headline at the top was "Russian-Korean allegiance allies China"

I was confused. These must have been kingdoms.

The date in the corner of the page was June 10, 2015. But we were in year 596.

I was lost more than ever.

Rain asked what I was reading.

"Oh, just this newspaper. Talking about some stuff I have no clue about."

He smiled, "Whaaat? You mean Petra doesn't know something? Just when I thought I had seen everything. Haha."
"Oh shut up. I'm serious. It's talking about Russia and Korea and China. These sound familiar to you?"
"Nope."

Nico turned towards me with a confused expression.

"What did you say?"
"What? Russia, Korea, and China."
"Why does that sound so familiar?"
"It's Old World stuff Nico. How do you recognize it?"
"I...I don't know. Russia...it just sounds really familiar. I don't know from where though. Maybe I read it in a book or something."

Suddenly Bill stopped and crouched, his old joints popping as he went down. "Shh! Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"

Rain pulled out his pistol and Nico grabbed his. Draco already had a knife out.

Voices. Fiends.

We moved quick. Bill could surprisingly keep up with us while crouching, for being so old. We hid in a ditch on the side of the road.

Two fiends walked past us.

One wore a gas mask with the glass over the eyes shattered. He was shirtless, except for a strap that ran diagonally across his chest.