Highschool of the Dead: Fanfiction Darkpenn

The american adventures part 5

Part 5: Sacramento

"What," said Jill, "is the Japanese word for 'very, very painful'?"

"Kutsuu," said Hotaru.

"Then my ass is kutsuu," said Jill. "How come I'm the only one who has blisters on my blisters?"

"You're not," said Dean. "Just the only one to complain about it."

"We've been riding since we were born," said Sachiko. "Makes a difference."

They were travelling along a road that had once been a highway, although it was now overgrown at the sides. Occasionally, they passed wrecked cars. Several of them contained bodies - now decomposed past the point of smell, but hardly pretty to look at.

"There's a plant around here that I can use to make an ointment for the three of you," said Kazuki. "Should take the sting out. But you will have to put it on your butts yourselves."

"Hey, Jill, you want to try a mutual arrangement?" said Sam to Jill, laughing.

"In your dreams, loser," she said, with a smile.

"Have you guys named your horses yet?" said Sachiko.

"Thunder," said Sam.

"I'm going with Brutus," said Dean.

"Uh, you know it's a mare, right?" said Sachiko. "How about you, Jill?"

"MacLean called this horse a piebald," she said. "So maybe something like that."

"Pi," said Lian. "Like the geometry symbol."

They all stared at her. "The what?" said Sam.

"Pi," said Lian, "is the sign for a mathematical number used to calculate the circumference and area of a circle. It was discovered by a Chinese mathematician two thousand years ago. Pi is also the Chinese word for lion, so if the horse is brave it would be a good choice."

"If you say so," said Sam.

"Pi it is, then," said Jill.

They had been on the road for ten days since leaving Columbia. As Kowalski had suggested, that had struck out south, aiming to turn east after the mountain range petered out. They each had a horse, and there were three extra ones, both for rotation and to carry their supplies.

"So you use horses in Japan a lot, then?" said Dean.

"We do," said Sachiko. "For a long time, before we took back Sakhalin from the zombies, the supply of petrol was limited. And the EMP had taken out most of the vehicles in the country anyway. But even vehicles that weren't affected by the EMP or were repaired eventually break down. We've got a lot of motorbikes, which are easier to maintain and lighter on the petrol. But for most people it's horses and wagons. Does the job."

"We explored a bit of Russia and China on horseback a few years ago," said Kazuki. "Met Lian. Ran into some zombies."

At the head of the little column, Rise pulled his horse to a halt. He pointed at a sign. "What does that say?" he said to Dean.

"Sacramento, nine miles," Dean read. He pulled a map out of his saddlebag. It had written notes on the side. "Used to be the capital of the state of California, according to this. I don't really know what that means."

Rise nodded, and looked around. "Well, this looks like a good place for a break," he said. "There's a stream over there. There might be some rabbits or deer in the forest."

They rode down to the stream and dismounted, the three Americans breathing sighs of relief.

"I'll collect some of that plant and get started on the ointment," said Kazuki, after they had watered the horses.