[3-4] The Forest (The Cat, the Fox, and the Knight)

[Karl Jak]

Amber
Arthuria
Carmelita
4 secondaries

The three primes and their four companions had escaped from the madness at the beach.

Rain still poured down from overhead, but the thick canopy helped to drown out some of the noise.  They all knew they'd have to be moving sooner rather than later, but for the time being, they had a brief reprieve from the madness.

I'll let the three of you relax a little and figure out what you want to do before I toss something at you (okay?)

[Amber Veritz]

Amber rested herself against the dirt wall behind her after taking a seat in the dirt. The pain from the bite on her arm had finally dulled but her anxiety level was at an all time high. The bite was making her feel sick, even in the warm and humid heat of the tropics, Amber felt chills run down her spine. Carmelita kept trying to get her to hold still but she kept shaking as if she was sitting in snow. “Amber hold still or I'm going electrocute you.”

“Sorry,” Amber stuttered, “I'm not feeling all that good anymore.” She scratched the back of her feline ears and tugged on her hair a little. “I don't want to turn into a zombie, this isn't how I want to die. No, no, no. I can't die like this.” A panicked voice escaped the cat girl as she rocked a little in place. “Calm down, you're not going to die.” Carmelita grabbed the faunus’s shoulder and looked her in the eyes. “Trust me.” Amber simply replied with a nod and a short nervous breath.

Next, Amber began observing everything. Her head went everywhere look at everything around her. Arturia noticed this more than Carmelita who was occupied with cleaning and bandaging Amber wound the best she could. The faunus looked out to observe the rain falling a for a few seconds, watching splash to the ground. Then from that to the secondaries huddled up with the group, only wondering if they would now fear her since she may be a carrier of a contagious disease. “How do you fare?” The King of Knights spoke up and got Amber's attention. “Oh, I'm feeling a bit nervous.” Amber said quickly. “What about your wound? Any pain?” She glanced down at it and back up to Arturia, “it stings but nothing more.”

“Good. Just keep your wits about you and it'll be fine.” It was at this point that Amber realized that they were simply trying to keep her from freaking out. That’s all she needed to do, just stay calm. Panicking was not going to make the situation better, and it was not the way for a huntress to react. She was a leader, she needed to act like one, even if she was not leading her team. Finally, Amber's arm was patched up the best it could be. “Good as new.” She smirked as Carmelita finished wrapping the cloth over her bicep. “Let's be more careful next time.” She said to no one in particular and relaxed for the first time since the plane crashed.

[2B]

The King of Knights glanced at her newly found companions as the mixture of cat and human seemed to finally regain a speck of serenity, relaxing. The other one puzzled the knight, as she seemed to be some kind of a sentient fox. But in the end, she wouldn’t judge, it would make sense to work together, especially considering the direction their little adventure had went. The three of them, as well as the few they’d managed to save, were huddled away from the rain, seeking shelter for the moment. Finally, Arturia spoke up. “We should rest until the downpour passes, then develop a plan with clear minds. As you are wounded, you should rest, I shall take guard.” the woman offered.

“That..I could use a rest.” the feline-kind responded, leaning further against the wall of their abode, as her eyelids fell shut. In Amber’s mind, even if they weren’t her own team, they were in this mess together, and that, if nothing made them a team.

The vixen accepted their plan as the most sensible course of action to take, as she took vigil near Amber, watching over the wounded girl, intending to rest herself. For now, she’d place her trust upon the knight. After all, with Amber’s condition, she’d need time to heal, and at least a bit of rest before they’d move out. And honestly, a bit of time to sort through her thoughts wouldn’t either.

As Arturia received the affirmative response of the others, she approached the four huddled behind them, whom had settled their makeshift weapons onto the ground, and were in the process of taking a well earned breather. Their situation in a way seemed simple, alas there were many variables at play in this strange place.

“Are any of you injured?” The question was plain and simple, yet withheld behind it crucial information. Alas, past scratches and black eyes, they seemed to all be capable of functioning. Nodding, the knight explained to them, that they as well should rest until the rain was to pass. They’d need their full stamina once they decided to push forth. In her heart, Arturia felt the burn to move. As much as she had been the one to suggest rest, her heart pulled her to find Fiara, to find Amaterasu. After what she’d witnessed upon the beach, a dark what-if nurtured itself in her heart. What if she could not make it in time? What if she would fail to save those dear to her once more?

Shaking her head, Arturia sat down near the entrance to their little hideout, leaning against the wall as she allowed Excalibur, even in its concealed form to fade from her hands.

465 words of 2400 used, according to site, not counting the contents of this quote.

[Carmelita]

Carmelita had rinsed her wounds with the sea water, but like those of Amber that was only good for a mild sterilisation. The gashes on her forearm still bled, though the red of her greatcoat were not too badly stained.

A large leaf made a suitable bowl to catch the falling rainwater, and with a string of grass stems hurriedly wound through small thorn punched holes, Carmelita had a vessel to rinse her wounds with clean fresh water. A low yip escaped as the pain from the wound flared, but sighed in relief as the salt crystals that had been irritating the wound were washed away. She bound her wounds with the small roll of bandages she kept in her pockets for emergencies. There was only enough to just cover the thin lines, which is why she’d not used it on Amber’s more formidable bite wound. Pulling her greatcoat’s sleeves back over her arms, she settled back to rest.

Carmelita had the only active light source amongst their group in the form of her shock pistol, and she released the charged shot into the earth as the darkness of dusk began to shroud the wet grey light of the rain. Lightning flashed, and the sound of thunder quickly followed.

Lying against the cool, damp earth grew boring after half an hour, and sleep didn’t come as easily to her as it had for the secondaries and Amber. Her thoughts began wandering into difficult places, and at the point where she thought of her companion in the last thunderstorm she’d been in she finally decided that anything was better than that. Now was no time for grieving.

She stood, crouching beneath the earthen overhang, and made her way over to where Saber still sat, keeping a vigil over what little she could see through the trees. The only indication the knight gave that she had heard Carmelita approach was a slight shift in her position, making room for the fox to take a seat next to her.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Carmelita offered, settling in and staring out in a slightly different direction. “So I thought you might appreciate some company.”

“You do not need to trouble yourself, Carmelita.”

The fox gave a huff of annoyance, and shook her head.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t say when you’d finish watch. Something’s bugging you too. Might be that some light conversation could keep your mind off it.”

“Very well then,” Saber replied. “I have not seen one such as yourself before. What type of world do you hail from?”

Carmelita tapped a digit against her knee as she thought how to reply.

“We call it Earth, and it has two major landmasses. There are many races which inhabit the world, and we bear resemblance to cousins in the animal kingdoms. There are four main sapient species, one for each land based kingdom.”
“The world itself, though, is split into various nations. I lived mostly in a nation called France, in the city of Paris, but my parents lived in a different country called Spain.”

The knight interjected with a tired, bemused voice.

“I believe I know of your world, then, or at least its mirror. Mine shares your geography, no doubt, and maybe more.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Tell me, does the term ‘Holy Grail’ mean anything to you?”

“It’s a cup allegedly used by Christ at the last supper. There’s a host of legends around it, and it’s been used as a plot device in several books I’ve read. I’m a little sceptical about its existence, but I am from a Catholic family.”

Saber was about to continue when a thought struck her.

“Wait, what species-”

“-race-”

“-race was Christ?”

“Arabian mammalian. The exact details of him vary from writer to writer.”

“Nevermind, perhaps it is better unknown.”

Carmelita gave an amused chuckle.

“My thoughts exactly,” she said. “Besides, I’ve seen too much weird to be as religious as my parents. Once you’ve been possessed by a malevolent Aborigine spirit and experienced pre-Christian culture firsthand the lines get a little blurred, you know? Anyway, what is the Grail to you?”

“The Holy Grail is, was, an omnipotent artefact that can grant its obtainer one wish. It appears irregularly, and when it does there is a ritual combat between seven mages and servants they can summon. I was one of the latter, fighting in the Fourth such Holy Grail War.”

Carmelita turned her head. Saber’s face was completely calm, not a hint of deception anywhere to be seen in the dim light. She thought about it for a moment before deciding to accept it and move on.

“So it didn’t need to be guarded at all? What I wouldn’t have given for that kind of protection for some of the treasure’s I had to protect.”

Saber gave a small hum of curiosity.

“And why were you protecting treasure? Are you some kind of guard?”

“I suppose so, in a sense. I’m an international police officer,” Carmelita frowned and ran her finger over her shock pistol’s insignia. “And we were tasked with dealing with the problems too big for local forces to deal with. Terrorism, corruption, environmental crime, white collar crime and art theft, amongst other issues. I had a near perfect record.”

“Near perfect?”

“Yes.”

Saber quieted at the tension in Carmelita’s voice. It wasn’t that it was a subject of irritation, but instead that there was something that was making the fox sad. Casting about for something else to direct the conversation to, she coughed.

“I am not sure what use we are in this light…”

Carmelita looked out at the forest. Night had fallen as they had talked, and now the deep dark blues and blacks of the night time rain was only illuminated by the occasional flash of lightning nearby, and the steady wash of rain made a loud sound as it rolled off the leaves in the canopy.

“Better to be here than not.”

They continued to make small talk as the storm continued to roll in.

[Amber Veritz]

The storm didn't seem to let up. Rain poured down next to the small group as lightning crackled in the distance. Amber, having only got about 2 hours or so of sleep slowly woke up until the next bolt lit up and scared her awake. She awoke just in time to listen in on Carmelita and Arturia’s conversation of their worlds. Once they'd finished talking, she stood and sat next to them. “Shouldn't you be resting?” Arturia leaned forward to look past the fox woman.

“You need your energy, go get more rest.” Carmelita agreed. Amber only laughed, “I'll rest when they put me down. Besides, I don't need a lot of sleep. Haven't you ever heard of cat nap?” The group laughed at the obviously stupid joke Amber had made. She was trying to boost their morale. Being a team leader was a full time job, on and off the battlefield. Whether or not the leader liked it, she had to be apart of it and make sure her team was in good spirits. “I'm from a world called Remnant. It's exciting, but a little too exciting probably. Creatures attack us and only seem to destroy us. That's where people like me come in. Hunters and Huntresses. I'm still-” The cat girl cut herself off, seeing her mistake. “I was in training, and now I'm here.” She shuffled around a bit and drove Razorback into the ground. “Things in that world make people special, like how I can wield my giant sword in a single hand. I use my own willpower to sustain my muscles.”

Carmelita didn't know whether to be impressed or shocked. Arturia was feeling the same too. “You mean to tell me you can manipulate your body like magic?” Amber giggled, “I guess you could say that. In basic words, I use a force called ‘Aura’. When I overlay this power into my muscles it let pick up heavy things without tearing my muscles up.”

“That's quite the unique power.” Arturia spoke up, observing her sword. “Eh, it's a living I guess. Arty, why don't you and Carmel lay back and get some rest now. I'll keep watch. Won't help us any if we're all tired right?” Amber smiled at her new companions and their new nicknames she dubbed them. They may or may not have felt indifferent about them though.

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 3

Although they had escaped the zombies, the trio hadn’t escaped the storm that ravaged the island.  After a few peaceful hours where some had found sleep and others had found solace, the trio realized that the rain was getting worse.
 
Long after the knight had ended her watch and drifted into an uneasy sleep, her feline companion arose with a horrible fever.  Amber couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this ill, and to make matters worse, her throat felt bone dry.  Trying not to make much noise, the feline woman made it up to her feet and grabbed a large tropical leaf from the ground before taking a few steps away from her companions.
 
Amber extended a makeshift leaf bowl out from the shelter and into the downpour.  Despite her best efforts, her strength was leaving her, and the rain knocked the leaf from her hands and into the muddy earth.  With a frown, she knelt down to retrieve her bowl, but as she did, she caught a quick movement in the corner of her eye.  She knew that both of her newfound allies were behind her, which meant someone was spying on them.
 
“Who is there?”  The sick woman asked as she looked through the trees for more signs of movement.  “Come out, it’s not kind to play games.”  Although it was getting difficult to see in the downpour, Amber could see that there was someone standing behind a tree no more than five feet away.  “This isn’t funny.”
 
With that, the figure stepped out from behind the tree, and the blood in Amber’s veins went cold when she realized the identity of the stranger.
 
It was her… almost.
 
Although the other Amber was smiling, it was obvious that the expression wasn’t genuine.  The flesh was falling off of the other woman’s face, and one of her eyeballs was half out of its socket.  One ear was ripped in half, and the other had sagged a few inches below its normal spot due to the eroding flesh.  The creature blew a kiss with chapped, bloodstained lips before it came running at the mortified Amber, who found herself unable to move.
 
As dead, clammy fingers brushed against the feline woman’s face, she woke up with a jolt in the dry confines of their shelter.

[spoiler]
Amber will begin to experience some swelling and soreness in her joints.
When you're all awake, you'll find footprints all around your shelter.  You can opt to follow these if you desire, and I'll let you know where they go (boh boh boh)
---Do you still have the secondaries with you?[/spoiler]

[Carmelita]

When Carmelita awoke, her gash had scabbed over and the pain in her arm had lessened to a dull throb. The dull morning light came through the gentle drizzle that remained from last night’s storm.

After last night’s intense activity, she was somewhat relieved to find that they still had all seven of them in the shelter. Her stomach growled softly, and she woke Saber. As the knight composed herself and gathered firewood nearby, Carmelita shimmied up a tree and entered the canopy, looking for breakfast.

She found several nests rather quickly, one or two with birds still sheltering from the storm. Wincing, she knocked them out with her stun pistol, and together with the eggs and some wild lychees she found, she had a decent gathering, enough to sate their appetites for a while.

She returned to find Saber kneeling in the undergrowth, examining something, while a couple of the secondaries were tending the fire they’d started. Amber looked in an even worse state than she had been yesterday, and was still fitfully asleep. Her cat naps clearly hadn’t been restful.

“Carmelita, we have had visitors.”

Saber’s words were enough to hurriedly hand over her morning catch to one of the Syntech employees, before joining the knight in examining the footprints.

There were clearly multiple tracks. Bare footprints, one much smaller than another, accompanied two styles of treaded boots, a pair of sandal tracks and several unique pawprints. There seemed to be a certain amount of confusion, or at least a lack of cooperation, as the paths came and went in different ways and tracked back and forth, as if searching for something.

Carmelita stood and looked back at their shelter. Imagining it in the dark, with rain coming down and thunder and lightning all around… she could see it being difficult to find.

“We should eat first. The rain is easing, these tracks will still be here later.” Carmelita’s stomach chose to emphasise the point, growling emptily. She blushed through her fur and turned her head away, embarrassed. Saber seemed to take it in stride and nodded, heading over to the fire.

Carmelita checked up on Amber as the smell of cooking bird and boiling eggs wafted through the air. The girl looked as though she had sweated through the night, and Carmelita was of two minds to check the wound for infection. When Amber’s eyes shot open as she bent to touch the bandages though, the two decided to leave it until after breakfast.

As they sat, backs against the cool earth, Carmelita turned to the syntech employees.

“So, now we have a moment, care to introduce yourselves? And can someone please tell me how on earth you learnt to use a leaf as a saucepan, that can’t be standard education…”

One of the two women burst into laughter, her long red hair bouncing behind her.

“Would you believe I learnt it in basic chemistry?” she asked, a twinkle in her eye belying the scratches from running into a thorn bush on their panicked escape the night before. “The name’s Jess, or Jessica Sopworth if you’re my parents.”

“No, no I wouldn’t,” Carmelita replied with a smile.

“Trust me, Jess has a whole host of useless knowledge knocking about her head,” a short bald man knocked his ebony elbow against Jess’s side. “I’m Jonah Shinada, thanks for the save last night.”

“Jeremiah Silver.”

They turned to the other man, a rather refined looking fellow whose immaculate appearance was spoilt by some hastily bandaged gashes on his side. He turned away, apparently overwhelmed by the sudden attention, and refused to continue despite the other syntech employees giving him looks of exasperation.

“Right then, so we’ve got Jess, Jonah, Jeremiah and…” Amber trailed off looking at the elderly woman who, despite her apparent frailty, had last night been the most ferocious when wielding the branch she’d picked up. The woman tilted her head and gave a crinkled grin.

“Jasmine Smith, though if any of you young ‘uns calls me anything but Jazz, you’ll regret it. These three already know not to, but I’d appreciate it if you did the same. I’d also thank you for not throwing us under the bus like that red and black fellow did with poor James.”

Carmelita raised an eyebrow.

“Wait, you all have the same initials. Is that a coincidence?”

The four shared an exasperated look before turning back to the three primes.

“Karl Jak recruits anyone who applies with those initials on the last Tuesday of the month every odd year. It’s not the most eccentric thing he’s done, but…” Jonah shrugged his shoulders.

They was a bemused silence before Saber finished calmly eating the last lychee and looked at them.

“There are tracks we could follow,” she said, her face composed and focused. “We should decide on our course of action.”

“I’d recommend we follow the bootprints,” Carmelita replied. “No offence, Amber, but if we can find you some modern medical supplies then I’d feel a lot better. From your condition, it’s likely the wound’s festered. In addition, we’re all a bit banged up, and if there’re modern people on the island...”

She looked at the syntech employees who had all simultaneously shifted away from the faunus.

“Oh don’t be like that,” the vixen scolded. “I’m certain that someone used voodoo to lay last night’s trap. Any infection is likely a tropical bug.”

Jeremiah spoke up.

“Would it be right to assume that those who are barefoot might be more likely to know how to deal with such magics? If there are natives…”

“Don’t be daft, lad,” Jazz said, whacking the back of the man’s head. “They’d have laid the trap, no doubt, and that means xenophobic tribes. Didn’t you hear Bill’s story in the mess last week?”

Carmelita turned to Saber and Amber.

“Well, what do you two think?”

[2B]

The group was as rested and nourished as could be. Same applied to their medical conditions, Arturia had tied her arm wound once more, stopping the bleeding for the time being, and Carmelita had tended to Amber’s, as well as her own wounds as well ass she had been able to.

As such, they now had a decision ahead of themselves; How to proceed, now that they had found tracks in the mud? Follow the footprints, or the bootprints? Or disregard them completely? The rain had not yet washed them away, even if they’d opted out to eat before proceeding to decide upon their next course of action.

They’d discussed about their course of action already, and the vixen had made her desires clear. The King of Knights could not present any real argument to it, as she watched how the youngest of them seemed to be in a rather pitiful state. “Mhm, I agree that we should follow the bootprints.” the knight made her opinion clear, following Carmelita immediately standing up. The night had given the vixen far too much time to dwell upon the sore matters within her mind, and she craved to spring into action. Something, anything to distract herself. Even the slightest duty, or responsibility.

“Excellent. I’ll scout ahead and report back to you if I find anything. I’ll make certain you can follow the tracks as well.” a simple, yet calm rebuttal, as the vixen activated her gadget and disappeared from sight as she headed for the tracks, leaving Arturia in charge for arranging the rest of their party. The Knight knew that the journey ahead would be tough, and that her group would need all the motivation they could get; And so, the knight spoke, knowing full well what revealing her name meant.

“Amber, Jessica, Jonah, Jeremiah, Jasmine. The road ahead of us shall be full of anguish and hardship. Alas, we must triumph. And so, I swear to you by my name, King Arturia Pendragon of Britain, that I shall protect you and stand between any threat, be it large or small. I shall not abandon you, no matter the foe or hardship, I swear so upon my honour.” The golden gleam of Excalibur, Sword of Promised victory, materialized upon her hand unconcealed, as the King of Knights raised it into the air. “And so I ask thee this, are you with me?”

The group sprung to their legs, as they grasped whatever weaponry they had, raising them to the air as they all called out in unison a simple agreement. “Aye!”

As their morale had been raised, Arturia instructed the group; "Form a defensive circle around Amber, and follow Carmelita. I shall mask our tracks and guard our rear. Should something come, Carmelita shall report to me, and I shall take the lead. Amber, artillery support, if necessary." The Kings commands came with authority and clear strategy in them, accepted as whole by their group.

And so, the time had come to mobilize themselves together with their newfound motivation, the civilians forming around Amber as they moved after the Vixen. Arturia was soon to follow after she had sought out a thickly leaved branch for herself, masking their tracks with it as they went as well as concealed Excalibur with Invisible Air once more. If someone was to follow them, the knight had no reason to make it easy for them. It was her duty to take care of the rear, and so she would do. Whilst Fiara revolved within her head, and if she’d faced the same kind of beings they had, Arturia’s foremost priority for now, was keeping those whom depended on her, alive. It was her honour as a knight to do so.

Arturias senses honed themselves to their peak as they made their way, listening for the sounds of the forest around them, catching the slightest movements around them. Had she not had experience in such, the woman would’ve probably be driven paranoid, even insane by such situation, but, given her background, her resolve would hold. In the knight’s mind her duty had been set for her. And she would not fail those whom relied upon them, even if they were not her people.

715 words according to site, not counting the contents of this quote.
We followed the bootprints. Carmelita in front, Amber & the Secondaries in the middle, & Arturia masking our tracks & guarding the rear.

[Carmelita]

Carmelita proceeded through the forest, her cloak activated around her. The warmth of the slightly singed air kept the moisture from seeping into her neck as she stalked through the undergrowth, scanning for traps and ambushes as she tracked the bootprints impressed in the dirt and the broken undergrowth that indicated recent passage.

The rest of the group were moving at a slow and steady pace, and Carmelita therefore had the time to double back after checking a section and drawing arrows in the dirt where the footprints had grown faint.

She had seen the group a few times on her scouting, and it was good to see that they kept a relatively wary formation as they proceeded. The syntech employees all wielded stout branches that Saber, no, Arturia, had found when collecting firewood the night before, and were arrayed in a loose square around Amber, whose condition didn’t prevent her from wielding her gun in the ready position. At the back, she had spotted Arturia with her sword in a loose ready position, prepared for any ambushes that might occur.

Speaking of, Carmelita still had no idea what to think of the lady. That the knight was King Arthur was, in retrospect, unsurprising, but her understanding of the english legend was less complete than she liked to assume. Had she been El Cid, or some other spanish hero, then Carmelita might have been able to recite the legend by rote, but as it was she had to piece together in her mind what she had gathered from protecting art works and her brief sojourn in medieval england.

On top of that, her mind was also full of concern towards Amber. The infection, tropical or malevolent in nature, was taking its toll and Carmelita was worried about the young girl. It had been only a short time they had been acquainted, but there was something about her enthusiasm and morale-lifting quips that had Carmelita feeling quite close.

On reflection, Carmelita had no trouble believing that all three of them had taken on roles of command in the past. Obviously Arturia had been a king, but there was a nobleness that had shone through during her speech and reveal that Carmelita could see stemming from a strong sense of duty. Amber had spoken of being trained to fight monsters, and there was something that made Carmelita suspect she had been in charge of such teams. As for herself, Carmelita had led plenty of investigations in the past, and knew how to organise a group of people and keep them busy and on task when it mattered.

That definitely showed in the group dynamic. As the morning wore on, the group paused for a break, and Carmelita released her cloak and returned to them. There was little of note that occured, but Carmelita’s reflections had a definite correlation with the reality. Amber had taken to being an emotional support, tending to the mood and leading them on that front; Arturia’s superior combat ability and experience made her the best choice for controlling how they fought; Carmelita was making a good attempt at leading them along the path and investigating what lay ahead.

They continued for a while longer before Carmelita found herself emerging into a clearing. She returned and warned the others and they arrived as a cautious group...

[Amber Veritz]

The group came into the clearing slowly. Just a few yards farther rested the ruins of a recent campsite. It was torn to shreds by some beast of this forest it seems. Amber observed the tent after looking inside it for life while. Claw marks, like that of a Beowolf, only smaller, stretched across the fabric in various places. “Hope we're not dealing with any Grimm on this island. If a Nevermore swoops down on us we’d be finished.” Amber quietly whispered to herself. She took a closer look into the tent finding some sleep bags lying down on the ground. “Hey we could probably use these tents, if we could cover up the claw marks on the sides. Carmelita turned to Amber and inspected the tent. “They could still be useful shelter even with the openings in the side.”

“Yeah your right.” While discussing this, the King of Knights actively searched through what seemed like storage of belongings, a crate of odd things. Inside was little box that was latched shut and made of plastic. She popped it open to examine the contents, and with some bizzare luck, she had found a sewing kit. “Anyone know how to sow?” She said out loud. Carmelita looked over at her, “Might be a bit rough but I could probably do it.” She stepped around the secondaries looking the through the rest of the campsite and took the sewing kit. “Great now we have portable shelter.” Amber spoke up. “Yeah, but maybe not for long. There's a map over her in this tent.” Said Jonah, waving his hand for someone to come over. Amber ran over there, feeling a bit sore in her knees but she could manage for now. “Let me see.”

Jessica, who had been observing a bit further in the distance and watching for anything that might be looking to ambush them. She noticed something in the distance. A building that was hard to make out much other than the general figure. “Hey, looks like there's a building out that way. Should we check it out?”

“This map seems to lead to a city from what I can tell in the opposite direction of that building. So choices, do we go investigate the building, or look for this city?” Arturia spoke up, “The city seems more reliable in my opinion, we might be able to find some decent food.”

“Yes, not to mention some legitimate medical supplies or help for our wounds, especially Amber's.” Carmelita said looking over at Amber's arm. “It's fine, other than a bit of swelling, I'm sure I'll be fine guys.” Carmelita felt indifferent, she knew Amber's bite was getting worse and was only going to get worse. “It could only help Amber, let's find that city.” Amber responded with a nod and smile. “If we all make it out of this, and you guys need somewhere to go, you can find me in the froze world on the other side of one of those gates in that canvas world a large fort made of ice, snow and steel.” Amber said. The two smiled in response, thinking over whether or not they would take her up on that offer.

The team packed up the tents and the small amount of supplies and food they could find at the campsite and continued in their familiar formation towards the direction that the map marked the city. The map didn't have a scale but seemed pretty simple to follow. Amber had the map, and she knew how to tell which direction they were headed with her experience of living on the streets. She could tell what direction they were heading just by looking at the sun. Also in their luck, the map seemed to lead mostly in one direction, West. Amber’s soreness was only getting worse. Even if someone asked her if she was alright, she waved them off and told them she was doing fine. Though the pain in her knees was starting to kill her. Good thing it wouldn't affect her shooting should the party need her bullets at their side.

[2B]

Arturia continued to mask their tracks as they proceeded into the forest once more, this time with an accurate goal ín mind; A city. The knight effectively devastated their tracks with the leaved branch, as her eyes scanned their rear.

At times, she caught a glance of something, likely an animal running across her line of sight, yet disappearing into the forest once more. The uncertainty concerning the creature kept the King of Knights on her guard, unable to ascertain herself about the nature of the being. Was it one animal? Perhaps many? Was it even an animal at all? It could’ve been a predator following them, or simply multiple does hopping along, happening to cross their path by pure chance. The uncertainty chewed Arturia, yet she kept to her duty.

Carmelita continued to scout ahead; the city sounded wonderful to her cautiously twitching ears. She couldn’t find any tracks to follow, yet Amber continued to steadily grant her the direction they were headed, which she then scouted and marked for the main group. Amber herself, frustrated with her physical state; it was driving her insane. Her joints were killing her, causing the poor girl to limp ever so slightly, yet she refused to voice her discomfort. The others were strong, and she would not let them down. But the watchful eye of Jasmine and Jeremiah caught the girl’s moment of weakness. Without a word, the two of them granted their support to the girl, helping her along. No words were spoken to the others, just a quiet aid between allies.

Their journey was in a way peaceful, but eerily so. They had no way of knowing where they were actually headed, nor what was surrounding them. The forest was thick, ensuring that their visibility was mediocre at best, and the only guidance they had, was Amber’s ability to decipher the map that they had based their traveling off of for the past hours.

Across time, Amber’s joints were starting to give up on her, as more and more of her weight shifted upon Jeremiah and Jazz. Luckily enough she wielded a gun, so no matter the situation, she’d be of use. Even if she sat on the ground, she’d still be able to fire. The frustration all of them unknowingly shared was a simple one; a silent forest surrounding them for who knows how far away all around them, and no way of knowing or hoping to predict what they would face.

As the saying goes, there was light at the end of the tunnel for Carmelita hurried to them, excitement and a tinge of hope lacing her voice as she relayed the news; She had reached the edge of the city; It was only a short distance away. And as such, the whole group, after hours traversing through branches, rocks, shrubbery frustratingly sticky mud gained a newfound motivation; Perhaps there was hope for them after all.

With the newfound vitality coursing through their muscles, they accelerated their pace, even Amber’s joints seeming to revitalize themselves with the glimmer of hope, the group arriving to the edge of the forest surrounding the city.

It was truly an interesting sight.

538 words, not counting the contents of this quote. The group has tents, sewing supplies and what little food and other supplies they could salvage from the camp. They headed for the city, and have now arrived to the edge of it. 1253/2400 words used for this round.

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 4