Like tongues of pure fire, the flames of the campfire licked at the air and illuminated the small area around itself; the subtle heat gave a nice contrast to the biting cold of the wastelands. Chewing on a piece of dried meat, Cira tried to get the rust of the Energy Blade she found a few weeks back on the corpse of a Divine Guard, one of the soldiers from Eden, humanity's last bastion on this war-torn planet. Cira felt hate, when she thought about the city, or rather who ran it; The Gods. She scrubbed the blade harder with the derusting rock she found on that same soldier. The rust, dust of a weirdly beautiful red-brown, fell to the ground and colored the wet, white ground beneath Cira in the same color.
Cira has been scrubbing at this weapon for a long time now, and she slowly lost hope, that she would be able to derust it completely. So with a sigh, she set down the blade and the derust rock and stared into the flames that danced before her and engulfed her face in a bright, hot light. Sparks and embers flew from the fire and the wood below it.
Cira let out a little sigh and leaned back against the old ruins wall; in the old world this was a house in which people lived. Probably a family with a mother and father, children and a pet. Cira lamented those poor souls that got caught into the War of The Old and died innocent….probably.
She leaned slightly forward again and grabbed the left leg of her pants - which were made of artificial fabric, made out of lead which made her clothes relatively heavy, but also granted her at least some protection against the radiation that plagued some parts of the wasteland - and slowly pulled it up to reveal a small wound a Cane inflicted on her. It had sneaked up on her, when she had a moment of blissful naivety and decided to take a bath in a Purewell - a place near Eden, where the excess water of the citizens got pumped, so it was relatively fresh. The Cane probably was stalking her for a while before it decided to strike when Cira was at her weakest; naked and without protection. Her weapons, the broken Energy Blade she tried to derust and that was sending out sparks here and there - which is why she wrapped a leather strap around the handle - and Gauss Pistol, laid too far away, so did her clothes. She also didn’t wear her hearing aids, which is why she probably couldn't properly hear it coming closer. Only when the Cane barked and lunged at her did she notice it.
She remembered how the jagged teeth sunk into her flesh. How the claws ripped at the skin of her torso as the Cane tried to rip off her flesh. Luckily, even though her heart was racing and the adrenaline was pumping, Cira was able to keep calm enough to free herself with a precise hit on the beast's nose which was its weak point among its stone-like skin; a consequence of the animals being forced to quickly adapt post war…and being used as guinea pigs by scientist a long time ago.
A shiver ran down her spine, as she thought about how the scariest thing about the attack wasn’t that she was attacked, but that she barely heard anything. If she had to describe it, then she would say that everything sounded like you’d try to scream through water.
She took a deep breath, held it for a moment and then forced herself to not think about it anymore. Instead she shifted her focus on the wound of her leg; the makeshift bandage she put around the biggest part of it was bled through and the part she didn't cover luckily began to crust.
?At least the bleeding stopped for the most part…? Cira muttered and reached for her bag.
Out she pulled a small roll of cloth and a half empty bottle of cleaning alcohol. She took one piece of the cloth and put it in her mouth before slowly taking off the makeshift bandage. She grimaced when she saw the wound; it was deep, though crusted, and it began to reden at the edges. Not a good sign. She took too long to decide to clean it and now the wound began to flare up and, if she was unlucky, she could end up being sick again.
But her instincts told her that it won’t be that Bad. And normally she could trust them.
She took a deep breath through her nose and grabbed the bottle of cleaning alcohol and opened it. She grabbed another piece of cloth and drenched it in the alcohol.
I hate this part…
She took another deep breath, Held it and slowly moved the cloth to her wound. The moment the alcoholic piece of fabric touched her wound, Cira felt a sharp, hot pain rush through her nerves. Like her leg was lit on Fire. And her brain wanted her to stop.
But she just bit onto the cloth to muffle her small Screams as best as possible as she continued to clean the wound as well as she could; she would need to have a doctor Look at it when she was back.
She spit the cloth on the floor and breathed heavily after finishing to clean and disinfect her wound.
That wasn't as bad as expected, she thought, and with trembling hands she put the alcohol and pieces of cloth back into her bag. In the same movement she took another clean piece of cloth and wrapped it as a bandage around her leg; she should've really brought some with her.
She grabbed her memorypad and a pen – she was one of the few people in her group that Had one – and opened the document about her prey; having taken that bath and being attacked by the cane almost made her forget why she was out here in the first place.
She was out here to hunt down a Gammawolf for food. It has been a while since they last ate real meat and Cira felt that her family deserved it, and so she volunteered to leave their current place and go out to hunt. She opened her memorypad and the soft light illuminated a small circle around the device in an unnatural light, in contrast to the campfire.
She double tapped the Screen and opened the map. It took a few seconds, the device was old and almost broke down several times after all. Then a map of her current surroundings appeared, with a large red circle around a stone formation – or were those rotten trees? – and the small drawing of a wolf head above it.
Based on the map she only was about 3.5 kilometers away from it now. Based on her normal walking pace she would need about 35 minutes for that walk. That was if she was walking as she was.
Now with her luggage and hurt leg added she would probably be at around 50 minutes, if not an hour for that walk.
She let out another quiet sigh and closed her pad again. With another grab into her bag she reached for her bottle of water and pulled out 2 rather big syringes right with it. In it was a Red colored fluid that looked like someone just put blood into it.
Those were pain nullifiers she stole from the doctors. A small drug that nullifies all pain, dizziness and nauseousness for a moment. It was a rewarding drug, but also an incredibly dangerous one; if you weren't careful, this drug would increase your chance of dying.
Carefully Cira put the syringes back into her bag and finally took a sip of her water. She shuddered when she felt the liquid heaven Go down her throat – she didn't drink anything the whole day – and then Put the bottle away before laying down.
I should get some sleep…
???
Cira walked through the deserted ruins of old with a slight limp in her leg. She hated being handicapped like this, and on top of that the sun was burning down into her neck. She expected rain and so she didn’t pack for this situation. So, since she couldn't just get rid of her clothing - she kind of needed them to even have a chance of survival against the Gammawolf she was hunting - she had to power through with the rest of the water she got left.
The energy blade, she so desperately tried to clean and make actually usable, hung on her belt, just did her Gauss Pistol, and made a climpering sound whenever she took a step and the crackling metal - the energy core of it was cracked - hit her clothes.
It was a steady sound that somehow managed to keep Cira’s mind off the pain and scorching heat, and weirdly calmed her down. That was a little something about her, because of her broken ears, Cira found calm in things and sounds that others deemed annoying. So she would often tap her nails against the surface of something, hum quiet tunes or just take heavier steps than other people, just to hear herself. Only eating noises she despised. She could slap everyone who wouldn’t keep their mouth shut when chewing. Luckily she could just turn her hearing aids off and have the sounds be damped down or completely disappear, depending on how loud they were.
The crack of wood tore Cira out of her thoughts.
In an instant her hand was at the grip of the Energy Blade and she narrowed her eyes as she looked around in suspicion. Silence…almost. The wind whistled between the ruins and moved through Cira’s hair. But other than that - and her heavy breathing combined with the crackling of the broken Energy Blade - there was no sound at all. No cracking of wood, no howling, no steps.
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Cira relaxed and slowly let go of the grip. Probably just a mouse…A big one Cira thought, her heart refusing to calm down from the shock. Which, despite what one might think, could prove to be good. It meant that she was on edge, that it was hard to surprise her, and that the adrenaline would allow her to react.
She took a step forward. Another crack. Step. Crack. Step. Crack. Step– Cira groaned in annoyance. She grabbed her Pistol aimed in the direction of the sound and without wasting another thought she pulled the trigger.
The gun vibrated and hummed. In the next moment, with a cry that cut through the air, the copper bullet left the muzzle and cut through air as it flew right into the darkness of a ruin.
The sickening sound of something entering flesh followed by the agonizing scream of…something filled the air and made Cira shudder. It was so bad that for a few moments, Cira couldn’t move. She was frozen in place. Her muscles tense. Her heart beating out of her chest and into her throat. She felt her pulse through her whole body.
It was only when she saw a huge claw reach out from the darkness and gripped the doorframe, paired with a deep guttural that Cira’s body moved. For a moment she forgot all her pain, all the heat and exhaustion, and just ran. Ran away from the beast and towards her destination.
When she finally came to a halt, she was out of breath and her leg hurt; a warm wetness drenched her pants and ran down her skin.
Shit her wound has been torn open from the running again. But what was she supposed to do? There was a Stalker coming from that Ruin. There was no way Cira would willingly face one of those without any type of properly functioning weapons — she had Heard that even the Divine guards dread those beasts and don't fight them if they are not forced too.
With an exhausted huff, she let herself drop against a nearby wall and sighed, when she lifted her wounded leg. She had to be careful now. She could, or should rather, change the bandage- a growl pulled Cira out of her thoughts and fully grasped her attention.
She slowly leaned over and peaked out of her hiding spot. The growl was exactly what she expected it to be; the Gammawolf.
The huge beast — it had a shoulders height of about 2,10m and a big gaping wound on its front Leg— lowered its head and, with a sickening sound of mushy flesh and blood, bit into the torso of another, smaller Gammawolf.
Did they have a Fight for territory? Cira watched closely and was fascinated. She maybe missed the fight, which would have been great to see play out, but she saw the aftermath and now was able to use it to her advantage. She pulled back into her hiding spot and counted her options. She could try to climb on a ruin and shoot at the Wolf, but she would need to have perfect accuracy or else the bullets would go to waste.
She couldn't really use the energy blade though, maybe for a final hit, but a head on fight would most definitely be her death. So she had to be more strategic about it.
Carefully she climbed up the ruin she was hiding behind, so she would have the height advantage, and counted the makeshift bullets — which actually were just pieces of scrap metal — reloaded one.
I have ten shots. She lifted her pistol, took aim and just as she was about to fire, the Gammawolf heard something. It lifted its head, looked into a direction — which luckily was the opposite of where Cira was —, let out a deep, almost deafening growl and then dashed off into that direction.
Cira clicked her tongue. She wasted time with thinking and counting, and now she had to chase it. She climbed down the ruin, jumping would ruin her leg, and then quickly moved to the corpse of the smaller Gammawolf.
It was…not a nice sight. The torso was torn apart, hind legs and head smashed and bitemarks were all over its body. If Cira didn't grow up out here, she would have thrown up by now.
She shook her head, narrowed her eyes and looked at the footprints her prey left in the sandy ground. She gripped her pistol tighter and limped after the Wolf.
???
She stopped suddenly when he heard bones cracking and flesh tearing. She hid behind a ruin and surveyed the scene. The Gammawolf was feasting on another animal. This time it was some kind of Artiodactyl. But Cira didn't care. Instead Cira raised her gun, aimed for the throat and shot.
With a screech the bullet flew towards the wolf and drilled into its flesh, making it scream and roar out loud. Cira used the time, drew the energy blade and ran towards the wolf, ignoring her pain.
Despite knowing that a head on confrontation might be her death, Cira’s hubris was huge enough to let her believe that she could finish off the beast now.
But, like so very often, she wasn't. The Gammawolf recovered from its short moment of shock and swiped at Cira with its huge paw, and Cira was too slow; she got hit and thrown against a nearby wall.
She gasped as all the air was forced from her lungs. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes and a sharp pain shot through her entire body. But even then, she still held onto her weapons.
She knelt on the ground, breathing desperately to get enough air into her lungs to be able to move properly again. When her vision cleared, she looked up to see the Gammawolf flashing its teeth and splaying its claws as it growled at Cira.
Cira gritted her teeth and tried her best to keep her composure, ultimately failing as the beast charged at her, claws outstretched.
She screamed and quickly rolled to the side, causing the beast to slam into the ruin behind her.
Cira quickly ran behind the beast as it shook its head at the impact. But as quickly as the animal charged at her, it turned to face her again.
With a deep growl, it looked at him and prepared to attack again. Cira drew the Energy Blade and raised her hands and looked at the beast with a determined look. If she died here, it would not be without seriously injuring him.
She narrowed her eyes and breathed deeply and evenly. She and the beast just stared at each other. No one moved a muscle... Although the Gammawolf could have killed her with a blow to the head or even chest, Cira was ready to fight to the end. The dry air burned her lungs and throat. Every breath was hard and painful, but she refused to let it show.
?Come on, you oversized mutt,? Cira muttered through clenched teeth. ?Let's get this over with.?
With a deep, snarling roar, the Gammawolf lunged. Cira rolled to the side, pain flaring in her leg, and fired the Gauss pistol. The projectile shot out with a cry, hitting the beast’s shoulder and sparking against its dense fur. The Gammawolf barely flinched.
?Of course, you don't feel that,? she groaned.
She forced herself to her feet, wobbling slightly. The Gammawolf turned, eyes blazing with rage, and charged again. Cira swung her energy blade, its flickering edge slicing through the air. She aimed for the beast's neck, but the blade sputtered, only grazing its thick hide.
?Piece of junk!? she muttered, shaking and hitting the blade and its handle as if willing it to work better. The Gammawolf’s claws raked the air inches from her face as she ducked, feeling the rush of displaced air and the heat of its breath. The stench of decay filled her nostrils, making her gag.
Cira stumbled back, her leg screaming in agony. But as she did, the Wolf clawed at her, and though she barely got the dodge, her top got torn with a huge claw mark over her torso and a thin trail of blood following. She fell to the Ground.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. She reached into her bag, fingers fumbling for the pain nullifiers. The Gammawolf leapt again, and she barely managed to roll out of the way, her injured leg dragging painfully behind her.
"Gotcha!" she hissed as her hand closed around a syringe. She jammed it into her thigh, feeling the cold rush of the nullifier flooding her system. The pain dulled to a manageable throb, and she gritted her teeth, pushing herself back up and grabbing her Gauss pistol that fell.
The Gammawolf prowled closer, saliva dripping from its fangs. Cira gritted her teeth and steadied herself. She fired the Gauss pistol again, this time aiming for the creature's eye. The shot landed true, and the Gammawolf howled in agony, its head snapping back.
The Gammawolf, enraged and half-blind, charged once more. Cira sidestepped, swinging her energy blade, the weapon flickerdy and sputtered as it connected with the beast's hide. The blade left a scorched gash, but the creature barely seemed to notice. It swiped at her, claws raking across her arm and drawing blood.
She ignored the dull Feeling in her arm and swung the blade again. The blade sputtered, and she cursed, feeling the weapon's grip heating up in her hand, but the blade held, cutting through muscle and sinew.
The Gammawolf howled in pain, twisting and snapping at her. Cira yanked the blade free and stumbled back, firing the Gauss pistol again. The projectile embedded in the beast's already injured leg, making it stagger.
Cira used the moment to take some important distance as she felt the grip heating up more in her hands. She knew it wouldn't hold long anymore.
?Not so tough now, are you?? Cira taunted, breathing heavily. The Gammawolf snarled, limping but still deadly. It lunged once more, slower this time, and Cira seized the moment. She threw the Energy Blade and embedded it into the Gammawolfs chest.
It roared — it almost sounded like a scream — and stumbled, its injured leg actually giving up on it. It fell forward burying the blade deeper into itself by falling on the handle.
The wolf winced and howled as Cira stumbled towards it. She looked down at the twitching and writhing animal, and somehow didn't feel bad for the animal. Well, why should she? It’s kill or be killed and her Village needs food.
With a cold expression she lifted her gauss pistol and aimed at the Gammawolf’s head; for a moment their eyes met and it looked like it was begging for mercy. Like it was screaming ?Please let me Live! I have a Family too!?.
But Cira didn't bat an eye and pulled the trigger.
She watched as the creature's body went completely numb and its last breaths stopped. Cira sighed heavily. ?Well, that went about as badly as I thought.? She whispered to himself and then fell to her knees as the effects of the pain nullifiers slowly stopped.
She tried to lift the wolf just a little bit to pull out the Energy Blade, but she didn't have any strength. So she gave up, turned around and leaned against the lifeless corpse.
With a faint smile on her lips, she Put her gun away and pulled out her memorypad to give one of the others of her Village a Signal for help, when she Heard a loud screech.
She flinched and looked up, only to see the worst thing she could have seen in this Moment;
A stalker was sitting on a ruin nearby and had laid eyes on its prey.
