Freedom's Tribe

"Up for a supplies run?"

The words were muffled, hidden behind an orchestra of noise in the garage that doubled as a machine shop. The voice itself had managed to over come the noise but a good thick wall of steel, rubber, and plastic only mangled it more. Nevertheless, Sebastian knew someone was talking to him from the topside of the truck he was working on. With a bit of effort, he slid out from under the vehicle on the dolly, a wrench in one hand, a ratchet in the other, and both limbs smeared with grease. "Huh?" he asked as he gazed up at Kyle, who was leaning over him.

"Supplies run. Normally I'd volunteer but..." Kyle said in his rough voice, shooting his gaze down to his broken arm. "I don't think I'd be of any use." The tired, rough-around-the-edges Tribe member gave a lopsided grin and leaned his good shoulder against the side of the truck.

Sebastian had known it was only a matter of time before someone from supplies would come to bother him or at least send someone else to brave his grumpy side. Of course he would agree to go, even if he'd been on the last night mission and was still exhausted from it and uncomfortable from a cramped sleep on Reyanna's single bed. To top it off, he'd been doing tune-ups and repairs all morning. So why not spread himself a little thinner and saddle up for a trip into one of the settlements? "Yeah. I'll finish up here and get planning," he replied and quickly scooted back under the truck.

A late lunch was circulating by the time Seb got himself washed up. While he devoured his sandwich, he thought about who he would want to accompany him on the trip. Just a few people, three max. He didn't need a big group drawing attention, good or bad. What he needed was a few people he could rely on because settlement trips were never a walk in the park. Sebastian laugh a little inside at the thought that most of the people alive today didn't even know what that saying meant, let alone what a park was. Most of them hadn't even seen green grass. It was a sad truth and Seb's expression darkened for a moment before he caught himself and cast aside he gloomy attitude.

Stuffing the last bit of sandwich into his mouth and downing the rest of his drink, he pushed himself to his feet and decided to go gather his team before hitting up the supplies locker to see what they were running low on. He'd already decided to take Rey. She'd murder him when he got back if he left her behind! The other person he really wanted to take was Momma, because it'd been a while since she'd visited a settlement and judging by how she looked earlier that morning, he thought she could use a change of pace and scenery.

As he walked the halls in search of Rey, he slipped back into a gloomy mood. Poor Momma had seemed so tired when he'd woken her up that morning, as if she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. Too much worrying. Too much caring. She cared about everyone and everything, giving more heart than she possessed. No, he wasn't spreading himself thin. Momma was.
 
Momma was still dealing with a headache from all the beer the previous night, and her general mood. Usually she was the first one up, so it had been a bit disorienting when Seb woke her from a dead sleep with breakfast and she'd looked around to see the nursery had already emptied. It had given her a slight panic attack, followed by a very guilty feeling when she realized what time it was. The feeling had stayed with her as she struggled to catch up with everything. Today involved stripping the beds and replacing them with fresh sheets, and getting the dirties to the girls in the laundry.

She was also mentally working through the list: who was ready to move out and head back to real life, and who needed more time. She hated to see anyone go, she loved them all, but they were full to capacity and needed the space for the next raid. Choosing the children was the hardest. Those in the nursery were without family, and they were the most vulnerable. They would need to see if the children's homes in the settlement had room, and the oldest of them could try to make their way back home, or stay in the settlement and find honest work. But, in the back of her mind she always worried that she'd see those faces come up again in a raid. This was always an emotional time for her, and even though she put on a brave smile, those who knew her best could easily see that she was having a rough day.
 
Reyanna had woken up with annoying tears on her face after dreaming about her parents. She knew she'd have to move on sooner or later; but the thought of leaving poor Momma and Sebastian; didn't sit well with her at all. That day she had bathroom clean up duties, as well as hall sweep. She found a phone, and actually managed to call her parents' number. It was working! She heard their voices saying to leave a message; but she didn't.

You're such an idiot, Rey. Why would your parents want you after all these years? You'll just burden them with grief they'll probably want to forget.~

After chores were finished, she went to help with whatever she could, but there didn't seem to be a lot for her to do. Feeling rather solemn, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about life -outside- the Tribe. She knew, she was probably taking up precious space some other girl or guy needed more than herself. No, she wasn't completely over her tragedy; but she figured she'd be too busy trying to stay alive in the 'real world' to dwell on them outside of here.

As for Seb? He'd probably stay on and help...and why would he want to go wherever Reyanna did after she had to leave? She was running through her thoughts alarmingly fast, so much that she had to sit down and just -try- to blank her mind. Blank mind got her through mostly everything else. If she wasn't thinking she might turn out okay.
 
It took a little while to find her, because that woman was so hell bent on doing a million chores in one day, but Sebastian eventually tracked down Reyanna with a little help from the other Tribe members. At the moment, her back was turned, making it easy for him to sneak up behind her, wrap his arms around her, and lift her off her feet.

Doing something like that to Rey was never a smart thing and Seb very much expected an elbow to the gut or a headbutt, so he quickly pressed his lips to her ear and voiced, "I finally found you, short-stuff," and squeezed her with a bear hug of an embrace.
 
Reyanna screeched very much like a bat, right in Sebastian's ear drums, until she figured it out it was just him! She sighed in relief when he said it was her; she'd been worried for a moment that she would have to beat the hell out of some idiot schmuck new guy!

"Seb! Stop doing that, unless you have a death wish. Anyway... what's up?" She asked, de-tangling herself from his grip. She didn't look happy as she usually was around him, however. In fact, she hadn't bothered to hide that her eyes were trying to water from that now- constant feeling of hopeless sadness!~
 
Momma grunted as she pushed at the rolling cart, trying to keep up the momentum despite the wonky wheel. She'd had more delays when she'd gone to the infirmary to collect the sheets. One of the children had just come in from the nursery, sick. The medics were looking at her, but she was making it difficult, not letting any of them get near. Momma convinced her to let them help, then sat with her and comforted her throughout the exam. Now the little girl could get the antibiotics she needed for her infection, but she was even more behind in her work now. She'd missed lunch due to the amount of time the exam had taken, but she didn't have time to stop now. She had to get the sheets down to the laundry, or the rest of the laundry schedule would be delayed, and the children were running out of clothes in the storeroom!

A sudden attack of dizziness hit her, and she stopped for a moment to catch her breath, leaning tiredly against the huge laundry cart. She didn't even bother trying to think through her black mood. She was definitely having a bad day.
 
And now that he was bleeding from the ears...

Sebastian wiggled a pinky in his ear dramatically, jokingly of course, while Reyanna spoke. He would have normally gotten straight to the point about why he'd sought her out but a few seconds of hesitation allowed him to study her expression properly and notice that there was something wrong. Were those...tears?

"Hold up, kiddo," he ordered, though his tone was a gentle one as he lifted Rey's face up with a single finger under her chin, just so he could get a better look at her. Definitely tears. "I was going to kidnap you for a supply run but if you're not feeling up to it..."

He figured he didn't have to come right out and say 'I know there's something bothering you'. Rey knew him well enough to get the point across with little complication. But he also knew that if she wanted to talk about it, she would come find him later. Best to change the subject for now though, so he asked if Reyanna knew where Momma was. And no sooner had he asked did he add, "Waitaminute," all as one word, narrowing his eyes and turning an ear toward a peculiar sound. A squeaky...wheel? "That sounds like the laundry cart." And everyone knew Momma always did the laundry runs.
 
Reyanna held still, smiling a little as Sebastian held her chin, looking at her, and asking her basically why she was crying. "I keep dreaming about my parents...Seb... I'm scared. If I have to leave soon, I might as well just hand myself over to Lucas...there'd be no where for me to go. If my parents aren't around. . .I'll have to start over." She finally added, feeling tired from so much worry. But she shrugged..

"Anyway I'd definitely like to go on a supply run... might help me clear my head. No sense in worrying what'll happen after I have to leave until I really have to.." She said, hugging him gently for being so worried.

When the sound of Momma's cart came to her ears, she blinked. That woman was -everywhere-! Didn't she ever take breaks??
 
The second her head cleared, Momma was off again, pushing against the resistance of the wheel to get the cart moving once more. She figured she should at least stop for water, or maybe some juice to get her sugar back up, but that would have to wait until she got done with this cart. Maybe when she went up to the surface to check on the restaurant at the service station. She had to make sure everyone was on duty, and that they were stocked up on everything. It had been awhile since the last supply run, they had to be getting low on something. Then go back down and check on her little one in the infirmary...

The list of things that needed her attention rolled through her head; the thought of something to drink already forgotten. And while she ran through that list, she was also thinking about all those who weren't permanent members who might be ready to move on, and who of the newcomers would be able to replace them. Then she realized she hadn't met much more than the children since last night. She sighed. She needed to do that, too.

This day was never going to end. She didn't even know what time it was any more.

Momma almost didn't notice the two standing in the hall as she passed, but she managed to force a smile at Seb and Reyanna. But Seb had known her too long. She knew he wasn't fooled by that smile. He could spot a bad day a mile away. She just had to keep moving; she didn't know if she could handle answering the question of "what's wrong".
 
The mention of Luca made Sebastian shiver just a little, drawing his attention away from the cart heading down the hall. It was a good thing Rey had cheered herself up with her own words because he wasn't sure he could speak at that moment.

Come on, Seb. Don't let that psycho shake you, he told himself and tossed his head as if he could dislodge the very thoughts troubling him. It was easy though when he caught Momma's utterly forced smile and with a heavy sigh, he reached out and grabbed her by the back of her belt to stop her in her tracks.

"What's with all this moping around?" he scolded, placing his hands on his hips like an unimpressed mother. "There should be smiles, not frowns. You two should know just how many children we rescued last night. Isn't that worth being happy for?"

He sighed again, crossing his arms over his chest, though this time he smiled softly at both women. "You're both coming with me. A change of scene could do you some good, right? There's others here that are perfectly capable of taking charge for a day."

And besides, what harm could come from visiting a settlement?
 
Momma blinked and stopped short, turning a bit sluggishly to Seb. He was talking, but she was having trouble focusing on what he was saying. The children. Oh, the clothes for the storeroom. Oh, the laundry cart. A change of scene? Others taking charge? What was he talking about? She had to get the laundry finished to go back to her little girl in the infirmary! She didn't have time to go anywhere!

"But...Seb..." she started to say, but just then her vision started to swim again, feeling light-headed and dizzy, the floor sliding out beneath her.

Momma crumpled and fell forward against Sebastian, her eyes rolling up without a moan. She was only out for a moment, coming to even as she continued falling, and gripped Seb as well as she could to keep from hitting the ground. Still disoriented, her emotions officially a wreck, she did something she swore she'd never do in front of anyone except Seb alone. She started to cry, sobbing hysterically. She buried her face in his clothes, trying to hide from Reyanna, but nothing could hide the sound of her muffled sobs, or the sight of her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. She just couldn't hold back the tears any more.
 
"Momma!" Reyanna cried, forgetting her problems instantly, to drop next to the woman and try to help her up. She'd never seen this happen before. The woman was so perfectly controlled in emotions it had seemed to Rey, that she'd tried her hardest to follow her example. She'd loved Momma from the first time she'd met the woman.

Momma had resembled a bit of her own mother when the years had been kinder to Reyanna, and the only thing she'd had to worry about were tests at school, and asking her parents if her friends could sleep over. That lifetime was a million miles away, but Reyanna still wouldn't want anything to happen to the woman who'd taken her in, and sincerely hoped there was something she or Sebastian could do to help.

"Momma, what's wrong? Tell us what you need." She said quietly, trying to comfort her as best she could.
 
In the course of a single minute, Sebastian switched from a scolding mother to a concerned one, catching Momma before she could fall to the floor. As the poor woman began to weep, he carefully sank to his knees with her just in case she lost her strength a second time.

"It's okay. Just let her stay like this for a bit," he muttered to a dramatic Reyanna, offering her a soothing smile. Then he wrapped his arms around Momma, cheek resting on the top of her head, and held her close while she cried, all the while his heart pounding painfully in his chest.

He'd been afraid of this, because although Momma was tough like nails, those nails had a limit to how much pressure they could endure. She was no different and Seb had been trying to relieve some of that pressure before it was too late, before the nails snapped under all of the bulky responsibility. Not another soul, maybe accept Ralph, knew that hardened fighters like him and Momma had their limitations.

You and I... he thought. We're not invincible, even if we have to look like it for the others' sake. With his mouth right next to her ear, Sebastian whispered to Momma. "Have some faith in the others, that they can hold the fort for a day or two. You need to rest and you can't do it while you're here." Even if she rested, she'd feel useless and it was quite possible that someone would seek her out for her help anyway. He wasn't going to let that happen. He pulled away a little, lifting Momma's chin so that she would look at him. "You're coming with me and Rey. I won't take no for an answer."

A loving kiss on the cheek, then he pulled her to her feet and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Write a To Do list and Kyle can take care of the rest. Meet at the supplies storage room in half an hour." Then he stepped toward the laundry cart, pausing beside Reyanna to say, "Go ahead to Storage and make a list of supplies we have to get in the settlement. I'll be there after I drop off this laundry."

And before anyone could disagree, he started down the hall with the cart, whistling a tune.
 
"R-rey," Momma whispered, desperately swiping at the tears on her face, still unable to face her. "On your way, can you stop at the cafeteria for some sandwiches and a couple bottles of juice for me?" She knew she'd have to eat if they were going riding. She felt a bit out of it still, and sort of at a loss as to what to do now, now that her day had come to a crashing halt. She figured she'd just go ahead and do what Seb suggested. She wanted to hide away, and he was giving her the opportunity to do that.

He was right. She needed a break. She couldn't help her babies in the state she was currently in. And she'd had to rely on the members in the nursery more and more lately anyway. They could handle things while she was gone. Momma started to think about how nice it would be to take a ride. She hadn't ridden in what felt like months. She kept her trike in top order, but she rarely took it out, except on the odd raid.

She turned and trudged down the hall, heading for the nursery to grab what she needed and make her list. She felt old beyond her years, years she'd been too busy to live. Just the thought of that made her want to weep all over again.
 
"Yes of course, Momma. Anything. I'll be there Seb. Take care of her." She said, hurrying away, actually a little relieved to have something else to focus on as she rushed to the cafeteria first, for the sandwiches and juice Momma asked for. Apparently the woman was yes- tough as nails- but bottled things up the same way she tended to.

After getting the food items and placing them carefully in a bag, she hurried away to the storage, and in a flash, withdrew her note pad, and wrote -neatly- with her black ball point pen the supply list Seb asked her for, and then she dashed off yet again to meet Momma and Seb in the storage room, her head slightly spinning from everything she had to do.

But when she stood by her bike, everything seemed calm somehow,as if knowing she'd be on the move soon helped to steady her and clear her thoughts. She worked on it thoroughly, making sure everything was working right, and that it would run smoothly during their raid.~

She just didn't want to slow anyone down, or make things complicated. Even though the indecision of her own mind right then was pulling her in half.
 
Damn them laundry girls! They sure did love to chat and gossip whenever Seb came around. He chuckled to himself as his long legs took him quickly to his room to pack an overnight bag, just in case, and adorn a few pieces of gear. Then he set off for the supplies storage where he was to meet up with those other two, stopping only once to grab the needed money from the store up front. With the bills folded and in a rather worn out ziplock bag, Sebastian tucked the package into the waistband of his jeans, up front and under his shirt. Thirty years ago, it might have seemed like a strange place to store money but these days... These days you had to keep anything of value close at hand and within sight lest you look away for a moment and lose it. Even six foot, tattooed and pierced guys like him were at risk.

Upon arriving at the storage, Sebastian glanced over the list Reyanna had made, then gestured with his head for both women to fall into step with him. Reaching the garage first, Seb appointed someone to be in charge while he was gone, then took a moment to strap his dufflebag down to the back of his bike. "We're gonna stick together for this run, okay?" he voice, switching his attention to the flak vest he was wearing to tighten the clamps and drawn the vest snug against his chest and stomach. "Specially you, Rey. You're a magnet for trouble," he teased, tugging on his gloves and rolling down his sleeves.

In a fluid, swift movement, Seb straddled his bike and fired it up. After fitting the helmet on, he gave a thumbs up to the girls, flipped down the visor, and cracked the throttle.
 
Momma had written out a, rather long list, and handed it to Kyle, telling him something to the effect that she was going on the run so she could check out the children's' homes in the settlement to see if they had space. That done, she went and packed her bag, a cloth backpack, gently placing the little doll carefully on top of everything else. She'd leave all the space on her trike's trailer for the supplies. While she and Reyanna waited for Seb, she hungrily devoured one of the sandwiches and downed a bottle of juice, not saying much beyond a thank you to the worried girl. Once she'd collected herself after her breakdown, she just shut down, in order to hold it together long enough to get out of there. She'd have plenty of alone time to think and cry out on the road. She followed Seb to the garage and listened to his instructions, barely nodding a reply as she pulled on her black leather jacket and gloves. She preferred a scarf and shades to a full-face helmet, preferring a half helmet which actually fit her head with all her dreadlocks.

While the other two climbed onto their bikes, she was once again glad for her trike. She felt bone weary, and it helped not having to worry about balancing. She could relax a lot more as she rode. Checking the trailer connection and making sure the weight rocks she'd strapped down under the tarp were secure, she climbed on and started her engine as well, throwing out the clutch and following Seb out the garage door as it opened into the harsh daylight. She was glad for her shades. It had probably been days since she was last above ground during the daytime. She even FELT pale, despite her caramel skin.

Despite the flash of anxiety she felt as they pulled out onto the highway, Momma didn't look back at the station as they headed down the road towards the horizon. She couldn't help but relax as she felt the sun warm her face.
 
"Pfft, am not." She retorted at Sebastian's remark, but revved her engine anyway. She decided that even when it was time for her to move out of the tribe, she'd continue traveling and sight seeing. Perhaps she could start helping out others in need, though she knew there was -nothing- monumental she could do like Momma had. She glanced at the woman, noticing the dead-pan look in her eyes. There wasn't really anything she could do, since the woman only -barely- responded to Sebastian that day.

Focusing on their raid-mission instead, Reyanna just hoped they wouldn't encounter too much trouble, but a sinking feeling in her stomach said that yes, they just might run into problems. Usually she relied on her instincts, so she kept her eyes open and alert for any potential threats.

Hopefully though, she was just a paranoid girl, unused to such long moments of peace. Maybe they'd get lucky today and their raid would turn out to be just fine!
 
It was a long ride to the settlement. The afternoon sun was threatening towards evening by the time the imposing walls of the settlement rose from the watery mirage of the desert highway.

The walls were buttressed, made from stacked panels of reinforced concrete. The top of the wall was a good fifty feet high, making it all but impossible to scale. They were also routinely patrolled both inside and outside the settlement.

This settlement, named Richdean after the town that had originally stood there, was made from the ruins of a town that hadn't completely been wiped off the map. There had been enough infrastructure and community left that the settlement had been quick to rise from the ashes. They now served as a hub of food and material distribution to smaller settlements and outliers, like the Tribe. Most of the money of the settlement was tied up in serving travelers, buying and selling goods, and continuing the rebuilding. Most of the settlement dwellers bartered between themselves for homegrown goods and services.

As the trio pulled up to the gates, they joined the line of trucks, semis, and other bikes waiting to get in. The guards searched and questioned each vehicle they didn't recognize, to try to keep slavers and smugglers out. Anyone that looked too suspicious was turned away, left to camp outside the gates, and only one person in the group was allowed to enter at a time. The rest had to stay in a holding camp, surrounded by barbed wire and guards. There, travelers felt either protected or imprisoned; often both. But the safety of the settlement was the first priority.

The Tribe had been around long enough that the three of them were all recognized and welcomed by the guards. They had returned plenty of kidnapped dwellers to the settlement over the years, and dozens of children had grown up in the children's homes set up after the War. They nodded and continued in, following one of the few paved roads, heading straight for the market and warehouse. Only the streets where semis travelled were afforded the luxury of a surface that was more than sand or pot-holed gravel.

The market and warehouse used to be a prison, built during the War. After, it first served as the stronghold of the settlement until the walls were built. Now, it was the only place big enough to house the growing market and stockpiles. Semis could get in and out, it had its own, albeit small, power supply, and it could be easily secured in case of invasion.

Away from the market area, businesses clustered around the main gates and towards the center of the settlement itself, while houses were further away, towards the back and sides. The newcomers, and there were always newcomers, lived at the outskirts, where rebuilding was still ongoing and ruins still existed. As the rebuilding progressed slowly, they were absorbed into the main settlement. Few businesses were open at night to preserve power. The businesses that did stay open were mostly back alley bars, boarding houses and restaurants for truckers and travelers. Even these were behind the line of the business zone. During the day, there were brown-outs or rolling blackouts in the residential areas, and at night the business zone was completely shut down. The streetlights were solar powered and lit up the empty streets for safety. All the streets were narrow, and all the buildings were low and roughly clad, huddled together for lack of space. The most you could ask for was maybe a bit of colour added to the plaster, or scrounged trinkets pushed in while it was still wet. Windows had strong, but decorative 'burglar bars' for a low cost, low tech safety measure. The businesses were rarely more than two stories high, while multi-family structures could be as high as five. Some even managed a patch of grass out front, or a shrub or two in carefully tended pots.

The trio headed straight for the market from the gates. They didn't have a whole lot of time before the market closed for the evening, but they'd be able to get the smaller items that they could secure in a boarding room with them overnight. In the morning they'd pick up the larger items and visit the children's home before heading back to Freedom Rock Stop and the Tribe.

==============================================================================

For her part, Momma could barely wait for a bed. She wanted a room to herself, but lacking that, a bed to herself would be enough. She could go to bed early, and sleep a little late, and she knew Seb and Reyanna would leave her alone to think, or lend a listening ear if she needed one. She couldn't think of another pair she'd rather get away with.

She'd had a lot of time to think over the long ride. Which children and adults were ready to move on. She'd shed a lot of tears over it; her scarf alternately wet and dry as she'd cleaned her tear-stained face. She'd thought about herself, too. She wanted a child of her own. A baby that was hers and hers alone. She couldn't die without a baby to carry on her legacy, to carry her blood through her heart. She wanted to be pregnant, to gift her baby the little doll that her other baby had loved.

It wasn't often that she thought of that bright-eyed little girl. So brave, but then, she'd had to be. Even through that last illness, she'd stayed hopeful that she would get better. She was so brave, Death had had to wait until she was asleep. Even after all these years, the memories were too painful. Even now, Momma had been wracked with sobs as she rode, her heart breaking all over again.

If only...maybe God would give her another chance. Another try. Everyone deserved another chance at life; why not her? But who could help her? That was the one question she couldn't answer. And so, the ride came to an end for Momma at the same point from where she started: hanging on to her emotions by a thread.
 
Already he was covered in dust from the drive up. But then again, most of the other travelers were in the same state. Hell, most of the residents of Richdean were a little lacking on hygenics, considering bathing every day was considered wasteful. Sure, they had a filtering system like the tribe did but there weren't as many people in the tribe as there was in this large settlement. Rubbing sand from his face and shaking dust from his hair, Sebastian was content to let Momma lead the party. He knew well enough that if she wasn't in charge of something, anything, she was likely to go crazy or think herself completely useless. Of course that was never the case, as even when she wasn't doing anything at all just her presence was useful, whether for a morale boost or an atmosphere of comforting mother.

She was called Momma for a reason.

Seb made sure to keep close to the girls. He knew they could defend themselves well enough but his giant stature would at least make pickpockets and bandits think twice about going toe-to-toe with him or his female companions. It was inevitable that he would become the pack horse, carrying most of the heavier, larger items in some netting drapped over his strong shoulders, resting against his back. Still, he had the strength to leisurely stroll along and take in the sights. It'd been a while since he'd done a supply run, or at least it felt that way because the market was forever changing.

The building never did, nor did the memories attached to them. For a moment while Rey and Momma viewed a stall he lost himself in his past. The sounds nowadays were different than the ones back when the prison had still been used to house war criminals. Goosebumps rose on his skin and a sense of sad calm washed over him like a chilly sea wave at night. Those were dark days, but it barely held a candle to the year prior when he had served as a soldier...

An object passed in front of his vision and he blinked back to reality, glancing around and quickly spotting Rey and Momma not too far away. What was left of the day was spent without any further flashbacks and eventually they made their way to a boarding house and with a sigh of relief, Sebastian set down all that he had been carrying and surveyed the room. "Not too bad." It wasn't much, with only two beds, but, "At least it's bug-free?"


Filthy rats. All of them. Not even worthy of the title pebble beneath his feet. Nearly every city goer that passed by him stunk of sweat. Some even had the nerve to smell like urine, which of course nearly invoked his wrath. However, he had somehow managed to contain his disgust, reminding himself that striking people down in the middle of the market would bring him nothing but trouble, no matter how satisfying it would have felt - the cold steel of his katana ripping through muscle, sinew, and bone alike like a hot knife through butter.

Today had been hot and uncomfortable, forcing sweat to bead on the back of his neck, especially near the market where the crowds tended to be the thickest. But now as the sun started to set, less and less people were milling about. Most had headed home, whether within the city or had hit the long and barren road again. The 'downtown core' as his father would have called it was starting to look a little abandoned. It was the outter edges of the city where all the action was now. Boarding houses for travelers and back alley pubs were alive with music and laughter and maybe even a fight or two.

Adjusting his clothes, Luca glanced up into the back of the cargo truck at the "supplies" he'd acquired today, his cold, seemingly lifeless stare meeting with six pairs of frightened faces and sad eyes. For a moment he dusted off his pants and boots, then turned to face one of his men. Only four were with him at the moment, the rest scattered throughout the city in search of a certain someone. A very credible source had told him that a slave liberator was present in the city. Well, the source hadn't been willing at first but Luca had this uncanny gift for making a man change his mind. It really was difficult to eat without teeth.

And now? Now he was very eager to meet this thorn in his side.

His teal, yellow, and red silk kimono reflected the sunset, giving him a heavenly glow, though anyone who had the unfortunate displeasure of getting to know him would probably vomit at the thought of him resembling anything remotely close to "good" or "kind." It simply was not true, though he could be very convincing when it was needed.

"Take the newest tunnel," he ordered to the man awaiting orders. The man, just like Luca, and the rest of them for that matter, was dressed similar with the same unnerving marks upon his face. Black, around the mouth and eyes, as if terribly ill. Or perhaps possessed by something evil. And it wasn't out of the norm because people were no longer defined by race nowadays. It was all about which group you were in and most large groups had a symbol, a means of marking oneself. Some had tattoos. Others had certain hairstyles. Luca had eerie painted faces and colorful kimonos. The darkening of the mouth was symbolic of course and not just for intimidation.

On the surface he was known as "Tsuya" and his group dealt in hunting supplies and rarities from the many ruined cities. He kept it small though, so as not to draw too much attention, because it was better to look like scavengers and for him to go unnoticed above ground. The world of slave trafficking was a different story though. He was well known there by his prefered name.

As the truck drove off down the street, Luca pivoted on his heel to face the restaurant just a block away. Only two of his men were left by his side now but he wasn't concerned in the slightest. He could take care of himself. And at that moment he really needed to fill his empty stomach. With a hand resting on the hilt of his katana, he mumbled "Let's go," to the other two and headed for the restaurant.
 
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