At this point, the whole road is lit aflame, burning due to the blood of the infected, creating a wall of fire, keeping back the remaining horde. It seemed to work similar to the gel used in things like napalm, highly flammable, yet not near sensitive enough for bullets to set them aflame.
"Stay back from the flame! their blood seems to be highly flammable!" Jenny screams, ushering the men back as the flames continue to roar. If anything, I think we realized it to late, as out of the original twelve or so, only me, Jenny, Whiskey, and 4 others remained. 2 being from the ones sitting inside the office around the table, and the other 2 being from the group who was surrounding the camp fire. In total, we seemed to have lost around five people. Whether they died fighting or ran away, I had no idea.
Sitting on the stairs of the town hall, I watch as the fire burns, waiting for the moment it extinguishes itself. Looking at the sea of fire, I don't know whether to feel happy or sad. Sure they were criminals and may have been from a different, less superior mark, or a lesser rank, they were still human.
I hate how this simulation tries to lessen someones guilt and pain by rewarding someone for things like murder. I also hate the fact that it's kind of working. I should feel bad about killing someone, yet a voice in my mind whispers to me, telling that it was all worth it in the end. It tries to tell me that murder is okay when necessary and that doing it helped saved more lives. It reminds me that I have no idea what death means in this simulation, and that everyone who died here might be okay, yet deep down even I know that they are not.
Jenny walks up to me, taking a seat on the step next to me.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks in a happy tone. "You seem so depressed despite the fact that you have saved us.
I sigh.
"Isn't it strange how we're put in such an inhumane situation. They are pitting against creatures, infected, and even ourselves. It's as if they don't even view us as human."
She looks at me with a puzzled expression, twisting her head in curiosity.
"How else do you expect criminals like us to be treated? We were lucky enough to be gifted or chosen by the chancellor for a chance of freedom and redemption. If we weren't, we would no doubt have been either executed for crimes against our fellow man, stripped of our marks and forced into extreme unpaid labor, or forcibly recruited into the imperial militia, used as meat shields for the Aeperium's warriors. If anything, this seems to be the best case scenario."
Jenny leans back, resting her arm on the stone step behind her. "At first," she says after a pause, "I thought you were quite smart and strong, but questions like these make me think that you're sort of dense and innocent."
I stare at her for a moment, trying my best to regain my thoughts. I suppose I am indeed quite dense, but innocent? How could I be innocent? Didn't she see that I just murdered someone? is murder really that normalized? Even now, his ragged body still lies at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the dark sky above. I do suppose however, that my lack of connections and contact with normal people do indeed make me seem dense.
"Well I suppose that makes sense to someone like you who has probably lived in Aeperium your whole life. But im from the republic of Terra, remember?" I say, playing into my backstory.
She nods, releasing a small chuckle. "Your right, i'm sorry, I totally forgot about that. I suppose what I've told you must've been different from how it is in the republic, isn't it?"
"Yes... very different." I say, giving her a small smile as I think of an excuse to change the subject.
"Will you be staying here after tonight?"
She turns her gaze away from me, her eyes drifting toward Whiskey and his crew, who have gathered at the top of the stairs. They stand in a loose formation, silhouetted against the flickering light, all of them silently watching the fire below.
"Probably not. Whiskey is still in conflict with the Colonel, and the losses he's sustained tonight are quiet significant. He's supposed to have a meeting with the Colonel soon, hopefully they can figure something out. I want to search for the rest of us." she says, turning to face towards me.
I nod my head slowly.
"You mind if I join?" I ask, thinking about my plans.
My allies I found southwest are too weak, while the ones here are in too much conflict. It would be best to search for the gang, and hopefully come up with a plan to get off this island.
"Of course not, you're a part of our gang as well." she says, chuckling lightly. "It would be much safer with two of us as well."
I look at her for a few moments, studying her face. Did she trust me? Should I be able to trust her? I wasn't sure.
"Yeah..."
...
As the flames finally begin to die down, the fire losing its fuel with the last traces of infected blood, we prepare to move. The bulk of the horde lies charred and motionless. Only a few remnants and stragglers likely remain, scattered beyond the village, still hunting for something warm to tear apart.
"Yo, Jenny! Bring that guy over here!" Whiskey calls out from the top of the steps, his voice rough but energized.
"His name's Achilles," Jenny replies, reaching out a hand to help me up.
Whiskey raises an eyebrow. "Achilles, huh? What an interesting name."
He waits as we make our way up, joining the others already gathered in a loose circle at the top of the steps. Their faces are drawn with pain, worry, and exhaustion, seemingly scared shitless and worried about the next few nights
"Since we've managed to stop and wipe out the main part of the horde, only small remnant groups should be left on the outskirts of the village. As you can see, most of the flames have died down, so we should be able to move along that dirt road and head south toward the rest of them. I don't know what we'll be walking into, or what the situation looks like outside the village—but for now, the plan is simple: we move forward and adapt to whatever comes."
"You, Achilles," he says, pointing at me. "Thank you for helping us. Without your help, we most likely would have had to flee into the plains towards the north, exposing us to even more infected, and forcing us to leave our gear and equipment here.
I nod my head, not exactly sure what to say.
"Do you have any more explosives?" he asks, pointing to the crate in my hands
"I have two more grenades." I say, choosing not to lie in a situation of life or death.
"Great, you can use them if we really need to, if not I recommend saving them, there yours and we can only hope that you don't use them against us in the future."
"Of course," I respond, my lips curling into a small, reassuring smile. These people are not my enemies, and if I wish to make it to the third trial, I predict that I will still need a few allies.
With that, Whiskey turns back to his men with a stern expression
"Alright then, with all this settled, let's get moving. If we win here, we may even be able to get a great reward for clearing out a horde."