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MineZ The Adventures of Wade Freeman Book 1 Part 2

Discussion in 'Roleplay' started by wade654, Apr 29, 2013.

MineZ - The Adventures of Wade Freeman Book 1 Part 2
  1. wade654 Regular Member

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    Book 1 Part 2

    [spoiler=Chapter 11: A Shadow in the Dark]
    As we were arriving in Camp Bell, we hear the sound of someone muttering what sounded like "Maria" over and over again. "Hello
    ," I asked. As soon as I said that, I bombarded with arrows and grenades. I moved behind one of the buildings, trying to take cover in a confused state. As soon as I did this, I head the bandit call out, "Drop yer weapons, or I'll ki--." Before he could finish, he let out a low gutteral moan that lasted for a few seconds, then no-more. I drank a health potion and walked out from my hiding place into the open, my Iron armor glistening in the sunlight. "Hello?" I asked the chain-clad stranger.
    "I am.... Shadow. Are you planning on killing me? Or are you from a different standpoint?"
    All I could say was, "What?"
    "Bandit or Not?" he asked.
    "Oh, certainly not a bandit. I was in fact a member of the military. I was stationed all over the continent after I was drafted out of college, from Mount Longton to Yongton Abbey. From Zerbia to Stillwater Motte. I even was in the Gnome Island incident."

    Suddenly, "Shadow", as he called himself, sprang forth and pinned me to the ground.
    "YOU! DID YOU KILL ANYONE AT GNOME ISLAND?"
    "No."
    "Good." Shadow released his tight grip on me.
    "Well, accept for the terrorists who captured a poor girl. She didn't look older than 14. Her name was..."
    "Maria," we said in unison.
    "Was she safe?" Shadow asked, the only look of compassion I had ever seen from his eyes.
    "Yeah. We took her back to Zerbia, patched her up, and sent her on her way. I never saw her again after that."
    "Oh my god. This is... this is amazing."
    Then, after seeing his displays of badassery, saw one thing that shocked me, right to the core: He began to cry. He wept, softly as to not attract a horde of zombies, and then got back up and started to tell me about Maria. She was his only friend, the one person he knew that hadn't tried to kill him or treat him like a dog. She pushed him away from the house just as he saw her being taken away, around 10:00 at night.
    "That was 15 minutes before we stormed the place. We killed all of the terrorists, whom I suspect were the earliest members of The Bloodred Dragons, and patched up Maria." I said.
    "Well, it was nice meeting you, but I had best be on my way. I need to find these "Blood-red Dragon" pricks and give them a piece of my mind." Shadow answered back.
    "Well, if you'd like, I can direct you to a settlement, where you can begin your crusade. Or, you can join me. I've been listening to the comms chatter, and I have cited intel on how the world went to craps. To put it simply: The Bloodred Dragons have up-armed rabies into a human virus that turns anyone bitten or scratched or anything into an infected. How soon depends on how healthy you are. Milk is the only known way to stop the infection in its earliest stages. Thankfully, I ran across an old farm that had plenty of the stuff, so I'm safe for now. You need any?"
    "Nah, but if your planning on doing something about the Bloodred Dragon pricks, I'm in."
    "Sweet. I'm heading to Sundawn to pick up a poor bastard who forgot to pack his lunch. The Military had a pretty large presence there, with some of the best snipers and infantrymen being HQ'ed there. We're sure to find some chain or iron armor, and some bows, maybe even with enchantments."
    "Sounds good." Shadow answered.
    "Also, I want you to meet my friend, Theresa. Theresa, its safe to come out now."
    She emerged from the tree, wearing the chain armor and looking like a million bucks.
    "Hi!" she said in her usual cheery milieu.
    "Hey," Shadow answered back.
    I could tell already that Shadow as going to make a good addition to the team.
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 12: Sundawn Observatory]
    We arrived at Sundawn at, well, sun down, and called out to the survivor inside the tower.
    "Hello?" I yelled through my mega-phone. I switched my radio's frequency to that of the Settlement's.
    "What frequency did you guys find the distress call on?"
    "I think it was FQ 9. It stopped transmitting a couple minutes ago, as if someone was expecting someone..."
    "SHIT." I yelled into the radio. As soon as I said it, an arrow hit the ground beside me. Shadow, Theresa, and I ducked inside the observatory to avoid the arrows.
    "HEY YOU IDIOT. WE'RE HERE TO SAVE YOUR ASS. HOLD YOUR FIRE!"
    "Wade, is that you?"
    "Yes, it is me. We're here to take you back to the settlement. You'll be safer there than out here, and they'll be safer having an archer like you. If I hadn't anticipated your shot, I wouldn't be speaking to you right now. I'd be dead."
    "Alright then, take me to the Settlement!"
    We then scavenged the observatory, managing to repair everyone's armor and swords, and then headed to my favorite place to visit: St. Roseluck. It was such a quiet coastal town before the outbreak. Who knows what it is now.
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 13: Rose of the Dammed]
    As we arrived in Roseluck, we were greeted by a horrific sight. Dead bodies were strewn everywhere, blood flowed through the streams and ponds. I went into the church to find plenty of health pots, but few living people to use them. I saw some doors at the back, so I went through them. As I descended into the church, I saw a horrific abomination in the far corner. It looked like a bunch of zombies, slowly but surely moving as a whole. They looked... gigantic. I threw a tin can (as it had the same properties as a snowball, but was far more abundant) towards the opposite wall, and the abomination leaped towards it in one single strike. Wasting no time while the beast was pouncing, I slowly retreated to above the church, careful as to not attract the beast's attention. God knows what would have happened if I had tried to attack the beast. I told the rest of the group, who were just swimming to shore, about the beast, and warned them to not touch it. We began looting the town, finding plenty of food and healing supplies, but not a single crafting table around. I was looting the area closest to the front of the church when I heard a megaphone. It said:
    "People of St. Roseluck. Drop your weapons. We will kill you if you attack us. We mean you great harm, if you provoke us. We have already captured one of your people. What is your name, young man?"
    "James, you slimy bast-"
    "That's enough!" the bandit roared, and hilt-whipped the poor kid. He went out cold. I knew what I had to do. I went into the church, into the basement, and said a prayer. Then, I ran at the abomination and sliced a hole in its side. It roared in pain and proceeded to attack me. I dodged its blows and managed to run to the stairs. It followed me up the stairs and out of the church, towards where the bandits were. The bandits began firing at me, so I grabbed the roof of a building and let the abomination do its duty. It slayed the poorly trained bandits, and, as soon as they fell, assimilated the dead bodies into the abomination itself. I threw a grenade into its mouth, waited a little bit, then watched the whole thing explode in a giant explosion of zombies. I saw that James and the rest of the group had barricaded themselves in one of the houses with some cobwebs and were fighting off whatever zombies had come their way. I took out a very nice bow I had found and fired into the zombies, careful of my shotbow's durability. After all the dead lay dead, we scavenged the bodies of the bandits and equipped ourselves with whatever they had that was better. We healed ourselves and continued on our way.
    "I used to work in that church."
    "Really James? What did you do?"
    "I brewed the Holy Water. It was the best job I ever had. Whenever the sick and dying came to the church, I would tell them to line the people up in a circle. Then, I would stand outside the circle and throw a potion into the crowd. They suddenly started to feel better. Some even got up and started to walk again. That was the most good I had ever done. I even forgot about my past."
    "What past?"
    "Well, that's a long story, Wade. I'll tell it to you later."
    We continued on our way for a while until we reached the ocean. I knew that the closest town was Saens. I told everyone to get ready to get wet, and then dove into the water.[/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 14: Saen isn't Good for Anything]
    I was the last person to dive into the water. It wasn't as cold as I'd thought it was, but still cold nonetheless. Thankfully, the Iron Armor acted like a wet suit, keeping me warm for my short swim. As I landed on the Savannah, I saw the rest of my group looking in awe at the gigantic trees around them.
    "They're not that big", I said.
    "Oh really? They're bigger than most trees back home!"
    "James, back home for you was probably just a small island. Of course there were not any trees bigger than average."
    "Alright, alright, lets calm ourselves. We're almost to Saens."
    Everyone in the group gave me strange looks. I told them,
    "Its a good resting place before we get to Carmi. There's a couple beads and a source of water, so we'll be fine for the night. As for the local inhabitants, I don't know. Be on guard. Also, watch out for rubble. This place wasn't in good shapes before all this happened."
    Everyone nodded in agreement and continued walking to our destination. We arrived to find the place ablaze and a bunch of poor natives either zombified or on fire or running for their lives. We quickly rushed forward and attacked those who had fallen to the disease and extinguished the fires on those burning. I, however, had the misfortune of not checking my six and, to be punished by Karma, was tackled by a zombie from behind. I tried to hold him off, but he was a bigger looking brute. I noticed that the rest of my group was either fighting the zombies or helping the burn victims while the others crowded in a house with two heavily armed (for their standards) guards at the door. Out of the blue, the zombie split in two. I looked up to see a woman who looked African, as did many of the villagers there. I asked her what her name was. She said,
    "Michonne. What brings you here, strange man?"
    "Well, my name is Wade, and I'm here just as a traveler. My group and I are just stopping by for a rest and some water. We'll gladly help out and trade for a nights stay."
    "A group like yours cannot be roaming around, looking for a place to stay. By the looks of your well-kept weapons and armor, I would assume that you have a base of some sort. Is it secure?"
    "Well, we do have a base. Why do you ask?"
    "Everyone here, including me, is terrified of those 'things'. The village is crumbling, and so are our numbers. We wish to seek safety. That was what we were planning on doing, is packing up our things and moving to the main continent in hopes of finding secure living space. Does your base have space?"
    "Well, in that case, we'll be glad to accept your people. We were out here rescuing a survivor, James, so rescuing people is our mission. Tell everyone to gather your things and tear down the houses. We're going for a swim or boat if you can make enough."

    Michonne went to the hut where everyone had gathered and told them of the plan. They began to hack away at their homes with crude axes, though a few had axes we could spare. After they had gathered enough wood, they began to make the boats. They looked pretty sea-worthy after they got finished, so I took one boat and set it into the water. To my surprise, the crudely made boat floated, so we mounted our new-found transport and set sail for Carmi. After our meeting at Saens, my group went from four people (James, Shadow, Theresa, and me) to a total of 12. The guards at the hut gave out what armor and weapons they could to the people, and we in turn supplied the guards with better armor. We landed a little ways east of Carmi, so we unpacked all the supplies and turned the boats into primitive tents. I took first watch and then went to sleep after it was done.
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 15: Carmi: The Coastal City with a Shit-ton of Bandits]
    I awoke to see that the guards had made themselves a makeshift wooden tower out of the leftover wood, and that it looked like a pretty solid structure. I told them to get some shut-eye and kept watch for a couple more hours until it was morning. After everyone had woken up, we took the villagers supplies and loaded them onto a make-shift cart we made from the boat-tent-wood. We rolled it close to Carmi. That's when the arrows came. One landed next to me, so I yelled for the people pulling the cart and carrying some leftover wood to make some makeshift-cover from the scrap. As soon as I told them that, I took Shadow with me to flank around the bandit's towers. We arrived on the far side of Carmi, away from our camp, to see a bandit with a shotbow firing blindly at our wooden fortress. We quickly eliminated him with an arrow to the face. I then spun around, diamond sword drawn, to stab a prick who thought it would be a good idea to try and literally back-stab me. What I didn't see coming was the gigantic horde of zombies coming from the bridge. When I did see them, it was nearly too late. I took a couple out with my shotbow and then battled the rest with my sword. I got pinned down again when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Michonne come charging out of the woods with what looked like a curved iron sword. She managed to decapitate all the attacking zeds with one swing, then killed the rest in a couple more. I then nodded a quick "thank you" nod and turned to rejoin Shadow against the bandits.
    "We're pinned down by some in the tower to the right and there's another one in the lighthouse, conserving his ammo." Shadow told me.
    "I got an idea. When I yell 'stripped banana' you fire as fast as you can at the guy in the tower." I said, then grabbed a piece of wood off the floor of a dilapidated market stall.
    "STRIPPED FUCKING BANANA" I screamed, then charged at the bandit's perch. As I had thought, the bandit's arrows had embedded themselves in my shield and not my flesh. I then dropped the shield and ran for the tower. Once I was inside the tower, I quickly climbed the ladder and drew my sword. I saw that the bandits' were preoccupied with Michonne, who got an idea similar to mine. I quickly cut the closest bandit's chest open and then turned to face the second one. He looked like he was in shock, so I kicked him off the tower to his death, screaming, "THIS IS CARMI!" as he fell. I then took a shot at the bandit who was in the lighthouse and killed him to my surprise. After that, I collapsed into a dead sleep.[/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 16: 2 and a 1/2 Men]
    I awoke to see that Shadow and Theresa were hovering over me, and James was on watch.
    "Guys, what the hell happened?" I asked, still a little bit woozy.
    "Well, you lost a lot of blood from the slash on your leg, so I bandaged you up and gave you some medicinal dyes. After that, you slept for a couple hours. In the meantime, we managed to block off the bridge from Romero and made a little fortress out of what looks like the old police station and the tower that you collapsed in. We scavenged the bandits for supplies and repaired what we needed and gave the villagers the rest. Thanks to that little attack, we got you a present. By the way, when's your birthday?"
    "Well, first off, thanks for the medical treatment, Theresa."
    "No problem. Byzantine's a hell of a leader and an even better medic."
    "Second off, my birthday's in October."
    "Well, here's a late birthday present."
    She then gave me a crudely wrapped package. I ripped the wrapping paper off to see a silenced shotbow.
    "Wait, what did you do to my shotbow?"
    "Look closer at the bow."
    As I did what Theresa said, I noticed that the strain from firing the many arrows I had fired had been lifted. That was when I realized that the bow had been repaired! I was pretty happy they had done that, up until I saw what was inscribed on the bow's wooden part.
    'To the best ass-kicker I have ever known (Wade). From, Theresa, Shadow, James, Michonne, and the rest of the group.' After that, I started to tear up. I didn't want to ruin the mood, so I held back my tears and smiled.
    "You guys are the best group of individuals I've ever had the pleasure to work with."
    "Aw, thanks." Theresa said.
    "Ok, back to business. Where is the rest of the group and Michonne?"
    "In the old Police HQ. Michonne is currently on a mattress, resting. She was injured in the bandit battle aswell. Took an arrow to the foot (HA! THOUGHT I WAS GONNA SAY KNEE). She's recouperating pretty well."
    "That's good. Tell the rest of the group to make another cart. We're leaving soon, and I don't want to risk injuring Michonne anymore than she is injured now."
    "Alright. Where are we headed?"
    "Romero. We're going to cross the bridge, as it is the simplest way across to the other continent, and Romero is a pretty good place to gather food and repair basic supplies."
    "Alright Wade, we'll leave at nightfall."
    "No, that's when the zombies are the most active. Hold the barricades until morning. If Michonne still isn't feeling better, make her a wagon. If she is, pile the wood onto the carts. We might need it back at the Settlement."
    "Alrighty then, I'll tell the village people."
    After she left, I saw some figures coming down the road. They were two men and a boy who looked closer to a man than a boy. I ran downstairs and to the barricade as quick as possible.
    "Hello! We mean you no harm. I'm Allen Harper, this is my brother Charlie, and my son, Jake."
    "So, your two and a half men?" I said back to the group.
    "Exactly." said Allen.
    "Listen, I haven't had anything to drink or eat in a while, so could you please let us into the camp for the night?"
    "Sure. I would have said sure even if you didn't beg."
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 17: Romero]
    The next morning, I introduced the three new people to the rest of the group and then showed them where to put their stuff. We outfitted them with some old leather armor we had just finished washing and then gave them some stone swords we found in a shipping container. After they were equipped, we gathered what remaining stuff that was left around town and loaded it onto the wagons. Then we set off to Romero.
    The bridge was uneventful. We had a few good fighters in the front, some on the wagons with bows and arrows, and the rest at the back, covering the rear. The villagers who didn't fight pulled the wagons, alternating between one another as to not tire themselves out. When we reached the island in the middle, we decided to set up camp as to let everyone rest. We all ate some of the food from the wagons and drank some water from a gigantic jug we found on one of the docks, then set off to Romero. We were about into the city when we heard a voice calling out, "Stay where you are! We will send out some guards to meet you at the red line. If you move past the red line, you will be shot."
    "Alright everyone, play it cool. I don't need to have to use my shovel because someone over there got arrow happy and someone with us did something weird. Remember: Do what they say and we'll be fine."
    As we approached the once grand city of Romero, we saw the guards at the red line. They stopped us, checked us for anything out of the ordinary for a trade caravan (that's what I said we were), and then led us into town. They told everyone else to wait in the church and for me to come with them inside the old Army HQ building. Now, instead of Army HQ, someone had written in ink sac "The Town Hall". I went through the iron doorway and into my old sanctum. I remembered every nook and cranny of this building, and even where I had hid some heavier equipment when the bandits laid siege to the city. I was led into the lower area, which was more-so bunker than storage now that we were in a war against the undead. The two guards stood on the stone pressure plates so I could go into the bunker, then, once I was in, closed the door so I couldn't escape.
    "Oh shit." I thought inside my head. "This is gonna get rough soon most likely."
    "Welcome! I am who the town calls "The Governor". This is my fortress, the grand city of Romero. What brings you to our fair city?"
    "Well, Mr Governor, my trade caravan had just found a group of survivors and we were on our way to deliver them to somewhere safe. I had no idea you had managed to fortify Romero after the outbreak."
    "We did more than fortify. We built. We created. We made a hell-hole into a home. Now, Romero stands as one of the better places left on the continent."
    "Congratulations! We haven't really established our camp as well as yours is, but its still a start. Last time I was there, which was about a week ago, we had just gotten done with our walls."
    "Walls you say? How secure are they?"
    "They're about 10 feet tall with barbed wire on top of it and towers at all the corners."
    "Listen, since you know your shit, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret: Romero's going to hell fast. We're running out of weapons and we're still too weak to venture North. Most of the soldiers took what better armor they had before they left, so all we're left with is a couple of sets of nearly broken chain armor and iron swords and the rest have either leather armor and no armor at all. We tried mining inside the cliffs near the lighthouse to get stone to repair the walls, but there was a cave-in. Luckily, we got all of our men back home, safe and sound, but the mines were lost. Our only pickaxes and hopes of repairing Romero's walls were lost. We really need to get out of here fast. Your base sounds secure enough. Do you think you have enough room and supplies for 30 + people?"
    "Holy shit, Governor, that's alot of people. Our group of 12 is probably stretching it as is. Let me check with the base's leader."
    "Sounds good to me, as long as I can promise my people that we will finally be safe."
    "Alright. Can I have some privacy?"
    "Sure. Just knock when your done."
    "Thanks."
    As he began to walk out of the room, he rapped on the door three times, then the guards let him out. I quickly went over to a bookshelf and threw out all the books, then punched the wood behind the shelf.
    "OW. Shit! Wrong shelf."
    I then proceeded to rummage through the shelf next to it, doing the same routine as last time but finding a chest full of goodies like grenades and iron swords. I quickly transferred all I could into my pack, then called Byzantine.
    "Byzantine, do we have enough room for 42 people?"
    "Well, we just expanded the walls of the settlement to include most of the southern fields. Then we chopped down the trees surrounding the settlement, giving us some more farming area, which we soon tilled and planted with wheat and melons and the like."

    "Byzantine, can you accommodate 42 people? Yes or no answer."
    "With a bit of effort, we can. Where are you?"
    "Romero. Some psycho who calls himself "The Governor" is leading the place, and is begging for our help. We could use the extra manpower considering that you only have, at last count, 20 people including Theresa and me."
    "Alright then, we'll prepare some bunks at the Settlement and gather more resources."
    I rapped on the door.
    "Hello? Governor? I talked to my leader. He says you can come."
    The guards let me out and then escorted me back to the Wagon Caravan. It seemed they built a couple more wagons from the old apartment buildings, one for women and children and one for Woodburry Romero's supplies. I told them to deconstruct all the barricades tomorrow morning after everyone had clear Romero. I then gave the Governor an Iron Sword. He thanked me then ran off to gather some more villagers. As nightfall began, I took watch on the walls. The same stretch of walls that the bandits attacked from last time. There was an explosion, then it all went blank.
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 18: Left 2 Die (Or So it Seems)]
    "Ugh, shit, what happened?" I moaned to myself as I got up from the rubble of what was once a key defensive wall surrounding Romero. I saw some low-life fuckers going through my pack, so I quickly grabbed an iron sword they'd dropped and decapitated one and stabbed the other in the chest. Then, I finished the blow with another decapitation. I saw that most of the city was either infested with zombies, on fire, or held by other bandits. I looked down at my pack and saw that nearly everything (thank God) was still there. They ate some cookies. Some of my cookies. THE LAST FUCKING COOKIES I HAD. I was pissed. I was MORE than pissed. I equipped all of my previous equipment and then ran straight at the bandit's barricade, grenade in hand. I threw it, ducked into a house, and watched the wooden structure explode. Then I ran inside, zombies at my heals, and decapitated the two fuckers inside the barricade, manning the front gate. I ran inside the old Army HQ and chucked a timed grenade down into the basement. I quickly ran upstairs just as I saw the remaining bandits running back upstairs. I fired a more arrows from my shotbow before jumping out of the building's window, escaping the large blast from the basement. I rolled, then quickly ran outside the city of the dammed to a farmhouse. I placed some webs I found at the front then called the convoy's frequency (same as the settlements).
    "Hello? Are you guys still alive?"
    "Wade? Holy shit! You're still there! We thought you died after you were crushed in the rubble! Listen we need some... SHIT. Get to Huntsgrove as fast as you can! *static* SHIT. MICHONNE!"
    'Well, looks like they're having a fan-fucking tastic time without me. Considering I'm bleeding in three different places, but not going to bleed out from them, and that I appear to be missing some cookies, lets see if the other fuckers in Huntsgrove have some bandages and cookies." I muttered to myself. Then I muttered, "Why the hell did I just mutter that long sentence to myself."
    So, after I had mentally punched myself for being stupid, I began running to Huntsgrove. Then I remembered that I had some cocaine I mean sugar on me, so I downed that and then everything went weird. I ran as fast as a cheetah and could see as well as an owl. Then, suddenly, I blacked out. Thinking quickly, I drank some milk, curing whatever affliction afflicted me. Then I arrived in Huntsgrove. Tons of zombies and recently dead were swarming the entrance of what looked like a barn. I saw the wagons were abandoned close to said barn. I then took out my shotbow and picked off a couple zombies. Then I drew my diamond sword and slew the rest accepting for a few. Then, I collapsed once again.
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 19: On the Road Again]
    I awoke after a while, noticing that I was propped up on a bed. Michonne was on the floor on a mattress that looked like it had been through a couple more wars than I.
    "God, what happened this time?" I asked, directing it at anyone who could hear me.
    "Well, the most obvious explanation is that bandits attacked."
    "Thanks, Captain Obvious. Seriously, Shadow, what happened, and where's the rest of the group?"
    "Well, Theresa took the Romero group, excluding the governor and his guards, and all but the two guards from the village. James elected to go with the caravan, as he was the best shot in the group. About the time we were planning on leaving was when the bandits showed up. They fired a couple of arrows in the general direction of the group, hitting the side of a wagon. That was when we started to decide things. Yeah, I'm really crappy at describing things."
    "Shadow, just give me a radio... Never mind, I found mine."
    I dialed the caravan/settlement's frequency and asked them where they were.
    "Well, we're holed up in Evergreen Manor. We're running low on food because we left the food carts at Huntsgrove. Is the other part of the Caravan heading to Evergreen, and are you with them?"
    "Well, I'm with them. So far, we're hauling the bandits' dead bodies onto the wagons so we can scavenge their stuff later."
    "Ah. Please hurry. Thanks."
    "Ok then, Theresa. Bye."
    After that, I began helping everyone load up the wagons again. They even showed me a couple pigs they had found and how to hook them up to the wagons. When all the preparations were done, we started our trek West. We traveled for a while before coming to an old logging camp. We took our axes and chopped down the wood in the center of the camp. After piling the wood onto our wagons, we looted the camp. We found a few axes and some food, then continued on our way. After that, we arrived at Evergreen Manor, nor really encountering any zombies. Not many until we were at the front gates. There we found a swarm of zombies and the wagons, empty of all their supplies. We slaughtered the zombies in front and then opened the manor's doors. Inside, we found the rest of the survivors.
    "Alright," I said, "Lets go to the settlement. By the way, anyone heard from them lately?"
    "Yeah, they're fine. Encountered a small horde, came out unscathed. Some crops got trampled though."
    "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's move!"
    So we packed the wagons and rode straight through a day and a night. We arrived at the settlement bright and early.
    "Finally. We're here. Byzantine! Open up!."
    The massive front gates opened to reveal a normal-looking town. We headed inside, put our stuff in the bank, then collapsed on some cots inside what looked like a residential building.
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 20: Home Again]
    After I awoke, I ate a nice breakfast of cookies, bread, and health potion. It was the best breakfast I had had in days, even weeks. I was glad James made it back to the Settlement, mainly because we needed someone who could brew some liquid health. Michonne, the Governor, and Shadow were also valuable additions to the team. They were all above-average fighters and the Governor had a certain charm to him. The Settlers had built some mean-looking walls while we were gone (for a couple weeks) and started a farm outside of the main walls. They even dug a ditch and filled it with water! I took off all my armor and left it in the guards' quarters, then jumped in to test it out. To my surprise, it was a very deep moat. Unlucky for me, they also managed to find some alligators, and stocked them in the moat. I was lucky to escape unharmed. Crock nearly took my leg off. Afterwards, I went to see Byzantine.
    "Hey, Byzantine?"
    "Yeah Wade?"
    "I've been thinking that we need to get more supplies and survivors. I've also been wondering how Frostbain, my hometown, was doing. Its dangerous near there, even before the outbreak. Bandits, zeds, traps.... Long story short, take my Silenced Shotbow and my Diamond Sword. If I die, I don't want some bandit asshole wreaking hell on the settlement with my gear."
    "Are you sure, Wade? That's your stuff. You've had it since all this started."
    "No, you keep it. Your the Settlement's leader. You deserve it. If I ever come back, though, I'll probably want my stuff."
    "Alright then. Godspeed, Wade. Godspeed."
    I gave Byzantine my lucky sword and Shotbow, then went to the armory to get some replacement gear. I found an enchanted Iron Sword and Bow, with Smite II and Knockback I for the sword, and Power II and Punch I for the bow.
    "Alright. Governor, Michonne, Theresa, your with me. We're headed to Frostbain. If you don't think your ready, then stay. If you are, meet me at the front gates in 20 minutes."

    20 minutes later, I found the Governor and Theresa standing there, Iron Armor gleaming in the sun.
    "Alright, lets roll."
    [/spoiler]

    Again, if you need to take a break, this is the time to do so. Thanks again for reading, and please continue to read on!

    [spoiler=Chapter 21: The Ambush]
    We were walking along, minding our own business, when BAM! A guy in red jumps out from the bushes and starts slashing at us. We fought back, parrying his blows. That is, until he started fading in and out of sight. Literally. He was there one second, then gone the next. The only reason we didn't die was because we got a lucky blow on him while he was behind me.
    "Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you?" I asked the strange man.
    "I'm Glitchyy. And this is my crib," he said, pointing to a small house behind him.
    "That still doesn't answer who the hell you are," I asked, wondering if he was an alien or what.
    "I'm a bandit hologram that was half defective. The half defective part comes in right now. If I wasn't broken, I would have kicked all your asses."
    "Good to know. May we come in for some tea?"
    "Sure. Holograms don't eat and drink too much, though."
    We went inside his cottage and saw that there was mountains of food and water. 5 gallon drums were along the wall, cupboards full of food were surrounding what looked like a large radio database. There was even a small armory to boot!
    "If your a robot--" "Hologram," he corrected.
    "If your a hologram, then how come you have all this food and water?"
    "Well, I killed the guy living here. Then I found the keys to his house. Long story short, your the only people who haven't killed me too much."
    "OK then. We'll be on our way now. Thanks for the food and water!"
    "No problem!" he yelled as we left his house.
    After that little interruption, it was smooth sailing to Frostbain. That is, until we were ambushed again. We were walking along when a lone girl appeared out of the bushes. She was wearing Iron Armor, stained with the red mark of a bandit. I drew my sword.
    "Alright now. We don't want any trouble. I need to get to my hometown to see if everything's alright there."
    "OK. I'll let you through. I'll even treat you well. Just ask the last guy I met."
    She then pulled a human head from her backpack. I nearly vomited. That was when all hell broke loose. A large group of people came at us from all sides while the girl watched from down the road. I took out a good few with my bow, but the slow draw time of the normal bow was hampering my ability to keep them back. When the fight came down to just sword fighting, I knew I had the upper hand. I slaughtered nearly all that came at me. All accept the one with the grenade. It exploded, sending the Governor, Theresa, and me thudding back a couple feet.
    "Do you wish to continue this pathetic fight any longer? Or would you like to spare yourselves?"
    "I wish to fight no longer. Only if you will let my companions go."
    "Alright. I will let your companions go." she said, her pink hair flowing slightly.
    "Well, that was unexpect--"
    "PSYCH!" she yelled out, her guards coming in to apprehend us. The last person to be cuffed was the Governor. Much to my dismay, he got up. Expecting him to be struck down, they bandits actually helped him up!
    "Ah. Thank you, Pink, for helping me with my plan. Unfortunately, its the end for you as well."
    "What the hell?" Pink exclaimed before she was knocked out.
    "Alright Wade. It's obvious that Theresa is important to you. In that case, either kill her or you'll be killed."
    "YOU BASTARD. DO YOU HAVE NO RESPECT FOR WHAT'S LEFT OF HUMANITY?"
    "I guess not. Make your decision, as the clock ticks."
    I leaned over and whispered to Theresa, "I'm sorry that it had to come to this."
    She responded with, "Its alright. I'll be in a better place. A place where the dead aren't hostile, but friendly, and where no-one starves. I've been meaning to tell you this, but I've been dying. I was bitten back in Roseluck. I've been drinking an antidote of sorts, but its not that very effective. At first, I fought it off. Later, the dosage had to be upped to counteract the disease. I've ran out of antidote, and now I'm suffering. Please Wade, end it now. I want to know that I died peacefully, and not mutating into one of those freaks."
    "Holy shit Theresa. That was the most touching thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I'm sorry that I couldn't have helped you anymore."
    "Again, its alright Wade. I'll hopefully be meeting my husband and son soon. Joshua and Greg. The two best men I've ever known in my lifetime."
    To my anger, they handed me a stone ax. They wanted me to do it stockade style. Not a proper way, but stockade style. I lay Theresa down flat and then did what I had to do. My hands were stained with blood. Blood I could never wash out. Then, to top the shitty day off, a bandit tried to snap my neck.
    I awoke later to find Pink tied to a tree, being mocked and stripped by some back-woods, redneck, bandits. I saw that they had taken my equipment with them, so I took the Stone Ax I had used to chop my best friends head off and proceeded to hack off the two bandit's heads. I looked over at Pink and saw that she was stripped down to just a black dress. No armor or weapons. I felt pity on her, knowing now how it felt to be betrayed, so I untied her and gave her the chain set of one of the bandits. I fed her some ground up apple chunks and a heal pot (both supplied by the dead bandits) and helped her to her feet.
    "You wanna get revenge on these bastards?"
    "Yeah I do." she replied, her blue eyes filled with a fire burning bright. The fire of hatred. We got to our feet and continued down the road, wary of a bandit attack. Luckily, it wasn't until we got to the outskirts of Frostbain until we saw another bandit patrol. I looked at Pink and nodded. She nodded back. We both took out iron knives and snuck up behind the two bandits infront of us. We quickly covered their mouth and stabbed them in the back. We drug their bodies behind some trees and began to loot them. We found a shotbow, arrows, and a bag of grenades. Pink took the grenades, I took the shotbow. We got into a decent position and then rained hell upon the bandit scum. Pink was an expert thrower, throwing grenades as if they were exploding softballs. I took down the anyone she wasn't aiming at or was mortally wounded from the waist down, but could still throw stuff. Overall, tons of bandits lay dead in the center of Frostbain.
    "Well, I guess this is it. Pink, if you wanna kill me now, you might as well get it over with."
    "Actually, I don't think that your that bad of a fighter. You handled the shotbow like it was your own. You remind me of this guy in Romero. He was manning one of the corner walls, standing guard like a pro. Then, as if he had a sixth sense, he chucks a grenade at my group. At the time, I wasn't the leader. I was only the lieutenant. After that grenade, I was pretty much the commander. Then, after the guy chucks a grenade, he pulls out a shotbow and starts pelting the forest with arrows. I fired a couple arrows at the people coming up onto the walls and threw a grenade at the corner. Then I gathered what was left of my group and pulled back."
    "Well, thanks for the complement. I was the guy you just described."
    "Wow, new respect." she said. "Well, I'll be going now."
    "Wait," I said. After she stopped, I drew my shotbow, then threw it at her.
    "Your gonna need it if your not staying with me. Also, my personal eye frequency is 9-9-2-1. If your ever in need of help, just call me. I'll come as fast as I can."
    "Thanks," she said. Then she started walking towards the Ice Bridge, near Lorfaul Mines.
    "Alright, lets see how my hometown's fair. Obviously pretty shitty since bandits were walking in broad daylight." I muttered to myself.
    [/spoiler]

    [spoiler=Chapter 22: Frostbain: The Coldest Place in MineZ]
    As I walked around my hometown, I saw corpses laying about, as if the bandit attack was recent....
    "DAMMIT!" I yelled out. If we didn't stop at Glitchyy's house, we might have made it in time. "Why? Why now? Mom? Dad? Anyone? CAN ANYONE FRICKIN ANSWER ME?"
    "Yeah. Put down your weapons and back away slowly. Do not approach the church. I will fire upon you."
    "Who are you, mysterious voice? Do you know where my mom is?"
    "No. Who are you?"
    "I am Wade Freeman. I was born and raised in this town. Who are you?"
    "Mason Q. Steenmeyer. The person guarding the entrance to the church is my friend, Kwin."
    "Alright. Now that we have introduced ourselves, may I please come in?"
    "Sure," Mason answered.
    I walked up to the church and nodded a hello to the guard, Kwin. She let me in and then set me down on a pew. She asked if I had any healing supplies. I gave her what I had (which wasn't much) and then she bandaged me up. I asked them what their supplies looked like. They said that they were running low on food and water. I then hoisted two bandits' packs onto the table.
    "They were pretty well stocked. Take whatever you need." I said.
    "Thank you," they said in unison, then chowed down on the food. They were much hungrier than I had thought. They nearly ate all the food from the packs (including mine)! After a while, we settled down for a good nights rest. Being the new guy, I took first watch. It was a quiet night that night. When my watch was over, I settled down to sleep. That was when the pigmen came.
    [/spoiler]

    That ends Book One: The Rise of Wade Freeman . I hope you enjoyed reading this as much I enjoyed writing. Book Two: A Chance Encounter will be coming out..... March 5, 2013.

    Link to Book 1:
    http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/10978/
    Link to Book 1 Part 2:
    http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/10975/

    Link to Book 2:
    http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/10972/

    Link to Book 3:
    http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/9814/

    Links to Sub-Books and Links Thread:
    http://shotbow.net/forum/threads/10966/

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