The dragons, they were beautiful...

1

"There weren't always dragons in the valley..." Pops was muttering to himself again as the fever took hold. He was sweating now as Lit put a cold pack on his forehead. The crappy mini fridge had enough life left to at least give them a touch of amenities. Jax was looking at the working side of the duel monitor over the cache of rag tag equipment.

"Are you sure you checked..."

"Lit, I checked, there's nothing left. We haven't had a run or a drop in a week, Pops is gonna have to fight this off on his own."

Lit carefully placed a bandana around the small pack and lightly lifted Pops head and tied it around the back. She thought she caught the twinge of a smile on Pops lips, but it might have just been the shakes.

"the dragons..."

Lit got up and moved to the small curtain separator, looking back at Pops before stepping through and shuffling them closed. The container wasn't much for privacy, but they tried to give each other space when they could. She wiped her eyes and took out a hair band and put her dreadlocks up in a ponytail. Lit leaned on the small side table, gripping the battered wood and looked up at the arsenal, as much as you could call it that.

"No..." Jax didn't look from the monitor. His strong green eyes reflected in the screen as he scanned the different cams they had linked into.

"We gotta try Backbay."

Jax turned slightly. "Backbay is tough in daylight, fuck knows whose around there at night."

"We haven't had a drop in a week. We don't know when the Trades are gonna get anything in city limits. Its been quiet out there besides the normal bullshit, cams haven't caught Roamers..."

"You know there are worse than Roamers, LittaG."

"I'm aware, Jackson. Pops is tough but he needs antibiotics; I know you don't want to look in there, it hurts me too, but we both know he's not gonna make it through tomorrow without help."

She stared hard at his reflection in the broken monitor "and he damn sure put his life on the line for two strangers when the shit went down."

Jax didn't move, he closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deep. He owed that man a lot.

"Fuck."

He checked the time in the corner and clicked a few keys to bring up a map.

2

Lit loaded her revolver and checked the box of ammunition; they would be alright for a while as long as they avoided big firefights. Food was getting harder to find, but there damn sure were guns and bullets. She placed one serrated knife on her hip and a small switch blade in her boot. Jax had a double barrel and a large hunting knife that he sheathed on his side. As everything had turned, people scrambled into the shops and grabbed up what they could, buying it first, taking it soon after.

They were going to have to keep it a quiet affair if they were going to get to Backbay Hospital, it was a five mile trek on the northeast edge of the city. Jax had mapped out a route that he hoped would be the safest and quickest, avoiding Roamers, gangs and other hazards he'd rather not think about. They'd have to stop in the Center, and, Jax hoped, get some reliable information on what they might encounter that way.

Jax flipped the spigot on the gallon water container they had pilfered from a dentists office early on, one of Pops ideas. They had narrowly avoided a group of wanderers, all of them Juiced out and starting to show the wear and tear that comes with prolonged abuse. They each filled a canteen and looked at each other as a small moan escaped through the curtains. Jax filled a glass, turned and poked his head through. He looked down at the shivering man; this was not the burly figure who had helped he and Lit escape from a group of Roamers who certainly would have juiced them and fuck knows what else. Jax leaned down against the mattress, grabbing Pops hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Hey you old bastard." With his other hand he took off the bandana and put the used ice pack aside, taking a rag and wiping the damp from Pops forehead.

"We are gonna go out and get some medicine for you alright; You got water right here if you need it, you hear me? You hang on, ok? "

Jax looked at Pops, trying to keep his composure. As he turned away he felt a small squeeze in his hand.

3

Jax and Lit moved through the streets, lights flickering against the former inner suburban houses, now thrashed and picked over just as the rest of the city had been. The grid was still holding up, but like everything else, it was only a matter of time before they might be plunged in darkness. The word from outside the city was mixed, even before the shit went down you didn't know who to trust when it came to news. Least that was one thing no one had to listen to anymore, small favors.

"Remember when they said marijuana was gonna be the downfall of society and people were' gonna shoot the president because of bong rips." Jax smirked at Lit as they walked, scanning the peripherals and keeping an eye on the windows of the houses for glints or barrels.

"Well they were right. Look at all this, was definitely the pot." Lit gave a smile. As they reached the T section out of the neighborhood they heard a scraping sound coming from the behind an old suburban that had wrapped around a tree some time ago. From behind it emerged a ragged figure, its one arm hanging loose from a stained T-shirt. The skin was like a slung hammock. The veins ran like spiderwebs where once it fed muscles, but now just slowly pumped the last vestiges of life. The hair was hanging in clumps and as the man (or woman, didn't much matter anymore) looked at them, it gave an attempt at a smile "Are you on the path? Would you spare some of the Lords good will?" It had the remanence of braces still clinging to a few teeth.

Jax slowly began to unsheathe his knife, but Lit grabbed his hand.

"Look at that thing, it's not coming after us."

"Would you want to live like that?"

Lit hesitated, she looked at the Juicehead, it wavered in the night air, looking in hope that these two would be its salvation.

Lit let go. Jax brought the knife out and approached the Juicer.

"Oh friend, I thank you for your good tidings there were will be a place for you in..." Jax plunged the knife in quick motion up and through the jaw and into the brain and then back out. The dead thing fell to the ground, the last of its life quickly draining from it. He thought for a moment, looking at the SUV. He saw a long bent mental end that would suit the purpose and moved it back and forth till it came loose. He walked back over to the body and plunged the metal in the center mass till it staked the body into the ground. Satisfied, he looked to Lit

"We haven't checked in a while, hopefully he's still here when we get back."

4

Lit and Jax talked very little until they started to see the taller buildings against the night sky. The half moon gave good lighting when the street lights were broken or flickering. They had seen a few more juicers and strays, but they had scrambled on their approach, all for the better. As they got closer to Center Square, Lit looked around what had once been the entertainment capital for the city. She could see some windows lit and a few faces looking down on them. Mostly just other strays like themselves, there were a few barrel fires and a couple groups huddled around them, it wasn't too cold tonight, but it would get there. No Roamers for now.

"And the Lord gave us the strength and the wisdom to grow beyond our capabilities-ties-ties-ties..."

They both looked up in disgust at the digital signage.

"where once you attached the lords name in vain-vain-vain with a sinful mixture of alcha-alach-ohol, we have taken it back and give you strength in Jesus Juice-Juice-Juice..."

"That thing is still firing off; goddammit." Lit shook her head."

"Don't take the lords name in vain"

"Fuck you Jax."

"Are you disparaging our glowing leader of neon and verses? Shame on you both."

Jax and Lit both turned and smiled.

"Fuck you Brite." they gave in union to the man casually striding up to them.

"such foul mouths." They greeted each other warmly. In a broken landscape, Brite always presented himself like it was a cool summer evening at the neighborhood bbq, ready to bang the neighbors wife, and somehow get away with it. Tall with a shaved head and a runners physique, he fit the role of messenger for the times.

"How're my two favorite strays?"

"I bet you say that to all the heathens." Lit smirked.

"What's the word on the outside? Anything on the drops and Trades?" Jax focused them.

Brite marked his thumb at the billboard. "Well, rumor is that Lord Dillhole here has been making gains against The Faction and whatever remnants of the military that didn't join his little club, thus why we haven't had the drops and the dry up in the Trades. Roamers been blocking all the routes, even the supposed secret ones."

"shit."Jax slumped a little. "They haven't found Storage right?"

"No, we good on that, everyone here knows the deal. Keep it secret, keep it safe."

"Nerd."

"oh, on that nerd shit, I got something for the old man..."

They all turned at the sound of a single clap. Everyone in the center turned to see a woman in beat up kicks and a short hoody moving with haste. She put her hands out in front and made a circle motion with her forefingers.

"Move, move!" Everyone started for the buildings and alleys as the sounds of old timey music could be heard coming up the street.

5

Jax, Lit and Brite made their way into a two story cafe at the cross section of the Center and scrambled up the stairs. They held up behind lounge style couches in front of the floor to ceiling windows blown out from previous shoot outs. They all peeked their heads slightly above to check the scene.

A military style jeep with an automatic turret made its way to the central part of the street, it was festooned with white and purple highlights, gospel music expelling from a speaker attached to the rear of the vehicle. They slowed to a stop, the drivers side passenger hopped out with a mic in his hand, as the music slowly faded out.

"My brothers and sisters!" He shouted in exuberance.

He was dressed like the three others occupying the jeep. They wore ballistic armor, a mix of white and army green with a purple cross across the chest. As he spoke, his muscles unnaturally gyrated and moved beneath his uniform, like small waves against a shore. His stance somewhere between a bodybuilder and a preacher.

"It pains me that you yet again run in fear, when all we wish to do is embrace you in the love of the Lord, in the light of the great change and become better than you once were!" He stopped his rhythmic back and forth pacing as if waiting for an amen. None were forthcoming.

"However, tonight you are free to remain amongst the filth and wreckage of your creation, but no worries, we will be back to usher you to new pastures with the help of the nectar of God and your benevolent leader." As if on que, the looped billboard gave a resounding "The nectar-nectar of the Lord, shall bring you sal-sal-sal vation!" A grotesque smile lit up his vain criss-crossed face; he was juiced to the brim. They all could see it, even from a distance; Jax wondered how he hadn't already gone off the deep end.

"What we have for you tonight is an example, to show you the bright future that awaits you when you join his glory! Mary?!"

One of the other Roamers stood from the the back of the jeep and hopped down, her hair covering her face. As she moved towards the man with the mic, his smiled widened and his grip on the mic tightened; it looked like it was about to crumble in his hand.

Her long hair fell down her huge shoulders, her physique, like his, looked like it had grown too fast, the muscle fibers twitching and flailing with every movement. She removed her helmet and threw back her hair.

"Damn, that's Trish, from south end." Brite shook his head. "She and her partner had that little pop up restaurant before shit went down."

"Fuck, fuck, she didn't know the location did she?"

"No, I don't think so, south end had their own Storage, but that may be done now..."

Trish, now Mary, lifted her head up with a swish and grabbed the mic.

"Brothers and sisters, it is true what David speaks! I was once like you, living sinfully, not knowing the righteous could bring such strength and joy!" She too began to pace, as if followed by a floodlight in a grand auditorium. "I left that life behind, and let me tell you, the weight has been lifted, so that I can soar!" She paused, and Lit thought she saw the slightest of pains cross her face. "I will tell you that it is not all easy, sometimes you need to leave those who will not follow you on the path; sometimes you need to remove their roots, so their gnarled and twisted influence may not attach to others as it did to you. They must be hurled to the flame..." She paused again, the mic dropping slightly. David turned an eye towards her. Her smile never wavering "Brothers and sisters, we will be back, and when you are ready to embrace the nectar as I have, we can finally put an end to this confrontation and all live together in his great kingdom!" She slowly passed the mic back to David and strapped her helmet on returning to the jeep.

"You heard it straight from one of your own!" Davids eye flinching against his plastic smile, "We all want the same thing; tomorrow we will be back and hope you voluntarily submit to his good word, for it is coming and cannot be stopped. Good night and God Bless!"

In a flourish, he returned to the passengers side of the jeep, the music starting up again, and it u-turned and sped off.

6

Once the music had faded out, the Center began to fill in tentatively. Jax, Lit and Brite took a moment to contemplate the scene as they got up from behind the couches.

"Did you see how juiced out that guy was? I've never seen it that bad; He should have already turned Breaker."

Brite nodded, " Yeah I don't like it either; They might be messing with their formula. A more stable juice and all that brainwashing practice is bad news for the heathens."

"She took of her helmet..."

They both turned to look at Lit; "What?"

"She took off her helmet. They never take off their helmets. Theres always the chance of a sniper, and she gave her whole religious barf-speech with her helmet off. Like she was inviting someone to do it..."

Jax and Brite looked at her questioningly.

"I'm just saying, even with all the poison and propaganda flowing in her, some part of her wanted someone to end it. That gives me hope, because if they ever strap me down, juice me and do whatever other horrible things we don't know about, I sure as shit hope I can still take my helmet off..."

Jax gave a small nod, "Yeah, me too, Lit." He turned back to Brite.

"We gotta get to Backbay tonight, Pops is sick, we don't know what but Lit thinks if we get some antibiotics he's got a chance, I know it' been scrounged but it's our best shot. Whats the word up there?"

Brite thought for a moment; "Well, you got Wanderers, but they been making bathtub hooch from god knows what so presumably they'll be going blind on the beach and out of your way..."

"Breakers?"

"No, thank fuck, haven't seen a pack in a while. Your end of town?"

" I took down a deep end juicer and stuck him to the ground on our way here. Fingers crossed it's just animal markings on him when we get back; Anything else before we head that way?'

Brite looked like he was holding on to something that wasn't gonna be pleasant. "We'll do a good news, bad news. Good news is I got this for the old man. Brite pulled out a ragged ear book from his inner coat pocket. "Was gonna hand this off before the impromptu freak Sunday school session." He handed the book over to Jax and he looked at the cover

"H.P Lovecraft Collection." Jax said with a smile.

"I know he loves his fantasy monsters and creatures; not quite as fun when you are fighting real ones on the daily, but we all got our escapes."

Jax held up his hand and Brite grasped it in return. "You're a good man for being full of shit."

"Boy, you know how to sweet talk me."

"What's the bad news?"

Brites smile faded and looked over towards Lit, who raised her eyebrows.

"Trent, or whatever his new name is, he's been picking people off up there...

Lit's expression didn't change, she kept looking at them both. Jax nodded at her. "We can get by that prick, especially if it's for Pops."

7

They could start to see the hospital now. They and the surroundings had both been quiet since they left Brite in the Center. As they walked they both checked the buildings for glints and corners for juicers. They both made their way up the ramp to a partial highway and started moving along the barren asphalt where it once would have been suicide to try to walk along edge. As they were nearing the hospital grounds, Jax looked over at Lit

"I don't want to talk about it." She kept walking at his pace.

"That's usually what people say when they don't want to talk about things." Jax kept looking at her. "I'm just saying, if we do run into some Roamers, rage isn't gonna help take them down any easier." The sea air helped cover the decay and brought back memories of better times as they made their way down the exit ramp.

"It's not rage I'm feeling..."

"Glad you don't want to talk about it."

"Eat me."

"Shave first."

She shoved him hard "Goddamit I'm serious, he almost killed you both and it was my fault! Theres not a whole lot of people to care about anymore...you know...I..." They both stopped for a moment.

"He was an asshole before, nows he's just a roided' out one pretending to spout the word of God."

"Are you saying you doubt the sincerity of messenger Trent, or my personal hope, his new name, Jonah, so he gets fucked by a whale, rolling around in an Army jeep spreading the good word?"

She laughed then, wiping at her eyes. "Jonah got swallowed by a whale you dumbass." A grin creeped across his face. "Get your mind out of the gutter!" laughing again, she looked over at him. "Yeah that one sure didn't need a brainwashing session to start being a religious fuck-head. I'm sure that was baked into the bread, just wish I had seen it sooner."

Jax looked up then, he could see the hospital front entrance. "Look, we all have our mistakes, but we survived, and the ultimate revenge, the way I see it, is sneaking one by that asshole and getting Pops well, so we can all track him down together, strap him to a gurney, punch him in the face till its pulp, and toss him in the ocean to be fucked and swallowed by a whale in no particular order. Pretty reasonable revenge."

"Jesus you're stupid." Lit shook her head.

"Cmon, let's go find some meds."

8

It was certainly better off than most hospitals had been; but as expected, going floor to floor most of the storage rooms and pharmacies had been picked over well. The generators were still working and the lights remained solid aside from the broken or missing.

As they reached the 4th floor, they looked around at the scattered pamphlets for various medicines, people smiling about their butthole cancer and rage inducing depression treatments. Jax lifted one off the floor. "Look honey!" giving his best announcer voice "I shit myself and murdered the dog, but now I can at least have a good nights rest with Praxafill!" She shook her head at him, as she looked at the floor map on the wall, noting the door numbers and departments.

"405 looks promising..."

The door was locked. That was a good sign. Jax gave it a swift kick and it bent in but hit something solid on the other side. The smell was horrendous. As they looked in the crease of the door, a hand flopped down between the crack of light.

"uhhhh shit. Alright, help me push."

Together they moved what looked to be a large man out of the way of the door, enough for both of them to fit through. They flipped the lights and looked down at the carcass. By the look of the uniform, he had been a janitor, there were pill bottles scattered around him. In his left hand was one of those fat black markers, he had written on the wall in tall letters. "FUCK YOU, IM OUT'.

"Fair enough, bud." Jax thought to himself.

Jax turned back to the storage unit and started searching amongst the bags and pill bottles along the shelves with Lit. As he swept away the empty bags, Lit gave a triumphant "Got it!" She held up two full bottles labelled Amoxicillin. "Lets just hope he's not allergic."

As they entered back into the hallway, they headed towards the stairs, when Jax looked over and grabbed Lit and pointed. They both moved over to the large window. Dawn was just starting to break, and despite all that had happened, they both just stood for a moment and took in the city scape. As Jax looked on, Lit looked down towards the Hospital entrance.

"Oh fuck..."

"What?"

They both looked down to see two jeeps parked near the entrance.

"Third floor is clear, moving up to the fourth sir." The two way radio echo coming up the stairs was clear as day.

"Shit, c'mon." They quickly moved back over and squeezed back in to 405.

"Push him against the door." They both held their breath as they heaved the corpse back against the door.

"uhhhhlll." Lit was holding back bile in her throat.

They heard the stair-doorway open and two voices coming through,

"I thought David was only supposed to deliver his message tonight and then it's back to home-base."

"An idle presence is a vacuum; we are always serving, Jacob, and if we are sent to deliver new lambs, then that is what we do. Do you agree?

"Yes, Brother Matthew."

They heard the thunk of army boots heading their way, they both leaned back against the wall between one of the mobile shelving units.

"Over there"

"What"

"That door has been kicked in, check it out."

They both tensed up as the door began to move in.

"Gahhh ah man there's a dead guy blocking the door."

"So move him out of the way..."

"Oh cmon..."

"We check everywhere, that's an order."

"Alright, alright."

They heard the sound of one set of boots start to move away, the door began to slowly push against the body again. As the door moved, they could hear the Roamer dry heaving.

"guuuhhhh screw this."

They heard the boots start to move down the hall once more.

"Let's go." They both pushed through the door slit, check both ends before moving back towards the stairs. Jax quietly pulled the handle down and let Lit slide through before gently closing it again.

They took light steps down the stairs checking up and down to avoid any other Roamers who might be in the building.

Suddenly a shot whizzed by Lits hand, almost taking a finger off as the bullet bounced around the stairway.

"Shit shit shit!"

They ran to the main floor entrance skipping over steps and ran into the main hallway. They could see two jeeps out front but no one inside. Before they had time to think they both felt themselves being lifted off the floor like they were children. They both went for their knives.

"Hi Lit, you don't want to do that."

Holding them was a massive Roamer, he gripped them steadily on the back of their necks. one good squeeze and they were gone. They both let their limbs go slack.

Trent was smiling as he came up from behind the larger Roamer; He eyed them like a cat who had just caught a mouse, but wasn't sure what he wanted to do with it yet. His frame was dwarfed by the one holding them up, but he had taken to the Roamer life, his blue eyes glinted against a veined face and muscles that pulsed with his steps.

"And you..."

"Yeah, yeah, hello to you too, you juiced out psycho..."

The Roamer gave a curt but good squeeze and Jax let out a groan.

"By the way..."Jax winced "Do you go by Jonah now?"

The smile never left Trents lips "No, it's Benjamin."

"Damn, so disappointing..."

"Where's the old man?"

"Far away from here, asshole" Lit's eyes were fire staring at Trent.

"Oh, such unnecessary bluster, the Lord has forgiven me, as he will you." He almost delicately placed his hand on the back of her neck above the monstrous hand of the soldier. He leaned in close to her. " You will tell me where he is, whether you like it or not."

Lit tried to lean away from him, his veins pulsating as his smile grew even larger.

"Heeeeeeeyyyy you Jesusssss FUckers!!!

They all looked out towards where the Jeeps where parked. There were 10 heavily armed, and heavily loaded Wanderers, dressed in what looks like whatever came across their path from 50's crooner all the way to 2k hipster, some still with bottles in hand, two spinning out on their dirt-bikes with pistols shooting in the air.

"Youuuuu cameto the wrongsidea town!!! They all opened fire.

The giant dropped Jax and Lit and dived behind a waiting room couch while Trent moved serpantine and fired back while seeking cover. He barked into his two way radio "Matthew! David! open fire, outside entrance, now!"

Jax and Lit scrambled out of the way, sneaking out the side door as the Roamers and Wanderers exchanged fire. One of the bikers had been hit and was bleeding out on the ground, his bike had careened out beyond the fire fight. They exchanged a glance and carefully made their way, keeping below the hedges surrounding the entrance. The Wanderers were still screaming and cheering, even with bullets reigning from above when the other Roamers had joined in the fight. Jax got the bike upright and got Lit on the back. "Go, go, go!" They started to speed off back towards the city.

As the bullets flew and puffs of dust and cottons blew by, Trents smile never dimmed.

9

The bike was on fumes by the time they were getting close to home. They abandoned it far enough to not be tracked easily and walked the remainder. The morning had risen and they hoped that they were in time. As they walked past the broken SUV, they both checked on the body. It was gone.

It had been ripped cleaned through the metal sheet, and all the remnants had been eaten, or lapped up, they could the see marks of tongues in the dirt, going for every morsel. They looked at each other in silent acknowledgment, there were Breakers, how many they couldn't be sure, but even one was enough to give unease.

They went through the back entrance to the storage container and found Pops was still breathing, unsteady but breathing.

"We're here old man."

A smile came across his lips "Knew...you would be..." Jax and Lit went to the bed and Jax helped lift his head up. "I got some antibiotics for you, just tip your head back, I got you." She helped him swallow a few pills and he took down some water. Lit got up and went through the curtains, placing her gun and knives back.

"Jax..."

"Hey, you keep resting...we're here alright...Brite got you a book for when you're up for it...

"Did I ever tell you about the Dragons in the Valley?

"No, I don't think you told me that one..."

"Where we lived, my father, he told me...There used to be dragons in this world. There were two dragons that lived out in a valley, down the way from a village, peacefully, one was black as night, the other was gold as the sun. They would fly, and the people would come watch them dance in the air...

Behind Lit, the monitor started beeping as the security cameras around the neighborhood came to life.

"But a group of villagers had decided, they were too distracting, that people alone should be king of all the animals...and all the beautiful things of this world...

The monitors were showing armored jeeps rolling slowly into the neighborhood. "Oh shit" Lit put her hands behind her head, and she felt the metal piece..."Fuck" she stomped it into bits.

"They came out while the dragons were sleeping...and they tied them down...

"Jax! They're coming!"

"And as those villagers killed those two beautiful creatures, they realized that...they were the monsters, they were ugly...

Jax looked up at Lit and at the monitor through the doorway.

"Well...I think it's time to ring the dinner bell..."

TBC