The Next Sentinel

Rochester, NY was once a sprawling city in the northeast of what was formerly the Unites States of America. Now it’s once towering buildings and shop filled streets stood empty and deserted. No one remembers how it happened or when it started but now this former metropolis was ground zero. Ground zero for two armies who were now at a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand but fighting viscously for every inch. Across the city in what was formerly the town of Greece, a hooded figure stalked slowly amongst the corpses of homes. Carrying a rifle in their hand and a sword strapped to their hip, they exited out the back door of a home into the cloud covered sky.

Raising their hand to the hood and pushing it back revealed a woman in her thirties, Her olive skin and glowing green eyes were accented by a deep scar from her forehead to her chin bisecting her right eye and framed by her crystal blue hair that hung loosely to her shoulders. Like a hunting wolf she moved quietly towards the next yard but stopped as her robe caught on something sharp in the bushes. She reached for her neck and undid the robes clasp to reveal battle marked armor covered in knives and a pistol at her hip. Letting it fall to the ground before scanning the yard and bending down to free it. As she bent over to free the robe, from inside her armor a heart shaped locket fell free, the only reminder of a long forgotten childhood. Pushing aside a branch the woman found the arresting piece was the toe bone of a skeleton. The corpse had a tube in a hand that read “Euthanasia kit”. Lying next to the skeleton was a newspaper with the headline of “DOOM FOR CITY, ALL HOPE LOST!” standing up and replacing the robe the woman turned to a second figure clad in an identical robe. The woman waved” I haven’t found anything, what about you?”

The second figure also removed the hood to reveal a muscular man with a scraggily beard and a Mohawk style haircut”. Neither have I, the twins are to the east and there are two more teams of Sentinels to the west. The conflict is moving in towards us.” The woman started to turn when the man grabbed her arm. “We need to return to the home cave, now Ali.” Ali used the butt of her rifle to slap his hand away and turned to the face him” Listen to me and listen well, I do what I want when I want Kaster”. Kaster lowered his hand and took a step back as Ali continued “And if you ever touch me again you will lose your hand and your arm.” Kaster shook his head as she walked away “Dig your own grave, or better yet let me dig it for you” Ali hopped over the scrap of a fence and moved up a slight incline to what was once Ridge road , a road now littered with the husks of rusted burned out cars. As she kneeled behind a pile of cars, Ali used the scope of her rifle to scan towards the horizon for any signs of life. About to give up her search, she stopped when she saw movement. Subtle at first then slowly and methodically from car scrap to car scrap. Ali continued to watch as the figure moved ever closer.” Friend or foe?” Kaster asked behind her. Ali sat silent for a bit before answering” I don’t know, why don’t you go over and ask them?” Kaster laughed in almost a giggle while Ali watched the figure “Tell me something Kaster, why aren’t you head of the sentinels anymore? Are the rumors true you killed innocents?” Kaster glared at her and spoke in a low voice. “You should worry more about who or what that is and not some old fool.” Ali turned back to the figure and was shocked to see they were much closer now, locked her rifle to her shoulder Ali prepared to fire.