"To be frank, luck. At first, it was chaos, and murderers and looters roamed the streets. But then, Mayor Higgins brought the community back together via controlling the food system and aligning himself with me. As for the hordes, it was difficult. Especially with the plague coming along with them."

‘The plague,’ Luis thought in disgust.

"But, with enough manpower and faith, we were able to survive whatever God... or whatever slash whoever did this to us."

Holm Castle, Georgia

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Midday - Apocalypse Month 5

Erik and George walked the path to the town nearby that agreed to work with them throughout the winter. With spring arriving, Erik and George have to plan their next course of action as it can mean either the progression of this new town or the end of it in just a few months.

“So, tell me again, what’s the plan today advisor?” Erik asked.

“Well first, we talk to the town mayor of Cloudland and tell them to join us legally through a contract. Then, we make our way south to the nearby town of Menlo and see what’s going on down there. I heard that their community is dying by the looks of road-talk. We take in so many people a week I don’t even know what’s real.”

“So, we’re here for a busy day, eh?”

George nodded in frustration. Holm Castle has a mostly strained relationship with the mayor of Cloudland. Not specifically liking the use of his people being their sort of labor for their protection and hunting grounds. Getting him to join them officially would be a more than difficult task.

...

Erik and George entered the town, and it seemed pretty normal. People walked about doing their own thing, most not affected by the two of them entering the town, which was weird because of the fact that bandits were known to be around the area. Before they could get too far into town, they were stopped by a woman in a sheriff’s outfit. She carried a bow in her hand with a machete on her belt. “How may I do ya for?” She asked with a slight mountain drawl.

“We’re here to seek an audience with your mayor. You mind telling us where he is?” Erik asked, looking around. Most of the citizens peaked their way, but that was about it no worried looks or anything of the sort.

“We’re not accepting meetings yet, but you may stay in a hotel for the night if need be.”

“Hm, your people don’t seem to be worried about bandits. Why is that?”

“Because we can handle our own. Now, if you’d mind on going about your merry way.”

“Not until we see your mayor, ma’am,” Erik pushed.

The sheriff grunted, “I’ll see what I can do.” She led the two of them to the mayor’s house and told them to sit tight. After a couple of minutes of diligent waiting did the sheriff finally come back out. “You may come in but make it quick.”

The inside of the house was rustic, to say the least. Most of the interior had the old hunter feeling as if in his old life, he hunted wild animals like deer, bears, wolves, etc. Anything that could bite back. “Ah, Chief Erik and his advisor George, what a nice surprise,” the mayor smiled, “Sit, sit, how can I do you for? Would you like a glass?”

“I’ll be fine, but thank you,” Erik politely denied.

“I’ll take some. What is it?” George asked.

“Scotch, might as well use as much of it as I can right?” The mayor asked.

“Yea, I guess so.” George agreed. The two men bumped glasses in a cheer and sat down, relaxing a bit before the conversation began. His office was just like his main hall, but this one had plaques of him and his achievements—a man of the military who’d served in the past.

“Did you serve?” Erik asked.

“I did. Persian Gulf War.”

“Interesting,” Erik said. “Thank you for your service, sir.”

The mayor nodded.

“So, we have a proposition for you,” Erik stated, “We want you to join us as people of Holm Castle.”

The mayor laughed in their faces sipping from his scotch again, “You want me to join you two? There’s no way in hell!”

“We’ve supplied you with protection, the least you can do is hear us out.” George pleaded.

The man grunted, but Erik continued, “We keep the same thing going. In exchange for protection, you give us food to feed our soldiers and we have a say in what you do in this town.”

“So I’m giving all the power to you?”

“No, not necessarily. You’ll still be the mayor of this town but I overrule it if I see fit.”

“Would I get a say in what happens to Holm Castle?”

“No,” George and Erik both said in unison.

“Well, that’s absolute fucking trash. There’s no way I would do that. It’s insane!”

Erik sighed and stared the man in the eyes, “Listen, you honestly don’t have much of a say here. You need us, but we can find others to help. This is a much better solution than us not helping you at all, no?”

“I understand but-”

George joined in, “It’d be a shame that someone who claims to care about their people suddenly lost them all. The cannibals and bandits are getting rowdy this time around.”

The mayor stood there in shock and, at a loss for words, then fixed his posture and continued on, “The people in the city of Cloudland, and I, their mayor, agree to join Holm Castle in their endeavors, reluctantly.”

“There ya go, sport!” George smiled. Erik pulled out two scrolls of parchment paper and took out his pen.

“I’ve signed my part and now you sign yours. Then this little thing will be all over with and we can go back to normal.”

The mayor read it over just to check everything out, “Wow, you’ve really gone above and beyond with this. Although, out of curiosity, what if I break this contract? Who will uphold it? There is no law.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. We’re a new law. This is how we’re gonna keep everyone safe,” Erik corrected, taking one of the papers back, “Thank you for doing business with us but we have other things to attend to.”

George and Erik left the mayor’s office and finally secured a place to be called one of theirs. Almost doubling their new population of people.

“You and I make a great team,” George smiled.

“Who knew. If you asked me that half a year ago, I would’ve thought you were insane.”

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re still a pain in the ass, but when we need things to get done that’s what we do!”

They both cracked a smile and started their way south to Menlo.