"Are you sure they're gone now?" Jessica.

"Look's like." Sarah

"The sun is out. I only see skeleton patrols about." Alex.

"I'm ready." Eian.

Sarah had suggested they wait till after the first sun dawned, just to be safe. The second sun had already risen. It was more cloudy today than the day before however, occasionally blocking direct sunlight.

"YES!" Jessica.

"Shhh! We don't know if they can still hear us. We don't know if the vampires even burn in the sun." Sarah.

"Right day-walkers." Eian.

"Relax Sarah we've been stuck here all night let's go." Alex was anxious to get out, sitting still was never his forte.

They descended to the ground level. Alex watched as Eian easily tore the stone grooves holding the wooden furniture down. Eian easily moved the furniture away. Alex felt he was actually less helpful in the moving part, those things were a bit heavy.

"LIGHT! BLESSED LIGHT!" Eian exaggerated, not too loudly.

"Lets go. I want out of this hell." Jess said and Alex agreed.

"Next time I won't stop at I told you guys so." Eian smirked.

"UGH." Jess rolled her eyes.

Alex was his friend had de-stressed and was back to his funny mood. He had gone to check on him at night and had seen him practicing something like a wild unrefined martial art. He hadn't known Eian practiced, his physic before was anything but fit, and average at best. They were both clad in their full-knightly armor again. Alex had the mark of four-claws on his chestplate, they had sunk almost a centimeter deep through the metal. Alex felt bad Jessica got hurt from those claws and had made sure he healed it properly and disinfected it at least thrice.

They got of of the house and the first thing they saw were the zombie bones from the night before had been picked clean. Eian managed to recover his shield, but his spear-axe had gotten lost as the fat-stitched zombie had run away with it. Alex gave him his spear-axe, Eian seemed fond of them, to which Eian smiled and thanked him.

They kept walking and encountered a sinlgle patrol of five un-armored skeleton-guards on the main-street, which led to a gate-exit. They dispatched them easily and had to stay behind and use her long-sword since the spear had burnt. Alex got two kills, Eian got two and Jessica was given one. One of the skeletons had a spear-axe which Alex quickly grabbed to replace the one he had given away. They soon neared the gate to the city, they stood a distance away.

"I'll drop them from here. Be ready for those that stay up." Sarah.

"I can help. I got a bolt that kills undead." Alex.

"Good. Even better, try aiming where they are clustered. That way you won't miss." Sarah.

"Roger." Alex.

There were twenty guard-skeletons, not fully armored, but most held shields with weapons. A handful held long-spears. Sarah bombarded the enemies from afar, they were so tightly packed her powerful white fire-balls actually sent two flying backwards sometimes. Her flames created an explosive effect at contact now, they went flying backwards like bowling pins. Alex, was definately impressed and was bombarding some mist-bolts as well.

It was strange summoning those misty bolts, they felt like holiding compacted air. He had trouble getting the density right and made a few too hard. Together they managed to drop or kill a quarter of their number by the time they reached them. Alex was sure he managed to kill at least three, but the mist must have weakened some others as well.

"Go boys! There are few enough!" Sarah.

Alex then charged together with Eian. Alex blocked a swing from one, parried another and shield-tackled the one to his left. With one staggered Alex managed to stab the other in the skull. He quickly chopped off the arm of the formerly staggered enemy and then stabbed it's skull.

It reminded Alex again of sinking his sword into a jelly like substance. The black-smoke dripped through the opening in the skull like blood and it crumbled in a heap of bones. Turning he noticed Eian had already killed his three.

"Kill the ones that are getting up!" Sarah.

They dispatched the ones on the floor easily, even Jess killed about three. In total it seemed Alex killed seven counting the ones that died from his bolts, Eian six, Jess three and Sarah killed four. The blasts from the fireballs actually broke a few skeletons to death and she set them aflame just incase. Jessica took two long-spears with straps from the assemble of skeletons

"Finally! We can get out!" Jessica.

"Calm down Jess it's just forest out there." Alex smiled.

"Anywhere is better than a vampire-infested city!" Jessica.

"Let's hurry." Sarah.

"Yeah. I want to find some water and maybe bathe. These things are hot." Eian referred to the armor.

"Yea man these things are unbearable." Alex was still aware he was sweating alot in the armor.

"Yeusss." Jessica wasn't wearing much armor, but at least the girls felt some of the heat.

"That could be dangerous." Sarah.

They left the city and quickly realized that although the city was bad, outside was dense forest.

"Alex, Eian cut a path through the grass with your blades lets go." Sarah.

Alex used his sword as a machete and Eian used his like a regular axe. The going wasn't all that bad Alex realized, not all the area was full of grass. Trees stretched everywhere and Sarah made them mark certain trees to ensure they didn't get completely lost.

"Keep a look out for water and food." Sarah.

"Yeah sure thing." Eian.

"Roger boss." Alex smiled.

They kept going and Alex kept hearing bird chirping and the occasional howl.

"What do you think those things are?" Jessica sounded nervous.

"Could be wolves, maybe coyotes? I don't know the different howls." Sarah.

"Are we in danger?" Jessica.

"Maybe, but where else are we supposed to go? The city wasn't safe and I don't know if it had alot of water." Sarah.

"Place had too much fucking monsters too." Eian.

"Yeah man." Alex.

They kept going and soon Sarah mentioned she heard running water. She reminded them again that water attracts animals. They approached slowly and soon Alex saw it. A large stream was flowing through the forest.

"YES!" Jess, Alex smiled at her cheer.

"AWOOOOOOOO!!!" Howls.

"SHIT!" Eian.

"AAHHHHH!" Jessica.

"WOLVES!" Sarah.

Alex had heard the howls immediately to the right of them. Several large-dire-wolves darted towards them and Eian was tackled by one instantly. Alex heard the scuffle occurring on the ground! Alex saw Sarah shoot white-flames through her staff at the wolves.

Another wolf was running to Alex and he attempted to block with his shield and stabbed at it with the sword. The impact sent Alex to the ground though he felt his sword caught something, eliciting a pained howl. He kicked at the wolf and felt it retreat slightly. He felt teeth attempting to bite through his armor and Alex stabbed his sword blindly in that direction. He penetrated something again and heard a pained yelp, the teeth let go and the weight lifted.

Alex sat up quickly and scanned the area. There was a dead wolf on the ground near Eian. Eian was swinging at another keeping it at bay. Sarah had charred another wolf to crisp. His wolf was nearby eyes him and Alex pointed his sword at it.

Alex kept hearing howls and yelps from around him. The wolf leapt at him and Alex stabbed at it's face while sitting. He felt the impact land and the beast's weight plowed into him. It stopped moving, Alex threw it's weight off himself. Looking around for Jess, he spotted her stabbing a burning dead wolf on the head. Eian had killed another wolf and Sarah had set part of the forest on fire. The last wolf ran away from Eian's swings.

"Fuck." Eian.

"Is everyone alright?" Alex.

"Yes. It seems so." Sarah.

"I HATE this world!" Jessica.

"Well. At least we have break-fast." Alex tried to instill good cheer.

"Better them, than us." Eian was sarcastic.

"Eian try to skin them, we need the furs for bags. Alex, Jess, help me put out that fire. Animals keep away from smoke, but we don't want to suffocate as well." Sarah explained.

"Roger on it." Alex.

They managed to stop the fire from spreading after about thirty minutes. Sarah could control the flames from not spreading and Alex cut away the surrounding shrubs with Jessicas help. They left a tree burning, Sarah claimed animals shouldn't come near smoke.

"This is impossible." Eian.

"What?" Alex.

"The skins so tough and the knife slips alot." Eian.

"It also stinks alot." Jessica.

"It's slow as well." Sarah.

"Well do you want to try! This thing is big and hard." Eian was clearly frustrated.

"Just cut out chunks of meat. I don't even know if that's smart. Something could come hunting for the smell of blood." Sarah.

"Great. Bloody great." Eian.

Eian had cut bloody chunks of meat and Sarah quickly cooked them. Eian kept stubbornly trying to skin the wolf afterwards. They drank from the stream, it was only knee deep and they could see everything nearby.

"I want to bathe. I'm filthy and we smell terrible." Jessica.

"I agree, but there are animals that could attack us nearby." Sarah.

"Just...Have the boys stay near and you watch over me. PLEASE! We could take turns." Jessica begged.

"......Fine, be on the alert for movement and keep a weapon on you." Sarah.

"Don't forget I'll want a turn too." Eian.

"Me too." Alex was keenly aware of how caked in dirt and sweat he was.

"Yes, just realize without soap it's only going to take the filth off, not the smell." Sarah

"I'll take what I can get." Jess.

"Also be quick I want this over as quickly as possible." Sarah.

Everyone agreed. Jess went off to change, she mentioned to Sarah her tattoos were glowing again. Sarah was keeping watch on Jess and told them the news and that Jess was one more away from ten, after this. Alex stayed with Eian, while he was still attempting and failing at skinning.

"What are we doing out here dude?" Eian asked suddenly a while later.

"What do you mean man?" Alex.

"I mean what's the next step. We're out of the city, but this forest could be the same or worse." Eian.

"We.....I don't know man. We'll talk it over together, after we bathe." Alex.

"I just want to know the plan dude. We can't just wander off into the forest and just hope things get better. We need to plan a way to get home." Eian.

"I know, me too man, but relax my guide assured me we can get out." Alex.

".......I don't even know if we can fully trust them. They're keeping stuff from us, like how we got here or how these ended up on our arms." Eian pointed at his covered fore-arm.

"I don't think my guide is a bad person. I'm sure they're doing what they can to help us." Alex.

He couldn't picture Vita harboring ill intent to him. He might not know her fully, but she seemed genuinely hurt people didn't like her. She also had an innocent air around her.

"Jess is done boys! I'm next! Be ready for anything." Sarah called from a little away.

"Yeah!" Eian responded.

"Roger." Alex.

They all took their turn bathing. Sarah kept insisting to be careful, the fire may not necessarily keep animals away. Alex was glad nothing seemed to want to get near, while he was bathing and he felt extremely vulnerable without the armor. Eian kept telling him nothing was around. Soon they were all ready and they sat down near the wold carcasses. Alex and Eian had called a meeting.