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A smile spread across my lips. The first signs of snow were here. A light drizzle that brushed against the outer wall. Inside the walls, we only felt a light drizzle of rain. The difference between a bright sky with a few clouds to the gloomy Grey clouds encroaching forward ever so slightly. The further your eyes look, the darker the land seems.

Yet, as I turn about. I could hear kids playing on a slippery slide thing. Others run and dance in the water fountain beside the artificial small lake. Little further into the grounds lies bright green grass that smells like freshly mowed lawn. Families either sitting on a blanket or resting on a picnic table.

This wasn't something I cared about before. Honestly, I don't care all that much for it now. The laughter is refreshing and rewarding but it doesn't equate to the sacrifices that led to this point. Yet, what did I really lose? If anything, it can be said that I gained more than I lost. Powers that are nearly unfathomable to the point where even I have yet to dig out my full potential. A lover..

My eyes turned at the sound of those flip flops clacking like chains rattling. Izzy in a t-shirt that was tied at the side to showcase her somewhat flat stomach even though I could see the underlying shadow. Her skirt was a bright purple that showed the round fullness of one of her legs and hardly hit the fullness of her ass. But what really made me smile was the way she was smiling while carrying two plates to me. I'm pretty sure her smile wasn't much and could even be said to be average but everytime she smiled at me. I couldn't help the cage that rattled inside of me. The passionate joy that lit rows of candles, enlightening that dark passage in my heart.

I stood up with an unnatural grace and took the plates from her hands. The smell of barbecue ribs had my stomach growling but if I took a bite, I would be sick for days. I laid the second plate which had long orange roots that smelled delicious, upon my forearm. I couldn't place the spices if you had a gun to my head but I knew what sweet potato salad looked like. Also baked beans but I wasn't a huge fan of them.

I digress, I help my lovely lady sit down. I lowered myself down and passed her the meat heavy plate.

"I don't get why you are allowing Arthur to take the lead. He doesn't have as much experience as you. Shit, he can't even keep his marriage together. How is he supposed to keep our community together?" Izzy complained while scooping up some beans onto her fork.

I smiled and glanced at Amanda, Mary, and the new addition, Janet. It appears that with power, corruption does form.

"Marriage is a complicated thing but it doesn't mean he can't lead. It just means that he is thinking more on how to lead us then himself. Whereas, I don't want to put your needs behind these people." I said with a smile.

Izzy rolled her eyes as she chewed. She did that 'im swallowing' face to spit out her argument faster. "Don't use me as an excuse. You just want more gaming time. But I don't see why he can't multitask like you do. It isn't hard if you are doing it while overseeing your weed and tobacco store."

I cut into the root and took a bite rather than reply to very high standards. It takes a lot to be a leader and some sacrifices are required. Before Arthur had the freedom to pursue his wife and her worries but even then Amanda was expecting more out of him. This is the issue with women coming together to gossip. Definitely considering that Arthur is in his thirties and Amanda is somewhere up there as well. The moment she sat herself up by allowing him to sleep around, I knew that relationship was doomed. Same with Mary, they tend to forget what they normally considered small complaints in a relationship. Others won't even pay attention to it given Arthur and Jacob position and power.

"Are you going to answer me or just eat your veggies?" Izzy spoke with a hint of emotion.

I finished chewing and said calmly. "I don't think all the fault cannot be labelled on him. You guys do a lot more contemplating than we do and it's fine but your expectations rise which sets off a little commotion. Which is why I keep nagging you about opening up a saloon or restaurant."

Izzy lowered her fork and just stared at me like I said something wrong. In her head, maybe I did. We don't see a lot of things eye to eye.

"Do you think that I am raising the expectations of what my lover should be like versus what he is actually like?"

I looked her in the eye to see how serious she was to how much of that I could or should answer. "Honestly, even for me, who can sort of get a read on people based on my ability. You often expect a lot more from me than what you give. Which is fine. A relationship is a give and take and I don't mind trying to reach that level if that is how you see me. After all, to me, you are worth it."

Izzy lowered her head and picked the meat off her ribs with her fork. I used that moment of silence to scan the park. We were celebrating the success of an economy. The rotation was perfect enough that money was gone in and out without a lot sitting in the bank, wasting away.

We were to the point that we could think about other goals.

"Which one do you think I should do? The saloon or the restaurant?" She asked.

I smiled and bumped her knee. "The saloon. The restaurant will drain you and I won't have a lot of opportunity to cuddle. With the saloon, even if you don't feel like doing hair, you can hire someone else. This way, you get the money and satisfaction of earning your own bread. Who knows, you might even become my sugar mommy." I joked with her which brought a small laugh out of her.

"Let me think about it for a bit, okay?" She said.

I nodded and glanced at Arthur who was gesturing at me. I held up a finger and finished eating and listening to complaints. Well, all of it wasn't a complaint but it sort of felt that way. If someone asked me what I love the most about pre-society, it would be not knowing if we were to live or die. This way, the relationship is slightly more pure and a lot of worries remain hidden.

I grabbed her plate and stood up. I offered her a hand but she stood up on her own and went to sit down with the troubled wives.

Sighing, I dropped the plate in the trash and tossed a small fire in it. Burning everything but the trash bag. Less work later for the clean up crew.

Jacob wrapped his paw around me and pulled me into the group. "So hows the married life?"

I raised an eyebrow, "a lot better than someone's marriage."

Jacob grunted as he threw a side glance at Mary. "It's not my fault. She told me to fuck someone else sometimes. I did and now she has a problem with it."

I shrugged, what could I say? They both fucked up.

Tyler grinned, "I don't have you guys' problem."

"Because your dick small so Gabby knows you ain't going nowhere." Arthur took a shot, a low shot.

Tyler flipped him off, "yeah, yeah. Make fun of the small guy but only two are still in a relationship. By the way, how is Riley? Last I heard, she was trying to get back into Izzy good books."

Arthur shrugged, "we were just fuck buddies."

He said that but I could hear the hurt in his words. Definitely when he looked at me like it was my fault.

"Don't blame me. I haven't even had a chat with her yet. Been busy trying to mass produce my business." I held up my hands.

Arthur sighed, "I know it's not your fault for my women troubles but you really fucked me over this leadership thing."

I smirked, "you were born to be a king."

Arthur snorted, "so how's this export shit going to work. Explain it to me."

"What export shit? Why don't I understand what you mean?" I said in faux confusion.

Arthur stared at me for a second before attacking me, wrapping his arms around my neck, and rubbing his knuckles into my head.

"Bro, chill. Chill, these braids are Hella tight!" I shouted as I touched my head painfully.

He smirked, "okay, stop with the bullshitting. Winter is going to last for a while and a lot of people around us won't be able to move. This is prime time to expand."

Tyler raised up his hands, "sorry bro. My wife doesn't want me risking my life when we have a dessert business. It's doing well."

Jacob scratched his head, "I'm also starting a casino. I already paid for some slot machines to be modified."

Arthur looked at me, "what is your excuse?"

I raised an eyebrow, "do I need one?"

Arthur nodded,"yes."

"Oh, okay. Then I have a meeting at noon and later tonight, I am having a romantic dinner with Izzy." I said while smiling.

"The next day?" Arthur said as he no longer had a smile on his face.

"I will be heading out tomorrow to send my first export to both the walkers and the military." I replied.

"How come when I become leader, you guys all of sudden have pressing matters?" Arthur said.

I shrugged, "my work schedule has been the same no matter what. It's just you that had a lot of free time."

Jacob and Tyler nodded.

Arthur sighed, "I understand but how about giving me some of your red coats for my plans."

I laughed and patted his back, "I don't want to make you upset but where do you expect me to pull these red coats from? My little army is either guarding my farm land, guarding my stores, or getting prepared for me to begin my export business. They aren't free and they didn't sign up to die for expansion goals but for a safe and quiet life."

Arthur allowed his age to show when he frowned. I shook my head as I walked back to Izzy, a smirk couldn't help but spread.

He had not yet learned the lesson that money will make the world go round. It was why I put in so much effort to build a farm. To promote working again, and to promote comfort and luxury items. With our numbers, nobody will care about the so-called leader when an army knocks on our door. They will care for the man that wields a weapon that keeps them safe. The men who make the food that keeps them full. Then when they have all that, they will yearn for the old way of life. The vices and entertainment, not more bloodshed and land that they have to fix up.

"Amanda, are you ready?" I asked while hugging Izzy from behind. I pressed my lips to her ear, "don't forget about tonight."

Izzy turned and kissed my cheek. "Don't stay out in the snow. Last time, You caught a cold and you only bent down to touch the snow."

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I rolled my eyes, "I only remember you playing nurse. And it was definitely worth it."

"Okay, Mr. Worth-it. Catch a cold now and see what happens." Izzy said with a joking but stern tone.

I kissed her before walking towards the black and red Mercedes. Amanda fell in and I could feel A stare upon my neck. It wasn't yet filled with resentment but it wouldn't take long to get there. After all, his woman was my assistant now.

I opened the door and stepped aside. Amanda thanked me as she stepped in. I closed the door and smiled at my chauffeur. "To the helipad."

"Do you think they will accept your method of bartering? After all, what we need now versus what we needed then is vastly different." Amanda said.

I smiled, "They will because they don't have a use for it but we won't visit them first. The Military will accept all we can give. As for the ore deposits they found? Giving us a small batch won't affect the war but having food will."

I glanced at the buildings that had transformed from houses to shopping centers. Apartments buildings stood erected in the background alongside barracks and tall trees.

"Don't you think Arthur will find out about how you tricked him?" Amanda asks after a moment.

"I didn't trick him. I gave them all the same opportunity but he allowed his ability to go to his head. He began to ignore reality because you guys didn't have to run from one spot to the next. You basically stayed in your home until I came along. This allowed him to become greedy without the right amount of caution." I lectured. "Unlike you guys, I saw the reaction of the survivors first hand as we escaped death time and time again. This allowed me to stop making that same mistake. Power that relies entirely on the good impressions of your subordinates isn't power."

Amanda didn't speak again. Her eyes seemed like she was contemplating some great mystery but she was probably trying to figure out when my plan had begun.

There is no way for her to know that my plan began only when I put my hand in the dirt and knew I could manipulate it. It only grew into a solid idea after the third harvest and I thought about how drugs tainted our society. How old families had money even after the founder died. How a country's power relied entirely on those who put them in power. It blossomed when Demi provided me with a way to manifest my growing longing.

The car came to a stop and my door opened as Sophie appeared before me. I smiled and stepped out, not forgetting the roots my grandmother taught me. I held out my hand and assisted Amanda coming out.

"I just finished connecting with the General and he has assured us that the landing zone is clear and ready for us to touch down." Sophie said as she led me around the car.

I took in a fresh breath as I stared at the black cargo plane with red sun and a lion in the midst. Each of the combat planes also has a similar stamp upon it. It made something flutter in my stomach seeing the beginning.

It made me turn and take in the sprawling lake, the trees that cast a shadow on the road that led up to this helipad and the small city in the distance.

Smiling, I walked up the ramp and took a seat. It was a wonderful day. The ramp closed as Amanda and Sophie took a seat opposite of me. The cargo plane take off was almost silent and completely smooth. I didn't rock or feel anything. If I had a few more brainy types, then wouldn't the technological level improve further?

"You know, your husband misses you." I said just to pass the time.

Amanda scoffed, "he doesn't miss me at all or he wouldn't have allowed me to leave just to fuck your ex."

"Oh, so Riley really did put the nail in the bed for your relationship?" I asked.

"She was only trying to make you jealous but you were too busy with Izzy and Sophie. You hardly pay women any attention unless they get right in your face. I'm sure you can't even remember that I walked out of your bathroom half nude." Amanda said with a lot of resentment.

It made me actually pay a little attention to her sundress and how it hugged her. But.. I don't remember her coming out of my bathroom. I know Demi came to use it and Izzy mom when she got drunk.

"So how does that force you to give up on him?" I asked a little confused.

"Because she wanted Arthur to look at her the way you look at Izzy and me. She wanted him to not pay attention to another woman but he couldn't." Sophie explained.

I raised up my hand, "didn't you ask us to sleep around because we had a lot of pent up secure frustration? You ask for it to be honest."

Sophie rolled her eyes, "have you counted how often you fuck versus in the past? How about how little you have compared to the past?"

I scratched my head, "I mean, I worked six days a week and nearly ten hours. Maybe two or three times. As for now, I don't really have a lot to do. I mean when this first went down, yeah. It was a little much but women took the initiative first."

"Now?" Amanda asked.

"Okay, so what? I'm a horny man around a lot of attractive women. Of course, I'll get my freak on if Izzy is willing." I said defensively.

Sophie snapped her finger, "there lies the problem."

"Exactly. Have you ever thought about how constant sex feels for us normal women? How does it make it feel like we are selling ourselves to our own husbands? We have to be on demand just to satisfy a need of yours without an ounce of gratitude?" Amanda said.

Umm.. That doesn't sound like me, now does it? Me and Izzy mostly cuddle or sleep together when she takes the initiative and I'm pretty gentle giving that.

"Are we still talking about me or Arthur? Because I'm pretty sure Izzy doesn't have that problem. I think it has been me trying to make myself feel like I deserve her. If she asked me to toss away Sophie, I would in a second." I said while trying to pull the conversation back to me. "I don't have any complaints on the sex, the cooking, the effort to game with me. I maybe don't like her mother, she smells weird and it annoys me."

Amanda rolled her eyes, "okay, mr. Perfect right now."

Perfect right now? I can accept that.

"So.. how about a quickie since it's an hour ride?" I said tentatively.

Sophie threw up her hands as if saying see. Lovely Amanda stepped up. I pulled down my pants quickly after all, sex talk had me horny.

Amanda grabbed a bit of her dress. She widened her stance and lowered herself onto my lap. There was no smile upon her face and she manifested a look that said this was all business.

"Before I indulge myself because I am just a man. I want you to know that sleeping with me can be just a work thing or it can be something special. The choice is always yours and the moment you step into either direction. Just know that I won't always have the mental acuity to know if you decided to switch." I said with emphasis.

Amanda turned to look beside my head as she leaned into me. "I understand."

Well, I wasn't one to nag or care all about complications. So I did what any horny dense man would do. I ran my hands up her thighs, gripped her soft, uptight ass, and gave it a shake.

Her breath might have been even and warm on my neck but her heart was racing. The hair on her back stood up and it felt odd against the pads of my finger. When I reached her bra, all I felt was a tight line against her taut back. Even as I followed it around her sides, brushing past the raised skin. I didn't find any clasps or some kind of zipper.

The frustration of not finding an easy to take off bra made me bite her ear lobe. Her heart spiked but it calmed down the next second. I gave up for a second and her back sank downward an inch as my hands traveled down her stomach. My pinky was the first to hit her panties band. It flexed as the black nail pushed into the band, then outward as my other fingers followed. Most of her panties pressed against my forearm the moment I lifted her up. It was a little hard using one hand to eased down her panties because the band wasn't all that flexible.

I listened to her heartbeat like the radio. The beats were sometimes like a bass before the drummer played a rapid tune on the tom-toms. This was before I even penetrated her.

My tip was positioned perfectly at her entrance. I lowered her down and felt a little sickness as she passed the tip. A little more and she started to release a heavy breath. With most of her ass in my hand, I control her rhythm. Never allowing her to fully take me in but it must have been doing the job because I could tell she was biting her lips. She was making those little 'mm' sounds and her heart was at a steady beat that was much faster than calm. Her fingers curled into my hair when I dipped her lower or thruster up to meet her.

"Boss, there is a large movement register on the radar. I'm counting more than five hundred blimps." The pilot voice came over the intercom.

I paused my movements as I pondered if this was a concern or not.

"Three hundred more appeared from the west. All heading towards our destination. Estimate travel time one hour and twenty minutes. We will arrive in twenty more minutes." The pilot said.

I released my grip and lifted Amanda up and aside. From her flushed face down to her neck and the reluctant look, she was not finished.

"Open the back ramp for me." I spoke over the radio as I made my way to the back ramp.

It came down seconds later and I stepped onto the platform. My hair was thankfully all focused to the back as I could see it whipping about. I stared out into the night at the silent streets below us. It was clever of the city to cut off lights to the unused parts of the city. Well the more rural area that turned into tree lands and connecting rivers made of concrete.

It took me no effort to spot the bumbling dots in the white snow lit up by the clear moon light. I spotted no more than forty lumbering brutes as tall as one story house dragging wagons. Four blazing figures with crystal clear souls. If that doesn't say anything, then the other group was just a reduced number of the former. It was clear a war was being waged tonight and the opposition didn't look at all prepared for this.

Seventy minutes was too long if one just sat around and waited but when offloading and on loading. It was a tight time clock, definitely if the other party wasn't prepared and wanted to renegotiate.

I bit my lip. I had no choice but to make that decision even if I didn't want to. I need that ore for my next project.

Shit!

"Find a location outside of the city to sit down. We can wait it out and see if they repel the walkers or not." I issued an order to my pilots.

The ramp closed as I walked back on board. They circle to the left and we landed on four separate buildings. I took a binocular and kept apprised of the walker's progress.

"Do you think the military will make it?" Amanda asked.

"If they were warned in advance, sure. But they don't seem to be alert. The patrol at the walls only focused on the twenty meters around." Sophie said.

"Movement in the tallest building. I spotted three flashes of light." One of my guards said.

"Twenty meters to the right of the building is another person." Another reported.

All of sudden, things were becoming clear. The local big shot was setting up an ambush but regular ammunition wouldn't work with the four leading walkers. So how would they defeat them? Do they have their own powerhouses? I know the leading figure has to have a strong combative ability or else he won't be in charge.

"What do you think their chances of winning are?" Amanda asked.

I switched vision and checked for powerful souls but only saw the walkers. There were just too many people in the city for me to pick distinct forms. Which was odd as I could pick Arthur out way up in the mountains and Dr. Naseem with my eyes closed. So they must have somebody that can hide their power.

"They might have hidden powerhouses but I can't tell." I said.

"Anybody cold?" Sophie said.

I shook my head but warmed up the area around my people. I keep forgetting its winter. It feels the same no matter the day to me.

Amanda looked at me then her mouth opened. "How can you catch a cold when you are hotter than everybody else all the time?"

"Thank you for the compliment." I said while ignoring the fact she found out my not so secret, secret.

"Wow, I feel so stupid. The guy who could control summer catching a cold in winter. Makes no sense." Amanda said with a defeated expression.

Sophie giggled. "His acting was just really good."

Amanda turned to Sophie, "did you also think that?"

"God no. He is way too powerful to come down with a cold. Plus he's no longer human." Sophie explained her logic.

"What makes you human?" I asked.

"My human body." Sophie said matter of factly.

I didn't know how to respond to that logic. So I turned back and watched the march which was close to watching paint dry.

The walkers stopped more than ten miles away and began taking crates from the wagons. As the smaller walkers assembled what looked like a missile launcher. Our friends on the right field, began looking a little antsy with pacing. They sadly picked the best vantage point which was cut off by the wall of brutes that held up curtains.

"Four people circling around." Someone voiced out.

I glanced behind me as I felt two familiar people.

"Stand down." I said as the more sensitive reacted to the presence of Forgotten.

He appeared on the roof with a young lady in black fur coat.

"Summer lord, what a coincidence. Are you here to watch the war as well?" Forgotten spoke in a much more friendly tone with a smoother voice than before.

"I was on a business trip but as you can see. I have to wait until someone wins and loses. Aren't you supposed to be attacking the east gate, though?" I asked as I glanced at his men from three hundred hundred meters away.

Like the other group, they were setting up missile launchers.

"Oh, you caught me." He said with no hint of shame. "We were paid really well to assist with this attack. Speaking of which, I heard you stepped down and allowed that pup to replace you."

Coldness swept past my eyes as I turned to the sounds of explosions. It was really colorful watching grenades and rocket explosions. The flashes from rifles from both groups but sadly. The attacks from the humans didn't even budge the shield wall of the brutes. Which meant that the missile launcher's progress wasn't being stalled.

"My brother did take over as I wanted to focus more on my own issues rather than all human issues." I said with a smile as I turned back.

Forgotten had taken a more relaxed but guarded stance as he watched me with such seriousness.

"You've gotten a lot stronger since I ambushed you. I actually have very little confidence in taking you on now." He said before he waved a hand at the young lady with silver hair. "This is my biological daughter. How about a marriage alliance. She is your type last I checked."

I waved my hand and a breeze blew open the girl's coat. Her body was my type if we based it off Riley. She was a little wider and closer to Izzy bust size but Riley hip size and fullness.

"That sounds intriguing and I'm interested but marriage alliance isn't the norm. Plus my current wife might not agree but we can talk more about this when we get back, yeah?" I said as two presences were rushing our way from the military fort.

They were weaker than me but slightly stronger than my two seconds.

Forgotten smiled, "this is a great time to discuss our future collaboration. After all, you are no longer human. We are not human. Such alien species should unite against this pagan tribe."

A lot of people say that. I am no longer a human part. It's like an instinctive reaction to assume I'm not human. What am I if not human?

"I don't think the humans can see as clearly as we can." I waved my hand and the moonlight became brighter. The dark shadows were expelled around us and the battlefield.

Forgotten glance up then down at the two people standing on the roof across from us. They were wised not to make a move when it was unclear who was the enemy. They might be stronger than my second but there were sixteen men with guns and rockets. Even I would suffer under continuous strike, not to mention these two who didn't look like defensive types.

"Should we invite them over to chat? Or continue where we left off." He held a hand out to his daughter. "She is well versed in the musical arts and has a strong affinity for the light arts. Similar to yourself. I'm sure your children will be magnificent under your tutelage."

He was really the pervasive guy. I was interested in her in particular because I wanted to know if we could procreate and what kind of child we would produce. What kind of power it would manifest as I could smell the moon dew on her. Summer had a day and night cycle. It wouldn't be far fetched to say we were compatible. Plus she was attractive.

"You have me intrigued. So what kind of alliance do you wish to discuss?" I said as we watched the four powerhouses on the walker side engaged with the six powerhouses on the human side. Even with the advantage in numbers, the fight was oddly equal.

If these two men who were watching us, go and assist they might have a winning chance. Sadly, they will die if they engage Forgotten as he and his daughter alone made me feel a hint of danger. That was not including the powerhouse guarding the force of three hundred.

"I didn't think you would give in so quickly." Forgotten chuckles. "There is no need for a defensive agreement because nobody near us is capable of shaking our foundation. However, I know you need iron, copper, quartz, and graphene. I happened to find a mine that already produced twenty tons and still haven't come close to tapping out."

"Do you still want food? Or do you have a new need? Such as lumber?" I joked.

Forgotten was dead serious as he said yes.

"We, honestly, are having trouble farming. The ground isn't right and winter hits a little too fast. We tried raiding humans, making small human settlements to farm for us. Sadly, they were utterly useless and we haven't found any human with the ability to produce farm products in winter." He sighed.

"How have you been eating if you can't eat veggies?" Amanda spoke out of turn.

Forgotten smiles, "we ate the useless humans. We don't need that much food to sustain us and we have a lot of you useless worms."

Amanda looked at him in horror but his heckling made her realized he was joking.

"We raid and scavenge food just like how you do. Eating humans when we used to be humans isn't exactly healthy. Don't feed into all that cannibal nonsense. We are vegans except for the titans. They eat meat and do a lot of their own hunting." Forgotten said to repeal the lost logic of zombies and brains. "Anyway, we can trade ten for ten tons?"

I rubbed my chin and nodded, "that sounds fair. When we go back, I'll have a team transport it to you."

Forgotten smiled brightly, "it is always a pleasure working with such a broad minded creature like you."

I feel.. insulted. Somehow, some reason.. I feel like he is low key flaming me.