I did my best to keep from frowning as the debate raged on, nearly everyone seemed interested in leaving the complex, and a couple of people even seemed to be seriously considering the joke of living out of the mall. Personally, I was solidly of the opinion that staying here was better; both saving time, better access to resources, and unlike the other options, it wasn't somewhere that most people would investigate unless they had family here.This gathering of apartments wasn't a well known location after all. However, I was only planning to be with the group a couple days at most so if they wanted to make mistakes, I was willing to let them. They could always move back here later after all.

The debate turned rather one-sided when the guy who looked like the lovechild of a Japanese murder hornet and a bumble bee, I think his name was Nolan?, revealed that he'd actually had a job as security at the stadium so he had keys to a bunch of the doors to get them in. After that a clear majority formed around living in the stadium and I called for the final vote to seal the decision amongst the small gathering. There were some grumblings from those wanting to invade the rich neighborhoods or mall rats, but no one left, so it seemed that democracy had triumphed again.

"Alright, with that settled we best start packing and gathering what we'll need to try and turn the stadium into something livable." This statement seemed to be met with some blank looks from the gathered. "You folks do realize that the stadium was not designed with folks like us or long term inhibition in mind right? We're likely going to have to remove bleachers, doors, and other equipment.

Especially if you're going to want individual rooms, I somehow doubt you’re ready to sleep in a big pile midfield or something. Thankfully, there is a mattress store nearby, so that's not an issue, but for tools, materials for building walls or reinforcing equipment, digging latrines, and building other stuff to make it properly livable we're going to need a hardware store which I know there aren't any near it. Not to mention I don't doubt that some of you have things you'd rather not leave behind."

That got a round of nods though Jerry took it upon himself to second guess me again, "And are we just suppose to carry all of that on our backs!? How are we supposed to carry all of that, what, twelve miles to the stadium?"

"I planned to use the trailers from one of those big rigs that always stop on the road outside to carry everything." I stated pointing to the road in question where there were almost always two to four trucks parked as the drivers slept on their cross country drives.

"You want us to drive?" the nervous gecko girl squeaked.

"Oh no, the gas has doubtlessly gone off anyways. I figure myself, you, and... It's Rumi right?" a nod from our equine body builder, "I figure the three of us are more than strong enough to haul one of those things, if not a couple more people can help push the thing, it shouldn't be too hard once we get it on the freeway. It's mostly downhill to the stadium from here."

The group took a little more convincing, but after popping open the door of the truck, disconnecting the trailer, and using the trick my locksmith friend had shown me. I wonder how Kenny is doing? They were willing to at least try, especially if it would mean not having to leave behind their things. It had been August! Why is it full of Christmas Decorations!? I left most of them to unloading the mostly useless materials in the back of the truck. I asked Matilda, Rumi, and the gecko girl, who turned out to be named Kyli, to come with me to the hardware store.

It turns out what had been a ten to fifteen minute drive by car turned into roughly a five mile hike, which meant we had a fair amount of time to talk about each other, even with Matilda fluttering overhead to keep an eye out for trouble. This let me learn that Kyli was a librarian and hobbyist painter and that Rumi had been an architectural student who had planned to graduate at the end of summer. Which led into various wandering conversations about stories, the merits of various architectural designs, and fashion. Though, all extended conversations with me or any other family members involved, it did eventually end up going to some odd places.

"It can't be that easy to make napalm!" Rumi insisted aghast.

"I know, I hardly believed it myself until I did it." I smiled remembering that particular camping trip and following bad decisions of filling a Supreme Soaker with said napalm. The hospital trip had been worth it, the following discussion with the FBI less so. "But yeah that's literally all it takes. I'd probably make some, but I'm not sure about how rotted gas would affect it, also no way I'm using an open flame instead of an electric stove."

"He's right dear," Matilda called down, "My dear Henry, God rest his soul, told me about his time in the war as a flamethrower specialist and making his own fuel when supply lines got bad. It really does sound just that easy."

"No you two have got to be pulling my leg!" the horse woman snorted, "Kylie, you'd know if they were leading me on right?"

"It's Kyli," our big gecko murmured, "And, um, I don't think you'd like my honest answer."

"That-!" Rumi started looking rather frustrated but was interrupted by Matilda.

"Everyone," she called with a sharp whistling tone that cut right through the argument. "I see a group of maybe eight of those wolf snakes from earlier that are heading this way!"

"Everyone! Backs against the freeway!" I snapped, "It will keep them from surrounding us!"

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Everyone did so, Kyli actually scurrying halfway up the fifteen foot tall tiled wall of the freeway barrier as Rumi pawed the ground nervously, and Matilda remained overhead.

I tried to project an aura of calm, even if I was a little nervous, I know for a fact that snakes specialize as one v one fighters and the best way to beat a noodle is to group up and harass them. I doubted that these things could seriously hurt me, but there was always the chance they'd overwhelm me. Then the old primal mentality reached up and smacked me upside the head.

There is a threat approaching, there are women here in danger, my duty is clear. Just like that my nervousness disappeared as duty and resolution filled me and a bit of that old violent eagerness began to bubble up as well.

This was the kind of thing men dream about.

The snake headed coyote things burst from the small treeline along the side of the road and stopped, eyeing up our group with a sort of wary animal cunning about them. They made continuous 'yap' sounds, perhaps trying to intimidate us or communicate with each other. They outnumbered us at least two to one. However, most of our number were at least twice their size, leaving them visibly hesitant to attack us. Seeking to give them that final nudge of conviction that we weren’t worth their time, I inflated myself and gave a long low yowl that turned into a sharp hiss.

They eyed us in a wary stalemate for several seconds, seemingly not quite willing to leave us be, but not certain they could take us. The stalemate was broken by Kyli shifting on the wall behind us, moving slightly further away from the pack of animals, signaling weakness.

–Encounter Quest Available: Break the Pack–

–Reward: Performance Based–

–Failure Penalty: Death–

Oh God damn it all!

"Kyli! Do your neck light thing!" I immediately shouted as soon as the popup appeared. "Everyone else look away or avert your eyes!"

I had experienced just how bright the gecko’s neck light was when she'd gotten it after her meal, the split second accidental discharge of the ability had left me seeing spots for nearly five minutes.

What she managed now put that flash to shame.

Even without looking directly at her the light was so bright that just the reflection from the road and trees left me dazed and disoriented as the world flashed white. The effect on the snake-jackals seemed far more pronounced, as even while I was still rubbing the spots out of my eyes I felt two heavy thumps as the animals toppled over mid stride. One of the pair seemed to be convulsing on the ground, suffering what looked like a seizure, as its legs locked up and it floppled over, twitching. Even the remaining beast stopped dead in their advance, their yowls and whines filling my ears.

I took my chance to lash my head out in the direction my tremorsense was telling me one of the things was standing, biting down on one of the creature's legs. The thing bit at me in return, but couldn't seem to pierce my twin defensive enhancements as I yanked it into my iron coils and smothered it with a fatal hug. With a vicious snarl I ripped my knife free with my tail and drove it deep into the creature's throat, letting the long blade nearly beheading the thing. A wave of blood from the massive wound spilled over my coils in a wave, some of it spraying my face and getting in my mouth, flooding my senses with the metallic scent of blood. Oh, how sweetly it reeked.

I was distantly aware of Rumi, her hooves producing rich clear images to my expanded awareness as she took advantage of the monsters’ blindness. She slid to a stop with an odd sort of skip as she shifted her body to perform a lovely half turn spin kick that slammed one of the creatures directly in the face so hard its head was driven into its chest, producing a rather unique sound I hoped to never hear again. The impact was so powerful I could hear flesh tear under her hooves as bones and organs were pulped under her strike, and the fluids rocketed back out of the hole the woman had made. Rumi gave an equine shriek as she kicked off the body impacted around her leg and retreated back to the wall.

My vision finally beginning to clear, I was surprised to see one of the fallen jackal-snakes seemingly glued to the ground by a splatter of white webbing that was further entangling it even as it struggled. I glanced up hearing an odd rumbling gurgle just in time to see Matilda vomit a fresh wad of the stuff directly into the face of a still blind snake-jackal. The wad flowed over the poor thing, sealing its mouth, nostrils, and eyes completely shut, leaving the animal visibly struggling to breath. It desperately pawed at its face only for its paws to get stuck, leading the terrified animal to rear back, topple over and become glued to the ground where its struggles rapidly weakened.

This completely one sided first strike completely demoralized the still half blind animals, most of whom yowled in fright, turning around and fleeing as if all the hounds of hell were after them. Only one of the pack remained behind, a bigger beast, possibly approaching the size of a wolf, that hissed angrily in defiance as it stood between us and the shattered remains of its pack. I decided to use the oldest secret weapon of humanity, chuck something at it.

Taking the now very dead body in my coils, I grabbed it with my mouth and with the whip of my neck chucked the body at him. I honestly was not expecting to hit the bastard, merely attempting to chase it off, yet I damn near speared the bastard, the corpse impacted the lone jackal-snake like a cannonball.

I watched as the last of our challengers was knocked off his feet and tossed nearly six feet by the impact, rolling across the ground with the uncomfortably dry sound of snapping bones. It lay limply on the ground pinned under the body of its comrade and gave a single soft whine before going still.

Fucking heck! I keep forgetting how bloody powerful we are now! We absolutely massacred them!

–Encounter Quest: Break the Pack complete!–

–8/8 Beasts Defeated!–

–CalculatingParticipation…–

–2 Killing Blows.–

–Performance: Satisfactory–

–SysAutoGen_EQReward…–

–Received: Random Skill E–

–SysAutoGen_BonusLoot…–

–Received: Skill Lunge E–

–Received 2pt!–

–Gained 40xp!–

Letting out a long slow breath that turned into a throaty chuckle as the adrenaline infused combat high worked its way through my system, I took a moment once more to enjoy the heady sensation. Pride mixed with the raw joy of standing victorious over the beast that had attacked us.

The chuckle turned into a cackle that worked its way up into a full bodied laugh as it mixed with the relief of everyone having made it out unharmed and just the pure raw joy of being able to actually fight again. I let out one last satisfied sigh before wiping off my knife on one of the animal’s matted fur before returning it home to its leather sheath.It was definitely going to need to give it a proper cleaning soon with all the work I’d been giving it lately.

I turned back to look at the three women I’d been traveling with who were all watching me with nervous apprehension as I smiled at them. There was a beat of near silence, aside from the whines of the still living jackal-snake Matilda had glued to the ground. Rumi seemed to be trying to subtly smear the various fluids coating her leg and belly off on the overpass wall without drawing attention as Kyli trembled in place. Even Matilda seemed a slight bit worried from her new perch atop the wall.

“Well,” I said with a voice full of good cheer, completely ignoring the atmosphere, “I think that went absolutely swimmingly!”