As the girl with wood powers stood behind Emma, she glanced back at the other survivor who was scrambling down the ladder in a desperate attempt to escape. Her heart pounded with fear, but Emma's voice gave her courage.
"Focus!" Emma's voice rang out with authority, breaking through the chaos of the moment. "Tie up their legs!" The urgency in Emma's command spurred her into action, her determination overcoming her fear. With a deep breath, she summoned forth the power within her, willing the tendrils of wood to extend from her body and trap the approaching zombies. "Keep them back!" she echoed Emma's directions, her voice tinged with determination as she fought to hold off the advancing undead.
As the two battled against the relentless onslaught of zombies, Emma stole a glance at the ladder, noting that the person was nearly halfway down. She then turned her attention to the girl with wood powers, watching her shaky arms and legs closely. Emma recognized the signs of exhaustion creeping in from the relentless use of her supernatural abilities.
With a determined grit, Emma continued to fend off the approaching undead, slowly edging closer to the girl's side. With each precise slash of her sword, Emma closed the distance until she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the girl. As she sliced through the zombies one by one, a wall of water materialized before them, forming a protective barrier between them and the advancing creatures, it was from Emma.
The girl's eyes widened in shock as the water wall materialized before her and Emma, forming an unexpected barrier against the encroaching zombies. With a mixture of disbelief and relief, she lowered her hands, her gaze flickering between Emma and the ladder.
"Do I climb now?" she asked, uncertainty coloring her voice.
Emma observed the trembling in her hands and the weariness shown on her face. With a resigned sigh, Emma shook her head. "No, get on," she instructed, bending down to offer her back. It was obvious that the girl was teetering on the brink of fainting over, and Emma knew that if she attempted to go down the ladder on her own, she might get too tired and fall into the zombies below.
Without hesitation, the girl climbed onto Emma's back, her trust in Emma noticeable in her actions. Emma straightened up, feeling the added weight on her back. She knew the water wall could hold up for five more minutes at the most, she had tried it before in the forest.
With the girl securely on her back, Emma adjusted her posture to get used to the added weight before starting their climb down the ladder. As they went, Emma could feel the girl's tense grip around her shoulders, a silent trust in Emma's ability to navigate them to safety.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Meanwhile, the zombies below caught sight of them and surged forward, their guttural moans echoing in the air. They leaped and clawed, their outstretched arms a small distance away from their prey.
Amidst the chaos, one of the zombies stumbled over an obstacle on the ground, causing a brief disruption in their running. The other zombies ran over the one that tripped, it was like a stepping stone. But soon other zombies started tripping over the dead zombie on the ground, and soon it was like a small mountain of bodies on the ground, but the other zombies didn't stop, they continued stepping on these bodies, adding to the mountain.
Emma, noticing the impending danger, quickened her pace, feeling the girl's grip loosen slightly. Without hesitation, she shifted the girl's weight onto her shoulder, like a sack of flour. Uncomfortable as it was, the girl was on the verge of fainting, so discomfort was the least of her concerns. Emma descended each rung with extreme caution, knowing that reaching the power guns would eliminate the danger. As she drew nearer to the power, the water wall shattered, and the zombies from the rooftop lunged towards her. Lacking any ability of intelligence, they just leaped at her, a few staying on the ladder with sheer luck, while the rest just fell onto the floor.
Emma clenched her teeth in frustration as she observed the zombies on the ladder inching closer. Frustrated that her plan wasn't going smoothly, she retrieved a helmet from her storage and secured it onto the girl's head.
"Hold on tight," she muttered, unsure if the girl was even conscious anymore. With gloved hands, Emma gripped the sides of the ladder with both hands and positioned her feet. As she planted her second foot on the side of the ladder, she began to slide down, faster than ever. The helmet shielded the girl's head from any knocks against the ladder.
Reaching the window in record time, Emma swiftly stuffed the girl into the RV through the opening. In one fluid motion, she kicked a zombie that had gotten too close, sending it crashing into the power gun where it disintegrated into ashes. With nimble movements, Emma followed the girl through the window, slamming it shut behind her.
Taking a deep breath, Emma removed her mask, only to quickly put it back on. The stench coming from the survivors, who hadn't had the chance to bathe, wasn't much better than that of the zombies outside. Surveying the group huddled around the corner of the RV, Emma noticed their hopeful expressions, each one staring at her with eyes full of trust.
Instructing them to find a seat inside the RV, Emma carefully adjusted the girl who had fainted. With everyone settled, she started the engine and began driving towards her territory where the Kranks were. Along the way, she glanced at the survivors through the rearview mirror.
"You guys wanna join my territory?" Emma asked, her tone both inviting and cautious. As she drove, she observed the survivors through the rearview mirror, satisfied with their stats. They all appeared relatively young, ranging from twenty to forty years old. If they agreed to join her territory, they could potentially fill in the different gaps in her territory's population.