___ POV

I wake with a start, my head now aching from the sudden impact against a wooden beam above me. "Fuck.." I manage to say quietly, massaging my forehead with a soft sigh. I had forgotten I crawled into a narrow attic of a garage to sleep the night away. Taking a few seconds to collect myself, I reach up into my pack. Taking a sip from my trusty canteen, I also take a moment to scarf down some dried meat before gathering my things.

With my intentionally few things gathered, I scoot over to the hole that had led up into the garage attic and peeked down. From what I can tell, the sun is starting to rise, and the garage is pretty much empty.

However, I do notice a stain coming from the outside. Like something crawled under the cracked open garage shutters and moved further into the house.

With a sigh, I grabbed a wrench I had snagged the night before and huck it down against the concrete floor, which caused it to clatter noisily.

Ducking back away from the hole in the roof, I hear snarling and clattering come from within the house. The thumps of running feet sound out as one of the brainless comes to track down the offending sound. Soon it's in the garage, slowing down and taking measured steps. Its wheezing breath struggles to fill its lungs as its teeth chatter a snarl.

Leaving my pack behind, I crawl forward into a kneeling ball by the hole down into the garage. With careful movements, I grab the edge of the hole and begin crawling out, moving slowly as I rely on my exact upper body strength to lower myself down before dropping the rest of the way to the ground almost silently.

The zombie hasn't taken notice, still snarling as it slowly creeps forward, hunting for me in all the wrong places.

Reaching down to my right thigh, I silently draw my trench knife, my fingers sliding into the knuckle guards with practiced ease as I close the distance on the zombie in a low, crouched stance. My body is nearly a blur as I lunge forward another three steps and swing up, plunging the blade in the back of the skull before twisting it and drawing back as the body crumpled in a heap.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and sighed softly, looking around and using a filthy rag to wipe the gore off the blade before sheathing it. Going back over to the hole in the garage roof, I get a short running start before hopping up and grabbing at the hole, but I only reach in and grab my pack before dropping down.

I don't put it on just yet, walking over to the garage shutters and dropping my pack as I kick it past them and step back. After a good 10 seconds of nothing reacting, I drop to my stomach and crawl forward from under the shutters. Now being greeted by the orange glow of the horizon, I take a deep breath of the crisp morning air before taking up my pack.

Looking around to get my bearings, I spotted a set of smokestacks on the horizon in the same area I spotted them yesterday. "Hopefully, these folks are willing to cooperate." I say to nobody in particular, it's a bad habit that developed after so many scouting trips alone, but it helps me keep track of my thoughts, so screw it.

Just like yesterday, I sling my pack back on and move forward, one foot after the other.

Vitmori POV

'-ss... Hey Boss, can you hear me?'

Huh? Oh geez, I must've spaced out there… 'Yeah, I hear you, Jack; what's up?' Honestly, it was a bit of a trip to think that one of my animals can talk; I can't help but wonder if the others can as well. If they can, why haven't they, and if they can't, why not?

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

'Sorry if I'm interrupting something, Boss, but my crew and I just fished a little girl out of the river. While she's handling it well, she went really far away from the others, and she's got stubby legs. So what I mean to say is we're not making much progress.'

'A little girl? Well, shit, good work Jack. I don't know how you managed it, but you did great. I'll send Basti your way to help you get her back to the others.' Well, what do ya know, the very bird they offered to me turned around and saved one of theirs in return.

I look down at Basti, who lounged on the steps to my pedestal while Oururu was out and about hunting and stretching his new muscles. 'Basti, I need you to go and meet up with Jack. He's currently escorting a little girl who apparently fell into the river. Make sure she gets home safe.'

Basti's ears perk at the mention of a little girl, feeling a sense of motherly concern as she doesn't even bother stretching before making her way out through the door to my chamber.

With her heading out, I decided to check on the cubs, as they seemed to be napping as well. Hmm… Where's the little black-furred cub?

Aug POV

Aug has had a bit of a scary day, though thankfully, she has Jackie with her. He's a magic birdie that saved her from the water, and now he's helping take her home.

But right now, her feet are starting to hurt, so she's going to sit for a bit. Finding a lovely tree, she goes and sits at the base of it, enjoying the shade as she looks up to the clouds while imagining the shapes that they're making.

"So, girlie, you're tired? I would be too, if I had to walk everywhere." Jack commiserates with her, letting out a chirp of understanding as he flits off her shoulder and lands on the dirt.

Aug smiles at Jackie as she reaches out, patting his head gently.

"Hey now, girlie, watch the feathers; you're gonna mess them up." He complains with mock annoyance but doesn't move. "Hmm... You might be hungry and even thirsty now that I consider it." Looking around, he lets out a high-pitched whistle, and soon there's a rush of activity as the nearest six crewbirds rush to answer the call; even Gibley responds as he clumsily lands on a branch. It seems he hasn't quite recovered from earlier yet.

'Captain, reporting in!' The cacophony of chirps, tweets, and squawks sounds out as they look attentively down at Jack.

"Alright, you lot, time for you to do something for someone else. Bring me some juicy fruits for girlie here, and be sure nothing is poisonous!" He ordered as he looked among them.

'Aye, Captain!' The birds sounded out before flitting off in different directions.

Giving a satisfied nod, he looks back towards Aug and tweets cheerfully. "There we go, don't worry, girlie, you'll be just fine."

Aug nods, reaching out and patting Jack's head feathers, eliciting another whistling sigh from him, but he just lets it happen. Before long, the birds return with all sorts of fruits that Aug recognizes and doesn't. She begins to eat, enjoying the treats as she quietly hums to herself.

Soon after finishing up, her face and hands are all messy now as Jack expends a little more mana to manipulate some water magic carefully. Letting her drink from the sphere, he's maintaining before her and then washing her face and hands.

"There you go girlie, all better now?" Jack asks as he casually tosses the sphere of water away, letting it smack against a tree as it dissipates like a water balloon.

Aug nods eagerly, giving a confident smile as she gets to her feet, Jack flitting up onto her shoulder as she begins to walk again.

Though she doesn't get far when she comes face to face with a giant cat; looking up at the deep ebony beast, she offers a smile as she reaches up and pats her head. "Cat." She says simply enough before giggling cheerfully.

Basti, for one, is taken aback by the girl's reaction but isn't unhappy about it as she gently headbutts the girl to show her affection.

Though that's when Aug squeals with delight as she spots a little black-furred cat leaving the big cat's shadow.

He was in awe at all the new colors and smells, looking up and around before immediately blinding himself with the sun as he hissed to himself. However, he jumps when he hears the squeal and is suddenly scooped up, too stunned to even think about lashing out.

"Kitty!" She gushed, picking up the cub that was about half her size with apparent ease.

Jack looks over to Basti, who seemed surprised by the tag-along, and chuckles at her expense. "Looks like your cub got the drop on you." He teased mischievously, flitting away from Basti's half-hearted attempt to swipe at him before lying down.

Looking over to Aug, Jack speaks up again. "Alright, girlie, get on Basti here, and let's get you home."

Aug, for her part was still hugging the stupefied cub who had never been handled this way. Looking over to Jack, she grins cheerfully. "Okay, Jackie." She gushed, climbing up while still holding the cub, using one hand to grab Basti's back while the big cat stands and adjusts to having a rider. Though Basti couldn't help but smirk down at Jack upon hearing his nickname and chuffs in amusement.

"Hey, I told her my name; it's not my fault she is getting it wrong." He chirped defensively as he flapped his wings to take flight. All the while, Basti followed after him at a careful pace.