Author's note:

- So I kinda had a fever, which prompted 'some' deal of panic and the inevitable quarantine. Turned out it was just a good ol' fever. Welp.

Chapter 10: Claudia 'The Kid' Reid

The Kid slowly drifted in and out of consciousness. She could remember lying on the grass bloodied, after a blink there she was being carried in a stretcher. The girl tried to speak out but no sound escaped from her lips. She was simply exhausted.

When the girl opened her eyes again, there was a roof over her head. The Kid was now back home, End Of The Line. Next to her was mother, sitting completely still, waiting.

"How are you feeling, sleepyhead."

"Like I just dunked my head into a salt pool."

The girl reached out for a glass of water, only to be greeted with a nasty surprise. Her right arm was now covered spiral pattern made of hardened skin. Claudia could feel it spread out, covering her stomach as well. So this was what kept her alive in the end. She did not know how to feel about this revelation.

"This… I wonder how long will it take before I go around raiding for human flesh."

Claudia joked but it rang hollow, even her tone was one most grim. She could not help but think of the Mutants that raided her home, what horrifying power would the spiral granted.

Smiling, the mother held her daughter hand with her owns.

"It will take way more than this to beat my girl."

"You think I can do it?" Claudia asked.

"It is the truth, not just my wishful thinking." Alessia kissed her daughter in the forehead.

This certainly reminded the mother of a figure from her past. A stranger came from seemingly nowhere, as if he was sent by Atlas to protect her and brother from evil. But he did not have a halo now did wings sprout from his back. No, the man was covered from head to toe with spiral even on his exposed skull. It could take way less to drive a person mad, but it was possible to resist the eldritch. Sometimes Alessia wondered how he was doing.

"I heard about what happened."

"I was not fast enough."

"Will you continue to go out there then?"

"…"

The situation had changed significantly in just a day. There were now enemies that far surpassed her skill, even the rank and file abominations were taught to avoid her shot. The knights themselves were now different, only a few of them remained. But now they were survivors, they were still alive because they could adapt, they could fight back. There was also Warden Jaren and X, there was a reason why the Order only sent those two as reinforcements. They were formidable in a way the girl herself could not yet see.

Claudia was no longer needed, or perhaps, that was never the case. Was it that one victory that deluded her into thinking she was capable? Now that she had a peak of the fate awaiting, a mindless soulless husk was so much more frightening than the void to her.

"Yes." That was still her answer, however. The reason behind that decision was still the same as before. "I could fight back while others can't. Besides, I would rather take my fate into my hand rather than waiting to be protected."

Claudia was never able to fight back the tide. But she was still more capable than the everyday person and that was enough.

"I gotta go, been missing a lot of practice lately."

The girl said with a smile, she needed to be faster, enough to overcome that ghostly figure. Alessia did not stop her, the mother also made her choice to let her go. All she could do is to watch as her daughter readied up to face the world again. How she wished this moment would last forever, that Claudia would never have to pick up the gun. But alas, it was not meant to be.

It was dark outside when the Kid left her home. She would go to the field, where Doc had set up a shooting range. There the girl would practice, perfecting her draw.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Alessia, however, did not sit still. At this hour, she was not burdened by her mayoral work but by her duty as a mother. The woman was capable, but not enough to fight back against such a threat. But there was someone who could.

Standing in front of the door, the mayor knocked and waited but there was no reply.

It was to be expected. Fortunately, there was no need for a key since the door was not locked, something unusual. Inside, the small wooden hallway reeked of alcohol. Again, something out of the ordinary. Doc was an alcoholic, but even in his most intoxicated state, he was still an incredibly organized and meticulous about his image.

She could see him sitting by the living room's table, in the dark.

"You can visit me during the day, you know that right?" The Doctor said.

"Yes." The mayor replied.

"Coming here in the middle of the night, there are enough rumors about us already." He could hear it, all the whisperings, all those oldies had too much time on their hands.

"They could say whatever they want to, their time is coming to an end anyway."

Such a casual remark surprised the Doctor, he turned around. "I never thought there would a day when I hear those words coming from you."

"It's the truth, this town and everyone in it, including me, is reaching the end of the line. Attack or no attack." The mayor said.

"Do I have any say in that?" Doc leaned back onto his chair, crossing his legs.

"You can leave if you want. But whatever you do, this place is dying, and there are people who do not deserve to be buried along with us." The mayor also sat down. "Claudia."

The sense of dread hanging in End Of The Line was nothing but infectious. After all, misery loved companies. Even young William was infected, that mage was once so full of bravado and energy. Now he continued to exist like a blur, just like the rest of this forsaken place.

The Doctor wondered if he was also infected, the man quickly dismissed that thought.

"She is plenty capable, sure, she can't just beat everything out there. But she is smart enough to work around when a situation like that arises." He said.

"I'm sure you have heard about what happened today."

"…" Doc did not respond.

"My daughter was shot… I know I let her go out there, said that it was her choice. But it hurt, looking at her lying with blood on her shirt, the same one that I prepared for her." The mayor said. "She reminds me too much of my father."

The Doctor did not expect to hear that. It had been more than a decade but not once did the mayor every talk about her past. "What was he like?"

"Also capable and he was the smartest person I could have ever known, he was a mage you see." She recounted the story of her past, a painful one but there was no sign of that on her stern expression. "Then one day, he left us for a suicide mission, there was no way he could come back. But it took me years to learn how exactly he died. It was not in the claws of a monsters or a raider, but a child."

Alessia looked straight into the Doctor's eyes. "My father died because he was naïve. He had so many artifacts and his mind was full of powerful spells, but in the end, none of that mattered. He was not just naïve, but also ignorant of how the world's work…" Her eyes casted down, for once in a decade, a hint of sadness could be seen on her visage. "I was also a fool, I missed him so, his positivity, his innocence, my innocence. I raised Claudia, hoping she could feel the happiness I felt growing up, to live without a care in the world. But this place was nothing but a graveyard, so I tried to pamper her. Perhaps that girl was more used to sadness than me, but it does not change the fact that she is also naïve about how it is out there, in the wasteland."

The Kid was stronger than her mother ever was. Alessia was aware of her daughter's wish, of how she wanted to get out of this place, to explore the world. But not once did she ever express that or even dropped a hint about her desire. A town devoid of the young, the girl was the only who could bring a smidge of life to the tired and the decrepit.

And so, in front of the mirror she would stand every single morning. The girl would try to put on the brightest smile and wear it for everyone to share, maybe sometimes she would pout or even whined like how a child would. But she did so because the Kid knew it was how a child would act from the countless stories of long lost sons and daughters. No one living in this town asides Alessia and Doc could remember the last time that girl showed any sadness.

Perhaps, it was that strength that pushed her into danger. It was the very same determination that let her seemingly shrugged off being dead straight into training. But that girl was still just a naïve child.

Alessia Castellanos-Reid came here with a request and the Doctor heard it loud and clear.

The man stood up, his arm moving in a motion to put on a hat before remembering his was in the Kid's possession. His hands were still shaking but no longer could he stand by watching.

"Guess she needs some adult supervision."

Whether the mayor came here or not Doc would have gone anyway. She was not the only person raising that girl. The Doctor taught her more than just how to shoot, the man was also responsible for pampering that girl.

And it also pained him, hearing William describing her wound. The worst was the he knew what kind of bullet was used to shoot her. It was his creation.

It was midnight in End Of The Line. The knights stood guard vigilantly, sticking clearly to their shifts. It was not just for the people's protection but for themselves as well. A breach in security could mean the end for everyone.

But even if they slacking off, it was not difficult to spot a person slowly approaching them. It was a man of normal proportion, not a hulking mass of muscle and murderous intent. His feature was also human, a particularly tough one with a nasty gash on his cheek. But the man attire was a thick apron with leather gears patched together. On his side a meat cleaver.

There was no doubt about it, this man was a Mutant.