“Welcome to Mesa. Or, you know, what’s left of it.” David announced nervously as the massive wooden northern gate swung open to allow the eclectic group to enter the walled off city. The City of Mesa had changed considerably since the System unleashed it’s horrors on the populace. Those horrors continued to test them, and new ones were created all the time.

Reluctantly, however, David Gonzalez had managed to guide his city, his people, and his friends through the worst of it. Connecting with Payson in the north, and keeping the Governor in the west satisfied with their non-aggressive detente. Litchfield further west troubled him. Further, he hoped this strange man with his strange companions would be able to bring stability to the region. But at what cost?

And his friends were indeed strange. His woman, whom he’d already sired some weird hybrid children with was oddly beautiful in her own way. Her body was coated in smooth green skin with touches of bark across her most private places. Full black eyes crinkled with a wide smile across her face, her head adorned with flowing white lilies where her hair would have been. Her voice held musical notes, and despite her beauty, David didn’t doubt her deadliness. He’d seen the recordings of her fighting beside her man.

Karl Brunette, Warlord of Winslow, Merciless Reaper of the Foolish. Shivers ran down his spine as he considered the man. Easily over seven feet tall, muscles stacked on muscles, moving with a sure and steady stride. He radiated danger. No, not danger. Death. Pure and unfettered Death. Even when the man smiled through that enviously thick beard of brown dark brown hair, and looked at you warmly with those silver eyes, you knew if he measured you and found you wanting, he’d simply end you where you stand.

Then there was the beautifully enchanting Valkyr woman, Freya. Or Queen Freya, as it were. Despite the discomfort she displayed from the copious amounts of sweat rolling down her brow, she was still quite stunning. Her golden hair the color of ripe wheat in the setting fall sun, rosey lips that begged to be kissed, while she looked on you with sapphire blue eyes. Her gleaming white armor, trimmed in what appeared to be silver and gold did little to conceal her full breasts, shapely rear end, and otherwise muscled body. The Queen was also a warrior, judging by the size of the great sword on her back, clearly a formidable one.

Next was the diminutive, stocky man that trailed the collection of strange people. His most notable feature, other than his short height, was his flaming red beard, adorned with several thick braids and turquoise adornments. He wore a floppy hat that shaded his piercing green eyes. A simple breastplate was his only worn armor, with strange runes carved across its surface pulsing with foreign power. An equally simple hammer hung from a loop at his hip, a worn tool, as much as a deadly weapon in the right hands. Which David noticed were considerably callused, the sign of a man who has worked hard his entire life.

Lastly, was the petite cat-girl empress and her hulking full-on wolfman bodyguard. The Empress was generally human in appearance, at least if you didn’t notice the tabby colored cat-like ears and tail swishing back and forth in excitement that stuck out of her simple yellow sundress. If she held her head still long enough, you might also notice the vertical slit pupils of her eyes. Her werewolf bodyguard was an absolute contrast, standing nearly 8 feet tall, dusky colored fur from head to toe. Similar to the Warlord, the bodyguard was all muscle on muscle. He carried a pair of short gladius type swords that looked like long daggers in his hands and tight black leather armor across his vitals.

“Thank you, Mr. Gonzalez, I noticed all of the housing developments and big box stores are gone. I’m assuming the System ate them all like it did to Winslow when you started queuing up new buildings?” Karl’s casual comments broke David from his silent introspection.

“Ah, yes, and for the better if you ask me, New Phoenix, as you can see from here, has not gone this route.”

In the distance were several ten to fifteen story skyscrapers jutting up from the horizon like steel and concrete fingers. The sound of gunfire could be heard if one listened carefully. A faint line of black smoke slithered up near one of the shorter buildings that dominated the skyline.

“They’re fighting against Litchfield? How often do they do that?”

“How often? Hell, for the last week it’s been non-stop. We’ve got reports that New Phoenix has lost at least three of their Blackhawks. Apparently the Cartel delivered some guided anti-air missiles to Litchfield.”

“Make it four.”

David looked up at the big man, then squinted, staring out in the distance. He couldn’t tell if anything had changed in the distance, his perception was one of his lower attributes. But the unmistakable faint sound of an explosion came rumbling in from the direction they were looking.

“We, uh, we don’t think they’re going to last much longer.”

He watched as he gave his General a look. The man nodded and wheeled around, climbing back atop his large feline mount and darted away.

“Got someplace we can talk, someplace with AC? And maybe where the big guy can partake?”

Shubin snorted but smiled anyway.

“Uh, yeah, definitely. The Cantina. It’s got an outdoor seating area and the indoor AC blows out pretty good.”

“Sounds divine! I hope they serve quality mead as well!” Freya blurted out, wiping her hand across her forehead, as beads of sweat dripped off her nose and chin.

The group walked down the main street of Mesa before coming to the cantina in question. After they had all chosen seats and a table, Karl launched into what David referred to as Big Issue Topics.

“So, we’ve already been briefed from other assets we already had in place here. I want to hear it from you. What do you and your people need, and what can you tell me about the local situation.”

David shifted in his seat uneasily. He wasn’t certain how this meeting was going to go, he was pretty certain what Karl would ask next, and he didn’t know if that was something he could give. So he decided to give what he could in the moment.

“Ok, well. You’re aware that them bastards are taking slaves over in Litchfield. And they’ve made contact with the Cartel, right?” Karl nodded, so David continued, “Early on they hit Chandler-Gilbert, that’s what the System did with the region south of us. Turned it into a single entity. Anyway, they took half their number. Took a couple weeks, haven’t heard from them since. I was on talking terms with their leader, a woman by the name of Rachel Salazar. Haven’t heard from her in over a month.”

“Think she’s dead?”

“No, she’s too mean. She liked me, didn’t like the Governor. That’s who’s running New Phoenix by the way.”

“Why’d she like you and not the Governor?”

“You vote for the guy?”

Karl furrowed his brow briefly then gave David a knowing smile, “Only because the other guy was probably worse.”

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“Exactly. And from what I’ve seen, you know just what happens to politicians when they get super powers.”

“Yeah, they become bigger assholes.”

Everyone chuckled at that last statement. David took a sip of his beer then continued.

“So, haven’t heard from them, don’t know if Rachel is alive, dead, or a slave.”

“Alright, so what of the Governor?”

“Still a self important asshole, though, you can work with him. He’s done well by his people, provided the basics for them, shelter, food, etcetera. Gots a Army Major commanding what’s left of the Reserve forces and a bucha them Blackhawks. They don’t have much else than that in terms of military hardware. Basically been spending their treasury dry on contracting adventurers for the defense. Though that defense is collapsing.”

Shubin spoke from where he sat on a stone fence post at the edge of the patio, “The urgla’s are fleeing the sewer.”

“Like rats that know the ship is sinking?” Karl quirked an eye at the big red demon man.

“Precisely.”

“Uh, yes, we’ve seen foot traffic out of the city, headed north. I mean a lot. I think adventurers are fleeing, but the governor is sending the non-combatants away. Maybe even to Flag, since you fixed that situation.”

“Shit, Veep?”

The Warlord’s Personal Virtual Assistant appeared in the middle of the table, “Yes, Karl?”

“Get Clarissa on the line, tell her to get a group together and look for some refugees, the human kind.”

“On it, anything else?”

Karl looked at David who shook his head ‘no’ in response, “Nothing right now. Actually, yes, read Eli in on the situation, have him dispatch some scouts north of Phoenix along the I-17. We were going to make contact with Captain Devers and Sam anyway, might as well get that ball rolling too.”

David was equally surprised and impressed at how decisive the man they called the Warlord of Winslow was. He remembered the early days, immediately after the monsters came charging through his community. How the police and general emergency services failed them. How the so called leaders had choked when faced with a true crisis. His world completely fell apart.

“Alright, what else can you tell me about New Phoenix?”

“Not much, there’s a woman that advises the Governor. Allison something or other. Reeks of big government. FBI. CIA. You know the type.”

“A spook.”

“Yeah. And before you ask, I don’t have much for you on Litchfield, King and his boys run the place, deliver slaves to the Cartel, and generally terrorize anyone not black or from their hood. And I ain’t never been to their hood. Irene in Pleasant Lake is good people though. A bit stupid to send her boy after the man himself, however. King’s got a real hard on for him, all things considered.”

They all took a sip of their beers as people walked down the street, and Karl mulled over David’s information. Everyone on the street noticeably gave Shubin a wide berth. Gregor, Freya, and Anna were chatting amongst themselves as a young server ensured their cups remained full.

“So, uh, what now?” David asked nervously, knowing in his heart he was about to lose his city and everything that he and his friends had built together since the System had arrived. The man brought an army. Hell, the man looked like an army. He also knew that his city had no real strength. It was a matter of circumstance that found the majority of the population as farmers. Only a small portion had taken up adventuring. That small portion was enough to keep their borders relatively secure from the constant onslaught of monsters. Everyone else, having lost their friends, families, and former lives had chosen simpler pursuits.

“You’re fields are remarkable. Anna’s people handle the farming on our end, as well as a small self-sufficient operation out of Flagstaff. I’ve also come into possession of a couple other cities that are just getting off the ground in terms of infrastructure.”

“Ok, so what are you suggesting?” David asked cautiously.

He followed Karl’s gaze as he surveyed how Mesa was now, noting to himself the lack of big box stores, strip malls, or the former housing developments that had really been a blight on the land. Roads had been replaced as needed with whatever that substance the System used was. His city's SP budget had been spent on housing and farms. The several meter thick palisade that stood as the primary line of defense against all manner of beast and monster was made from one hundred percent Payson Ironwood, which he saw deflect 7.62x54 rounds with ease.

The modest sized adventuring community were granted plots of land in return for availing themselves to the city should an organized defense be required. And from the faint sounds in the distance that seemed to have his drinking companions enraptured, they would soon need them. All in all, he couldn’t imagine what this man who’d pretty much conquered all of Northern Arizona could want from him or Mesa.

“Well, David. I like what I see here. What you’ve done. How well you’ve held it together when others abused their power and their people. I want to know two things. Can you expand the farming operation? Enough to provide for the Central region of Arizona once I’ve secured it?”

“Uh, yeah, Frank, uh, he’s one of the council elders and organizes the Eastern tract of farmland. Anyway, Frank’s been begging me to expand our territory in that direction. I just don’t think we can defend it with the numbers we have.” David shrugged, “What’s your second question?”

A warm smile somehow beamed from beneath the man’s thick beard, “You just answered it. Ally with Winslow. Become the primary produce provider for the Central Region. And we can provide security. I’ll only require a place to house and train your defenders, I’d say about a thousand, once things are settled down. What do ya say?”

“What…?” David was flabbergasted, he’d expected the big man to demand he hand over everything he’d built to him. There has to be a catch, there has to! “I mean, that’s all? You’re not going to claim the city core for yourself?”

The big man looked at him with an impassive stare for a long minute before he broke out in hearty laughter, “GOD NO! I already have too many cities I’m directly responsible for.”

“To be fair, you’ve pawned off the majority of the responsibility on your subordinates.” Junipher, the plant lady who seemed to be the focus of Karl’s affections spoke up for the first time during their discussion.

“She’s got ye there, lad!” The red haired dwarf smirked from behind his pint of beer.

Karl leaned forward and kissed the green woman in his lap hard on the lips. They remained entangled like this for several seconds as the color of the flowers that made up her hair shifted through several different shades and hues.

“Anyway. I want you on the team, David. Do you accept?”

A Formal Alliance has been proposed between Karl Brunette, Base Commander of the SooHoo Military Base and David Gonzalez, leader of the Agricultural City of Mesa. Terms of the Alliance will be logged on the Universal System Network for review by all parties.

Do you accept? (Y/N)

David was overwhelmed. A part of him hesitated, the emotional part. He stuffed that side of him down and to the back of his mind as he allowed his logical mind to take over. He analysed the details and noticed some particularly nasty clauses in regards to breaking the Alliance. The ultimate sanction, should he ever outright betray the Alliance, would be an immediate declaration of war on both sides, only reconcilable when one city core or the other had been claimed. Not gonna do that shit, are we now?

All in all, David felt he was getting a pretty good deal. New Phoenix, before Litchfield had begun to attack them in earnest, probably could have come in and taken the city for themselves. And God knew what was going on to the south with Chandler-Gilbert. With Karl’s pledge of martial support, his people could lead relatively peaceful lives, all things considered. So he did what any rational man would in his position, he accepted the deal.

“Excellent, now…” As Karl began to speak, a violent rumbling rolled in from the direction of New Phoenix. The large demon man stood tall enough to peer over the lowest building and turned back to Karl with grim news.

“Karl, one of them big buildings, the ones you call skyscrapers, just collapsed.”

Karl looked at Shubin with an emotionless stare, “Guess we’re going to have to move up our timetable. I was hoping to spend at least one night relaxing at the Inn.”

The Valkyr woman startled David when she leapt into the air and unfurled a majestic pair of white wings. A few powerful beats and she was streaking into the sunny sky. David stood to find a watchtower when he saw several dozen more of the angelic women streak into the sky.

“Sorry to cut things short, gotta go keep New Phoenix from being over-run. We’ll be in touch.” Karls massive coyote came tearing ass down the street, knocking people and goods out of its way. Karl casually gripped his woman in one hand and extended the other to get snatched up in the animal's saddle. And then they were gone, leaving David with a mixture of bewilderment and trepidation. If Litchfield had gotten inside New Phoenix’s perimeter far enough to bring down a building, the final battle was surely soon upon them.