"Simple as that, huh. Well, let's get going, fellas.I hear the Risers are like the Celebration Cluster, sleeping allSolay. Perhaps we can get there and back with limited issues."
With that, Marlin Hadder exited the bridge and beganto cross the Skirt to the south of the Lethe River. Cal and Othofollowed, but not before sharing a look that spoke volumes. A lookthat said, this resident has no fucking idea what he's walkinginto.
While the Station that Marlin Hadder knew, theSetting, was a place of indescribable beauty comprised of manicuredgardens, enchanting plant and animal life, and tended pathways, theRising was that same place, if it had been hit by a nuclearwarhead.
Where the gardens hadn't been eradicated, they grewhaphazardly, breaking free of their designated areas to jut outfrom broken walkways and creep up the skeletons of long-abandonedBars.
The remnants of great battles could be seeneverywhere Hadder looked. Bloodstained walls held up roofs thatlooked ready for collapse. Sharp cuts marred the faces of the fewbuildings left standing. Char marks along the ground told the taleof countless fires being lit, perhaps to light a battle, maybe tocelebrate a victory.
Bones littered the ground, some picked clean andothers holding on to the last remaining strips of skin or hair.Manikin parts were strewn about, refusing to deteriorate at thesame rate as the dead residents. At one particular crossroads,someone had compiled various manikin components into a makeshiftscarecrow. While indeed off-putting, Hadder was unsure of theactual message it was intended to send.
Near the Lethe, Hadder only found disaster, beautydevolved into a post-apocalypse existence. As the trio walked,Hadder could sense they were being watched from the shadows ofbroken buildings. "Cal, you see anyone out there?"
The Caesar didn't hesitate or break his stride."Spies. Ego Rounds' spies."
"So, he knows we're coming?"
"Of course, he does."
"Does that worry you?"
"Nothing worries me. But it should worry you."
They walked south in silence for a while after Cal'sheartening words. Soon, Hadder saw dramatic changes in thelandscape. Where there had been chaotic destruction, there nowseemed a bit of order to the ravaged city. Buildings that weredamaged had been patched up, obviously more for utility thanascetics. Watchful eyes could be seen from upper windows, and someBars even had small groups milling outside.
Faces dirty with soot and grime, the Risers all worematching black leather and fingered a variety of weapons, from ironrods to homemade machetes to darkened wooden staffs. They put ontheir best intimidating faces as Hadder passed. Without theaccompaniment of Cal and Otho, Hadder was sure he would havealready been met with violence.
As they progressed, glimmers of tactical moves beganto appear. Trenches were dug at various locations, forcing Hadderand his guardians to take a zigzag approach south. Barricades wereset at several thoroughfares, made from the rubble of fallen Bars,and topped with sharped metal rods. Groups of Riser soldiers werestationed at strategic locations, some with crafted crossbows thatmade Hadder feel especially vulnerable.
On several occasions, a particularly feisty Riserwould move to intercept the trio, only to be pulled back by aseemingly higher-ranking soldier. As Hadder moved through theincreasingly organized grounds, it became painfully clear thatAlbany Rott was correct; he would not have made it very faralone.
Past rudimentary watchtowers and within the sightsof various projectile weapons, Hadder, Cal, and Otho continuedtheir journey, growing increasingly surprised by the organizationthrough which they marched. More military base on acid thanuncontrolled chaos, Hadder watched as Risers moved with purpose,reinforcing roadblocks, mending building weak spots, andrepurposing debris into weapons.
Eyes followed them everywhere, and soon they wereshadowed to the left, right, and behind by several groups bearingarms. Although they maintained a safe distance, the threat ofviolence hung heavy and real in the air. If this was Riserdowntime, Hadder wanted to do his best to avoid the Rising atHaela.
The further south they trekked, the more ornery theRisers became. Taunts began to fly at them from all directions,then the occasional stone. Hadder made sure to pay close attention,dodging several, while Cal and Otho just allowed them to bounceharmlessly off their thick skins. One lone Riser, cutting aridiculous shirtless figure in leather shorts held up bysuspenders, sprung out from behind a slab of marble and clumsilyswung a makeshift mace at Hadder's head. Hadder quickly ducked thestrike and, seeing how unbalanced the swing put the man, dropped avicious elbow across the attacker's nose, shattering cartilage andsending a fountain of blood into the air.
As the Riser screamed and cupped his hands over hisbroken face, Hadder simply kicked the man over and continuedwalking. Although he refused to turn around, he could feel Cal, andperhaps even Otho, cracking small smiles behind him. All three knewthat that would be the last of the lone Riser assailants. Ifanother attack came, it would be a coordinated effort.
The skeletons and dilapidated buildings that definedthe early goings of their travels were soon left behind as anincreasing number of fully functioning Bars appeared. Loud musiccould be heard coming from the open front doors of several, sharingan aggressive quality, whether metal or hip hop. Sentries werestationed on the roofs of almost all buildings, a blatant show oforganization and force that contrasted with the secretive nature ofthe spies and scouts further north.
A large Bar sat heavy in the near distance, clearlythe most important building in South Rising. A sturdy wall had beenconstructed around the Bar, making it more compound than place ofleisure. With Risers blocking their left and right, the trio had nooption but to walk towards the compound, stopping when they reacheda metal gate that guarded the entrance.
As soon as they stopped, Risers moved in andtightened around them, forming rudimentary battle positions andwielding an array of wicked-looking weaponry. The metal gate slidopen slightly, allowing just enough space for a tall, slim woman topass through. It quickly slid shut as soon as she was through andfacing Hadder and the Caesars. Black leather pants, boots, and tubetop matched her black skin and black hair, which was pulled into atight ponytail that cascaded down from the top of her head.Confident, fierce, and beautiful, she cut an impressive figure.
"I am Kamaria. State your business," she said
