The Fate of a Survivor: Of Foes and Woes

Chapter Nine: The Watch

"You may take a seat, Leila." Leila calmly did as she was told.

She took her seat in the front pew, her dark hair swivelling gracefully behind her.

Leila took the time to note down all the faces in the hall.

Seating to the left in the official seat was the head of the Healer division; Emma Ring and next to her was the second in rank, Elias Bloom.

Elias was an obedient subordinate. He was vast in the art of modern medicine and even had theatre skills that some thought had been lost in the old world.

Although standard equipment was rare, they made do with what they had. She was very proud of them.

Elias threw her a small smile where she was and she returned it. While Elias was thirty, she was twenty-five. He was like family and someone she could trust.

He was the one that helped train her in the art of medicine.

Seated next to them was the head of the Hunter division; Micheal Rogers along with his most trusted deputy and adviser, Elsa Trint.

Elsa Trint was a fox, fierce in battle and cold to the bone. All she needed was an order and she would execute without question; she didn't care who it was.

She was very loyal and only Kiera could rival her in swordsmanship among the females.

The Keepers were to Leila's right.

Out of the twenty official tables, six of them were occupied by keepers.

They were that many because the very survival of the Shelter solely rested on their shoulders.

Takada Hiro was the head of the division with five other sub-heads under him.

Water, food, shelter, clothes; he controlled it all.

Their division alerts the council of the lack and surpluses.

The council in turn orders Hunters to forage for the materials needed.

Scouts are deployed ahead of them to alert the team of any imminent danger. Sometimes they trade with other Shelters for whatever is needed.

Most times the team is gone for a week at least but sometimes, they could use months.

It was an eight-man team, sometimes they were more and sometimes they are less. And always they are given two vehicles, food and water.

Accompanying the four hunters always were at least two scouts and one healer.

Usually, one keeper accompanies them to make sure everything was accounted for.

It's been months since Leila went out on a mission and out of the steel gates. It was impossible to sneak out without alerting the tens of guards stationed on the walls.

The two walls were named, Elizabeth and Victoria after the past Queens of England.

Leila was itching to leave. Maple was becoming stuffy and she needed to keep a promise.

Elliot could see her unease. She was very obvious. He closed his eyes sighing.

She wanted to leave but he would not allow it. He stopped her from going the last time, and he would do the same again.

'She was a beacon for trouble,' her teammates had said.

'Always trying to save everyone and putting the whole team in danger,'

She was too empathetic and often lost sight of the mission.

Emma Ring, the head of the division had kept her on probation indefinitely.

He was sure the reason she attended this meeting was to plead for a spot back on the team.

"Now that we are all settled, let's get to the matter at hand." Jared Lui started.

His seat was in the middle of the council and he was highly regarded because he was the founder of Maple.

He was in his late forties, very sturdy looking. He had as his guard his own son, Tim.

He stood beside him with no expression on his face. As quiet as he was, he was just as lethal.

He had dark hair and dark eyes and rarely talked.

He was also a very prominent figure in the Hunter division, spending most of his time within wall Victoria.

The Sections and cottages were situated within wall Elizabeth while the 'Watch base' was within Victoria.

Victoria was the outer wall while Elizabeth was the inner wall.

Everyone paid rapt attention.

"Our rations are getting fast depleted and winter is fast approaching. We have about two months to gather resources and head back,"

Kiera and Haley exchanged nervous looks.

"Because once the doors are closed, they will not be opened till winter's over, are we clear?"

"Yes sir!" Every Watch in the hall echoed; there were about twenty of them comprising all three divisions.

"The teams will be chosen and posted by tonight. Usually, only one team is sent out at a time, but because we are on a schedule, two teams will be dispatched instead."

Immediately, there was murmuring in the hall, but it was silenced by the raise of his hand.

"There will be training for new recruits as we've had more loss in the rents years than ever before. There is more risk, more enemies, uncertainties. We have to be prepared."

"The preservation of humanity is the number one goal of this city but we've been reduced to such a minuscule number but this is all we can do," he sighed.

"Elliot will be in charge of the recruitments. We may not have a lot of people willing to risk their lives, but we will have to make due."

"The world outside the wall is a scary place, I don't wish its evils on anyone, not even my worst enemies."

He glanced wearily at Councilman Reeves who subsequently glanced away.

The scar across his eyes had been inflicted in one of the missions he'd embarked on in the past.

The people outside the walls were ruthless, perverse and capable of all kinds of deranged evil.

The return rate for each mission was roughly 30%.

For every ten people that leave the gates, only three ever make it back. That is why they were so few.

It was a cold world out there.
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