The Decay

Chapter Sixteen

"Tanner, watch your step. Good. Okay, wai-. Good! You're doing great just m-. Watch out!"

     Tanner doesn't take Noah's advice fast enough and his stick goes flying from his hands and hits the ground several feet away. With his hands up in surrender, he looks down at the other stick whose tip is at his throat. Smirking, he looks into the eyes of his opponent.

"I definitely meant for that to happen."

The serious expression Zayna held breaks when she smiles back.

"If that's your way of fighting, you won't last very long."

"Just when I'm fighting you."

"Refer to my previous statement."

     "You're getting better." Says Noah interrupting their banter, "You just have to act like this is real. You'd be dead right now if it were."

"Biders don't swing swords." Tanner replies while going to pick up his own stick.

     "You know there are worse threats than biders out there. Plus, this helps your fighting skills period. Not just against live attackers. Now, again! One more time and then Miyonah."

Tanner reluctantly assumes his fighting stance once again.

"There's no way you're taking me down this time." He says to Zayna whose eyes glint.

"Yeah, well, we'll see about-"

     A piercing scream erupts from behind her and any sign of happiness drops away from her face. She whips around to find Lucas being held by a sickly man holding a knife to his throat. Zayna feels the rage coursing through her as she slowly draws her sword out of the sheath on her back.

"Just give me your food!" The man barks in a panicked tone.

     Noah's gun is immediately trained on the man and Miyonah, who is standing by him, reaches for the knives in the waist of her jeans. Everyone is still and when the man sees Zayna's face, he cowers in fear. All of the hate and rage is displayed openly on her face.

No one touches Lucas.

     Noah steps forward and the shaky man jumps; a red dot of blood appearing on Lucas' throat. Before the man can blink, Zayna disappears and Tanner steps up to take her spot. Sensing the movement and seeing Zayna gone, the man starts to panic. 

 "Where did she go? Hey! Where is she?"

"Calm down," Noah tries, "Just let the boy go. We'll get you the food."

     "I want the food first! And... And I want any pills. Any medication you have. Somebody get it or i'll kill him. I swear I'll slit-"

     "There's no need for that. The girl went to get you want you want." Says Noah lying to the man. He doesn't know where Zayna went.

"Where is she then? Tell her to hurry up!" Cries the man getting impatient, "You! Go get her!"

     Tanner glares at the man that ordered him to find her before disappearing around the building the way she went. Miyonah watches Lucas intently and tries to send him soothing thoughts while Tanner makes his way inside the building. He checks in every room and starts to get worried when he doesn't find her anywhere. He knows she wouldn't leave Lucas.

      Tanner walks back around the building and shrugs at Noah who's face goes even harder. Just as the man opens his mouth to yell at him, Zayna steps out from the other side of the building and walks calmly in front of the man and drops a bag of food at his feet.

"Pick it up and leave." She says in a deadly whisper.

     With wide eyes the man begins to shake even more, "You- you- you get back first! You heard me! Ba- back up!"

     Barely suppressing herself, Zayna continues to back up until the man is satisfied. Now ten feet away, he shoves Lucas sideways and grabs the bag trying to run. Before anyone knows what's happening, something glints in Zayna's hand and with an angry growl, she throws the dagger with all of her force and the man goes down with a scream, hilt sticking out of the back of his shin.

"Zayna, stop!" Screams Noah but she doesn't acknowledge him.

     The man pulls himself up and tries to get away but she runs at him and drives her sword into his back. The man falls lifeless as Zayna flicks off his blood from her sword and re-sheathes it. Lucas runs to her and clings to her side. She wraps an arm around him and turns to the other three who look at her with horrified expressions.

     They all knew she was a fighter. They knew she had to do some horrible things to survive. They knew that she was strong. They knew that. They just didn't know she was capable of killing a human being without so much as blinking.

. . . .

     Back in her room, Zayna sits with Lucas who she finally convinced to calm down. He had been hysteric signing that they had to leave now. Getting up to get him some water, she walks into the lobby to grab a bottle. Tanner, Miyonah, and Noah who were quietly discussing something beforehand stop immediately and look at her. Noah, being more experienced than the other two, speaks first.

"How is he?" He asks genuinely concerned.

"He's okay now," she answers making her way over to the bottles, "Just thirsty."

"And what about you?"

She turns to him, expression as neutral as ever, and blinks.

"I'm fine."

"Fine?" Asks Tanner speaking up, "You just killed a man."

"Rather violently." Adds Miyonah.

     "And all of you should have tried to do the same!" She snaps with a snarl in her voice, "That man could have killed him. He would have if we hadn't gotten him what he wanted and then you all watched as he tried to get away with our food."

     "I understand that," Says Tanner interrupting something Noah was going to say, "he deserved it but can you say we're wrong for wondering if you're alright? It wasn't just a bider. He was alive."

     "All the dead that walk this earth were once alive as well. They're threats that will kill you without hesitation or remorse. That man was no different from them besides the fact that he was in control of what he was doing. That makes him worse. Another sick and worthless threat but with the consciousness to make decisions. He made a decision to be scum. I made the decision to rid the world of that scum."

Zayna walks out and makes it back to her room with Lucas who drinks his water.

     "Dammit," growls Noah still in the lobby, "we need ground rules. You teenagers can't just do and say whatever you want. Now we have to move. That man could have been with a group and they'll come looking for him if he was. When they find a dead body they'll be out for blood."

     Just as he finishes, Zayna comes back out hand in hand with Lucas and carrying all of their now packed things.

"Let's go then." She says. 

****I know I take a while to write and I'm sorry. Please don't leave! Haha, I hope you enjoyed and tell me what you think! I love you all. Until next time, <3 ****