Foundered

Jasper III: Dark Wings, Dark Words

"We should stop here," Anatoli suggested, "we need to spring back to action at the sound of the first engines."

"True," said Jasper. "Let's stop here then."

Yara gave a clear nod, opening the door to breathe in the clear evening air, walking out to stretch his legs a bit. Jasper exited alongside him, his shotgun and sword always beside him.

"Jasper, are you okay?" asked Yara.

"Yeah," he inspected himself, "but my clothes aren't, and yours?"

Yara spanned his arms and smiled, both their clothes rugged and blood-stained, smelling no better than the zombies they fought for so long.

"It's so hot," said Yara, taking off his jacket. Jasper peered at his body with dire interest. "Hey, you said you won't fall for me."

"No, it's not that," he said, "take a look at yourself."

Yara looked at himself to see what was wrong with him. It was a pitiful sight indeed: his mail now looked like an old grey sweater, missing many rings and having been torn apart at multiple points.

Jasper took off his jacket to reveal a condition much worse: his mail was less of a shirt and more of a rag now.

"Well, guess it did its job," said Yara.

"That it did," said Jasper with a smile, "I wonder why no other post-apocalyptic setting fits its survivors with chainmail, perhaps because they're nowhere near a castle."

"Or a military base," said Yara, looking beside him to see the other jeep stopping right next to theirs, "yours too?"

The soldiers nodded, "had we any fuel left, we'd have sent the three of you back first anyway."

"No need for that, we're close already," said Anatoli, "and I'm pretty sure the Dark Walkers have abandoned the chase anyway."

"Dark Walkers?" asked Yara.

"Well, yeah: Dark Walkers and ghouls... that does suit them, right?"

"Okay, fair enough," said Jasper, "so yeah... it'll be more difficult to stop the Dark Walkers, and to be fair if we're gonna face literal tides of zombies, simple bullets will do us no good either."

"So what do we do? What's effective against zombies?"

"Well, do we have dragonglass?" asked Jasper chuckling, "sorry, obsidian."

"This ain't funny, Jasper," Anatoli told him, "but we don't have any either way."

"A shame," he said, "I wanna know what happens if I stab them with one."

"Well, fire would solve most of our problems," said Yara, "I've seen them erupt into flames much more easily, possibly because of the low water content of their bodies. And of course, if most zombie apocalypses have taught me anything: just get a flamethrower."

"And what of the Dark Walkers then?" asked Jasper.

"Theoretically fire should stop them as well, although I don't know how exactly they're supposed to be killed. If it is as you say, then one expert marksman with a Kar98k will be enough."

Jasper was about to reply, but he was cut off by a shrill wail. Two more screeches followed – one calling and one answering, followed by the flapping of wings. "Guys! Hide!"

The three of them and the other four guards ran into the first building they could find, silently listening to the sounds that prevailed, watching for action from the cracks in the wooden window shutters.