Elion went out of the base as soon as the zombies dispersed.
Luppy and Elion made scavenge hunting their sideline to help the base floating. The brothers voluntarily offered their services---in doing what they are best at---and the others naturally followed suit. This was how they managed to increase their way of living. They might survive by eating self-grown fruits and vegetables, but life would be more satisfying if they could buy things inside the Kingdom. And to buy things, they needed their currency--- Rigs. They would usually use it to buy foods that could only be produced within the walls. That was the practice, scavenge hunters would provide rare items in exchange of tasty foods.
Elion was proud of his brother; this was the best client Luppy managed to make a deal with. Elion had to make sure that he would get this battery for their client who paid with a premium--- they paid three times the price than usual. Elion wondered what made this client so desperate to agree with that deal.
The sun was setting down, it would be dark soon. He worked differently than the rest, he had nobody to accompany him. He purposely hunted alone. His job would be faster if he is focused entirely at the task and not on keeping tabs on everybody so they would come home safe. Whenever he's alone, he only had one responsibility--- himself--- and that made him more comfortable. He prefers to do all the work keep everybody safe at the base.
To get double A battery, he decided to go to an abandoned department store. This was his favorite place to scavenge for others hated to go here--- this place is known to be a hotspot of zombies. Because of this rumor, most of the stores are left untouched with mannequins still dressed on the glass windows full of dust and jewelry stores with their security alarms still intact.
Elion was walking with long strides. He was carrying his weapon on his right hand--- it was a garden pitchfork that was sharpened at its tips. Gardening tools were the perfect weapons every household should have, Elion could attest with all the zombies he had killed using his weapon.
It is easier to fight a group of zombies than a full-grown man. One of the advantages on clashing with zombies is that they will always announce their arrival--- just like the three zombies following him from behind. They would always make noises, be it grunting or scuffing. And they always had this signature scent, that stench of a garbage truck or that rotten flesh that was impossible to ignore.
Elion turned around to face the gargling noise.
The three zombies were obviously related from each other--- there was a mother, a father, and a young boy. The mother wore two pearl necklaces, while the father and the kid had a Rolex watch. The three of them were wearing luxury brand clothes. It was evident that the family had their best life from the time before, they were once considered rich. But even their entire estate could not save them from the curse, their riches were worth nothing now. The parents probably had the best career everybody was hungry for. But all they had now was their hunger for the flesh, and the flesh was in front of them.
The father lunged first into Elion. Elion shoved the father to the ground using his pitchfork. Then the mother and son lunged simultaneously to Elion. Elion backed away a few steps.
There was nothing to be afraid of, zombies are predictable. Zombies want the same thing shamelessly--- to get a bite.
Elion could easily handle at least five zombies at a time, the zombies obvious movements helped Elion to easily dodge them. The hardest thing to fight with is when you are faced with a mob of zombies.
They may be slow to move, but a bite from them would be lethal.
Elion pierced into the boy's headfirst at he immediately plummeted on the ground---he fell as if a switch was turned off.
Not even aware that her son was just killed, the mother focused to get closer to her prey while the father struggled to get back on his feet.
Really, Elion already knew their routine. They would reach for you with both of their hands as they bare their rotten teeth, just like what people portrayed on Halloweens. The zombies had no strategy, their focus was just to eat. This made the job easier for Elion, with his years of experience on the field, killing three zombies would be easy.
Elion put a foot on the boy's shoulder as he pulled his weapon from the boy's head.
He skewered into the mother's chest, but the mother continued to bare her teeth--- feeling nothing. Then the father walked towards Elion as he finally able to stand on his feet. Elion pulled his pitchfork from the mother and skewered it to her head as she too plummeted to the floor. Elion then ran to the father and plunged straight to his brain--- not giving him a chance to process what just happened.
Elion held his weapon on his side, stained with dark blood as loomed on his kills one by one. He pierced into their brains over and over again until it spluttered on the white floor--- making sure that they would not rise again. Satisfied with his kills, he turned his back from them--- not even taking interest on the pearl necklaces and the Rolex watches. These things were sold at a bargain in the flea market. People valued the more practical goods now--- things that could be used and not just be displayed.
He walked towards the non-functioning escalator and walked unto the second floor. Elion already knew that the second floor mostly had clothing stores--- not having the thing he needed--- so he climbed another set of escalators to get on the third floor.
He knew exactly what store he would go to find what he needed--- a hardware store. Elion casually opened the unlocked glass door as he grabbed a basket and began his shopping. Now that he was here, might as well grab some materials for the base.
Elion grabbed a few duct apes, hammers, nails, paints--- maybe they needed to redecorate their home for the lack of other things to do--- and a pushcart. He placed his basket of items on the pushcart and went to the counter where the batteries are displayed. There were different sizes of batteries. Luppy instructed him to get two double A batteries but he grabbed all the four available sizes just to be sure. He also grabbed more than two just in case. He also put it on his basket. Done with his sopping, he exited away from the store. He folded his pushcart on his way down to carry it more conveniently on the escalators. He then went back to where the three zombie corpses laid.
Elion opened the cart again as he placed his weapon on the floor and he began to load the zombies on the cart. He then placed his basket on top of the corpse and carried his weapon on the side as he exited the mall. There was a mini park just outside the mall. He chose a random tree and unloaded them underneath it. His weapon had its second purpose. He took his weapon and began to dig on the soil deep enough to bury the dead. Elion then refilled the soil as he buried them under the tree. He buried them with their expensive possessions.
Elion did not bury them out of respect or humanity--- he buried them out of practicality. It was also in the slump's rule to bury them if able. Brain, the slump leader, taught Elion to either bury his kills or burn them as much as possible. They may be called zombies now, but they were humans once before. Elion would usually bury his kills as long as he was not overnumbered---to clean-up was part of his job. They were also buried for a more sanitary reason that leaving them inside the department store, or on the road would stink so bad.
It was ironic if you think about it, knowing that Elion and Luppy was orphaned by the same creatures he just buried. Their parents were eaten when Luppy was just a baby. Their parents sacrificed themselves to make sure that they would stay alive, they offered themselves to the mob of zombies to give an opening for Elion to escape, carrying his baby brother in his arms.
Elion was a professional, he would bury his emotions deep within every time he's on the job.
Elion wiped his cart with dried leaves and walked fast as the night deepens and hungry zombies would start to gather.
Killing zombies would be endless, if Elion killed three today, six would be infected to replace them.
Elion stabbed straight into the brains to those who came close to him, they were starting to gather in groups, so he had no time to clean for his kills.
He walked to the path on the way to his home.
***
Luppy was snoring soundly on the floor with his blanket and pillow splayed away from him. But the batteries were safely placed above his head. Luppy was happy to see that Elion managed to scavenge not just two but four double A batteries, thinking that he could charge more for it or withhold it for future transactions. He could also offer different sized batteries to those who would look and pretend that he would still need to scavenge it for him to charge them higher prices.
"Hundred Rigs…" Luppy murmured in his sleep as he scratched his bare stomach. He was bargaining with his unknown client in his dreams.
The other members were also asleep as the moonlight peeked through the window.
But Elion was wide awake and sitting at the corner sharpening the tips of his weapon. He cleaned the blood earlier; he would always do this routine after a kill--- to be sure that the next time he would fork a zombie it would come through their head.
Brian, their leader, did not come to eat his dinner. He locked himself in his office ever since Luppy reported to him. Elion was not the type to pry, he did not ask Luppy what he said to Brian. If it was something he needed to know, then Brian himself would tell him. If it was something he should not know, then he would not ask for it. What Elion learned growing up in this apocalyptic world was to trust the leader and to do tasks that were ordered for him to do.
There were footsteps from the stairs. Elion suddenly held his weapon tight but relaxed as soon as he saw that it was Brian.
Brian gestured for Elion to follow him. Elion followed behind as the ascended up the stairs to Brian's office.
The office had a table and sofa, the best furniture the building had. These was where important meetings would always transpire. Plans to infiltrate the palace, plants to gather food, plans to look for other survivors—it had always been here where all plans would begin.
"Elion." Brian said with a serious tone as he sat on the chair.
Elion sat on the sofa, facing Brian. Elion pretty much knew this voice; it was a voice Brian used as a leader and not as a father.
When Elion was just ten years old, carrying his brother on his arms. Brian was the one who saved them. Brian apologized for coming too late, as he was not able to save their parents. Ever since then, Brian became their father. Brian taught them how to be soldiers, how to be brave and fight.
But Brian was not just their father, he was their leader too.
Elion did not say anything but just waited for Brian to speak again.
"Jake's dead." Brian rubbed his eyes, tired.
Elion nodded, finally understanding the gravity of Luppy's report." Was he caught?"
Jake was one of their spies in the palace.
Brian shook his head. "No, just caught up in the middle of a royal conflict."
"Those rotten bastards!" Elion fisted the table, loud. "What should we do?"
"I have to ask you something, as a favor." Brian continued.
'As a favor?' Elion thought that it was an unusual choice of word. The term used would usually be a mission.
"Anything." Elion moved closer to Brian.
"This would be a risky task."
"There's always a risk with what we do. What is it?"
"You need to take the place of Jake in the palace…"
Elion nodded, understating the weight of his next mission.
Brian fisted his hand on the side. "…and you have to bring Alyssa here."
"Alyssa?" Elion shook his head, not understanding.
"The Princess," Brian added. "You have to bring her here, even by force. Can you handle it?"
"Consider it done." Elion never failed with his missions before, and he intended to keep it that way.
Elion was good at his job; he was not the type to ask questions.
He was given a mission, and he would make sure to accomplish it.