"Mmm..." Vito saw that Liza was once again the first person to awake. For the entire night he'd been acting as guard for the group. As well as watching the new hybrid, Lake. Though it was a pity he couldn't kill her, it was fine since she'd be a useful asset for Zack in the future. All Era Lords would be a useful asset. But even so, Vito would rather kill the Era Lords instead.
"You're awake, come on. We're going to the forest, and probably end the bandit invasion." Vito told Liza the moment she saw him. Liza groaned in dissatisfaction. "Why always me?" Vito shrugged his shoulders and suddenly Lake woke up. "Look! Lake's awake, she can go with you!" Vito shook his head. "Then both of you can come with me, we need more tickets if we want to stay here." Liza cursed under her breath.
"Please~? Can I stay here-" Vito shook his head. "You are a lazy bitch, please get up or I'll use methods to make you scream in both pleasure but mostly pain." Liza deflated and silently followed Vito. By now it was routine ever since they first left. Vito waits for Liza to wake up and after some 'persuasion' they go find more tickets through 'peaceful' means.
Lake looked at him with curious eyes. "Come." Lake nodded and hurriedly followed after Vito with childish steps. Vito sighed and Liza excitedly hugged Lake as her motherly instincts came over her. Vito now wondered what Liza was exactly. She was an Era Lord, for some reason. But that was all he knew. Other than her name and that she was a human. Maybe a hybrid? Half-breed? No way. If that was the case then what species did she merge with? The Divine Dragon species?
If that was the case Vito would shoot himself in the foot with his remaining forty bullets. Yet, he merely shook his head and went to the forest with the two girls behind him. It wouldn't take long... said no one ever. It took an entire four hours to gather enough tickets from the bandits. When they got back, Liza was tired and messy. She was filthy too, fortunately the inn had a bathroom. So she went there.
"How many tickets did you guys get?" Zack asked as he took off his blackened shirt. Vito looked at him with curiosity. By now they all knew the other person had secrets. Liza didn't know her own secret, Coco and Zack were more open about theirs, but Vito was still hiding his. Zack didn't pry into his secret because he respected Vito as a friend and partner. But Vito knew his and Coco's secrets. Coco seemed to have infinite affinity with nature and Zack was like a King chosen by Heaven. Oh well. "Twenty seven."
"Not bad." Zack nodded, Vito and Liza grabbed fifteen tickets last time. "What are we going to do with them?" Vito asked. Zack chuckled. "Simple! We're going to have a rest day and spend some tickets at the local festival being held! Maybe we can even go to the Bazaar!" Vito didn't exactly like wasting money on activities, he didn't say anything since he knew he was weird... Vito felt his mood drop slightly. But it returned when Lake held his hand and asked with interest. "What's the festival?"
"It's the festival to celebrate the creation of the Lake Settlement, and its mayor, Aaron." Vito slowly closed his eyes and nodded. Feeling the warmth and coldness emitted by Lake. He had never noticed it until now. Lake was like a paradox, both hot and cold, living and dead, and more. Plus, she was the only person whom Vito could feel the warmth coming off. Even against the firework flames, he never felt any warmth. He indulged in the feeling a little bit before letting go, reluctantly.
"I guess we can go. However, the condition is that we spend only seven tickets. Alright?" Zack nodded excitedly, he thought he'd need to argue with Vito. And seven tickets? Pfft, even if it was three tickets they could all have fun. The most important thing this exercise was made for, was to build team relationships! After all, what's a Bastion with internal strife? Simple, dead.
"Are we going now?" Vito asked, seeing Zack stunned. Zack nodded and they simply needed to wait for Liza and Coco. Fortunately, they didn't take long to get into the clothes Vito and Liza bought two days ago. And the group was ready to go out. It was basically the middle of the day now, so it was very hot. Ever since humanity failed to use nuclear and atomic bombs against the high leaders of the invading species, climate change sucked.
Winter could reach temperatures of around -178 Fahrenheit, and that was on a good day. Summer days could reach up to a boiling temperature of 100 Fahrenheit. Of course, humanity and many species have evolved to combat such degrees of heat and cold. But completely resisting it is futile. Vito and Lake were undead, naturally they were immune to such hotness. Zack and Coco were slightly affected by it, but not so much they'd die from the heat. And Liza was just ignoring it somehow.
Vito really did ask what the fuck she was. Anyway, Vito thought before he spiralled into an endless train of thought about Liza's origins. Right now they were here to find fun. And fortunately, Lake Settlement was near a lake! One filled with poisonous insects and radiation... but a lake nonetheless! Many people do swim in the lake and about a hundredth of the swimmers die every year. Considering hundreds of people swim there everyday when the day is good. Only about a few couples die every year.
Nice odds. The people around had their hoods down with bright smiles on their faces. Children were running around happily and the adults were chatting enthusiastically. You heard the occasional, 'hail the mayor!' every now and then. But, it wasn't too bad. Coco saw something that caught her eye, a bullseye target to make someone fall in a pit of mud and tar.
Killing them slowly and painfully with despair in their eyes. Knowing that they were part of some sadistic game to give entertainment, knowing there was no escape. But, don't feel bad, kids! They were bad people who viciously assaulted, physically and sexually, other people! So they merely get what they deserve, karma's a bitch. For you anyway, not the people throwing the rocks.
The cost was a ticket for five people. So everyone got a turn! Coco wanted to go first as she saw the desperate look in the man's eyes. "P- please don't do it! I killed her because my family needed the money!" Coco silently thought about it as she put the rock away, the man looked relieved and genuinely thanked the heavens. It was true he murdered someone to feed his innocent child. Too bad it wasn't Coco's problem.
She pulled out a blindfold as she attached to herself and threw the rock. The man's eyes popped out as he saw Coco hit the bullseye. With unwilling screams of agony, he suffocated and died. Zack cheered her on with enthusiasm. Liza was shaking her female friend's shoulders with pride. Vito clapped with a sadistic(?) or happy(?) smirk. Lake didn't feel anything but she congratulated Coco anyway, in a hushed whisper. Still a little timid for some reason.
Everyone got a turn, and none of them missed. Sending another four poor souls down the drain. With that out of the way, they kept exploring. "How about that?" Zack nudged Vito's shoulders seeing a carnival ride, powered by the work of criminal slaves. The same people they killed with the bullseye game. Many of them looked like they'd die if they pulled it one more time. Then again, even Zack had no pity or mercy for them.
"Okay." Vito nodded as Zack paid two tickets for the five of them, though the maths doesn't exactly add up, ya know? The carnival ride was pretty slow, fortunately each of the cups they rode on had a ceiling to reduce the sun. Vito sat down with Zack as they began the ride. Soon enough three of the slaves died, Vito looked at the slave and shrugged. He probably murdered and sexually assaulted twenty girls before this. So why should Vito care?
Now, they left and decided to try out a water gun place. It gave out rewards if they could fill up their bar before everyone else. The bar they were talking about? Nope, not a human. If they used humans for everything, then they'd be out of manpower and entertainment. Liza was the one who wanted to do it as Zack paid another two tickets. Leaving them with merely two left. As they began, it was clear that Liza was winning easily even if Coco cheated by slightly putting more water pressure on the hose. Liza grabbed a stuffed cat, still pissed about Vito's socks. Yet, none were aware of the Oni in the crowd...