Day 15d

On my way back to town now. Nearly sundown, the sun's about half-covered by the horizon. And still no sign of anyone from town to help collect supplies and bring them back. I don't know whether they're sick, or there was an accident, or what, but I've got mixed feelings. Aggravated that they're dragging their asses, and that I have to carefully watch on the way back so we don't pass each other; relieved, that they weren't in the way during the gunfight with the raiders or as I ran from the dragon. Speaking of the raiders, I know I saw them depart in a different direction from where Fest Town lies...but they could have circled around, found my tracks coming in. Not likely, can't really think of any reasons, but it is in the realm of possibility.

I did get enough oil to scrawl a warning at the Mart, right in between the two sets of doors. Letters a couple of feet high saying, “HERE THERE BE DRAGONS. REALLY.”. Something I saw somewhere, just seemed fitting. Took a while to get enough, even with the number of cars piled here and there. Most of it was dried to near paste, which is useful for writing with it, not so helpful for the initial gathering. Had to use a stick to scrape some into an old can.

Used some twine to rig a small booby trap on both sets of Mart doors. Nothing major, just set up so that opening or knocking out the doors pulls the pin from a grenade and drops it to the ground. Easily seen from outside, but nasty surprise if the dragons or its spawn decide to come out that way. I'm out of grenades for now, but already planning to try to come back with some townsfolk, get them surrounding the doors with plenty of guns while I go in and lure the beasts out. And then we can loot the Mart, plus dragon steaks.

Just a little sliver of sun left over the horizon now. I'm about an hour into what was a three-hour walk to get here. I've been seeing something in the distance, seems large but indistinct, can't quite tell... Is it...?

(*footsteps louder and faster*)

Shit...! That is smoke, either from town or from nearby...!

(*footsteps even faster, to a dead run, clanking of gear*)

Day 15c

So, I managed to catch a nap, get a little rest. I had tried to block the door with some of the rubble and debris here, probably not enough to stop the beast from coming out if it wanted to, but enough to slow it and make enough noise to wake me. I kind of wish that I had some way to signal the townsfolk to stop and wait, let them know that it's not as safe as I thought. But, after clearing away the raiders I just automatically sent up the flare to tell them to come on down.

I've actually been debating some with myself. I don't know for certain that I have enough firepower to kill one dragon, much less if there's more than one ready to fight. The shotgun could do some damage, and I have two grenades, but all of that would require getting close enough to penetrate that thick hide. Unfortunately, if I don't move quick enough I could end up trampled or lizard food. And lobbing an active grenade into a mouth is generally just the stuff of fairy tales or wishful thinking.

On the other hand, these things are a danger. If the townsfolk or anyone else wanders close enough, or goes in, looking for stuff they can scavenge and use, they could end up dead. Granted, a merc of some sort could just as likely wander in there and kill it. But I think I'd feel a little guilty if some non-fighting type got killed, when I could have done something.

Even as I say this, I realize that I may be able get some motor oil out of the nearby cars, use it to scrawl some warning signs on the walls here. I'm going to be limited by just how much I can find, but its something. Once that's done, I can make my way back to town. By that time, whoever they sent to gather stuff should have arrived, and I can tell them what's going on and send them back. They'll have wasted a walk, but they can deal with it considering the alternative. I'll just make a quick sweep of where the raiders had camped, first, to make sure they didn't leave anything useful behind.

I think I pissed them off. I walked by the doors into Mart as I said that last, and I can hear thrashing and crashing around. I'm just hoping they stay in there, instead of busting through to find me.

Day 15b

Okay, this damned place may have become way more trouble than its worth. And if I find out that any of the townsfolk had any idea what was living inside this Mart, they'll be lucky if all I do is knock them on their ass. The raiders would have been bad enough, I sweat and bled to drive them off, took injuries and bullet wounds. But they were a breeze and a nap compared to what I found in the Mart.

I had gotten into the food area and walked down an aisle at random, looking over the boxes and cans all over the floor, shelves toppled or spilled. Most of the stuff was difficult to identify, too faded or too damaged, some even torn or broken open. I hadn't thought much about the damage, at least not consciously. I guess, in retrospect, I just assumed that it was the ravages of time combined with clumsy scavenging by the townsfolk and others. I explored, looking over the contents while I waited for the townsfolk to catch up with me. At the end of the aisle, there looked to be refrigeration units, silhouettes of a cow and a pig hung over them. I saw another sign, hung from the ceiling far down the way; it said “Produce”, but the only things I could make out being produced were tangles of wild lettuce, onions, and watermelons.

My attention was suddenly drawn to a pair of doors set in the wall in the middle of the unit, barely attached to their hinges right between the cow and the pig. There seemed to be movement, only briefly seen through the gaps in the askew doors, and I started to raise my rifle and take a step closer, tensing. I was still exhausted, but my heart began to pump faster, adrenaline flowing. And then the doors burst open, one flying completely free from the wall and crashing into one of the aisles.

Like I said, I hate and fear large places like this. All this space, just open enough to be roomy and yet just close enough to be comfortable, combined with all the food inside and whatever can be hunted up through whatever opening might be available and large enough. It makes a rather ideal dragon nest.

Don't get me wrong, they're not like the creatures in the story books, the size of the building with a gargantuan wingspread, able to fly overhead and breathe fiery destruction below. But they are still nothing to be trifled with. Mutated lizards, growing to a length often equal to ten times a man's height, with long, hooked claws and teeth. Thick hides, commensurate with their size. No fire-breathing that I've heard of, though I have heard a few rumors of some being able to regurgitate and spew their stomach acid in a blistering spray.

Luckily for me, they tend to be slow-moving beasts, so I was able to outrun it enough that it apparently didn't even see where I exited. Its been a little while since I came out, though I've been watching the place too closely to check the time. The danger is not only the door I entered through. There has to be another entrance somewhere, a hole big enough for the creatures to have entered in the first place, as well as to exit to hunt for fresh meat.

And yes, I am referring to multiple of the creatures. While I only saw one come after me, that was likely due more to the speed with which I fled. As it burst from that door, I could see behind it due to some illumination from deeper within. The one I saw, the one that pursued me, was definitely an adult. But there may have been another. And I saw behind it an egg, with the remains of at least one other shell, hatched.

Day 15

Sun's just cresting the horizon, and the fighting's done. And great holy fuck, I'm tired. Me and those raiders have been playing cat-and-mouse games all night, trading bullets and chasing each other in the dark. I'd find a hiding place, lay low for a moment, then pop up and find a target to shoot. I'd get off one shot, maybe two, and suddenly there'd be two or three converging or firing on me. So, I'd run, hide, lose them, and then do it all again. Took out at least half of them that way, either wounded too severely to keep chasing me or just killed outright. I didn't come out unscathed, of course. One bullet in my upper thigh, makes it hurt to run. Couple of cuts and bruises. I'll be limping back to town, might need help carrying my bag.

Finally, I got their leader. I'll give him this, he was quiet for such a big man. I had actually managed to flank my pursuers and get back inside, and I was kneeling down to brace my shots and use the doorway for added cover. Suddenly, hands gripped me by my shirt and my hair, lifting and flinging me back into the cages, tumbling over them. As I shook myself off and scrambled back to my feet, I heard a voice bellow, “He's mine, boys!”

The bossman stood only a little taller than me, but quite a bit bigger around. One of those guys with a good bit of fat, but overlaying a lot of muscle. He wore loose pants, and open vest, and brass knuckles on each hand. He grinned as he came at me, flinging the cages and debris out of his way. I pulled Disc from my belt and braced myself, making sure he saw me ready to take him head-on. Actually, it was a trick. I got him to come at me, and then I kicked a chuck of wood at him, and rolled to his side. It was a desperation move, really. If it hadn't distracted him long enough, I was still within his reach and wounded already. But it worked. He flailed his hands up, and I sliced open the back of his ankle, and then stabbed Disc into his chest as he fell backwards.

I stood there panting for a few moments, taking stock of myself. Gunshot, sliced up, battered, and pretty sure at least one cracked rib, maybe two, from being flung across the room like that. Add to that general fatigue from running and fighting all night, and I felt lucky to be upright. I only got a moment to catch my breath, and then I heard footsteps running up toward the door. I forced myself to stand, and must've looked pretty menacing. One of the raiders came to the door, obviously not expecting to see a bloody me standing over his dead boss, weapon in hand dripping blood. He backed out of the door, hands up, shouting, “He's killed the boss!”

Apparently they all decided that that was enough, they'd lost enough guys. I looked outside to see them all gathering and running off. I mean, a few of them paused long enough to grab up some stuff, loot their dead buddies, but I was fine with that and I let them go.That was about an hour ago. I decided to use one of my Auto-Docs as soon as the raiders were out of sight. I was weak from blood loss, and in quite a bit of pain. Sat down and rested, raided the food they'd left behind.

And now I get to see the results of my labors. Just walked into the old mart ruins after having set off the flares outside. Planning to take stock now, maybe gather up some things before the townsfolk get here. Having to use my flashlight to see, but it looks like there's quite a bit useful here. I'm hoping we can just strip the place now, instead of having to make another trip later. Some old bikes over there, I can see a sign over some aisles that says Hardware. Looks like food's at the other end, gonna see what's available.

(*footsteps, sounds of rummaging*)

Hmm, most of these labels are too faded to read...

(*slow footsteps, momentary silence, low rumble*)

Oh, fucking fuck! Dammitall, fuuuck...!

(*running footsteps, loud clattering, static*)