Chapter Three: More Than War

Lizon's sharp tongue in fact did convince his father to give the troops and arm all but about 30. Those thirty were made into scouts and cartographers. With a kiss to the forehead his mother and father blessed him with the privilege to abide in war. The wars in these day had no rules for only the unruly would succeed. So stealth and betrayal was no problem. All's fair in war because if every war was an at least three sided war. You always included the offender, the defender, and the infected. Infected always being the most dominant. Not only in size but they had to travel with no resources, wore only what they died in, (which was not always a good thing) and they attacked rapidly never taking a break. If the forces of the infected did take a break it was only the calm of the hurricane. This usually signaled the oncoming of a demigod, rash, or a thrice.

Ezza spoke silently while in midst of the darkness, "What are we to do about the oncoming war?"

Slowly a hush fell among the silently rumbling darkness. Then her voice spoke, "We must tag along. Maybe even intervene."

"What do you mean?"

"Ezza, our point, just like any other civilization, is to expand. We must watch as the two empires curdle each other in blood." A vile grin crossed her face as she traced his lips with her thumb.

"But-" Ezza stammered. "My brother! I do care about him. I want him out of it alive."

In a sense of disappointment, and with one discouraging laugh she turned, looking over her shoulder. "We'll see what we can do." Then she softly giggled while exiting the room.

Then again the darkness was silent. Ezza agasp, tried to calm himself but the treachery in her voice made him skeptical of the whole operation. The tunics always went the darkest way and he was not, for the first moment, convinced they would spare his brother; even if he did survive the war. Now Ezza had a tough desicion, warn his brother or give the tunics their will. This was nearly one sided. He had become disappointed with the recent operations of the tunics lately. They had been pledging a lot against his own civilization. He had been getting fed up. The only thing that prevented him from disbanding the tunics, and that was the Death Veil code. This was a pledge to a life in the tunics no matter what. This was now a major conflict in Ezza's path...

He watched grudgingly as the leader of the tunics, Meusae, left the building A sharp line of line pierced through the door that was cracked open. This area that Ezza stood in was the meeting room for tunic members. Also this was where most executions took place. The cause for this was because the room was so dark that the member or prisoner didn't see the execution coming.

"Sir! Sir!" A scout ran to Lizon on the outskirts of Oblivi, the second and last town that seperated Rios and Nudenbourn. He stumbled, leaning on the shoulder of their temporary leading captain.

"What is it, loyal scout?" Lizon -calm on the outside but building up caution on the inside- answered.

"Major-Major!' He stated, still gaining breath. "There's a major horde strolling in the near parts of Oblivi! We've got no chance moving forward!"

"Foolishness-" Lizon begins with a grin.

"No sir, you don't understand! They aren't just a regular horde! They have about thirteen rashese (Plural for a rash infected) and are seeming to be led by a thrice!"

"Hmmm.." Lizon begins, scratching his slightly scruffy chin. " We can ease into the outskirts, travleing around but keeping within eyeshot of them. I don't want to lose sight on that horde." He gives another sigh. "They seem to be adapting to the world. They are getting even more organized."

The scout saluted his commanding officer, and spoke. "Do you believe they can communicate?"

Lizon pondered this hellish thought for a moment and then gripped the scout's shoulder. "Let's just hope not, Eisala"

Lizon and his army stayed a respectable distance from the infected that in fact seemed to be scavenging through the city ruins. They were actually overturning rubble and following blood trails! The did not do anything but make casual groans and moans. They did nothing that seemed as communications. As the army slowly moved along with the horde, Lizon suddenly whispered to one of his cartographers. "Do you see where they are moving?"

The cartographer watched closely, squinting his eyes in focus. "North east." He replied in a lower whisper.

"And what's north east?" Lizon smirked.

"Rios!" 

The man was instantly pounced on! In that moment gunfire emulated! Cursing and thousands of bodies collided so fast that Lizon actually had to process the moment. Once he actually realized the force from his now dead cartographer knocked him onto the ground he was surrounded by infected! He wasted no time pulling the handgun from the holster! It was just a P99 but the weapon could the difference between life or death for Lizon! He fired five of the 15 bullets into three zombies! This left two leaping onto him! Before one could latch onto him a stray bullet splattered the brains of his near murderer onto his cheek! Unluckily the other infected latched onto Lizon pinning him onto the ground! Lizon screamed as he felt the teeth of his iminate end nearing!