<div style="text-align: center">《 Ray 》<br/>
<i>Location: Abendblume → traveling to the church</i>​</div><br/><br/>"I'm heading out now. Catch up?" Ray told him with a smile. "That shouldn't be an issue given your.. background." He enjoyed hearing stories of Alvaro's past and the life he once led. It was the sort of excitement he'd craved in the monotony of working for his dad before the big change. He'd gotten his wish for something different and was determined to do more than just survive. With what he'd come for, he saw himself out. He left Abendblume discreetly. With everything going on and Armando not there to keep tabs on his every move, it wasn't all that difficult.<br/><br/>Tracking the carriage and men on foot wasn't difficult. They weren't trying to be discreet, and even along the pavement, someone had left a footprint or a wheel mark where soil had washed over the roads in places. It was getting dark but Ray wasn't worried. He moved quietly as he tried to piece together what had happened. As he got closer to the church, he ran across a few necros that seemed to be moving with a little more purpose to their unnatural and staggered gait.<br/><br/>Ray whistled to gain their attention, drawing them in. He was watchful, mimicking their movement towards him with his own steps back, not out of fear but deliberate practice. Guaging their reaction time and movement speed in order to take the right approach to lodge his utility knife into their brain. Dangerous, but something that they could overcome. Humanity simply needed to adapt and learn to control their fear. Reclaim their place once more at the top of the food chain.<br/><br/>There were a few more along the way to the church, and then it became obvious what had drawn them there.<br/><br/>The carriage was in shambles. Flesh was strewn about, along with a handful of personal effects. A duffel bag. Some clothing. The second horse was lifeless, necros pulling and devouring the ample meal even though no doubt they'd already had their fill. It looked like the horse had hit a street post. Why had they? Had the exiles gunned Armando and the others down? He would have returned by now, if he were alive, surely? They should have never left Abendblume. They underestimated the people that had been given the boot, and as Ray had expected, they turned. They should have seen it coming. He could hear Alvaro's voice in the back of his mind, talking about tying up lose ends. The keys to the kingdom would be his one day. He intended on protecting it by whatever means necessary and those folks should have left quietly and kept their head down.<br/><br/>Ray picked off the necros one by one, drawing their attention and using the way sound carried from the environment to pull them off the carcass selectively. They were bloated and slow. It took time and clever thinking but he cleared the area calmly and quietly. Armando would be bitching about risk, but Ray was comfortable out there alone, with the dead. It was people that he didn't trust, and Armando took too many risks with the living in his opinion. A mistake that looked to finally have cost the man his life.<br/><br/>Getting closer, he was able to survey the scene further. Down between booted hooves, slick with blood, was Armando's gun. Ray was familiar with the weapon because Armando had used it to teach him long before the change. Slide locked back and emptied. Armando must have put up a fight. It was enough for him to draw him own conclusions. His gut was telling him what needed to be done since speaking with Alvaro, but that last find sealed it.