<i>Two Vysts, quadrupedal, dog-like....<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fpre00.deviantart.net%2F28f3%2Fth%2Fpre%2Fi%2F2013%2F113%2F9%2Fb%2Fcreature_sculpt_based_on_kenbarthelmy_concept_art__by_doctanx0013-d62t5xr.jpg&amp;hash=1b0c8eebcd1a00df8918c9a65a932fb0" href="https://pre00.deviantart.net/28f3/th/pre/i/2013/113/9/b/creature_sculpt_based_on_kenbarthelmy_concept_art__by_doctanx0013-d62t5xr.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Seekers</a>.<br/>
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Alone, pack mostly killed, tangled with an adult feral <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fpre00.deviantart.net%2F722a%2Fth%2Fpre%2Fi%2F2015%2F199%2F9%2Ff%2Faclypse___mutant_dark_wolf_concept_by_gregvfx-d91rp2p.jpg&amp;hash=d7d224fba6d5d90379665ca663389692" href="https://pre00.deviantart.net/722a/th/pre/i/2015/199/9/f/aclypse___mutant_dark_wolf_concept_by_gregvfx-d91rp2p.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Razerjaw</a>.<br/>
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Ammo count- 35. <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Forig00.deviantart.net%2F00e9%2Ff%2F2012%2F188%2F8%2Fc%2Fmachete_restoration_by_logan_pearce-d56dpjk.jpg&amp;hash=da4ed3447e7e8627f9a9c9859fd98fbe" href="https://orig00.deviantart.net/00e9/f/2012/188/8/c/machete_restoration_by_logan_pearce-d56dpjk.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Machete</a> Condition? Good.<br/>
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Not spotted....Taking the shot.</i><br/><br/>With that,<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2F78.media.tumblr.com%2F5602051460b68d582936ac65aaee1602%2Ftumblr_op4ae0QfpW1urf4tmo1_500.jpg&amp;hash=1001048f2f7c6764091071374dcc7564" href="https://78.media.tumblr.com/5602051460b68d582936ac65aaee1602/tumblr_op4ae0QfpW1urf4tmo1_500.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Jerrick Banner</a>would line up his hand-made<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gunsamerica.com%2FUserImages%2F5263%2F912140664%2Fwm_1837837.jpg&amp;hash=82192aa681af078d051ffb0fb272daa9" href="https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/5263/912140664/wm_1837837.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Lever-action Rifle </a>on one of the seekers. They were engorging themselves on the Razerjaw, meaning it was the perfect chance to strike. Relaxing his breathing, he squeezed the trigger. The round, a .45-70, would go through the first Seeker's head, killing it. However, the other one remaining would immediately take notice. It let out a bestial before bounding for Jerrick fast. Trying to line up on the moving target, which began dodging left and right in an attempt to keep from getting shot, Jerrick fired once again, but it only glanced the side of the Seeker, enraging the beast, as it would pounce on him. Jerrick held up the rifle and use it to direct the beasts jaw, trying to keep it from landing a bite on him, but the slobber made it hard to keep a decent grip. It wasn't long, however, that he heard the rifle cave in, and would let out, as the beast would launch it away.<br/><br/>Taking the initiative, Jerrick would stab upwards with the Machete, hitting it in it's center mass, as it began clawing on him, tearing into the harness and sinking them into his chest, causing him to grunt in pain. Using his feet to lift the creature up, Jerrick would let it come back down, only for the machete to cut into the beasts throat. Jerrick would give it one good shove, ensuring he severed it's spine, before pushing it off of him. Groaning in pain, Jerrick placed a hands on his body to check it anything was broken- Good news? Nothing was. Bad News? his chest was scratched the hell up from that things claws. Grunting, he would push himself up. His outfit wasn't too damaged, nothing a bit of sewing wouldn't cure, but his harness was now useless. Taking off the ripped up shreds of leather, he would toss it on the ground before walking over towards his rifle. Picking it up, he would check the damage and was NOT happy with what he saw.<br/><br/>The wood was cracked, the metal for the firing mechanism was caved in, and the rifle barrel was bent- it was as good as scrap now. Cursing his luck, he would take the remaining three rounds out of it, before tossing it on the ground. He would then begin the long and head-ache inducing process of harvesting meat from the two seekers and the Razerjaw. There wasn't much on the Razerjaw, the Seekers probably gorged themselves, but the hide was still good as well as the bones, so that meant it was worth the harvest. The Seekers were skinny, likely the reason they went through the trouble of losing their entire pack to this thing- They were starving. Still, they had enough meat on them for a meal, and Jerrick was hungry, so he cut up what he could, took their hide and bones, and finally began walking back to his temporary home-<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alternatehistory.com%2Fforum%2Fattachments%2F2hdqjvp-jpg.255626%2F&amp;hash=0580c48e5836443524edb0b33486e192" href="https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/attachments/2hdqjvp-jpg.255626/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Glowing Grounds Trading Post</a>.<br/><br/><i>~5:53pm, G.G. Trading Post, Oregon~</i><br/><br/>As far as Scrapped Human Outposts in the middle of nowhere went, the G.G. Trading Post was the LEAST shitty. Wanderers looking for a place to stop and rest before making the long trek to California by following the Eye-One-One-Nine, the old-world Interstate that connected Oregon and California. Most did it to reach Crescent City, Capitol of the Kingdom of California. The Kingdom there was ruled by an old Mercenary Warlord who had gained power by using superior combat tactics and conquest to expand and push back the Vyst'. Crescent City, Redding, Arcata, Fortuna, Shasta Lake, and Eureka were all under their banner. Jerrick didn't know who it was personally, but he had to respect their drive, as they were succeeding where others had failed. Still, that meant they'd have to live under the Crescent City King if they ever were desperate enough to move down south.<br/><br/>Jerrick came from a settlement called '<i>Port Nowhere', </i>made in the ruins of Old Portland. Before the Apocalypse, the city was known for it's eco-friendliness and thus, when the city was abandoned, nature took it back in a heartbeat. When Jerrick's people settled there a hundred years ago, it was a concrete jungle. However, what could've been their own nation was cut down by the damn Vysts- They attacked in large numbers, numbers that Jerrick had never even SEEN before, and wiped out the settlement, forcing his people on the run. That was roughly half a year ago, but Jerrick still saw his burning home before his eyes when he slept. His people were now wondering nomads, trying to keep away from the Vysts, raider hit-squads, slavers, and the occasional fanatically religious sect of people who sacrificed people to the Vysts for protection.<br/><br/>It was where Jerrick was here, instead of with his people- They needed new land to settle. Most of it was either controlled by a ruthless baron, constantly hit by raiders, or overrun with vysts. So, Jerrick and the rest of the Vanguard tried the edges of so-called '<i>Civilized'  </i>lands. With people actively hunting the Vysts down, and protecting villages from raiders widespread, all Jerrick had to do was find a comfortable spot away from the greedy tax collectors and the Kingdom of California's Laws, but close enough that attention was drawn away from them, if that failed, and he prayed it didn't, they could always try going east, but Jerrick heard tales coming form that place that would scare even the most veteran warlord. Vysts the size of buildings, savage tribal's that would kill you soon as eat you, and strange magic.<br/><br/>He didn't know what to believe, but he had to do what he could.....his peoples survival counted on it.<br/><br/><a class="username" data-user-id="536" data-username="@Solunae" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/536/">@Solunae</a>