Life After the Cataclysm - Chapter 4

Zack shivered as he stared down at the burning city...or was it a town he didn't recall Zack was coated in blood foot to toe it was hard to tell if it was his or someone elses. He slowly closed his eyes remembering the events of what happened only mere moments ago.

He remembered it like flashes from the gunfire small parts of memory shoved to the forefront as he remembered the searing heat as he stood in that furnace they had started the raiders...Another memory following on this his blade slicing through flesh and the occasional Kade moment of black and white which contained showers of red the one colour left in Kades world. Until he had finally crawled more stumbled upon the gate where he had a showdown with one of the raiders... He lifted his hand to his shoulder a nice ten pence hole punched through it. He sighed as he remembered finally killing the raider by Kades power alone he had been useless then slicing through that fragile gate.

Well all that was the events which had led him here to be on this rocky outcrop he ran a hand through his hair pulling it back he pulled the old black cloth with a cross embedded in it he tied his hair back away from his coated face. He decided to descend from his rocky outcrop to see who else had escaped he hadn't payed attention to who he had lead out as it was constant turmoil in there.

He hit the floor with a low thump slowly standing as he collected his claymore from the base of the rock for once coated in blood he unsheathed the blade swiping it a few times but the blood was sticky instead of flowing he would clean it later he resheathed it clipping it onto his back. "Well am I alone again?" Looking at the area surrounding the town hoping to spot survivors.

Sin woke to the smell of smoke. She raised herself up and looked down the hill to see the town burning. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was being in Zack's arms and then being tossed to the ground only to see Zack running to meet the raiders before they attacked them. He'd chased them back into the town. She looked around and saw Kaelan also waking. What had happened that had caused them to pass out? And, where was Zack? That had her struggling to her feet when she felt Kaelan's hands helping her. She was still exhausted...her body still trying to heal itself and finding it difficult due to lack of rest. "ZACK!!!! ZAAAAACK!!!!" She began yelling, trying to find him. She lifted her nose to the air, but the wind was blowing the wrong way for her to smell him. Little did she or Kaelan know, but Zack was just on the other side of the hill.

Looking around again, Sin saw the circle, but it looked empty inside. Where was the monk and the man with the feathered hat? She looked at Kaelan, "Where's Zack? I just found him again.....I can't lose him!!! Where is HE?!!!" Kaelan too smelled the air, but didn't smell Zack. She tried to calm Sin who was quickly becoming hysterical, something that Kaelan had a feeling wasn't the normal SinTara. She was also trying to figure why she was so familiar with Sin and Sin with her. Sin called her 'Kae' and there was only one person who'd ever called her that...but surely she couldn't be alive.

Zack heard the shout for his name he smiled as exhausted ashe was he trudged slowly towards the voices Kade surpisly was silent probablyas tired as he was as he reached the summit of the hill looking down. “Ispotted two girls in distress calling attention to themselves.” His voiceeasily audible to their hearing as he stumbled slowly down towards them...stillcoated in blood. “Sorry girls I ran on you there.” His eyes seemed back to theirbleak dead self as he didn’t seem to look directly at them.

He closed his eyes and swayed a little as he was unsteady onhis feet he opened his eyes quickly to try and right himself having to take astep to the left to stop himself from falling... “Hell of a night that.” Hisweak smile still in place as he began to feel dizzy his hand going to his shoulderhis finger sliding into the hole easily pressing on it he could feel a weakpulse of blood still flowing from it.

Sin saw Zack and smiled only to have that smile vanish as she saw that he was wounded and weak, staggering. She threw off Kealan's arm and rushed to him, barely able to hold him up, both of them falling to the ground. "Zack? Zack.....it's Sin....Zack?" Kaelan, too, rushed to him, looking at the wound in his shoulder. She tore off a strip of her own shirt and pressed it against the hole to stop the bleeding.

Sin now had Zack's head cradled in her lap, tears falling from her eyes and dropping onto his cheek. "Zack....your real.....I found you....I was afraid that I'd been dreaming."

Zack didn’t even look to her as he seemed to stare off atthe moon.... “So tired.” He blinked his eyes slowly he took a low breath. “Needto find shelter to sleep.” Seeming slightly unaware of them as he tilted hishead finally to see Sin... “Hi there.....” His eyes just empty pits of grey asthey stared at her amber.... “A dream? It seemed so like a dream.”

He lay there the bleeding stopped he lifted his hand up tothe wound poking at the shirt confused as to when it had got there.... “Wheream I?” The question not aimed at anyone just to the air as he tilted his headto the side to try and see his surroundings...the exhaustion had defiantly gottento his brain.

Sin looked down at Zack, clearly worried. She looked up Kaelan who was worried as well. "I will call on the strength of my tigress Sin and bare most of his weight. You just help balance him, okay?" Sin nodded her head, watching as Kaelan's eyes changed from their light blue to the golden/green of her tigress, lifting Zack with her small frame, resting most of his weight on her slim shoulders, her arm around his waist. Sin took the other side, one arm around his waist as well, the other resting on his abdomen to help steady him. "Com'on Zack....you have to help us, too....we have to get to some shelter....it's not far."

Kaelan's tigress picked up the opening of a cave to the west, about 100 yards away from the burning town and towards where the pale skinned 'man' was. The going was extremely slow, but they finally made it and using her heightened senses, Kaelan made sure that the cave was empty. They got Zack situated as comfortably as they could, Sin leaning up against the stone wall with Zack's head in her lap. Kaelan looked down upon them, smiling. She knew now that her and Zack were never truly meant to be. "I'm going to see if I can't catch something for us to eat and find some wood for a fire. I know how to start one if I can find the right stuff to do so. I'll be back." Kaelan turned and headed out of the cave entrance, claws extending from her fingertips as she allowed the tigress a little more freedom. The she-wolf inside of her had awoken and was straining against her collar, causing Kaelan's head to ache a little, but she took comfort in the fact that thanks to Kade, she couldn't get free unless Kaelan wanted her to be.

Back in the cave, Sin stroked Zack's hair, her amber eyes looking down at him, a soft smile on her face. "Just rest, Zack....let Kade do his job and help you heal." She leaned her head back against the coolness of the stone wall and closed her eyes, her hand resting in Zack's hair as she waited for Kaelan to return with food.

They stumbled their way to the cave finding himself lyingdown...as comfortable as possible on the hard ground. Zack rolled onto his unwounded shoulder as his claymore stuck into his back if he lay down on his back. He had a dull ringing in his ears not hearing the two talk about food he didn’t even hear Sin as she told him to rest but he closed his eyes knowing full well the nightmares to come the smell of blood strong around him.

He fell asleep slowly she heard his breathing steady and go slightly limp as he finally relaxed...for Zack though he was submerged into a city of...Greece? No, he knew it now the dream replaying as he saw it was the plaza he always found himself in...He looked down at the ground seeing the mosaic insignia made of simple black and white ceramic. He heard a strange noise ahead so he looked up his eyes went wide. A wall of corpses he turned in a circle finding a thousand corpses surrounded him. Some standing other on hands as they left their legs behind as they slowly came closer to him from the edges of the plaza. He reached back grasping air his claymore wasn’t there he slowly spiralled hoping to find an exit from the sea of corpses but not one gap appeared he stood calmly not panicking knowing that would only make it worse.

Sin opened her eyes a little while later to Kaelan coming back in with what looked like three rabbit like creatures. They had extremely long teeth, like tusks. Their ears were also long and tipped with what looked like a spike on each ear. They were about 5 pounds each and from the looks of Kaelan, they put up a little bit of a fight for she was somewhat scratched up. She tossed them to the opposite side of the cave and walked back out again. She came back in carrying an armload of dry sticks of wood. She left again only to return with kindling and two rocks. She made the fire first, using the rocks, striking them against each other to spark the kindling and get it burning before putting some of the wood on top of it. Once it was going, she went over to the 'rabbits' and took the black blade, making short work of skinning them, having already field dressed them after killing them. She then left the cave again returning with an armful of fist sized rocks. She reached into the pile of wood and pulled out two pieces that were forked at one end and another straighter one. She took the straight one and sharpened both ends, then positioned the two forked ones on either side of the fire, bracing them at the bottom with the rocks so that they were standing upright. She skewered the three 'rabbits' and placed them carefully on the spit over the fire so that they would cook. As hot as the fire was, it wouldn't take long for them to cook.

Sin smiled at her in thanks and began to wake up Zack. "Zack....Zack....wake up. Kaelan has food cooking and we need to look at your shoulder again." While Sin was waking Zack, Kaelan had left the cave again only to return with some water. She'd gotten extremely lucky in her hunting and had found two water bladders....probably from someone in the village that got left behind. She'd found some water trickling from one of the rock formations and had meticulously filled both water bladders. She came walking in with them, smiling at Sin as she showed her the prize. "Zack....come on...wake up....Kaelan even found some water."

They had got within distance Zack had been running round hitfists smashing into the bags of flesh only to find the bones like steel as painlanced through him with each contact on the corpses but at least they weregoing down then suddenly they stopped. He heard a distant muffled voice and with thevoice a sudden vibration caused the world to shake the corpses simply began tofall dead again and turn to dust on the wind Zack looked around. He felt the sudden lurch as the floor begin to crumble under him he didn’t scream in his dream as he was swallowedinto the blackness a calm acceptance as it happened....

He opened an eye everything a blur at first his eyes majorlyblood shot he opened the other one as well blinking a while the blur slowlyclearing he seemed to have regained himself slightly as he sat himself up usinghis good arm and muttered. “Getting way too old for this this.” As he strained his neckto the side with a healthy click he gave a weak smile. “Guess we got out alivethen?” He looked down to himself as the blood was everywhere on his face, coat, arms,and hands even on the trouser legs.... “I must look like something out of hell.”What better description could be found for the ragged look of Zack?

Sin smiled at Zack, having missed his unique style of humor. Kaelan also looked over at him, smiling, "If Sin can watch the meat so it doesn't burn, I can go look for something else to carry water in. It will take a bit to fill as the water I found is only a trickle at best, but at least then we'd have enough for you to clean up with." Sin thought it was a good idea and made her way to the fire, after checking Zack's shoulder which was healing, the bleeding having stopped completely.

Kaelan left again to search for more containers to fill with water as Sin took up the job of turning the meat. She was still exhausted, but hid it knowing that Zack was wounded and seemed more tired than she was. The smell of cooking meat began to fill the cave and her mouth watered, her stomach growling. "Zack....maybe this is not the right time to ask, but I'm asking anyway." She turned to look at him, one hand still turning the spit. "Why did Kade want me and Kaelan to fight and what is she to you?" What Sin really wanted to know was what was she to him? And where did she stand with him. She was so happy upon seeing him the first time and him her, but now....he'd seemed to gotten over it a little too fast. If she meant nothing more to him than a friend, she would leave. Her wolf told her that he was her mate, but her human heart wasn't so sure.

Meanwhile, Kaelan was searching the area where she'd found the two water bladders, seeing if she could find more or at least something to carry water in. Who knew how long the trickle would last or when they would find water again.

He nodded slowly as he unclipped the claymore from its backhooks resting it against the wall only using his one good arm thinking over thequestion. “Kade likes to mess with my life killing loved one or people who arerelatively close to me so on so forth.” He leant back on the cave wall now hisclaymore wasn’t hampering him. “The more he messes with me the more control heusually gets there have been times when I just let him control me for months ata time.” He pulled a knife from his coat sheaths beginning to scratch driedblood from his boot. “Kaelan.....a little sister maybe? Who knows we knockedinto each other in some tavern during my mourning period and the s*** hit thefan raiders came at the town we were in we clawed out our survival saving each other’slives a few times then escaped and we headed the same way for a good few daysas we weren’t really going anywhere...then the world changed and she startedlosing to her genetic modification hence the seal on her back so Kade couldbash around her mind for a sec to save her.” He stood slowly walking over tothe fire sitting down next to her... he gave a deep sigh as he stared into thefire his eyes narrowing as they stung. “Mustn’t have looked very good when yousaw me with her for first meetings.”

Sin kept looking at the meat roasting over the fire as Zack spoke. He'd not really answered her question on what she was to him. She now understood about Kaelan, but when he mentioned that she was like a little sister to him, a memory tried to surface. She grabbed her head as pain lanced through it, seeing a small child with bright blue eyes staring at her, then it was gone.

Leaving the meat, she crawled over to Zack, her hands framing his face as she turned him to her. "I'm glad that you and Kade saved her, but what am I to you, Zack? My wolf tells me one thing, but my head and heart are confused. I was so happy to see you again....as if I'd once again been made whole. But, I feel you keeping your distance from me. If I am wrong on what I feel...please, tell me. I don't want to travel with you, wondering. I NEED to know." Her amber gaze peered into his and he could see the wolf just on the other side, staring at him as well...only it almost felt as if the wolf were seeing Kade instead of Zack and was laughing at the demon and his failed attempt to get the girls to harm each other.

He smiled to her as he put the knife into the ground liftingboth his hands to rest on hers... “Distanced, how close do you want me glued to your hip? Just believe in your wolf it has good instincts.” As he let the badarm drop back down to the ground it had been a serious effort to lift it then. He chuckled slightly as Kade was busy sticking his middle finger up at the wolfwho was laughing at him and mouthing. “It was close!” Zack looked past hersuddenly. “Meats burning.” Nodding his head towards it.

Sin smiled at him and then rushed over to the meat, feeling her wolf laughing again at something. She jumped when the she-wolf snapped it's jaws with a 'clacking' sound at Kade, only to smile wolfishly at him. Only, Sin didn't know that it was Kade her wolf was making fun of. She removed the meat from the spit, laying it on some flat rocks to cool. She then went back over to Zack and knelt before him again, her eyes on his again.

"Listen to my wolf, huh? Okay, then....I will listen to her and she tells me to do this." Sin leaned in and kissed him softly on the corner of his mouth and then the other corner and finally on the lips.

Sin smiled again as she retrieved his protective glasses and gently slid them on over his eyes. She then sat up and little more on his lap and peeled back his coat and shirt to look at his shoulder again. It was looking good, albeit a bit painful, so she left the comfort of his lap and retrieved a water bladder. Ripping a strip off of her shirt, she wet it and gently soothed the healing wound with the cool water. Once done, she placed another kiss on the side of his neck and settled down on his lap once again, laying her head on his good shoulder.

Kaelan returned to the sight of them cuddled together and grinned at them, holding another two water bladders filled with water. "One of the villagers must have made an emergency cache near the trickle of water, just in case it was needed. I was very lucky to have found it." She looked away, giving the two as much privacy as she could given they were all in a cave.

Sin again, tensed as the previous memory tried to surface again, pain lancing through her head. She could still see the blue eyed girl and now knew that it was Kaelan, but why was she seeing her as a little girl and in the lab? Suddenly, she felt strange and her wolf snarled as something or someone entered her subconscious. ~You took in some of Zack's blood with the kiss, you foolish girl and now Kade can get in.....sort of. This just might be fun.~, the wolf thought to her.

~Ahhh...Kade....so nice of you to join me. I would offer you some wine, but I'd have to pee in it first and I don't want to waste my own urine on you.~ The she-wolf had closed off Sin's subconscious so that she wouldn't be affected by the fun she was having. But, would Zack sense where Kade had gone?

The she-wolf walked in a circle around Kade who now looked like Zack, "Very nice, demon. But, I personally prefer the Jackal...you know, it being a canine like me and all. I didn't appreciate you trying to get my girl killed by her own sister." She broke into a toothy grin at the surprise look on his face. "Didn't think I knew, did you... but I remember everything where as Sin only remembers bits and pieces....for now. Even I can't stop the memories from opening....her mind is too strong. Something the good doctor hadn't foreseen." She stopped circling him, sitting down on her haunches as she studied him, making a comfortable chair appear just behind him. "Have a seat, Kade....we have much to discuss, you and I."

Sin was comfortable in Zack's lap, but she was watching Kaelan intently. Kaelan too could feel the connection and wondered at it, but was more concerned with getting the meat off of the stick and giving Sin and Zack their share. She handed Sin hers when both her and Zack watched as Sin paled and pitched forward, gripping her head. "SISSY!!!!" Kaelan's eyes widened as she realized what she'd just yelled as she reached for Sin and memories hit her just as hard, causing her to sit there and stare at Sin as she remembered foggy pictures of an older sister with amber eyes.

Sin was caught in a vice grip of pain as she saw a little girl with blue eyes running towards her, yelling 'SISSY!" as she was drug off to be punished for not killing again. ~Fight him, Kae.....don't kill for him!!!~ She watched as the nurse, Bev, gently led Kaelan away, soothing the little girl's tears. The next thing she saw was the chain room where she was hanging by her wrists. Looking up she saw a window and could see little Kaelan sitting there in between the nurse and Dr. Bainbridge. She could hear what he was saying to little Kae through the intercom system, "Now watch, Kaelan...this is what will be done to you if you don't do as I want you to." This whip came down and Sin's back bowed as she bit into the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't scream. The whip came down again and again and she saw little Kaelan's face, tears running down her cheeks as Bainbridge forced her to watch her older sister's punishment. In the end, she screamed....she always wound up screaming.~

Sin was screaming, her back bowing with the memory as Kaelan sat there, tears streaming down her face.

The she-wolf looked at Kade, "It has begun, demon. The memories that will make them stronger. Have you figured it out yet, Kade? Do you know what Bainbridge did to the three sisters?"

The she-wolf shook her massive head, laughing. "You think you're almighty, don't you? Don't you remember me, cousin? It is I, Shaleen. Your good doctor found me in my old host and was able to extract me. He split my essense and spliced me into the three girls as he made them. First, the eldest.....I don't even remember her name anymore....doesn't matter anyway as she turned completely evil, I was no longer needed and through the battle between her and Sin was able to take back that one-third of myself. It is why Sin is stronger than Kaelan and always will be." She stood and walked towards him, her amber eyes glowing. "Kaelan was made when SinTara refused to kill for him and again, a part of me was put into her along with the dna's of the wolf and tiger. I thank you for collaring the wolf. She carried the essense of another demon......a lesser demon who wanted to overtake poor little Kae. Unfortunately, I was locked away within the tiger, but now that memories are opening, I will be open inside of Kaelan as well."

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Laying on the floor, Sin screamed a last time before finally quieting. She lay there, breathing heavily, feeling for the first time, the full essence of the wolf/demon within her. She looked over at Zack, her amber eyes casting a red glow within them. Kaelan was coming around as well, only Shaleen would not be as strong within her as she had not been raised fully within the labs....within cruelty and despair like Sin had been.

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"Ahhhh....Kaelan will be useful, I think...but never as strong as Sin. So, now you know, cousin. Care to try to battle again now that I can assume complete control of my host?" She grinned again, a grin filled with sharp teeth. She and she alone had kept Sin alive after she'd almost died from her wounds from the 'sand crabs'. She was still healing her as the stubborn girl refused to rest until she'd found Zack. But now that she was completely connected with Sin, she would be damned if Kade would cause harm to her girl again.

Shaleen watched as her cousin faded from sight, grinning. She knew Kade was older than her...much older and she planned on learning everything she could from her arrogant cousin. But, right now, SinTara and Kaelan needed her. Oh, she knew what happened to a demon when it's host was killed and it had nowhere to go. It became a 'shade'. Neither living, dead, nor in between. Always trying to find a host and never being able to. Eventually, the demon would go insane....a demon's type of insane and that was something no demon ever wanted. So long as Sin lived, as she was the main host, she lived. At least, that's what Shaleen had always been taught. For now though, she had two hosts to care for, Sin first.

~Yes, Sin....you and Kaelan are sisters, same as you and Alex were. Kaelan was made much later, but thanks to you and the nurse Bev, she got away and was raised away from the depravity that is Bainbridge. I am like Kade, Sin....and I lived in Alex as well as you and Kae.~

Sin watched as Zack walked out of the cave, feeling suddenly very much alone even though her wolf was speaking to her. SPEAKING TO HER?!! Sin sat up abruptly, her eyes wide. How? What? A demon? "ZAAAACK!!!!" Shaleen was now speaking to Kaelan who, like Sin was wide eyed, trying to absorb everything. Sisters and a demon like Kade. Both girls looked at each other...both heard Shaleen sighing in there heads.....then laughing. ~Oh boy.....hysterics, here we come.~

Zack turned slowly not his usual heel turn. “What?” Hearing his name called after all Kade wasn’t saying much just snickering away knowing full well what the girls were probably experiencing. When he whispered in Zack’s ear. “Do you remember brother when you first heard me speak to you....well they found a little of themselves.” Zack eyes narrowed he remembered Kade’s first intrusion on his mind it hadn’t been pleasant as unlike the girls demon Kade had seeked for dominance over the body not co-existence.

Kaelan heard Zack's 'what?' just when Shaleen entered her mind as the tigress. ~Yes, Kae....me demon, you host.....just like Kade and Zack. Please don't lose it. Sin is already freaking out. I'm not as strong in you as I am in her, but that's because you didn't grow up in the middle of all of the depravity that she did. Oh, my dear girl..your life was peaches and cream compared to hers. Now, be a good girl and sit down. Zack will explain some things to you, but for now, meet your older sister.~



Sin was shaking, trying to comprehend how all of this time she had a demon living inside of her. Shaleen had manifested herself within the dna of the wolf and that was how she'd passed under Sin's internal radar. She looked over at her little sister, Kaelan and gave her a shaky smile. "Sisters, huh? Good thing I didn't kill you when we fought over Zack. That would have been awkward." Sin began to laugh, just a little laugh at first and then busted into a hysterical laugh, Kaelan along with her. Shaleen rolled her eyes at the reactions of humans to something that shocked them. As the girls' calmed, their laughing beginning to quiet, they both sat down across from each other. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." She grabbed one of the 'rabbits' and began to eat.