Chapter 2: Nomads or Hunters

Leer watching in silent, a couple are cooking meat using portable stove, both enjoying a delicious meal quietly. The whole building are dead silent, there's only sound of wind and burst of flame from the stove filling in the moment. As Leer watching carefully, she began to drool over the food as she haven't eaten anything yet, her mouth are watering and some leaked out of her mouth.

Grumble~~

The sound of starving stomach break the silence. In a quick move, the couple get to guarding position and both now are facing in the direction of the sound, they saw a small young girl are currently touching her own belly with face red as cherry out of embarrassment. Leer notices that both of them are looking at her with high alert.
"Wha- Wai- Wait! I- I'm not a danger. I'm just passing by, I swear! I'm an ally!" Leer said panickily, while waving her hands toward the couple to clear the misunderstanding.
"How about you first introduce yourself and state your business here." Said the man while pointing a machete toward Leer, while the woman hands are on her hips ready to grab a gun she have.
"I uh... My- My name is Leer, I'm just a normal high schooler, trying to survive in this place..."

Grumble~~

Leer's face turn red once again, and her hands move to cover her stomach. The couple in other hand, does not move an inch, the man's eyes sharpen with blade facing straight at Leer.

"Are you one of his follower?" Ask the man with menacing voice.
"His... What are you talking about?" Leer said confusedly.
"Let's keep this simple. Hand behind your back, we will tie you and search your belonging. Then we will talk."
"But I-"
"Hands! Now!" Shout the man.

Leer unable to said another words, stoned by the intensity of the situation. She decided to got on her knee and put her hands behind her back, she is now sitting hopelessly like a lost dog.
"Cover me." Said the man to the woman.
He walk slowly toward Leer while the woman draw her gun, getting ready to shoot if something bad happen. Leer's whole body shaking, as she never received treatment this heavy before, she getting pale and cold sweat running down her whole face.
"Everything gonna be alright, I did not bring anything suspicious with me, I should be fine." Leer's thought to try calming herself.

The man carefully check Leer's body, checking every pocket. Then continue to looking inside her bag, a bag of moldy bread, two bottle of water, a smartphone with 50% battery left, black marker, towel, lip balm, nothing out of ordinary.
"You still keeping your phone in situation like this?" Said the man suspiciously.
Leer did not say anything as she too scared to do something."
"ANSWER!" The man shout right in her left ear.
Leer jolted by the man's voice, tears slowly coming out of her eyes.
"Its... I... like to keep record of where I've been..." Said Leer nervously.
The man bring the phone to Leer's face, unlocking it. He scroll through her gallery to see if Leer can be trusted or not. He see some of Leer's journey, a photo of the building they currently in, some video of her in a dark place, a photo of Hamelin's follower walking on a path of grass taken quietly in some alleyway, and he stop at a selfie of Leer and her sister.

"How is it?" Ask the woman while maintaining her position to shoot.
"So far so good. Based on her gallery, she is one of the survivor. But we still don't know is she part of his magic or not." Said the man.
He walk back to the woman and handing her Leer's phone so she can check it herself, He continued finishing his meal while she scroll through the phone.
"It seems like... She is an ordinary girl. A poor soul trying to run from that monster." Said the woman as she put the phone aside.
"Whoever she is, we have stayed in this place for too long. Pack your things, we gotta get moving."
"What?! How are you eating so fast? Wait for me won't you?"
"Just eat already. We got no time to waste."
"Then what about that girl? We can't just leave her like that." Said the woman with concern.
"Not my problem." Said the man coldly.

Grumble~~

"Oh?"
Both of them now looking at Leer, who once again with face red as cherry. The woman giggle while covering her mouth, she grab her plate and putting it in front of Leer.
"You can have this, little girl." Said the woman, then she proceed to untie Leer.
"Are- are you sure?" Leer seems hesitant, thinking about how they see Leer as potential threat.
"Don't worry about it, I'm full already. My name is Augen, how about you?"
"Hey Augen! What the hell are you doing?!" Shout the man menacingly.
"Shut your mouth, Forscher. A helpless girl is starving and you gonna let her eat a piece of shit bread?" Augen reply harshly.
Augen did not said anything and continued to pack their stuff.
"I... My name is... Leer..."
"I see, that's a nice name." Said Augen softly.
Leer now untied and can freely move. Augen walk to Forscher location and getting ready to leave.

"You should eat, Leer. We need to move out from this place." Said Augen.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Leer shocked.
"You not kidding are you?" Forscher doesn't seem to agree for what about to happen.
"She just a kid, she will never survive alone outside there. We got to help her." Said Augen.
Forscher frowning looking at Augen, and then he utter a sigh.
"What a noble policewoman you are. Fine, but you speak Frost about this, its your idea."
Augen doesn't look happy of what Forscher said, she sneer at him out of annoyance and Leer quitely eat the food Augen give. She let out a few tears and sob, she haven't eat anything tasty in this few days surviving.

The three of them are now riding a police car, driving across a road full of sand and dust with sun still remain frozen on top of their head. Seeing a vehicle made Leer amazed and confused, she scan every inch inside the car as she never see the inside of a police car.

"Um... Where did you guys find this car?" Leer confusedly looking here and there inside the car.
"Haha, surprising right? He does banishing every vehicles everywhere he walk, but inside police station garage there still cars left, meaning he never set foot on that place." Augen cheerfully explain to Leer.
"We secure everything that is left, car, gas, even animal that are trapped inside closed shelter. We taking all that can help us survive."
"You have... Animals?" Leer tilted her head to the side, she can't make it sense of what Augen just said.
"Heh, just you wait and see." Said Augen with a smirk on her face.

Their car stopped by a dry river. Forscher, Augen, and Leer step out of the car, and they looking at a row of cars, more like a convoy perhaps. Leer amazed by the scene, a group of people get together to form an alliance and fight the same enemy.
"Come." Said Forscher coldly to Leer.
Those three are walking along the road, looking at some people doing varies activity. Some are wiping dust on cars windshield, some are chopping some vegetables, some are doing nothing but smoke.
"These guys are came from each different profession. That man who carving wood over there are once a logistic driver, that girl over there once a chef for a big restaurant. I once a police, and Forscher here was a construction worker." Augen explain the situation as they walking.
"And that guy in front is Helfer, he was a vet. He's taking charge of our pet, we got two dogs and a parrot you know, and Helfer taking a good care of them."

A guy in his 30 stood motionless in front of us, his gaze are locked to a yellow Labrador sitting at his feet. The guy have tied long hair, thin facial hair, and wearing a green cloak similar to what Leer use. As he heard Augen's voice, he turn his head toward them.
"Hey Helfer, wassup?" Augen greet Helfer with cheerful tone.
"You guys back. How was it? Found the stuff...? Who is that?" Helfer looking at Leer with suspicious look, Leer become worried as she think she did something wrong.
"A stray cat we picked up, she came to us when we having our lunch. She look hopeless, so I took her with us." Augen explained in joking tone while sticking her tongue out.
"I uh... My name is... Leer..." Leer said quitely, she haven't gained enough confidence to speak louder to new people.
"I see... My name is Helfer. Nice to meet you." Helfer nod at Leer.
"You know where Frost is? I need to introduce her to him first." Augen asked.
"He should be by the black truck, he was checking on our explosive. Maybe he still there." Helfer pointing with his thumb at a black pickup truck behind him.

Forscher nod his head and Augen wave at Helfer, we continued to walk toward the truck. As they got closer, there's figure of a man on his knee looking at a box labeled TNT, he is holding a small board with paper and counting the content of the box.
"Frost, we found another survivor." Said Forscher calmly.

The man startled, he get up and turn around facing Forscher and the other. The man look quite young, with gray-ish short hair, pale skin, and fairly fit body. But the most noticeable feature on him is a big scar slashing from his forehead to his chin, crossing his left eye, with that scar he became more intimidating than he should be.
"... Who is she?" Frost asked calmly.
"Frost, this is Leer. She came to us when we taking a break, one of those who refused to give in." Augen introducing them to each other.
"And Leer, this is Frost. He once was a... Demolitionist, if I could say it like that. and he, is the leader of this convoy."
Frost stare directly onto Leer's eyes, he doesn't give a single hint of emotion on his face. Then he reaching his right hand toward Leer, wanted to shake hands.
"Nice to meet you."