Hope for the Damned [Closed]

Days had gone by since the market had been able to get fresh stock, not to mention riots had started breaking out over stupid little reasons due to little living resources for the remaining humans within the city of Abaddon. One after one, day by day the fights had once started off as mere and petty arguments and scuffles over what little food was to be offered for rations which had soon turned into full on fights and even near fatal casualties as a result.

Those who didn't want to get involved stuck to themselves on the outskirts of the market, taking their chances with starvation than to be struck as a potential victim by the other survivors. One of them, was this 5 foot 7 inches tall male who looked nothing like the others under all the dirt that stuck to his face and any exposed skin due to his tattered clothes as he silently and carefully walked his way around the current fighting within the market and out into the open.

Nao would rather risk being caught by the demons than to be caught up in a fight. He had never been one for conflict in the first place and to be honest... He still hated it. Where he had come from before he had found himself in this place was peaceful, he could remember when everyone got along with one another and helped out no matter what. And now all of that humanity had become just a ghost of its own past as he looked back over his shoulder at the scuffling group in the distance behind him.

A heavy sigh left the dark haired male's lungs as he slowly but surely made his way towards the fountain. Sure, he was starving, but water was the main essential he needed and found himself surviving on for the past week not wanting to get involved and picked on like the rest just over a mere bit of food that wouldn't even last a day.

He had to admit it though, at least it gave him more time to be on his own to at least try and think of solutions to his problems as they came along as he sat on the edge of the stone ring surrounding the fountain before cupping his hands together and lowered them into the water. Sure, he had a canister to put the cold and fresh liquid in, but he decided to get a drink first before filling it to take back home wit him afterwards.

Zara hated the city. She hated being here, but unfortunately it was necessary. She needed to scavenge and try to find something worth while to take back. Rations on rope and supplies to make candles were getting low. She was having a hard enough time trying to sneak around and find things without the riots. It was just awful how people could so easily turn on one another. Luckily, Chero wasn't like that. People went there to get away from things like this. Not to mention, it was safe from the demons for the most part. While she wondered why more people didn't live there, she was glad. They had so little room already and the digging process was slow.

The one thing they didn't seem to have much problem getting was food. Of course, Andy usually brought them lots of meat when he came to visit. Enough to feed the people they had for a month or two. Though it had been three months since his last visit and people were getting nervous. Zara understood though that Andy had a lot to be responsible for, and they were lucky they got his help at all - though she greatly appreciated his help, he could sure be annoying.

Zara headed over to the fountain for a drink, sitting down on the edge she dipped her hands into the water and drank slowly. It felt nice to quench her thirst here. In Chero, they had to save their water since it was hard to get a group of people up here to collect enough water to last everybody for a while. That reminded her, their water level was low - somehow, she'd have to get people up here to fix that. It made her nervous. Abaddon had gotten so dangerous - already she'd had to sneak past three groups of demons on their hunts.

Looking up, she saw a man sit down across from her at the fountain before dipping his own hands into the fountain for a drink. His skin was covered in dirt, and she wondered how long it had been since he'd been somewhere without the risk of being killed. She couldn't afford to bring more people back with her - they had a hard enough time as it was. It was still hard seeing all these people, and not being able to help them. Any spots they did have, were reserved for run away slaves. They needed to stay hidden. The Renegades had just taken in a new slave, and it wasn't pretty. Demons were always so rough with their slaves - she would know.

"Hello?" Zara spoke up with a small smile. She had a moment to talk to this man as she took a break - though she kept an eye out for danger. If she got caught, not just The Renegades but all of Chero would suffer - though Andy would probably just shake his head in disappointment and comment on how she should've saw it coming. He was such an ass sometimes.

As he had sat down and quietly started to drink from the fountain, Nao had never once even noticed the girl sitting on the opposite side of the stone water feature and his lack of attention at times could even end up as either his downfall, or the death of him due to his carelessness at times when his mind was more focused on other things for survival.

Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, his head snapped up as small onyx eyes quickly scanned around him before settling on the girl opposite him yet he remained silent for a moment as he remained with his gaze fixed on her. Almost as though he was trying to work out whether she was friend, or foe and how to react.

Inwardly, he was slightly panicked; his heard was already racing a mile a minute in his chest, hitting rapidly against his rib cage almost painfully with each beat it took and he could feel the adrenaline start to kick in and fill his veins as the fight or flight instinct kicked in with it yet he never once looked away from her just in case.

Besides... Looks can be rather deceiving at times like this. You could never know who you should trust even if they look like they wont do any harm to you, only to narrow his small eyes as he caught the smile once more trying to find any lies behind it before finally speaking. "H-Hi?" Nao stammered a little, causing his nerves to become ever so clear in the situation he was in just talking to the stranger opposite him as he slowly sat up properly. "You....You're not from around Abaddon... right?" He questioned quietly, as though anyone could be listening in on them from anywhere around them like hawks.

Zara could be very perceptive at times, and right now it was clear that the boy was nervous. Even his hands seemed to be trembling. Looking up at him, she acted cautiously, so not to upset him further. She smiled kindly at the question and shook her head. "Not exactly." Well, it wasn't like she could just start talking about Chero out in public! There was a reason they had lasted so long, and that was keeping it a secret. Sure, she would love for all the human race to live there, but then it wouldn't be safe anymore. It was hard to admit, but there were some humans who had decided to align themselves with the Demons - they had turned their back on their own race. It was disgusting and it made Zara angry.

"What's your name?" She asked curiously. This boy seemed alright, though he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was obviously not from around here, but it seemed he had been here for a while. Zara was always looking for more 'alliances' in the city. She needed people who could be where she needed ears. She needed information, and she had quite a few different people throughout the city, but more was always better. Could this boy be here newest?

For a moment, Nao fell back to being silent as he listened to the girl speak, nodding slightly to show that he was listening before taking another drink from the cold water of the fountain still feeling rather parched, as though he had swallowed sandpaper or some sort of grit that really irritated his throat. Yet, his eyes still never once moved away from the other as though watching her every move.

One couldn't be too careful in a place like this, especially when they're out in the open and letting their guard down and becoming sitting ducks for any predatory demons around to snatch up. You couldn't let yourself get too close to someone, or be stuck in conversation for too long either. With that thought in mind, the dark haired male glanced around, mainly towards the rooftops of the buildings surrounding them, looking out for any figures who had their eyes on them.

"...Naoyuki..." He spoke quietly once more after another moment of silence went past, moving his small onyx eyes back on the girl for the time being. Why was he even conversing with a stranger? Especially one who wasn't from around Abaddon. But then again... If she wasn't from where they are now, then where had she been hiding all of this time? Surely she couldn't have come from the forests or mountains. Those places were more dangerous than things were down here in this godforsaken place. "What about you?... If you're not from here... where did you come from? You don't look much like you could survive out there on your own..." He questioned in return, cocking his head to the side a little in both confusion and also curiosity. It had been ages since someone had managed to peak his interest, let alone someone from outside of the mess of Abaddon.

Nao..yuki...An odd name, but from where he came from no doubt it was common. It suit him, though and she nodded a bit. The silence bore on as she looked around. She'd been sitting for some time and it was starting to bother her. Andy had taught her about staying still, and how bad it was. She should really be moving on, or at least away from the public eye. Looking back to the boy, she smiled. "You can call me Zara."

She had lots of experience dodging the questions he was asking. "From here and there...I don't like to stay put." She smirked a bit and looked at him. "You underestimate me. That's good, because if people didn't underestimate me, I'd have a slightly harder time kicking their ass. Demons included." Looking him over, she smiled a bit. "See you look like you couldn't handle yourself in a fight either. But I bet I'm wrong....Do you live close by? We should get out of such a public place."

With the look of slight confusion he could spot in her eyes, Nao could tell that it was due to his name and that it clicked that he wasn't originally from this country from birth. But since he had come to this country, he had picked up on their language and could speak it quite fluently now since he had years to practice this while he had been in hiding and being around the crowds in the city when it had been a lot more peaceful than it was now.

However, he didn't like the fact that Zara was being evasive with his questions, in fact when something made him curious and he never got the answers or even the truth, it kind of got on his nerves but he knew it must be something that he shouldn't be knowing about. Even if it did start to worry him, like she had some sort of murderous feel around her now that she was being mysterious.

"...I don't like conflict... I like to avoid it. And I wouldn't be able to do anything to protect myself either." He mumbled a little under his breath almost incoherently as he lowered his gaze into the crystal clear waters before him, taking in every bit of dirt that clung to his pale skin underneath. "I guess so..." The boy mumbled again before opening the large canister and quickly submerged it into the cold water in order to fill it, closing the cap once more. With his water supply for the next few days at the ready, the small male moved to his feet and strapped the container to his back before starting to walk off back towards the outskirts of the market keeping out of prying eyes view.

Quietly, Zara followed the boy - keeping far enough away that it would not be apparent to others that they were leaving together. Keeping a hand on the small dagger at her side (the very same one Andy had given to her five years prior), she followed him back to his place.

Looking around, she found it as dirty as the boy herself. It was no great surprise. The entire city was like this. Briefly she wondered what the boy did for money. Most working humans in the city were in the entertainment business. Though she had eyes and ears in different mansions throughout the city, she had none in the entertainment district - where she knew a lot of deals were going down. To have somebody get in there for her to relay information would be essential.

"So what exactly do you do?" She tried to make the conversation starter seem as innocent as she could. She still didn't know what side he was on.

If he had known he was going to run into someone and end up having them over in his 'home' of an abandoned warehouse that had been stripped of its equipment, Nao would have at least made an attempt to rid the place of some of the dirt to make it look a bit nicer. However, that was never going to happen since this place was constantly becoming covered in dust from the ceilings above as they slowly eroded away above his own head, even while he slept.

Nao remained silent as he let Zara take a look around, to let her see what kind of lifestyle he had while surviving on his own against the world. But the question that he was given after the silence had been broken made him slightly confused yet he didn't speak for a little while longer as he concentrated on placing the full canister of water on the ground to one side before covering it to prevent any debris or dust from falling in and contaminating it.

"...Anything to survive really... Mainly just scavenging on my days off... But most nights I serve the demons drinks... Not that I enjoy it..." He sighed a little as he quietly explained what he did. He could tell that there was more meaning to the question he had been given, and decided to clarify on the dot than to leave it becoming a series of questions of repetitive things. "It's not like I'm really on anyone's side... Just... surviving."

Zara raised a brow as he mentioned serving the drinks. She was in close quarters with demons on a regular basis. And with all the nasty stuff that demons drink, it was obvious that he wouldn't be afraid to get his hands dirty.

"I see...so you work in the entertainment district?" She circled around the building and looks around. This place was large enough to house a few people. If they could get it secure, it would be a great place just in case - or maybe to store things. It could allow The Renegades to make overnight trips, night time scavenging, the possibilities were endless.

"How would you like to be on a side?" Looking over at him, she gauged his reaction. It was simple really. She was asking him to side with them - with his own race. However, she knew that he would be unaware of which side she was on. This worked to her benefit of course. If he simply agreed, she would question if he would really be loyal - there was always the possibility that she was siding with the demons - he could be agreeing to that! Luckily that was not the case, but she would wait and see what he said.

Silently, he made his way over to a makeshift bed in which he had constructed from a pile of old tarps and blankets in which he had managed to find within the old building he now called his home along with scavenging and stealing them from other 'homes' around when they were unoccupied and completely abandoned after having knowledge days after with no one to claim the homes back again before sitting down and crossed his legs.

Once seated, Nao stretched a little causing a few small pops to sound from his back up to his shoulders before leaning back against the wall, hands neatly folded in his lap as he watched the girl walk around as though examining the possibilities of the place before yawning a little. "I guess you could say that... since it's in that part of the district..." He mumbled a little tiredly as he rubbed the side of his head.

Yet, the new question that suddenly came his way caught him off guard and peaked his interest once more. Cocking his head a little, he stayed watching Zara with curious and warm eyes. "I've never been on a side before... I'm not sure I'd be of much help.. But I want to help also.." Nao spoke up, this time curiosity and slight helplessness appeared in his voice as he looked up, this time for once making eye contact with her. "But.. How would that be possible?"

Looking back to him, she smiled. A good response, indeed. Now, what exactly would she indulge to tell him? How much information could she say without giving too much away.

"I may or may not have ...ties to a group you may have heard of..." She walked around, looking back at him with a curious smile, "The Renegades?" Chuckling a bit, she walked back over and sat down in front of him.

"I know the leader is looking for people who can gather information and bring it back to them. If you were interested...you could be the change the world needs, and without any difficulty at all." She smiled a bit and sat back. What would he do with this kind of information?

"The Renegades?" Nao repeated the name he had been told, almost testing to see how well it rolled off of his tongue while at the same time he racked his mind to see if it sounded familiar or if he had heard of it at any point in time, his brows furrowing slightly in thought.

After a moment of thinking it over trying to remember, he shrugged a little as he hugged a blanket around himself to keep himself warm. He had never been able to adjust to the climate change. Sure, he had been exposed to the cold countless times, ones much worse than the ones here but at the same time it had been almost suffocating in heat while they had been outside so his body was a little shocked by the sudden drop while in the building.

"I can't say I really know of it... But the name does ring a bell..." He hummed a little in thought, chewing his lower lip slightly in an old habit while he continued to think upon the name he had been given for the group of people that Zara was telling him about. "I may have heard it from time to time at work... But... I doubt I will be able to handle being this... change that the whole world needs and relies on. I want to help still... so if you think your words are right... I'll help."

Zara played with a thin layer of dust that had settled on the floor and smiled a little. It was good to know that not a lot of people knew much about her group. It made their job much easier when there wasn't groups of demons out to get them. Still, it might mean a bit of explanation now - or did it? Did he really have to know much about them? Or could it just stay this way...He seems eager enough to help.

"Great...well, I can get in touch with the group sometimes...so if you hear anything at all that you think they can use against the demons, just tell me and I'll let them know." She smiled a bit, standing up. She should really get back - it was getting dark.

"Oh, that's right. If you need to find me, or get a hold of me I'll be at the fountain twice a week when the sun is at it's highest. That's really the only way right now - until I can learn to trust you more." She knew that might sound a little harsh, but she could read people fairly well, and she knew Nao trusted her as little as she trusted him. The only reason she had come here with him was because of the danger of demons if they lingered at the fountain too long - and she was sure if he had tried to attack her, she could handle it.

"I really should go..."

Nao could tell that with every glance that Zara gave him, that she didn't trust him just as much as he had very little trust for her. For all he knew, this could be a trap and she could actually be one of those who works for the demons and was planning on tricking him out into the open to a point he could not defend himself and share the very same fate as many of the humans who were now slaves to the damned beings.

If another was to stumble upon then, then surely they would be able to feel the tension in the room and be able to slice it physically with a knife with how dense it was around the two of them. Yet, he made the conscious choices to trust this girl with the information she was giving him to be true and that he would be of help for the good of the humans and not for the demons.

The boy remained silent as the harsh words were spoken, only giving a small series of short nods to show that he took it in before glancing out the small space of the boarded up windows noticing that it was indeed becoming dark before moving his gaze back to the other. "That would be best... For you to leave the city while it's still light out. They'll be coming out very soon... And I need to get to work also before they realize I'm close to being late turning up..."

Zara nodded and looked out the window once more. She really had to get going. Once it was dark out, she'd have to stay in Abaddon. She couldn't risk the demons seeing how she got back to Chero. It would put everybody at risk. Biting her lip, she looked back to him and nodded.

"Don't let on that anything has changed while you're working. They pick up on things very easily, and if they think you're hiding something important they have ways of getting it out of you." She wasn't trying to scare him - only make him more alert. This was very important. As always with getting new people to helping the Renegades, she had to make sure that they didn't screw up like that and lead the demons right to them. Another reason why she wasn't telling him how to find her. If he knew, they could find out.

With those final words, Zara headed back out into the streets and started to make her way back to Chero. By the time she reached the fountain, it was dark and plenty of bodies surrounded her with the tell-tale golden eyes. Fuck! Her thoughts raced quickly. She couldn't go home now. She had to find another way to make it through the night. She knew Andy was going to get worried if she didn't come back, but she hoped to God that he wouldn't come out looking for her.