The Water Collections

Three large tankers rolled up to the large lake in the middle of the island all of them retro fitted with hoses made to suck water into the tanks to bring back to the "Scrap City" as its come to be called. Once they rolled up 6 dust men jumped out of each and got the hoses into the water and began collecting. Armando the 'conduit' in charge of weaponry and 'military' jumped from one holding a large gun that looked to be an AK-47 but it was covered in spikes and was mostly a dark purple-ish black.

The dust men were close to the edge of a ruined, dead forest by the lake. The ground looked charred from the events of the Cataclysm, and most of the trees that once stood proudly were blackened and twisted towards the ground into menacing, skeletal figures with arching limbs and gnarled branches.

A shadowy figure stalks in between the trees and the mangled remnants of brush by the edge of the forest. The black silhouette stands out briefly, only for a split second, and a pair of glowing silvery eyes may catch the attention of one of the dust men before the figure disappears again into the looming blackness.

Two dust men that were looking that was raise weapons and are about to fire when it disappears they look at each other confused and one says "You what the fuck was that!?" the other looked at him and shook his head "How the hell am i supposed to know!? lets just..make sure whatever it is doesn't come any closer..."

Only the sound of a pistol's hammer was heard in the ear of the dustmen's ear when he turned to look for the shadow.
"Make sure what doesn't get any closer?" a female's voice said curiously.

the Dustman would drop his weapon but all the other dustmen drop what they are doing and train their weapons on the outnumbered intruder. Armando would laugh with his hand on a sword that was slung on his side "You know, its not very smart to threaten some one when he has a good twenty some odd friend around just ITCHING to shoot something."

She turned toward the man speaking with her hand trigger ready by her second pistol at her side.
"Guns were shouldered, what reaction would you expect? If there is no hostilities then there is no need for weapons to be drawn."

Armando tilts his head in a nod "You lower yours, me and my men will lower ours."

"Know I have a quick draw, if you should be lying to me then I will kill you." She said as she lowered her pistol and placed it in a holster on her hip. "If you should be telling the truth then I have no quarrel with you. My name is Lilith Locke."

All the soldiers would lower their weapons and Armando would walk forward holding his hand up to shake "The name is Armando Dracul, one of the conduits of the Sa'Kage."

The figure at the edge of the treeline reappears several yards away, standing motionlessly by a range of sickly green willow trees as it glances out towards the scene unfolding closer to the lake. It stands tall and slender, with a black cloak draped over its shoulders and flowing towards the cracked, black roots poking out of the ground.

It steps forward slowly, barely visible amongst the black forest, and a deep voice breaks the silence.

"Who goes there?"

The dustmen look toward it ready to take aim if needed, Armando looked over to him "Give us your name stranger, and we will give you ours."

"I think not." The figure pauses for a moment. "And don't bother raising your guns toward me. I did not come here to threaten any of you."

Lilith turn to face the stranger and approached without hesitation.
"If you planned on hurting anyone you would have some time ago, would you not? Forgive my intrusion, I have a way of reading these things. Tell me, what would give you purpose for giving your name?"

The strange man was completely covered by a black, hooded cloak. He stood straight and tall with his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed slightly, just enough to conceal his face.

"Indeed, you are right. I mean no harm here. I only came to ask what all of this is...and why everyone here seems to be pointing their weapons at each other."

He glanced towards the group of people and the large tankers by the shore of the lake.

Armando would tell his men to go back to their work and he would nod at the mysterious figure and say "We mean no harm we are just collecting water for our people. My name is Armando, im one of the conduits for the Sa'kage."

"Armando and...?" The cloaked man turns towards the girl, seeing if she will offer her name.

"I take it that you two did not come here together."

Armando shook his head "No we did not..."

"My name is Lilith Locke. As you have said, we did not come together." She said as she rolled her eyes.

"You have come here for water? I see."

He watched the tankers sucking water up out of the lake curiously.

Armando nodded "Yes we live in the desert. We need large amounts of water to survive."

The man nods.

"I hadn't heard of any survivors in the desert...perhaps you could tell me more about where you come from. And how you made your way here - near my people's land."

We live in the ruins of an old city, we came here via these older tankers that we retro fitted to work again.

"Who are you to question ones land when you have yet to give your name? Do you not think that is unfair to ask that of someone?" She looked sternly at the figure. "I do believe proper introductions are in order."

The man was hardly bothered by Lilith's harsh reactions.

"Let's not be so confrontational here, shall we? We're all here for a reason. There is no sense in being at each other's throats. Perhaps we got off to a bad start - my apologies."

He bowed his head slightly and continued speaking. "I am an Acolyte. You all must have come a long way from home. I am simply interested in what brings you here, that is all. I didn't mean to seem...unfair."

Zelinda stealthily moved through the trees, traveling closer to the group. She hadn't seen these people around before, nor the strange vehicles that seemed to be sucking up and unreasonably large amount of water from the lake. She moved close enough to hear, and settled down to listen.