The Water Collections

Armando would chuckle "The water brings us here, i mean aint much water in the desert." he would raise his eyebrow "Acolyte?"

"That is true." The Acolyte calmly nodded and ignored the question as if he had nothing more to say.

Armando would ignore the man not answering his question and just move on. "So why are you here today of all days? We have been here quite often in the past and we have seen no one especially no one from that collection of rotting trees over there."

The men behind them would finish two of the three large tankers and would move to help protect the area just in case something tried to attack them while they loaded their towns life blood onto the tankers.

"I am here today because my people are concerned about this." He would briefly gesture towards the tankers. "I see that you are collecting water, but this is a shared resource - many people depend on the fresh water from this lake. Even those who come from 'that collection of rotting trees' - which, I might add, is my home..."

The man spoke solemnly, but his voice conveyed a slight bit of defensiveness towards the forest looming behind him being referred to in such a way.

Armando would nod "Oh sorry, i didn't know anyone lived there...i apologize. I understand your concern but we have a lot of people to feed and we need a lot of water. Since there arent any rivers to irrigate from in the desert we need it to farm and to drink."

A few subtle movements shift the charred brush by the treeline as the Acolyte speaks.

"I understand. And...if I may ask what brings you here, as well?" The man calmly turned towards Lilith again.

Lilith was staring into the distance when she heard the acolyte mention her name.
"Why I have come to this region? That is simple, I'm searching ruins in the area for stasis chambers," she said coldly.

"Stasis chambers? Perhaps you can tell me more about them. If I'm not being too intrusive, that is. But I know of no such thing in this area...there are ruins, yes, but I have no knowledge of any sort of stasis chambers."

Armando would raise an eyebrow "Stasis chambers? I live in a ruined city but we haven't checked it for any 'stasis chambers'..."

"I'd prefer not to speak of such things. My past is not your business," she said as she went back to scanning the area.

You were asking questions of us needing answers. Why shouldnt you give us the same courtesy?

As Zelinda knelt down near a tree to listen to the conversation, she might notice a slight buzzing sound by her ear. If she would happen to glance up at a gnarled, dead tree beside her, only a few feet away, she would see some sort of small object protruding from the trunk, as if it was tied around the tree. She would have to move closer to see exactly what it was.

Zelinda glanced at it wearily. She knelt down, and listened intently to the group nearby for a few minutes before losing interest and circling around to the object. She would move slowly, and in a round about way to make sure there are no traps.

"Stasis chambers, you know, chambers which distill time and space and keep experimental subjects. After the cataclysm many people, young and old, were taken to be experimented on to find a "cure". However it turned out that it was a cover to experiment to make human weapons. Few of them survived the experience and those who did were placed in stasis chambers to be kept until they needed them. Is that enough information for you?" Lilith explained with a glare.

Armando smiled a sweet yet condescending smile even though you cant see his eyes because of his visor. "Yes that quite enough thank you."

The Acolyte nodded at Lilith. "I see. Thank you. Where do you come from? As far as I know, these stasis chambers are not found around here - at least, not that I have seen."

While Zelinda circled around to see the object, she might have an eerie sense that she was being watched - even if no one saw her. The figures moving around in the brush deeper in the treeline rustled back and forth quietly, only for a split second at a time, from all around the woods.

An array of pentagram-like figures made of tiny twigs woven together hung from the branches, barely visible in the shadows of the forest.

Zelinda would now be close enough to see the object on the tree near her. A branch drooped from the tall, weary, thin treetop was impaled through the flesh of some type of small animal that was hardly recognizable in its state of decay. Zelinda would recognize the buzzing sound of flies swarming at the remains. It was suspened in midair, weighing the creaking branch down as if someone had placed it there quite deliberately.

Zelinda froze, "Euuuugh" she said quietly. She looked around slowly, and decided it best to leave. She began to skulk back towards the group to easedrop once more before leaving the area.

Lilith focused herself toward the forest, seemingly noticing something that others hadn't. After a moment she turned back toward the men and spoke more calmly.
"My homeland is in the wastelands to the northwest. However I wonder the lands searching ruins and cities for survivors of the cataclysm." After speaking she returned to looking at the forest.

"Well, it seems like you have found quite a gathering of survivors here. Strange that fate works in such ways to bring us together."

The Acolyte watches Lilith carefully, following her eyes. He notices her watching the forest, and he knows that she must have seen something that caught her interest since he understands the disheartening effect that the forest may have on outsiders.

"Is something wrong?"

Armando would nod "Yes so many survivors in one place now, it seems their are many new friends to be made by all yes?" He would look at lilith and the acolyte and listen intently

Zelinda froze initially, and then slowly began to back away. Then turned around and started to head further into the forest.

"No, it's nothing. I thought I saw someone in the brush though I'm sure you are not the "acolyte" watching this area. Am I correct?" she said as she turned again back toward those speaking.

"Yes - 'friends' indeed..."

The Acolyte broke his stoic stance for a moment to glance over his shoulder at the treeline, and then looked back to the others.

"You are right. There are many Acolytes."

As Zelinda turned and made her way further into the forest, the tiny animal twitched a few times. Its eyes were glazed over, as if it was staring at her as she walked past. A few twigs snapped nearby whenever she stepped - but it was nearly impossible to tell whether they were snapped by her footsteps, or by the movement of something else in the forest.

Zelinda ignored the creepy animal, and pulled her rifle off her back. It started to glow softly, not making a sound. She continued her trek through the forest, watching wearily around her, thinking that there was no possible way she was making so much noise - she never had before.

:: the clopping sounds of a horse might be heard drawing near, though it wouldnt be too terribly jarring, just a slow clop clop clop, in the distance a rather massive black percheron would walk into the clearing, a man in mid-late twenties seated atop it, assorted salvage, canteens, and stachels, hug about the make shift harness around the horse, across its mid back a saddle and behind that draped assorted tanned skins. The man wore a tattered black leather cloak, the hilts of 2 swords peak from the shoulders, upon closer inspection, he had 2 military styled holsters on each thigh, the man looked around his head turning in slow deliberate arcs scanning the area stopping a few times as he looked at the tree's , one such time Zelinda might notice he's looking directly at her before moving on over to the waters edge, and after whispering somthing to the gigantic horse, the horse would kneel slowly and rest on its haunches. The man would take his canteens 10 normal sized ones in total and 2 large backpack sized ones and head to the large as all hell lake (( INLAND FRESH WATER SEA)) and begin filling them, trying to keep to himself for the most part other than a nod to any dustmen near him.