Rain.
It had been raining for four days straight. Mud slicked the ground as water hammered the dusty earth. The rider, riding a great mutant boar (it was but a pig, but had since mutated into a great bloated boar with great tusks and armored plating), was a great man. His hair flowed out long in it's dark color. He had a light beard. Muscles bulged beneath his animal furs and mutant skins he had worn as clothes. At his side hang Evilslayer, his sword. Evilslayer had been gained from a battle against a horde of mutants in a mall across the river several days before in a town once known as Enfield.
Now, the rider rode into the now-damned town of Suffield.
He was Arc, the post-apocalyptic barbarian warrior wandering these wastelands.
He spat down into the muck below his steed's hooves as they carried on.
~~~~
The boar took Arc through the destroyed town. Blown buildings were everywhere. Barley anything stood. He spotted an armored vehicle outside of a hardware store, but decided against to stop, as it would only lead to wasted time. Besides, those could already be dead. The steed he rode upon trotted down the torn-up road. He spotted what looked like a rat, but bigger, with more legs and bigger teeth. Lunch, he thought. Arc dismounted, drawing his bow and some arrows from a quiver on his steed. He turned, seeing the creature scramble into an area named "CVS plaza."
He cracked his neck. "Bugga..." He chased after it, kneeling every once in awhile to check if it heard him. He spotted it as it scurried away into a overgrown area of trees. Arc cursed and the chase began once more. His booted feet charged across the rubble-torn earth. He almost tripped over a root. He saw his lunch chewing upon the remains of a dead thing. "Got ya..." He pulled back the arrow after notching it, and aimed...
Then another arrow hit the thing in the head. Arc lifted an eyebrow, and felt something hit him in the back of the back.
~~~~~~
Arc awoke, feeling sweat. The room was very dark. "Welcome to the Academy clan..." He heard a voice say. He turned to see a tall man dressed in robes. He also noticed he was in a small room, on a bed. "Where am I, sir?"
"You are in Suffield Academy, in one of our dorm rooms."
"You are scholars?"
"Some of us, yes... We are attempting to rebuild our town using the knowledge from our libraries. And, unfortunately, one of our guards saw you as a trespasser, and knocked you out-cold in order to bring you here..."
"Where is my food and steed?"
"Both are safe in one of our facilities... The steed is, to be exact... You wont be needed to eat that mutated rat now. You need beer and maybe a healthy dinner? We have some leftover chicken and pizza that we had stolen from the raiders over at the local pizzaria..."
"There are more people in this town?"
"Yes. Some Russian mercenaries took over the local High School, there are also Japanese mercenaries and some renegades and highwaymen all throughout the place, and... feral gouls, lots... But now, come, we must eat."
Arc nodded, picking up his things, and followed the robed man, and three men clad in football gear, carrying axes, hammers and hunting rifles outside. They wandered over to a large building. The land here was quite bleak, and had only faced the least of one of the nuclear blasts. He saw people tending a crop field in what once used to be a large football field and track. Tents and lean-twos covered the rest of the fields, a small village. He spat, making the robed man cringe a bit. They reached the long steps up into a large building. Arc noticed watchtowers holding men in each surrounding the Academy. "This place is a fortress, is it not?"
"Now it is, yes..." They walked into a large cafeteria. Rows of tables, mostly empty save for beggars and hobos eating cold sandwiches and leftovers. Arc intimidated them a lot, as most turned away. They never said anything. He was given a unidentifiable can of beer and a plate of pizza and chicken. He dug in, having not taste food so good in a very long time.
"We need you to.." The robed man began, looking at Arc. Arc eyed up, and stopped eating to listen. "We need for you to go over to the local supermarket and cleanse them of raiders and other... uncleanliness... I will give you some of my men if necessary..."
"That is alright, I can go alone... I will leave in the morning. It has been a long time since I have last been in such hospitable of a place."
The man nodded in reply, smiling. "Thank you, sir, thank you!"
"My name is Arc by the way..."
"Yes Arc! Yes! We will give you anything you want if we can provide it! Do stay at our local inn!!" He smiled, and continued eating.
~~~~~
The local inn was out in the field of tents and lean-twos. It was several old large carrying colored creates you see on those cargo ships, all stacked atop each other and welded together with cloth and metal, ladders, stairs, ropes. Tents also were built into it, and there were sections actually inside small cabins. Fires glowed within the crates. Arc was thankfully given a cabin. There was a fire in it, a can of beans, and a milk jug of water. After a small meal, he crawled into his bed, an inflatable mattress with loose cloth and a normal pillow. He would leave at 7:00 AM tomorrow morning. He set his watch, ready, and fell into a deep slumber...
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To be continued... (I'm working on another fanfic right now. Enjoy!)