Chapter 8

Ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred, no there must be around two hundred zombies about to crowd the only entrance and exit to the store that the team was currently residing in. The knight ran out first pulling Crow and Lili with him, Ghost followed suit with Knuckles trailing behind carrying his wife Sandra, and Captain Judge ran out last.

"It's a good thing we're all here, but we have got to get a move on before that hoard is on us to bite our faces off!" The captain said as serious as can be.

"Wait where's Dion?" Sandra said looking around for her more than likely drunk brother.

"Umm isn't that him over there" Lili asked pointing at Dion who was still in the store holding two bottles of wine while crying.

"What the hell is that idiot doing?" Ghost said mouth shifting into a snarl as he saw his friend swaying around in the store.

"Come on we have to go get him" Sandra said about to move towards the store to save her brother before Knuckles pulled her back.

"What are you doing? Let go I have to save him!" The panic was rising in her voice as Knuckles kept pulling her back with tears beginning to form at the corner of her eyes.

"Stand down, look at him. He's made his choice, he knows what needs to be done. We wouldn't be able to all make it, not with a hoard that big on our tail. He's giving us some time so let's not waste it!" The captain stated with finality.

The knight stood there stunned unable to speak nor move as he stared at his friend somberly singing and drinking in his final moments. The zombie hoard began to crowd around the store as Dion took a stance with the two wine bottles ready to die fighting. Crow took out her crossbow and began taking potshots randomly into the crowd of zombies hoping to help out however she could in the moment. Captain Judge's face scrunched up while he thought of potential moves and strategies. Knuckles was still holding Sandra back as Ghost simply turned around and kept his head down while Lili looked around at everyone worried.

"Come and get me you bloody flesh eating fucking bastards from hell!" Dion shouted continuing to swing the two wine bottles to take out a zombie with each swing.

"The man was a mighty fine soldier, so I guess we'll give him his due and see him to his end." The captain said seeing the morale of the group decrease by each passing second.

"This is all my fault, it's all my fault. If I hadn't fought all those zombies last night this hoard probably wouldn't have come here. Dion's over there right now fighting for his life and I'm just standing here staring at him." The knight thought to himself, mind racing without the ability to move a muscle.

"Why, why, why, why the fuck can't I just move? Why am I frozen still? Those fucking zombies can't hurt me so why am I stuck here in fear? Why am I so useless and pathetic?" The knight continued to think, visibly shaking as the anger bubbled deep inside of him from the humongous amount of disappointment he feels about himself.

Knuckles pulled Sandra into a hug making sure she's not seeing her brother's tragic, but heroic end. Crow kept shooting taking breaks only to retrieve her arrows when she was running low. Ghost kept his back turned and his head down as he began to sob quietly with Lili rubbing his back worry etched on her face feeling the sorrow they all emanated. Captain Judge kept his head high, taking out a cigarette and a lighter, he started to smoke looking to the sky. When Crow returned with her arrows replenished The knight took his first step forward. Looking like a man on a mission, completely different from the previous day, The knight swiftly stole an arrow from Crow's quiver before anyone could react. Crow turned her head to the side slightly seeing The knight move suddenly, but slowly as he walked across her left towards the zombies. She didn't notice that he had one of her precious arrows otherwise she would've stopped him, but as he got closer to the zombie hoard Lili turned her head toward the noise.

"Hey! Get back here metal head! Where do you think you're going?" Lili asked confused as to why he would suddenly start to walk towards the zombies instead of away from them.

"Does he seriously not understand how dangerous that hoard is?" She thought to herself about to go and get him.

"Leave him be." The captain said putting an arm out to stop Lili from advancing any further.

He had a contemplative look in his eye as if he was testing the waters to a theory he's had going on in his head for a long while. Lili stopped confused as to why he would stop her from going out to prevent The knight from risking his life needlessly. With the distraction provided by Captain Judge, The knight threw himself into the hoard of zombies after walking incredibly close to them. Arrow first he charged through swinging for the fences and stabbing quickly, his hands became a blur as he slowly walked further into the ocean of zombies. The further he walked to get closer to Dion the quicker he walked looking like an animal that has finally been released from his cage. Meanwhile Dion continued using the two wine bottles to buy time without realizing that help was coming for him. Dion swung both bottles wide and heavy falling to the ground face first as he hit two zombies that were in front of him. Two more zombies came in from behind the two he hit which caused him to quickly jump to his feet while swinging his weapons upward sending the two zombies backward into the group.

"Come on, come on, come on!" The knight screamed to himself as he saw the door leading to where Dion was currently held up.

He saw the light from the inside and started to swing even faster than before while charging at maximum speed. The amount of zombies in his way slowed him down slightly as he started to push them to the side rather than dispatching them to be quicker. Captain Judge and the rest of the group looked on with hope in their eyes as Crow stopped taking random shots into the crowd of zombies seeing as to how the number dropped significantly from two hundred to around fifty to thirty zombies left.

"Please, please save my brother." Sandra prayed with her eyes closed as her husband Knuckles kept holding her.

The knight had made a hole through the crowd of zombies and had finally made it inside. His eyes widened with mouth ajar as he took in the sight in front of him. The others outside got a tiny glimpse inside and that glimpse was enough to send Sandra spiraling into tears. Before they got their glimpse inside The knight saw a bloodied Dion surrounded by zombies, however many of them weren't dispatched. The knight walked up to Dion as he was standing still crying, his makeshift weapons on the floor and shattered. Both of them collapsed to their knees as The knight caught his friend in his arms.

"I-I I don't wa-wanna. I don't wanna turn into one of em beasts." Dion sobbed out, his voice cracking trying to get his message out.

"Please!" Dion begged staring into the holes of The knight's helmet.

The knight silently and slowly removed his helmet to reveal his face to his friend for the first time. Brandishing the arrow he saw the bite marks on Dion at last and realized what exactly was being asked of him. He allowed the tears to fall like a faucet being opened the dam flood began. Dion joined him in crying as The knight never took his eyes off of Dion's, he took the arrow and swiftly entered it into the side of his friend's skull, piercing the brain. Dion's eyes went blank as the color left, dulling any life that used to be held in them. It was this glimpse of both men on their knees with Dion's head leaning on The knight's shoulder as blood spilled out of his mouth dripping down with an arrow in his head. The look of his lifeless eyes were what sent Sandra into a fit of tears.

"No! No! No! No no no! He was my best friend!" Ghost screamed into the sky, tears falling freely down his face as well.

Crow dropped to the ground, eyes grayed out as she stared at the ground. Dion had been a pain in her back for what's felt like forever and now she wouldn't ever be able to hear his annoying voice lift her moods again. She knew the rumors people held about her hating him, but that couldn't be further from the truth, in reality she admired him for being able to lift the moods of anyone in the room although you had to admit he was a pain in the ass and knew how to get underneath someone's skin. Captain Judge took his hat off and put it to his heart in acknowledgment to a splendid soldier. He even strangely allowed himself to weep a single tear before wiping it away to show a stoic face once more. He had to be and look strong for the team he was leading after all.

"Come on my friend, let's get you back home and in peace." The knight said picking his friend's body onto his shoulders after removing the arrow and breaking it in half, throwing the remains across the room.

The knight with Dion's body on his shoulders charged towards the remaining zombies as they finally stood up again. He screamed as he ran, aiming to take down each and everyone of those zombies. His eyes became bloodshot due to losing himself to the anger and adrenaline coursing through his veins. As he charged into numerous zombies, he would take opportunities to stomp their chests in or crush their skulls. Once he arrived outside his charge slowed to a walk once more as he shifted Dion from his shoulders to carrying him in his arms. The anger he was feeling dissipated and transformed into sadness upon seeing how the others were reacting to Dion's death.

"Let's go." The captain said drearily leading the group to a nearby park.

The group walked behind Captain Judge with The knight carrying Dion's body in the middle. The walk was slow, silent, and painful without even a single drop of rain from the sky, in contrast the sky was a clear blue with the sun out in full effect. It seemed almost as if Dion was smiling and laughing at them through the sun trying to get them to lighten up a bit. By the time they arrived at the park not a single eye was dry as their shoulders all dropped from the exhaustion of the events that transpired with the only exceptions being The knight and Captain Judge. The knight set Dion's body down before walking away much to Lili's dismay.

"And where do you think you're going now? You know you always seem to disappear when we need you most." Lili said grabbing hold of The knight's shoulder.

He showed no signs of having heard her as he continued on walking, shrugging her hand off his shoulder. He walked with an empty mind to a hardware store three blocks away. He walked slowly and methodically towards the store only deviating to crush the skulls of the rare lonely zombie in his way. Prior to today he would've had much more mercy for the things he now sees as beasts that need to be put down. Six zombies, six beasts were put down when he arrived at the store, opening the door another zombie fell out to his anger and dismay. Side stepping the zombie he stomped on its head before walking in and grabbing three shovels from the display. Satisfied that he now has what he came for he began walking back to the park. At the park Captain Judge was smoking while looking at the clear sky above them. Crow spent her time cleaning her arrows and sharpening them as Sandra and Knuckles sat together with Knuckles rocking her back and forth. Ghost was staring at Dion's cold, grey, dead face as he whispered unintelligibly to himself coming out more as mumbles. Lili collected bouquets of flowers for the group so they can leave it with Dion hoping to give him a proper send off. The knight returned to this scene dropping two of the shovels in front of the group before beginning to dig a hole in front of the tree nearby Dion's body. Realizing his intent Captain Judge picked up a shovel to join him with Ghost following suit.

"So this is what you left to get. You could've told us we would've helped you, you know." Lili said returning herself with the bouquets.

The knight simply nodded as he continued to dig the hole with Captain Judge and Ghost. Lili handed out a few bouquets to Sandra, Knuckles, and Crow while waiting. Ghost started humming a hauntingly beautiful funeral hymn as the three men put the finishing touches on the hole. With the hole done, The knight lifted himself out of it to pick up Dion's body and carefully lower him to the two men below where they laid him in his final resting place. Ghost and Captain Judge joined the others above and collected their bouquets from Lili as they all stood around the hole and tree. Ghost who was closest to the tree took out a dagger and wrote Dion on it deep into the tree's trunk. It was silent the whole time they were there before they each stated their goodbyes silently by tossing their bouquets down into the hole starting with The knight and ending with Sandra. With the quick and silent funeral over The knight started to refill the hole with Ghost and Knuckles. The loss they felt that day broke a small piece in each of them that wouldn't be recovered ever.