Grow

The weather in Zaun was hard to explain, its function was as complex as all the things that happened in the district, but the mornings were always inexplicably cold for us.

This morning the purifiers had barely begun to dissipate the clinging fog when I woke up, it had been three days since we went to the ruins, Lily had gotten a good cut of our loot, so we wouldn't have to worry about anything during the week, but we weren't doing anything.

The desire in our hearts had been awakened, we had decided that, we would not go again until we were ready, at least as far as we could go. So my task was to make armor, bite-resistant.

There were three different models I had in mind, a heavy and resistant model for our vanguard (Yutong). A light and agile armor for our rearguard (Lily), together with a slingshot, and for the others (Mary, Me) a resistant armor together with equipped pockets to carry luggage.

I had also planned to be able to put together a more comfortable prosthesis for Mark, like the one he would use in the future, but that would be something I would have to do for another time, I not only lacked the time, but also the necessary tools.

"You're okay, those burns seem to be getting worse" Lily said as she took my hands to point out the seriousness of the scars, and she was right, but I hadn't thought of a solution yet, in the future I had simply gotten used to it and gloves would just get in the way and degrade the result of the joints.

"I will be, it will just be a matter of me getting used to them" I told her as I moved my hands away from her, fearing that she might get burned due to the residue.

"You should take a break, there are still days to go before the agreed time."

We talked about going to the ruins again seven days after returning, and there were still another four days left. Although dangerous, it was obvious that this was the best chance we had so far. That's why Yutong and Mark were making sure we didn't draw attention to anyone.

"Don't worry, this is the last one, but I still can't rest, it's not only our team that needs to improve, but also our skills, the next few days we will have to practice what we need to practice to be a coordinated team."

We could not expect that we would have the same luck in dealing with our enemies there, I had made the mistake of believing that the biggest danger would be the gas, but it was not something I would repeat, there could be more than just dogs in there.

"For that, you must first know how a coordinated team works."

"I've heard some things about that, we'll be able to work out the kinks over time."

In the future there would be a professional team easily disarming dozens of gangs in Zaun, I had learned as much as I could from those masked ones and my thoughts had been to aspire for us to achieve something similar.

"You've changed, don't get me wrong, you've always been someone who tries his best and has used his brain, but before we moved according to the situation, we trusted that we would get through whatever happened by clinging to small chances. But now you are creating those chances for all of us. Thank you, Damian."

Of all of us, it had always been Lily who had the best eye, she was a perceptive girl and attentive to her surroundings with a lot of insight even in the dumps, she avoided weak groups and joined ours at the most opportune moment, almost as if she had been waiting for the moment. That's why we always left the group business to her.

"We'll set up a company Lily."

"WHAT?!" The surprise was more than evident on her face.

"We will create a successful business, between all of us and you will be the one in charge of managing everything, while Mark will be by your side keeping all the accounts" Lily's skills were wasted with simple barters or contracts, she could do better, she just lacked the necessary support.

After what seemed like a whirlwind of emotions, from anger, surprise, and finally joy "...Thank you, Damian."

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The sound of a small body falling to the ground, my body. I looked up and saw Yutong a short distance in front of me, with a smirk on his lips, whenever there were physical activities he was the happiest boy in the world.

 I looked across the field, to see Mark, looking worse than me, looming over him was Lily, with a club in her hands. She was the one who was most insistent on Mark's need to increase his athletic abilities.

Lily didn't wait for Mark to move. She raised her makeshift club. I almost felt the blow to his abdomen. But I had been too focused on that side to take a similar one from Yutong to my head.

Thinking about the situation I was in, I calculated the distance I was from my club and realized I had no time to pick it up. There was only one thing to do, so, without slowing down, I lowered my shoulder and lunged at it, with all my might.

As I hit, I felt a loud crack in my right shoulder and saw stars. It sounded like I had knocked the wind out of Yutong, but when I couldn't breathe, I realized that no, it was me who had been stunned. I found myself falling to the ground with a thud, next to Mark's body.

"You're too thin for a load."

"I know" was all I could think to say, and I said it as a hiss. I writhed on the floor trying to catch my breath. Incredibly, I felt the sensation of the cold, slippery knob brushing against the fingertips of my left hand. I gripped the handle of my club.

Yutong was surprised to be hit and threw a direct blow hoping to regain the initiative, but I managed to raise the club just in time to protect myself, then charged at me. I tried to brace myself and let go of mine knowing it would do no good. I think he hit me in the face with his fist because it was the only thing I remember seeing after I lost consciousness.

I lay there, my whole body aching, even in the future my body would not improve much, the malnutrition and scars had left little strength in this body. Little by little, I was recovering some of my strength and energy, until I felt hands on me and I realized that Mark was helping me to sit up. He said something to me, but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

We walked silently, both of us leaning on our shoulders, towards our hiding place. We were the weakest of the group and had a feeling of camaraderie in the face of the monsters who called themselves our friends.

The silence between the two of us continued, as we went through the routines of the night, such as lighting the campfire and preparing the food.

"We must consume twice as many calories to get out of the current malnutrition we are in" Mark said, with a determined look on his face.

"I've devised some plans to create a support so you can move around more easily."

I replied, knowing what he was referring to, as I was also filled with similar thoughts.

"We'll get out of this Damian" Mark said, as he looked to the other side of the hideout where the one Mark was determined to bludgeon was.

"That's right Mark, soon they will be the ones on the floor "I said as the image played in my head and a smile played on my lips.

When the flames went out we were still discussing plans and alternatives on how we could become strong and once we were strong, how we would make the idiots swallow dirt, so we could defeat the biggest obstacle we had ever experienced in our lives.

"Shut up you idiots."