Later

From the perspective of Chase Cringle.

Our group was ready to get out of Dodge. We were no longer welcome in Promethean Territory, at least not for the next 10 years. You might as well say we should have never been allowed back. Would I return after my 10 year banishment was over? Maybe, if I lived that long.

The sun was harsh today, with few clouds in the sky. The six of us sat in the black Chevrolet Tahoe. I sat in the passenger seat, and Brandon sat in the driver seat. Jeriah sat with the girls in the back of the Tahoe. Nicole hugged Atropine through the left rear window and said her goodbyes to him as he held back tears. Scolopendra and Evelyn were not present to see us off.

Atropine was deeply saddened to see Nicole leave. "You take care, Nicki. We'll see eachother again someday. It's a promise."

Nicole smiled in response. "I know we will. I'll miss you. Keep things in order here while I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay." Atropine sniffled and wiped away a single tear. He looked inside the vehicle and noticed the time on the stereo screen. "Well, it's time for y'all to go. You guys should make some headway while you can." Atropine, feigning a smile, slowly backed away from the vehicle.

We all waved goodbye at Atropine, and Brandon started the vehicle.

"Later," Brandon said to Atropine as we passed him.

We rolled out leisurely-like. Not one of us was in a hurry.

About thirty minutes into our trip to Chicago, Brandon and I spotted a lone female deer about 200 feet ahead on the highway. Brandon immediately stopped the vehicle, his eyes blood-shot and dead set on the deer.

"Guys, I believe it's time for a blood-break," Brandon admitted.

"A blood-break?" I asked. "Did you just come up with that?"

"Uh-huh," Brandon replied, focused on the deer.

"Alright," I said. "Jeriah, you need some blood?"

"Uh, yeah," Jeriah replied. "I'm super parched."

"Okay then. Ladies, we're gonna take a quick blood-break. Don't mind us. I don't think any of you would want to watch."

"Don't take too long," Angeline said as she rolled her eyes when I glanced back behind me. I stuck my tongue out at her in response, then I grinned as I walked away.

The doe continued to stand still, watching the three of us step out of the Tahoe with inquisitive eyes.

"So, uh, how are we doing this? That deer is at least half a football field away. Are we gonna kill it? Or just take some of its blood?"

I broke the news to Jeriah. "Buddy, I don't think that deer will be alive when we're through. I guess we can just run after the deer and use our strength to bring it down. Then one of us will use our extended claws to cut the deer's throat. Then we drink, one at a time."

Brandon and Jeriah both nodded.

"Good plan," Brandon agreed. "Do you really think we can run fast enough to catch a deer?"

"We can surely try," I replied.

"Okay, enough talk. Last one to drink is a cripple!" Jeriah shouted as he rushed forward at breakneck speed. The doe, in response, began to run off in the opposite direction. Within seconds the doe was down while Brandon and I just stood there, mystified.

"Damn, he's fast," Brandon acknowledged.

"A little too fast," I concurred. "C'mon. Let's catch up."

Arriving at the scene, Jeriah had already slit the deer's throat and was slurping down the scintillating fresh blood that glistened under the intense sun. I thought about how hot it was, and how the girls in the Tahoe must be burning up inside.

"Let's hurry," I said. Brandon simply nodded and we both joined in with Jeriah, taking turns.

When we each had our fill, we looked like a trio of murder suspects with blood dripping down our faces and drops of blood scattered on our clothes.

"Deer blood really hits the spot," Jeriah admitted.

"Agreed," Brandon replied.

"I hope the girls don't think any less of us," I said.

"Nah," Jeriah responded. "They knew what they agreed to when they joined us on our journey to Chicago. They knew what we are, and what we do. It shouldn't bother them, not in the least."

Jeriah continued to stride toward the Tahoe without us. Brandon shrugged in response and then began to walk forward.

Jumping back in the Tahoe, I felt like a messy degenerate. I desperately attempted to wipe away all the blood on my face. Brandon did the same. Jeriah, though, just sat back in his seat and smiled wide, satisfied, as he was glared down by the three ladies that were present.

"Here, wipe yourself off. You're a mess," Nicole said as she passed Jeriah a white rag she found on the floor and had doused with water from her water bottle. Jeriah gawked at the rag, then he gawked at Nicole. Jeriah ultimately accepted the rag and wiped his face clear of blood.

"Thanks," Jeriah quietly replied.

"You're welcome."

"How far away is Chicago?" Phoenix asked.

Brandon answered. "Well, the village of Pocahontas is about a mile ahead. Checking the GPS, I can see that Chicago is about 270 miles from Pocahontas. We're a good four hours away from Chicago, if I continue driving over the speed limit. Good thing there are few cars on the road. The F.E.F. must care about these parts."

"I guess," I replied, and I instantly noticed an F.E.F. Sky Fortress floating overhead. "Holy hell. Look up at the sky!" I shouted in surprise.

We were all amazed. The Sky Fortress was a massive triangular ship, maybe half a mile wide, floating freely in the sky and decked with high steel walls and equipped with 30 tactical nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles and dozens of high caliber cannons. From below, you wouldn't be able to see the magnificence of it all, but above the Sky Fortress was mostly flat, save for the actual fortress at the center of the airship. Around the fortress, I've been told, was a self-sustained ecosystem complete with native earth, grass, trees, even birds and squirrels and smaller animals. It was a marvel of modern technology, and one of the F.E.F.'s grand designs. From what I've been told, the F.E.F. owned 2 of these Sky Fortresses, both roamed the skies over the 31 states controlled by the F.E.F..

"That's a colossal airship," Brandon muttered.

"You don't think they're worried about us, do you?" Jeriah asked.

"Doubtful," Brandon replied. "It's a warship. It only targets threats to the F.E.F.. We're no threat."

"I wouldn't want to be on their bad side." Nicole admitted.

"Me neither," Phoenix replied.

"I'm not gonna stay to find out," Brandon replied as he started the Tahoe and we continued our journey to Chicago.

I pondered what Chicago would be like when we arrived, and whether we would find Zed and his retinue. I, too, feared the prospect of arriving in Chicago and losing track of my purpose, or worse, losing one of our own.