Not as One

It's around 3 in the afternoon when Jacob and Emily went back leaving the doctor behind to take care of the girl's leader. With Near, by the entrance, Jacob noticed a crowd of people in front of Trevor. "What is going on?", Jacob asked Near.

"It seems like he is teaching them, I don't know.", Near answered.

"Teaching them about what?", he asked again.

"Stars, sky, sun. Things like that.",

"Sky?",

"He's teaching them about science. It doesn't look like it but, he is one of the smartest guys in our class. Even I can't compare myself to the things that he knows.", Emily said. "The only problem about him is that he is lazy and a hopeless person nonetheless.".

"The chief and captain are back", the kid said and Trevor was interrupted. "Maybe that's all I can tell right now, we all still have things to do.", Trevor said then together with the elder, who is also listening to him, went to Jacob and asked. "How did it go?"

"Where is Seig?", the elder added.

"The doctor is taking care of their leader and it seems like before supper she'll be able to talk to everyone.", Jacob said. "It seems like you are enjoying yourself here, what is the commotion about.", he asked Trevor.

"Well you see, a boy named Lucas approached me and asked about the sky and stars. I just couldn't resist a boy who is interested in science, so I tell him all I know. But then, I realized that many are interested in celestial bodies and such. So I started teaching them.", Trevor explained.

"You are a good man I can tell. But, you should also teach them how the world once work. The reason for me becoming a chief and Emily being the captain of defense really makes it hard for us to teach children. But now you are here, I think we have another pair of hands to entertain everyone.", Jacob said. "But that's not enough reason to not help in making that farm.".

"(That escalated real quick)", Trevor thinks to himself. "But don't worry. For now, until things are settled and are in balance. The farm project is going to be delayed.", Jacob explains.

"So what are our next move?", Near asked.

"We'll wait until their leader is ready to speak with. But for the meantime. let's help everyone get back up to the surface.", Jacob said and then they started going back to their houses except for a single household who approached Jacob.

"Chief! Our house is being guarded by those ladies and they don't want to let us in. What are we going to do?", the father asked him.

"You can stay at my house for a while. Their leader is inside recovering from an injury so they can't move her.".

"What about our valuables?"

"I'll change them if they were broken don't worry.", he answered.

Then the man went off and got his family into Jacob's house.

"Are you sure that we are already letting everyone out now? This place seems like it's still boiling.", saith the elder.

"Don't worry we have talked about this. We'll tell you all the details together with their leader."

It's about 5:00 pm when everyone was settled and started preparing for dinner. While everyone is busy, the leader of the girls starts to get up using a cane. "Are you sure you are doing this? I can just deliver the message to everyone by myself as you stay here and recover.", the ponytailed girl said.

"If so, then why did I came here. Is it just to be a burden to you?", she asked

"No, you are not a burden. It's just that..."

"I know that you care for me. But, I must do what I must do. As a leader and as a survivor.", she said, then she stood up and stars to walk outside. By the time she's out, everything is prepared and all in complete silence. She's a bit confused about what is going on until Jacob starts approaching her. The other girls were alerted and pointed their guns toward Jacob.

"Guns Down!", the ponytailed girl shouted. Then they put their guns down immediately.

"What is going on?", she asked Jacob.

"This is a formal apology to the accident we have caused you. That's why we prepared food for you and your companions.", Jacob said.

"We've already talked about this already before. It's all just an accident and there is nothing to apologize for. We... I should be the one actually apologizing since all this surprise was my idea. Causing you a bit of casualty. So this food is not just for us but for everyone.", she said.

Just before everyone starts eating. Jacob makes a formal stand on the front to announce something. "Everyone in this village, I want you to meet our new alliance. That will help us to survive in this cruel world. This is the leader of the Oath of the Ruins, Faye Reed.". Then everyone starts to applaud.

"(Wait, she's their leader?)", Emily ask to herself. "(If so then who is...)".

Near stood up and raises his hand. "What is it?", Jacob asked. "If she is their leader, then who is the person we saw at their base?".

"That's one of my servants, saying what I told them to do.", she answered.

"How do you know that we were coming?", Near asked again. But she stayed silent and the ponytailed girl answer.

"We had surveillance all around our domain so it's easy for us to know pieces of information kilometers away.", she answered.

"Let me introduce ourselves formally.", their leader said. "I am Faye Reed, the leader of Oath of the Ruins. This is my right hand Crista [the ponytail girl] and Medhi [the one who helped to carry Faye] my assistant. And these are the Elite squad of my domain, Javelliers. We are here to serve you under our protection as a wish for a new start.". Then they all took off their helmet and was revealed that they are all women. Everyone applauded and then they started the feast.

Why the others are enjoying themselves, the elites and the villagers. Jacob and the others are in his house together with Faye and her acquaintances.

"So what are our plans now?", Crista asked.

"So you already had a plan.", Jacob said. "Is what you did this morning also a part of that plan? If so then what are those for?".

"Those are Radio Distorter. They will confuse radar signals making this place hidden to most of the Griefers.", Faye explains. "As we speak the next battalion of griefers are on their way from the east, destroying everything in their path and are protected by the New Order."

"What 'New Order'?", Jacob.

"THEY started a new law that will give griefers the chance to kill anyone and everyone. There are no exceptions even those who have a seal will never survive once they attack. Especially to those who they see are useless to be kept alive for long."

"Are you sure about this?", Emily asked.

"We got our intel from our connection in the higher-ups as we are still in their protection. But that doesn't mean that you are protested by them. You're still just under our protection that not even they know that we already are. And even if they know, they will not care since we are still in the lowest ranks.", Crista answered.

"What we are trying to say is that even with this alliance, we still can't be sure about our citizens' protection. That's why we did a surprise trespassing just to plant those Radio Distorter. The Paper that you burnt is the thing that'll help the effect go wider. The wider the range the more it is hard for this location to detect.", Medhi added.

"Is that the reason why we can't pinpoint your location? Near asked.

"Yes, pretty much.", Medhi answered.

"So what's next?", Jacob asked.

"I and some of my elites will go back to our base to prepare and make contact with Ataraharlika. So that we can finally settle out Three Man Alliance. Crista and 3 more will stay back here to support and help you."

"So, there is going to be a meeting of leaders then I supposed?", Jacob asked.

"Yes, but we know that Ataraharlika's leader is a very stubborn one and hard to crack so it might actually take a long time before we can accomplish the next step. And at the same time, I need one of your men to come with me with a letter from you so that 'HE' would not suspect anything.", Faye answered. "We will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning."

The party is over and everyone is tired. Trevor is still awake in the middle of the night, walking alone just around the village. Without even realizing, he walked to the hole that he and Jacob dug a while ago. He took a peek when suddenly someone touched his shoulder, "What are you doing?", she said and Trevor jumped out of shock.

"Do you really have to do that?", he asked.

"Who knew that shit like you can be stupidly brave and a little wussy at the same time.", one of the girls in Faye's group said.

"Shut up! What are you doing here anyway?",

"I'm just scouting the whole area since I'll be staying here as Chief said. You're Trevor right?", she asked.

"Yeah...",

"What are you doing here? I heard that you just came here just a few days ago.",

"Shouldn't you be telling me your name first before you ask another question.",

"I'm Thea, so can you answer my question now?"

"Well, I'm just walking around to think."

"I don't feel like that's only it. What are you after, what is this thing?"

"Well, as you can see... What else is it going to be?"

"How could I know?"

Then a man starts walking behind them. Thea quickly turned around and shot at the man. He quickly raised his pickaxe and caught all the bullets."Being quite festive here are we?", it was Jacob.

"I'm sorry, I thought it was something else.", Thea apologized.

"Being alert is not a bad thing, but being paranoid is another thing. So keep your pace and let's not be so jumpy."

"What are you doing in the middle of the night?", Trevor asked Jacob.

"I know that you are going to this place so I followed you and since we have a friend here. Why don't we ask her if she can join us in our little project.", Jacob said.

"Wait, are you sure that we can let her in?",

"Why not?/ She's here and we need a couple more hands if we were to finish this."

"What is this project you're talking about?", she asked

"You'll know once we get down there.", Jacob answered.

Jacob lifts the cover and threw the pickaxe he was carrying into the hole. It took some time before it hits the ground.

"That's one hell of a drop.", she said. "I don't know about this."

"Are you scared?", Trevor asked.

"What?!... Scared! Who? Me?!... Of course not.", she said.

"You're scared."

"Look, let's just go in and get this thing done already.", She quickly responded while her hands are getting s bit sweaty.

Jacob let down the rope and came down first. He lit a torch and lit the other torches inside. Then, Trevor follows. And lastly, Thea, which is still a bit hesitant about going down. She closed her eyes as she slides down the rope. As she landed, she slowly opened her eyes and saw things that she doesn't know could have existed right benight them.

"This is insane.", she said. "So what are we going to do now?"

"We are just going to prepare things here. And wish fully will continue by tomorrow morning.", Jacob explains.

Meanwhile, Trevor glances at the opening he saw a few days ago. But he saw that the door is slightly open and the lights are turned off. He quietly sneaks inside the door and went in. He quietly ran in, and by the time he was there. The capsule was already open.