Christmas in Georift

The bunker was red and green and orange with all sorts of decorations they'd hand crafted from the wild. Every single hearth was gloriously ablaze but they'd let all but two die down to conserve wood. It had taken them an entire afternoon to haul a baby pine tree down the ladder. They agreed that it would be used for firewood afterwards because there was no way to drag it back up.

It was adorned with pine cones and even more handmade decorations. Twigs had been woven into a star at the top. Underneath the tree was an assortment of gifts, most unwrapped due to their circumstances but one or two had got creative and used leaves or woven materials similar to the cloths they'd made all those weeks ago.

"As the clan's leader, I'd like to be the first to hand out my gifts to everyone!" Declared Marcus. Everyone cheered with gratitude.

"First, I remember how hard it was for James to make his first spear so I crafted this one for him." James gave a chuffed expression as a giggle spread through the room but that soon became one of amazement when Marcus presented it to him. The head was one of the dragon's jagged canines. A true masterpiece and the base had been carved directly from an oak tree so it wouldn't break easily. Learning the craftsmanship skills alone had took Marcus an ungodly amount of time. He almost gave up halfway through.

"Secondly, for Sam I put together this ivory dagger also made from the remnants of Tozark," I announced before presenting it before her. She bowed her head in thanks and claimed that I wouldn't have to deal with zombies in the future now that she had this.

"My third gift is to Tarik for his outstanding leadership in times when I have not been available!" Everyone erupted into applause which Tarik accepted graciously. "I present to you..." Everyone quietened down.

"I present to you this deed stating a third of the valley shall belong to you from this day forward. As my co-chief, you shall receive my support in the development and management of this land as well as all the resources it cultivates!" Again, everyone applauded and Tarik stood there not knowing what to say. He took Marcus' hands in his and shook them with great effort to show his appreciation.

It was an incredible moment for everyone too as they knew this meant there would be opportunities for this place to grow. Chances for more settlers to arrive and build something extraordinary. Marcus proceeded to give Taemin a bow. The string quite literally made from the dragon's heartstrings. He'd also made an identical one for Lana which made her blush beyond comprehension at the idea of someone being thoughtful towards her.

It had taken a while to cut them from Tozark's chest but it was certainly worth it. Taemin was awed at the pure effort it must have took which Marcus retold in gruesome detail. It was a surprise at how strong the heartstrings were as though every part of the dragon was engineered to one day become a weapon.

To the rest, he gifted other tools/weapons he'd handmade as well as a few sweet baked treats here and there. No one felt any less from not receiving something made with the dragon's parts.

Their best food was brought out for dinner. A modest feast including some of the dried meat which was quite chewy but still gobbled up voraciously. Marcus brushed some crumbs from one of the many coffee tables they'd dragged next to the cluster of sofas. The surface had been cool before but not anymore thanks to the roaring hearth.

"Hey guys! You know what this means? You have to kiss!" Declared James who was holding ivy above Taemin and Violet. "You know that's not mistletoe right...?" Sam trailed off as she was too late to stop Violet.

She, who everyone least expected to speak up in any situation, was bold enough to grab Taemin by the collar and kiss him deeply with a passion stronger than the fires raging in the bunker that night. After a second of pure shock, everyone's immediate reaction was to cheer and applaud the display of affection in such an isolated society.

Taemin went completely red but received many strong pats on the back from all the guys. The girls flocked to Violet to ask her what it felt like and compliment her on how daring she was. She just grinned and said, "he had it coming after staring at me for so long."

After everyone was laughed out, Violet sat closer to Taemin and he didn't seem to mind it. In fact, Marcus had never seen Taemin smile up until now. The two stayed like that all night.

Marcus didn't feel lonely for the first time. Seeing other people connect and being able to connect with them in turn filled a hole in his heart he never knew was there. That's why from then on, he decided to protect as many people as he could. No matter who they were, he would conserve as much of humanity as was left. Even if he had to scour the land from North to South and East to west.

It was then that the harmony of the night was interrupted by a sudden commotion. A clang echoed throughout the bunker as something metal hit the floor. "Guys! I managed to open the maintenance room!"

Marcus barged through before everyone could crowd round and block the view. The metal object was the door handle now lying in pieces on the ground. And the door itself... hung slightly ajar. Rowan was the one who'd cracked it open. "Come on," said Rowan. "We should check it out. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it on the first try!"

"Wait," interrupted Marcus before Rowan could make his way in. "You should have asked first. This place's power source is in there. We shouldn't go rummaging around carelessly. We could ruin the safe haven we've worked so hard to get."

Rowan spluttered with a sought of condescending mirth. "What do you know? I've had much more experience as a leader than you! These things are worth checking out and understanding."

Marcus frowned at this. Rowan seemed a bit drunk so he'd have to excuse his behaviour but there was some seriousness behind the words. Rowan had obviously been bottling up his feelings. From his perspective, he had failed to protect his own people, felt unworthy to guide the new group, was wallowing in his own guilt but also secretly jealous of his lack of a role or position. Now in a drunken state, he'd wandered off to do something rash in order to satisfy his inferiority complex.

"Well you've already opened it I guess. Let's take a look and see what we can 'understand'," Marcus relented if only to avoid worsening Rowan's situation. He'd talk with him later about it. Peering inside, Marcus fumbled for a switch to find one to the left of the door. A single click and the whole room lit up. Inside was something truly captivating. A new hope flickering on a tiny screen.