Imperium: Volume 1
Chapter 3.

I spent many nights like this. Keeping out of everyone's way and making sure, I kept to myself. I've had one to many run ins the last few days and today wasn't an exception.

Unfortunately word was making it's rounds amongst some camps, of an Imperium wondering the area. I wasn't sure if it was me, but that was the type of rumour you didn't want to hear. Next thing I needed was the Dom Squad making it's way here.

I leaned my back up against the boulder and crossed my arms infront my chest to keep the warmth in. I stretched out my legs towards the fire and crossed my feet. My head hanging, with my hat blocking the fire from my view. I could feel my body getting heavier, as I slowly drifted off too sleep.

I eventually woke up, to the fire having gone out, with only a few embers still holding in some heat. The rabbit was completely burnt to a crisp. What a waste I thought. I got up and stretched before I made my way into the trees to grab some more fire wood. The moon was still high in the sky and figured I only slept for a couple of hours. I grabbed a couple peices of wood and made my way back over, placing the wood in the pit. I then blew on the ambers to re-ignite it.

As the fire grew, I suddenly made out a silhouette of a figure approaching.

I stood up quickly with my eyes on him. It was the pillager from the shack. I went to take a step forward but was then was quickly picked up by another, that came from the other side. He slammed me hard against the boulder, lifting me up my the collar of my jacket.

I went for the knife that was attached to my belt, and as I brought it up, one more of his possy grabbed my hand slamming it beside my head before removing the knife. The one who had me by the collar, placed his knee in between my thighs to stop me from kicking, and had a hold of my other hand.

The man approached me. I looked up to see he had a big goose egg on the side of his head from where I hit him. I smiled.

He didn't like that to much, as the next thing that happened, was his hand making contact with my face. I felt the blood pool in my mouth, and looked back at him with a bloody smile. He slowly removed my hat to get a better look.

"She's a looker boys!" He said to his men. "To bad were gonna have to ruin that pretty little smile." They laughed. "Hold her for me." He said to the guy pinning me against the boulder.

I tried wiggling my arm free but to no avail. The man started taking my belt off.

This can't be good. If I didn't do anything now, I was going to be their next rape victim and who else knows. Probably dead.

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath before I felt the surge of energy form in my belly, slowly moving it through the entirety of my body. I felt the build up, and was ready to release. He unzipped my pants and slid his hand down my front. It was then I opened my eyes and had them watch the full display of colours radiate from them.

"She's a fucking imperium!" The one yelled.

"Fucking shoot her!" Yelled another one.

A grin quickly formed on my face, before I released.

A loud explosion propelled from my body, turning everything in close proximity to mere molecules. It was a shockwave of destruction, and not even a scream left their mouths before they disintegrated. Leaving traces of nothing. The boulder that sat behind me turned to sand, and the trees that surrounded me, leveled to the ground. The radius of my energy burst was approximately the length of a football field, flattening everything in its circumfrance.

"Hmph." A small one I thought.

I grabbed my back pack, knife and hat from the forest floor, that I incapsuled in a force field, just before I released my energy blast.

There was a few more hours before the sun would rise, so I put on my pack and fixed my hat to it's appropriate position, and worked my way back to the dirt road that would take me through a few camps along the way. I wanted to distance myself from here as soon as possible.

It was roughly 6 in the morning before I reached Camp Onyx. There were several of these small camps throughout the country. People who found living in the woods easier, and off The Dominions radar. For the most part anyway. Some were small, and some consisted of many family and friends.

I walked through what felt like a mini market. The vast open space was filled with an enormous amount of people who were already busy doing chores, and preparing for the day.

Camp Onyx was on the bigger side, and they certainly utilized their surroundings, in an effort to make this place as comfortable as possible. They built small shed like homes, and even managed to get running water from a near by river. I walked past a woman who was already hanging the wet laundry, and saw another couple men, walking back into camp with what looked to be tonight's dinner.

"Hello." A older man approached me. Looked to be in his fifties.

"Hello." I said.

"Are you lost?" He asked.

He definantley was the one in charge I thought.

"N..no sorry. I'm just passing through." I told him.

"Of course no worries!" He said with a smile. "Your a traveller, and your more than welcome to rest here if need be." He gestured his hand around my back as if to lead me in his direction. So I followed.

"Anyone is welcome here, we just ask that you don't stir up trouble. But from the looks of you, I don't think that would ever be an issue." He had a pondering look.

"Y...yes, no problems here." If only he knew.

He kindly walked me over to an area that had a couple seats around a bon fire.

"Here you can warm up, while I fetch you something to eat. You look like you could use something." Before he left he extended his hand to me. "My name is Joe."

"June." I said as I reciprocated his offer and shook his hand.

He then left, as I sat their alone, rubbing my hands in front of the fire. As he returned he had a woman accompanying him.

"Hello dear, my name is Alice. Joe's wife." She too offered me her hand which I gladly took.

They both sat down next to me, each having a plate of there own, and we made small talk.

"It looks like you run a tight ship here Joe." I said with a smile.

He looked at his wife and looked back to me, now holding her hand.

"That we do." He grinned. "It's been alot of years and work, to build up what we have. Sometimes having to start over from scratch, after the Dom Squad has made it's way through."

I cut him off. "They've been here?"

"Oh yes." He responded. "They have been raiding camps and towns more frequently, now that there is word"..He looked around to ensure no eavesdropping..."of a resistance." He whispered.

"A resistance? Like people fighting back?" I played dumb.

He scooted closer to me.

"Yes. A few people have come through here, looking for it. Now I'm not sure if it's real, but they heard that it's somewhere near Jones Ridge. But of course these are just rumours." He reassured.

Rumours stem from somewhere I thought, so it was something. I must have stayed silent for a while, lost in thought, before Alice brought me back to the present.

"My dear, you look exhausted. Why don't you rest here for the night and freshen up. We will get you some things to take on your way. We have a few extra beds in our home, and you are more than welcome to have a wash if you'd like."

Granted, I was still tired from this early morning charades, and I too was starting to resemble the odour that secreeted from that ogre. I could also still feel his touch on me.

Thank you Alice. If it's not to much trouble. I replied.

No trouble at all. She said with a smile. She stood up and held her hand out to me.

We walked together as she showed me where their little home lied. She let me place my pack on a spare bed. I grabbed some extra clothes, and she then showed me the makeshift shower they had at the back of there home.

"It's cold water, but it's the best that we could manage in these circumstances." She told me.

"This is wonderful Alice thank you." I said.

It had been awhile since I got to have a real shower. Typically it was just a quick wipe down, or a dip in a pond here and there. But this was refreshing. A smile krept on my face, once I'd seen a small bar of soap. I held it to my nose to take a sniff of its scent. Lavender again. It was made here from the looks of it. Such a small luxury, that I basked in.

I made haste, quickly going over my body with the soap and running it through my hair aswell. Once I was finished, I dried off with the sheet Alice provided me and then put on my clothes. It was cold alright, cus by the time I was done, I was shivering like a mad man. I made my way back into their home, where Alice insisted in washing my clothes, before leaving the following morning.

"You get some rest deary. I'll have this taken care of for you." She said as she pointed to the bed.

I grabbed her hand before she walked away. "Thank you."

She smiled once again before leaving. I turned to the bed and laid down, slowly drifting off to the smell of lavender.

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