Scar
	     Chapter:  2
		Ashes
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	"We've been walking for a two weeks.
I thought you said the nearest city wasn't that far away."
Said Ryomaru looking at his aching feet.
"Berlin unfortunately is the next nearest city.
But the radiation is too intense to go through so
we're skirting around the entire area.  Sorry if
that's hard on you.  My own legs are quite tired
and yours are shorter than mine.  If It's too hard
for you we can stop and rest awhile." Christian replied
to the boy whom was trudging along at his side.

	"Berlin....you said that was where my
Mama and Dad were."  Ryomaru replied.  "Well
your story tells me you were in Berlin when you
were sperated but...."  "MAMA!  DADDY!  I want
to go there.  Please Christian take me there."

	Christian looked down to his feet which
were sunk an inch into the cold half frozen
mud covered in sleet which fell constantly
since that day five years ago.  "Berlin doesn't
exist anymore...It was leveled completely.  Anyone
still there...."  Christian stopped speaking when
he heard Ryomaru start to whimper.  "M...Mama...
Daddy....."  Tears began rolling down Ryomaru's
cheek which was chilled by the cold air.  
"Ryomaru I won't lie to you.  Anyone who was still
in Berlin when the bomb fell is dead now.  But 
that doesn't mean your parents are dead.  They
could have escaped.  Mabey they're still looking
for you."  "B..but why didn't they come for
me already?"  Replied the shaky voiced Ryomaru.
"Listen Ryomaru don't give up hope.  As long
as you have hope anything is possible."

	Christian found his attempts at 
cheering up his young traveling companion
did little to halt the tears.

	Christian looked to the southern horizon.
"Ryomaru you're probably tired."  Said Christian kneeling down.
"Here climb on my shoulders this place is too dismal to
strike camp but I can carry you for a few miles while you rest."

	Ryomaru accepted Christian's offer and
his feet rested while Christian carried the burden for both
of them.

	Christian continued for some time.  He carefully
watched his compas to ensure he remained steadfast in his direction.
Ryomaru was asleep at this point and probably for the better
as the scrap remnants of Berlin's skyline stood out like the skeletons
of giants on Christan's left horizon.

	"I can only wonder what those people who survived
that dissaster must have thought....What sin has humanity committed
for such horrer to be unleashed on the earth.  They are
all paying pennance for my sin.  And Ryomaru, I can only imagin
how many like him there are.  Children who grow up without famillies
and without hope.  They lose more than any of us.  Their right to
be children.  Innocent and free of worries.  Malus did well
in fullfilling your agenda.  I can't open my eyes without seeing your
face reminding me of what a coward I am."  Christan thought to himself
as he continued walking.  His feet now no longer in half frozen mud
but on solid ground.  Grasses now met the soles of his shoes
and the flat horizon had changed to hillsides.  In the sky
the clouds parted to reveal a sky full of shining stars.

	Christian raised his brow confused.  He removed his
right hand from Ryomaru's ankle carefully balancing the boy's weight
as not to drop the poor boy on his head.  Looking at his watch
he found it to still be pointing to just after three in the afternoon.
"I must have broken it in the battle with those zombies.  The clouds
are so thick I didn't even notice the movement of the sun."
Said christian as Ryomaru was beginning to stir.

	"hmmm.  I can fix it."  Siad Ryomaru only half awake
before dozing back off.  Christian shrugged off the comment,
though not physically shrugging for obvious reasons, assuming that
Ryomaru was only talking in his sleep.

	Christian looked to the valley below seeing the light
of a campfire.  Walking downhill carefully as not to disturb
his sleepy passenger Christan went to investigate.

	Upon arriving he found a circle of old european
style covered wagons gathered in a circle formation with their
horses grazing in the center.  The bright colors
of the canvas and paint on these wagons told Christian
that these were people whom had been accustomed to this life
long before the chaos bringer tore the world apart.

	Christian set Ryomaru down without waking him
and approached cautiously.  The music of a guitar
playing greeted Christians ears as he approached the camp.

	Christian walked toward the first group of people
he could find.  The guitar player promtly stopped and approached
Christian.  They stared into one another's eyes for a moment.

	Christian broke the silence.  "Hello, I know you're Gypsies
and you don't like outsiders but...."  The guitar player
extended a hand in friendship abruptly halting Christian's
sentance.  As they shook hands the guitar player answered
"Things have changed since you last read a history book
my friend.  All humans need to stick together now.  So
long as you come in peace you're welcome to our hospitallity."
"Well that's good to hear.  There's someone with me if you don't
mind one more person to whom to extend your hostpitallity."
"The more the marrier friend."

	A few moments later Christian had returned
with Ryomaru still asleep in his arms.  "Welcome back."
Said the guitar player whom had been waiting for
Christian.  "Might I ask your name traveler?"  He continued.

	"My name is Cristian.  I'm from America.
The sleepy one here is Ryomaru."  Christian answered
smiling.  "I am the leader of this clan.  Forte Frendez
of the Frendez clan."

	"Pleased to meet you."  Said Christian but found
Forte had turned his head and begun shouting.  "COME OUT EVERYONE
WE HAVE GUESTS!"  with cheer in his voice.  This also served
to wake up Ryomaru quite abruptly.

	"HUH?  Hey what happened?"  Said Ryomaru scrambling to his 
feet.  Christian turned to Ryomaru with a smile.  "W'eve got new friends,
Meet the Frendez clan."  

	Forte kneeled down to Ryomaru's height.  "Hello little man.
I hope you rest well tonight.  That is if you've not already
slept enough."

	The night passed.  Christian slept and Ryomaru slept
still more.  When morning came Christian stepped out of the tent
provided for him and found Ryomaru working at a makeshift
desk.  Christian found Ryomaru placing the back onto his watch.
Ryomaru turned and raised the watch up to Christian winding it
causing it's ticking to restart.  "Here I told you I'd fix it."
Said Ryomaru returning Christian's watch.

	Christan strapped it back to his wrist and observed
its ticking for a moment.  "You really did didn't you.
whered you learn to do that?"  "Mama taught me."  Ryomaru
replied.  "Your mother?  But weren't you only three when..."

	Ryomaru gestured to his flashlight.  "It broke
a few times when I was running from zombies.  I'd have
to fix it and I found out I was good at fixing things."

	"And you learned this by yourself?"  Christian asked.
"Well Mama was with me but yeah I guess.  Machines are
just a bunch of parts connected to a bunch of other parts."
"Hmmm I suppose you have a point there."

	CHristian gave Ryomaru a congratulatory pat on
his spikey topped head while checking his watch.
"Hmmm Ten in the morning already.  I must have been
really tired.  We should get moving."

	Ryomaru scrached his head in thought for a moment
then recalled what he was trying to remember.
"Oh yeah Mr.Forte told me to tell you that you should buy
a horse before you go.  They have some for sale."
Christian looked to his wallet.  "I didn't get my last
payment for my millitary comission.  But mabey he's willing
to make a deal."

	Half an hour later Christian was meeting with
Forte looking over a number of horses.  His eye
was first cought by a magnificent white stallion.
But on a closer inspection decided on a more reliable
chessnut mare.  A wild black mustang also cought Christians eye
but only because it reminded him of Malus.
"This is the kind of horse Malus would ride.  He's the kind
who could earn that wild one's respect.  Power respects power.
Ah who am I kidding.  Malus  can probably fly by now."
Christian thought to himself.

	"So you like the mare eh?"  Forte asked
with cheer in his voice.  "Yes but I don't think I can
afford it.  What kind of currency do you use anyway?"
Christian asked in reply.  "We don't use currency.
We travell too much for monney to be worth anything.
But we do take barter."  "You wouldn't happen to
want a millitary base to the north would you?"
"We're not the kind to own land."  "Yeah I didn't think
so.  It was worth a try at least.  Mabey ther'es something
I can get for you.  A favor mabey?"  "Favor?
well it's not something I'd ask anyone to do...."
"Well I'm not like most people.  Try me."
"Well you see we have slight problem with robots."
"Robots?"  "They're coming from the berlin ruins.
After the bomb hit the dead started coming back
as zombies.  Some people say it's the radiation
some think it's a biological weapon and others
think that the damned have come back for revenge.
Any way you put it they were a threat.  Someone living
in the ruins of west berlin created a series of robots
to protet us from the zombies.  But once the Undead were
removed the robots had nothing else to do and their
creator was assumed dead so he couldn't stope them 
from attacking the closest thing to a zombie they could
find.  That being humans."  "Wait someone lives in Berlin?"
"Oh just that old hermit that created the robots.
The bomb didn't land in the center of berlin like so many thought but actually
hit the east side.  So the radiation is actually low enough
to live there for a short time so long as you don't drink or
eat anything from there."  "I'll find this hermit
if he still lives."  "But robots are much more dangerous
than zombies.  Surely there's something else you can
barter.  I wouldn't ask any human being..."  "It's alright.
I'm up to a challenge.  I'm not a coward.  Not anymore."

	Christian walked back to his tent taking up
his boken.  As he left with Ryomaru following close behind
he turned to his young friend.  "Ryomaru wait for me
here.  I'll be right back."  Ryomaru's expression showed
he was upset.  "No I'm coming with you."  "Ryomaru
there are killer robots far more dangerous than zombies
there.  I said I would be right back.  I won't be gone long."
"NO!  I SAID NO!  That's just what Mama and Daddy told me.  
STAY THERE AND THEY'LL BE RIGHT BACK!  THAT'S WHAT THE
OTHER SURVIVORS SAID AND NONE OF THEM EVER CAME BACK!
I'M COMING WITH YOU AND I'm GONNA MAKE YOU COME BACK!
YOU AREN'T GONNA LEAVE ME TOO!"  Ryomaru shouted
at the top of his lungs.  Christian sighed and
resigned himself to protecting Ryomaru in addition
to his mission.

	It was now noon.  The sun would shine down on
the ruins of west berlin if not for the thick clouds
that perpetually blackened the sky.

	Christian and Ryomaru were both wearing long cloakes
to protect to some degree from radiation.  It didn't take
them long to encoutner their first foe.  It looked like
an orb.  Two havles rivited together horizontally 
the top of which sported two stovepipe shaped arms
tipped with large serated blades and the bottom half
sporting four insect like legs.  

	Christian stepped in front of Ryomaru and drew
his boken taking the offense against the homocidal
machine.  The robot swiped with one blade which christian
rolled under  putting himself underneath the robot.

	The machine lowered its body trying to crush
Christian with its own wieght but the true outcome was
Christian planting his feet firmly on the machine's
underside and pushing off overturning  it.

	Christian rolled to his feat
and charged as the robot reconfigured its arms
standing bipedally and its legs sported out as
four spined arms.  Christian's boken chipped
as he fendet off a series of thrusts from the
maniacal machine befor smashing it into the metal side.

	The slash dented deep into the robots metal hide
tearing it open.  "Alluminum armor.  Figures."  Thought
christian as he raised his boken up one side of the robot
ripping its insectoid arms off that side and brought it back down
completing the dismembering on the other side.

	With its two stovepipe limbs remaining the machine pushed off
with one hopping into the air and directed the blad end of the other
toward Christian in a suicide Dive.  Christian sidestepped letting
the blade embed in the street before he swept both limbs off in a
spinning kick.  The now helpless robot rolled about on the street.
Christian gave it a tap with his foot sending it rolling downhill.

	"No...I don't grant mearcy to soulless machines. HIKARIHA!"
Christian yelled throwing an energy projectile down the sloped street
detonating the robot sending shards of molten metal all over.

	"So much for being more dangerous than zombies.
At least zombies attack in groups."  Said Christian muttering the
last few words as he found out how true they were.

	Christian quickly found himself in an onslaught of robots.  
The filed out of a nearby bank building.  Christian signalled for
Ryomaru to step back.  Four robots of the kind Christian had just fought
and five more humanoid shaped robots.  Their limbs were shaped of metal
in the form of a muscular man while their torso and face
looked more skeletal in style." 

	Once Christian had counted he lept into battle, literally,
sending himself high above his enemies.  He crashed down with his boken's
point on top of one of the sphere robots then lept back kicking it into
a humanoid robot chushing it.

	A circular swipe of Christians boken dropped two more
Humanoid robots like bamboo training dummies.

	Christian crouched down letting the next spheroid robot
come at him while he placed his boken into his left hand and
clenched his right fist.  Energy erupted in Christians hand
as he threw an uppercut shouting "HIKARIUKEN!"  and with is bare
knuckles caused the robot to burst into pieces as he spun throught he air.

	Christian landed on both feet and was ambushed by another
humanoid robot which siezed him from behind and the other remaining
robot charged in pointing its fingers forward in a death thrust.

	Christian leaned forward hard so much that he threw his rear
agressor into his frontal agressor's attack.  One Humanoid down and
the remaining one removing its allies remains from its arm Christian
lept up throwing a strieght jab kick right into it's pathetic excuse
for a face.  The last humanoid collapsed with the previous cassualty
still stuck on its arm.

	The two remaining spheroid robots lunged at Christian
without giving him any relief.  Christian took a few steps back
allowing them to nearly collide.  Unfortunately for Christian
these robots were more clever than he gave them credit for.
The halted only an inch from dismembering one another and turned to
Christian.  

	A small piece of metal bounced off the shell of one and it turned
to find Ryomaru throwing whatever he could find at it.

	With one machine Distracted Christian lept over a blade
thrust from the remaining assailant and checked to make sure he'd
formed a diagonal line between himself the first attacker
and the other now departed slightly walking toward Ryomaru
and making sure Ryomaru was outside that line.

	"I've got no time to waste on you worthless pieces of metal.
HIKARISENPO!"  Christian sent forward his strongest attack although 
less widespread from the one he used two days prior.  

	The attack went forward without any visible light tore both robots 
and a building behind them completely apart nearly atomizing them with
its force.

	Ryomaru returned to Christian's side as they went to
investigate the interior of the bank.  As the entered the
vault stood open.  They continued into the vault follwoing
the line of chips in the floor left most likely by the insectoid
feet of the sphere robots.  

	All the boxes of the vault were wide open with now
worthless currencies littering the floor.  Christian's eye cought a 
glint under a pile of doichmarks.  Picking it up he found a bar of
gold.  "Precious metals are still valuable.  We can use this
to buy supplies later.  Ryomaru can you carry this?"  Said
Christian handing the bar to Ryomaru.  "Wow it's heavy.  But isn't
it wrong to take it?"  Ryomaru remarked.  "We're not greedy.
And the owner is long gone by now.  So it belongs to no one.
I think its previous owner would be happy to know that
their misfortune wasn't in vain.  Consider it a gift."
"Oh okay."

	Christian continued to investigate the vault.  On the back wall
he tapped finding it hollow in one place.  He gave it a light punch
to test its integrity.  Stepping back a few feet Christian
put both hands together.  "Hikari..."  But before he had done anything
the door slid open.  He looked to find Ryomaru at an open electronic panel
touching two wires together.  "Hmmm.  Just a bunch of parts connected
to a bunch of other parts."  Christian said with a chuckle.

	The pair found a set of stairs leading below.
The followed along the stairway a few levels below
ground.  Where the found themselves was a room lit by
a single central light bulb.  Its floor was bare rock.
In a corner was a computer running on a stack of
car batteries.  A desk nearby contained a pile of papers 
some containing text and others sketches and blueprints of
the robots Christian had just defeated.  In the far back of the room
there was a bed and in it lay a man with a long tattered beard
and messy black hair and aisan eyes.

	Christian and Ryomaru aproached the half concious man.
He looked to Christian and then to Ryomaru.  He babbled something
incoherent.  "....stay right there I'll be right back....
...he's only three years old we shouldn't leave him behind...."

	Christian shook his head and went to obsere the computer
while Ryomaru stayed at the mans bedside.  "This computer
seems to be sending out all the necessary command
signals.  It must be the hub of their network.  Without
it they shouldn't be able to function.  Christian said
as he reached for the power switch.  

	A click and the screen went blank.  One movement
of a mans finger did many times more what Christian's fighting
abillities had done.  

	Returning to the man's bedside Christian spoke.
"You're the old hermit who built the robots aren't you."
The old man responded with more giberish.  "....he
already left the city it's too late to follow.  We should
take shelter...."  Ryomaru knew the voice and his eyes
widened as he came to realize who had met.  
The man turned his head aside and looked into ryomaru's
hazel eyes.  ".....Ryomaru....."  Ryomaru teary eyed
looked to the old man.  "Daddy...."  

	Christian looked down at the old man.
"Radiation poisoning.  I'm surprized he kept alive
this long.  His mind is gone Ryomaru.  Just a shell
waiting for something."  The old man turned his head to stare at the cieling
and held his hand up as if reaching to heaven.  
".....I know he's alive dear.  We'll find him
no matter how long it takes...."
Ryomaru's eyes flowed with tears as he could only muster
one word.  "Daddy."  
"....Come on son...let's go hom...."
With those final words the old man's hand fell limp and his
eyes closed for the last time.

	Christian after some time emerged with Ryomaru following behind.
For the boy it would be a hard walk.  With the sun having set once again
They returned to the Frendez camp.  They had their horse
and the eternal thanks of the Frendez clan.  And Ryomaru had an answer
to a question he wished he hadn't asked.
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