As Chloe sat down in the main hall, she noticed everyone was already settled in. Moira was seated at what appeared to be the head chair. Or throne more like. Sat with her was of course Lucius and hunter making their table a family table. Zoe sat to Chloes left and Edmond to her right.

  As one of the neighbors Chloe has yet to meet brought out the food Edmond spoke up. "So, Chloe, you feel ready to get to work? I noticed you were getting antsy just sitting in class all day." He asked before taking a helping from a rather large cooked bird in front of him.

  "Yes. Prefer work. Class is good but I like to keep moving. I like to be useful." She said before taking her own helping from the bird as well as mixed veggies of some sort. "Why? You have concerns?" She asked.

  "Oh no. In fact I'm relieved. You and your weapons will prove invaluable. Especially on the north road where traders and bandits come from." He said, a mouth full of food. He then swallowed and looked at Chloe. "Besides, if your willing to work then why let you sit on a school bench?"

  "Fair." She said before taking a bite of her bird, that now that she tasted it she was just gonna call it a turkey. "Oh. Other than bandits, what threats are there?" If she was gonna help keep this place safe that might be important to know. She seriously doubted her G3 would be proven ineffective against most threats of course but she wanted to know if she actually needed to get her Hecate ready or not.

  This time Zoe would speak up. "Well, aside from predatory animals like wolves and an occasional jungle cat there's the monsters. In this region there are only three. The Bloodstalker, they only become active at night and hunt in the black forest so we don't hunt there. They fly and let out a horrid chirping screech that's defening and hang upside down asleep during the day. There is the Lykantula. Eight legs, it's the size of a wolf on average, and covers small cave entrances in a thick web. Their bite will paralyze you and they'll eat you so avoid caves. Then we have. And lastly are the undead. People and animals who died and got back up to hunt. They travel in groups and eat anything made of meat that isn't undead." And with that final revelation Chloe looked at Zoe, Edmond, and everyone else. If fucking zombies are actually a thing then guns and ammo just got more important. Then she relaxed.

  "I've been here almost two weeks and haven't seen any monsters. What's the deal?"

  Edmond spoke up to answer. "Well, the forest is pretty far away by foot, and the undead are the only ones who roam, but they usually just end up chasing animals or getting caught by Lykantulas and Bloodstalkers. So the monsters mostly manage each other." He said before taking a big bite of his turkey.

  That was good to know, monsters and undead were a thing but were mostly self contained. As the evening moved along the conversation slowly evolved until eventually Zoe got her question in. And it was one Chloe didn't expect. At least not like this. "So. How did you get here Chloe? If your not from our world how did you end up here?"

  Without hesitation Chloe went ahead and let it out. No point hiding it really. "Well not much to say on that story. I was sitting in my home about to eat my dinner when a voice spoke in my head and asked if I wanted to see another world. I said yes and was told I had three days to prepare for the trip."

  "Just like that?" Zoe asked inquisitivly. "You think maybe you were too trusting of a voice in your head?"

  At that Chloe let out a harty laugh. "The way I figured it, if I was going crazy I may as well enjoy the ride." And she downed her drink which tasted like some kind of ale. Maybe Chloe would teach them about the gifts of bourbon, whiskey, and moonshine. Because this shit was weak.

  As the festivities slowed down Chloe found herself outside. A few others were still inside and finishing off the drinks like proper alcoholics.

  She was leaning against the wall of the main longhouse and just staring at the sky. It was crystal clear and the stars were shining bright. She also noted this planet had two moons. And that one was smaller then the other.

  She wondered if she could see earth or at least the sol system from here. Probably not. It wouldn't matter before too long, she knew that much. By the time she really started getting homesick she would have more then made a life here. And she had no regrets about her decision.

  "Hey there stranger." A voice said from the door. "Mind if I join you?" The woman asked kindly.

  "There's plenty of wall." Chloe responded with a chuckle. "I never got your name. I'm Chloe."

  "Sara. Sara Vega. I grow all the greens everyone eats." Said the kind gardener.

  "Well I for one appreciate the fresh greens. So what brings you out tonight?" Chloe asked as she went back to counting stars.

  "Well my curiosity did. We have a strange new member of our group and I intend to meet you for myself." And with that answer silence rained between the pair.

  Chloe then spoke first. "Well that was fun. I'm gonna be honest I have no idea what to talk about."

  "Thats fine. I'll let you be. After all we all live within shouting distance." And with that Sara was off and Chloe was alone again with her thoughts, or lack thereof. 'Perhaps it's finally time to get out that overpowered gaming laptop.'

  And like that Chloe was off to play the night away. Tonight was definitely a fallout new vegas night. And the morning was definitely gonna be a lack of sleep morning. But she didn't care as she put her headphones on and shut her brain off.

  That night Chloe got a solid five hours of gaming before four hours of sleep. Perfectly unhealthy but she found herself to be perfectly awake despite that. So she put on some tigerstripe camo and grabbed her G3 before heading out to meet Edmond and see what she was gonna be doing today. After all, she is finally allowed to be productive.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Chloe was shown to the north gate, which covered a single road and a mile of fields. There was even an archer stand about fifteen feet tall. "I have an idea. But I gotta grab something. I'll be right back." And like that Chloe had left, returning with her Hecate and an ammo box that held eighty rounds of .50 bmg fmj rounds already packed into ten round magazines.

  "OK that's a really big weapon. What's it even for?" Edmond asked as she walked up.

  "With this big beast I can hit a target clear across that field." Chloe said, casually leaving out the fact that she never actually done proper sniping, much less with a fifty cal.

  "Well then get in the archery tower. If you see a monster, kill it, if you see people ring the bell. If they lob arrows at you then kill them." Edmond stated plainly.

  "Easy enough. Don't worry if something needs to die everyone will know it before I ring the bell." And with that Chloe made ready to sit behind the scope as a second guard joined her, but on the ground. She at least warned him. "Hey I'd really recommend standing behind the tower, not in front."

  To their credit they did listen. So Chloe decided to strike up a conversation. "So. You got a name or will me shouting Guard do?"

  For her efforts she received a blank stare. "Marcus will do. Care to tell me why I can't be in front of you?"

  "Because, I'm assuming you like being able to hear." Chloe retorted. 'Figures I find one with a pole up his ass.' She thought to herself as she grabbed her rangefinder and used it like a spyglass to survey the field.

  After about an hour of nothing but wind and birds he spoke again. "Do you know how to fight or did I get stuck with a gentile?"

  Chloe rolled her eyes so hard it's a miracle they didn't fall out of her head. She really wasn't gonna be talked down at like that. "After our shift I'll show you how to fight. But from up here it looks like I'm talking to a weakling myself."

  While Marcus did look strong compared to some of the others, Chloe knew that did not mean much. She was physically more imposing then a majority of everyone here and she wasn't even that tall, or particularly muscular. They were all just, well she didn't really know, they all wore clothing that could be described as baggy. A couple of the women did dress lightly but still modest, and the men, they barely showed off any part of their arms aside from forearms. And they were relatively slim at a glance.

  He of course interrupted her thoughts. "You may have larger muscles than most, but how you move I the moment has yet to be seen. And I look forward to knocking you down."

  What did that mean? Knocking her down. So far all she's done is go attend classes, be friendly, show what she can do oohhh... yeah. He thinks she was showing off. And she kinda did during her range time.

  She then went back to looking over the field.

  "What? No retorts now?" He said, obviously trying to agitate her.

  "No. Unlike some people I have a job to do. Now focus, got a wagon on the road flying a flag off the back.* And as she said that the wagon cleared the trees, a simple wooden thing loaded down with crates and pulled by a pair of strong ox like beasts. Sitting on top was a carriage driver and what looks like a navigator.

  "Ah. A trader. I guess it's about time they got back. Be quiet and let me handle it. Your mute until Lady Soska says otherwise to outsiders." He demanded.

  "Fine. I'll stay on the scope."

  "Scope?" He asked, and Chloe ignored him with a smile a mile wide. She was gonna enjoy knocking the attitude he had into the dirt. One serving of redneck re education served cold.

  The wagon pulled up and Marcus started up a conversation. After a few moments of questioning consisting of "how was your trip? What did you bring this time?" and so forth the trader rolled in and started setting up in a small vacant lot. It looks like they are gonna stick around a few days. Neat.

  As the hours dragged on Chloe continued to watch the treeline as a deer burst from the woods in a flat sprint. It's bounding gate sending the creature rocketing across the field, only for the animal to stumble and collapse. Something that Chloe did not expect, and it got her watching the deer a lot closer. This time through her scope.

  Marcus was also watching with a spyglass. "It's hard to see from here. If you can look for large open wounds. If you see any then the animal likely isn't safe to eat. Let me know if you see rot though. That we have to deal with while not leading the thing here."

  "If it's undead then will noise attract it?" Chloe asked as she focused in on the deer, looking for decomposition, necrosis, or severe injuries.

  "If it's close then yes, but if they can't immediately see what made the noise they typically don't follow it for more then a few seconds." He answered. It seems he at least took his job seriously.

  When the deer faced them Chloe recoiled. A large chunk of flesh was missing from it's face around its right eye, they eye itself was half decomposed, and it's tongue hung out the side of its skull. Down its neck a large chunk of meat was missing. "If it's not undead then it's certainly suffering." She said, flipping the safety off on her .50 cal.

  "Either is a good reason to put it down. Can you hit it?" Marcus asked.

  "I think so. Cover your ears." And Chloe checked the range one last time, with no wind it should be an easy shot. So she took aim, and set off the loudest boom the village probably ever heard. The deers skull exploding into shards of bone, and chunks of grey matter, and Chloe was even able to follow its left eye out of her scope as the animal effectively flopped over, dead. The brain, blood, and bone raining down on the creature for a solid five seconds.

  Then the rest of the guard arrived and Edmond spoke first. "What in the gods was that bang?" He asked before seeing the muzzle of the rifle pointed out.

  "What did you shoot Chloe?" He asked.

  "A deer, it was probably undead but definitely suffering. So I put it down before it could come here." She answered.

  "Hmm. Well this evening if nothing comes for it we will go out and burn it's body." And with that, he and the crowd left.

  About three hours later Edmond returned with a couple others for shift change and looked at Chloe. "Go put your big gun away and meet me here so we can find your kill."

  "Yes sir." And Chloe climbed down, and after putting her Hecate and G3 away in favor for her R33 she returned. "Follow me, I'll show you where it is." And she started walking.

  At first Edmond was confused after they passed a hundred yards. At five hundred he spoke up. "Are you sure you hit it?" But Chloe just kept walking. And at around eight hundred yards she stopped and pointed at the very dead deer about ten yards away from them.

  "So how do you plan to handle it without getting sick?" She asked as she put on her gas mask. After all it helped during a certain pandemic, so it should help here.

  "I'm guessing that mask will keep you safe from any gasses and toxins in the air? Don't worry, they only turn you with a bite, and even then they still need to kill you." Edmond then walked up to it with a torch and started burning the body before leading her back. "See, easy as that. But impressive range. And good job not letting the animal suffer."

  "Thanks." Was all Chloe got out. She was glad that the zombies could only infect with a bite, and only turn you by killing you while infected. That means that there's some way to cure someone of the infection. So it's not an end of the world apocalypse virus. At least not a particularly potent one. Just don't die before your cured, and avoid becoming a carrier in the first place. Easy enough to do.