Cultivator in a Zombie Apocalypse

Chapter Ninety Three - New People Bring New Troubles

The ground rumbled beneath their feet and a small grey green nose poked out from the crumbling soil, followed by a hairless, blind head with rotted, black teeth.  It sensed a living form and hissed before attempting to dive back into its hole.  However, the long metal blade of a sword pierced into its fragile skull, killing it then drawing its ugly corpse from the earth.

It wasn't known when these undead moles had burrowed into their garden, only that they were somewhat harmless compared to other zombies.  They weren't so interested in living flesh and blood seeking instead rotting corpses within and above the ground to feed upon.  Generally, the survivors burned any undead that they killed out and within their walls and nothing, not even bone, could escape Ren Zexian's vicious flames.  However, that which fell foul of the mutant vines were not necessarily treated the same way, not to mention that the survivors had only buried the inedible offal from the giant boar-pig that time.  It was suspected that this had caught the scavenging moles attention.

The corpse was tossed onto the pile of its brethren, its skin suddenly shrinking, wrinkling like the skin of an apple left too long beneath the sun.  Chang Min tapped the ground with his foot sending minute tremors through the soil before glancing back up at his Master. 

"I believe that was the last one," he advised the other man, who sighed before revealing a relieved smile.  Even for a cultivator with his inner fire, the weather seemed too hot this day.

Ren Zexian nodded to Chang Min, who hurried to grab a drink of water to quench his thirst as his master added to the heated atmosphere with a obsidian bonfire.  Sweat beaded on his brow as he watched the corpse pile burn to cinders before dismissing the fire and retreating into the slightly cooler space within the first property.  Large bowls of ice appeared were dotted around the large reception room to further bring down the temperature, Tyler would refreeze the water whenever it melted too much and several bodies congregated to enjoy the substitute air cooling system.

Nathan hurried to his side with an originally empty glass which began to fill as he did so.  Ren Zexian took it from his hands, gratefully.  His beloved would not usually join a gathering such as this which went to offer yet another reminder of just how unbearable the temperature had become.

Many of the windows within the greenhouse were open, allowing the hot air to escape, while shade had been provided for the sheep as well as constant fresh water.  The chicken's pen had been expanded to allow most of them to freely roam beneath shade.   The mothers had to make do with melting ice in the corner furthest from their nests as well as an adjusted door, the top half open to allow fresh air to circulate.

Those having to watch the wall were cycled out every half an hour to refreshen up with drinks or beneath a make shift shower, the water provided by the soldier, Luke.  None of the patrollers on the day shift were having an easy time of it.  From the kitchen came chilled cucumber and herb soup, fruit salad made with a mix of berries and melon, topped with toasted melon seeds and a little cream skimmed from the sheep's milk and combined with a hint of mint.  With all dishes having been cooled slightly within ice, they were especially refreshing.

As the afternoon progressed, a breeze began to pick up speed providing a little more relief and as those on patrol savoured it, they noticed movement upon the road; the allied squad had returned.  They were not alone.

Amongst the increasingly familiar faces of the soldiers in the squad and not far away from Patrick and Cole were a mix of eight men, women and children. They looked tired with varying levels of dispair within their eyes, tear stains marred the girl-child's cheeks and the eldest woman's long skirt was torn.

The squad's commander, Rhodes, looked sheepish, scratching his neck as he gave Dexter a run down on what they had encountered out there.  These people were survivors from a small fallen base little over an hour away by road.