Back in the flickering light of the campfire Lesh once more addressed everyone, giving the followers one final chance to back out and join the leavers well giving them the honest grim truth of their situation, from the dangers ahead and necessity of unity to the demanding reality of what would be expected of them and how everyone would work in one way or another. His words created a grudging acceptance from them.
Looking away from them he gently laid Alice down with her head cradled in his lap taking extra care not to wake her yet the change in position causing her to let out a soft mewing noise before cuddling back in. His gaze was distant yet profound, fixed on the dancing flames in front of him as Carnage and Butcher stood on either side of him. The old man soon came closer with the help of another follower and sat nearby, shooing away the follower as he seemed to look between Lesh and the flames, his own gaze unfocused as if he was unsure what to say. His weathered hands rested on his knees, apparently devoid of any interest in the more tangible protections of armor or weapons, opting for nothing more than a fresh pair of pants and shirt.
Roughly an hour later, the former captives had all changed into proper armors and enjoying meals, the air buzzed with the low hum of nervous chatter. Those who had chosen to leave had already gorged themselves, greedily snatching more makeshift armor and weapons than any single person could realistically carry well having faces that showed a blend of triumph and paranoia. In contrast, those who had chosen to follow him seemed more disciplined, having listened intently to his earlier orders and being made to follow his rules. Each wore a full set of the scavenged, patchwork armor, cleverly reinforced where possible and clutched weapons that, despite their rough origins seemed to match individual strengths, showing they knew how to use them by the way they held and carried them. A short, stocky woman hefted a heavy, blunt mace with ease well while a tall, wiry man comfortably swung a surprisingly precise spear, clearly going through a routine against an invisible opponent only he could see. They seemed to move with a newfound purpose, a subtle shift from desperate survivors to fledgling fighters as the sparks of both life and hope seemed to slowly be returning.
"Shouldn't we… shouldn't we try to find where they keep all their wealth?" a voice belonging to a young man with sharp, anxious eyes finally broke the silence from the leaving group. He gestured back towards the weapon area with a hint of desperation in his tone. They hadn't found any coins, jewels or any glittering spoils, only the functional gear all of them currently wore. Lesh, without turning only offered a simple, dismissive headshake.
"No, there's no need for that, we will be leaving that for you and the rest who wish to leave, it would only cause more problems for my own," he replied, his voice calm but firm. "We have also spent enough time here as it is. Our paths are different and later down the line we will be forging our own wealth, wealth far more substantial and lasting than mere discarded trinkets or horded coin that may be found here." The words carried an undeniable conviction, a silent promise of a future that transcended their immediate, desolate surroundings. As he finished speaking, he rose, ever so gently cradling Alice, using his chains with extreme care to place her back onto his back before they began to walk out of the camp, leaving the others to ponder his pronouncement as those wished to join him trailed behind.
The trek back was slow and their only illumination coming from a handful of crude, flickering torches, that cast grotesque shadows that danced and writhed around them, making familiar paths seem alien and menacing. Thankfully there were no attacks along the way other than a few flying rat creatures which were quickly taken care of. The flickering flames, combined with the sheer raw presence of Butcher and Carnage, seemed to deter most of the other nocturnal creatures. The massive forms of the two demonic figures who moved with a silent and predatory grace were an effective deterrent for any human attackers. A few odd-looking, bipedal wolves not to dissimilar to werewolves that dared to approach were dispatched with brutal efficiency by the pair, their yelps of pain cut short as they met their demise. This swift, decisive action further reinforced the group's sense of security, cementing there choice to follow, that isn't to say they didn't still feel a sense of fear but rather feeling that sliver of hope within them growing brighter.
As they finally neared what Lesh called 'home,' a soft, almost ethereal voice drifted through the gloom. "Welcome home master." It began, "And guests." Elena added upon seeing the entourage, slowly stepping out from the shadows near the dilapidated house, offered a faint, almost sultry smile towards them as her eyes sparkled with an unusual intensity. Her appearance was strikingly poised amidst the ruin and a stark contrast to the weary travelers.
Observing the followers' wide-eyed curiosity – their gazes flitting from the broken-down house and shattered greenhouse to Elena herself – Lesh felt a familiar, pragmatic urge to clarify things. "I am aware it doesn't seem like much," he began, his voice cutting through the hushed awe, "but admittedly, Alice and I have only been in this destroyed world for a grand total of around three to four days at most due to various... Parties interference. Any grand plans we might have had to properly build up and fortify the area inevitably fell through amidst the immediate chaos and our time skip. However, we did manage to acquire some decent items as compensation for the inconvenience. Notably, one of those imp manager creatures are now our captive, a resource we fully intend to exploit for all its worth." He paused, allowing the implications to sink in before continuing, his gaze sweeping over the hesitant faces. "As for the house, there is still running water, admittedly cold water but still far better than nothing and two functional bathrooms. Tomorrow, I will mark each appropriately, dedicating one for the men and the other for the women to help ensure privacy. Each will then be responsible for the upkeep of their specific bathroom area. We will also begin sorting out tasks for everyone and diligently figuring out how best to utilize your individual classes and skills, assigning jobs when needed. Now I know it was a long walk and you are all undoubtedly as tired as I am but first, I think you all deserve a light meal before bed, I did notice how well everyone snacked you showed care to only consume a small amount unlike the others who gorged like it was there final meal. Elena," he turned his head slightly towards her, "kindly provide some fresh fruit to our guests here. They will be staying with us for at least a month, helping not just to clear the place up and reinforce everything, but doing all sorts of tasks to aid us in establishing a proper foothold to expand outward from."
What greeted him after his words was not Elena's usual compliance or gentle voice but rather a hard, unyielding stare. Her eyes, normally so serene seemed to burn with an unnerving fury that locked directly onto him. Without warning, thick, gnarled roots erupted from the ground around her, their tips as sharp as honed razors all converging menacingly around Lesh's throat. A gasp rippled through the newly arrived followers their relief vanishing, replaced by a fresh wave of terror as their minds instantly began to scream that this was a trap.
"What is the meaning of this, Elena?" Lesh ground out, his eyes narrowed and visibly upset by her sudden hostile display. The pleasant facade he maintained flickered slightly, revealing a sliver of something colder beneath it. "Are you trying to turn on us now? To betray us?"
"You reek of death, decay and rot." she spat, her voice no longer soft or sultry but rather icy and venomous. The roots pressed closer, their thorny points scratching faintly against his skin. "Your tone and your posture, it's all different from the master's. Even your feel is entirely different so I will warn you now, either expel yourself from him and cease pretending to be him, or I will end you where you stand!" The point of a root now pricked his throat, drawing a thin crimson bead of blood as the various followers watched, paralyzed by fear and unable to comprehend the unfolding drama. This 'Lesh' they had just put their trust in was apparently not who he seemed and this horrifying plant women was now holding him captive.
A low, humorless chuckle escaped Lesh's lips, though his eyes remained sharp, assessing. "I may not be him," he stated, his voice devoid of its earlier warmth as an icy edge replacing his previous pragmatic tone. It was the voice entirely devoid of human warmth. "But I was brought out precisely to keep him alive. Desperate measures, after all. I assure you though, I will be returning to his mindscape as soon as he recovers fully, or when another like me is required to emerge as I am but a fragment of him. However, you should know this: killing me will mean killing your master. Isn't that a rather interesting piece of information?" There was a flicker of something akin to satisfaction in his cold gaze, a strange mix of relief at her fanaticism towards the John and profound annoyance at having to articulate such a complex, existential truth to a plant entity in such dumbed down words. The followers exchanged bewildered glances, their minds struggling to grasp the implications of his words. Their leader was an impostor, using that body as a temporary vessel and killing him meant killing the original bodies owner? Possessing the body and using it like a bad horror movie?
With a final, lingering glare that promised future vigilance if he was lying Elena slowly and reluctantly withdrew the threatening roots. "I will be watching you very closely," she warned, her voice laced with suspicion and a deeply ingrained protectiveness. "And if I so much as get even a hint that you will harm the master, I will turn you into fertilizer." With that chilling promise, she turned away, her earlier pleasant demeanor completely gone as she seemed to sink away into the ground before a few moments later, a few animated stick figures emerged from the shadow each carrying large, ripe fruits. The followers, still trembling from the tense standoff, eyed the offerings with suspicion mixed with hunger before slowly and cautiously they took the fruit, their fear momentarily receding as they bit into the sweet, juicy flesh. Visible bliss appeared on their faces, a stark contrast to the recent terror that had spread across their faces previously. The simple pleasure of nourishment after a long, harrowing day combined with all they had been through was overwhelming.
Once everyone had finished their portions of fruit Lesh, having seemingly shaken off the confrontation and stemmed the slight bleed began to lead them through the dilapidated house, systematically showing them to the mostly intact area's where they would be staying for the night. After ensuring everyone was somewhat settled for the night, he returned to his own room where he carefully took Alice from his back who seemed to still be unconscious, onto the makeshift bed and gently tucked her in before adjusting her position and checking her breathing, a subtle tenderness in his movements despite his non-human nature to ensuring she was as safe and comfortable as possible before pulling up a sturdy chair to sleep on next to her.
"Well I have concerns regarding your current state your vitals seem fine and your spirit mostly intact so you should be alright upon waking in the morning, if you don't then I know I will need to worry and try to rouse you, but for now I believe it's time for me to experience this 'sleep' that the living purportedly require, it should be interesting. Watch her please, I need to go speak with the plant women." he murmured quietly, his voice a low thrum in the dim room, a strange curiosity lacing his tone.
A few minutes later, his clothes slightly dirty he returned and sank into the chair he placed next to the bed before slowly and deliberately he began to force himself to relax, his limbs unwinding as the muscles loosened. "I rather look forward to this new sensation. I trust you two don't mind keeping watch and handling patrols, correct?" He received a low, rumbling grunt from the large pair who seemed to look at one another before making a gesture towards each other. With a low grumble Butcher planted himself down in a corer as a silent heap in the corner of the room, his eyes like glowing embers in the dark as he let out a low grumbling. Carnage, seemingly amused let out a few growls of his own with what Lesh figured past for a smile on his face as he slipped out of the room, no doubt to do the first patrol. "Now let us see what this interesting sensation of 'sleep' is like, hopefully it shall do this body some good. It truly has been a long time since I got to experience it. I know it shall prove to be interesting." He muttered softly, forcing his muscles and body to slowly relax as he closed his eyes, slowly drifting away into a deep slumber.