"Welcome to Woodmill."
"Well shit... this place is pretty cool..." He looks around at the various buildings and vehicles carrying logs and some people carrying logs or axes and chainsaws.
"So this is where Sylvatus gets all the wood we use?" Wyatt questions and I nod.
"I'm surprised you've never been here. This is pretty close to where Sylvatus was founded, and pretty close to the first sighting." I say nonchalantly.
"Sighting of what?" He asks.
"You know... It." I say.
"Oh..." He responds.
"Infact maybe somebody here has seen it recently. I think I know just the person to ask..." I tell Wyatt. I motion for him to follow me.
We walk on the gravel road that and pass through some brick buildings and cabins, and we occasionally go on the side for incoming vehicles. A tank rumbles next to us, and we are forced to step off the road so it can drive through.
"Where the hell is it going?" Wyatt asks.
"Maybe it has something to do with what Tyler called us for. "I suggest.
We keep walking for a couple minutes and then the road splits and a massive brick mansion is in front of where the roads split.
We walk towards it.
"We're going in here?" Wyatt asks.
"Yeah, It's a sort of guest welcome center. I'll ask where the person I'm wanting to find is." I reply.
"And that Is...?" Wyatt questions further.
"His name is Noah Smith. He's the mayor of Woodmill... or something like that." I explain.
"Uhh... I don't wanna talk to a mayor right now." He says.
"Why? Technically you are higher up then him in Sylvatus. Besides, I'm one of the leaders... He can't give us any trouble. He's cool anyway." I tell him.
"Well shit... am I actually?" He asks confusedly and I nod.
I walk on the concrete patio and I push open the massive wooden front door with a grunt. Wyatt walks in and sees a wooden desk with someone in a sweater is relaxing sitting in a nice looking red rolling chair.
"Hello, I'm Landon Miller and this is Wyatt Taylor, I'm sure you know us. I'd like to get in touch with Noah Smith." I explain to the person in the chair.
"I'm not sure if he's here right now... he might be at his home. I'll check for you both though." The person says.
We thank him and then we sit in a luxurious red chair in front of some massive glass window at the front, probably about 20 feet tall. Me and Wyatt watch some vehicles drive on the gravel road and some people of Woodmill go about their business. A couple people walk as we sit, but then I see someone through the glass walk towards the front doors. He is dressed in black tactical gear with a lightweight ballistic vest on and a helmet with night vision goggles attached to it, with a rifle on his back.
"Is that Jason?" Wyatt asks to himself.
"You know him?" I question and he nods.
"We go on missions together a lot..." He replies.
The massive front doors open and Jason steps inside, and the person behind the desk sets down his phone as he is in a phone call. Me and Wyatt can't hear them though because the distance. I lean back on the couch and I put my right leg on my left leg and I put my hand in my back pouch on my belt searching for a soda but I remember I drunk it on the helicopter. Jason gets finished talking to the person behind the desk and he turns to leave.
"Jason! What's up?" I exclaim.
"Yo! Jason!" Wyatt yells at him.
"Guys! You're going to the Nonagon right?" He inquires.
"Yeah... you are too I assume?" Wyatt questions.
"Sure am. You guys got absolutely any clue what Tyler wants us for? A hint? Even a theory?" Jason pleads.
"I wish we did, but we don't." I say sadly.
"I think he just misses our pretty faces..." Wyatt voices.
Jason smacks his lips and sighs.
"Why're you here Jason? I thought you'd be at the Nonagon by now." I state.
"Well... I would but I had a package I needed to pickup. It's a nice suppressor." Jason explains.
"I thought you were more of a muzzle break guy..." I remark.
"I am... Just testing out something new. And hey, what if I need to be stealthy." Jason says to us.
Wyatt nods. The person behind the desk stands up and walks towards us. We all quiet down and look at him.
"It seems Noah is indeed at his house, if you want to visit his house you could do that if you'd like. Do you know where that is?" The person reveals.
Wyatt shakes his head.
"We know where to go... I guess we'll get going now. Thanks." I tell him and he mutters a 'No problem' before sitting back down.
"Why do you guys need to see him?" Jason inquires.
"It's almost dark out. We need somewhere to stay... I'm not driving right now either." I explain.
Jason nods, "Is it fine if I come with?" Jason asks.
"Sure..." Wyatt tells him.
"Let's go find him, he's not far from here..." I tell them.
Wyatt stands up along with all of us and pushes the front door open with a grunt. We step outside and we see a couple golf carts parked in the parking lot in front of the building.
"Can we use these?" I ask.
Jason notices the keys to the cart in a cubby hole in the golf cart and puts it in the ignition and twists them.
"We can now." He states.
I sit next to him and Wyatt sits behind us. We start driving on the gravel road, and I tell him to make a couple turns. It gets so dark Jason has to flip the headlights on.
"Does this fucker have a radio?" Jason asks to himself.
He puts his hand on the front, trying to feel for something but he eventually gives up, sighing as he does so. We reach our destination after 10 or so minutes, and we pull in the driveway. We get out and Wyatt pulls out a flashlight, and the only light I have is on my rifle, so I pull my rifle out and I point it at the darkness, but Jason just laughs and puts his night vision goggles on. We reach the front door to the house and knock on it.
After 10 minutes of standing in the darkness the door opens and a 15 year old in a robe jumps at the sight of us, before calming down a couple seconds later.
"Hey boys... Decently high rank I see." He remarks.
"We need a place to stay... if you got anywhere to crash for the night that'd be great." I explain.
"Well lucky for you I have a guest house down yonder ya can use." He says.
"Where exactly would that be?" I ask.
"A little ways away from here." He responds.
"Where. I need a specific spot." I tell him.
"Take a left up the hill, keep going straight for 5 minutes and then takes a right and then another left. Then you'll be there, ya can't miss it." He tells me.
"Alright... Thank you." I say.
"Now don't cause a ruckus ya hear?" As he says this we all nod in unison.
He shuts the door and we walk back to the golf cart. I get in the driver's seat and Wyatt sits next to me and Jason sits behind me.
"Okay... does anyone remember the directions cause I sure as hell don't." I state.
Jason shakes his head but Wyatt nods.
"Just keep going straight until I tell you to turn." He says.
I drive for a bit then he tells me to turn left. I turn left and then I keep driving until we run out of gas.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me!" I yell.
Jason punches a seat cushion and Wyatt just groans.
I keep the headlights turned on and I ask Jason if there's a gas can in the back.
"Uhh... I don't see... Wait-... Found one!" He exclaims.
"We're gonna have to lift the back seat up to refill the tank." I explain.
Wyatt tries to say something but he is interrupted by a screech coming from the trees beside us.
Jason aims his rifle and puts his goggles back on, Wyatt aims his shotgun at the sound, and I aim my rifle at the direction.
Screeeeech
BOOM
BOOM
POP
BOOM
The 4 foot tall white figure falls down on the ground face first pooled in blood. I pick it up and It has a gaping jaw in it's chest and white eyes with no pupils with a mouth full of crooked white teeth.
"Well shit... Thought it could do anything to us." I say.
"Seems to be... I forgot the name of these things..." Jason says.
"Who cares... lets keep going." Wyatt adds.
We all lift the seat back up and Wyatt opens the gas cap and pours gas in the tank and we all get back in.
"I've never seen one of those by itself. Why is it not in a pack?" Wyatt asks himself.
"Who knows." Jason mutters.
We keep driving and I take a right.
"You guys heard about that new cookie restaurant? Crumble?" Wyatt says.
"Yeah, I-" Jason gets interrupted.
"We're here!" I tell them.
We walk up to the front door and step inside. We explore for a bit before lounging in the living room and watching football.
"Yo, guys... Ima head off to bed..." Wyatt says, fighting off a yawn.
Jason nods and he goes to his room too, as I'm left in the living room. I find a dr pepper in the fridge and put it in my back pouch and I start to walk to some random bedroom. I open the door to a room with a empty bed and a pretty nice room overall. I go in the bathroom connected to the bedrooms and I start to undress.
1 hour later
11:08 PM
I go in my bed, dressed in comfortable pajamas and I lock the window on my room. I put the tv on playing a random video game as my eyes slowly start to get heavier. I start to get weak and my vision blurs, and I close my eyes.
Ring
Ring
Ring
"Ugh..." I moan.
I grab the alarm clock and I unplug it, and I look on my tv, seeing it went idle. I jolt up, remembering I have a dr pepper beside me and I look around, and I see a bottle of dr pepper right beside me on my nightstand. I immediately grab it and start chugging it. I drink around seventy-five percent of the bottle before deciding I'm done and I put it back on the nightstand. I stand up slowly, feeling my legs stretch. I open the door to my room before slowly walking out and into a hallway. I hear a voice downstairs. I walk faster and I reach some stairs which I walk down slowly. I see Wyatt watching some soccer, while eating cereal.
"What's up?" I say drowsily.
"Nothing." He says still glued to the screen. I open the front door and I breathe in the fresh air.
Maybe I could go on a walk... Explore a little... But Noooo. Tyler wants me to do some stupid ass bullshit about something he probably could've done himself. The bastard... Like seriously? What in the actually living fuck needs-
"Oh hey Jason..." I greet.
"Ready to get going?" Jason asks tiredly. I nod.
20 minutes later
After packing up all my stuff, we get back in the golf cart. I take the keys from the glovebox and I put them in the key hole and I twist them, and the engine comes to life with a roar.
"We gotta find something better then this... It's take forever to get there in this." Wyatt comments.
"I guess we can find another vehicle off the side of the road... or at a vehicle borrow station." I add.
We drive for a while and we come across a nice looking black Polaris UTV. We agree to use it and we hit the road on that. Minutes pass and Wyatt starts whistling.
"Could you please shut the fuck up?" Jason asks Wyatt grumpily.
"Aw, come on..." Wyatt says sarcastically.
After 20 or so minutes we arrive at the Nonagon.
Jason and Wyatt step out of the UTV seeing the hundreds of huge interconnected modular black tents that are reinforced with steel frames. Wyatt looks to the right and sees as the huge labyrinth of capsules scale up the hill there is a little bridge across a valley that leads to more of the tents, but he can't see past that. Jason looks up and sees in the middle and top of the compound of capsules a huge overwatch, with a massive window overseeing absolutely everything.