Fredricks journal chapter 4

 Fredricks journal chapter 4: Visions

After the battle i feel such sorrow and shame. It's like i brought this to the skinners. The one that survived don't say much, only that his name is Du nex ei (The quiet one in sloggiska) but is mostly called Nex. While we gather the bodies to a bonfire, i find some coins on a lurker. I keep them as it's the new worlds currency. It may come in handy. In Christophburg (CB) it was mostly barter, we don't have much contact with others. Not many traders comes by. When we're done and stand looking into the fire, Nex ask me to follow him to their village.

- Do you really want that after all this I say. He nods his head.

- But it feels like all this is my fault?

- No, the feud with sloggerna and skinners on one side, and lurkers has gone on for many years. If you had not showed up they had killed Gregor there and then. Now he and all of us got the chance to fight and survive. Come let's get moving he say. 

He whistle and the dog joins us as we leave. During our travel i learn that the dogs name is Hunter. Other than that Nex don't say much. Really living up to his name. I can't blame him after losing so many of his people. After nearly three days we reach the skinner village. The people come and surround us.

I stay very still, as i see the warriors eyes. I'm probably the first city dweller, as they call other people, To be in their village. They send me to one of the huts. After a very long wait, a skinner comes in. He introduces himself as Claus, and he is the new shaman. He wants to know who i am and what happend to the other skinners in the hunting party. So i start telling him about why i left CB, meet Gregor and all. He studies me closely while i talk. When i'm done he nods and say. 

- I believe you. But our new cheif wants to kill you. 

- Why? I ask as i slowly slid my hand done to my gun but it's gone! Sneaky bastards they must have taken it in the commotion when we arrived. The shaman sees this and say. 

- It's ok. You don't need it. The chife is the son of the old one that got killed.  He blames his death on you. That's why he wants you dead, but me and nex talked him out of it for now.

- So you are my guard?

- No see me as your guide while you are here. You are an explorer you say? So studie our life here, i'm interested in the outside world myself. Let's learn from each other. 

Nex walks in and look at us, Claus nods at him. 

- You can trust Claus he is a good man. Nex say to me.

- This is his hut where you will be staying while you are here. You can walk freely around the village with Claus. That is the best i can do. The new cheif have never liked me and now he wants to put the lurker attack on me.

- What are you gonna do? i ask

- For now nothing. But this is not over, that i know. We talk later he say as he leaves the hut.

The village is not so big, but i find it very nice. They even have a pond with fresh water.

Claus is an easy person to be around. And talk extremely much for begin a skinner. he shows a big interest in our way of living. we talk about everything. He has an interesting theory  about the murder of Christoph the founder of CB. I tell him that i and many other believe Hayes was behind it. But Claus think it was Herr spiegelmann! I always thought that he was a myth. But Claus says that he exists.

 Herr spiegelmann is a mutant that can shape shift into a perfect copy of anyone. They say he is probably the first mutant, at least 180 years old. But why wold he murder Christoph? he also tells me about another mutant that is a big outlaw leader, He operates around inner sludge sea, his name is Rad bone. To which i answer

- Sounds like a cool dude. (Rad= cool).

Claus looks at me very stern and say 

- No it's Rad bone for radiation bone. 

Apparently he is not much more than walking and talking bones. Nobody knows if  he changed into this or if the bones just came to life thanks to radiation. But he needs radiation to stay alive. He can never be to far away from a hotspot. Maybe he can survive around two weeks without it. I also meet Gregors brother Dan. First i think it's Gregor because they look so much alike, only Dan is younger. He is interested in me since he heard i helped his brother. But like i tell him he saved me to. After a couple of days Claus gives me a herb mix to drink. 

- I know you are sad about the battle and unsure of what to do next. Drink this it will show you a way. He said

I have heard about shamans and their potions. Well if he wanted me harm i already be dead so i drink it down. It's really strong so i lay down and close my eyes. After a minute or so i drift away. From the air i see a enormous city with walls around it. And the city core is also surrounded by walls against the rest of the city. Then flashes of gangs and soldiers fighting in the streets. So many diffrent kinds, humans, mutants, mechons (as robots are called now) and technoids (cyborgs). And finally a city among bridges. When i wake up Claus sits next to me.

- You where gone quite a while. I started worry that city dwellers can't take it. But here you are, what did you see?

I tell him about what i've seen.

- The huge city is Jet city. 

- Jet city! did they survive the last day? I ask.

- Apparently so. I don't know that much about it. more than there where a huge war between them and sloggerna a few years back. The city with bridges is northwest of here. It's called Bridge town.We never go there, we stick to ourself. 

Then maybe this is where i will go then, i think to myself. Next night Nex and Dan comes to the hut.

- Fredrick we have to leave. I have heard the chife is planing to blame the battle on us  both and execute us. 

Claus gives back my gun. I ask Dan if he is there to say farwell but he say no he comes with us. With Gregor gone he don't want to stay.

So here we are, me, Nex with hunter and Dan. I thank Claus for everything before we head out into the waste.

To be continued