We are Gods:Surviving the Madness

Chapter 5: The Guild of Hunters

As Alex followed Raven through the desolate streets, he couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. The ruins of the city seemed to loom over them, casting long shadows that stretched and twisted in the fading light. Raven led him to a large, imposing building that seemed to have been spared the worst of the devastation. The walls were cracked and worn, but they still stood, a testament to the enduring power of human ingenuity.

Raven pushed open the creaky door and motioned for Alex to enter. Alex hesitated for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. He had no idea what lay ahead, and he didn't want know what layed ahead, but he did not have a choice but to see this through.

This was so because the figure had insisted on it, and Alex sensed that refusing the offer wouldn't do him any good.

As he stepped inside, Alex was struck by the sheer scale of the building. The interior was vast and cavernous, with a high ceiling that seemed to disappear into the darkness. The air was thick with dust and the stench of decay, but Alex could sense that this place was not as abandoned as it seemed.

Raven led him deeper into the building, navigating a maze of corridors and stairways. They finally arrived at a large, ornate door that seemed to be the entrance to some sort of grand hall. Raven pushed open the door and motioned for Alex to enter.

As Alex stepped inside, he was struck by the sight that greeted him. The room was filled with people, all of them dressed in a variety of clothing and armor. They seemed to be a rough-and-tumble bunch, with scars and tattoos aplenty. But despite their rough appearance, there was something about them that seemed... disciplined.

At the far end of the room, a figure stood on a raised dais, surveying the gathering with a keen eye. He was a tall, imposing man with a strong jaw, short red hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a suit of leather armor, adorned with intricate silver trim, and a sword hung at his side.

Upon seeing this group of people, Alex suddenly had a guess on who they might be. Back then, before he had reached this fallen city, he had met a group of survivors that spoke romours of a organized group of strong survivors calling themselves the Guild.

The rumours stated that, this so called Guild, was organized and strong, and they had conqured a fallen city and made it their stronghold, thus rebuilding society in it. It was also stated that, the guild had a sole mission of rebuilding, civilization in the fallen cities, and they were searching for strong survivors to incorporate into their ranks in helping them to achieve this goal.

Back then, when Alex heard this, he discarded this information, as false rumours. He couldn't possibly imagine, that a group of survivors, could reconquer the fallen cities, which were infested by countless crazes and other unspeakable horrors whose numbers only seemed to grow with the looming threat of the Disease.

But now that he was in this room, Alex saw that, there was actually merity in romours.

Ofcourse he still didn't believe the part, about them setting and conquering a fallen city. But it seemed the part of an organized and delusional fools with ambitious goals was true.

Raven's eyes scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each of the guild members before finally coming to rest on Marcus, the man sitted on the raised dais.

"I've returned from my reconnaissance mission," he said, his voice low and even.

Marcus nodded, his expression calm and collected. "And what did you find?" he asked, his eyes never leaving Raven's face.

Raven's expression was grim. "The library's vicinity is not safe," he said. "There have been strange occurrences, and several of the Crazes have turned up dead."

The room fell silent, the guild members exchanging uneasy glances. Marcus's expression remained calm, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What kind of strange occurrences?" he asked, his voice firm.

Raven hesitated, his eyes flicking towards Alex before returning to Marcus. "I'm not entirely sure," he said. "But I have a feeling that something is off. Something that doesn't add up."

Marcus nodded thoughtfully, his eyes then shifted from Raven's and landed on Alex. "I see," he said. "And what about the boy?"

Raven's expression was neutral. "He was in the vicinity of the library when I found him," he said. "He claims to have been living on his own, but..."

Raven's voice trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air. Marcus's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze flicking towards Alex.

He understood the underlying meaning in Raven's words, for a boy as young as this one, survive to this day while being alone, hinted at him being unique and having special traits. Also to find him near, the library, that was too much of a coincidence. Only those who knew the importance of that library, would approach it.

"I see," he said, his voice firm. "Well, in any case, we'll need to keep a close eye on him. We can't have any... accidents."

The guild members nodded in agreement, their eyes flicking towards Alex with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Alex felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that he was trapped, surrounded by people who didn't trust him.

He glanced around the room, searching for an escape route. But the doors were guarded, and the windows were barred. He was trapped, at least for the time being.

As the guild members began to discuss their plans, Alex's mind wandered back to the library. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, something that didn't add up.

And then there was the creature, the one that he had encountered in the library. What was it, and was it the source of the weird occurrences?

After the subsequent occurrences, Alex was nolonger discarding yesterday's horrifying encounter as an illusion.

Alex's thoughts were interrupted by Marcus's voice, calm and collected. "We'll need to be careful," he said. "We don't know what we're up against, and we can't afford to take any risks."

The guild members nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination. Alex watched them, feeling a sense of unease. These people were planning something, something big. And he had a feeling that he was right in the middle of it.

As the meeting drew to a close, Alex caught Raven's eye. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the air thick with tension.

And then Raven looked away, his expression neutral. Alex was left feeling confused and uneasy, wondering what Raven's true intentions were.

As the guild members began to disperse, Alex realized that he needed to escape. He couldn't trust these people, and he couldn't let them use him for their own purposes.

He glanced around the room, searching for an opportunity. And then he saw it, a small window high up on the wall. It was barred, but Alex was determined.

He would escape, no matter what it took.