‘Inspect!’ Ethan mentally called coming closer enough to the swords of the guards.

  [Ding!

  Name: Crude metal sword

  Rank: common

  Description: A cut out worn piece of metal, crudely sharpened and shaped like a sword]

  “Hey, how are you doing?” Ethan approaches the guard.

  “Hey, Eth...command…sir…I'm doing fine,” he was startled, thumbling over his words, “how was the rescue mission? Everyone is back?” he tries to make a friendly conversation, the excitement in his voice was hard to miss.

  “No, they went for a last run for today, I have to do some things to close on my end” awkwardly coughing from the way he is addressed, he asks “Tell me this sword? The wood for the tables where it Comes from?”

  “When you left, Guy found a maintenance room, it had Wood and some metal plates, it is basically a little workshop” he explains Excitedly, “The old man quickly found a few portable power tools and created some improvised weapons like this two” The guards pointed at their new swords.

  “I will head there right away, thank you!” He leaves the patrolling group.

  Walking around he found his sisters, looking on the second floor pointing at several people and locations, jotting down some notes as they scouted things from above.

  “It's not nice to point at people” he gave them a scare from behind.

  “It's also not nice going around Travelling when your family works hard to build your base” she retorts.

  “You are right, you handle the next group of 12 harmed men with knives” he acts overly offended.

  “What?! You okay?!”, “Did you get hurt??” The two sisters Turned serious and worried, his bad joke was not to their taste.

  “I miscalculated things, got shot in the shoulder and got a graze above my eye, I will live. did you see Dana, maybe a healing item was found” Ethan asked realizing too late his wrongdoing.

  Zoe turned serious, looking at him she answered seriously “I heard that a kiss can help heal some injuries and ouchies” Zoe stated her face dead serious, Lily on the other hand, burst out laughing after a few moments, failing to hold the facade.

  “I also heard that big brothers jokingly dangling their sisters from the second floor can make them quite calm for a good while, also the view is impressive” Ethan quipped back

  Cooperating before she becomes the test dummy of his powers and how far he will go for a joke, she points to a room that he remembered to be a music store.

  “Thank you” going past them he kisses Lily on the top of head and ruffles the snarky Zoe’s hair.

  As he moved forward he could hear his sisters giggling, with a small tug on his lips he moved onward to the store.

  The music store was a mess, all musical instruments were moved to the back, the store itself now became a training studio.

  The soft floor, to avoid the damage of falling instruments by clumsy customers and the sound isolation walls - It was perfect fir for a training room.

  Everyone held improvised wooden weapons, broken broom sticks used as spears, short wood planks in various swords shapes, in the center he noticed that even drum sets turned into shields? The craft and ingenuity they achieved in mere 4 and a half hours was impressive.

  Two main groups were visible, observers and sparring partners, 4 pairs were sparring, and 3 people went around and gave tips.

  Dana was sparring with another woman, having an edge on the other woman, her decisive movement and fearlessness from already killing and fighting for real was visible.

  Following her fight for 3 minutes her improvement was visible, she read through the rhythm of her opponent and improved herself, neither one of the pairs went for a finisher.

  Asking one of the watcher, Ethan was answered by a guy mesmerized by the multiple exchanges happening in front of him, “This being the first sparring session this is just a quick feel for the movements and finding our right flow with the weapons” he answered mindlessly focusing on the trainers.

  Nodding, The observer looked who he spoke with. noticing it was Ethan his eyes widened.

  Loud murmurs started to be heard around the room, it soon got too noticeable that something was happening and Ethan’s got everyone's attention, “Ethan!” Dana called out excitedly she moved to went to him ignoring her sparring partner without thinking twice.

  coughing and fixing her tone back to a more neutral one, “You are back, where is rob and the rest?”.

  “We actually got in a big fight and won", Ethan pointed at his bruised eyebrow, "We found Rob’s family and a few more were recruited but I needed to call it a day, they went for another super quick run, please proceed, I will join some other day” He waved off the situation to let them continue training peacefully.

  Stealing too much of the attention, Ethan decided to leave in order to make them focus on the training.

  After a quick wash, he went to his family and helped around with the less physical work.

  still have stings of pain in his left arm from time to time from the gunshot, he preferred to act more idle.

  He was walking around with people, spending some time socially mingling until the search and rescue run came back.

  The working pace of more than 80 people working together, building and constructing the different areas of the shopping center made the process visible by the moment.

  Walking around he asked for one of the two patrolling teams to lead him to Guy, which was in the communal area giving more resources to the guys building stuff before nightfall.

  “Oh! Ethan! welco…You okay? What’s up with the nasty scratch?” Guy exclaims.

  “It is but a mere wound, You should see the other dude” Ethan replied sarcastically.

  “Should I?” Guy played along, receiving a shake of Ethan’s head in response.

  “Fair enough, How can I help you head leader” Guy calls out, nodding with acknowledgement.

  Accepting this name for it was his own request that the council shall be addressed by their roles, he just answered nonehcelantly, “We are making swords now, I noticed. I would very much like to see the treasure cove”

  “Of course, Follow along” He turns and makes way.

  Leading Ethan to floor -1, where the basements were, walking past them Guy explained, “those seem to be the basements of many stores from above! We hit the jackpot with this place, extra clothes, tools, foods, and a logistical area! I want to break through those doors but In order to avoid causing too much noise before nightfall this is my task for tomorrow. Hopefully the casements are full”

  He stops speaking and enters a room where metal grinding metal echoed in a screeching tone.

  Inside the old man who made Dana’s spear and one of the young men in the crowd that was not surprised about the system command Took notice of them and paused the grinding of another sword. This one looks very much like a gladius.

  “Hi, I never got to ask you name, uncle, apologize”, Ethan addressed the old man politely.

  “It’s Zevik, Pleasure meeting you in person” he sends his hand forward for a shake, responded by a strong grip from Ethan, “A pleasure to have such a craftsman among us in such times”

  Addressing the young man Ethan says, “I recognize you, you are also a men of culture I couldn’t miss. you and the two beside you from today, You already figured some stuff haven't you?”

  “Yes, the name is Jed. Being a geek comes with disadvantages like knowing too much, recognizing the goblins we got too scared and got locked with other people before we managed to act against them, before long we had lost momentum and didn’t have enough resources to create tools to fight back” Jed explains.

  “So you are here to atone for past mistakes creating weapons?” Ethan tried to lighten the introduction with a joke.

  Surprisingly, Jed nods, “Yes, I know my around, too many late night videos, anime and comics finally comes to my aid”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “This is surprisingly true” Zevik burst out laughing, “I was Making weapons for display for a long while now. I actually missed a lot of important stuff that should be added in practical weapons”, showing the gladius they worked on, Zevik points on the blood grove, “this was advised by Jed”.

  “To think my skills and knowledge will be used for this purpose, in times like this” Zevik sighed sadness visible on his face.

  Changing the subject, Jed offers, “Hey! Why won't we make you a weapon?”

  Pondering for a moment, thinking of his skill - ‘spirit of a warrior’, Ethan grins, “I have an idea but the demands are...not easy to pull off, you up for a fun run? Might as well use those portable tools before battery runs dry”

  Ethan started speaking and explaining his idea.

  Zevik, Jed and even Guy were speechless at the wild Idea.

  He took a pencil and paper and even drew what he had in mind.

  Zevik spoke out first, “This will not be simple, or fast, but very much doable! You are getting me excited, I wish I had my smithing shed right now” he became dejected.

  “Come back in three days time” Jed spoke up, “We can do it in three days can we?”

  “The replaceable parts, and sockets will be the issue, we could try to get extra two or four hands for the simple weapons and do it in two days” Zevik decides.

  Saying his goodbyes, Ethan leaves with Guy, letting the two men sketch blueprints and grind more pieces of metal, “with only four hours we creating weapons, I’m dying to know how well equipped we are gonna be in a week” Ethan expressed his amazement.

  “Indeed, but who would have thought we would even come to this…” Guy’s looking around, “I am just lucky to have my family with me, thanks to you. You know Ethan…Almost everyone here has family outside this place…with the earth expansion, a hour drive just became a distance we can’t even imagine crossing and surviving to tell about. Everyone here cheers for you to become strong enough to lead them to wherever they need to go for their family to reunite with them. Ethan, you probably know it, but we had it easy, being close to our families…We got so lucky”

  Sitting on the second floor, the nuances of sadness in many became glaring when actively looked for them, ‘I swear that I will do my very best to give you all power to fight and have your family like I have mine’, his fist clenched tightly, his heart felt for those people.

  Cheers and murmurs were raised and Rob made his way inside, 7 more people joining the ranks of the survivors on the lower floors. Their numbers are about to reach 100, by tomorrow they will reach this number.

  “Etha..”, Looking around himself surrounded by almost a hundred people he rephrase ”Leader, the two points has been managed successfully, due to it being the more calm area, things weren't as Chaotic and seven family members had been saved and joined us”, his face turn grim, “but be advised, there is a big gathering around this area, they are almost half our size. Also there is no noticeable monsters present” he adds in a low voice.

  “Any general goal or intentions we need to know of?” Ethan inquired.

  “this supermarket is one of their immediate destinations to reach” he declares, a wave of unease wash the room.

  “Fun” Ethan let out in a sarcastic note, “with darkness falling down, going out is not safe. Let's take two hours and meet up at the office, get some rest, I'll let the rest know of the meeting”

  The two part ways. Rob and the cohort went to wash up and rest, the new members teamed with organizers to help them around. Passing past Ethan, they nod in acknowledgement, today’s feat will not be short lived in their mind, Ethan and his cohort saved four families with extra people on his first day as a leader.

  Ethan found Jessica close by finalizing some final construction plans and new areas, “Hi, sorry to interrupt your work, can you get the word around for the council to gather up in two hours?”

  “Sure” she replied with a polite smile.

  Gracefully tilting her head without speaking to a man who was nearby to hear his request, “Done” she smiled at Ethan.

  ‘She was born to give commands’ Ethan was admirably staring at her working her man power,.

  She arrogantly and comically pushed her long hair backward, drawing a lot of attention to her with this simple movement, “I will take this time to close some loose ends for today”

  Going inside the three compartments store, that now belongs to him and Dana's, he sees Her eating in the communal middle compartment, her hair still wet from washing Up after the workout.

  “Hi, how are you settling in?” Ethan sits by her side.

  “I am not sure, This whole thing sucks but I'm so lucky for things to happen The Way they did, stories of what's going on outside came from the survivors arrived today in The run Around you guys did, and your fight with a huge group of people by yourself” she looked disturbed, worry visible in her Eyes “It's but a matter of time until this place will be take notice by other people, are we gonna play landlords?”

  “Well about that, seems that it will happen far faster than you think”, he stands up and leave to his room leaving a the memo, “meeting up In two hours, I'm going to need a moment in my room, knock if I'm losing Track or time or something, please”

  “I am not done with you going against more than 10 people on your own! You will hear from me” She warned, jest and sarcasm were not present in her tone.

  “Don’t worry, a one time miscalculation” He turned to leave, afraid that his training time will become getting-yelled-at time

  With a dubious gaze she nods wordlessly, as Ethan enters his room for the first time.

  ‘I was so caught up that I didn't even get to see my room once so far’ excited, he drew the door knob down.

  In a five cubical meter room that was organized to be half an office and half a sleeping area with improvised camping bed and large space to train in the center, Ethan blinks in amazement, few sets of clothes, bottle waters and long lasting foods were piled up by the table, he can live here without leaving for a week, Great amount of work and care was invested in this room.

  As some people in the lower floor slept on a improvised mattress made with clothes and he gets a fancy camping bag, and an office room for himself.

  The room was modern, black wood and white marble was the main theme, contrasting the scene of destruction painted on the glass window lightly reflecting the golden dark hues of the sunset, a perfect harmony of beauty and melancholy, ‘What an horrid manner to receive ownership on such a place’.

  Returning to Dana he asks with an unreadable expression, “who arranged this room?”

  Lowering her head she answers weakly, “I did”, her mind racing, ‘was I doing something wrong?’

  He puts His Hands on her shoulders and pulls her in for a hug, surprising her, “the room is amazing, thank You, really!” slowly distancing himself away, he notices her eyes are not really green but an amalgamation of bright colors, thin bright blue Ring enveloping a green and yellow with a touch of brown outlining the Pupils, 'This was not there before'/

  “your Irises? were they always had so Many colors in Them? I swear they were green” He tries to break the weird sudden contact with a joke.

  Her embarrassed smile turned into one of confusion, the special moment forgotten as she turned around, “I…No, they were green” she walked hurriedly to a small mirror and exclaimed, “my eye’s colors, Ethan! They Were plain green, there really is few more colors who hadn't been there before”

  Walking to the mirror, he checks himself out too. His night Black irises were still black, but focusing closer, he found tiny little white like dots. now seen, cannot be unseen, his pupils looked like a starry night.

  He exclaimed, the two staring at each other by the mirror, Dana looked at him and started laughing nervously, the distance between them is bordering intimacy, “what is it? Why are you shocked” she asks, obviously missing the white dots.

  Leaning closer as she looks in his eyes, Dana makes a surprising move, inching closer, closing her eyes, Lips trembling. She was way too deep in another thought to understand what he wanted from her.

  He, on the other hand, too focused on what could be a great reveal, pushes Her back a little, “can't you see it? The white dots?“ he asks her with urgency not noticing what he just did, until he did.

  Her Look is the weird mix of pure embarrassment, confusion, indignation and a slight anger for being rejected like that, ‘wasn't that a move to try and k...’, his Voice cut her thought.

  “Dana! I'm sorry! That's not what I meant! I Mean, This is not unwelcomed, but, never mind that now, Look into My eyes and focus on the irises” he tries to explain himself.

  Her face still wears the multiple emotions she feels, she cooperate and look in His eyes, her squinted Eyes widening as she notice the moving light dots, “that’s Beautiful, it looks like stars”.

  Mesmerized by the phenomena she pulls him closer, realizing the situation, she sobers up still a few inches away, she speaks, every word sends a hot breeze of tantalizing breath on his lips.

  “let's stop acting coy, this tension, it's not good for us, we need to-”

  “Train and put our head in the game?” He continued a sentence he clearly didn't beloved in.

  “Yes…” She answers so Weakly it Could pass as a whisper. ‘He is right, we just met, and not in a healthy situation, am I willing to give it all?’

  Breaking the silence, Ethan says, “I will never be able to focus when we are both on the fence like that, yet, this Is no time for this kind of relationship, let's hold it off for a bit more for our own survival. petty whim and complicated emotions will hold us back” Ethan tries to diffuse the situation half heartedly, her perfume, a dirty move.

  She hears his words, but her heart rebels, it's decided, ‘I want him!’, she locked her gaze into his eyes, “you are a whim that I want, and I am willing to be a waiting petty woman, I will move forward to grow with you and for you. I will never hold you back. for now I'll take this as a deposit" locking her lips with his, she kisses him passionately for a long moment.

  A long and intense tension became this moment.

  The smell of her freshly washed hair, the feeling of her warm lips on his and the smell of her perfume no longer feels like an unachievable treasure, ‘how can something so wild feel so delicate and tamed at the same time?’

  Ethan being a 26 years old young man has been through such experiences before and not once, but the setting, the adrenaline and the last days’ events - he was practically in life and death risk multiple times. All of it resulted in a mere kiss to be much more intense and relieving.

  Breaking contact she says, “I by no means hold you to any responsibility, thank you for everything you have done for me, for everyone in this whole shopping center. I will always have your back and if you want something or someone else I shall fully accept it. Go and be or do whatever you need to do to fulfil yourself, I shall wait, I shall join you in your efforts”

  This was actually a great steam release, he felt his heart lightened up by her words, smiling warmly he replied, “It will be wise to focus on understanding the more important things like the meeting or about what to do next as dozens of people indeed speaks of coming here unpeacefully, I also need to recuperate, as soon as possible, this aside. Your words warmed my heart, and when time is right we shall have this for ourselves if fate will it to be so”

  With a warm smile and mutual understanding, each of them headed to his own room.