"Alright." One said, "everyone hold on until morning. When light comes it will be safe to move but."
He paused.
"When the sun rises, it will be a race against time. The moment sunlight touches the ground, those things will move again."
Silence followed. No one had a better option, now all they could do was hope they last until dawn.
"Grrr..." stomachs growled as the cold wind swept through the valley.
Eyelids grew heavy with each passing moment as their yawns spread, "aaaahhh"
"Hey, stay awake!" Six said.
"Lets," One said "tell stories about what we did on earth to stay awake."
"..Alright." Five agreed softly
"Sixteen." One said. "you star.t"
Vance adjusted his grip on the spike. "I was a Private investor."
"What did you invest in?" One asked.
"People"
"Tch" Six scoffed "so a loan shark. Figures."
Vance said nothing, he was used to it. People fear you when they owe you something, they forget that they came to you first begging, pleading and promising.
And when it's time to pay up suddenly your the villain, and society didn't mind to confirm their bias by treating you as if your a monster with their distain.
Vance smiled, violence wasn't civil but it was effective.
The taxman always gets his money.
"What about you, Six?" One asked steering the conversation, "what do you do?"
"A police officer." Six said with a smirk, "I used to deal with scum like Sixteen"
"Although we are no longer on earth, it changes nothing." Six's eyes shined as he smiled "scum like Sixteen are everywhere and its my civil duty to put them down."
"You mean arrest them?" One asked, but no reply came.
'So he's one of them' Vance sighed, he'd seen cops like Six before.
Men who wore that badge like a crown, it always made them feel safe and powerful.
At first they follow the law then bend it, thinking that they are judge, jury and executioner.
They start beating anyone they think is a criminal then they cripple them then.
They kill them.
This is where they start to think they are the law, they take money from suckers in exchange for not arresting them.
The power and control goes to their head to the point that they forget who they serve, thats when they start to exercise their power on civilians.
But Vance didn't care, as long as they don't interfere with his business
They can pretend to be kings.
''So how many have you put down?" Vance said with his usual calm tone 'lets see if he'll be a problem'
"Prison? Over fifty" a pause "but I don't think that's what you meant."
Vance stayed silent.
"About ten" Six said.
"With a partner?" Vance asked.
"At first," he replied, "but the last two... I handled alone"
A pause.
"Scared?"
"Six" Vance said, glancing at the faint light in the sky "I suggest you find your partner before you start this."
"Haahaha....!" Six laughed "we'll see"
Silence returned, this time heavy.
No one spoke again. No one wanted to know what kind of people they were trapped with.
They waited, hands trembling, bodies weakening, eyes closing
"haaah.." Five yawned then
Her hands slipped and instantly she screamed "AAAH!"
"THUD" her back fell flat on the sharp grovel "ouch.."
"Move!" One said as Vance climbed down.
The sky had turned red and sun behind the mountain.
Vance picked up his ladger and glanced back at Six.
"Clap. Clap. Clap." One clapped his hands, his white hair faintly visible in the dim light, "the moment the sun rises past that mountain were dead."
"So run," One said as he turned his back away from the stone beasts.
They ran.
For most their bodies screamed, leg heavy, muscles failing but they ran even if it meant dragging their feet they ran.
'I never had this much stamina' Vance looked ahead at Jennifer who was keeping pace with Six and One 'is it because of her?'
'I'll figure it out once I'm out of here' he pushed foward as the light grew stronger.
"Hey, One!" Vance called.
"What?!" One replied without turning.
"Why did ask about the stone beast?"
"because.." One breathed heavily "some act as guardians and... last time.. huff..."
One went silent suddenly.
Vance eyes sharpened '...last time...'
"Just don't go past them!" One said quickly.
"Why?" Jennifer asked, keeping pace.
One hasitated then said "Because that's where Threx domain begins"