The Zombie Tournament

Act 29 : A day Off

It is a promise to fulfill. Tanya Rushdi has told Zeno Gunnar on her abilities to trade-off in their first encounter. She claimed on becoming a tour guide and an expert for parts, back then, and it is her time to prove on such demand. Zeno Gunnar has 110.000 virtual dollars in the purse out of direct payment from colossal zombie and his kill counts, more than sufficient for decorating his own living dead to the brim.

For the prime choice of the city, there are countless superior breed to muster on Gastamo’s organic limbs. Tonado has been renowned for their stash of corpses and unused chunks of human flesh. Being the only one in the country for medical treatment and health-preservation, this company have widened range of dead bodies in their storage.

Tanya Rushdi has worn the off-shoulder dress from their day of the first combat. It has fairly similar motifs to the shredded one before, a mix of blue-tinted checkers and line of black stripes on its surface. Across the waist, she has selected light-brown flare pants for the cover of her slender thigh. Its loose-fitting bottom ham are expanded and swinging down wherever she laid down a step. Naturally, Tanya Rushdi adds several sprays of perfume to her neck for a lift-up on appeal.

Towards her meticulous selection of attire, Zeno Gunnar opted a straight-fit jeans to cover his legs. On his torso, the young knight sported combination of a red button-down shirt and titanium chainmail down under. In a common sense of a man, anyone would do up their shirt if its insides are nothing but a good match to the top, yet Zeno Gunnar liberated all of them in confidence.

Undoubtedly, Zeno Gunnar’s style in fashion was inherently questionable. A man in no war shall donned nothing but a proper suit for a date.

As they met ahead of the hotel’s lobby, a spark of ire appeared on Tanya Rushdi’s temple. She addressed both arms to the waist, laying a narrowed eyes to the face, “You are insane, Zeno. Why would you put a vest in the brink of daylight like this?” She rattled.

“War is everywhere, Rushdi. A knight would have to-“

Before he could finish, Tanya Rushdi sighed and put one palm against her chest up front,“No, stop that. We’re here to have fun, not slitting some dead man’s throat.” She muttered,” Can you un-wear those things down? It’s uncomfortable to my eyes.”

“No. As I said, a war never ends.” The young knight rejected her notion, implying a stern look to his figure. Against his false determination, Tanya Rushdi laid a sigh.

“If it’s not because of my word, I’ll get out from this game immediately.” She said, masking a palm to the head in response.

---

For their first destination, Zeno Gunnar leads their way to the far-eastern region of the city. The wristwatch’s map describes this area as the location for Gastamo’s local blacksmith resides. Zellot Prishcnell is adept in armor-making and bringing his excellence to the artistry of defense. On the other way around, Gastamo’s blacksmith boasted offensive manufacture to his deeds. Indubitably, that person yields ability to forge defensive armory as everyone does, but the bearded man of this block is dominant in assault-made armaments and hidden arms within the sleeves.

(beep-beep)

The red dot has appeared close to their feet. Zeno Gunnar gazes around to find out its actual position beyond the map. There are no sign anywhere, just a pointer on the picture that stated of its presence around their left. Every white walls of the surrounding buildings gives a plaque that says it in difference. A pub on the left, lies in adjacent to a florist and local barber shop. Across the right, they see a small clinic and a restaurant that stood side-by side.

“Where is it, really?” Zeno Gunnar scratched his head,”Did you happen to come here usually?”

Tanya Rushdi shook,”No, I’ve never taken an interest to guns. Both of my spare zombies yesterday is a gift, you see.”

“Great. You’re my guide, but being baffled to the landscape as much as I am.” He mocked, curling his lips to her as a short reply,”Sir, may I....”

(swoosh)

“.....”

Being confused on their findings, there are no other way for them than to ask for direction. Conversely, many residents of Gastamo are seemed a little bit too difficult to approach. They walk across them without looking. Their heads were gazing straight to the end of the road. In a few cases, they tripped and clashing between each other, but there are no following disruption on the bystander’s stream at the moment.

They just patted themselves up, cleaning the mess and strolling back to their own business afterwards.

“Ah, well. Let’s try to go inside that pub, then.” Zeno Gunnar pointed at the wooden door on the front side. He pulls her hand to prevent Tanya Rushdi on getting lost as they walk across. The young knight grabs it tight while avoiding many passer-by along the way. Indeed, it is all happening without any romantic means, but Tanya Rushdi blushed a bit in follows.

(kriek)

(chattering noise)

“Ah, there it is!” Zeno Gunnar exclaimed. Against sudden announcement from the young knight, Tanya Rushdi missed the mark on his pinpoints and raised an eyebrow up to the confusion ahead.

“Where?”

The man directed Tanya Rushdi’s perception to the right flank of the bar,“Look at the stairs, Rushdi.” He said. As foretold, a niche inscription was written on the stair’s wall background. A name of “Jan Liwacz” are carved on the anvil’s engravings behind. On the uppermost side of the sign, a number of sword has been organised on top of each other, forming a letter “x” to be seen up close.

“Heya there! Don’t be absent on brushin’ ya filthy feet by the mat!” Shouted a stranger from above,” I’ll never forge a sword for a man with no attitude.”

Tanya Rushdi smirks a bit to the man’s awful accent,”He’s a funny guy. We’ll gonna have a great time here, Zeno.” She chuckled afterwards,”Don’t you worry much. He’s nowhere in our blacklist.”

For the man on her side, however, a blacksmith is nothing but a business partner. He was once deceived into buying a harmful equipment from one, and he never wished to be conned up twice. Zeno Gunnar staying still to his serious mode. Despite of Tanya Rushdi’s insurance, he sticks to be aware and keep alerted of any discrepancies that might be coming onwards.

---

After an hour had elapsed, Zeno Gunnar purchased a number of swords from Jan Liwacz’s blacksmith. The first one named “kinukage”, a regular sword made from meteorite rocks. Its natural purple color brought him excited and laid out 10.000 virtual dollars immediately when it stumbled upon. As to the second in his mind, Zeno Gunnar buys man-made claws and additional features for the lion he owned. The blacksmith will arrive at the zombie storage in the evening for its tweak, so a time stamp has been implemented to his schedule for today’s errands.

It is the time for a dip of lunch, but Zeno Gunnar and Tanya Rushdi has chosen to go forth. They wanted to visit Tonado Hospital for a glimpse of their dead bodies on the list. Of course, Tanya Rushdi sometimes goes to this particular place for finding parts or possible partners amongst various forms of living dead there. From unused beasts to the incomplete gigantic zombie, Tonado hospital’s management always have something to offer for the competitors abroad.

Juno Rumondor has also ordered them to buy a ton of corpses for their zombie’s food to eat, so they still have something to be done nevertheless.

“Hey, look at that legs!” Shouted Tanya Rushdi to the northern cage of Tonado hospital’s exhibit,”We can put those for my fist-fighter zombie.”

As Zeno Gunnar take a glance to the zombie that she referred to, he found none other than a deformed zombie of his old encounter. His feet are somewhat larger than what it supposed to be. Most of zombie collectors deemed them useless, hence their presence as stray zombies of survival game’s first day before. Such zombie’s main feature on the battlefield are duly preserved for gigantic zombie’s components.

“Nah, they’re better for my father’s lunch than being parts for your zombie.” Zeno Gunnar replied.

On the other exhibit of Tonado hospital, a bunch of tiny speedster zombie is on sale. Everything appeared identical to the common ones they found on the prowl, until Zeno Gunnar perceived a pack of protruding ribs behind the back.

“Hey, is that....”

Tanya Rushdi affirmed it with a nod,”Yes, they are. Tony Simmons had mentioned it, right?” She answered,” Wanna buy some of those?”

“For his research, I suppose we have to.” The young knight flicks his wristwatch to scan the beast’s code upon the box,”We never know for sure its real usage, unless Tony Simmons has established something from its remains.”

(click-click)

‘Thank you for the donation, Mr. Zeno Gunnar. Our team will send 10 red-zombies to your storage tommorrow.’

Chiming sounds of the automated response system has appeared, expressing Tonado hospital’s gratitude over Zeno Gunnar’s expense. A picture of smiling children is played on the background of the purchasing panel.

“Really? They called that ‘donation’?” Zeno Gunnar pouted,”You’re not gonna say-“

“Yes, they have larger chunk of profits from their health business, Zeno. It’s not weird for them to underestimate your purchase at some point.” Tanya Rushdi rubs him on the back,”Now, let’s go buy some meat for our zombies, shall we?”

---

Everything has been settled for today’s sightseeing. They have purchased many objects required for their living dead’s development. The two of them have caesar salads and mashed potatoes as a lunch. It is a date for Tanya Rushdi, a girl in love, while Zeno Gunnar looked upon it as a token of gratitude from her side. Last night was nothing but a mirage for the young knight. He was never inclined to find a woman of his life, since one most important objective is yet to be accomplished.

At evening, the sunset livestreaming has been shown up on the screen for reminders of time. A rhythmic sounds of trumpets was affixed to the moving picture of the daylight ends.

For Zeno Gunnar and Tanya Rushdi, it is their moment to buckle up. The young knight has to do a full-day programme for his lion companion. He has to enlist moves into the beast’s mind and prepared him to be accustomed with loads of brawl in the near future. On the other way around, Tanya Rushdi has also planned on intensive training for her only zombie of the game. She tends to mirror Zeno Gunnar’s teaching for the fist-fighter zombie’s mode of attack.

(clang!clang!)

The bearded blacksmith of Gastamo has completed the full-service adjustment for Zeno Gunnar’s lion. On the creature’s rear, The young knight put a pair of machine gun for back-up strategy in tight situation. Longer claws has been attached to the beast’s paws for better prominence in melee assault. Jan Liwacz also placed customized armor for the lion’s entire figure. He made it align to the beast’s body contour for extensive promotion in agility and reflexes.

“All set. I’ve also inserted a vibration gun inside his mouth. This nasty beast’s bloody roar would destruct everything in its path.” Jan Liwacz opened the beast’s snout wide for them to see,”All you need to say is ‘roar’ and he’ll gonna smash everyone up in a blast.”

“Righty. Thanks for the armor, man. I appreciated it.” Zeno Gunnar offered a handshake. To such proposal, the blacksmith agreed.

“No problemo. Call me if you want a tweak, okay? It’s for you, too, Tanya.”

As to the blacksmith’s wink, the girl replied his mention with a smile,”Yeah, I’ll remember it.” She said.

(beep-beep)

“Do a roar, Roman.”

Without further ado, Zeno Gunnar tried to use the beast’s new feature for testing. In corresponds to the command, his lion roars across the vacate area of their training ground. The added feature stands in similar manner to the grenade launcher zombie of Welodge industries. His snout produces a mighty reverberation of winds to the front-line and causing a massive vibration to its surroundings. To fend off knockback effect of its roar, the lion’s paws are clasping into the ground and being the creature’s stand to prop.

“Oh my god, Zeno! That’s fantastic!” Tanya Rushdi clamored,”I can’t really stand the sound, but I guess everything else is okay.”

“Yeah, now let’s do something for their moves, Rushdi. We’ll train until midnight.”

Hearing his demand, Tanya Rushdi teased him with a grin,”Then we’re having another set, right?” She said. Before the man could answer, Tanya Rushdi rushed in and jumps to his back, propping herself into piggyback ride by force.

“No matter what, I’ll spring into your bed, anyway. Don’t you dare to dismiss me.”