14. Stella's decision

It was the first morning in Melinda's life, when she was awakened from her sleep, without being soaked in her own sweat. The thoughts were swirling in her mind. She barely remembered the horrors she saw in Nipton, but she remembered much more the events what took place when she was only two years old. Although many doctors would shake their heads doubtfully, saying, that a man can't remember things clearly from an early age, but the horrors from the town's slaughter provoked a sort of hypnotic effect, which revealed all of her nightmares, or so a lot of memories that she thought nightmares.

She had a strange feeling. She should have been terrified, yet she looked up at the grey ceiling, with a complete peace of mind.

She closed her eyes, but she instantly remembered how the legionnaires throw her into the well. Then she opened her eyes, and shivered, like she was hit by electrocution, and after that, she sat up. Then someone moved beside her bedside. A strong hand touched her healthy shoulder, a gentle voice could be heard nearby.

"Finally, you woke up…"

The man's voice was supposed to be unfamiliar, but Melinda shivered, as she heard in her ear echoing the same sound. "Stella, run away…"

The girl looked at him, and as their eyes met, Melinda's heart started to beat faster. She ran out of bed, frightened to the bone, but he remained were he was before.

He was sitting on a chair, while watching the man's leather armor. That simple armor looked totally like the one what John was using.

The single difference was that on the other man stood perfect, but on this black-haired guy's muscles heavily strained everywhere.

"I do not mean to scare you" he said.

"Who are you, and what am I doing here?" she asked when she realized that she's at Ulysses's former hiding place.

"I'm sorry for everything, what happened to you".

"You sound like you're responsible for it!"

"I found you by chance. I went to Nipton, seeing the smoke. When I saw, what had happened, I threw up. I felt that I need water what I can use to rinse my mouth, and then I found a well. As it turned out, you were inside. I pulled you out, took care of your wounds, and then I've brought you here, in absence of a better place. I'm not from here, and I really don't know the place".

Melinda was still clinging to the door, listening to the man's explanations. Although the acting was good, she knew that he is lying. She already recognized his face and voice from the first moment. Although during the nearly two decades he has changed a lot, but not so much that Melinda to be unable to recognize him.

So that's how you want to play?, wondered Melinda, Do you think you can fool me? You looked once in the mirror, you murderer?!

´Tell me mister", said Melinda, looking toward the stove, on which a rusty ax was lying. "You didn't found others?"

"Only an idiot, whom I almost shot, when he jumped on my neck, saying that he's a winner, he won the Lottery".

Actually he was not lying in this, as the big cuddle indeed happened, just Vulpes was the lucky one, who had to let go from his neck the much more lucky winner, who was still occupied with the changing into his leather armor. He was so surprised, by the poor bastard's reaction that he bit the gangster's neck with his teeth, while he torn out a large piece from the gangster's skin. The fool then ran away, even with a bigger enthusiasm, totally ignoring his bleeding neck.

He doesn't even reached the camp just at the outskirts of Nipton, when he was attacked by two scorpions, and took care of the powder ganger member.

"Oh, my God..." said Melinda, while she collapsed, remembering how the legionnaires were deporting the men, women, elderly, children if they hadn't the winning coupon".

The man sawing this jumped up and ran to her.

He bent down to help up the girl, but she shouted at him, struck his hand. The man then pushed the girl against the wall, squeezing heavily her bandaged shoulder.

Melinda groaned and became a little dizzy from the pain, and when she came to her senses, she realized that she's in the man's arms, and he carried her back, and put her on the bed.

"Don't be mad for my previous action. I don't tolerate when somebody hits me".

And what you think of child beating? You still find it satisfactory or no longer calms you down? Pondered Melinda.

"You can imagine that I'm not so grateful as well, when someone's forcing you to sit down on a chair, and puts you a live target for some Jet overdosed bastards".

He just then got to realize, what they did to Melinda. He was taking a deep breath, but couldn't overcome the hatred burning inside of him. He was asking just for only one thing from Vulpes. And that is to let the girl alone, to let her unharmed, but then turns out, that Melinda wasn't on his so called friend's mercy to survive.

He looked at the girl, sat down beside her, and while her face was reflecting in his brown eyes, in a moment he leaned over and hugged her.

Melinda wanted to push the man away from her, but as the two strong hands pulled her to closer, and her head was on his chest, she heard the man's heartbeats. In addition to the fast beats, she heard something else. He sniffed, the wolf sniffed…

"I'm s…" said the man, but she then put her hand over his mouth, preventing him to finish his sentence.

"I don't want to hear" Melinda said. "And I'm tired of this game. I know who you are! You've changed, but not so much, to prevent me from recognizing your face. I don't know exactly who you are, but I saw what you and your tribe can do. You're not famous about remorse or compassionate. The fact that you're here, it means that you were participating at many similar horrors. I do not want to have anything to do with you. And now, if you don't want to put a collar on me, or to beat me till I'm unconscious, please leave me. Go away! Get out of my life completely!"

"St… Melinda…"

"Please, don't explain yourself! It's no use!"

"I'm not going to speak about my actions, my daughter" As he said this, he felt more relived. "The only one thing, what I want from you is to listen to me. I'm not going to talk about my decisions. I've left you to a degenerate society, but I had my reasons! But now you have your reason to take your life into your hands. To live in or leave the shadow of the two-headed bear or the bull. I trust in your decision, Melinda. The man, whom life you saved before, his name is Vulpes Inculta, or if you prefer: John Fox, he wants you his wife. Did you see with your own eyes, what kind of man is Vulpes Inculta. In the profligate's eyes, he surely is crazy, but in his own way he loves you, and I know that he can place you in safety, but he'll keep using you, and you also should know, that Caesar's hands reaches everywhere, you can find frumentarii everywhere, and Vulpes is not an ordinary frumentarius, he's their leader".

"Frumentarius?" Melinda repeated the foreign-sounding word.

"If the Legion wants to leak somewhere, or if they need information, Caesar mostly uses the frumentarii's services. How I told you before, Vulpes Inculta is their leader".

"Oh my God…"

"I will not help you in hiding, and I'll not let Vulpes or anyone else to bring you in the Fort. If I see you there, I'll be the one who'll put you on a cross, but first I'll cut your tongue out, and I'll break all your fingers. I wouldn't let Lanius let know about you. You have two brothers, who are still too young, to let the Monster of the East to put his paws on them!"

Lucius paused, seeing how Melinda went pale.

"Melinda, believe me, it's hard for me as well, to talk about this with you".

"But I know that you're capable to do so…" Melinda replied.

"If I have to... But you have to know, that I defend my sons, just like I defend the mighty Caesar himself. My part is the defense, the Legate is responsible for the Legion's strength, rigor and to put fear in our enemies hearts, Vulpes is the master of intrigues and deception. If you want to know anything about your enemies, feel free to ask. I want you to be prepared!"

"I can ask anything?"

"Go on".

"You have daughters, except of me?"

"Three, I had three daughters… but now you have only one sister. I had six children in total. Your brothers and sisters were born from three different mothers, but I sell none of them, after they gave birth to my infants. Two were carried away by diseases, one cheated me with another woman, so I ordered to be crucified both of them".

"Oh, my… I'm not interested about more details!"

"Do you remember your mother?"

"Only her reddish hair comes to mind".

"She was originally from the Utah, from a tribe conquered by the Legion. Moon Embracing Sunshine was her name, but the Malpais Legate gave her the name Filia. Your aunt, my sister was called Moon Embracing Starlight…"

"Y-You mean that you two were relatives?"

"No, Melinda, our ancestors never even met. I've met your mother just through the Legion".

"Could you, please, tell me more about your family: about my mother, about my brothers and sisters, about their mothers, and…"

"And?"

"About Vulpes."

"I thought you might ask about our Glorious Lord, Caesar…"

Melinda looked into another way, with a faint smile on her face, and Lucius started to tell his long story. Melinda listened with curiosity what her father had to say. Sunset fell, when they finished their discussion, but than Melinda remembered her dog, Simple.

She didn't know what happened to her dog, so she decided to go, before the dark completely falls on the landscape.

The man's heart almost broke, when they shared one last farewell hug. Deep down he hoped that this meeting will be not their last, but his mind said just otherwise. He said to himself, that it'll the best, if they'll never ever meet again.

They said goodbye, then Melinda walked toward the small farm, leaving her past behind, as well the towering columns of smoke from Nipton.

Her thoughts revolved only about what her father told her before. She was a bit envious of her brothers, whom she never met, and hoped she never would.

Then she remembered, that she didn't ask what's her biological father name is. She felt that maybe this will remain an enigma till the end.

As she approached more the farm, she saw smoke rising from the farm, so dark, as it was in Nipton.

Melinda ran as fast as she realized that the smoke certainly comes solely from the farm.

While she felt strong pain from her shoulders, she fell to her knees, when she saw the house in flames. Behind it, the stable and the pen had been almost completely burned down, inside with the corpses of the dead longhorners.

"Simple…" said Melinda, with tears in her eyes, forcing herself up from the ground.

She called her dog, but it seemed that her intentions were in vein, the animal was not coming out.

As she got closer to the house, she saw a man in legionary clothes, lying at the door of the house. He was lying there unconscious, or maybe he was even dead, because his clothes were burning, and soon the flames got to his skin as well, but he didn't move.

Melinda screamed in pain. And now I'm not talking about physical trauma but mental pain. She lost everything. Still crying, she started to walk into the house, but someone got her from behind, lifted her up, and, carried her away from the flames. Melinda kicked, scratched, screamed and cried, but ultimately she was unable to get out of the hands, what were holding her.

She finally stopped screaming, when she noticed Simple next to a withered shrub. The dog was lying on the ground, while a round shaped medallion hang out from its mouth.

Melinda once released she ran to her dog, and ignoring all the pain, she immediately began to examine her loyal companion.

As she put her hand on the dog's chest, she felt how the dog's heart was beating. Feeling this, Melinda calmed down a bit, and she started to cry, but from relief, knowing that her dog is alive.

"What got into you, Melinda?" she heard the unmistakable voice of John.

"Vu-W-What… What is happening here, John?"

Although she knew that he would lie to her, she looked at him to see whether he'll be able to lie to her, while their face to face.

Vulpes was equipped into a mercenary outfit, and it was clearly visible how he examined her with his glance.

"John, answer me! What is that skirted animal doing at the door of my house?!"

"It was everything in flames, when I finally arrived here" in this story the only problem was, that the stable and the pen barely began to burn, while the house was almost destroyed by the fire, but she let the man to speak in continuation.

"As I followed Simple's barking I saw the man in the doorway of the house. He was fighting with the dog. I had no choice, but to shoot him down." Another lie, Melinda saw the man's body, and he did not have a bullet wound. "Then Simple wouldn't let him go. She let me no other option, I had to take the machete from the hand of the corpse, I had to knock off Simple. "Melinda, I'm sorry, but I had no choice."

As she was told by her father, now her life was entirely in her own hand. It just depends only on herself, what the future will bring tomorrow for her.

For a moment she glanced sideways then raised her eyes back at him. Incredibly, but if she doesn't remember anything from before, and if her father doesn't tell her the truth about John being Vulpes Inculta, if there are other circumstances, she would've believed without any doubt the man's words. He spoke so naturally, and he looked so sad.

But now she knew everything… also that she's completely alone. Or not so… as she looked at the unconscious dog, lying on the ground. Melinda felt that it's not over yet, it can't be over… She has to continue!

Not now, when she had learned so many things, she can't give up…

She leaned closer to him and hugged him, and Vulpes hugged her back. Melinda startled, as she felt how calm his heart was beating. She received more emotions from her father, than from that man, whom she saved, and who wiped out an entire city only a few hours ago…

"We have to get out of here" Melinda said. "Those who burned the farm destroyed Nipton as well".

"You're okay?" asked Vulpes, with a hypocritical look on his face, what looked extremely real.

"My shoulder must argue with me, but I can say, that I'm fine. Or maybe I'm a lucky loser… But the point is that none of us got hurt. I feared that they found you as well. After you left, and Nipton was attacked, I thought that they caught you".

"I saw no one except that guy fighting Simple".

"I'm glad, you're alright".

She clung to the man's shoulder and hugged him. Maybe it sound terribly, but all her fears vanished beside that man, though she knew that all is but a lie what she sees around herself. Finally she chose this, she continued to play along.

When Vulpes let go of the girl, he went to the dog, and removed the medallion which he took into his hands.

"She tore this off the boy's neck".

Melinda was looking on the round shaped medal, as the guy spoke. She shivered as she saw the bull on it. That emblem was exactly the same, as the one on the flags, covering the whole town of Nipton.

"I don't know why, but I think that it would be safer if… Melinda, I want you to wear this around your neck! Who knows how many "wild men in skirts" hang around here. Who knows, maybe if you use this, perhaps they'll avoid you".

"Or serves as a reason to shoot me down!"

"I want you to wear it. Consider that there's from Simple…"

Melinda laughed, but fear could be seen in her eyes as she turned her head. As she turned her back to him, she pulled her curly hair aside. He put the mark of Caesar on the girl's neck, and as he lowered the medal, he gently kissed her injured shoulder.

Melinda shuddered from the touch. Almost frightened her, how pleasant it felt the gentle touch.

Vulpes hugged her from behind and then looked at the sky. Melinda was doing the same.

"It would be nice" she said. "If would be in the vicinity a physician".

"I can not serve with one, but I'm listening. Maybe I can help, my father healed many souls from my tribe".

"The stars are so beautiful…"

"I hope, you're not seeing those from the pain?"

"No, you fool!" Melinda leaned against the man. "What do you think, what would be the Latin name for the stars?

"Stella…" whispered it softly in her ear.

"What a cute accent you have!" chuckled Melinda.

He smiled then leaned his head on Melinda's healthy shoulder.

She was still watching the stars while revenge heated tears began to gather in her eyes, and a devilish smile widened on her face.

That night, Caesar got another frumentarius into his illustrious army. He just did not know that this spy will be not an ordinary one, but a little more than that.

He'll remember her name, as she remembered the wolf, what chased her out of her family, and out of her childhood…

The End

This story is over, but not Melinda's adventure. Right now I'm working on the continuation. I'll even translate it, when I finish, but hell, I'm slow with it. This series contains another story, what is double the size than this one, but is more complex. I'll translate it one day as well, but now I'm focusing on a different story, what takes place in the Fallout universe, just like this one, but isn't that depressing. I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for reading!