Chef in the Apocalypse

While the group was exploring the depths of the gigantic tree, on the other side of the world a man slowly made his way out of the forest. He was covered in mud and dirt from head to toe, looking like he’d just walked out of a swamp.

Yet for some reason, his hair still looked like it had been styled. He silently walked up the hill, his eyes focused on the walls that were in the distance.

As he ascended, he was finally stopped by two people dressed in swordsman gear.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The man let out a weary sigh, as if speaking itself was even more troublesome than what he had already been through.

"Zane." His voice was harsh and raspy, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.

The guard flinched at the almost inhuman like tone of the voice, yet it was a name that he recognized. Colin and Dion had told them to keep a look out for Zane the archer during their shifts. It had been over 2 weeks since that time.

"Ah, Mr. Zane from Hell’s Kitchen?" The guard spoke, his tone a lot more polite.

Zane merely nodded, wanting nothing more than to bathe and get some sleep.

"Let me open the city gates for you." He said politely.

However, Zane could not be bothered waiting. With a leap, he suddenly jumped up and clung onto the one of the exposed bricks on the city wall before beginning to scale it with ease.

The guards could only watch on in awe as he effortlessly made the perilous climb, looking like a mixture between a monkey and a mountain goat.

Zane reached the ramparts of the western wall and looked down at the city that he now called home. His usual stoic expression was covered in dirt, yet his eyes held a sense of relief as he finally made it back home.

He likely only had a few minutes to sneak away before the guards notified Colin and Dion that he had arrived in Bastion. Therefore he made sure no one was looking, before making his way down the other side of the wall.

Unfortunately, he had to stick to the shadows in order not to stick out like a sore thumb due to his ghastly appearance. Thankfully, the sun was beginning to set, bringing with it some long shadows that he used expertly.

After making it to an alley just next to his house, he froze on the spot.

"Zane."

A deep booming voice sounded out, making his expression falter. Letting out a sigh of acceptance, he turned around and faced the music.

What stared back at him was a giant of a man with the setting sun on his back. His figure looked straight out of a superhero comic book, the dazzling grin still shining in the shadows.

"Colin." Zane responded, his throat sounding dry.

"Hehe. You bastard, we were all worried about you after you guys didn’t come through the array." Colin chuckled, he was obviously in a good mood.

Zane tilted his head in question. "Who else didn’t make it through?" He suddenly had a bad feeling.

Colin scratched his head for a moment, "Ah, I forgot. There was no way you could have known. Leader and Lianna were teleported to a random location, but they’re gonna try build an array and head back soon enough."

He continued, "It’s just as well you didn’t go through the portal. Leader told us how dangerous those things are if they’re not set up correctly."

Zane’s face went through a mixture of emotions before turning back to his stoic demeanor. As long as Lianna was together with Jayce, they would definitely be safe.

"Anyway, you smell like shit and look even worse. Go bath and rest up, we’ll have a chat when you’re recovered." After saying those words, Colin chuckled and left the scene, leaving Zane to stare at his back with annoyance.

’That’s what I was trying to do...’ Zane thought inwardly, trying to force down his annoyance. With that, he made his way back home and had one of the best baths in his life.

***

It wasn’t until two days later that Zane finally woke up from his extended nap. His body was a little achy, however he would rather that than being covered in mud and sleeping in the forest for another night.

Hearing a loud grumble, he sighed deeply.

’I miss leaders food...’

Yet in true Zane fashion he wore his stoic mask and headed out the door in search for food. As soon as he opened his door, he was met with a pretty woman who had been pacing back and forth out front of his house.

She had long ginger hair and fair skin with curves in all the right places. It was clear that she had been agonizing over whether or not to knock on the door and potentially wake him up.

As soon as she saw Zane, her features lit up. She ran over to him, her breasts bouncing joyfully as she wrapped him into an embrace. "Zane! I missed you so much."

Zane’s face lit up in surprise, something that was quite unusual for him. What was even more shocking was that his lips moved ever so slightly, turning up into a smile.

If any of his colleagues had seen his look right now, they might even think that he was an impostor.

"Claire..." He spoke out in a soft voice, surprised at how much emotion was contained within it.

"You idiot, I was so worried about you." Claire nuzzled her face into his chest, holding back tears as she hugged him tightly.

"I’m sorry."

After a few moments he separated from her, holding her at arms length. "I’m here now, don’t worry. This time I’ll make an honest woman out of you." Zane’s face was tender, yet there was conviction behind his oath.

Claire’s teary face lit up after hearing those words, yet she felt a little confused. "Didn’t you say that you couldn’t commit to me because of your missions with Hell’s Kitchen?

Zane shook his head, "None of that matters now. My two weeks struggling through the jungle alone was enough to put things into perspective."

The two embraced once more, this time there was a different kind of warmth and happiness, one that spoke of a beautiful future together.

While from an outsiders perspective, Zane had seemed like a bit of a playboy, even being called the mute Casanova by Jayce himself; He was just misunderstood. While he had gone home with many ladies in the past, it had never played out as one had expected.

Due to his predisposition to rarely speak, women seemed to love him even more. They would shower him with praises, saying that he was such a good listener. They would chat his ears off all night.

Zane was actually a rather reserved person, therefore he had never made a first move on a woman. Which was why despite his popularity, he had not slept with many women in his lifetime.

Yet this all changed when he had met Claire, the person who had come to understand him and his silence. They started dating secretly for many months, as Zane did not want to ruin what they had.

He was also afraid of letting her get too close, especially with his duty as one of Jayce’s men. He would be away a lot, perhaps for months at a time. It would crush his soul if he were to return and find that Claire had cheated on him or something.

Therefore he guarded his feelings, hiding under the pretense that he had a duty to fulfill, meaning they could not make their relationship official.

However, Zane’s time hiking alone through the dangerous forests surrounded by monsters had changed his perspective. There was a hole in his heart, as if something was missing, making him feel empty inside.

It wasn’t until Claire appeared in front of him just now that he finally realized what that missing piece was.

"Invite your parents over to your house for dinner tonight. I’ll officially ask for your hand in marriage." Zane declared, feeling a touch nervous.

Claire beamed in happiness, nodding enthusiastically at the sudden turn of events.

"Okay, I’ve got to head to the main building to meet up with the others. I’ll see you at your house before sunset." Planting a kiss on her forehead, Zane quickly scooted off before Claire could see his cheeks redden.

The woman stared at the retreating figure of her man and smiled brightly while waving him off. Claire almost felt the need to pinch herself, just in case this was a dream.

A little later, Zane finally arrived at the main building where everyone was waiting for him. Colin, Jackie, Ben, Amber, Heath, and even Macie with her swollen tummy were all smiling at him.

"Welcome Home." Colin said, landing one of his trademark slaps in the middle of his back.

Despite the stinging sensation the slap brought, Zane felt a wave of warmth embrace his body. "Yeah. I’m home." He said with a smile.