"Thank you very much, Prince..." John Rennick hung up the phone and sat back in his chair with his feet kicked up onto his desk. He let out a deep sigh and turned the TV up in anticipation. It didn't take more than thirty minutes for the news to break. Friedrich Johanson looked frazzled as he read off of his teleprompter.

"Breaking news coming from the capital of Albania as Prince Jaka announces his support and endorsement for well known fascist, Nik Kovacic. This is bombshell news as Kovacic is notorious for being a staunch enemy of Slovenia's proud communist government and also the monarch. Experts believe that this endorsement will create unrest in the capital and spark riots throughout the country. The President of Slovenia, Zak Novak, has yet to release a statement."

John's phone began to blow up from messages from politicians and lawyers who were all freaking out. Their fragile system was beginning to show its cracks, and John Rennick was enabling it from within the shadows. John couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. What he told The Prince about being in the history books was true, but the one holding the pen was him. He slowly stood up and walked to his office window and watched as the cars sped back and forth.

"The second act is starting soon, Ramsey Erikson... you're the star of the show now, orphan." John Rennick said; he couldn't help but laugh.

June 30th 6:45 AM Eastern Time, 30 miles east of the 1st Atlantic District borderline. Kinsey Ryder finally returned from his scout of the Appalachian Mountains. He knew the tricks the woods could play on someone's mind so, despite his overwhelming desire to explore, he stayed on the beaten path. When he returned to the camp, Ramsey was eagerly awaiting for him at his tent.

"Took you long enough, Ryder."

"My bad boss, we have a long way to go, but I didn't see anything we should be too worried about. The road has been abandoned, so definitely no inquisitor pressure." Kinsey responded.

"I'm not worried about inquisitors, we lost them, I'm positive. What I'm worried about is wildlife. Just bears, right?"

"Yeah... well, if I know anything about the Appalachian Mountains... you can run into anything. These woods are steeped in legend and folklore. Gramps told me that the things that happen in Appalachia cannot be explained by those scientist folk."

Ramsey had a curious look on his face from Kinsey's response. Kinsey wasn't scared of literally anything, so his warning was taken with a great deal of seriousness.

"Ryder, did you see anything?" Ramsey said.

"Yes, Ram, yes I did."

Paul and Arthur both got up at the same time. They were piled in a tent with Kristoff and Juniper. Paul met Juniper last night and was immediately impressed by his intense yet controlled demeanor. He seemed quiet, yet assertive in his beliefs when questioned. Paul couldn't help but notice that Kristoff had developed a fatherly relationship for Juniper, however Juniper appeared to not want anything to do with him. Arthur shook Juniper awake and the three of them left Kristoff alone in the tent.

"Hopefully he's still sleeping when we all leave." Juniper said with a glare. "For some reason the old man won't leave me alone. He thinks I can't take care of myself, it pisses me off." Juniper said.

"Maybe he is just looking for a friend. From what I've seen, everyone tries their best to ignore Kristoff. Not that I blame them." Arthur responded. Juniper looked at Arthur like he was crazy.

"If his way of making friends is constantly yelling at me and hovering over me like I'm some infant then he's got it backwards." Juniper fired back.

"I'd be weirded out, what if he's some creep." Paul responded.

"Ehh, I don't have time to worry about that. If he is actually like that then I'll deal with it." Juniper said as he gathered his bag from the tent. "We should meet up with Ramsey, I bet Kinsey is back from his scouting mission." All three of them started walking. Morning fog hung in the air as it flowed in and out pine trees that bordered the road. The scenery was beautiful, but no one was in a mood to enjoy it. Abel in particular was shaken from the bombing the day before. He did his best to act tough around Ida, but he couldn't stop thinking about the safety of his house. Part of him wanted to run off in the night before he got too deep.

Abel wasn't the only one. The overall mood of the Patriots was unease. As they marched further down the road, it felt as if they were marching close to death. No one ever talked, they just kept their eyes forward and braced for a gunshot, or the terrible buzz of a drone. Any sudden movement from a squirrel or rabbit was met with a scream or a panic attack.

Abel found Ida and they both walked over to the main camp where they saw Kinsey and Ramsey talking amongst a crowd of other Patriots. Abel wanted to tell Ida he wanted to go home, but he knew she wouldn't agree with him. She was always brave, nothing seemed to intimidate her. That's why they would never work as a couple, despite how much Abel liked her. Abel asked himself if he'd even agree to go on this whole crusade if Ida wasn't here. After thinking about it for a moment, he knew instantly that she was the only reason he joined the Patriots. Why was he fighting? Does he even agree with what Ramsey says? Everyone thinks he's this benevolent god who could never say or do anything wrong, Abel was unsure.

Ida nudged Abel in the arm and smiled at him. His face went red.

"How'd you sleep, sport?" She said.

"I didn't get much sleep, but can you keep a secret?" Abel said anxiously.

"What is it?" Ida responded with a concerned look. Abel pulled out a device from his backpack.

"It's an inquisitor issued cell phone." Abel said looking proud. Ida looked horrified.

"Abel... do you want us to get tracked?" She said under her breath to not cause panic.

"I knew you would worry about that." Abel said with a smile. "You're pretty easy to predict, Ida. I took out the microchip that modulates cellular radio waves. But, that was before I downloaded the online map. So if we get lost, we have a phone that can lead us back to the road."

"Abel, you blow my mind sometimes. You freakin' genius." Ida said back as she scratched his head. Abel's heart skipped a beat. However, he didn't tell her that he was contemplating using the map to run back home.

They both made it to the crowd of people, and keenly listened to Ramsey instruct them on what to do next. Alice caught up to Ida and Abel. Ida rolled her eyes as she sat next to her.

"Patriots! Kinsey returned just moments ago from his scouting mission. As I guessed, he found no inquisitors or depots, however that does not make this mission any less dangerous! I'll let Kinsey brief you on the nature of the Appalachian Mountains." Ramsey took a step back and Kinsey stepped up and took off his cowboy hat.

"Hello folks! Hope you are all well rested because we have a long journey ahead. The road we stand on is an old highway called highway 40. From studying maps as a kid with my gramps, I'd guess we are southeast of an old American city called Pittsburgh. I'd say we are around 130 miles west of the Capital. Those 130 miles will primarily be spent in these mountains that sit before us." Everyone sat and listened intently, however, Kinsey lacked his usual upbeat tone. He spoke with a serious edge that made for an ominous atmosphere.

"I'd like to start with an old legend that my gramps told me when I was a youngin. Within the Appalachia Range, hillbillies before soviet control would encounter anomalies... Creatures that defied logic and natural law. These creatures varied from giant bats to gigantic apes. The most notorious of these creatures were bipedal deer. The locals referred to them as the smiling stag." It felt as if ice cold water ran down Abel's spine. He anxiously fidgeted with his phone. Ida smacked his arm and motioned him to pay attention. "Locals told stories of how these bipedal deer would frequently coax unsuspecting tourists into the woods to never be seen again. Now most of these stories are simply folklore and nothin' more than that. However it is important to realize that as soon as the Soviet's gained control of the continental states, they completely outlawed any entry to these mountains and inquisitors avoid it like it's the plague. One could chalk it up as coincidence, and say that there are ulterior motives for ignoring these woods. Believe me, I thought the same thing... Until I did my scout. There are things in these woods that don't make sense. And it makes you feel like worms are crawlin' underneath yer skin. Now I can't be sure, but I believe that halfway during my scouting mission last night, I laid eyes upon one of these bipedal deer." No one said a word as Kinsey gave his sobering report. Fear struck nearly everyone.

Juniper looked uninterested for the most part. This struck Paul. How could someone not be concerned by whatever the hell Kinsey was talking about. Paul tried to see if he was simply putting on an act, but his expression seemed of genuine disinterest. Arthur tapped Paul on the shoulder.

"Paul, if you see one of these smiling stag things, do not hesitate to shoot. Ok?" Arthur said with dead serious intent.

Paul nodded his head as cold sweat dripped down his forehead.