Leighla's erratic path sent her running in ever growing loops taking her further South. It was only when she found the water's edge that she stuck to a direction and went bounding along the Boston waterfront until she could come across a place to hide and recuperate.

As Leighla is fleeing, the streets are slooping off into the water, she only ended up stopping by being swallowed over her head in sea water. The submerge blasted her senses wide awake, and as she came to the surface shivering and pushing off the ground back towards the shore, she hadn't realized the roads were all leading down into the water. Leighla hastily shook herself off and finally caught her breath, able to listen for anyone chasing her.

The path she took lead to a great stone brick and mortar building with 20ft high walls, erroded or broken by the waves pounding into it unabated in some places, Leighla caught the scent of the dry ocean and crusteaceans, surrounded by eggs.

A whole field of mirelurk eggs, and after fighting for so long, being fed only enough to always be on edge, she let every other thought and emotion go to consume.

Her adrenalin was still pushing through her system so quickly that it wasn't until she accidentally crushed two eggs underfoot that she realized what she stumbled into.

The first mound of eggs, she bit into, shells and all, devouring the yolk, tipping her head back and breaking open. Some were partially developed mirelurks, but that only meant softshell crab meat to the hungry gryphon. During the second dozen of mirelurk eggs, the grown-ups appeared, but Leighla was undeterred in her feast. Even as they charged her, bearing their thick shells down to ram her, she pinned the first one down and pecked through its outer shell with one strike, gouging and devouring its brain and guts, mowing through sections of mirelurk arms as it struggled to die.

A ravenous hunger inside her awoke, an unrelenting urge to eat.

After three more mirelurks, and another three dozen eggs, a Queen Mirelurk came sensing that its eggs and protectors were in danger. It saw the gryphon ravaging her eggs, eating them one after another, but Leighla stopped to look, only seeing more food. She stood up on her hind legs, then screeched at the Mirelurk Queen, flaring her wings out.

The Mirelurk Queen claiming the Castle as their bedding ground lashed out, but seeing it was far too slow to swpie at Leighla it spat bursts of stomach acid. As the twenty-foot giant crustacean was crawling her way up into the Fort to protect the thousands of eggs laid around the complex, this only offered Leighla leverage to dash up to the top of the rampart, leaping and flutter through the air to sink her talons deep into the Mirelurk Queen's shell. Pecking and clawing at the back of the Queen's neck, Leighla clawed her way into the outer shell as the Mirelurk Queen struggled to grab at her. The Queen lacked the mobility to reach up and grab behind her, Leighla ripped off one of the Queen's feeding arms along her chest. Blue, thick blood that seemed to glow in the light sprayed her as she ate apart the Queen. Leighla only let go to get a better grip, breaking off large chunks of shell, cracking the joints apart with as much ease as breaking small branches.

When Cait and Meathead arrived, they found Leighla laying on her side against the wall, along with a half-devoured Mirelurk Queen, and the rest of her feeding frenzy scattered about.

"Are you alive there, Lass? A little peck'ish were ye', Leighla?" Cait asked, looking around and only feeling hungry herself.

Leighla only laid there, looking up at the two of them with her swollen gut pinning her to the ground. Meathead sat down on the ground a few feet away from her, but this brought him down to her level.

"<I'm want the two of you two guard a small settlement North of here. There's a group of ponies, as well as humans living alongside each other, but we're lacking fighters and guards who can identify threats. This opportunity would give you both a chance to recooperate, eat food on a regular basis, all from a Vault. How's that sound?>"

Lieghla gave Meathead a sad-look, "I just want to eat," she said.

The thousands of parasites populating both Cait and Leighla's digestive systems, Meathead could practically feel the parasites emotions, and see in their eyes the milky-yellowness. Their skin looked like they weren't getting the right nutrients, already hard enough being the pit-fighting slaves to a battle arena, along with sun-light, the food was hardly in the right state for consumption most of the time. Leighla and Cait's hungry looks were because of no matter how much they ate, they came away feeling ravenously hungry.

"<How much do either of you know about stomach parasites?>" Meathead asked, they both looked at him like he was speaking an alien language. "<Nevermind.>" He could kill them all at once, but that would leave the body with a plethora of dead parasites the body would need to dispose of and filter out naturally. That dead material would cause an even greater sickness, and leave them ill for days, if not kill them first.

"Like we really get a lot of choice of meat to begin with, Blue Jay." Cait says, referring to the blue vault-suit. "And what'll you be doing?"

"<I'll be dealing with some business South of here, errands, and then attending to the killing of several mutants roaming around.>"

"And why don't you want us then?" Cait asked.

"<Because the both of you just escaped from a fight-pit, and while not on the verge of collapse, I'm offering the both of you a place to lie down, and recover while I deal with some tasks at hand.>"

"And what's in it for you?"

"<The two of you run protection for me. You'll be my security guards where I need you to be.>"

"And why be your muscle? You can handle yourself."

"I can, but there's people and ponies who can't. They've been attacked in the night, dragged out, raped, beaten, and are all shocked into a lower-level of consciousness that only a giant brute of gryphon and a cunning decisive striker can elevate.>"

"Elevate what?"

"Homes, security, and a sense that when something comes, they need someone strong to rely on. People need you to show them that you're capable of protecting each other and them as well from threats. How are you feeling about your newfound freedom?>" Meathead asked, Leighla cocked her head, eyes settling on the man sitting in front of her. "<You're in South Boston. About a half hour flight from Concord. There's a small suburb called Sanctuary Hills, North and West from here, I've got a laundry list of things I need to get done, and I can use all the help I can get.>"

She inhaled, curious about the scent, she was still content. "<Three months from now, you can have your own home and watch the snow fall from the warmth of your bed through the windows, but the building of paradise will draw jealous creatures and monsters who want to take what we have.>"

"That I can't trust you...?" Leighla asks, gauging Caits reaction and expression.

Meathead swore he miss-heard the bird, but she didn't repeat herself. She was having a conversation in her mind, but the words weren't connecting with her mouth.

"Two people in this world.. when they see me, those first types are scared...you're the second type."

"Well, hold on now, Leighla, what's that supposed to mean? He's stuck with us for using us as meat-shields, he's plenty right a person we should worry about-"

"Cait- If you're here, that means the Combat Zone is done for, without a floor to piss on..and I'm covered in crab shell that is already reeking in the morning dew. If Blue Jay can compliment me, and get me a place to sleep, then yes, I'll join you."

<Then it sounds like we have a new group member, pleased to meet you Leighla, I'm Nate.>" Meathead said. "<Although, make a mental note that I have something to tell you both later on once we're more acquainted. I figure since we just met, I wont bore you with my whole life story yet.>"

"Good, you talk too much anyway." Cait said.

"<Are you going to be alright now after eating your way through a mirelurk den?>"

"I'm actually still hungry, but not starving like I was. I could eat."

"At least you left a few eggs for the rest of us." Cait said, taking one last look around. "After a night like that, I'm dying for a runny egg."

\111/

Next Chapter: Ch. 81 South Boston University Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 12 Minutes