CAMBRIA FROST: SKILLFUL TECH GENIUS AND SCAVENGER.
The morning had released a sizzling cool atmosphere that assured the people of CINDERFALL that a little chatter and drinking at the pub wouldn't cost a thing.
The pub was located amidst the ruins of a half-roofed building, almost dilapidated and could break down at any minute. From a distance, the building seemed to look like it was sliding off the cracked road, yet it stood firm and strong. But all that danger never mattered to the people chattering and clanging their drinks inside the pub.
Majority of the cracked roads in Cinderfall permitted bikes to ride through them but not cars.
When Cambria Frost arrived on her custom-built glider bike, everyone stirred. She stopped her glider bike outside the pub, with the engine still on. She tweaked the bike's throttle.
With the activated power mode still on, she paused motionless. She did a quick check on her bike as if preparing it for high-speed travel.
"Vroom, vroom, vroom," she accelerated at the stop for a while, dragging further attention to herself, but not on purpose. "Vroom vroooom, vroom" before she finally switched off the bike.
The bike was patched together with alloy materials. It had powerful engine thrusters, all put together and built by Cambria herself. She also used old computer parts, which she picked from the ruins of the destroyed earth, to build the bike.
The bike was a mix of everything mechanical, electrical, digital and more.
Cambria Frost came down from her bike and stood tall in her rugged attire wearing. She wore a strong, masculine flak coat over her half cut top that displayed Her snatched belly and slight curves.
The durable fabric of the flak coat bearing the scars of countless battles and harsh environments. Her heavy boots, which seemed to anchor her to the ground, looked rough with streaks of mud and dirt slashed across them. The boots exuded a sense of solidity and determination.
Her hair was cut in a sharp, pixie style, the short strands framing her face with a rebellious air. The choppy layers of her hair added to her edgy charm, accentuating her angular features and piercing gaze.
Despite her masculine appearance, Cambria's physique betrayed a hint of femininity. Her arms, strong and toned from years of scavenging and fighting, seemed at odds with the gentle curve of her hips. This rugged feminine mix made her look both sexily handsome and tough.
As she moved, her flak coat creaked softly, the sound underscoring her rugged beauty. Her eyes were piercing with a sharp, intelligent glint a testament to her resourcefulness and strength. Cambria Frost was a force to be reckoned with, her tomboyish exterior hiding a complex and intriguing individual.
Cambria had the kind of presence that made people double-check their weapons. She had a tall muscular build with a face that could pass for a pretty boy or a deadly girl, depending on how hard you squinted.
Her voice? Low, smooth, and edged like polished steel. She didn't smile much, unless she was winning or if she heard something funny.
She walked into the doorless pub. A rusted metal sign creaking at the entrance read: "From the ashes of the fallen we rise." Cambria Frost liked that.
As she walked further into the pub, her boots hit the dirt, kicking up the gray dust on the floor. Her coat flared behind her, stitched with wires and circuits that shimmered faintly blue under the dying morning sun.
The pub was a hub for scavengers, smugglers, barterers, runaway adventurers, traders, you name it.
They usually came around to scrap for tech, food, meds, and sometimes bullets, and to flaunt and sell materials and parts.
Cambria didn't plan to stay long. She never did. But she needed wine, food, data drives, bullets, cables, sensors, springs, batteries, motherboards, solar panels, you name it. Anything that could benefit her constant construction of machines. And maybe a decent laugh.
The men in the pub stirred at her. When she stirred back, giving her piercing gaze, they looked away immediately.
Suddenly, she heard series of laughter coming from a shady little showroom bar where drunks watched and listened to magicians and comedians.
She walked into the room. Inside, the air was warm with spiced smoke and cheap synth-alcohol. Flickering lights danced above a cracked stage where a man with six mechanical fingers juggled knives and lightning bolts.
Cambria slid into a booth in the corner. She nodded at the male server who came over with a bottle of beer. She brought out some notes and paid.
The room was filled with mostly aged men, probably in their sixties or more, who were enjoying the show and laughing uncontrollably.
Soon, one of the old men found her. They always did.
"Another lost soul lookin' to laugh at ghosts," a rasped voice said.
Cambria turned to see a wiry old man with silver teeth. He smelled like diesel and regret.
"Depending on how funny the ghost might look," Cambria said with a smirk, leaning slightly on her elbow.
The man chuckled, squinting one eye. "Well the ghosts are usually shades with scary faces," he replied, scratching at a ragged patch on his coat.
"I will subdue the ghost even before it tells a joke. It will regret the day it existed," Cambria replied with a tilt of her head, her tone flat but sharp like a blade unsheathed.
The man laughed so hard, tapping the table with his crooked fingers. "You are so funny," he wheezed between laughs.
Cambria gave a short smile, her eyes scanning the room cautiously.
"My name is Janko. What of you?" he asked, raising his bottle toward her.
"I am Cambria Frost," she replied as they clanged bottles together.
"Cheers," Janko said with a grin, taking a long swig.
"They say Shades don't bleed," grinned another man, slapping the counter with amusement. "But my cousin swears he cut one open once. Said it screamed. Then turned into smoke."
Cambria chuckled softly. "Your cousin sounds like a liar or a dead man," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The old men laughed. She liked them. They were fools, but they remembered things others forgot and she was hoping to find out more information from them.
"Hey, do you know where I can access any fallen workshop or motor sales parts shop?" she asked, her voice now edged with business. "Broken or not, I am willing to tear through the ruins of it's debris to get what I want."
"I ain't never seen a single strand of such," Janko replied, frowning as he scratched his stubble.
"Has anyone seen something useful since Cinderfall became ruptured?" Janko shouted, raising his bottle and voice at once.
"No!" everyone in the room replied in chorus, their voices echoing briefly.
Dead-beat silence followed for a while as flute music continued to play in the background.
"I hear tell of a Shade Queen," Janko said, lowering his voice as he leaned closer. "Ten feet tall. Wears the skins of her enemies. Found her in the ghost city east of Cinderfall."
"That story again?" the bartender sighed, wiping a cup behind the counter without looking up.
But Cambria's eyes narrowed. The ghost city was on her list to scavenge.
Suddenly, someone touched Cambria's arm. A young guy. Drunk.
In one twist, she flipped him to the ground without breaking a sweat and poured her beer on his back.
Another guy came, grabbing at her buttocks.
"Hey pretty girl, you wanna..."
She punched him immediately across the face.
As he tried to retaliate, she threw a hard kick at him. Her boot squashed his cheek and the guy flew across the room.
He immediately picked himself up and scurried away.
Everyone was shocked at the sudden surge of strength she had.
And respect followed silence.