The first hints of dawn were just peeking through the night sky when Eviereached the gates of the fort. The air was crisp and bit at her cheeks, each breath she took forming small clouds of mist as she exhaled. Her heart pounded not just from the brisk pace, but also from the cocktail of excitement and nerves churning within her. The loss of her mother still weighed heavily on her, but with something else to focus on, it felt easier to move forward.
The gates of the fort were already crowded with a long line of caravans and hunters waiting to exit. Evie weaved her way through the throng, her eyes scanning the area for Darius and his team. She spotted them near the front, loading up their wagons with supplies, their movements practiced and efficient. The smell of leather and the clanking of metal filled the air as they secured crates and weaponry to large wagons.
As she approached, Darius noticed her and paused, a questioning look crossing his weathered face as he noticed the bag slung over her shoulder. He wiped his hands on a cloth, tossing it aside as he walked over to her.
“Evie, what are you doing here?”
Evie stared up at him trying her best to meet his gaze with a determined look on her face, but inside, she felt anxious, uncertain.
“I’m coming with you to Fort Washington.”
Darius frowned, glancing back at his team who continued their preparations, ignoring the conversation.
“Evie… I heard what happened to your mother, and you have my deepest condolences… I don’t know if you’re going to enlist or just to get away, but this isn’t a pleasure trip. The roads are dangerous, deadly. The Virus hit us every time we go through the forest. And you’re just level 23-”
“24.”
Evie felt her chest pounding as she folded her arms across it and tried to project confidence that she didn’t feel. She needed to leave with that caravan, but she felt small underneath Darius’ gaze. Darius gave an exasperated sigh and she felt herself wilt slightly.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t accept anyone in my caravan under level 30. And they’d have to be damn good for me to take them there. I know I said you should think about joining up with us, but that was in a few years… When you have some more experience.”
“I’m not trying to join up. I just need to get to Fort Washington.”
“Then wait for a convoy. They go every few months. I’m sorry, I really am, but taking you would put my whole team at risk and I’m not willing to do that.”
He turned and tried to walk back to his caravan, but Evie caught his arm. He swiveled back, mouth twisting in frustration, but the words of admonishment died on his throat when he saw the desperation in Evie’s eyes.
“Can we talk? In private?”
He tapped his foot impatiently, but seeing the look in her eyes curtly nodded.
“Come on, I’m sure the hotel will let me pop back into my room for a second. It isn’t far.”
He led the way at a jog and she ran after him, struggling to keep up. His long legs and high level helped him easily outpace her without seeming like he was even putting in much effort. When they were finally back in the hotel room, at least two miles away, he stared down at her, hands on hips, with his disapproving eyes saying the words he thankfully chose not to voice.
Evie took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves as well as her winded lungs.
"I need to go to Fort Washington, Darius. It's not just a whim - I have reasons."
She paused, gauging his reaction before continuing.
"And I’m not as unprepared as you think."
Darius raised an eyebrow, skepticism written across his face.
“I’ve already said everything I have to say on that.”
“Did you hear what happened to us last week?”
Darius just folded his arms and looked down at her.
“Of course you did… You always know.”
“It isn’t that rare for Virus to break into Richmond. The walls are undermanned - a lot of the best soldiers head to the capital. Unfortunate, tragic, that it happened to you and your mother, but it does happen.”
“Even juggernauts?”
This made Darius pause and he eyed her questioningly for a few seconds, weighing her words.
“That’s quite a bit rarer… I wasn’t sure if I believed that part. How did you manage to get away?”
Evie folded her arms and stared back up at him. This time, when she responded, there was some steel in her voice.
“I killed it.”
“Evie, I know you’re trying to impress me, but-”
“Victoria.”
Evie’s voice was soft, and for a second Darius just looked at her without understanding, and then his eyes grew huge as he watched her transform.
“Unbelievable...”
Darius’ mouth opened with shock and awe as Evie stood before him cloaked in the radiant aura of her Tier 2 hero. Her transformation was swift and seamless and the air around them seemed to thrum with power, the room bathed in a soft glow emanating from her.
“You… How…”
Evie laughed merrily, a true smile coming to her lips. She spun slowly, showing off, as Darius continued to gape at her.
“Evie, I see, but for the love of Gavin, please let that go. We’re going to get mobbed if someone spots you through the window.”
She continued to laugh, but did let the power drop away as she did. Her form vanished and she shrunk in size and stature, feeling the power within her replaced by a hollow void. She felt a wave of emptiness pass through and it became nearly impossible to cling on to the mirth she had just been feeling.
“It happened during the fight. We fought off a few of the Virus, but the Juggernaut and nine more were blocking our exit. Mom fought it, she was so brave… And it was my fault… I-I tried to sneak up on it while it was fighting mom and it knew I was coming. I was done, I saw it coming to kill me, but mom pushed me out of the way and it hit her instead.”
She looked up at him, clenching and unclenching her fist and she saw a look of sympathy pass over his face. She looked down at her hands and continued, the words speeding from her mouth like speeding arrows.
“I was broken, lost, just waiting to die when I found Victoria inside of me. I didn't really understand what was happening at first. I was so angry, it hurt so much. One minute I was lying over mom’s body, waiting to die, and the next I was ripping them to shreds, even the juggernaut.”
“But that’s impossible… Nobody’s awakened in years.”
“I know… I’d given up hoping it would happen to me. But somehow…”
Darius paced a few steps back and forth, processing the information.
"That’s... incredible, Evie. That does change things. But it also makes you a target. The Virus, they..."
He trailed off, his expression conflicted.
“The more powerful you are, the more they hunt you.”
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“They’re already hunting me!”
Evie nearly shouted the words. There was a fire burning brightly in her eyes when she focused them on Darius, imploring, no begging him to understand.
“I don’t know why – that's why I need to go to Fort Washington. I need training, guidance... answers. There are things about my family, about the Virus, that I can't learn here. I need to find the stewards, find out why this is happening.”
Darius sighed and sat down heavily on the bed behind him. He scratched his bald head, the weight of her words sinking in.
"You’re not just a kid with a hero complex... you're a Tier 2.”
“I did hear that a transformation was worth at least ten levels…”
Darius looked up at her and rolled his eyes, his expression a mix of annoyance, disbelief, and resignation.
"But still a kid. Alright. I'll take you. But under strict conditions. You follow my orders, no exceptions. And you do exactly as I say when we encounter any threat. Can you promise that?"
“Yes sir!”
She saluted smartly, but then ruined the effect by giving him a wink.
“Reyna is going to kill me.”
“Not when she tastes my cooking!”
Evie’s voice was instantly cheerful as if all the drama and emotion from the last twenty minutes had never happened. She was nearly skipping behind him as he walked towards the door.
“Can we practice together? Do you think I’ll level on the trip?”
“Heroes save me…”
***
The caravan set off as the sun crested over the horizon, casting long shadows across the cracked and vine-encroached asphalt of the old I-95. Trees draped over the path, their gnarled branches scraping against the wagons like the fingers of the forest reaching out to touch the unfamiliar. The sun filtered through the leaves in dappled patches, casting an ever-moving tapestry on the ground. The vehicles, robust and heavily modified for rough terrain, rumbled and creaked as they moved through the overgrown landscape, the remnants of the old world beneath them.
Evie rode alongside Reyna in the lead wagon, eyes darting from one sight to another, her heart thrumming with a mix of trepidation and wonder. She watched as birds took flight from the dense foliage that flanked the highway and a deer paused in the distance, its gaze lifting briefly to the unusual convoy before darting into the underbrush. The world outside the fort was wilder, more untamed than she'd imagined.
“It’s something else, isn’t it?”
Evie startled at Reyna’s words as she leaned over to Evie with a waterskin from her pack, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Your first time outside the fort?”
“It’s honestly a little overwhelming,”
Evie’s voice was soft and pensieve as she gratefully accepted the water, her gaze still roaming the trees.
“I knew I was missing so much of the world, but what they teach us in school can’t really compare to seeing it for yourself. It’s hard to imagine a snow-capped mountain or the ocean anymore than I can imagine an airplane…”
Reyna laughed heartily.
“The world out here - it’s so raw… In the old world places like this were… under control. Animals didn’t come near the highway, and if they did, they got hit by cars. Now it’s their world as much as it’s ours. It can be harsh and enchanting at the same time, but that enchantment, that adventure, is what keeps most of us going, despite the danger.”
Evie nodded, taking a breath of fresh, earthy air and looking over at Reyna. She was probably close to forty, but it was difficult to tell with her straw hat pulled low over her tanned, weather-beaten face.
“It makes you feel alive, doesn’t it? All this, it’s like nothing else.”
“It does. And seeing it through your eyes, it reminds me of my first trips. It’s easy to become jaded, to see only the dangers and the darkness. We have to bring on someone new every now and then just to remember that excitement.”
“Hey, Reyna!”
A voice called from their left, causing Evie to whirl in surprise at hearing someone so close to them despite not hearing or seeing any movement. She banged her elbow on the backrest and swore profusely, getting another laugh out of Reyna.
“Oh excuse him. He likes to keep us on our toes while he’s out scouting. Yes Darius?”
“There’s a tree down across the road about a mile up the road. Looks like it fell during the storm last week. We need to get it out of the way for the wagons to get passed.”
“We got it. I’ll ride ahead and get set-up while the rest of the group catches up. Tell the crew to get their equipment ready and then make sure nothing sneaks up on us while we’re stopped.”
Darius gave a small wave and melted back into the forest. Evie gulped, unnerved despite herself at seeing such a big man move without leaving a trace.
***
The fallen tree was visible once they rounded the next bend in the road. A massive old oak, its trunk thick and its branches sprawled across the broken concrete like the limbs of a fallen giant. The roots were a tangled mess, soil and rocks clumped around them, testament to the force that had uprooted it. Upon reaching the tree, Reyna dismounted and started giving orders.
“Pops, Darren, you cut through the trunk side of the tree, Mongo, Lily, you’re on the canopy. The rest of you, get cutting at branches so these pieces are light and small enough for us to lift once we get her separated. Evie, it’s your first time so just help gather the branches once we chop them off and throw them off the road.
Evie nodded, watching the others work until she got a feel for their rhythm and started clearing branches she could lift off the road. The job was grueling, and soon her arms ached, and sweat beaded on her forehead despite the cold air. By the time she had made five or six trips to the side of the road, the team was already making good work splitting the trunk into pieces.
As she bent to grab another branch, a movement in the periphery of her vision caught her attention. She straightened up, peering into the shadows between the trees. She thought she saw… And then she froze, heart thudding loudly in her chest. Three pairs of bright, yellow eyes looked back at her from the trees. Wolves, their coats blending in almost perfectly with the underbrush.
She nudged the person nearest to her, nodding towards the woods.
"Look at that…”
The man glanced towards the treeline, catching sight of the wolves, and shrugged.
"They're probably just curious. Wolves don't usually come any closer unless they're desperate. Just keep an eye out and yell out if they come any closer."
Evie resumed her work, trying not to look at the forest line too frequently. The wolves didn't come closer, but didn't retreat either, their gaze fixed on the humans.
Darius returned from scouting soon after and his presence immediately reassured Evie.
"All clear for now, but let's not dawdle. Those wolves are just curious for now, but they'll get braver if we hang around too long."
Reyna nodded and called out to the group.
"You heard him! Let’s pick up the pace, people.”
The group doubled their efforts, the sound of sawing and chopping filling the air. After what felt like hours and the sun was high in the sky, the main trunk was finally cut through and the branches were cleared off the road. All that remained were the three massive chunks of the oak’s trunk.
“Can we really move these ourselves?”
Evie’s voice was doubtful, wondering if they’d brought chains or at least ropes to harness the horses to the massive trunk. Darius just laughed, gesturing at the group around them.
“Who do you think we are? Come on everybody, one last push!”
Splitting into thirds the group of 40-odd caravaneers gathered around the remaining pieces and, to Evie’s amazement, began dragging them off the road. Darius worked with a group of only 7 other people and it seemed like he didn’t even need them as the muscles bulged in his shirtless back. Soon the road was clear, and the caravan was back underway.
The group took lunch on the road as morning turned into afternoon. The convoy made good time as they reached a broader part of the highway where the canopy of trees opened up, allowing the horses to pick up their pace. Laughter and chatter filled the air and Evie got a chance to get to know several of the other caravaneers. They laughed as she showed them her sword forms and listened intently to their war stories. She knew they were indulging her, but she felt like part of something all the same and that felt good.
As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the road, Reyna raised her hand, signaling the caravan to come to a stop. They had reached a large open field adjacent to the road, bordered by a thin line of trees that offered some shelter from the wind while providing a strategic vantage point. The area was a natural choice for setting up camp – visible and defensible, with enough space for the wagons to circle.
"Alright, let's set up here. We'll need a perimeter watch tonight. First shift, you know who you are. We'll need to keep watch, but the open space will give us a clear line of sight in all directions."
The caravan members sprang into their well-practiced routine. Wagons were positioned in a semi-circle, forming a makeshift barrier against any unwelcome visitors and tents sprouted up within the protective arc of the wagons.
Evie joined a small group tasked with gathering firewood. They ventured to the tree line, keeping close enough to hear the shouts and laughter from the camp. Darius and a few of the stronger caravan members unloaded the heavier supplies - cooking pots, water barrels, and food stores - and the smells of food cooking over fires soon filled the air.
As the sky darkened to a deep navy, stars began to peek through the velvety night, and a large campfire was lit at the center of the camp. Its flickering light cast dancing shadows and provided a beacon for the caravan members finishing their tasks. Evie sat near the fire, watching the flames leap and crackle. The caravan cooks were preparing a simple meal of stew and hard bread, but it still smelled delicious after the long day of traveling. She waited while people gathered around with their plates, telling jokes and sharing stories.
“You okay there, kid?”
She looked behind her and saw one of the men looking up at her from his place near the fire.
“I just thought I’d let all of you get your food first.”
“Oh look, a kid that respects her elders!”
This came from another man and the whole group around the fire roared with laughter.
“Nah, I’m just waiting until I earn it first. You can bet I’ll be elbowing my way to the front once I’ve saved your ass once or twice.”
The second man nearly choked on his food, causing the rest of them to laugh even harder. Evie smiled and took her place at the back of the line.
As they finished off their meal, most of the men and women retired to their tents while the first watch took their places at the camp’s perimeter. Darius had left her off the night’s schedule, but she was too tired to complain. She’d bring it up if he left her off again the next night.
Wrapped in a thick blanket against the cold, Evie snuggled into the corner of the tent she was sharing with two other women. Her body was tired, her mind overwhelmed, but she felt… at peace. The stars shone through the tent’s roof and, for a moment, she felt her mother’s presence, soothing and strong beside her.