Chapter 19
“Crimson is an interesting color, isn't it?” Luke asked.
“Like blood, everyone needs it, but when it is gone, it hurts,” Willaim said, standing by a window and feeling still under pressure.
“Fitting. Very interesting as well. I will take you away, boy. If it is fine with Miss Anderson?” Luke glanced behind him, where Miss Anderson glared at him from above. She was a head taller, so Luke felt he was facing a cold-based Dark on the battlefield.
“It is a part of my duty, sir soldier. I can only hope William will find his new path and life under a new roof with good pace and care. It will be better than ever, I expect, when you will talk to him without hiding a peep. Federation should think carefully about it, or I won't give my children to you.” She said with a stone-cold voice, but William felt the hidden warmth of her hope and worry.
He couldn't help but hug her, just this once, even when she was still shocked by the previous picture and that whip. “Thank you, Miss Anderson,” William said, hugging her.
She winced, fearing that Emblem, but let this hug go.
“Alright. Alright. Be a good boy, and even better Walker. The path and the future are yours from today onward. Don't be afraid. If you are, clutch it tight and overcome it. You mentioned your mother to me a few times. Do it for her as well. Not just me. I watched and met many Walkers. They can grow like light but could dim so quickly, while most go out of my sight. You've been a rare child for me. A rare indeed.” Hitting a lone glimpse at Dann, it was a wonder what she was thinking.
William nodded, held some tears back, and forgot that he caused quite some damage to the whole building. It was a miracle it hadn't collapsed. Then, he asked. “What about Dann?”
“Dann is nothing special, so you will part away. Since you are his friend, whenever you wind the opportunity, feel free to contact us, or you can do it when you are ready. Walkers have their duties, while your training might take years. He can't follow.”
Both William and Dann knew this, but hearing it from Miss Anderson felt reassuring.
Thus, William turned to Luke and asked a question. “Can my friend come as well?”
“Friend?” Luke furrowed his brows and turned, sizing Dann up and down. “I don't think that is my problem.”
Dann didn't have to think; he had his job. He ought to do it for himself, rather than for others. Now, it was William's turn. “I am not anything important, sir. William will go on while I remain. I have my purpose so don't worry about anything. There is no need for such melodramas. As brothers, we will not separate even when seas split us, the wind blows between us like waves crashing to each other, and death itself eats us all.” He walked behind them, speaking resolutely like always.
He already thought it through, similar to William, who was different from him even a decade ago. In the sight of that Emblem that lit them in dawn and fate, it was proper to see a line.
They might be no citizens, but what was a bond of brothers that went through so much? Nothing.
William nodded and smiled at Dann, knowing that no seas would separate them. Their history was theirs. No one will take back what they endured. Not even if many places will go through some rebuilding, moving, or internal changes. Many things turned chaotic because of shifting Darks, migrations, hunts, and Walkers.
Some places were protected more than well, standing and living for more than half a century, if not more. Some crumbled apart long ago, becoming memories, nests of Darks, or worse.
For the fates of the past nations, paying tribute by memory or extermination of Darks was fitting for most people. Whatever the history was, it shan't retain or return to where it was, not after what humanity ended, started, and endured.
Boys or girls who had an Emblem like William Outside had biased alerts from higher authorities. Unless they were screened by them, broad to daylight or somewhere else—or tested thanks to their natural talents or older Walkers—they remained in place until their age was sufficient.
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When one reached proper recruitment, age, or if Rank 0 manifested in some ways, one could seek some chance. Unfortunately, some of those were different than the rest because Walkers were sensitive and complex, and Outside was largely unknown. When immature, it was hard to see them outright. Because of that, unless those familiar with the uniqueness of all Walkers were around, one couldn't see much. One could only hope or wait, which Miss Anderson did. Regular people couldn't do it justice, however. Not Outside.
Rank 0 was an anomaly, often misleading the public from sights of corruption, instability, or a young Walker running havoc. It was unfortunate that this sight wasn't actually anything bad. It was good. Much better than anyone should dare to say.
Nevertheless, it was really rare, so the public didn't even know about Rank 0s. William never heard of it either from anyone he ever knew.
Luke was aware of it, though its point was special and important under specific circumstances. For most cases of Rank 0 Walkers, a broad perspective did not matter. It was more proper to look for some uniqueness that was harder to discover.
Luke knew such a thing wasn't easy to notice. He wasn't even sure if William was one and if he was guessing or reading it wrong. From the bit he had shown already, Luke was forming some links that weren't as good because he wasn't aware of every little detail of Rank 0s, let alone this youth.
Finding them, seeing where and how they were like, was like catching a fish with a spoon. It was a rare occurrence, if not a fate of luck.
William understood nothing specific about himself, or what transpired with him ten years ago. Not only it was that long since he assailed to Rank 0, but the general view of Emblems and Walkers also changed throughout the years, private or public research, or history and places. Some places detested them, while others saw them as saviors and masters. Every land was different, but every one of them was difficult. That was the truth.
William felt his Emblem was a lively piece of marvelous pain. It created some doubts, while he didn't hate it. It was his pain. His devil.
It had been almost a century since the Walkers started to emerge, and new things were found about them every year because of constant research and wonders within them, Emblems, and cultures.
William was more than confused after he arose from that debris, bloody, filthy, and made an orphan. Then, he spent years wandering and living Outside with numerous groups of survivors, going from camp to camp, shelter or safety, until he eventually found a safe place in Roshwell camp. His handful status often helped with safety, second to Dann and his clever tongue, but a young Walker was still a Walker. Some Darks adored them. Wanted them.
Everyone had their worries and sakes of survival, and many refused to be helpful even to some young Walkers who were young, thus useless. They were more like targets for Darks to strike. It wasn't about greed or hope. It was about survival. It was rough and wrong, but not stupid if one wanted to live.
Luke or Miss Anderson blamed nobody. William didn't either. If one wanted safety, there were great places for that, and young Walkers should look for them as much as anyone else, or refuse it, or make it work.
Now, with the notion of the Federation being a great paradise in recent years and the most important organization in this hemisphere, William grew excited. He even forgot he almost killed Miss Anderson, or that his Emblem smacked Luke more than twice.
He left the room with Dann, leaving Luke together with Miss Anderson, who was still cold towards this purple-uniformed Walker.
“I hope you got my voice, sir soldier,” she said to relaxed Luke. “The way you did this was lacking. You tested him, is that right? Inside... the room. My work?”
“A little bit. It sounds about right. I mean, fake news and problems can happen everywhere, but you have my appreciation. I feared you would do it with others. Accepting it has been your blessing.”
“Not here!”
“I see. So, how much do you know about Walkers and Federation, miss?”
“Enough to grow old and not envious.”
“Then you must know enough. Right. Gale is nothing important, while this boy is just... memory for some, he is also the son of a friend. The moment when Camp Nolan became a memory, right where many Walkers died in that butchering, was a sensitive time and a dark spot in history. Like most of it, frankly.”
“And? Destruction and Incursion are sensitive. When Walker dies, it goes without saying that normal people are gone to dust. It signifies matters of this world and problems that few could solve.”
“It was a Rank 9 Incursion.”
“Eh?” Miss Anderson frowned, eyes widened, and her fingers trembled. “Publicly, it was at Rank 7. I dug around it from William's recollections. No other place fits the descriptions.”
“Yes? Oh, that is good. It helped someone very much.” Luke scratched his chin and recalled the message. He wasn't there ten years ago, but he heard the clutter and problems it had caused. Federation recovered after a few years, with camp overhauls, more strict protections, and countless other things that touched upon normal people, surveillance, and Walkers. This current camp was the aftermath, serving ever since.
Miss Anderson realized it was nothing simple if that was the case at Rank 9, but what about William? “Where does it lead, from there to us, and that boy?”
“He wasn't supposed to be there, while his parents are even more sensitive. That is all I can tell.”
“Classified, hm.” Miss Anderson hummed, no longer privy, and became much more understanding. If those she thought were involved, it was better to let things slide, including Luke, William, or her ideals.
“And yes, miss. William will be well taken care of. I can promise that.”
“I could only hope.” She said and left the room. “She is a fierce lady. That one. I met her and can accept this outcome.”
“Me too...” Luke sighed and decided to take a nap. He was tired of pretending and speaking empty words.