A marathon sprint through the snow and a couple of hours later we are finally back to base. Approaching the southern gates at a slow pace, I pull out my radio and call in to the gate for permission to approach.
With it being the middle of winter now, most monsters are hiding out and sleeping. Regardless through, the walls still get attacked on occasion by the few that don’t mind the cold winter and are driven to attack us because of our continued use of technology.
Why the monsters hate technology is still a mystery to everyone. One theory was that they don’t like the electricity, or the waves released by devises, but then that wouldn’t explain why they also seem to hate any machinery that runs on gas, even without electrical components. My own personal theory is that the damn //World Tree is pushing them to do it, but I don’t really have any proof to back it up. Just the fact that I don’t like the darn thing, and it sort of makes sense for a tree to hate technology.
None of this is important though…
I need to radio into the gate because I don’t want to risk any of my Demon’s getting mistaken for a monster attacking the wall, A SECOND TIME!
The first time, when we went out to get some training and help get Tyler get over his big monster trauma, we returned to base only for someone on the wall to panic and start shooting. Before the others on the wall could stop the panicking idiot, Vincent took three .50s from a machine gun nest to the chest.
The rounds punched through his armor and smacked him hard enough to push him back a couple steps. The rest of the rounds I stopped with my shadows before they could hit anyone else, and thankfully, it took only a couple seconds for someone to stop the gunner.
After I saw Vincent get shot, I flew into a rage and almost moved to charge the wall and kill the dumbass. But thankfully, Nathaniel and Sam were next to me and felt my rage spike though our connection. They immediately tackled me to the ground and managed to keep me from murdering somebody.
Vincent himself ended up being ok. Two of the rounds hit his ribs and crumpled, the third got buried in his abdomen and stopped before it could even get though his muscles. Besides getting a bit winded from getting punched in gut and bleeding some, he quickly walked it off with little issue.
I was able to calm down once I realized that he wasn’t dead or seriously injured. Though I was still most certainly pissed, but, luckily, I was no longer on the verge of ripping someone’s entrails out through their throat and then force feeding them their own asshole…
Long story short, Vincent now has the bullet he pulled from his abs as a necklace, a story about how his six-pack can stop a .50 BMG, and I now have a radio, so the Army can keep me from killing any of their idiots; even if it does come with the risk of bringing more monsters to attack the walls.
Getting the all-clear to approach, we finally leave the cover of the woods and follow the marked path towards the gate. Off on both sides of the path are signs warning about land mines and spike pits. All over the killing field, there are steel barricades and concrete blocks designed to stop literal tanks. Besides those are lines of sharpened spikes pointed outward to run through anything dumb enough to charge into the spiky end of a stick.
As we walk through the killing field that is about five or so acres long, I see a group of twenty some Kobolds busily working away at dismembering some giant elongated isopod looking monster, that is about as big as a bus. The thing looks like it took a couple of mortar rounds to the back, and sections of its armor there are now nothing but bloodied craters of blasted open flesh.
The Kobolds are busily working away at stripping the thing of all the remaining plating that covers it, along with the claw like frontal limbs, and large cuts of meat that they are carving from its belly.
Some of the Kobolds turn to look our way and give a reverent bow towards my direction when they notice me. The soldiers that are guarding them and making sure they don’t wander off into a minefield or something, send us a wave as we walk past.
“Huh, what do you think the Kobolds are going to do with the carapace? Make armor or something?” Asks Frank.
I answer him. “The ones that harvest it, own it, because they are risking their lives to be out here. These ones will probably take it back home and sell it to the others. Those that buy it will use it for any number of things. Decorations, reinforcing the walls of their homes, making armor, tools, and weapons, maybe even grind it down and use it for something else, like making a type of cement or something…”
Nathaniel pipes in as we get closer to the gate, “Every time I visit their new city, that place gets more and more complex and colorful. They’ve only been here about a month, and they’ve already transformed that old town of theirs so much that I barely recognize it anymore. Besides the first floor of most of the building, everything has been changed so much that it doesn’t even look human anymore. Also, how tall are they planning on going with building? Some of their places are already five stories tall.”
“As tall as they can. They were previously limited by how tall the trees were and where they could tie ropes, but since learning how to construct scaffolding, and how to build stuff with nails and screws, they’ve started going taller. After winter is over, they will probably start using cement construction as well. I just hope that they are prioritizing structural integrity, I would hate to have one of their homes collapsing on them… I’ll have to ask Sky to work with some human engineers to look everything over. At least until winter is over it should be fine, but I’m more worried about their long-term stability. Plus, it would help if the Kobolds could learn some construction techniques from humanity…”
By the end, I am mostly talking to myself as I muse over the Kobold’s future. If they are going to build an empire, then they need to learn how to build. Just tying ropes and making tents and yurts over old buildings won’t cut it for the long run. Well, unless they want to go for some fantasy elf-like place in a forest, but even then, they still need to learn how to build a proper home that will last more than a year or two.
Considering how big some of the trees are getting now, a city in the trees might actually be possible in a couple of years. Would be a huge fire hazard though…
Looking away from the trees, I return my attention to the gate as we are getting close. Looking up on the wall, I see the soldiers watching us from up top. Some of them look nervous, others watch us with curiosity, and many others watch with open longing. My Demons used to be just like them, regular soldiers that risk their lives fighting monsters everyday with nothing but a rifle and their buddies to keep them safe. And now, here they are as literal super soldiers, strong enough to fist fight a monster and tough enough to shrug off getting shot with a .50 BMG machine gun…
Speaking of, I look over and find Vincent looking up towards to the machine gun nest with a smug smile on his face as he points towards his abs and flexes. The guys in the nest just send back some curses and jokingly tell him to stop showing off.
I just shake my head and smile, glad that he is having some fun.
It takes a bit for the gates to be opened, and we are quickly enough led inside. A soldier runs up and snaps a salute as he addresses me. “Welcome back ma’am. Shall I call for a ride?”
“No, don’t waste the gas. We can walk. Also, don’t salute me. I don’t have a rank in the Army, I just work with your boss.”
He goes to snap another salute but manages to stop himself. “Ye, yes ma’am. Please sign here to show you returned.”
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Signing in on the clipboard and marking down that I am bringing in a live sample from outside, I turn to everyone else and give a big smile.
“Ok everyone! You know the drill from here. Report back to central to do paperwork and get stabbed and poked by the good doctors. I don’t care what order you do it in, only that you get it done. As soon as you're done -so long as they don’t have work for us to do – you can fuck off and do whatever. Have fun, don’t cause trouble, and unless plans get changed, our next fieldtrip is set for next Friday. Now get going.”
Everyone but Nathaniel starts walking off towards central, a few giving me nods or a see-ya-later, as they pass. Sam of course has to give me a hug, but I like hugging my Demons, so I return it and give her a good squeeze that would have crushed a human.
Nathaniel hangs out with me as I sign off on some more forms and get a red tag duct taped the forehead of the wasp drone, and some green tags on the eggs.
With everything tagged, signed, dated, and filed, Nathaniel and I finally make our own way towards central.
Within the southernmost extension, there is very little civilization having spread here so far, with the land being mostly a mixture of farmland, artillery and anti-air emplacements, and the occasional guard tower for incase a mutated bird or something tries to fly in and snatch a farmer or a goat.
Understandably, most people don’t want to live this close to the outer walls. Just in case a monster manages to break through and start rampaging. Which, luckily, only happens very rarely. Also, artillery is really fucking loud, and living close by to a gun emplacement is guaranteed to ruin someone’s sleep.
Still, there are people that live out here. The promise of land is just too tempting, and some people are willing to take the risk. Plus, when we eventually push our borders further, this land will become much more desirable. And it will be those that volunteered to settle on it and farm early, that will end up owning the most of it; that will have a rich future to look forward to, because they were the ones that took the risk.
Point being that our walk to the next gate isn’t entirely devoid of civilians. Even if the fields are closed for business due to the winter, the farmers are still working. Shoveling snow out of roadways and off roofs, tending to the few animals they dare to keep despite the risk of mutation, doing maintenance to their homes. There are people out and about. There are even some children running around in heavy layers of snow coats and playing in the snow as they make snow men and pelt each other with snowballs.
“Hmm, should they really be out playing right now. It is freezing out.”
“I don’t want to hear that from the girl walking barefooted in the middle of winter.”
“I don’t like wearing shoes anymore… They get in the way of my claws, plus, I can walk a lot more quietly without them.”
“But still, don’t your feet get even a little cold? Even though I am resistant to it, I still feel cold out here. It’s just much more bearable now.”
“Nah, I don’t even feel it anymore. My body knows that it is cold out, but it just doesn’t affect me. If it weren’t for my modesty, I could even run around naked and be just fine.”
“Definitely don’t do that… You already have more than enough rumors floating around about you, the last thing we need is for people to think that you are a streaker too…”
“Hahaha, don’t worry. I have no plans of making it worse. At least I am trying… I would rather that less people be afraid or weirded out by me, not more…”
Up ahead, some kids go running by, throwing snowballs at each other. They stop as they see us, and all start whispering to each other as they watch us walk past.
I don’t bother trying to listen in on their quiet conversations, but it is easy to guess what they are talking about. Some of them look outright frightened by the look of us. Some look like they just ran into a character from a cartoon in real life, others look nervous, and the little girl among them is just looking shy because of strangers and is hiding behind an older girl.
Nathaniel and I give them a smile and a wave as we walk past, which just gets the kids to double down on their whispering. Looking away from them, we continue on our way for a bit until I end up getting a snowball to the back of my head…
Turning around slowly, I see that the bigger boys had pushed a smaller kid forward and probably goaded him into throwing a snowball at us. He probably picked me, because I am small and Nathaniel is… well, he is an eight-foot-tall giant of a man wearing armor with horns like an actual Devil, versus, say, the little grey Imp that is only a foot or two taller than them…
Staring at the kid for a second, I turn to look at Nathaniel. He just smiles like he is trying to hold back a laugh.
Nodding to the kids that are all standing around frozen, waiting to see what will happen next -might even be thinking that I am going to kill the kid or something… - I reach out a hand to the side, holding it out like I am waiting to receive something. Off to the side, out of the kids’ view, my shadows carve out a perfect snowball and then pop it towards me, landing right in the palm of my waiting hand. From the kids’ perspective, I just received a snowball from nowhere.
I pull back my throwing arm, making it as obvious as possible for what’s about to happen next. The kids’ eyes all go wide, and they turn to run, some giggling, some screaming in that way that only little kids can.
I launch the ball, aiming at the back of the kid that threw one at me earlier and get him good. He goes down in the snow with a scream as his friends run away, leaving him to his fate of getting eaten by demons.
Another ball gets deposited in my hand and I take out another kid, one of the bigger boys, before he can get behind cover. He goes down like a squealing piggy and has to make a desperate crawl for the cover of the kids' snowy barricades.
Shrugging off the wasp drone to wait on the side of the road, I call out to Nathaniel loud enough for the kids to hear. “Come on Nathaniel! We have a war to fight, gather some snow and grab your balls, we're going in! Return my honor to me, and I myself will carry you through the gates of Valhalla. You shall ride eternal. Shiny, and chrome!!!!”
I charge forth with snowballs in hand as Nathaniel just shrugs and laughs a bit. Bending over to make a massive snowball, he says, “Well, better than doing paperwork…”
…
An hour later, we are in the middle of finishing building an absolutely massive snowman with the kids, when their parents eventually come calling for them to return home. The kids, with rosy cheeks and pink noses, wave happily to Nathaniel and me as they go running off to return home. Their parents understandably look a bit uncomfortable about having a couple of strangers- Demons at that – playing with their kids, so I imagine that they will probably be getting talks about strangers and stuff later. I don’t let it get to me; I know what I look like. Even if I am cute, it doesn’t change the fact that I have horns and grey skin…
As we are getting ready to get going, the shy little girl from earlier comes running up to me nervously. After fidgeting around a bit, she eventually finds her words. “Thanks for playing with us…”
I just give her a little smile and say, “I had fun playing with you guys too. Hurry on home now. It’s cold out.”
“Mhm!” She gives me a smile, her shyness showing though and making her cheeks even redder as she blushes. Giving a little wave, she turns away and runs off.
I watch her run home for a bit before turning away with Nathaniel. Retrieving the poor wasp drone and the eggs that I left in the snow, I put them on my back. As we are walking towards the next gate, Nathaniel asks me a question.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Hmm? Uhm, I was just thinking about how nice it would be to have a little girl like her…” I say before I can stop myself.
“No kidnapping.” He jokes.
“Ehh… Not what I meant…”
“I know. So, you are wanting kids then?”
I look down as I start to feel self-conscious, but Nathaniel reassures me with a hand on my shoulder.
“I didn’t before, but… It would be nice. In the future of course! Not now. Now is way too early…”
“Well, I’m sure that you and Sky will make great mothers when you do.”
“You say that like we’re already married.”
“Please, everyone knows that you two are going to tie the knot. It’s just a matter of time until you eventually pop the question, and Sky already acts like she is your wife. It’s just a matter of time until the two of you are going to be either adopting or wanting to make a kid of your own. Trust me, everybody knows.”
“Everybody doesn’t–“
“Everybody knows. Trust me. Ask anyone. Your parents, the doctors, us, your friends. Everybody is just waiting…”
“Ehhhmmmm…”
I can’t help but look down and be embarrassed for a long while. Being so easily seen through… I find myself wanting to ask if Sky knows, but I feel like that would take some of the wind out of my sails if he said yes. I do sort of want these things to be a surprise after all.
Nathaniel just laughs lightly to himself as we head deeper into the base, people gawking at us, but also at the massive bug that I am carrying around on my back.
“Just… Just don’t tell Sky. I want to tell her myself.”
“Of course, I promise. Just promise me a seat at the wedding.”
“I’ll make you a Bride’s Maid. Can’t be the Maid of Honor, because that will be my sister.”
“I’ll pass on that, thank you.”
“Ok, fine, you can be the Flower Girl.” I joke.
“I might be a bit too big for that role. Plus, the wrong gender.”
“Then… Could you be the ring bearer…?
I ask him nervously as I stop walking, no longer joking around.
He stops next to me and lowers himself to one knee so he can be closer to my level, giving me a warm smile. “It would be my honor to hold and protect the rings for you.” He tells me seriously, and I can feel his sincerity radiating between our connection.
I move forward and wrap him up in a hug. “I’m so happy that you were my first warrior. Thank you, Nathaniel. Thanks for being my friend.”
“No problem.”
He tries to return the hug, but when he does, the wasp on my back starts to buzz angrily from being touched.
“Hey, how about we hurry up and drop this thing off? We have a lot to do today still.”
“Haha, ya let’s go.”