Chapter 5: Those with power

The small town of End Of The Line was now a war zone. Corpses strewn about the outskirt, blood of the young and the brave tainted the fields. Among the deceased were the living, on their knees crying and puking. Many mumbled incoherently under their breath, with eyes devoid of life. Captain Meredith stood in silence, praying for the lost souls. He joined the Order to protect the people, the new generation. But now, their blood was spilled while the Captain survived another day.

As the townsfolks carried away the dead and the injured, the surviving knights were ordered to tear down all barricades. With enemies that can phased through space itself, they would simply get in the way of the defenders. Many continued to work all the while mourning the dead. They all turned to look as she approached, their savior.

The Kid strolled along the encampment, deep in though. The hat angled down, its brim shrouded her eyes in shadow.

“My brother… my brother… he died because of you.” One of the knight muttered.

The girl turned to him, wondering what she did to deserve that. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Was it not her shooting that repelled the invaders?

The mourning knights continued. “You killed them all, so easily. If so, why didn’t you come earlier! You could have saved my brothers, so many would not be there lying on the ground if you had come sooner!” Before the man could lash out physically, another knight held him back by the arm.

“I’m sorry.” The Kid said and walked away.

The small lone figure trekked through the field of the dead. She made her way to the war table set up nearby. There, Captain Meredith was strategizing with his men standing guard and Carina on standby awaiting orders. They all made way for the girl to pass by straight to their leader.

“You.” Captain Meredith turned back and faced with her.” You have done us a great service, one we would not forget.”

The Kid simply nodded and said. “Thank you, Captain. But I am here to talk to you.”

“What is it that you want to discuss about?” Meredith asked.

“There’s definitely more of them out there. You can’t be afford to be surprised again. You need a scout, someone who knows the land and can defend themselves.” The Kid paused then looked straight into the Captain’s eyes, she said calmly. “I volunteer.”

Meredith wanted to ask if the girl was sure. But from her steely eyes, he already knew the answer. This was not a choice she made out of ignorant confidence. Normally, the Captain would turn down this sort of offer, but now his hands were tied. They needed scouts and all those on the fields were not reporting back. The others here were heavily injured in the attack, only one remained, a young and inexperienced scout.

“Very well, stay here for the briefing. Afterward, you and Carina will set off in an hour.”

“Thank you, sir.” The Kid bowed her head, tipping her hat.

The Captain decided to brief the girl on the situation himself. “We are under attack by a group of raiders known as the Mutants, they are led by one called Father Foxglove. Asides from normal activities like raiding and cannibalism, they tend to keep their captives alive longer for breeding purpose.”

“May I ask, what is special about that? Many raider groups… do that.” Carina asked, nearly choking as she tried to form the second sentence.

“Unlike many others, it is not possible to join the Mutants, you must be born into them. Father Foxglove is notable for being a behemoth and his offspring all resemble him. You have already seen them already.” Those abominations, pervasion of the human form. They were the result of a degenerate bloodline further marred by inbreeding.

The Captain continued his briefing. “They suddenly ceased all activities fourteen years ago right after a frozen night. We thought they were wiped out, until now. Also, despite their look, there was no records of the Mutants being acolytes, until now that is.” What could have happened in more than a decade, Meredith wondered. Now was not the time to think about that question, however. “Your mission will be to survey the other encampments in the area. We have injured people from all of them except two.”

He pointed out the position on the map, highlighting a place of interest. The 23rd Chapter was then filled with new recruits, but that encampment was the one with the highest ratio of young to experience. Either they had been all wiped out, or worse.

“Do not, I repeat, do not try to follow a Mutant if you encounter one or trace of one. Your job is to assess the damage and only that.” He turned to the Kid. “And always stay out danger if you can.”

“Yes, sir.” Carina saluted while the Kid tipped her hat.

“Good, dismiss, meet me back here in an hour.”

The two returned to the field of the dead. The girl then turned to the young scout. “Let’s go into town, you can get something at the tavern!” She said it with a smile and led Carina away. The Kid waved at her people on the way, greeting them with a mouth wide full of teeth. They all returned her smile with their own and gentle eyes.

In what seemed like an instant, the Kid turned from a stoic figure to just… a kid. All cheery and happy, she hopped back into town, jumping on a thin faded line on the ground.

“There’s the tavern!” The Kid said, pointing at the least run down building in this town.

Inside no townsfolk could be found, instead the hall was filled with knights, drinking the horror away. In their presence, the Kid once again returned to silence. She would still crack out a smile while talking to the tavern owner, however.

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Carina got herself some water and received a cup with brownish liquid. Even though the young scout was once an orphan with nothing to her name, she was still in the city. Never once did Carina had to taste the dirt in her everyday drink. But even tainted water was still water and her body sorely needed it. Downing the entire cup, the young scout tried to hold back an incoming panic attack. Her effort would only serve to push it back, for now.

As the Kid chatted merrily with the tavern owner, the door burst opened. Then came the man in waistcoat. The Doctor rushed to the girl side.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Any cut, they may cause infection? How’s your eyes?” He bombarded her with questions, gripping her by the shoulders with his shaking hands.

The Kid replied. “I’m alright, Doc. Not even a scratch!”

It took the man some moments to finally believe her work. His worry was soon directed at something else.

“What were you thinking!” The Doctor yelled. “Why didn’t you run away when the attack started, you foolish girl.”

Biting her lip, the Kid retorted. “How could I run away when there are people in danger, they were dying out there!”

“Because screw em, if they die then they die!”

His comment certainly did not come across well for the knights sitting in the tavern. Some of them, frustrated, stood up to confront him.

“How dare you say that! Making light of those who die!” One of them walked up right in front of the Doctor.

Turning back, Carina could see a glare like no other in the man. He stared down the knight. “Because it is your job to be in danger, it is your job to die. I don’t give a damn who you are, but once you put on that armor of yours, it’s your job to throw yourselves out there. It’s not a civilian duty and especially a kid.” Doc continued with a threat he was sure to act upon. “Now sit back down before I make you.”

But the young man would not comply. Both clenched their fists, signaling a fight to come. The tavern owner tried to talk them out of it in the background and so were the other knights. The Kid could not stand there and watch, but before she could jump in the door was opened once again.

Then came the Mayor. “Stand down, Doc. What my daughter did is not your concern.”

“Not my concern? I trained her for self-defense, not to run around fighting acolytes.” The Doctor replied, his voice choked not with rage but worry. “You know how dangerous they are, what if there are monsters in their ranks? She won’t stop with just getting hurt.”

The Kid grabbed onto his arm. “I will go and there’s nothing you could do to stop me. I’m sorry, but that’s what I have decided to do.” She said with great conviction.

The girl then walked off to her mother and left but before telling Carina that she would return. The young scout watched on in silence. That girl had seen all the bloodshed and yet she was willing to throw herself back out there. Was the Kid truly brave or foolish or worse, sadistically deranged? Definitely not the latter.

The Doctor sat down and ordered a bottle of alcohol. The knights also stood down and returned to their meals, deep in thought.

Returning to their home, the mother brushed her daughter clothes. She placed her hand on a patch of dried blood. In her eyes were a looming sadness.

“So dirty, go clean up, I will prepare something for you to wear.”

Claudia ‘the Kid’ went inside the bathroom and breathed a sigh of tiredness. Today was an exhausting day and it was still going on. She thought of Doc, the girl had never seen him angry before. Whenever she deliberately messed up his prized beard while trimming he would only get grumpy and overly dramatic.

Looking in the cracked mirror, the girl put her hands up to her cheeks and pushed them up to form a smile. Claudia sighed and made a mental note not to do that again, she was still too young to sigh all the time.

As she was taking her shower, there was a knocked on the door.

“Can I come in, dear?” The mother asked from the other side.

Claudia replied. “Of course, what do you need?”

“I just want to help washing your back.”

“Mom, I am not a child anymore.” The girl replied, pouting.

“I am just feeling nostalgic.” The woman said. “Will you let your mother have this?”

Still pouting, Claudia agreed to this request. The mother hummed a lullaby tune as she washed her daughter’s back. The girl, meanwhile, remained silence, deep in thought about what was to come.

“That Carina told me you are going on a scout mission.”

“Uh huh.” The girl answered curtly.

The mother gentle stroked Claudia’s hair, still humming to her. As she placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder, the woman could feel shivers not from the cold. Wrapping her arms around, the mother hugged her daughter and kissed her damp hair. Holding her knees to her chest, the girl started to shiver more and more. The violence of earlier played out in front of her eyes’ once again, vividly to every gory details.

“I’m scared…” Claudia said, admitting the truth to herself. She had fired a gun so many times but then, the recoil shook her to the core. Not only did see death, the girl also dealt it out in spades, ending three corrupted but still, lives.

The girl could suddenly feel a warmth enveloping her. The mother held her tight.

“You know you don’t have to this right?”

Claudia thought of the Mutants, she would have to face against such abominations. The scene of the knight being torn apart from being phased into rammed into her mind. Still, the girl’s answer remained the same.

“I know, but I have to go.”

“But why?”

“Because I can do it! I can’t sit still knowing they are out there, murdering the helpless.” Claudia said, her voice shaking with both fear and determination. I don’t care if they are knights or not. I am the one with the gun and I know how to use it!”

“I see.” The mother replied gently.

Finishing her shower, the girl looked into the mirror and smiled. The fear was still very much there, always present. But she could not afford to be consumed by it. Claudia once again relied on a smile to bury an unwanted feeling.

Exiting the bathroom, she was greeted with fresh clothing folded neatly on the bed. But unlike mother’s normal laundry, these time the clothes were devoid of scent. Next to them was a small coat with extra leather padding. The vest and pants were also thick yet easy to move in. How long ago did mother prepared all of this and how did they fit perfectly?

Fully geared up, the girl grabbed the ammo pouches and headed out. At the front door, mother was waiting with a machete in her hand.

“Here, take this with you.” The woman said, handing the girl the weapon. “You will need this.”

Holding the machete, Claudia could feel its weight in her hand. This was a weapon that was always on mother’s side, one passed from her family. Pulling the blade out, the girl inspected the pristine steel. Near the handle, she could see the name Castellanos etched on along with faint spiral pattern.

Seething the weapon, Claudia kissed her mother goodbye. Putting on the hat, the Kid headed out through the door to her mission.

Alessia Castellanos-Reid watched as her daughter went out to war.

___

Doc returned home with a bottle in his hand. Violently crashing to the door, he made his way to the living room. Taking a big swig, the Doctor threw the bottle and drew his gun, firing a shot. The bullet missed and the bottle collided with the wall, shattering into pieces.

Pulling out a pen, Doc stabbed into his hand and moved it along, cutting himself. He fired another shot aimed at a pot on the table. Once again, the bullet missed.

“You stupid thing!”

Slamming his hand into the wall, the Doctor fanned the hammer. Unloading all of his bullets and after the carnage, the pot was still there, sitting on the lead-filled table. Looking down, his bloodied hand was still shaking. But how? This work on that frozen night, did it not? For that moment, he was the man he once was.

The Doctor leaned against the wall and sat down, clutching his head. “Damn it.”