The casualty count at the base was surprisingly low on our side of the fence. There were probably a few hundred dead zombies on the ground leading up to where the defenders took a stand but only twelve of ours died. Would have been three less if zombie bites didn’t infect. The way of the world now though, I guess.

In the end, it was decided the people with me wanted to go to a little town in the mountains called ‘Kremmling’. I’ve never been there, but the pilot who suggested it says it is a smaller town with an airport. It’s situated inside of the mountains next to a calmer part of the Colorado River, and there’s enough solid land around it that farming should be possible, if not optimal. The pay Patch described it the guy said the community was tight nit, and there were more than a couple survivalist up there.

In my travels I have discovered that there are more survivalist than people realize, the smart ones usually don’t just come out and say, ‘I’m a prepper’ because they realize that’s a good way to take on responsibility if anything goes south. The ones that broadcast are usually the ones that want to help others, or want people to think they want to help others. I like to think the ones who think it are just out to say, ‘I told you so’ and nothing too nefarious, or realize that long-term survival is more of a group effort.

I guess all that speculation really doesn’t matter if the small town got its shit rocked by a falling comet from the sky. Which brings up the even more annoying fact that it’s a one-way trip if it has fallen, or an annoying process of us defending the airport while we try to refuel the birds. Patch and Campo have both taken the time to plan out alternate landing zones as well. I personally believe that if Kremmling has fallen we could take it. If what the military map they managed to scrounge is right it’s not a huge place, and clearing it shouldn’t be hard. That’s probably just my pessimism though, mountain folk are hardy.

I had initially wanted to help load up the birds with some of the supplies we were going to take but ended up helping the wounded after the general opened the doors. I really thought he was going to lock his people in and shell up and that is his plan, but he is allowing others to leave. The ones coming out to go said he is taking down names and has intentions of writing them all up as deserters, but isn’t stopping anyone otherwise. It’s a smart move on his part, it gives him the illusion of deniability, and a modicum of control. Not enough to matter to those who are going, but enough that it’ll keep the peace until they are gone.

After the first five hours are up we are geared out at we have thirty-six going with us. All the marines are going, most of the SOF guys that are still around, and a few of the personnel from the air force that don’t want to be stuck underground if it comes to it.

We’d recovered almost two-hundred people in the last few days and another hundred-fifty or so had come in on their own. I’d expected more to want to come with us, but I can understand their hesitance. From the outside looking in, the guys who are going are in the wrong. But in the real world, they haven’t contacted anyone outside of this area in almost a week, the government has fallen. In my mind it has come to a situation where technically the US of A doesn’t actually exist as an entity anymore, it’s probably more of an area descriptor now.

I’m sure you could argue the other way, but until there is someone with enough power to enforce that level of bureaucracy again it just ain't happening. Honestly, it’s kind of the best-case scenario. The chance of world war is gone now, everyone I’ve talked to who had prior conditions said they are gone. The people who needed glasses suddenly don’t. Top it all off with the fact that if you get hurt you will heal on your own up to a certain point and the apocalypse has done the world a favor. Kind of. I’m sure the death-toll is astronomical. Millions, if not billions, of lives, were lost in the advent.

When things are on the move or busy, it’s easy to push the fact that every soul survives. Death is only a gateway to the next life for everyone. But it’s only easy to think like that because I know that, and I can’t die. If I get taken out I lose a couple of days, and start over again, if any of these people die its game over. Their soul survives but them as a person do not.

My personal belief is that every life has a base worth. Some move forward, they are shining beacons for humanity to congregate around and learn from. Others are only valuable as a lesson. I’m quickly learning that that is an unfair way to look at things. Some of the people we discovered or brought in were escaped, prisoners. Which is kind of frightening, but at the same time most of those that came brought people with them.

One guy, Pete, who’d been in the prison for gang-related something or other is hailed as a camp hero. The story is that he was headed to his home and saw a car surrounded by zombies. The people with him decided to keep on his way, but he waded in with nothing but a knife he’d picked up from a corner store and killed eight of them on his own. I saw the knife, it wasn’t some Rambo knock-off. You could say the blade was four inches if you were generous. Top that off that he immediately took the family of three under his wing and brought them to Cheyanne and he deserves the title.

Pete was coming with us, so was the family he saved. A woman named Emma and her two kids. They had been traveling to Cheyanne to meet up with her brother when she swerved to miss something in the street and curbed her car bad enough. Her brother is one of the pilots that made it here, it’s probably one of the brighter stories to come out of this. Most of these people have lost husbands and wives. There’s enough tragedy going around that any happy story should be shared.

“You ready man?” Mills has become part of the inner circle, the deciders.

“Yeah, just off in my head. Trying to drive my thoughts without crashing the car. If you know what I mean.” I’m sure he does.

“Got it. Were about ready, everything is loaded up into a chinook. Not that there was much to load. If we’d had too many more people it might have been a problem but we managed to load everyone, plus a crate of food, and another of ammo. They’re going to start spinning up any minute now, I figured you’d want a seat near the door.” The whole-time mills is talking he spends looking off in the direction of the birds. I doubt it’s intentional, he seems to wander when he gets the chance.

“It is appreciated. I’m a little more indestructible than most of you guys. Any way I can get strapped to the ramp? I’ve always wanted to dangle my legs out.” I’m only kind of kidding at this point, those crew-guys who get to do that always look so godamned happy afterward.

“You’ll have to fight Campo over that one. He’s talked them into letting him mount a .50 cal back there and is going to sit on it every time the door opens.” The smile on his face made it clear it’s the same thing he wanted to do. Probably everybody wanted to do. Flying in a bird without much access to see out is annoying at best, but considering the things that have been going on, and the fact that we’re not completely sure that there isn’t something out there that can just knock us out of the sky has dulled the excitement edge of some of this.

“Nah, I don’t want the fifty, I just want to be able to get off quick.” I had discussed with Patch and Campo about evacing early and coming from a different direction. Partially because the way look might cause problems, but mostly because I don’t want to get in the way of the command structure that’s about to be set up. If the town’s alive it’s probably going to have some kind of council running things, and I’m sure my people don’t want to take that over. Patch is probably going to push himself into that, I’m not sure about Campo, he just seems like he just seems like he wants all the information he can get his hands on. I imagine they will organize some type of guild and get a hall or something inside the city.

I know Mills was talking about it. It’s a great idea if you can get in early. Adventurer guilds are a staple in books and gaming. Starting one up would be a good thing for setting yourself up, but probably a better thing for the local community. I got the feeling that Mills might be a bit nerdier than he’s letting on. He and a few of his guys get more of my nerd references than I figured they would.

“…o get going?” I catch the tail end of what Mills is saying.

“Huh?”

“Are you ready to get going?” He asks again. I got lost in thought again. I hadn’t even noticed the blades spinning up on the Chinook, or that the line out the back was empty now.

“Yeah, I guess so.” We start walking back to the bird and I notice that the mountain door is closed up again. There are a few people outside for sight guard, but only enough to see the surrounding area.

The rotor wash is too loud to talk, so Mills just walks up the ramp and takes the third to last seat to the right inside the door. Lena is across on the left side of the chopper in a jump seat near the center, making faces at the kids on the flight.

The hardest thing to miss is Campo sitting with his legs around a .50 cal on a tripod with a shitty grin. I hadn’t seen the man smile much, and having seen it now I kind of wish I hadn’t. The guy looks like a psychopath, like the joker without paint. It’s disconcerting.

Patch is in one of the center jump seats next to the chick I’d seen at the first meeting. She’s a spook, or something close enough to it. We ran into her type enough in country that she was easy to pick out. She’d be a solid eight if she weren’t trying so hard to be a four. Thirty, or so, I’d say she tops off at about 5’6, mid-length brown hair, and a cute face. Probably Inuit, or Indian descent somewhere in her tree. She’s non-descript until she moves. Most people would call the way she moves ‘graceful’. It’d be a fair assessment, but only in the same way that a cat stalking can be considered the same. She’s dangerous.

I’ve said maybe three words to her. She doesn’t talk much, which is another staple for those types. They don’t say much and let you fill in your own blanks. I think she has a lot to do with the final decision on Kremmling, she was attached to tenth-group for some reason, I didn’t ask though. Some people are more comfortable with their secrets.

I managed to get a seat between Miller and patch, second to last on the right side. I didn’t bother strapping myself in, and before long we were off into the sky for our hour flight. Which was, thankfully, uneventful.

During the flight, I had the chance to catch a little sleep. I had always been the one to fall asleep on a Heli ride. It was so smooth, and with all the noise canceling everything out you were in your own world.

I came too with Patch tapping me on the shoulder and holding out a set of headphones to me. It was the same type him and most of his guys wear. Trying to wipe the grogginess of a nap out of my eyes I get them on before he starts talking.

“Do you still want to get off early?” I’d talked to Patch about this already, I was having kind of a hard time dealing with people in positions of power. I’d told him that I would prefer to jump and he can tell whoever he runs into on the ground that he dropped an ‘asset’ early to do some recon of the area.

“Preferably. I can open pretty close to the ground, so as long as we’re a thousand feet up I can jump from wherever.”

He nods his head, “While circling the area we noticed that a low wall circles most of the town, Park says it wasn’t always there, so we’re assuming it’s system generated thing. We’ve also managed to get ahold of someone in the air control tower. He says the town is mostly secure. Apart from a campground that’s not quite inside of town, but not quite out. There appears to be a group of creatures living there.” I hope this is an invitation.

“Do you want me and Lena to jump and clear it out? Did they say what kind of ‘creatures’? I’m in either way, but you know how I like my information.” I shrug and hope.

“Yeah, we’re going to make one more wide swing to get up to two-thousand feet, then you can jump on it. They say the creatures don’t appear aggressive, but they don’t like people coming in. They aren’t large. Something about short lizards on two feet, about ten of them. The guy sounded like he was reading from a report.” He raises his eyebrows.

Looking out the open ramp I can see the orange-brown canvas painting the sky, getting near dusk. The flight must have taken longer than planned.

“I’m in, can I keep these to contact you?” free gear is the best gear.

He shakes his head, “No I borrowed them from Jacks. If you take the campground just sit tight and we’ll send a group out to you ASAP. Wanna step to the door and see if you see where you want to go?” I’m a little sad I can’t keep them, but I understand why.

I wave my hand at Lena and wave to her to come over before sending her a message.

Nome: Hey, we’re going to get off a bit early and buy some goodwill. Make sure you are ready to jump and let’s go.

Lena: Umm...You know I don’t have a jumper, right? My certification followed me over, but I don’t have the kit.

Nome: Shit. I guess you’re staying with the bird.

Lena: Seriously?! What the hell Nome.

Nome: Sorry, I didn’t even think of that. It’ll be fine just do what Patch asks and start moving towards the campground to the north of town as soon as you’re boots on the ground.

She didn’t look happy about that, I’m sure she’ll listen though.

“Looks like it’s just me Patch. Lena doesn’t have the right equipment.” The idea of doing something solo again has me excited. It’s been almost a week since this started. Midnight tonight will signal the start of the last day before I can hit Valhalla for a reset.

Patch has a look on his face that says he might be worried about me, “Are you sure? We can just land then move over together, it’s not like we have to take it before we touch down. I think he’d just mentioned it so we didn’t try and land next to it.”

I shrug, “It’ll be nice to get some alone time. Besides, the report said ‘not-aggressive’ right? Maybe whatever it has brains, and if it’s what I think it is I’ll probably be able to do this almost bloodlessly.” I’ve got a feeling that it might be Kobolds. From what I’d read they were commonly found in mountains and caves. DnD always had them as a tribe hierarchy, with an elder, or magic user as head.

“It’s your football, you can fuck it any way you want.”

I can’t help but smile at that one, some things never change. I pull the headset off and hand it back to him before stepping to the back ramp and looking over the edge. We’re making a pass over the northern end of town. Almost directly over what I assume is the area they want me to clear, I see that it’s more a cabin-ground than a campground. There is a little bridge that leads to it from across a creek.

Deciding I the little field across the creek is probably my better option I put my jumper on. Turning around and giving Campo a short salute I backflip off the edge and push into a hard dive. The faster I get to the ground the less chance of whatever is in there seeing me.

The closer I get to the ground the more I realize that I should have given it a few more seconds. There is a fire roaring in the center of camp and I can see they have guards set up to watch the town side, and one at the bridge I wanted to sneak across. Seeing the group around the fire in the center I decide to test my luck.

A couple hundred feet off the ground I will the fall-safe on and steer myself towards a figure standing alone across from the ones around the fire. He appears to be wearing a set of robes and carrying a staff. I don’t want to kill him outright, I think I can challenge him for leadership. Hopefully.

Cutting the fall-safe and pushing the jumper into my inventory I drop the last twenty feet to the ground and slam into it hard enough that it pushes dirt and rocks away from me in a shower.

The creature in the robes has barely moved. He’s staring at me from behind slitted eyelids, his face reminds me of an iguana. With a stubby mouth part and sharp teeth sticking out of his slightly open mouth. They didn’t attack me when I landed and he doesn’t appear to be aggressive.

He looks over my gear, cataloging it as I stand up to my full height.

“No want fight.” His words are clear, and his voice comes across with an almost yipping sound behind it.

I’m slightly confused, sure he’s trying to trap me.

“Leave then, this isn’t your land.” I’ll try to play it soft but I don’t believe it for an instant.

“No, leave. You leave.” The last part is almost a bark.

Taking a few steps, and turning so I can keep as many as possible in my sights I notice that none of them have drawn weapons. Their either very confident in their leader or don’t want to fight.

I take a good look at the leader and realize he’s tense, but not fighting tense. He hasn’t set his feet for a lunge and the grip on his weapon would have to change significantly for an altercation. He wouldn’t be able to do anything before I got a knife in him.

“Why are you here?” I figure if they want to talk it’s worth a try. I did tell Patch I might be able to do this bloodlessly.

He shrugs his shoulder at me, “No Know. Disagree with leader, troop exile, fall asleep in woods wake up here.” He thinks a second more, “Me Grag, who you.” The last part comes as more a demand than a question but seems fair.

“I’m Nome.”

He looks annoyed for a minute, “Not dumb. You elf. Too tall to be Gnome, unless half giant-gnome.”

Shit. He thinks I meant my race. He’s got me there though, Nome is misleading.

I shake my head, “My name is Gnome, I am a daemon elf.”

Taking a minute to think about it he moves his mouth in what I assume is a smile, but looks like he’s trying to bare his teeth, “That dumb. We call you ‘dumb-name’. Easier, less confusing if meet actual gnome.”

“How about Thag? That is my first name.” I really don’t want to be called ‘dumb-name’

“Already have Thag,” He points to a kobold across the fire with gray skin, and red splotches on his face, “You dumb-name now. Why here dumb-name? We no hurt town, want peace.” That’s odd. Kobolds are usually seen as evil or lawful evil. Even the description I read when looking at missions said that.

“Leader from home want to fight all time, we want live,” He gives me what I assume is a suspicious look, “No fight, just live. No kill. You leave.”

“I’m not leaving. The town wants you cleared out of here, you make them nervous. How do I know you are telling the truth?” Against my better judgment I believe them.

“No humans when come. Clear zombies here. No zombies come town while here. Ask.” There’s a humph in his voice, but if he’s telling the truth I understand. It sounds like they got here and it was abandoned and they killed it and decided it was theirs.

This is a good spot. It’s close to town, but not considered inside town border. The wheels in my head start to turn.

“We can make a deal. Do you know compromise?” I’ve been keeping my hands away from my weapons the whole time I’ve been standing. I had been moving enough to keep an eye on my surroundings though, I spot a kobold trying to be sneaky and come in from around the house behind me, “You trust me I’ll trust you. We can make a deal and the humans will let you stay here, how does that sound?”

I see his eyes flick to the kobold behind me, then back. He looks me up and down one more time then makes a few barking noises. The one trying to sneak up behind me turns around and heads back around the house.

“Good, we can call that good faith.” I smile at him.

“Speak kobold?” He seems excited about it, but I have to ruin it for him.

“No, I knew he was coming. If you had let him attack me I wouldn’t have been able to trust.”

He walks closer to the fire and sits on a big rock next to it, “What compromise. I leader, we want stay.” At least he’s willing to negotiate.

“You give me control of this area promise to behave and get along with my people. I’ll tell the town you’re with me and they will let you live here. Maybe in time even trade with them.” He slowly stands up again and stares me in the eyes.

“Me leader, you challenge?” there’s a growl in his voice.

“I would rather not. You will lead the kobolds; my friend will lead the humans. You just have to agree to play nice and I’ll say I’m the leader.” I can tell he’s not going to go for it, I was hoping he would. I have a feeling I could destroy these guys pretty quickly. Especially since the only ranged weapons I saw was a bow and a few with hunting spears.

“My camp. You want camp we fight. You win camp yours, leader of kobold. I win: you leave, town leave us alone.” It sounds reasonable to me, a lot more reasonable than I thought it was going to be.

“We fight to submission. No weapons, fist’s only. Sound fair?” It’s definitely not fair. I’m a solid two feet taller than him, and if my guess is right he’s not exactly in the prime of his life.

“Hand fight. No death. First give up lose.” Easy enough then.

I smile at him, “Deal.”

“Deal.” He sets his spear down and shrugs off his robes. Underneath he’s wearing a leather shirt and pants. The surprise is that his arms are straight muscle. He’s built a lot more solid than I thought kobolds were supposed to be.

“You’re bigger than most kobolds.” I try to keep the accusation out of my voice, but his arms are bigger than mine and I don’t feel as confident as I did a moment ago.

“Mountain kobold bigger than most. Dwarf ancestors.” That’s slightly more terrifying.

Nothing to it but to do it, “I’m ready when you are.” I take a few steps back and get into a ready stance.

Grag doesn’t waste any time. He shoots forward and throws a jab at my stomach, I didn’t think he could move as fast as he does and he catches me with a full-on hit. It’s solid enough to knock me back a few steps, but not as solid as it should have been. I realize that he’s probably insanely strong compared to regular kobolds, but not so much against a race that is so much larger.

Judging by the look on his face I think he realized the same thing. Without another thought, I come in at him with a left hook. He blocks with his hand but I overpower him and slam my chest into his face and upper body throwing him to the ground. I quickly step forward in a standing straddle position and start hammering blows into his chest and head. He’s pretty good, managing to almost throw my balance off more than once.

It was decided before it had even gotten started. Once he realizes that I’ve got more skill and a better position he curls up into a ball, “You win, Grag give up.” Once I stop he peeks out from behind his hands before rolling over onto his back and splaying his arms out. He lets out some growls and clicks.

The kobolds from the fire have surrounded us during the fight. I was so into it I hadn’t notice, I realize when they let out a cheer and go down to a knee. I can’t help but smile as I put my hand out to help Grag up. He flinches when I reach out.

“I won’t hurt you Grag. I don’t know what it was like before you came here, but I’d like to know. I would also like it if you led these kobolds for me. Vice chief, second leader, whatever you want to call it.” I want to make sure he understands right away. After he is stood up he spends some time yipping and growling. I assume he is letting them know what is going to happen.

“I take to Panel. Give ownership.” Without asking he starts walking towards a cabin in the corner. I hadn’t noticed it before but the cabins are laid out almost like the number seven. About ten of them, with the one he’s leading me two at a right angle on the corner. They all look to be about the same size, and this one looks almost exactly like the rest.

He leads me up a short front porch with wooden pylons, to a quaint front door. Opening it up he takes me inside, and it’s about what I had expected. There are a few beds just inside, off to the right there is a sectioned off area that I assume is the bathroom. Across from that is a little kitchenette.

Walking to the table he splays his hand out and a window pops up above. It’s too fuzzy for me to read, but after a couple of seconds of swiping he waves me over.

“Put hand on table, next mine.”

I put my hand and spread my fingers out, as I do a line of text pops up in front of me

Grag would like to transfer ownership of Muddy Creek Cabins to you.

Accept/Decline

I think accept and the screen in front of Grag blinks out.

“Yours now.” He seems less annoyed now than he did a few minutes ago.

As we walk outside to the porch a group of kobolds run up yipping and pointing at the gate, Grag takes a minute to listen then almost in a panic says “Keep deal? Humans here.”

“Yes, Grag, take me there.” Grag sets off at a run down the road towards town. The speed he moves at surprises me again and we quickly come to the end of the road where a couple of the kobolds have spears raised at Lena an a few of the SOF guys.

“Lena! Stand down, they’re our friends!”

“These are kobolds, mountain kobolds if I’m right. We’re friends with kobolds?” She doesn’t look like she trust’s it.

“Kind of. I beat Grag here in single combat, so technically I’m the leader. I promised to smooth things over with the humans for them.” She seems to accept that.

She turns to Wills and puts her hand out, “You owe me, I told you he’s a big softie.”