Chapter 126 – The Shadow Lingerer (1)

Fire Chokepoint was a zone trapped within a circular valley. There were three entry points and four exit points. There was a fort in the middle of the zone. There were military regiments that held it but when the band of refugees arrived. It was empty. The caches of weapons and cannon weren’t. There were a few guards that arrive at the same time. They joined the band.

The fort was unlikely to be used efficiently by common people. Mia, the former warlord issued a call to order. She had the authority just by Zola’s presence. Zola had been fighting and protecting the people. She has been taking out rogue strugglers and bandits.

She was invincible that it made the common people she was protecting treat her as some sort of angel that descended. Zola had no reason to believe that. She was merely acting out of belated guilt that she had discovered. She was strong as hell. But her heart was wrought steel.

Joshua had less to do. He felt like this background character that watched as people like Archie, Zola, Leiko, Mia, and Barbados, secure the fort. He finds it disheartening that he could nothing but follow Zola around or act like a cook for the people of the fort.

Still, it was something to do. There was something about acting as a cook for people. They would comment approvingly on the food he made, which was enough to put a tired smile on Joshua’s face. Lately, Zola has started to comment on her guilt. Joshua had no way of knowing what she felt. So he listened to her. That was the only thing he could do. He was not tactful enough or witty enough to say something. Still, listening to her newly discovered plight seemed to relieve her.

Zola was keen on her promises. She has been acting like a super-soldier. She killed more than she could. She alone could raise the morale of the people. But she wasn’t omnipotent enough to scour the whole of the territory alone. She could, but it would take her time to do so. She still remembers the goal that she and Joshua had. It was not like they intended to get embroiled in a war they don’t understand. Still, Joshua wasn’t that heartless enough to abandon the refugees. They didn’t do anything. They were just poor sods that happened on misfortune.

Joshua thought to himself that they were lucky enough to be protected by Zola. Not to mention that the others have been doing well in executing what they can to protect the people. Archie, in particular, was enthusiastic. He served as moral support and along with Barbados and Leiko. They protected the fort while Zola was away killing. She wasn’t alone since Titus was with her.

They were a terrible duo. Joshua knew that Titus the little pup was a banewolf. But for it to wield the Psion-based powers that Zola had was terrifying. He had seen Titus attack and seeing the little pup become a living cannonball made Joshua note to never anger the little pup or try to play ball with it.

Joshua was happy that she had a companion like that. He wasn’t a good help to her. She was a person that he could never catch up in terms of combat capabilities. So the only he could for her was to listen to her or tend to her wounds and give her a pat for a good job done. He found it odd really. That despite what she was doing. The people around her seemed to stay away. Maybe they think that she was made of steel. She was not. Joshua knew that if she was truly made of steel. Then she wouldn’t be speaking about her newfound guilt. And to Joshua, she was nothing but a friend who got sent into this foreign world like him.

...

There was fighting beyond the valley that surrounded the fort. There were flashes of artillery. There were crackles of gunfire that would occasionally echo around. In the forest, there were fallen leaves. Joshua could see the stretching horizon. The sun was shining between two hills, stabbing his eyes.

He was taking a sip of a juice made from fruits he squeezed himself. He was enjoying the wind, ignoring the thunderous boom of firepower beyond the valleys of smoking death. It was then that Barbados arrived carrying his blunderbuss with ease. He was smoking a roll of tobacco, swaggering around.

“Sightseeing?” he asked. Joshua turned to him with a faint smile. “I guess so?” he sipped on his juice. “At the same time, I am wondering how long can we stay in this fort.”

“Not long probably,” said Barbados with a strange confidence. “With that friend of yours wrecking havoc along with that banewolf. I don’t think that those poor sods would survive.”

“Probably,” Joshua agreed. “Zola’s quite strong and Titus too.”

“Strong?” he looked at Joshua oddly. “They are monsters. That woman could pulverize stray camps and attend to the bandit camps that have been pestering the refugees. Archie and the Cattus gal are now taking the carriages that Zola spotted.”

“Is that so?” Joshua said. “So will it be enough for all the people here in this fort? Not to mention the guards that are probably going to come with us.”

“It will be,” Barbados shrugged his shoulders. “The guards are too afraid to act impudently with that woman around. So they’ll endure walking alongside the carriages. That should give them exercise.”

Joshua nodded. Barbados stayed around for a while before walking down the flight of stairs. Joshua roamed around the battlements of the fort before preparing food for the refugees. It was noon when Zola arrived with Archie and Leiko who was towing rows of carriages. The carriages were parked just outside and the refugees were happy to see that they might have a ticket out of the fire-choking point area.

They were in time for the food. Joshua served them up good and for the whole day, it was peaceful. The people loaded food and water on the carriages. And by the time the morning sun came up. The refugees were ready to set out on a perilous journey.