Chapter 127 – The Shadow Lingerer (2)

The footsteps and rumbling of carriages rang through the dirt road. The line of carriages traveled through the tree-lined path. Soldiers carrying a rifle marched with awe-like stare at the fearsome soldier that has been guarding them. She walked with her group. Her vigilant eyes were keeping the morale up.

The trudge was nothing particular. Naked trees with leaves fallen down to the ground. There was a cold wind from the east. It made the refugees shiver every time. The smell of gunpowder was in the air. The stench seared into the lungs of the refugees. The rumble of artillery was heard. There was this startling effect that usually scares the little ones traveling along with their poor-fed parents

The road was cleared of any rogues or enemy that wanted to harass the soldiers. In a wooden bridge that was rather unkempt. A bunch of fools tried to loot the carriages. Sadly, they ended up riddled with bullets from the band or pummeled by Zola’s super-enhance fist. The others were mauled by Titus.

The bloodbath oddly left the carriage wary than ever. The children were kept tucked inside the carriage until the band reached a clearing where the band formed a carriage fort that would allow the band to fend off anyone that might try to attack.

Joshua as usual cooked for the people. After cooking he would find a spot for himself. Zola and Titus would join Joshua eat. Although Zola found a newfound emotion of guilt and her heart of steel was thawed. She was still as welcoming as she was, originally. There were only a few people she talks to. It was either Archie, Titus, or the little girl Kioko. She was not fond of Mia and Leiko. She respected Mia’s management skills, but that’s that. As for Leiko, she dislikes her anti-human tendencies. Leiko herself didn’t try to speak her thoughts to Zola. Knowing that would result in her being stared down by Zola who was a humanist.

It was something that Joshua learned kinda predicted. He had seen Zola fight and she would pummel the enemies with zeal. It was then that he learned that she hated anything that might not look human. Though she doesn’t outright despite Leiko who have human features enough for her to tolerate. Joshua doesn’t blame her. She lived in a world where half flesh and half metal abominations were wrecking havoc. It was not hard to guess her hatred for people who hated humans or treat their lives like cattle for slaughter. So Leiko avoided any of her contempt and was quiet. Not to mention that the reason that they were in this mess was that of Kioko appearing out of nowhere at a bad moment. So she was tactful enough to be sorry about what Kioko had done. Joshua didn’t blame the little Cattus girl, however. She was just a broken little girl who could not accept reality. And hearing her speak breaks Joshua’s heart. But she was far gone. Sadly, it was best to leave her to her own world.

...

The trip went well. The line carriages rolled halfway until a certain pass where things went bad. There was an ambush on all sides. Gunners pinned the carriages. They targeted the soldiers and lobbed the well-armed one. If Zola wasn’t there then Joshua and the others would have been heavily injured or dead.

Zola made quick work of one side. Painting the walls of the pass with entrails and blood that it was disgusting to look at. Zola usually relies on her close combat training and Psion abilities to make a mess of any enemies. But when no one could see her she would deploy her shotgun that fired hot searing plasma. Each bullet could tear through anything and her using it made a mess of the poor sods who faced her.

Joshua opened fire, taking cover in one of the carriages. He thought that things were going to go their way. But it was then that thundering sound of artillery raised hell above the pass. The terrain above was covered with black mist as the caravan staggered in cover. Rocks fell from the above the pass. The pebbles rained down upon the caravan. Joshua felt his vision go red with veins appearing. His heart pounded heavily as adrenaline pumped his veins. Then he saw Zola’s figure being blown back by the explosion.

Not caring about the pebble. Joshua gathered all the courage he had to sprint towards Zola. Along the way, he felt time slow down about three times. He avoided bullets and dangerously sharp stones that would have ended his life and whirled to catch Zola. Luckily, she was alive but the taking the brunt of the explosion stunned her.

Joshua slapped her, “You okay?” She looked at Joshua with a thin smile. “Yeah, it reminds me of an orbital drop on Jupiter that went wrong when a railgun tear through the hull of our shuttle. Still, I never thought that I’d be hit by ten cannon shells.”

“Let’s get you off here-” Joshua wasn’t able to finish his word when he felt time slow down. He tilted his head to dodge the bullet. But to Zola, it looked like Joshua just casually dodged a bullet. “That was quite something,” she said. Joshua smiled wearily, dragging her to cover. “Just lucky,” he said, obviously he had no intention to tell her.

Titus the pup arrived at their side. He whined before releasing a bloodlust bark at the ambushers. Zola smiled at her pup, patting its head before standing up, revealing her exoskeleton that was supporting her limbs. She has been hiding her power armor for the most part and had set her suit to mimic a coat. But now that she looked pissed and her skin blue as her armor hardened up. Joshua looked at vicious grin before the armor covered her face. Then she leaped back to the pass and the bastards up was killed as brutally as Joshua could imagine.

There was artillery fire but it stopped after ten minutes. The situation calmed down and by the time Zola returned back she landed near Joshua and handed him a box that had static noise coming from it. However, that did the ambush. They have long-range communications. Joshua did not like that for one bit.