Report - W.Caravan - ... WIC edition

Chapter 25 - We Will Never Give Up In Our Reclamation

"Sir, are you all right?"
"I'm fine"
"You look worse than when you left"
"That means I did my job. Get ready to disassemble camp"
[day 67]
Tired. Stood up most night making sure no one tries nothing in this last stretch. Should have I gone to sleep? Yeah, well that's what I signed up for so shame. I looked over the maps and the weather patterns. Even if it seems as though we could have some rain by.. lets go with 3:00 pm we should still have made enough progress that we arrive tomorrow by 8:00 pm, if we can achieve that then that should be it.
"Wakey wakey, rotten beef and eggs a plenty!" B1 has taught me many a great apetite destroying wake up calls.
"Morning B2, what's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"You got a face worse than the one who contracted gangrene"
"Tired... I rode off at one point in the night. If nothing goes wrong and we manage an average or higher speed we should arrive at the fort by 7:00 tomorrow"
Usually a warm soup with only small bits of pepper and spide is the best way to wake up these.. now 316 people. Guess I should have trusted optimism a bit more after the... more than unusual events these first timers have had.
"Hey B2, how far is it?"
"Almost half a set of quadrants at least"
"Ye I never figured out what a quadrant is," Not surprised.
"What did you work as before?"
"Courier"
"Town?"
"Daihkgvul"
"Hmm... I suppose it would be similar as to running through the whole town at least 2 times, but don't quote me on that!"
"Never even heard of a dagi... whatever," Doubt that random guy knows more than his local pub and the way back to the poor quarters.
"It's a small town in-between the south-eastern orchard fields"
"Since when do you know every town in the west by heart?"
"That's where me and B1 came from and where we worked for most of our lives"
"Where did you come from?"
"We've asked him that several times and he's kept it hidden"
"And east?"
"Never had a job there, had only been on either caravan or protection duty"
"Wait you were running caravans before this?"
"Buddy, where have you been?"
"No, I was in the caravans, both of us were"
"Damn... how old were you?"
"My first trip was... almost a year after finishing basic education"
"Huh, so around our age"
"What was it like?"
"Boring and uneventful"
"And the return?"
"Boring and uneventful"
"You're kidding right?"
"Nope. I told myself and some others that 'I'm never going back! That was the worst job ever!', but then I got a personal request to partake in an emergency caravan. That was the first time I ever encountered crawlers and my first gorger"
"No way! What was it like?"
"Thank luck for being with an experienced crew. I was chosen 'cuz I was loyal and did my job well, but most men there were proper rigid caravaneers. If they hadn't enveloped the big bastard then I don't know if I'd be here talking to you currently"
"So you were also afraid?"
"The worst thing I ever faced up until then was a drunken riot. I hadn't even seen a crawler up close until then, let alone a gorger"
"You really weren't joking when you said that one of the criteria to be suggested for this position was to spend at least half of your life in security jobs"
"Yup"
"But... isn't it like a downgrade in some ways?"
"I told you everything you needed to know when I recounted the story of the WBTS and my employment"
"Apologies"
Don't know if that man tried to alleviate the pressure in the air. These last few minutes I have are constantly harassed by 2 separate visions flying throughout my imagination. One is that dream about K and the other is of when I previously thought back to our upbringing and the current hero that arose despite the conditions. The pessimism doesn't let the positivity win out, but I have played too many cards to keep this caravan in order, [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted].
"Hey carpenter man," I need to talk with with one of these caravaneers.
"Me sir?"
"No one else is here"
"Oh... right"
"How long until that little hole is fixed in the wagons"
"Umm... 10 minutes should be"
"Alright then 10 more minutes it is. Sorry about that"
"I... I understand it's alright," No, no he doesn't understand, but it is kind of cute to see him pretend.
"Any new deaths?"
"No the... plant concotions you've been giving seem to work wonders and we're still supplied well"
"You'll learn about those later, way later. Diseases and infections?"
"Nothing new, but no ones recovered yet"
"Pass another stick inside the fire we got an extra 10 minutes"
"I'll prepare the stretchers"
"Just don't burn the stretchers"
"*chuckle* Did your professor tell you that one?" 
"Some would call him a professor"
"Hehe I'll have them in the wagons in 10"
Well seems one of B1's jokes finally worked. I don't even remember why I went through every tent in those extra 10 minutes, showing composure I guess, but either way everyone was fed, armed, washed, as much as you can from boiled bog water, and rested. If nothing goes wrong then tomorrow - [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] - is the day these boys reach their destination.
"Pull down the palisades and ready the wagons. Lets make sure this is the last time"
[9:16]
50 meters none, 100 meters few, 150 meters few. Energy levels high and no problems detected yet. No ones descended into conversations, threats included just yet, hopefully our final day will remain this quiet.
[11:56]
Noon break on a mound near the road. Usually I would give a bit more food here, but that isn't recommended for such labor intensive jobs, that and we mostly have salted meat and rock-hard cookies, a combination about as pleasant for the stomach as it is for the mouth. Some extra twigs are collected to make makeshift torches for heat to draw as little attention as possible. At least 2 wagons are showing some signs of degradation, but they should still be functional for at least 3 days. Clouds getting slightly darker and we already had some pellets come by.
[14:32]
50 meters none, 100 meters few, 150 meters few. Think I heard some thunder in the far far distance.
[16:11]
"Hold it," Somethings wrong.
"Wait here I'll go ahead"
The movement is sporadic, but I heard the voices before. I didn't pick them up then, but now it seems it's a call. The rattlers have found something and now they're organizing some big pack. A really big pack shows [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]. That's a wrench in this whole plan. The rattler bites could be worse than crawler venom for these guys and that's after we have a fight in a field. 
"Problem up ahead, we're going around. We will take a path northwards and then round back towards the path at some point. This will set us back up to at least 2 hours unless you boys are willing to run a bit"
A short discussion takes place, but the consesus is a yes.
"Hey K's boys that includes you"
"We're going," His friend, I think, answered in his place.
"Ahh what's wrong with ol K?"
"Not feeling well and that's it"
"If it was only anger then you also shouldn't answer"
"He's injured, end of story"
"So he can't talk, but he can be put back into the shields. You would be a terrible doctor" 
Seems K got downgraded in his own faction. It may seem a just punishment, but K's face tells me more than resentment towards me, I see the sadness. Even though he had no chance of standing up to me he was booted down or out for some reason. Either he was betrayed or it turns out that his band of idiots is stupider than he expected. Those kids don't even realize they're digging themselves a pit at the cost of their numbers. 
"Head left here"
[18:57]
Finally back on the road and the first rain droplets are falling. The movement was chaotic and it forced me to constantly extend the path and the men are tired. Now I face a unified conflict of values for everyone here wishes for it to be over more than anything and they're not willing to rest. Usually I would put them in their place, but with a horde of some 45-62 rattlers somewhere behind us that's not a good idea so I'd better make the best of this motivation while I can.
"Then let's hope this is the last time. Men pick up speed and follow the road. In 2 hours we will arrive at our final resting point"
[19:05]
I spotted something off in the distance - smoke. The rain is new, but there was no lightning. Humans have burnt something over there, but it's so small even I had trouble understanding what it was. Time for a test. Ahead lays a tree and it has a large branch that's about ready to collapse down. Thank the Central Repository for the ability to make tools out of air. I throw a rope up towards it and pull it down. A small thud rings out through the woods. I hear a rustle coming from the direction of where that smoke was. Then it stops and I see them. A brownish-green mask hides in between the flora.
"If you want to attack then do it now"
The shapes stand up. One starts flailing his arm around.
"What is that madman doing?" A caravaneer asks another one.
"Sign language" I respond.
I raise up my palm in response. [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] That's the legs of everything that came out of the earth during the World Shaker. The figures come out of their protection, all 4 of them. The paint covered any reflection making it hard to tell who they were, but the masks material was discernable despite the paint.
"Who are they?"
"Greeting warriors. B2 of the WBTS"
"B2 of the WBTS?! Scouting party of the Bo'erley fort at your service"
"Bo'erley? It's being restored?"
"Restored? Already has been! The reclamation is eternal eternal brother!"
"Well damn and I haven't even been away for long! You got space for a tired de facto caravan leader, some injured and a pile of shitload greenies?"
"Should, if not then we have a transport of some construction fellas that should be arriving in around 1 hour and then they can hitch a ride back"
"Has the land behind been cleared?"
"Hang on let's start walking," Good idea.
"Uhh behind is a... you know the usual, but the reason why were here was that we had a camp up the-"
"I know"
"Damn, that sight really isn't a myth? Uhh what was I saying"
"Hey garrison boys what's it like over here?" Someone calls them from the back.
"Ye never been," And now its become a quiz.
"How far is the whatever fort to the other whatever forts?" Suddenly everyone acts as though they've met the inspirations of a lifetime.
"Fans of yours it seems," He needs some laughs right now.
"Or they're just tired of being bossed by you"
"Hey, I did alright"
"Ehh... I'll wait for their testimonies first"
"The camp?"
"Camp? Oh right so uhh we were out scouting looking for some rattlers that had been watching us for 2 weeks at least. We were told that if we didn't find anything then we should wait until the builders were expected to return, but this situation should also count"
"Wait rattlers have been stalking you or the fort?"
"Fort"
"Do you have a caller?"
"Duh"
"How many times has it rained here before?"
"Last time was like 9 days ago"
"How long have you been scouting for the rattlers?"
"Truth be told... ever since the morning really"
"Do you know if you've been detected?"
"Probably, I mean we got our guard outfits on because we weren't expected to move far so it's a bit hard to ignore all this clanking"
A known caller, patience, detected scouts. Fate really has a twisted sense of humor for before my heart skips a beat. I hear a bird take flight. A singular bird [redacted] [redacted]. Then I hear the little screech again. I don't know what it was then, but this time the movement is very concrete.
The rattlers fear fire so they wouldn't attack with a caller, but with rain. And a new fort means every surrounding creature knows it hasn't been restored 100%. We didn't pass an incoherent band of rattlers running around, we passed an ammasing army. That's heading for us.
"GUARD! how far is the fort?"
"30 minutes walk"
"Too long and too far. CARAVANEERS TURN THE WAGONS INTO A RING AND REPEAT THE FORMATION AS LAST TIME. THIS TIME EVERY SHIELD GET ON AND RANGERS GET UP BEHIND! WE HAVE ONE MORE BATTLE AHEAD OF US!" There are worse news to be given to tired men in the beginning of a rainstorm, but very few.
"Guards?"
"Oh we're staying just tell us where to go"
"Guards... I need you to kick ass"
"Consider it done," The near-perfect synchronization implies this band of friends has practiced that more than once.
Behind us rings out a volley of paws. One more fight.