A loud crash, the sound of metal on metal, caused her to jump. A second crash, this time something heavy hitting the ground, made her eyes pop open. A large cloud of dust rose from the impact, partially blocking her vision. An opening in the previously closed segment of the wall invited her through.
“Careful, sharp metal,” said a guard on the other side, extending a hand as Ella stepped over the threshold. Everyone else followed into the small courtyard, and then several guards took the piece of fallen metal, which had a rod running through its base and pushed in back into place.
Very clever. Gouges in the dirt meant heavy things had been moved, a thought her escort validated, “Elder Storm, we changed the layout here a bit. It’ll be easier to keep you safe, so we took some liberties and created a more easily defensible headquarters.”
Keep me safe or keep me trapped, it serves both purposes.
“It’s a hidden, less accessible area to those who wish you harm,” added a voice from behind a two-chambered mask painted gray to resemble the clouds that swirled above them. Ella recognized his deep voice from their conversation days earlier when he presented her with the letter, but even more than that she could not forget the greasy film that covered him and his abnormally muscular forearms exposed by his cutoff sleeves.
Ella hoped them all to be allies, but couldn’t be for sure. Snipers patrolled the walls around the courtyard, but in greater numbers than normal, something to add to the growing list of oddities. The top of Elder tent towered over the ten foot high walls at the far end of the courtyard.
“Those of us left from the Fire camp would like to officially welcome you as our leader,” said Ella’s escort. “We had no idea what the Elders planned; we never would have supported attacks on our safe haven or our allies.”
Easy to say that now, Ella thought, but truthfully the matter was dismissed before it was even brought up. Ella may have killed Elder Fire, but given the circumstances, she had little choice, just part of life in her world. She moved on as soon as the last breath left Elder Fire, holding no grudges against the rest of his camp. She was glad the remnants of the Fire camp appeared to do the same and could only hope member of the other allied camps followed suit.
Boots to dust, the group migrated to the other side of the courtyard, where the passage revealed a short, narrow hall. A large number of guards stood watch on the walls above them, and Ella noted they were much more heavily armed than usual.
At the end, right was the only way they could turn which led them to yet another corridor. It was shorter and allowed just a left turn, opening to another smaller courtyard which revealed the old Elder tent in its new location. Ella liked the seclusion and protection it provided. Surrounded on all sides by scrap and junk, they approached the opening of the tent. As some of her old Stone camp walked in, the escort stopped Ella.
“Just a sec before you go in,” said the petite spotter, who then motioned to one of the guards stationed at the entrance.
The guard bent down and picked up a metal box. After removing the latch and opening the box, he presented it to Ella and said, “Elder Storm, we made this for you, please, put it on.”
Inside was a new mask, painted a dark deep purple color which contained metallic flakes. Menacing clouds surrounded the reflective eye holes and covered the top of the mask. Down the middle was a bright yellow zigzagging thunderbolt. Her eyes widened, and she removed the mask from its box and placed it on her head, discarding her old mask. The Fire camp spotter assisted her in adjusting and tightening it before saying, “Inside, the others have been waiting.”
Ella halted in her tracks and replied, “The others?”
The following explanation was given, “Yes, the others. Visitors. Said they were just passing through. You wanted new allies, now it’s up to you to seal the deal. We found them at our old camp,” the eerie voice of her escort explained. “But that is not the best part.”
“Do continue.” The anticipation was killing her. Good news was something that occurred rarely for Ella, her days were plagued with tragic events more closely resembling those that transpired a few days prior, events that more commonly brought sadness and grew her hatred than the happiness that fueled her heart right now. Good news was preferred to events that caused her rage to swell, like the memory of the events that cost her both of her parents and every Elder she had ever known.
“We…err…they have this thing and it’s big,” explained the spotter. “I’m not sure what it does, but they talk like it could put a proper hole in the walls of Glass City. They claim it has already done so to a different Glass City down south.”
“That certainly does sound like good news; I can’t wait to see it!” Ella responded.
“In due time. For now, we need you to meet our new allies and bring them to our cause. They call themselves the Blood Camp. Their Elder is a large and prickly man named Jeremiah,” she briefed Ella. “They claim to come in peace and they better stay true to their word or they will leave in pieces,” she added. “We have guards everywhere, as I’m sure you have noticed. This won’t end well if they are in the least bit hostile or aggressive.”
As Ella walked toward the tent, she carried the burden of an entire camp, but she also carried an even heavier freight. She had no idea what waited for her inside the tent, once she walked in, she may never walk out. That was her own cross to bear. “Truthfully,” began Ella’s response, “I don’t see it how ends well for any of us, no matter what we do. I’m starting to believe that we need to make the best of the time we have while we are here.”
Chem, one of Elder May Stone’s personal guards bent down to open the tent’s flap. Ella took one last gulp and the first good, deep breath out of her new mask before venturing into the unknown.
Twelve men in matching black outfits stood across the table with their arms folded. Each wore a black mask, with red eye lenses and filters painted to match. Ella largely ignored them and first noticed the blood from the failed coup attempt still soiling the fabric of its walls. She walked to the table, flanked by a ragtag assortment of mix matched soldiers, and stared at the line of men in black. Red accents completed their uniforms and Ella eyed each and every one of them individually, and then observed them as a collection. One of Ella’s escorts, the old Cloud camper who had given her the letter began the introductions, “Elder Jeremiah Blood, this is Elder Ella Storm.”
Jeremiah laughed and removed his mask. It continued to stare at her after Jeremiah placed it on the table that separated them. His gray eyes scanned her up and down and he rubbed the black stubble on his neck while laughing a little more. “Hmmm I was expecting someone who was more… man,” he said, in a clear attempt to mock Ella. “Thought you’d be bigger too, your reputation has preceded you. I built you up to be more.”
This was a common tactic used by larger individuals to establish a physical dominance. A tactic Ella had much experience in dealing with because of her smallish frame and slender build. A tactic that would not work on her.
“So sorry to disappoint you,” she shot back. “But for what it’s worth, I did as much as I could do to make myself bigger last night, but to no avail,” she said as she stretched her arms out in front of her. “Also in anticipation of a random meeting with some rude shithead, I really tried to grow a cock and some facial hair,” chided Ella. Her backers chuckled, his bristled.
“Ah, spunk, I like that in my allies,” said Jeremiah, in his scratchy voice. “I guess I will refrain from pointing out that you are younger than I expected as well. Just how old do you have to be to make Elder around here?” The question brought a chorus of laughter from the large man and his contingent on the other side of the table, which only further irked Ella. Staring at the masks of these men, she recognized some of the designs on their masks matching those she saw in the welcoming procession.
“Well around here we don’t make Elder, we take the position.” Ella knew this was false, but she also knew Jeremiah was clueless on the inner workings of any
camp but his own. Ella was also certain he had no idea how she ascended to the position of Elder, partially because she did not even know herself. It made no difference that she held the position for a matter of about twenty minutes; he wouldn’t be privy to that knowledge either.
It mattered little to Ella that she didn’t know how she got to be Elder, she had arrived. The sound of the words ‘Elder Storm’ was pleasing to her ears. Her everlasting dream of making Elder had come true and there was no way she was going to let it slip through her fingers now that she had it in her grasp.
“No offense, but where is this person you took Elder from?” laughed Jeremiah. “And how did it happen? Seems incredible that you could best someone, anyone, in any sort of contest for a position of such power, there must be over a hundred people in this camp, the largest I have seen for some time and we are supposed to believe you eat at the top of the table? That you and that skinny little frame forcefully took power? I’d like to see what you really had to do to get Elder,” the laughter on the other side of the table continued at the innuendo.
Ella’s next statement would determine her future and that of her camp. It would either cement a bond between Elder Blood or disintegrate any chance of an alliance. Not wanting to be completely transparent with her potential allies, she offered as full a disclosure as needed, with a bit of embellishment for dramatic effect. “Not a person, Elder Blood. Five. I took command of five camps and though I would love to add Allies through diplomacy, I have no problems using other means when necessary,” Clearly offended by his inquisition, she continued, “Need proof, ask anyone here. All of their Elders are dead, bodies still warm, the tears of the grieving not yet dry.”
This was not entirely true, as she did not take command of them as much as she simply wanted to unite them. Never did she think she would arrive today and have the title of Elder with her name behind it. She had not personally met most of the campers who pledged support to her; they must have been swayed by her perfectly chosen words. She had seen them around the fortress, this was true, but could not pick out more than a handful of them if they removed their masks. Everyone had duties, and there was not much interaction between them, especially for a spotter like Ella.
Her fiery display continued, a short blade appeared from a hidden sheath and was jammed with considerable force into the plywood sheet that served as a table top in the Elder tent. “Some died at my hands, some at the hands of others. But I have no qualms about adding to the death count, there is plenty of dirt to bury bodies.” This was not how she wanted things to continue. She wanted peace among the camps, but a mere twenty minutes into her position of Elder; she could already see how this would be difficult at times. “How dare you insult me, on my turf, in front of my people,” she said, her blood boiling and her anger rising. After finishing, she slammed both hands forcefully on the table and leaned across it toward Elder Blood, glaring at him with a cold, steel stare that told him that despite her size, gender, and age, all things she had no control over…she was for real.
The sudden noise startled everyone in the tent, but in truth, Ella was startled as well. He was an extraordinarily large man, especially for the typically malnourished Masked. Ella didn’t miss that the rest of the Blood camp also carried more heft on them than those in the Storm camp. Jeremiah could have grabbed her and broken her neck. He could have choked her or taken the knife from the table and stabbed her. And there was nothing she could really do about it. Sure, he would not leave the fortress alive, Ella’s loyalists would see to that, but she would likely perish as well.
As they were locked in a bit of a staring match, Ella saw a twinkle in his eye and knew that she had broken him even before he knew it. Silence filled the tent as the two engaged in this silent stand off for an extended period. The tension thickened. Elder Jeremiah Blood was the first to back out, and offered a quick apology. “I truly meant no offense little lady. I have come in peace, seeking brotherhood and allies in our quest,” his voice was softer, less gruff than before. “We wish to ally with you and yours, not make enemies. Plenty of those exist on the other side of the glass; none need be sought out here. I’d like to start this whole sequence over. If it pleases Elder Storm, could I have a word or two with you?”
Ella smiled on the inside, hoping the latter and not the former of the two personalities shown by the large man was his true persona. It would be great to have a commanding presence whose ideals were in tune with her own. Unite the Outside. Whether she eventually chose to attack the Inside, she knew they shouldn’t be fighting each other.
After asking for a word with Ella, he whispered something to his contingent and waved them from the tent, then clarified himself, “Alone.” The Storm camp was hesitant, but after a nod of approval from Ella, they filed out behind the supporters of Elder Blood.
Once they were gone, Elder Blood addressed Ella. “Elder Storm, I am sorry for offending you, I truly am. I have been Elder only a few short weeks and things could not be going any worse.”
“Oh?” she replied, clearly puzzled by this latest tidbit as much as his latest change in demeanor.
“We have been walking. Sometimes running. Nonstop for four days, with little food or water. We attacked a Glass City to the south and punctured its wall, but that is when things started to go wrong,” explained Jeremiah. “Our Elders were killed or captured by the counterattack at our base. Six separate camps were fighting as one, but we were decimated.” He paused and stared blankly as he recalled the events, obviously still rattled. “We were caught off guard. Out in the open. We had no fortress such as this to fall back into, just rows and rows of tents. The weapons the Rangers used were very advanced, they shot the same sorta stuff that’s in them large coils guarding the city, kills anything it touches. Looks mighty painful too, with all the shakin’ and convulsin’. Even still, we held ‘em off for a long time and started to turn the tide in our favor.” Jeremiah paused and took a giant swallow before finishing, “That’s when they came,” Jeremiah paused again, staring blankly while he lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes.
“They?” asked Ella. “You mean someone other than the Rangers came?”
Eyes still closed, Jeremiah tensed his lips and shook his head in disbelief, then took a deep breath before continuing, his voice trembling as he responded, “These were no Rangers. They were dressed in white suits, puffier than what the Rangers wear and had shiny reflective face masks on their helmets. And there were so many of them Ella. Uncountable. They had different weapons. Shiny. Metal. Powerful,” he paused briefly between each adjective. “They killed everyone they came into contact with, including the Rangers, all of them…” he trailed off again.
“What?” she exclaimed. This bit of news was particularly troubling to Ella. “They killed the Rangers? You know for a fact they killed them?”
“I can only assume. The White Army moved slowly and carried tanks on their backs. Their weapons discharged a substance that froze anything it touched in its tracks. We had the Rangers pinned down and we could have made an escape, but the army in white came from the rear and eliminated them. Our guns had no effect on these suits. We fired several rounds from the Beast, which disrupted their formation, but they kept coming. We were forced to flee, lucky for us, they were slow. This weary band is all that remains. A wall was breached, but a huge price was paid for the attack in terms of lives lost.”
This hit home for Ella. She spent her whole life ready to go full bore at Glass City, but recent events had softened her stance. Now that there were other lives at stake riding on her decisions, she felt the weight of that responsibility. She now understood why her Elders were so careful in their planning. Jeremiah’s cautionary tale reinforced this feeling. “Go on.”
“We’ve been following the muddy river for four, maybe five days when we came to the ruined city near the tall steel arch. Something in the ruins there made several become ill and I don’t think they will make it much longer. Several are coughing blood. Some have a
fever, others suffer from muscle pains and sudden weakness. The symptoms are growing.”
It was clear to Ella that Jeremiah had no business leading a camp. He put his followers directly in harm’s way. Everyone knew the toxins were much higher in the ruined cities and the adjacent surrounding areas. The radiation was still so great that spending any period of time, however short, could bring upon the Sickness and its associated symptoms quickly.
“I am not fit to lead, never prepared myself for this position, because I never wanted it.”
Ella agreed, especially with the first half of his statement.
“Truth is, I am large and people are intimidated, so the leftovers of the old camps, those that escaped, naturally turned to me when the attack failed. All I could think of…was to run away.”
Cowardly, but smart. Seeing his true colors revealed, Ella noticed he was completely devoid of the bravado and superiority he displayed upon their introduction. He was scared of dying, just like Ella. They shared that emotion, though she was not going to let him know that any time soon.
“My people are tired from their travel. In return for your hospitality, we would like to join your camp and fight alongside you.”
“Under one condition,” Ella responded.
“You name it,” Elder Blood quickly quipped.
“We fight under the name of Storm. All of us. And….”
“Done.” Elder Blood could not agree fast enough, gladly dropping an Elder status that he never sought in the first place. Jeremiah did not even need to hear any other part of her demands. He did not care that she wanted to lead the large camp; he certainly did not want the chore. Nor did he care that she was young. Or female. Or smaller than any Elder he had ever met, because she was more ferocious and fiery.
“Well good,” a relieved Jeremiah started to say, “Now that this is settled, it’s time to break the news to the troops. Once that is finished, I’m takin’ you to meet the Beast.”
Greenhaus:Storm Page 9