Chapter 17: Encounter

  “There it is.” Ciana said.

  Corin, Zaire, Nanaua, and Natwar stared in astonishment. They stood at the edge of a forest, and in the far distance they saw a camp nearly as large as any city Corin had ever seen. It reminded him of Yranto.

  “How large is this army?” Corin asked aloud.

  “From the ground I could feel tens of thousands, maybe even a hundred thousand marching,” Ciana said.

  Corin stared at the large camp. He knew he had helped set in motion the events that led to the formation of this camp. A certain part of him felt proud about what he saw.

  “Zhi and Livia must be in there somewhere!” Nanaua exclaimed.

  That’s right. Livia should be in there somewhere.

  Corin felt a twinge of guilt. All this time he had spent, all these years without his wife, and when he was so close to her, the first thing that came to his mind was the army, the fight that lay in front of him.

  She probably would not even care that I came all this way. Ah, it’s no use worrying about that now.

  “There’s no use in waiting any longer.” Zaire said. “Let’s go.”

  Zaire walked towards the encampment.

  Corin and the others eagerly followed. The closer they got to the camp, the noisier and more raucous it got.

  “Any last-minute doubts to address before we head in?” Nanaua asked Corin.

  Only a couple.

  “It’s too late for that now,” Corin said.

  The group made its way to the edge of the camp. A bright green male sparrowling promptly landed in front of them, and a copper-colored female dragoor came from inside the camp to meet with the would-be trespassers. Corin saw a rifle on the dragoor that looked exactly like Livia’s.

  “What are you doing here?” the sparrowling asked in an accusatory tone. The sparrowling had a deep, commanding voice. His deep voice contrasted with Corin’s expectations.

  “This is a dangerous area!” The sparrowling continued. “We could be under attack from titans at any moment!”

  “It would not be a surprise with all this ruckus you have going on,” Nanaua replied.

  “If you are looking for the refugee camp, you missed it,” the sparrowling ignored Nanaua. “It’s a day’s march south; I suggest you take your leave now.”

  “A refugee camp?” Corin spoke up. “Perhaps that’s where the people of Seingen went!”

  “Perhaps, but remember why we are here, Corin!” Nanaua chided him.

  Corin understood.

  One thing at a time.

  “We need to meet with some members of your camp,” Corin said, turning to the sparrowling.

  “You need to meet with some members of the camp? And who are you that we should allow to come in here? Do you think we let anyone who arrives at our doorstep to roam around our camp?” The sparrowling replied.

  “You don’t understand!” Corin replied. “We have been looking for some members of your camp for over a year! Please, we need to speak to them!”

  “Look, a lot of us left family members behind!” The sparrowling spoke, his tone rising. “If you didn’t join the army when the messenger arrived, then you’re too late! You can’t come in here and expect we’ll let you speak to whoever you please now! I already said you are not welcome in, so leave!”

  “Why not, damn it!?” Corin asked, raising his voice at the sparrowling.

  “For all we know, the titans sent you here to find weaknesses in our camp!” The sparrowling said.

  “That is the dumbest thing I have heard!” Corin rebutted. “Agents of titans?! Are you being serious? I’ve lost almost everything I’ve had to the titans!”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “That might be the case, but if you felt so strongly about the titans, you would have joined the Legion when you had the chance! It is too late for that now!” The sparrowling shot back.

  Corin balled up his fists. This is not how this scenario played out in his mind at all. He wanted to punch this damned bird in its face right now.

  “And we’re under strict orders not to let any of them in either!” The sparrowling shouted as he pointed at Ciana. “So even if you were to be believed, we can’t let you in!”

  “What? Forest elves?! You won’t let them into your camp?” Corin asked with a bewildered tone.

  He looked towards Ciana. She seemed as surprised as anyone to see what was happening.

  “That’s pure lunacy! They’re furtives like you and I!” Corin argued.

  “It doesn’t matter what they are!” The sparrowling argued back. “The rules say we don’t let any strangers into the camp, and under no circumstances are we to let forest elves inside. Now I already told you once where the fugitive camp is. If there is someone in here that you need to see, you can go to the fugitive camp and join the Legion!”

  “You don’t understand what we’ve been through!” Zaire shouted standing next to Corin. “I am more than ready to fight against the titans. I escaped from a dragon’s temple and came all the way here just to join the fight! You can’t be serious about turning us around now. I won’t turn back. Not after all that I’ve been through!”

  “I won’t repeat myself!” The sparrowling replied. “It doesn’t matter what you have gone through! Have you ever fought against a titan?”

  He paused, awaiting Zaire’s response.

  “No, but I fought against Zifors to escape!”

  “You think Zifors matter here, boy?” The guard replied. “You think a group of a dozen low-level scum would pose the same challenge as a titan? You wouldn’t know the first thing to do the moment a titan showed up. The one thing we have that the titans don’t have is strength in numbers. That only works when we fight as one unified force and we trust the legionnaire beside us to know what they are supposed to do! If we took you on, you wouldn’t be of help; you’d be a liability! I’ve already wasted enough time on all of you, now go!”

  “It doesn’t matter what you say!” Nanaua chimed in. “With or without your permission, we are going in.

  She began walking toward the green sparrowling.

  The copper-colored dragoor raised her rifle and aimed it square at Nanaua.

  “One more step and I will shoot!” The female dragoor guard shouted at Nanaua.

  Corin quickly reached out and grabbed Nanaua’s wrist.

  “Nanaua!” he shouted. Even though he was irate, he knew they were at a disadvantage here.

  Nanaua turned to look at Corin with a bewildered look in her eyes.

  “Are you going to stop now, Corin?!” She asked him, full of anger. “We’ve been searching for them for over a year now!

  Nanaua turned to look at the two guards.

  “If you take another step, I will shoot!” The dragoor said, aiming squarely at Nanaua.

  Nanaua moved, and Corin pulled her back. As Corin tried to rein her in, Nanaua shook him off, pushing him to the side.

  A shot rang out, barely missing Nanaua.

  “You won’t get another chance!” Nanaua said as she grabbed her pike.

  “No Nanaua!” Corin shouted running to her to stop her. Before he could reach her, a stone wall rose in front of him.

  “You cowards!” Nanaua shouted from within the stone walls. Corin could hear her hitting the stone with her pike.

  “Let me out!” She shouted.

  “You are quite the raucous bunch.” A voice called from within the camp.

  Corin turned to look at the new addition. A gesherin addressed them now. His body was completely covered in robes, and he had a large circular hat that covered most of his face.

  “Onsiel Darbo!” The sparrowling addressed the gesherin.

  “What do we have here, Scout Kuai?” Darbo, the gesherin, spoke.

  “Stragglers who refused to join the army now want us to let them in, even after I told them why it was not possible,” Kuai replied. “They were insistent on coming in regardless.”

  “You and Trooper Narad did as instructed.” Darbo said looking quite pleased with himself.

  Throughout the entire time Nanaua kept pounding at the stone walls.

  “The one within the stone walls is a red female dragoor correct?” Darbo asked his companions.

  “Yes Onsiel,” Narad replied, still aiming at the walls. It seemed she was prepared for Nanaua to break free.

  “Did you by chance catch their names?” Darbo asked.

  Both Narad and Kuai looked at each other, and then to Darbo.

  “No problem.” He said and turned to Corin.

  “What is your name?” Darbo asked.

  “I am Corin. This here is Zaire, and over there is Natwar, the boy, and Ciana, the forest elf.” Corin said.

  “The boy?” Darbo asked in a peculiar tone looking at Natwar. He then reacted as if remembering something. “Oh, of course, what about your loud companion?”

  “Nanaua,” Corin replied.

  Darbo was silent. Corin felt uneasy about his reaction. The instant he said that, Darbo had reacted.

  Damn it, I should have lied.

  “Narad, Kuai, you are relieved,” Darbo said.

  “But sir,” Kuai began protesting.

  “You are relieved,” Darbo added firmly. “Now go.”

  No more words were exchanged among the three. Kuai and Narad followed the orders. Once they were outside of earshot, Darbo turned to Corin.

  “Interesting that I am the one to come across you,” Darbo said as he eyed Corin.

  Corin eyed the Onsiel. The gesherin was small, but Corin had seen how easily he had erected a stone wall to encase Nanaua. He was strong and he knew it.

  “The forest elf, and the other two cannot come in; they need to leave,” Darbo told Corin.

  “What?” Zaire spoke up in confusion.

  “What do you mean they need to leave?” Corin added.

  “The only two that we were told to bring in were you and the dragoor,” Darbo added.

  “Told to bring in?” Corin asked.

  “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  Corin hesitated; he eyed Ciana, Zaire, and Natwar.

  “What are they to do?” Corin spoke up.

  “Whatever it is they wish to do,” Darbo replied. “The refugee camp will welcome them, of course.”

  “We came all the way here to join the fight!” Zaire spoke up. “I am not turning back now.”

  Darbo looked at Zaire with a cold stare. “If it is a fight you want, I can give you one.”

  Zaire walked up, but Corin put up his hand.

  “Zaire, I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but listen to him,” Corin urged him.

  “You as well?” Zaire said.

  “You saw how easily he trapped Nanaua, Zaire,” Corin said.

  “Then why are you two allowed in?” He protested.

  Corin looked to Darbo and to Zaire.

  “It is… complicated,” Corin said. “But please, just listen to him, go to the camp. We have made it all the way here, I am sure they will allow you to join the army once they know your circumstances.”

  Zaire’s face was a twisted mix of emotions. He gritted his teeth as he stared at Corin. Corin knew he felt anger, but most of all betrayal.

  “You told me you would help me!” Zaire shouted at him.

  “I did, and I held up my end of the deal!” Corin shouted back at him. “Nanaua and I put our lives on the line twice to defend you from Zifors! We brought you here! We didn’t know they wouldn’t let you in!

  “But-”

  “Zaire, please listen to Corin!” Natwar spoke up now. The young boy pleaded with Zaire.

  “Come with us to the camp! We can both join the Legion!” Natwar pleaded with him.

  Zaire’s face contorted with emotion. He could not face Corin.

  “This is not the end of this journey, Zaire,” Corin told him. “You can still fight.”

  Zaire turned to look at Ciana. “Fine.” He finally desisted.

  Zaire and Natwar walked back to Ciana, who stood in the distance with Kaha. She stared at Corin.

  “Will you be safe?” She asked him.

  Corin turned to look at Darbo.

  “I don’t have all the time in the world now,” Darbo told Corin.

  “I’ve been in worse situations,” he told her. “This is not the last you will see of me.”

  Ciana nodded and walked away. Zaire and Natwar followed, but Kaha stood in place.

  “Go now, boy,” Corin urged the large wolf. “I will make sure I make you more food when we meet again.”

  Kaha went up to Corin, sniffed him, and let out a whimper.

  “I know boy, I’ll miss you too,” Corin said as he kneeled down and petted the large wolf’s head. “But I promise you I will see you once more.”

  The wolf licked Corin and ran along toward Ciana.

  “Hmm, now,” Darbo said, raising his voice. “I will bring down the stone walls, and you both will follow me into the camp. I can bring you in with your cooperation, or without it, understood?”

  “Yes,” Corin replied.

  There was no sound from within the stone walls.

  “I asked a question!” Darbo shouted toward the stone walls.

  “I understand! Now lower these damned walls!” Nanaua shouted.

  In the blink of an eye the stone walls crumbled. Nanaua breathed heavily, her face contorted with anger.

  “Hmm, a smile would suit you better.” Darbo told Nanaua.

  “Now come, Artesh will be waiting for you both.”