Chapter 12
Samuel's Path, The Southern Tower
The two travelers had been moving for some time now. The open plains surrounded them. Most of the wall in this area was missing. Only small pieces remained. Except for the area surrounding the tower; most of the stone and debris were buried. Almost all signs of the past were gone. But none of that mattered to them as they approached the tower. As always, it was the creatures that were important. For some unknown reason, very few had been seen on their journey. The tower seemed to grow as they approached the green trees ahead. This was the time to be cautious. There is always someone or something at the tower. The two travelers planned to rest in the trees before they approached.
The human in the tower watched from up high, white specks dotted the swaying grass. The tower rose from nowhere. The two levels stood higher than anything around. The upper level's ceiling had been reinforced to be a roof, and a trap door led to the open air. Travelers, Watchers and Defenders used the building. At times, other traveling humans used it as well, but that was in the past now.
It was said that the wall fell ten generations ago. No one really knew. On the ground level a short distance from the tower, an outline was all that remained of an ancient building. The outline, lower than the surrounding area, filled with a flowing pool of water. From the roof, he could see the reflective square glimmer. Out of the remains of the structure, a trickle ran under the rubble. A small patch of green grass and trees grew a short walk away. Only a few tuffs of weeds came up in the rubble of the tower. The tower and the rubble of the wall were an oasis surrounded by open prairie. All living beings were drawn to the water, animals, humans, or creatures.
A man called Runner by those who stood at the gate lay on the roof. With this view, he could watch the water and anyone coming from the northern tower. He had seen fear in the creatures. He wanted to know what they feared. A man and a girl. A demon they loved and feared. That was what they said? He didn't understand any of it. Had they really let him go? Could any of this be true, real? Creatures don't let people go, not even children.
A chill filled the air. It was still early in the season, but winter was on the way. Laying on the roof, he shivered. Whatever had scared the sisters needed to be taken seriously. He had seen thousands of creatures run directly into gunfire without a hint of fear. They didn't fear death. They had no fear of man or beasts. Bears and bison would flee the old grey creatures. And if this demon scared monsters, what could it really be? What kind of threat could it be? Was it some new thing that everyone should fear? Or could it be something else? I would like to know what scares monsters? Wouldn't it be great to have that thing on your side? Hey, this is my buddy; it scares monsters. A small animal scurried in the stand of nearby trees. His weapon instinctively turned toward the movement. Then the only sound was the wind. Nothing moved except grass on the prairie. He had time, if the creatures were right.
He was next to the closest water south of the burnt city. He was four days from the gate and seven days from the city. He had two days to wait. He could rest now. The creatures were all moving south. He climbed down to the first floor. And this thing they fled from; it wouldn't be here for at least a day.
It had been a while. He scanned the room. Four walls and a roof. He used the large sliding bolt to secure the door. He sat. He ate and drank. He had washed the stank of mud, blood, and ooze off earlier. In the chair, he stretched his legs out and leaned his head back. He had a thought. Wouldn't it be great to sleep in the security of a locked stone cell? He laid on what passed for a bed. He was very glad to be free of the green ooze that the creatures bled along with blood.
The scene switched from the man in the tower to two travelers. The two of them crawled in the green grass by the lonesome trees. Her face held a curious expression as she gazed at the white tower. The little girl asked, "Are you sure someone is there? It seems very still? Oops, were we supposed to be quiet?"
He rested his hand on the back of her head. He tried to calm her fears and said, "Yes, we were. But I don't think it matters now. I don't think it's a creature? They seem to be going around us. They must be scared of you."
Acacia smiled softly at the man, "Does that mean we're going to get some more water?"
"Sure, but we have plenty. You can drink all you want." Samuel replied and gave her the bag.
"It looks like a good place for some bait? Or at least a distraction?" Acacia asked. She wondered what they were going to do.
Samuel understood that she was offering to be the bait. "Naw. No bait. The way I stink; I'll just scare everything away. We'll have to do this together. Side by side. Last time I was here, there was a big white bucket on the bottom floor. Big enough for a whole person to fit in with water." He pointed at the tower.
"A bathtub?" She interrupted. She cautiously paused, then she finished her statement, "You do smell like a creature."
"Yes. I didn't think you knew that word?" He replied.
Acacia proclaimed, "The tub and the word are both from the old world. God's tongue. We bathed in a barrel at home. I have never seen a bathtub."
Samuel spoke. "We'll just have to go look then. Are you ready with the short gun?"
She nodded.
"Your Knives?"
She nodded.
He said, "Hands ready? Put the water bag around you. We will walk up there together. For the world to see." He stood up.
"Side by side?" She stated as much as she asked. Then she tried to make a joke out of the traditional greeting and said to herself, "It is good to know you on this day. What brings us to the wall this day?"
"My little warrior, it is a fellow traveler who does this. He is here at the wall this day." Samuel stated in the rhythm of the greeting. They ambled toward the pool.
Acacia smiled at his cadence. She questioned Samuel. "Samuel, do you know the people here? The travelers? Don't you? Shouldn't we be quiet, now?"
Calmly, he replied, "If they are human, we should talk. I think. Maybe, I do know who is here. If they were wise? Where would they be? And how many are they? How can we tell?"
Acacia responded, "That's easy. Look at all the footprints around the water? Most of them don't have shoes. Probably creatures? But there is a large number of shoe prints between here and the tower. No prints by the tower door? The prints were wiped away there. Might fool a creature for a little while? One human male. Carried a lot of water? Did you see anyone move?"
"No. Where? Did you see him?" Samuel inquired.
"He is not wise." Acacia smiled with a sure smile. Her eyes darted toward the roof.
"You may be correct? Explain?" They approached the tower. He signaled for her to move to the other side of the door.
"All of the prints were made by one pair of shoes. The right shoe print was heavier and more twisted going to the tower. Carrying water, maybe? They were too big for a girl. And, if he was wise? He would be on the high ground. The roof. He could keep watch on the world from there?"
Samuel spoke with pride in the girl. "Very good, but don't get too sure of yourself. That gets dangerous very quickly. Ready?"
She nodded.
Samuel knocked loudly on the door with the butt of his weapon; then he stepped back and to the side. This was done so quickly; Acacia could barely keep track. Acacia had moved to see the edge of the roof. She shook her head. No.
The door creaked open as a voice jumped out of the darkness. "Hold, Samuel. It is good to meet at this tower today."
"Hello, my friend. Still running? I see? It is indeed good to meet today. What brings you to the wall that is no more? Water? Creatures?"
Runner gestured at the girl.
Samuel lifted an open hand to Acacia as he said, "Little Warrior, this is my friend. I call him Runner, not his real name. He is a defender. In the same way that I am a Defender. And he is much wiser than it appears."
A shocked expression came upon Runner's face. Shakily, he said, "A man and a girl traveling south? Seven days from the burnt city. Four days from the gate. They really were speaking about you!? I didn't want to believe it. Tell me, little warrior, what city did you last see? Samuel, is your task done?"
Acacia replied, "I saw no city. Only ashes and death. May they reach their god."
Runner asked about Samuel's wife, "Samuel, is your task completed? I have prayed her soul be free."
Samuel wondered about the man's statements. He pulled the lower lid down on his eye. "It is. Who spoke of us? May no green hide."
Runner pulled the lower lid down on his eye, before he spoke, "That is a difficult and unbelievable story. First, Little Warrior, would you like a bath and some cooked food? We can get Samuel to carry the water."
Acacia lowered her hand. She looked at Samuel.
"He's not any crazier than usual. It's safe." Samuel spoke. He knew her fear of the madness in men that were taken.
"Is he the one we seek?" She asked.
"No. That man is older, wiser, really crazy, and really safe." He answered.
Two hours later, she asked, "Why are we hanging the clothes to dry on the roof? Won't someone see?"
Runner surmised, "A person might?"
Samuel went on, "The creatures seem to be avoiding you two." The three of them walked down the stairs.
Acacia's mouth and eyes opened wide each time they passed a light.
Samuel continued speaking. "The lights are wonderous aren't they. One of the things that remained from the Old World. Runner, I think we need to go through what the creatures said and did again. If they really changed, we'll have to warn the others." No one was sure if there were any others.
Runner stated, "And we have to get your little warrior somewhere safe too." He knew the value of a girl who could become a mother. With the last attack, so few remained.
Samuel sat down in the stone room with the solid door. He answered, "I think, maybe? Those two things go together. A beloved demon that steals humans and protects children? And you think I'm the demon? Runner, start from the beginning, and tell it again?"
Runner spoke, "The creatures had me. I wasn't getting away. Two, maybe three thousand showed up. All at once. They seemed to be drawn to the gate. I couldn't get away. No way, I couldn't have fought my way out. I decided to take as many as I could with me. This wasn't a regular cluster or hoard. Most of them were young. They still looked human." He paused and faced the floor.
The man and the girl nodded in understanding.
Runner continued, "They asked me not to act. Not to do anything. 'Mercy' they said. They might have been offering? Maybe, they were just asking for mercy?"
Acacia interjected, "That's what they said to us."
Runner continued, "Yea, that was when they froze, I guess."
Samuel stated, "That must have been when me and Acacia were fighting our way out of the city. It took half of the day to get free."
Acacia's eyes had a faraway look to them. "They kept talking, begging. We killed them all. If they wanted to live, they should have stayed away."
Samuel reached out to the girl, and he pulled her close. He asked, "This was when they quit being Unity? After they started moving again?"
He nodded and said, "I would have to say so. It's hard to be exact. They were rambling and talking crazy. None of the usual things that they say."
Samuel agreed, "Yeah. They weren't the same with us either. None of the usual overly dramatic sexual speech or antics. They almost seemed human at times. What about a trade, the trade?"
"Existence. Not even life. Just existence." He gestured to Samuel. "They knew about you two. I could exist if I came here and waited for a demon with a human child. They gave me a message to deliver. The creatures seemed scared of this demon. Well, they started calling themselves 'The Sisters of Mercy" and the message was 'Truce. Peace for words. Agree to this and your existence does not end.' I agreed to come. They let me go. Samuel, they were scared. The creatures were scared of something. This demon? The creatures don't get scared?!"
Samuel said, "So, they could be running away from this demon and its human child? Acacia, you really don't seem that scary to me."
She loosened her grip on him, and she sat up.
Samuel continued, "I don't know? I was thinking. Maybe, they were gathering, in the south?"
Runner explained, "They're hunting and fleeing this demon. I think the truce is so they can talk to him, their demon. I really do think you're their demon. You've killed more of them than anyone else alive; except, maybe the old man. You certainly don't have any mercy for them. You don't actually converse with anyone once they are turned. All you need is a few dramatic sightings and a little girl. You are the demon The Sisters of Mercy hunt and flee."
Acacia spoke up, "It could be both. It could be about the demon and about gathering. Nothing says it can't be both." Her voice trembled. She did not want her friend Samuel to be hunted. He could not be the demon. There must be another explanation. A different answer.
Samuel replied. "Little Warrior, I believe you are right. So, now we have to warn the others, and get you to a safe place. Runner, what do you say?"
"We should go see an old man. He's crazy enough to know what to do next. Acacia, I think you'll like him." Runner answered.