More nagas appear in the shadows just as I spin to re-face the first two. Driving forward to meet them head-on, I knock them both to the ground while two others jump on my back, sinking their teeth into me and tearing my flesh. I whip one off with my tail and slam my fist into the other even as the first two begin rising from the ground, dazed but uncowed.
Overwhelmed, I roar and lash out with my dulled claws. Several orbs fly past my head as another naga launches at me. There are too many to keep track of now. I turn on him before he reaches me and slam him into the nearest tree, rounding my hands around his neck and wringing it until I hear a snap. But another leaps on my back before I can reposition, and yet another pounces on my tail, immobilizing it.
I let the one in my grip fall as I twist for the naga on my tail, refusing to go without a fight.
More attack me from the sides. More and more. Far too many for any single naga to fight off alone. Despite my best, I am swiftly taken to the forest floor, their claws and fangs ripping deep into me, flooding me with venom.
“Die,”one of them hisses.
I push up on my arms, trying to roll over. As my world grows hazy and more nagas fall on top of me, a strange sort of calmness takes over.
This is it.
Julia’s face flashes in my mind: her warm brown eyes, and a rare but disarming smile beaming at me. I reach for it, for her…
But the darkness and the pain pulls me under.
THIRTY-SIX
SAFETY FIRST
Julia
I changethe damp clothes on the brow of the older man lying on the bed before me, making sure the material stays in place as he tries to drift off to sleep. He groans but the cool cloth remains where I put it. Moaning fills my ears as I step away from his bed and duck outside his curtains, into the main part of the refugee infirmary. A fever has taken over the camp and both are full of people just like him.
Feeling hot myself, I see my replacement walk into the tent, not appearing any better. I smile at them remorsefully and escape outside without a word, taking a deep breath the moment I’m no longer in the stifling tent. We’ve lost three elderly refugees today, all due to fevers we couldn’t suppress. Without enough readily available water and food, everyone is weakening quickly. More and more fights have broken out, and not just among the refugees. No one likes how little resources they’re getting.
The long line waiting around the water containers is telling, considering the number of people currently admitted to medicalcare. I wouldn’t want to be one of the few soldiers guarding the water rations. I move to the side of the infirmary tent’s opening to get out of the way of several people heading within and shift my eyes to the encampment’s entrance far to my right. There, I spot Graft and a few soldiers speaking. Graft’s arms fly outward as he talks to his men animatedly. One of the soldiers points at him and says something back before storming away.
Morale is dropping. I’ve only been here a week and it’s only gotten worse in that time span. The frown that’s already on my face deepens.
I debate making my way closer to see if I can get any news about what’s going on, but decide I’ll probably have better luck the opposite direction.
Watching to make sure no one notices, I head to the barracks, where the soldiers sleep, and sneak past them. When I get to the ruins on the other side, I hunker down and creep toward the hole I found before, then into the stacks of crates and machines hiding it from public view. For a time, I watch, seeing if anyone comes along or is patrolling the area. So far, so good. Everyone is distracted. With sickness running through the camp, it’s spread through the soldiers as badly as it has through the refugees.
Sneaking closer, I spot two soldiers outside the large tent in front of the hole, quietly monitoring the area. From their vantage point, they’ll see me if I try to head down the walkway inside.
I find a place between two crates to wait.
Time crawls by; I’m about to give up when commotion from the front of the encampment draws the attention of the guards. They speak to each other in clipped tones, then one of them jogs away to see what’s happening. While the other one is distracted, I take my chance and move closer to the hole, hoping I can get near enough to see inside.
I’m about to scurry down the stairway when the soldier abruptly turns and walks away from the tent, towards me. I press my back into the nearest crate as he saunters past, stilling my breath. As he heads deeper into the tunnel, I lean to the side to look into it myself, seeing a huge underground path that almost looks like a road past the packed dirt and rocks. There are spotlights within that light up the jagged cement walls lining the dug-out part of the hole. It’s big enough for multiple people to walk through at the same time.
Turning away as the soldier disappears within, I realize the tent outside is completely unguarded now. Forgetting the tunnel, I waste no time dashing to the entrance and peeking inside. The large space is filled with computers, machines, and more crates, butI don’t find more soldiers.
There’s some strange weaponry lying about. I press into the tent and briefly swipe my hands over a gleaming sword that looks nothing like any sword I’ve seen before.
Lurker weaponry…They’ve found some.
Hearing the barricade commotion grow louder, and a voice starts ringing over everyone else’s that sounds like Graft’s, I back my way out of the tent, leaving the area behind before the soldiers come back. I’ve risked enough.
Making my way towards the booming voice, I confirm it’s Graft before I see him. He’s standing in a small crowd of people.
“I’ve got an announcement!” he shouts through an amplifier right outside the soldier’s infirmary. Soldiers and refugees have begun to gather around him. Spotting Benjamin to my left, I walk to his side and stand by him.
“What’s happening?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I think a new group of refugees have arrived. Maybe? I don’t know.”
