Camp Warfare 2
Xi Ying felt her heart drop to her shoes as her gaze was fixated on the old man's head, she had not known him well enough to feel heartbroken, but she still felt heartache at his loss. He was one of the few people who was trying his best to get people together to survive this new world. He was especially caring towards children, and was commonly viewed as a stand in grandfather figure for most of the children in camp.
However, Xi Ying would not let this get to her, she looked at his neck and noticed the clean cut, this was not caused by any beast. No, Officer Xi had seen a mauling, this most assuredly was caused by a human. As if to prove her point she saw the group of men and women working on the wall start to run towards them. Or rather, they were trying to get away from something else.
One of the women couldn't make it, and still slightly out of view Xi Ying could see the man behind the blade that cut her down.
Officer Xi's mind started firing nonstop as she grabbed Milo and started to run towards the camp center. However, before she could, she was already hearing the screaming and mass panic from the center of the camp. It was not the traditional hysteric panic she would have expected. However, then she remembered the group of men that wished to join their camp the previous night.
Her gut told her not to trust them, and that they should turn them away altogether, however, many of the camp members voiced their objections, saying they should accept all. The leaders vastly outvoiced by the masses had to allow the group of men into the camp. They figured that a few more people working for the betterment of the camp couldn't hurt them.
However, now that Xi Ying recognized one of those same man with a blade in his hand, running said blade through another she understood. This wasn't just some small group of scum; this was a coordinated attack.
Xi Ying stopped, unsure what to do, they were being attacked from outside and within, their attackers were blocking their path to the nearest source of safety. She was gritting her teeth as her grip tightened on Milo.
"Quickly move!" Xi Ying hissed as she dragged Milo in a completely different direction. If one wasn't privy to all the information they had gathered, they would think that they were just heading further into the wilderness.
However, Xi Ying knew that there was only one other place they might be safe besides Haymire, and that was the third camp. Xi Ying stopped when they reached the tree line to watch who was attacking them, as they went unnoticed in the chaos.
Milo was still in shock, and Officer Xi was only numb from the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She watched as more than one hundred men rushed into the camp, all with weapons. Some had blades, others had crude weapons made of sticks and stones. Watching the fighting Xi Ying could already tell that the death toll had already pasts dozens.
She wanted to turn away, but she sat somewhat transfixed at this sight of cruelty. 'Why? Why were they attacking them? Did they do something to warrant this?' She asked herself internally, the situation had brought her originally optimistic view back to reality.
She finally awakened from the dream this new world brought her, and her eyes were once more opened to the side of man she hated with all her being. She wanted to help, but her realism had set in with a force as her own survival instinct told her what had to be done.
Turning away from the slaughter, and likewise turning a deaf ear to the endless screaming Xi Ying examined the area, checking to see if anyone else had made it out of the battle unnoticed. There were only two options for them now. Either they make it to the slums outside of Haymire and stay there, or they find their way to the third camp and try and settle there.
She had heard bad things about the slums, crime ran rampant, and it was run like the criminal underworld, where strength ruled. More than one of their camp members had reported they were attacked, and if they didn't want it to happen again they would have to pay a protection fee.
So, with some misgivings, and a heavy heart she started to drag Milo away from their camp. She had countless thoughts running through her head as the screams grew further away, making them faint. However, Milo was still in shock, and honestly Xi Ying was alright with that. If he started panicking while they were still not in the clear they would most certainly be in trouble.
Everything seemed to be fine for a while at least, and she was certain they were going in the right direction, however that all went to shit when she heard a call from behind her.
"There! That's the officer the boss wants! Get her!"
Xi Ying didn't even look back, from what she knew she was the only officer she knew of in this blasted place, and she wouldn't disillusion herself from thinking that she could outrun them with Milo in toe. Her mind thinking fast she started to run with all her might, forcing Milo to pick up the pace as well.
Xi Ying grimaced, Milo's breathing was uneven and he was breathing too fast, at this rate he would get exhausted in no time at all, and they would be caught. She would rather be caught herself then let him suffer, she already knew from what she overheard that she was wanted at least alive. That in turn meant she had a chance. Milo on the other hand…. Images past by her eyes of what happened in the camp.
She had very few choices, finally breaking away from their pursuers, Xi Ying hid both of them. She had found a small natural ditch in the woods they were running in, Without hesitation Xi Ying had thrown Milo in, and started to cover him with leaves. Not enough to disturb their surroundings. It was however, just enough to break up their outline, and help them camouflage into the leaf rattled forest floor.
Not wanting to waste a moment, she followed into the ditch and covered herself, The sound of their pursuers was everywhere. Thankfully Milo didn't dare to move, and sometimes it even sounded like he refused to breathe. Xi Ying was a little concerned that he had fainted from the shock, however she was thankful that he at least wasn't puking up his breakfast.
Hours later, Officer Xi joined Milo in holding her breath as soon as she heard leaves crunching nearby. Were they found? However, the next words the pursuer spoke, relieved her.
The pursuer obviously a man by his gravelly voice spoke. "Shit, shit , shit, who's goanna tell the young master that we lost her?! Are you sure you've searched the area?!" He nearly growled.
Another voice, a man, by the sound of it replied to the first speaker. "Yeah, we lost her around here, she picked up the pace once she heard we were after her. Do you think she managed to become a cultivator? I heard they're faster than normal people?"
"Fuck!" A thump was heard, before more cursing was heard, it sounded like the man was taking his frustrations out on a nearby tree.
"Say this is the direction of that other camp right?" The second asked skeptically.
The first paused, before his demeanor took an abrupt shift. "Dammit, that third camp, the young master didn't take me seriously when I told him about how one person massacred fifty of our underlings. Although they were fodder we needed an in that camp more than this one."
The second pursuer grunted, " I'd rather not fight them, I heard they're members basically run the slums outside the town. Guards won't do nothing about 'em either."
"So…. Who's going to tell the young master?" The first finally asked after a long moment. Only for silence to fall once again, this one far more tense then the last.
This tense atmosphere lasted for a while, until one of them finally broke it. Officer Xi wasn't sure which one mentioned it, as their voice was quiet, as if they were afraid of anyone overhearing them. "Why don't we just blame this on that camp, say they stopped us."
The other didn't answer, but it seemed an agreement was made as officer Xi could hear them slowly moving away. However, slightly overhearing their conversation had given her much to think about. Perhaps going to this third camp wasn't the best move after all.
From what she overheard they were even feared by the group that attacked them; would such people accept refugees? That was not even the most thought-provoking fact she had learned. This group had killed people, even if they knew they were infiltrators, couldn't they have just refused them entry? Not to even mention the matter of their members racketeering in the slums.
Xi Ying felt depressed, she didn't know where to turn, in the end she decided, that she would at least look after Milo. For now, they would head to the slums and try and take shelter in the city. Hopefully they could pool up enough money to stay a night in an inn within the town.
***
Ty Langshan was not happy, although he had managed to capture the camp easily and slaughtered anyone who even looked like they would resist. Yet despite his best efforts, one of the camp's leaders had escaped. Worse yet it was the one he hated the most. Knowing that bitch she would spread word of this and it would become harder to bring all of the people from Earth under his control. In turn that would limit his future influence on the town.
He snarled, if he couldn't even capture a town, how was he supposed to become the ruler of this new world? Irritated, he decided, once they settled matters here they would launch a massive search for that blasted woman the next day. That other camp could wait, their numbers had grown once again. He could throw more bodies at them and easily overwhelm what little defenses they had. For now, he had to consolidate his gains.