Growth

Closer and closer they got to the city. Clare saw that some of the buildings in the downtown area had fallen and leaned against others. Greenery had crawled all the way to their top and every window was shattered.

Makeshift houses made from the ruins of a once-great civilization appeared on the sides of the road where disheveled travelers and locals rested. Memphis contained the same scruffy crowd as Refuge 49, though it was much busier. Access to the downtown area with the larger buildings was cut off by a militia barricade and standard Refuge wall. Raggedy trade caravans were parked in whatever parking lots were spared nature’s destruction. They consisted of salvaged and repaired trucks, and transported everything from medical supplies to weapons to gasoline. Some vehicles were mounted with rare guns and served as formidable escorts.

The group found an inn in the city. Sunlight was on the decline and Clare needed to set her bags down. When their belongings were locked in their room, they sought dinner. The nearest “restaurant” was acceptable. It was really just a dark tavern, if anything. People smoked and people drank. On the bright side, it was Clare’s first time eating beef. The other two watched her reaction to the food with grins as they sipped their cheap beers. Both were on beer number five.

“It’s so good!” Clare exclaimed when the steak touched her tongue. She immediately started shoveling the rest down as fast as she could with no concern for all the juices spilling onto her clothes. She even abandoned her silverware to finish it with her hands.

“Glad you like it,” Raven said. “Looks like I picked a good place.”

Calvin’s eyes moved between sketchy looking characters throughout the room. “Maybe.”

“Relax, would you?”

Clare finished her steak. “Amazing. I think my tongue came. Twice.”

“Enjoy it while you can. There won’t be any beef when we’re floating down the river.”

“So, we’re going on the water?”

“Yep. We are going to take a boat down the river all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.”

“Wow.”

“And don’t think we’ll take it easy on you just because we’re on a boat. You’re due for some special training,” Calvin warned.

“Are you going to eat all that?” Clare asked Calvin, ignoring the ill tidings.

Calvin took one last bite of his food before sliding what remained over to Clare.

“You have your own energy to worry about, you know,” Raven said.

“I’ve been snacking on the road.”

“I thought I saw you chewing. What were you hiding from us?”

Calvin reached into his pocket and set strange looking mushrooms on the table. A sizeable bug crawled out from underneath one. Clare wordlessly took her plate in her hand and turned her chair around to eat. Calvin chuckled.

Clare’s new view of the room included the front door, through which several large men entered. They cast their eyes over the patrons before one pointed to the corner of the restaurant. Clare followed the finger to a man sitting alone: another Protector. The young, long-haired, blond man was quietly chewing his food, oblivious to the group of men approaching. Clare turned back around and saw Calvin and Raven fighting over the mushrooms.

“Guys! There’s a Protector over there. I think he’s in trouble.”

Raven and Calvin interlocked hands in the struggle. “He’ll be fine,” Raven said. They fell out of their chairs and knocked their drinks over. Once-nervous onlookers either laughed or tried to ignore the childishness of the inebriated Protectors.

Finished with Calvin’s remains, Clare stole the rest of Raven’s steak and turned back to the Protector. He was now surrounded. A hand clasped his shoulder and he turned around. His expression first showed surprise, then a forced smile. Clare had seen this before. This man owed money. The young man submissively complied with the commands of the men and was escorted outside.

Raven and Calvin returned to their chairs. Calvin set his head on the table. “Sorry, Clare. We don’t normally drink this much,” he said. The scowling server came to their table with three more beers. Calvin downed his in seconds. Raven laughed and did the same.

Clare frowned. “You two are unbelievable.”

“Are you still angry about that guy? He’s a Protector! He’ll be fine. Protectors aren’t killed. They die on their own terms. Right, Calvin?”

He shrugged.

“See? No worries.”

“I’m checking on him.” Clare stood and made for the door.

“Have fun!”

Clare stepped outside. The large men were gone, but the Protector was left behind with a busted lip in the gutter. “Are you okay?” Clare asked him.

“I’m fine,” the Protector answered. His weak voice indicated otherwise.

“Let me help you up.”

“No, no. Let me catch my breath.” He took a moment to look Clare up and down. “I noticed you sitting beside my colleagues. May I ask why?”

“We are traveling to the Great Tree. I’m so sorry they didn’t help you. They said you could take care of yourself.”

“They were right to ignore me. I owed money, didn’t have enough, and took responsibility for my actions. I could have escaped or beaten up those thugs if I wanted to, though. I’ll take that help you offered now.” Clare sucked remaining steak juices from her fingers and helped Felix off the ground. “Your group is headed to the Great Tree, isn’t it? Mind if I join?”

“I don’t mind personally, but you’ll have to ask Raven and Calvin.” The two went back inside and to their table. Raven and Calvin had continued their play fighting. “Hey!” Clare shouted. They stopped and turned. “Can he come to the Great Tree with us?”

Calvin nodded. “Yeah. It would be nice to talk to another man for a bit.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you tired of me already?” Raven asked.

“Maybe I am!”

Raven tackled Calvin to the ground.

Clare sighed. “My name’s Clare.”

“I’m Felix.” He sat in a chair, letting out a groan as he did so.

Dinner ended and the group returned to the inn where they promptly passed out. Calvin and Raven suffered hangovers the next morning, so Clare showed no mercy. Whatever she did, she did as loudly as possible. Felix was quite amused. Then they split up for a while. Felix took Clare to the river to secure transportation. Calvin and Raven handled resupplying and took everyone’s packs with them.

“Do all Protectors know each other? I mean, those two recognized you instantly.” Clare asked Felix as they neared the docks. There were a few barges and ferries but mostly smaller ships hauling crates. Large cranes assisted in loading and unloading while crewmen yelled at each other about placement and money.

“Not necessarily. We all meet eventually, or at least hear about each other’s adventures. But as for my relationship with those two, we simply met at the Great Tree a while ago.”

“Do you know your way around these docks?”

“So many questions. Yeah, I’ve been in Memphis quite a while. The Master told me to keep an eye on the downtown area and to investigate a few suspicious characters that were making a name for themselves. But after some snooping around, I’m certain there isn’t enough going on to pose a real threat to the humans or wildlife around here, at least regarding the ones I’ve been inspecting. Who knows what other dealings are happening in the shadows?”

Felix stopped dead in his tracks and faced toward downtown.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’ve got trouble,” he muttered.

Clare was not sure what he was looking at and Felix threw a finger to her lips before she could ask. His expression was that of worry and it gave Clare a twinge of fear. Two black figures appeared in the distance and rapidly approached. It was Calvin and Raven with everyone’s bags as prepared as they would ever be. Calvin waved his arm, ushering Felix away. Felix grabbed Clare and made for the nearest vessel, a simple ferryboat.

“I’ll tell you everything in a minute, Clare. Just trust us for now.” They ran up a ramp and onto the ship. The captain and two sailors ran up to them.

Felix argued with them to stall for Calvin’s arrival, who took over the conversation by flashing a wad of money. The captain flipped through the bills, widened his eyes, and then shouted orders at his crew to get the ferry moving. Calvin then instructed the Protectors to help the crewmen get the ship underway.

Heavy feet sounded behind Clare. A new Protector boarded the vessel. He was an old man and brought with him a young woman. She had a nasty scowl and shaggy short hair with bangs just over her brown eyes.

“You’re with Protectors too?” the angry-looking girl asked. Her voice was deep and bored.

“Yeah. Those three.”

“The old geezer here is my grandfather, and I’m Alice.”

“I’m Clare. So, what’s with them?”

“They’re like birds that fly away when a storm is coming. Some shit’s about to go down.”

A hand smacked the back of Alice’s head. “Language,” the old Protector said. “Forgive my granddaughter. She’s got a lot to learn about manners.” He looked at Clare’s scrambling Protectors. “And so do they.”

Alice sneered and walked away.

“It’s no problem,” Clare replied.

“I am Alfred, as my granddaughter said.”

“Clare. I’m here with those three.”

“I see. I’m sure we’ll have a chance to talk later, Clare. Until then…” Alfred snagged Raven. “Don’t you have an uninformed companion to comfort?”

Raven jumped at Alfred’s touch, then snapped out of her panic. “Ah. Sorry, I’ll get right to it,” she replied. Alfred smiled at Clare and began the search for his granddaughter. “I’m sorry, Clare. My mind’s running a little fast,” Raven explained. She took a deep breath. “You see, we Protectors have heightened senses and instincts. Remember back in the forest when we met those two people, and then Calvin and I knew that the wolves were coming?”

“Yeah.”

“Well right now those instincts are telling us to get the hell away from Memphis.” She looked toward the city. “We feel… fury.”

An explosion sounded and smoke made a pillar in the sky. Pops of gunfire came next, followed by screams. The ferry’s engines fired up and the ship began its journey. Meanwhile, citizens on the docks did just as they had done and begged to be let onboard the nearest vessels. They may not have known what the danger was, but none cared to find out. Calvin and Felix joined the women when their work was complete.

“Good morning, my Protector friends,” a voice said. The ship captain approached the group. He was a large, attractive, hairy man with tanned leathery skin. Calvin’s stack of money hung out his vest pocket. “So, you’d like to reach New Orleans, would you?”

“That’s right,” Calvin confirmed.

“That’s no problem.” Captain Rogers patted Calvin’s money. “Make yourselves comfortable and help yourself to the food under the deck. This ferry isn’t that fast, so it’ll take a few days.”

“Thank you, Captain. You saved us plenty of walking.”

“Yes. Thank you very, very much,” Clare added.

Captain Rogers winked and returned to his business as the others faced the city. More smoke and dust rose from collapsing buildings. Alfred and Alice joined the four.

“Dryads?” Raven guessed.

“Perhaps,” Felix said. “If so, I don’t think they are alone. As strong as dryads are, destroying this many structures in such a short amount of time is beyond them. What do you think?”

“Look there!” Clare shouted.

“Holy shit. Bison!” Alice marveled. Alfred popped her again.

A herd of giant American bison charged through the town, slamming into and demolishing all but the sturdiest structures. Everyone could only look on in silence as Memphis suffered at the hooves of the living bulldozers. Roars and resounding explosions followed the group for a while but eventually faded away as the ferry put distance between themselves and danger.

It took some time but everyone calmed down and boredom set in. Clare found Felix sitting alone at the bow and approached. He was staring straight ahead with a light breeze moving through his hair.

“What are you doing?” Clare asked. She took a seat beside him.

Felix kept facing forward. “Dwelling on the past. It’s a horrible habit, but I can’t seem to help myself.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Clare. “Tell me, Clare. What do you know about your friend Calvin?”

“He has a beard.”

“He’s a Champion, you know.” Felix looked back into the distance. “What I wouldn’t give to become one myself.”

“I’m sure you’ll do something memorable one day.”

“One day.”

“What does it mean to be a Champion?”

“Let me start from the bottom, which is where recruits and Initiates are. Recruits pass the test and become Initiates. Braves are accomplished Initiates and rest in the middle. Champions are at the top. Most Protectors go their whole lives before reaching that rank. We offer it as a formality for a lifetime of hard work if a retiring Protector hasn’t gotten there yet. And you may be surprised to learn that Calvin became a Champion by saving the city of St. Louis. The city was under attack by dryads. Calvin, being the brave soul that he is, rallied the entire city to its defense. After a long, brutal night, his militia pushed the dryads back into the forest and he managed to negotiate a truce between them and the city.”

“What are dryads?”

Felix was genuinely taken aback. “You haven’t heard of them? Have you been living under a rock?”

Clare shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Oh. Well, they’re essentially walking, talking trees, if you can believe it. No clue where they came from. But just like trees, they are big and strong. You don’t want to get on one’s bad side.” He cleared his throat. “Now back to Calvin.”

“Sure.”

“‘Champion Calvin the Savior of Saint Louis’. That’s his title and name. I think he’s only thirty years old. I’m honored to travel beside him.”

“Why did you join the Protectors?”

“I want to show the world what it means to be a man. Real men don’t steal, pillage, rape, plunder, lie, or betray. Real men stand tall. They raise the sword not to murder, but to protect, and they use their strength to lift the weak. Real men strive to make the world a better place.” Felix stared into Clare’s eyes. “My father… He was the worst humanity. What’s worse is he wanted me to be like him, the scum of the Earth. But I would not, or rather, could not. It’s just not in my nature to be that kind of monster. I was there when Calvin saved my city, St. Louis. I resolved to be like him.”

“Where is your father now?”

“Dead. Someone challenged him to a fight, mono a mono, and killed him.” Felix’s hands curled into fists.

Calvin approached and took the two by surprise. “Everything alright?”

“We were just gossiping about you, Savior.”

“Hm.”

“Why’d you stay behind and save that city?” Clare asked.

“I had visited once before and it left an impression. They are preparing a meal below deck. You coming?”

The others were already down in a dining area. It was unexpectedly comfortable inside. The ferry was well taken care of; there were no foul scents and no litter anywhere. Male and female sleeping quarters were separated, as were their bathroom facilities. Food was served school cafeteria style.

The passengers grabbed their plates, had food slapped onto them, and found a table on which to feast. Alfred and Alice joined the group for dinner. Everything was eaten before Clare asked, “So where exactly are we in the grand scheme of things?”

“You have a map, don’t you, Calvin?” Raven said.

Calvin found his pack and rummaged through it until he found a crumpled-up mess of a map. He stretched it out on their table and then held it flat. It still looked bad.

“We are here,” Raven pointed out just as Calvin was about to speak, “and we are heading way down there.” She ran a finger from Memphis down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, across the Gulf of Mexico, around northern South America, along the Amazon River and then stopped at the Amazonian Rainforest. “To put it in perspective, here’s how far away Refuge 49 is from Memphis.”

Clare and Alice’s eyes showed equal amazement.

“That’s a long trip,” Clare muttered.

“Couple weeks, maybe. Boats aren’t that slow.”

“Will I be ready by then?”

Raven’s eyes stayed on the map. “Mom used to say that no one is ever really ready for anything. We’ll get you as ready as you can be, Clare.”

“Same goes for you, Alice,” Alfred said to his granddaughter.

“Is he training you?” Clare asked Alice.

“I guess so.”

“How long have you been at it?”

“Few months.”

“That long and you’re only here?”

“We took detours,” Alfred explained.

“I’ll tell you about it,” Alice said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Clare followed enthusiastically. They went to the deck and Alice explained the workout she got during the beginnings of her journey. However, she did not have many tips for Clare. Calvin and Raven surely had different training methods than Alfred. Conversation switched to lighter topics and more and more common ground was revealed the longer they conversed. It was hard to sleep that night after such long and engaging exchanges before, during, and after dinner, but Clare managed to get there with a smile on her face.

It was nice to sleep in. Everyone did so. Breakfast was ready for them when they entered the mess hall. This was becoming a luxury cruise.

Or so Clare thought.