To Save the World

Chapter 11

David stood, staring at the entrance of the tent while he rubbed his cheek. Scorese's kiss still tingled. From his vantage point, he could see all the guild representatives. It surprised him the technology guild-master wasn't there. While technically she wasn't the representative, David found it hard to believe that she wouldn't want to be there for a battle.

He slowly turned scanning the camp. There were no straight lines. Tents and vehicles seemed haphazardly intermixed. The only thing David knew for certain was that he was in the approximate center of the encampment.

David's thoughts tumbled, if there was a human leader, and they traveled with the caravan, then they must have some form of communications. But that should be easily detectible. So, wouldn't someone have detected it? There were two people David knew he could trust right that moment. He took off at a jog toward the mage camp.

"Nayti Darius," David whispered bringing his left hand up to his right shoulder, then sweeping it down his outstretched right arm.

A translucent bubble formed in the air. It shimmered in the sun, lurching in one direction, and then another before finally moving deeper into the encampment.

It was eerily quiet, in fact the only noise came from the mutants attacking outside the earthen wall. In a moment of panic, David scanned the walls, relieved to see them filled with people watching the spectacle on the other side.

"Coffee?" A deep voice rumbled behind him.

David jumped in the air and screamed. He spun around glaring at a slight man with curly red hair and green eyes. The man had fair skin that was burnt and peeling from being in the sun. "Darius!" David cried out, giving him a bear hug. "I am so glad to see you!" He grabbed Darius' hand, dragging him along as he followed the tracking spell toward its next destination. Along the way, David told Darius his suspicions.

David fell silent as they neared the technologist encampment.

Darius rested a hand on David's shoulder. "It must be hard."

"In Haven, going to the technologist sector was a sanctuary."

The technologist encampment was precise. David couldn't think of another way to put it. The paths into their area twisted and turned, but once in the technologist encampment, the paths ran in straight lines. They lay each campsite out in one of two geometric patterns, diamonds, or squares surrounding a fire pit. The diamond design each of the tents opened in toward the fire. Those must be social groups, at least compared to the squares.

David chuckled at his internal dialog, ignoring the sidelong glance from Darius.

"Where are we going?" Darius asked. The sound of mutants throwing themselves against the wall was getting louder, more difficult to ignore.

"I wanted to find Greggory. But I'm not sure I want to get any closer to the walls."

"Do we really need him?"

"We're mages. To hear the techs talk, they can take us out using blue tooth. But there are things that they can do that we can't." David sighed theatrically, putting the back of his hand on his forehead and throwing his head back. "Of course, we need him."

A pop alerted David that his tracking spell ended early. He spun around to see Vailen and Lars leering at them.

"Come to see the real warriors and mages, little catamite boy?" Vailen spat at them.

The phlegm landed at David's foot. Thick, vines sprang up, wrapping themselves around his leg trapping him in place.

Darius made a sweeping motion with his hand. "Uvyadat!" he said.