Having reunited Thomas with his daughter, the rest of the group accepted us as friendly and could relax.
We started to move towards the camp-site. The group of men, with Thomas carrying Miya. Rolf, Chioma, myself and 8 of my units carrying a dead rabbit, in the center, surrounded by 8 spear-units and the 4 archers in front, with a man from the group to lead the way.
It took 10 minutes to reach the edge of the camp. On the way I had spotted three other portals, located down some side-paths. I had seen huge rats coming from one and blobs of slimes from another. But the one I thought was the most dangerous. Was the path with a portal where a number of tall green orcs had emerged. We had hurried past that road, even though the portal was located at the far end of it.
As we made our way between bushes, plants, small trees and ruined houses, I finally saw the camp.
A large, crumbling government building had been there. I think I remember it to be some kind of embassy building.
It was 100 meters long, and used to have 3 or 4 floors. In front of it had been a large parking space, but that was completely overgrown now. A stone wall, two meters high with barbed wires surrounded the entire space. Only a solid iron gate used to be the only way inside the parking space. But I noticed that there were 3 distinct holes in the wall, where it had crumbled.
Inside the wall, tents of different sizes and shapes was covering the overgrown parking space. And the people had tried to block the holes in the wall, by stacking furniture and apparatus from the building.
It was buzzing with activity as we approached the gate.
Thomas, still carrying his daughter, stepped forward and yelled to someone inside the gate.
"Kenneth! It's us, let us inside."
A beast of a man appeared. Black hair and trimmed beard, more than 2 meters tall and build like a bear. We was wearing a military uniform with a cap on his head. I almost expected to see him carry a rifle. But instead he had some 2 meter long, improvised polearm. Made from the blade of a butchers blade and a large iron pipe.
"Thomas. You found her I see. That was fast! But who are those people?"
He pointed at me and the others.
"They are friendly. They saved my Miya and even protected us against wolves."
"I see. Well I wouldn't be a particularly good guard if I just let strangers in like that. In just a single day everything have turned to hell. And people are turning on each other... But if you trust them as you say, then I will let them in."
Thomas smiled and motioned for us to come forward.
The guard Kenneth, grabbed his polearm and planted it in the ground. "But I have one condition!"
"They have to leave all the weapons outside. We can't have such a group walking around, carrying weapons. If they do that, then I will arrange a meeting with the captain so they can settle with us."
Rolf walked to the gate, "have any of you touched one of the portals?"
Both Thomas and the guard, Kenneth, looked puzzled.
"I mean the blue light things that came down from the sky after the shockwave. The things that those monsters appear from."
They now seemed to understand what he meant by portal. And Kenneth answered.
"No, it is not possible to get close to those things. Those monsters attack and kill anyone who have tried to investigate so far."
Rolf looked at me and Chioma. He winked and dropped his staff.
Chioma and I smiled to each other. Knowing what Rolf was thinking. If no one had touched the portals, then we were the only ones with skills. Meaning that even if we dropped our weapons, we were far from helpless.
I unbuckled my belt for the second time.
"These people are our allies. Protect them from now on. Drop your weapons and shields. Form a line, and be ready to enter!"
"Yes, Commander!"
Twenty unit's had dropped their weapons and formed a single line in front of the gate. 8 of them carrying huge dead rabbits. Thomas and his group, Kenneth, and other people that had gathered inside the gate, all looked dumbfounded at us.
"I know you might have questions Kenneth. But I promise you. What information we have to share with your Captain, will benefit all of you."
The gate opened, and we marched inside.
Families, military personnel, a large group of teenagers and children, all looking dirty and in racked cloths. They were all looking at us as we went trough the camp towards the building.
It had partly collapsed. But the main double doors of heavy wood, was still standing, as was much of the ground floor, and some parts of the first floor.
Inside was a great reception hall, with doors leading to the right and left wing of the building. Kenneth was leading us to the left side.
Rolf had asked me to leave the units outside with Thomas and the child. He thought it best that it was only we three, that met with the Captain for our talks.
"Thank you Kenneth, you can wait outside."
Kenneth left the room and closed the door behind him.
We were standing in a circular room, with a long table in the middle. At the end of the table sat a fat man with a strange mustache, in a very comfortable chair, by the look of it.
He had all kinds of fruit, vegetables and meat on the table in front of him. There were even bags of candy and chocolate bars.
"Sit down please, and tell me your story. What happened to you and how did you get here?"
Rolf took the lead. Walked down the length of the table and sat in a chair close to the Captain. Chioma and I followed, and sat down opposite Rolf.
"My name is Rolf. And this is my nephew Frey, and our friend Chioma. Thank you for letting us inside."
The Captains fat chin bubbled as he smiled.
"Oh don't mention it. With everything that's happening, we should help each other."
He grabbed a few bars of chocolate and threw one to each of us.
"Before we continue, please try these and tell me what you think."
We just looked at each other, but we thought we knew what he wanted. So we just took a bite. And surely, it had no taste. Except that of dry ash.
"I'm sorry Captain. But there is no taste. I can tell you that we haven't been able to taste any food since after the shockwave." Rolf put the rest of the chocolate bar down on the table. We followed his example.
"I see." The captain leaned back into the chair, clearly having lost his interest in us.
"But," Rolf continued, "we have other information that could be very valuable to you."
He didn't seem to be interested, as he simply took a sip of his whisky.
"At least I can still get drunk, regardless of the taste, or rather no taste." He was starring at his glass while he spoke, before turning his attention back to Rolf.
"Okay, what is it then?"
Rolf smiled as usual. "If you promise to let us stay here, and come and go without disturbance as we please, then I will tell you."
The Captain looked skeptical. "And why should I allow that? We already have more people than we can fit. And our food stores are dwindling fast. Everyone have to do their part, you have to understand. People without any skill to help the rest is of no use anymore. A liability."
I thought to myself that he didn't know how true that actually was. Without our skills, we wouldn't have survived past the goblins.
Rolf kept is calm and continued to smile.
"I will share a part of our information with you. After that, you'll have to make the promise if you want to know more."
The captain was thinking for a bit. "Well get on with it then, I don't have all day!"
Rolf took a deep breath and posed himself before he started to talk.
"Those orbs that fell from the sky. They formed into what we now call portals. Inside those portals are the same monsters that appeared outside of them. But it is possible to turn them off. Destroy them, and in the process, stop the monsters to appear near your settlement."
The Captain had been interested the moment Rolf spoke of destroying the portals so his little camp-kingdom could be secured.
"Well? Tell me more. How does it work?"
Rolf just smiled, "the promise, Captain."
He scowled at Rolf before he finally made the promise. So Rolf continued his tale.
"When you touch a portal the first time. Something truly remarkable will happen. Just as the portals and monsters magically have appeared here on earth, disabling our technology, and in all senses, have thrown us back to the stone age. We magically get a skill. And by skill I mean the ability to do this..."
Rolf stood up and shot a fireball directly at the door we had entered.
Swooosh! BAM!
It collided with the door, and Kenneth rushed inside. "What the hell happened here!"
The captain had risen from his chair as well, not believing what he had just seen.
"It's allright Kenneth. Close the door and come here."
Kenneth did as he was bid and walked to his Captain.
"Do it again please, if you will Rolf." The captain sat back down.
"As you will."
Swoooosh! BAM!
The captain made a greedy smile, and Kenneth just looked as perplexed as the captain had looked.
"So you tell me, that if I touch one of those portals. I will be able to do that?"