CHAPTER 7: THE SINS OF ZION. BY DESERT RANGER CARACAL.
LOCATION: The Narrows.
DATE: DECEMBER 5TH 2281.
TIME: 6:13 AM
TEMPERATURE: 72°F OR 22°C.
The sun had risen in Zion not a few minutes after the two of them had woken up, and when they'd left the cave, the tribe was beginning to stir. The exception being a few members of the tribe who had already woken to do early morning gathering. Joseph and Six spent a few minutes to gather fresh water from the clean waterfall that was closest to the cave, filling their canteens to the brim and satiating their thirsts before making their way down the canyon, to meet with Waking Cloud and get to the tasks at hand.
Today had to be dealt with quick, they wanted to get back to the boiling pot of the Mojave as soon as they could. Plus, the Sorrows needed their help above all else. To avoid the water, they used the bridges near the cave to descend into the Narrows, and as they began to approach the river, they saw Waking Cloud get onto the rock bridge before approaching. Stopping on the rocks and letting her approach them, the Sorrows midwife soon spoke to them.
"Daniel said that I would be traveling with you until you have finished your scouting. Does this please you?"
She asked, as Joseph and Six nodded.
"Certainly, let's get going."
"Before we leave, our shaman, White Bird, asked me to tell you that he wants to talk."
Six quickly replied to Waking Cloud as she gave a gentle smile.
"If there's enough time after our scouting, I'll consider it."
"As you wish. I will point out where he is on your map, should you wish to see him after we have finished scouting."
She said, marking the specific spot on Six's Pip-Boy before they began to leave. They walked through the dry spot before dipping back into the water. Passing through the torches that lead the way out of the Narrows, they saw Joshua Graham standing in the way. While the bandages concealed his expression, it was clear he didn't come to them just to say hello. As they walked into the narrowest part of the rock, Joshua approached, and began to quote bluntly.
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Remember, O Lord, the children of edom in the day of Jerusalem who said, "Raze it, raze it to the foundation." O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed. Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. Do you know what that means?"
Before Six could answer, Joseph suddenly interrupted sharply.
"Al naharot bavel sham yashavnu gam-bachinu bezochrenu et-tziyyon. Al-aravim betochah talinu kinnoroteinu. Ki sham she'elunu shoveinu divrei-shir vetolaleinu simchah shiru. lanu mishir tziyyon. Eich nashir et-shir-elohim al admat nechar. Im-eshkachech yerushala͏im tishkach yemini. Tidbak-leshoni lechikki im-lo ezkerechi im-lo a'aleh et-yerushala͏im al rosh simchati. Zechor elohim livnei edom et yom yerushala͏im ha'omerim aru aru ad hayyesod bah. Bat-bavel hashedudah ashrei sheyshallem-lach et-gemulech. Sheggamalt lanu. Ashrei sheyyochez venippetz et-olalayich el-hassala."
He chanted, taking a deep breath so the three others could take it in before he resumed speaking.
"I do not appreciate out of context snippets of my people's history. Especially when what you tried to do to my home as legate still resonates in fear with those who still live there. A passage written by those who wanted revenge for the sacking of Jerusalem doesn't connect so well for the Dead Horses, Sorrows, and us outsiders."
He said, as Six quickly spoke after.
"You want to wipe out every one of the White Legs, I assume."
"With only those two choices on the table, yes. In the best of all worlds, they would just leave us to be in peace. But they won't. I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other. Practiced hands make for quick work, and the good lord knows that there is much to do here."
He said, as Six asked another question.
"Well why are you talking to us about this?"
"Daniel and I don't agree on everything, but above all, we want what's best for the Dead Horses and Sorrows. You've experienced what the White Legs can do, and I am sure you two know what must be done. If Daniel hears it from someone besides me, well... Zion may be saved after all."
He said, as Joseph and Six looked at each other before Six answered.
"We'll think it over while doing Daniel's tasks." "Of course. Look into your hearts, and think all you can. The light of the mind alone cannot dispel the whole world's darkness."
Joshua said, before walking past the trio, as the trio made their way out.
"Fuck, he's right. They're not a group that we can just let live. I hate to say it, but if we want to do what's best, we have to take them out of the picture."
Joseph said quietly after he assumed Joshua was out of earshot. Before too long they were walking out of the Narrows, as Waking Cloud soon spoke.
"I always feel a little sad to leave the Narrows, and just as happy to return."
She said, as Six pulled up the her Pip Boy, and began leading the way as according to the maps. It took an hour and twenty minutes for the trio to reach the Morning Glory cave, and soon after, they went inside. The ranger, courier and tribal entered slowly, beginning to go down the tunnel that lead to the cave's chamber. Before they could go all the way through, Waking Cloud got right into Six's face all of a sudden.
"We should not be here! This place belongs to the father in the caves, and we should not profane it with our touch!"
She said, panicked as Six backed away slowly. The Courier spoke soon after she had gotten some space.
"I know that, but we need to be in here. We'll leave when we have what we need."
"I understand, but I want us to leave here as soon as possible."
Waking Cloud said, as Six resumed leading the way through the passage with a quicker step. She also rummaged through her pack briefly to see if she could find some Cateye, finding none before they entered the main chamber of the cave. The cave seemed fairly normal at first, but as they looked up, Joseph drew his revolver as a pair of green plants let out a hiss, and began spitting toxic spikes at them.
Specifically, these were spore plants that seemingly only existed in scattered parts of the Mojave and California, for some reason they were also in this cave. Joseph and Six, acted fast and started blasting, handing one plant each. They were surprisingly durable, but before too long, the plants were all good and dead. Lead tended to prune as well as a good set of hedge clippers with these plants. Circling around the rock spire, a third and final spore plant began spitting, and a few shots later it was dead.
The three of them climbed up onto the spire while reloading, all while the ranger remained vigilant for any traps hidden underneath the dead foliage, deactivating whichever ones he could with sticks. After climbing on the top of the spire, they could see what they'd been rewarded with. A table, with an ammo can, a crate, and behind several traps, a duffel bag. After Joseph and Six deactivated the bear traps, they got investigating. They split their work, with Joseph looking through the can and crate, as Six checked the bag.
A little .45 ACP and some other minor supplies were the ranger's treat, as Six pulled out a key and a bottle of vodka out. Turning to the south of the cave, Six walked to the edge of the spire and saw a door. It had a pair of what looked to be bighorner skulls on the side, as if to make it clear that this was someone's home.
"I think that's our ticket."
She said, crawling down as Joseph and Waking Cloud followed. Joseph walked ahead, getting down in the rock to cut a tripwire in the branches, as Six got right to the door. Joseph looted the shotguns for their shells, and Six opened the door to reveal what it was trying to hide.
It was much like the Stone Bones cave, but significantly smaller. It even had some Bear Traps under some dead branches, which Six took care of quickly. Climbing up onto the wood structure, the ranger saw a remarkably similar scene compared to what he and Six saw at the Stone Bones cave. It was probably the same guy as before, but he'd settled in here for a time. Joseph sat at the terminal to check its contents, as Six opened up the duffel bag and looked through it for what they'd come for.
She pulled a frag grenade out, a bottle of nice purified water, some bobby pins, and best of all, the map of Grand Staircase. All of it went into the pack as she turned to Joseph and spoke.
"We've got the map, let's tackle the war camp."
"Six, remember the terminal we scoured through last time? Take a look at this, I think it's written by the same man. Hell, it's got something you may find interesting, regarding the locals."
He said, finishing reading the last of the logs as the ranger let the courier take a read, and download the logs to her Pip-Boy. As they left the cave, Joseph mulled over the contents of the logs, with Six's focus being on the task ahead, as Waking Cloud was just happy to get out of the cave she never wanted to enter, and definitely didn't want to spend a half hour in.
After leaving the cave, they headed down to the Red Rapids Docks, taking another hour to get there. Thanks to Waking Cloud, they avoided several White Legs patrols, and were soon near a pair of war camps where some White Legs warriors were resting in preparation for a future assault. As they looked at the first one, Waking Cloud began to speak.
"Those tents over there belong to a White Legs war camp. See the totems they have near the tents? White Legs Warriors pray to them for savagery and strength before battle. This is no raiding band."
Waking Cloud said, thinking about what had to be done.
"In that case, we're going to have to go in guns blazing before trashing the totems."
Six laid out, Joseph nodding in agreement as he pulled out his six shooter, thinking about how to best handle the situation before them.
"I'll follow your command, but I advise you to be as cautious as you can be."
She said, as they snuck up the path to the other camp in an attempt to get to the best vantage point. Up onto a rock they went, as Joseph and Six took prone positions aiming at the separate camps while Waking Cloud got behind them to fend off anyone who came from the back. Before too long, Joseph had his revolver in full cock, Six had unslung her rifle and turned off the safety, and Waking Cloud was ready to see what they did.
One of the White Legs warriors, a man who wielded a Thompson SMG, perished in a fraction of a second after Joseph pulled the trigger and destroyed his brain with a .44 MAG bullet. The other seven White Legs in the area all got up and began to bolt right at the intruders, with Six helping by laying down fire and killing a few White Legs in the process. The other White Legs found themselves at the wrong end of Joseph's blackhawk and died when the heavy bullets connected with their vitals and ended them accordingly.
It wasn't long before all the bodies had settled, and they had come out victorious. The ranger and tribal split paths for a moment to break the totems of the White Legs and ruin any further resolve they had. Returning to the rock they'd been shooting from, Six was staring at a nearby rock formation and tapping her chin.
"Wanna take a look at Zion from a more scenic view?"
She asked, as Joseph and Waking Cloud nodded.
"Sure, why not?"
"I think that would be nice."
The two said, before Six lead the way up the Red Gate. Before too long they were up on top, as the caracal's eyes seemed to shimmer as the natural beauty of Zion revealed itself.
Waking Cloud was less impressed, though she clearly enjoyed the sight of her home from the vantage point that they'd climbed up. Six liked it too, and began to walk to the other side of the gate when she spotted something. Lightly obscured by trees and otherwise blatant as can be was a skeleton with a hide beneath it, and a duffel bag next to it.
"Joseph, you're gonna want to see this."
She said, as the cat nodded and walked over. When he saw the skeleton, he walked over to it slowly and looked it over.
"Couldn't have been recent. Maybe the bag holds more info."
He said, opening it up and looking around. Joseph pulled out several things, a rifle, some magazines for it, and a holotape. The caracal looked the rifle over, and saw that it was some kind of pre-war carbine, chambered in 12.7x33MM. The magazines were full of the required ammo, FMJ specifically. The ranger put the rifle and ammo down before passing the holotape to the courier.
"Here, I think this may be the same guy who wrote those logs way back when."
He said, as Six put the tape in, and began reading its contents while the caracal examined the carbine. Battered and beaten up, it was still serviceable and far from worthless. Most problematic was the lack of a front sight, but the bent post seemed to take its place. It was more relic than war machine, and Joseph respected it by putting it and its magazines away.
"This is the same man who wrote those logs. You oughta read this."
Six said, turning her Pip Boy over to the caracal, who began reading the logs carefully. It wasn't long before he had finished, and stood up slowly as he spoke.
"Waking Cloud, I know you may not believe what I have to say, but listen. That skeleton there belongs to the Father in the Caves. His name was Randall Clark, and he was a great man."
He said, much to Waking Cloud's astonishment over what she saw as a blasphemous statement.
"What are you talking about? The Father in the Caves is the god of the New Canaanites and isn't dead in the least!"
"Not even close. I'm no New Canaanite, but I know that ain't what they believe. I think you and Daniel need a longer discussion about that. Hell, that ain't even the real point of things! The Father existed, and he was the reason of why at least your tribe thrives in the Valley. Even if the White Legs want you dead, you've persevered and survived. I think that if he were to look at the current situation he'd be proud of your tribe, and that he'd want to see you keep Zion in good shape."
The ranger said, turning to the skeleton of Randall, before offering the skeleton a salute as he began to walk down the gate. They still had a job to do, two tasks on Daniel's list were untouched, and they wanted to be heading out of Zion by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
LOCATION: Old Rockville Bridge.
DATE: DECEMBER 5TH 2281.
TIME: 12:55 PM.
TEMPERATURE: 84°F OR 29°C.
The bridge before them was covered in numerous nasty traps that would be an issue for a wastelander to navigate around, much less desperate fleeing Sorrows. Before long, Waking Cloud spoke about the sight before them.
"This is the sole path from the Narrows to Pine Creek! These traps will tear apart anyone trying to escape!"
She said, as Six turned to her and spoke.
"Any advice for what we should do?"
"Disable and possibly destroy the traps, or find the White Legs who placed them and chase them off. Our advance scouts can deal with the bridge if they don't have to fight off raiders at the same time."
She advised, and soon afterwards, a plan was offered.
"Six, how about you and Waking Cloud handle any nearby White Legs while I take care of the traps? Bear Traps are something I can handle easily enough, and you two are more than capable of fighting such a threat."
Joseph said, laying out a plan that hit two problems with the same nail.
"Works with me, we won't take long. They couldn't be all that far away."
Six said, as Waking Cloud nodded.
"I like this plan, we will return."
She said as Joseph nodded, turning to the first of the bear traps as he got to work. The Courier and Waking Cloud began their path up north, hunting for the White Legs who planted the traps in the first place. It wasn't long before they found the raiding party who'd planted the traps, and were waiting for Sorrows scouts to try and disable them.
Five total, two with Tommies, one with a flaming sword and two with makeshift hatchets. Acting fast, Six ran quick and shot quicker into the ones with guns, as Waking Cloud put her Yao Guai gauntlet to work. The White Legs with Thompsons tried hitting Six, but she moved too fast for them, and ended them rightly with 5MM bursts. Waking Cloud worked hard too with cutting apart the White Legs who tried using their flame swords and tomahawks on her.
She bobbed, weaved, and sliced open her opponents, killing them quickly while restraining herself from taunting them. It wasn't too long before the Courier and Tribals work were all done, their enemies dead on the ground after a quick, harsh battle. Six took a deep breath before looting the bodies quickly, with the two of them returning to the bridge as the ranger disabled the last of the bear traps. Joseph looked over and waved at Waking Cloud and Six, who walked over the bridge much more freely.
The caracal had done one hell of a job while they were gone, and besides the risk of tripping on the bear traps, they were harmless. Taking a quick break for a short lunch, they sat on the side of the torn apart road, eating some of the wild grown food while taking in the scenery of everything.
Joseph had some Prickly Pear and Brahmin Jerky, Six had Gecko Jerky, Nevada Agave Fruit and some Cave Fungus. Waking Cloud had some Banana Yucca and Barrel Cactus. Their lunch was soon over, and before too long they were back up and heading off to the final objective on the list. An hour later, they were walking off of the East Fork Bridge and onto the road as Waking Cloud talked to Six.
"Yao Guai, even our strongest hunters could not hope to kill so many at once. There has to be a nest nearby."
Six got right to the questions.
"Any advice on how to handle this?"
"Fighting so many at once is a dangerous prospect, you'd have to be a truly mighty warrior to consider it. This many nearby suggests a nest is close by, if we find it and destroy it, we may have a better chance."
She offered, as Six pulled her backpack off of her back and began looking through it as she gave another question.
"Well how would we collapse a Yao Guai cave?"
"Didn't Daniel give you some bricks of New Canaanite Fire Clay? That can collapse a cave with ease, and keep the beasts trapped inside. Look around and try to find a nearby cave, it may be easier than assaulting them head on."
She said, as Six pulled out the mining explosives and detonator she had packed in her kit. While she threw her backpack back on, Joseph nodded at Waking Cloud as he spoke.
"We'll do that. It's a safer bet than going at it head on. Let's move out."
"I stand with you."
Waking Cloud said, as before too long, the three began walking across the ridge to their left and made their way over to a nearby cave. Crouching low to keep quiet, they went inside and began to slowly go through the cave. Taking their time, the ranger gagged a bit, his Jacobson's organ picking up the scent of a seemingly fresh kill. Taking the left and walking straight to an open spot to investigate, the three approached an open vantage point.
Joseph, Six, and Waking Cloud peeked into where the Yao Guai spent most of their time, seeing what looked like the corpses of several unlucky persons. White Legs, Sorrows, Dead Horses, New Canaanites, it didn't matter which group they held loyalty to, they'd ended up as a Yao Guai's meal.
Joseph quickly drew his revolver and cocked it, before Six began to walk to the other path, taking out a brick of the mining explosives as she looked for the optimal places to put them. Joseph and Waking Cloud followed close behind, moving slowly as Six placed the first brick near a partly submerged tunnel. The ranger stood by it as he spoke.
"I'll keep you two covered while you place the remaining explosives." He said, as Six and Waking Cloud nodded, before taking the plunge as the ranger held his ground. His blood chilled as his ears scanned for any sound that they could get, ready to pick up the sounds of horrible bloodshed or a Yao Guai's snarl. Time seemed to freeze still, as his imagination poured those sounds into his mind, priming him for the real deal. His mind was doing wonderful things to itself, but before he could go completely bonkers from it, Six and Waking Cloud came out of the water as Six spoke.
"The bombs have been planted, we've gotta clear the cave now." Joseph nodded in agreement as he pulled the trigger and lowered the hammer of his gun, holstering it before following Six and Waking Cloud back out, rushing a bit as they exited the cave. Six took the detonator out of her bag, and pulled the trigger after checking to see that Joseph and Six were out.
The explosions inside rocked the ground underneath them with a crushing sound of rocks being pulverized, and the shaking of falling rock as the Yao Guai were trapped, and had no way out of their grave of a cave. Sighing in relief, the three of them just stood there silently for a moment. They took in the scenery around them for a minute, before they began to head back to The Narrows. Daniel would be glad to know that everything was in place for escape, at the very least.
LOCATION: The Narrows.
DATE: DECEMBER 5TH 2281.
TIME: 6:32 PM.
TEMPERATURE: 79°F OR 26°C.
Six, Joseph and Waking Cloud walked into The Narrows with a sigh of relief. Choosing to rest, Joseph and Six sat down in the nearby Sorrows Camp to rest their well worked bodies, near a campfire as they caught their breath from miles of walking. Joseph looked to the lines of drying fish, and turned to Waking Cloud, who had settled down near a sleeping pad.
"May I take one of those fish to eat? I haven't had fish in too long."
"No, they're drying and aren't ready to eat. If you want fish, I can get some already dry fish you can eat."
She offered, as Joseph nodded.
"That would be nice. Six, you want some fish?"
"I'll decline, I don't like the taste. Gecko's tastier."
Six answered, as Waking Cloud left shortly afterwards, heading up the nearby rock bridge to get some dry fish for the ranger who'd been so helpful to her tribe. Joseph opened his pack and rummaged through it for a bit, before pulling out a book and resuming his reading to pass the time. Six opened up her pack and rummaged through it for the contents of her meal.
Everyone else in The Narrows were beginning to get together for dinner, the last one before Zion would be forever changed by the Mojave travelers. About ten minutes later, Waking Cloud came back out of a cave and walked to Joseph, extending a dried fish.
"Have some fish, I do hope you enjoy one of our traditional foods."
Joseph set the book aside and took it from her, nodding at Waking Cloud as he got out his knife. She began to eat a fish that she had gotten herself while Joseph prepared his fish. The head quickly got sliced off, put aside in case of future hunger as the ranger began to sniff the meat inside. The caracal pulled a little bit of it out, and tasted it. He ate it, then began eating the rest of the fish while diligently pulling any bones out to avoid getting them in his system.
He ate it with some cave fungus as Six finished off her light meal of gecko jerky and Prickly Pear. While Joseph and Six washed their meals down with some fresh water, Daniel approached the travelers and began to speak.
"I'm glad to see you two have come back. Any progress to report?"
He asked, as Joseph and Six both slowly got up. Joseph was finishing his canteen as Six spoke.
"We took care of the tasks in Zion, and got Grand Staircase's map."
Six reached into a pocket and handed the map over, Daniel took it, looked it over and sighed gently.
"I appreciate all that you've done. Well, this is it. This is everything we need. Now all that's left is to quietly pack up and try to evacuate with haste and silence. Of course, that's assuming Joshua hasn't talked you into fighting the White Legs in spite of what I've said. Don't worry, you two are outsiders, I won't hold it against either of you. Fighting seems like the most practical solution, but there's much more at stake here."
The ranger and Courier looked at each other for a moment, before nodding gently, as Six chose Zion's path. "I think Joshua's correct, we have to fight the White Legs."
"No! Why? Why?! Haven't you two seen enough of what's going on here to know that the Sorrows don't need to butcher the White Legs for land? What Joshua wants isn't to merely attack them, he wants to slaughter them. And he needs more than you two and the Dead Horses to make it work. The Sorrows can't be pushed into this. You and Joshua don't have the right to push them into this fight, please consider what I have to say."
He said, looking slightly desperate as Six shot back quickly.
"This is how the world works. Zion doesn't exist in isolation, whether you like it or not, this is how it all comes together."
Six said, as Joseph spoke shortly afterwards.
"The White Legs can't be allowed to flourish here. They knew what they were doing when they cast their lot with Caesar, they chose to ally with the current Amalek. The White Legs chose their path, and I aim to show Salt-Upon-Wounds what he deserves."
Daniel looked at the towering Jew with an exasperated look, before sighing once again as he replied.
"No, this is what we made the world into. We just brought it to them. Joshua must be waiting for you, I'll help guard the others from your choices."
He said, before walking off, as Waking Cloud followed suit. Joseph quickly squatted down and filled his canteen back up, as Six followed suit. The next several hours were going to be hard on the both of them.
LOCATION: Caterpillar's mound.
DATE: DECEMBER 5TH 2281.
TIME 8:22 PM.
TEMPERATURE: 75°F OR 24°C.
A short nap later and after they'd gotten what they needed, Joseph and Six were standing on the Caterpillar's Mound all alone. Before they could begin thinking they'd been tricked though, Joshua approached from behind with eight Dead Horses and Sorrows warriors in tow. Six turned to see him, as did Joseph, and they listened to what the burned man had to say.
"Thank you both for this opportunity. I know Daniel doesn't approve, but destroying the White Legs is the only way the Sorrows can remain in Zion. The three of us are going to lead a group of Dead Horse warriors and Sorrows hunters from this position. Our objective is to locate the leader of the White Legs, Salt-Upon-Wounds, and prevent his escape. No quarter will be shown to any White Legs we encounter. Make no mistake about what we aim to do. This is total extermination."
He said, as the ranger silently cringed, beginning to regret his choice to help Graham.
"Let's cut the talk and get to it then."
Six said, un-slinging her rifle as Joseph did the same for his shotgun.
"God be with you." Graham said, as he un-holstered his 1911. The other Dead Horses did the same, as Six lead the path up the cliff and onto the most direct path to Three Marys. They ascended onto the rocks easily as Joseph turned to Joshua for a moment.
"Joshua, I have a particular question that I know you're likely able to answer. Do you believe your ancestry to be that of the lost tribe of Ephraim?"
"A good amount of my people do, that is correct. My family does as well. I was taught that from a young age, and that because of it I was destined for greatness."
He said, as Joseph chuckled.
"Well whoever taught you turned out at least half right, not because of your tribe or destiny of course. I wouldn't be surprised if they curse your name in Salt Lake for what you've done to their reputation."
Joshua nodded as they got onto the rocks, continuing to follow Six as they continued their conversation.
"Well if I may ask, why did you bring up that bit of trivia?"
"I was told by my parents that before being mutated, my ancestors believed they were descendants of the tribe of Manasseh. Whether that's true or not, I like to think that at times. But neither of us were raised as an Ephraimite, nor a Manassehite. You were raised as one of the New Canaanites. I was raised as a Jew, by mutated descendants of the tribe of Judah. My point is that regardless of ancestry, what happens to us isn't something brought by faith. It's brought by actions. My action to join the Desert Rangers set me on this path, and your choice to assist Caesar set you on this path. Remember that if you feel the Malpais Legate tugging at you to slaughter everything you see, kick those urges away, you're better than that."
Joseph said, as they began to walk on the path that lead them to the Morning Glory cave earlier in the day. Joshua merely nodded, choosing not to speak any further. After Six passed some Prickly Pear Cacti and trees, she shouldered her rifle and began firing away. Joseph was close behind and did the same thing, as White Legs barely obscured by foliage charged at the group. The pair of warriors barely had time to try and fight back before being killed in mere seconds, their bodies falling on the ground as Joshua witnessed the pair work.
"A fair kill."
He said, as Six checked the bodies quickly. A fresh potato was thrown into her pack before she resumed leading the way, reloading as she did so. A good few minutes later they'd reached the peak that lead up to Grand Staircase, and before they could go past it, a Dead Horses warrior drew his pistol and shouted.
"WHITE LEGS ON CLIFF!"
The others looked up and began firing right away with the exception of Joseph, who looked dead ahead for any White Legs who would try and attack them that way. A White Leg warrior found this out the hard way as he charged the group before getting filled with three buckshot rounds to the torso. The white legs on the peak tried firing back, but some .45 hit them in the neck, stomach and legs, killing them in a less than instant manner.
Moving on, the group began to walk along the river, following Six as she tried to save time using the maps on her Pip-Boy. The path continued to be eerily silent for a good few more minutes, as Joseph's ears scanned the way ahead for any signs of White Legs trying to keep them out of Three Marys. As they approached The Bend Bridge, Joseph stopped in his tracks and slung his City Killer, drawing his Blackhawk and aiming at the rocks near the bridge.
"The bridge is guarded."
He whispered to Six while cocking the hammer, before a White Leg suddenly began to charge at them from the right. One of the Sorrows Hunters slashed his belly open and stabbed him in the neck before kicking his body away, as Joseph pulled the trigger and nailed the White Leg standing by the rocks right in the head. The other one began throwing Tomahawks at the group, being hit by one of the Dead Horses in the heart as he fell into the water.
Afterwards, the pack crossed the bridge to the other side as Six kept leading the trail to the White Legs home. Turning left on the fork, Joseph replaced the cartridge he used before re-holstering the Ruger and readying his shotgun once more. The path remained eerily clear as the way remained empty of most life. It seemed as if the animals had decided to hide while the people fought for their own reasons.
As they reached the Red Rapids Docks, several White Legs could be seen, and Six started shooting once again. One of them bearing a flame sword fell to the ground after his torso got filled with 5MM, the others tried to charge at the group, but soon found themselves being shot dead by Dead Horses, as Joseph decided to save buckshot for Three Marys. It wasn't too long before they reached it anyways, with Six, Joseph and Joshua stopping before the entrance as Joshua talked to the Dead Horses and Sorrows.
They went in shortly afterwards, and soon enough the trio went right in as well. It had been two and a half hours of non stop walking since they'd begun the trek to Three Marys, and now the real fight began. The three of them ran in and began to make a beeline to Salt-Upon-Wounds as fast as they could. It took them several minutes through water that had zero traps as they approached the home of the White Legs. The orifice had a pair of the Sorrows Hunters waiting, before charging in as Joseph, Six and Joshua came from behind.
The Dead Horses had already begun to lay hell down before they came in, and the Sorrows hunters weren't slacking off as they attacked flame sword wielding warriors with their yao guai gauntlets. The Sorrows who chose that screamed in pain as they were cut into by blades that cauterized their wounds on contact, and the Dead Horses had to finish the deed. The fighting cooled down as Joseph and Six got onto dry ground, but seconds later a White Leg began spraying 9MM at them, as Joshua decisively fired back soon after, quickly killing them in the process.
A white leg with another flaming sword tried to charge at them, before Joseph gave them the same treatment, as he hit his enemy with 2 rounds of buckshot to the heart, emptying his shotgun in the process. The ranger reloaded quickly before getting their feet wet once more, entering the water as they continued to charge ahead at their goal. Before they could get much further though, an explosion blinded them momentarily as the rock crumbled down and blocked the way ahead. Joshua ran up to Six, getting in her face suddenly.
"This is taking too long, we can't allow Salt-Upon-Wounds to slip away. I'll find a way around myself. God willing, we will finish this together."
He said, before running back as Joseph and Six were alone once again in Zion. They climbed up the rock to get out of the water, before the caracal spotted a cave ahead and began to slowly approach it, checking his Winchester to make fully sure it was loaded, as Six reloaded her rifle. After getting off of the rock bridge, they rushed into the cave, and got right back into the fire. They only had a few seconds of relative peace before being spotted by a White Leg. They tried to fire at Six before being shot down by her, as Joseph knelt down and got ready to hold his ground for the next minute or so.
Several White Legs charged ahead, all desperate to kill the intruders as Joseph fired buckshot aplenty at the White Legs, and Six drew a 10MM pistol and began firing at them to conserve 5MM. Buckshot and hollow-points charged at the White Legs, who tried to hit their enemies with battered Thompsons. It proved no good as six got the last kill, after seven white legs lost their lives against the ranger and courier. They didn't spend any longer in the cave than they had to, as Six took a right and rushed to the exit of the cave as Joseph slung his shotgun and drew the old Blackhawk out.
Exiting the cave, they took a right down into the water via the propped up husk of a corvega the White Legs used as a ramp. It wasn't long before they were back on the trail to Salt-Upon-Wounds, and Joseph was beginning to really think of precisely what would happen with him. The ranger and courier were essentially lost in their own thoughts as they could only continue to follow the path.
Six and Joseph were all alone for what felt like a half hour, up until they looked up a ridge and saw a Dead Horses warrior execute one of the White Legs right in front of them. A .45 through the back of the head, cold and unfeeling, as brought upon by a battle hardened tribal, unto another. It looked like the Dead Horses and Sorrows were more effective than expected, and the White Legs were really being cornered at this rate. The caracal seemed to stop as several more executions happened at the same time, and the same way.
1911 to the back of the head, single pull of the trigger, and dead. Six stopped to look back at Joseph, as he silently muttered a sentence.
"Oh Joshua, you've pushed these poor men into being as cold as you."
The ranger turned back to Six, walking to her as he spoke.
"We can't let Joshua Graham execute Salt Upon Wounds, he's gone fucking mad."
Joseph said, as Six looked at the caracal in confusion.
"Well why in the hell shouldn't we let him take care of that problem?"
"Because the White Legs can't win. We've extinguished their flame, and we've probably broken their leader in the process. If he lives, we can prevent Joshua from turning back to the Legate. If he does that, I will have to kill him."
Joseph explained, as he resumed following the path ahead, as Six did the same. About a minute later, a group of desperate White Legs charged ahead at the pack, six in total. Some with guns, some without, all desperate to kill the invaders. Joseph was fast with the old blackhawk, taking three of them down in mere seconds as Six killed the remaining defenders off with one of the few magazines she had left with her.
Reloading quickly, they stuck to the path as silence took hold once again, the ranger's eyes and ears scanning the tightening way as things got more intense. As they entered an especially tight little canyon that barely had room to move around in, the burning body of a White Leg warrior fell right in front of them onto the riverbank just beside the water. Continuing to walk forward, a crying, kneeling White Leg crouched in the water, silently begging for whatever mercy he could get before his head was blown open by another Dead Horse. Joseph Chaim began moving faster ahead, getting more and more desperate to interfere with what Joshua Graham had in mind.
He couldn't be allowed to push the envelope back to his Arizona days, this wasn't what the ranger wanted. Shortly after crossing the scene and seeing where Salt-Upon-Wounds had to be, a group of four desperate White Legs carrying beaten to hell guns began firing at the two warriors. Joseph took care of them easily with his revolver, as four shots to the head or chest, and they were down for the count. He reloaded frantically, before running over to where Graham awaited, as Six followed just behind him.
Right ahead of them was the scene that Joseph had feared the whole time. The former legate stood in the ruins of what used to be a campsite, right near a grill, and before him were three kneeling White Legs. Two warriors, and Salt-Upon-Wounds were before him, all bound and shivering, knowing what would happen next. Two shots were fired into the back of the warriors heads, before Joshua spoke.
"We warned you at Syracuse, but you persisted. You took advantage of us in New Canaan to drive us out, and like Caesar's Dogs you strive to be, you pursued us to Zion. And now you stand on holy ground, a temple to the lord's splendor and delight on earth. And the only use for animals in this temple, is sacrifice. Kale watcha nei conserva oh! You understand me, don't you? Don't you?"
Joshua taunted, as Salt looked up at the ones who had just arrived. He looked over to Six, and spoke desperately.
"Outman! Kuna-man mad! He kill all White Legs! You talk! You stop!"
He begged, as Six nodded.
"We didn't sign up for this, we'll talk Joshua down." Six said, as a glimmer of hope only enhanced Salt's desperation.
"Him hear you! You talk!" He said frantically, as Six and Joseph looked right at Joshua, the ranger staring at the new canaanite dead on.
"Don't listen to this... thing! Its cries are the same as a vicious beast caught in a thicket! It gave no mercy to my family, and I will give none to its."
Joshua said, as the ranger stayed still, holding his Blackhawk steady in one hand while Six did the talking.
"Joshua, you've beaten the White Legs mercilessly. Look around you, you don't need to kill him."
"It has a debt to pay for his actions and I've come to collect. It's the one who's chosen to cower in the water the dumb beast it is."
Joshua said, his hand nervously twitching while holding his pistol, itching to kill, as Joseph put his thumb on the hammer of his revolver. The silent warning from the ranger was followed up by Six's words.
"If your belief holds weight, he'll pay in good time. The Sorrows don't need to see you executing him."
"You've crushed the White Legs, look down at Salt-Upon-Wounds and tell me he could even try to put the White Legs back into their former glory. You've done what was required, don't try and push things back to Arizona, unless you want to meet your fate."
The two said, as Joseph remained still, and Six watched Joshua intently.
"I want to make things even, to take what they took from me and my family. In this life. I want them to suffer by my hand. I want them to die in anguish and terror. I want my revenge. Against him, against Caesar. I want to call it my own, to call my burning rage god's rage. To justify what I have done. Sometimes I tell myself these wildfires never stop blazing. But I'm the one who lights them. Not God, not them. I can always see it in my mind, the warmth, the heat, the blinding light. It will never leave me, but I won't stoke it today."
He said, lightly kicking Salt-Upon-Wound's back as he spoke.
"Go. Leave this place with your tribe. Return to the Great Salt Lake."
The White Leg's leader got up and bolted, running as fast as he could, as any remaining White Legs followed him as fast as they could. The Sorrows and Dead Horses stood down, influenced by the mercy as the ranger continued to watch the Mormon closely.
"That's it. It is accomplished, I'm thankful you two stayed with me. I couldn't have done this without your help. Let's go find Daniel. The sun will rise soon, and there is much to do."
He said, while the ranger holstered his revolver and accepted how things had gone. Rain began to fall, slowly but steadily as everyone began to move. The Sorrows and Dead Horses began counting the dead, as Joseph and Six followed Joshua off to where Daniel was, aiming to get the map they needed to get out of Zion.
They walked to Daniel, who was tending to the wounds of a pair of Sorrows Hunters who had been shot in their arms while fighting White Legs. He looked up at the two with a disappointed look as he handed Six a holotape.
"Here. Take your way out, and go. Zion's better off without you."
He said bitterly, as Joseph nodded.
"You're half right. Zion's better off without us. Same thing goes for you and Joshua."
He said, as he and Six began to make their way out, tired and intent on leaving Zion as soon as possible. Joshua scowled back at Joseph as the ranger didn't look back, neither did Six. They'd never meet again.
As they walked through the river in Three Marys while making their way out, Joseph and Six suddenly got a surprise as someone ran up. Follows-Chalk came to them both, panting a bit as he spoke.
"I heard what you had to say, to Joshua and Daniel. You let Salt-Upon-Wounds go? Why?"
Six told him right after he asked.
"He had gotten what he deserved, the less blood that needs to be spilled, the better."
"The White Legs have been kicked to the dirt, their reputation can't recover from the beating they got. It's not like Salt-Upon-Wounds has his raider spirit any longer."
Joseph added, the ranger looking at the Dead Horses scout curiously.
"Why are you here instead of helping clean things up with the others?"
The caracal asked, as the scout looked around for a moment, taking a few more steps to the pair before he answered them.
"I want to leave Zion, to see the Mojave. I need to stretch my legs outside of my home, and you two are the only chance I have of leaving properly."
Joseph and Six nodded along, as the ranger thought things over while the courier asked another question.
"Why do you want to leave Zion?"
"When I was a young boy, I saw a man who came by caravan. He was tall, had a large mustache and a guitar on his back. I asked what he did to survive, and the interpreter told me he was a singer. I asked what that meant, and he told me that he traveled from place to place, singing for people in exchange for food, shelter and care. I was amazed to learn that there was a place where a man could do that. Since then I've wanted to explore the world."
He explained, as the ranger nodded slowly, thinking things over for a bit before he spoke.
"The Mojave is a dangerous place that you shouldn't explore. Alone at the least. If you want to explore the Mojave, your best bet is to join my militia. You'll be given full training as a scout, and when the war with Caesar's Legion is over, you can explore to your heart's content."
The ranger offered, as Follows-Chalk's eyes glimmered in excitement. Here it was, a chance for him to leave, and for him to see the Mojave while learning how to be a proper scout!
"Really? Thank you. I will follow you out of Zion and join your militia accordingly."
He said, eagerly following behind Joseph and Six as the trio made their way out of Three Marys, never to meet Joshua Graham or any of the other New Canaanites ever again.
Several hours later they reached the same location where the White Legs first attacked them in Zion, the bodies of the caravaneers having been buried by Dead Horses the same day they'd been killed, the loot was unsurprisingly gone. Six pulled up the map and checked it over one last time, as Joseph checked his canteen to see that it was full of water. He put it away after closing it back up, following Six out of Zion, and back to the brewing storm of the Mojave.
LOCATION: Northern Passage.
DATE: DECEMBER 20TH 2281.
TIME 1:22 PM.
TEMPERATURE: 81°F OR 27°C.
The trip back seemed to take a bit shorter than expected, if only due to the significantly lighter load that the ranger and courier had on them. The Dead Horse packed light too, which helped the trip back remain on schedule. Whatever the case, they'd finally come back to where they belonged, and there was no shortage of work that they had to get to.
Taking a brief break, Joseph looked over the horizon to admire what he had missed all the while, as Six took a bit of a breather while Chalk admired the brand new landscape to him at least.
Zion was beautiful, but the Mojave was home to Joseph, and possibly to Six. The Dead Horses Scout admired the sandy place as the pair who brought him there relaxed for a short moment. To him, this was a brand new vista that he had to soak in during the break before the rest of the trek to Vault 3.
The break lasted a few minutes, during which their canteens were nearly drained, Follows-Chalk saw some places he wanted to explore later, and Six got to let her head clear for a moment. They resumed their return to the vault right afterwards, resuming the trek back. A little under two hours later they were back inside the vault, as Joseph took the reins back from Russell and briefly checked to see how things had gone. Slow and steady thankfully. Russel was a smart cheetah when it came to keeping the militia in check.
Follows Chalk was lead to Rodriguez, who began helping him into the recruitment process while Joseph and Six both collapsed into a set of chairs in the rest area. The pair adjusted to the feel of being in comfort once more all while the ranger began to think of what would come next.
He pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of his backpack before beginning to write a short list down. Specifically, the issues in the Mojave that they had to deal with, and a somewhat haphazard, but fitting order. Caesar first, then Vegas, the Khans, the Boomers, the Brotherhood, and so on. Six looked over to see what Joseph was writing down, and sighed.
"Is that a Priority list? We should get working on it tomorrow, we need some rest."
She said, as Joseph stopped, looking up at her before nodding.
"Alright, I'm done writing this but we should get to work on a proper plan. The Mojave needs care, and we're here for it."
The ranger said, as Six nodded and got up. They'd resume this tomorrow, when they had recuperated their energy from Zion.