Heart of the Walker (The Walker Series Book 2)

by Coralee June

  “What does Agrio mean?” I asked.

  “Simply put, it means Wild one.” She smiled, and I noticed that her teeth were unusually sharp, as if she purposefully shaved them into little fine points. I made a mental note to ask Kemper later if that was a common practice amongst Scavengers.

  I giggled loudly, causing everyone to direct their attention towards us. Huxley’s face turned bright red. “I’m far from wild!” I exclaimed with another giggle. The thought of anyone labeling me as such was beyond humorous, and I belly laughed for the first time in weeks.

  “I think you’re far wilder than you give yourself credit for, Agrio,” Mia replied with a wink.

  Before I could respond, a thin man broke through the thick bushes and trees with a moan. Open sores that oozed puss and blood covered his arms and legs. He had sunken eyes and a mysterious appearance that advertised the danger he possessed. He moved like a bundle bones with a faint consciousness controlling them, and wore a frown with rotten teeth that looked like dead flowers in a vacant bed of soil.

  An infected Walker.

  Before the others could react, Mia grabbed a knife strapped to her thigh and chunked it at his chest. She threw her blade with the practiced speed and precision of a seasoned killer. His hard face softened at the threshold of eternity, and when the walker collapsed on impact, he let out a shrill wheeze that echoed through us. We all stood still as he twitched and groaned until his lifeless body froze, and a sob broke free from my throat.

  Maverick trudged up to the lifeless body. He whispered a few words while he poured a foul-smelling brown liquid from a metallic flask over the body. Maverick then nodded his head towards Mia who corralled me away just as he dropped a lit match on the Walker.

  “One of the larger neighboring tribes to the West became infected three weeks ago,” Mia explained with a shaky voice. The adrenaline from her kill seemed to move with intensity throughout her. “We’ve had 15 walkers in the past two sun cycles wander near our camp, and two of our own committed suicide after coming into contact with them.”

  The burning smell invaded my nose even as we walked farther from the body and towards the Scavenger tribal lands. Maverick caught up with us eventually, and I looked towards the sky and watched smoke billow up in puffs. The evidence of what happened coated the air with an ominous hue.

  “I extinguished the fire,” Maverick told Mia before walking ahead of us and joining Cyler at the head of our group. The Walker’s arrival brought a solemn mood, and everyone walked in contemplative silence, each of us mourning the various lives of those the disease claimed.

  Chapter Three

  Once we made it towards the center of their camp, I noticed a pattern of bright-orange tarp tents that stood out amongst the abundance of trees. They were strategically placed in a circle, facing a massive white tent in the middle. Campfires roared around us, causing a smoky haze to fill the area. As we arrived, Scavengers emerged from their dwellings and jogged towards us. Children with white hair and mischievous grins ran up to Huxley and embraced him.

  It was generally understood that the Deadland’s water supply was toxic, causing all the inhabitants to have bleached hair and nails. It also made Scavengers more prone to infection. Still, many preferred the dangerous woods and tainted water supply to the restrictive and segregated nature of the Empire.

  “My brother will see us soon, he’s meeting with our elders now.” Mia gestured for us to sit around a massive blazing fire that burned a strange shade of green.

  I found a vacant log to sit on, and Mia plopped down next to me on my left, while Patrick joined me on my right. Patrick gripped my fumbling hand in quiet reassurance, and Mia eyed our entwined fingers with curiosity.

  There was a strange and uncomfortable silence between us, and the painfully awkward situation urged me into making polite conversation with Mia.

  “How did you and Huxley meet?” I asked, surprising myself with the boldness of the question. I knew that Patrick and Huxley lost their parents to an Eastern Scavenger attack, and it seemed unusual that, despite that, he would become romantically involved with one of them.

  “I like to think it was fate that brought Huxley and me together,” Mia began while settling in to her seat. “I was on patrol duty, and he was hunting in the Deadlands for food. It was a notably bad harvest year, which made the fool hunt further into the woods than normal. A hog speared him in his right calf with one of his tusks, and I witnessed it. Once he passed out, I placed him on my hover cart and dragged him back here. It took days to mend him. The gash was at least six inches long. Tallis and the elders took bets on how long he’d last.

  "After three days, he woke up and immediately started punching the air and cursing all the Scavengers of this God forsaken world—it was all very dramatic.” Mia chuckled. “It took some moonshine and a lot of coaxing before I found out that a tribe to the East of us killed his parents.” I felt Patrick stiffen beside me at the mention of them.

  “I nursed Latria Mu back to health. God, in the beginning I thought we were going to kill each other!" Mia exclaimed with a smile. "Each day, he hated me a little bit less until, eventually, he started looking for excuses not to leave. Finally, I just kissed him silly until he admitted that he liked me.” She eyed me mischievously.

  I looked over at Huxley and felt a deep sadness permeate within me.

  “We spent a few months together. It was young, foolish love. We were selfish, but he realized he needed to be home with his brother, and I realized I loved the challenge of him much more than I loved him,” Mia said while somehow producing a flask from beneath her skin-tight shirt. She took a swig of its contents with a wince before offering some to me and Patrick. I declined, but Patrick readily accepted. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms and I watched him as he took a giant gulp and wiped his plump lips with the back of his arm.

  “Of course, my brother hates him, so there's also that,” Mia exclaimed with a chuckle, pulling me out of my intense observation of Patrick. Dread pooled in the pit of my belly. If her brother hated Huxley, would that mean that he would be unwilling to help us?

  The flaps to the large, white tent opened, and an older woman with deep-set wrinkles exited with a solemn expression. Long white hair trailed down her back and frayed at the end.

  “The Dormas representatives may join us now,” she said in a low tone, causing the entire village to grow silent. We all stood and slowly made our way into the tent.

  Once inside, I saw that it was entirely furnished and had a fire pit in the center. More mysterious green flames danced in the center of a pit, and a hole in the ceiling allowed the smoke to clear. The tent comfortably fit twenty people, and on the far wall sat a raised pallet with a wooden chair coated with thick slate furs.

  A man with long white hair and green eyes was perched upon it. He was shirtless but wore thick grey pants. Intricate scars in ornate designs covered every visible square inch of his pale skin.

  With poised intention, he slowly raised his muscular arm and wordlessly gestured for us to sit. Mia left me and kneeled at his feet, facing us. Cyler sat to my right and Maverick on my left. As if by muscle memory, I tucked my legs beneath my bottom and bowed, a submissive display that Mistress Stonewell forced me to perform whenever she gave me orders or instructions. It was a position I retreated to whenever I felt like I was in a threatening situation.

  “Welcome to my home,” the man on the makeshift throne covered in furs said. His voice was rich and flowed throughout the tent like warm honey. It contradicted his frightening demeanor.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Tallis,” Cyler’s authoritative voice replied. He was usually the one that managed trade negotiations, so I wasn’t surprised to see him take charge. He puffed out his chest and stared at Tallis with unyielding strength.

  “Of course, my sister has ensured that you’d have a deal that makes this worth my time. I hope that you don’t abuse her faith in you.” He slid fierce eyes on H
uxley. Huxley returned his glare with equal measure, causing the intensity of the room to increase tenfold.

  “We're seeking to build a more beneficial alliance between our communities, “Cyler began. “Although over the past few generations your tribe and my providence have been peaceful towards one another, I think now is the time for our alliance to grow into something more forceful.”

  I glanced over at Jacob whose chocolate eyes roamed the entire tent, continually checking for any danger or threat.

  “I see” was all Tallis said while petting the furs draped over his armrest in a sinister motion.

  Cyler remained quiet, and a silent standoff between the two ensued. My eyes pinged between Tallis and Cyler, frantically wondering which alpha leader would react or respond first. It was finally Tallis that broke, which caused a sliver of a smile to creep up on Cyler’s face before he masked his joy. Cyler won this little battle.

  “And what exactly is to be expected of my people, should we ally together?” Tallis asked.

  “Dormas is trying to untangle themselves from the influence of the Empire. We can no longer sit idly by while they abuse their power, and now we have the resources to succeed.”

  Cyler’s voice rang throughout the tent, and the only sound heard after his declaration was the crackling of the emerald fire. I cautiously looked around, worried that Emperor Lackley himself was somehow spying on us. To even think of defying the Empire was punishable by death. The fact that Dormas was going as far as to ally with their enemies was terrifying.

  “Counting the sins of the Empire doesn't make you a saint, Cyler Black. You watched on the sidelines as my people were pushed deeper into the Deadlands. Besides, you have yet to answer my question," Tallis spit out like his words were venomous.

  "I didn't watch from the sidelines. My family and I were struggling to keep Dormas alive. We didn't have the time or the resources to help anyone else," Cyler countered. His knuckles were white from tension.

  "What do you want from us? Obviously, you have all the power in this situation. The threat of X is a heavy burden on us,” Tallis said with a frown. My thoughts drifted to the infected Walker that blazed through the forest earlier.

  “I need your men to fight. I need your connections with the other tribes; I need your friendship and your fists.” Cyler shrugged as if what he was suggesting wasn’t a huge request.

  “You want my men to die for a cause that isn’t theirs,” Tallis replied with a snarl. I watched as his scarred hands gripped the edge of his chair. “We untangled ourselves from the empire when we fled to the Deadlands. We struggle through survival enough as it is, and now you want us to risk more lives for your people?” The mood of the room plummeted, and I watched as each participant flexed their muscles.

  "I'm offering you a chance at survival! I'm offering you the vaccine! You know that whatever chaos I bring to your doorstep will be worth it. Your people are dying," Cyler pleaded.

  I looked around the room at the others and wondered if they would jump in to defend Cyler's deal, but each of them wore silent and brooding expressions. I thought that the level-headed Maverick or even the kind Kemper could diffuse the surmounting situation with Tallis, but it seemed that each of them was given strict instructions not to speak. I, however, was not; which is why I packed away my fear in the darkest parts of my swirling gut and spoke up.

  “With all due respect, Tallis,” I began, earning various disapproving looks from my guys, and a guttural growl from Huxley. “Your men will die regardless. Influenza X is on your heels. How long do you think it’ll be before the Empire is breathing down your necks, too? They take what they want and have a trail of destruction to prove it. Either your men die from X, or they’ll die fighting. With us they have more of a chance.” I exhaled and stayed motionless, praying I wasn’t overstepping or making things worse for Cyler.

  “Who are you?” Tallis asked while rising from his throne. He walked around the fire pit and stopped in front of me. My eyes were level with his pale knees until he plopped down and sat cross-legged in front of me. He leaned forward and calmly rested his elbows on his thighs. All authority and seriousness seemed to drain out of him as he openly observed me with the careful gaze of a friend and not the intense glare he wore before.

  “I’m… Ash. A newly liberated Walker from the Galla Providence,” I answered with mock confidence. My entire body hummed with fluttering assurance. A flustered and annoyed Cyler tried to speak, but Tallis held his gnarled hand up to stop him. He was eerily interested in me.

  “I’ve heard rumors of newly liberated Walkers taking up residence in Dormas. I've often wondered if you were trading one pair of shackles for another. Are you happy there?”

  “Yes,” I replied without hesitation. My eyes left Tallis' for the briefest of moments to catch an overly pleased grin from Kemper. My admission made him happy.

  My eyes flashed back to Tallis. "I was born in the Walker Zones and plucked from my dead mother’s arms. I was auctioned off and sold to a prominent family where I was raised to think I was worthless. Dormas is the first taste of freedom I’ve ever had. It's home.”

  Tallis looked at me with burning eyes that swept across my face in cool moves. He observed me openly, waiting for a crack in my resolve, so he’d have an excuse to say no.

  “Cyler . . . I don’t trust. Behind his confidence is greed, I can smell it on him,” he said. I immediately opened my mouth to argue with him. Cyler and the guys were the most selfless people I knew, but Tallis continued before I could explain.

  "The empire’s prejudice unites scavengers and Walkers alike. Therefore, I trust you.” Tallis placed a palm over my heart. The nearness of him made me want to cringe, and I noticed Cyler's fist ball in on itself tightly at Tallis’ contact. “We’ll migrate to the far east corner of Dormas within the new moon. That will make us close enough to provide protection, but still far enough to be independent. In exchange, we would like vaccines and access to your food supply, as well as paid jobs in the mines.” He grabbed my hand, placed it upon his chest, and bowed. I wasn't sure about their customs and was worried that I sealed the agreement somehow.

  Cyler then interrupted with a grin and immediately jumped in on making plans. “Yes, of course. Your terms are acceptable. We will include your community in our rationing schedule, and there is more than enough work in the mines. What about the other tribes, will you help us build alliances?” The hope that dripped off of Cyler’s tone was all-encompassing, he seemed over-eager and anxious for Tallis’ cooperativeness.

  Once again, Tallis didn’t address Cyler and kept his eyes on me. Somehow, in saying that I was a Walker, my authority over this meeting surpassed Cyler’s. I shivered under Tallis’ intense stare, and Maverick placed his hand on my lower back, giving me the strength to stay still and not flee the tent. I noticed Tallis’ eyes linger on Maverick for a brief moment before flickering back to me.

  “We will send runners to neighboring tribes that have formed an alliance with us and schedule a council meeting after the month’s end. I cannot guarantee that they will listen, let alone attend, but I will try.”

  I nodded and smiled timidly at Tallis while Mia whistled loudly, disrupting the severe mood of the tent. “A deal made without bloodshed! My little Agrio is good luck!”

  I smiled at Mia and quickly understood what Huxley saw in her. Mia’s good nature was infectious. A sliver of a smile graced Tallis’ face, and I saw a glimpse of the man beneath the authoritative facade. When he wasn’t scowling or wearing the burden of his people on his back, he almost looked like the young man he was. The stress and burden of his people's safekeeping aged him considerably. I realized that he and the Dormas Leadership Council had a kinship of sorts. They were all men forced to grow up quickly.

  After a solidifying a few more details between Cyler and Tallis, we made our way back to the train. Now that the seriousness of the meeting was over, Tallis completely abandoned all formalities and accompanied us back. It was well past m
idnight by then, and the moon illuminated the woods in a shimmery yet unnatural glow, hinting that something abnormal was lingering within the elemental makeup of the trees.

  “I think Agrio is a good nickname for our new friend, Mia. Even her hair is wild.” He chuckled in a friendly manner and pinched one of my curls between his fingers. He had slowed down to walk with me back to the train. Huxley remained close and scowled at Tallis whenever he got the chance, making it clear that despite their new alliance, he still didn’t necessarily like him. I yearned to explore the history between them and hoped I got the opportunity to ask Mia when she moved closer to Dormas.

  “I’ve never been able to tame it,” I replied with a self-deprecating chuckle.

  Tallis’ sharp teeth flashed in the dark before he spoke, “Tame nothing about yourself, Agrio,” he whispered seriously. That earned him a literal growl from Huxley who wrapped his thick hand around my own.

  Tallis sent Huxley a knowing grin. “It’s nice to see that you’ve moved on from my sister.” He then whistled playfully to himself and walked ahead of us to speak with Kemper.

  As Tallis walked away, Huxley stuttered out in delayed response, “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about." This caused both Mia and Tallis to break out in booming laughter that ricocheted off the glowing trees and vines.

  Once on the train, we said our goodbyes and unloaded crates of the vaccine. I smiled, thinking about all the Scavenger children that would receive it. Mia wrapped me in a long hug that left me feeling confused about everything I thought I knew about the Scavengers and their way of life.

  These people were kind. They were eccentric but still pleasant. She also wrapped Huxley in a friendly hug, and I saw the history between them, but also saw that their relationship was purely platonic, despite it. I left the Deadlands seeing the Scavengers as a little more human and, once again, questioned the humanity of the Galla leaders.